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THE  BOOK  WAS 
DRENCHED 


<OU_1 68010 


OSMAN1A  UNIVERSITY  UBRARY 


Author 

Title 

This  book  should  be  returned  on  or  before  the  date  last  marked  below. 


whose  moral  leaders  taught  doctrines  embodied  in 
the  Sermon  on  the  Mount.  The  wisdom  of  Confu- 
cius and  the  precepts  of  Laotsr ,  the  fabulous  tales 
and  the  rich  poetry  of  India  are  here  for  the  guid- 
ance and  delight  of  all  readers  of  our  own  time. 

This  is  one  of  the  finest  volumes  that  has  ever 
borne  the  imprint  of  Random  House. 


THE 

WISDOM  OF 

CHINA  AND 

INDIA 


H  T^T  T"P  3 

8  Mr  S 

H  11  ij_  g 

IWISDOM  OF| 
1  CHINA  AND  I 

g  p 

1      INDIA      1 

?=  EDITED  BY  LIN  YUTANG  H 


RANDOM  HOUSE  •  NEW  YORK 


EIGHTH    PRINTING 


Copyright,  1942,  by  Random  House,  Inc. 
Manufactured  m  the  U,S.A.  by  H,  Wolff,  New  York 


ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 

WE  wisn  to  acknowledge  our  indebtedness  to  the 
following  publishers  for  their  courtesy  in  granting 
permission  to  reprint  sections  of  books  issued  and 
copyrighted  by  them: 

"The  Tale  of  Ch'ienniang,"  from  My  Country  and 
My  People  by  Lin  Yutang;  Letter  VIII  and  a  post- 
script to  Letter  XIII  in  "Letters  of  a  Chinese  Poet," 
and  sections  from  the  "Six  Chapters  of  a  Floating 
Life,"  from  The  Importance  of  Living  by  Lin 
Yutang,  copyrighted  and  published  by  Th^  John 
Day  Company,  Inc. 

"The  Sermon  at  Benares,"  the  "Sermon  on  Abuse" 
and  the  legends,  "The  Marriage  Feast  in  Jam- 
bunada,"  "Kisa  Gotami,"  and  "Following  the 
Master  over  the  Stream,"  copyrighted  and  pub- 
fished  by  The  Open  Court  Publishing  Company, 
La  Salle,  Illinois. 

Selections  from  The  Panchatantra,  translated  by 
Arthur  W.  Ryder,  and  copyrighted  and  published 
by  The  University  of  Chicago  Press. 

"The  Tale  of  Meng  Chiang,"  from  The  I^ady  of  the 
Long  Wall,  translated  by  Genevieve  Wimsatt  and 
Geoffrey  Chen,  and  published  by  Columbia  Uni- 
versity Press. 

Selections  from  The  Jade  Mountain,  translated  by 
Witter  Bynner,  copyrighted,  1920,  1929,  by  Alfred 
A.  Knopf,  Inc. 

"Aphorisms  of  Confucius"  and  "The  Golden  Mean," 
from  The  Wisdom  of  Confucius,  translated  and 
edited  by  Lm  Yutang,  copyrighted,  1938,  by 
Random  House,  Inc. 

Selections  from  The  Surangama  and  "What  is 
Nirvana?"  from  The  Lanfyavataia,  translated  by 
Dwight  Goddard  and  Wei-Tao,  published  by 
Dwight  Goddard. 

Other  acknowledgments  have  been  made  in  the  in- 
dividual introductions. 


Contents 


PART  ONE:  THE  WISDOM  OF  INDIA 

INTRODUCTION  3 

INDIAN  PIETY 

Hymns  from  the  Rigvecla 

Introduction  n 

To  Indra  14 

The  Song  of  Creation  15 

To  Prajapati  16 

To  Varuna  17 

To  Varuna  19 

To  Vis\akarman  20 

To  Indra  21 

Hymn  of  Man  23 

To  Liberality  25 

To  Faith  26 

To  Night  27 

To  Dawn  27 

The  Upamshads 

Introduction  31 

The  Story  of  the  Creation  34 

The  Subtle  Essence  38 

The  True  Brahman  40 

Emancipation  41 

The  Conquest  of  Death  42 

The  One  God  46 

The  Immanence  of  God  48 

God  Is  Within  You  50 

Know  God  51 


Vlll  CONTENTS 

The  Lord's  Song  (The  Bhagavad-Gita) 

Introduction  54 

The  Blessed  Lord's  Song  57 

The  Yoga  Aphorisms  of  Patanjali 

Introduction  115 

Concentration:  Its  Spiritual  Uses  120 

Concentration:  Its  Practice  123 

Powers  127 

Independence  130 

INDIAN  IMAGINATION 

The  Ramayana 

Introduction  135 

Book  I     Sita-Swayamvara  141 

Book  II     Vana-Gamana-Adesa  151 

Book  III     Dasa-Ratha-Viyoga  166 

Book  IV     Rama-Bharata-Sambada  183 

Book  V     Panchavati  193 

Book  VI     Sita-Harana  201 

Book  VII     Kishkmdha  212 

Book  VIII     Sita-Sandesa  221 

Book  IX     Ravana-Sabha  227 

Book  X     Yuddha  234 

Book  XI     Rajya-Abhisheka  250 

Book  XII     Aswa-Medha  257 

INDIAN  HUMOR 

The  Fables  of  Panchatantra 

Introduction  265 

Introduction  to  the  Stories  270 

The  Frogs  That  Rode  Snakeback  272 

The  Unforgiving  Monkey  273 

The  Lion-Makers  276 

Mouse-Maid  Made  Mouse  277 

The  Duel  Between  Elephant  and  Sparrow  280 

The  Heron  That  Liked  Crabmeat  281 

The  Unteachable  Monkey  283 

The  Brahman's  Goat  284 

The  Snake  in  the  Prince's  Belly  285 

The  Gullible  Husband  287 

The  Butter-Blinded  Brahman  289 

The  Brahman,  the  Thief  and  the  Ghost  290 


CONTENTS  IX 

The  Loyal  Mungoosc  291 

The  Mice  That  Set  Elephants  Free  292 

The  Ass  in  the  Tiger-Skin  293 

The  Farmer's  Wife  294 

The  Brahman's  Dream  295 

Shell-Neck,  Slim,  and  Grim  296 
The  Enchanted  Parrot 

Introduction  297 

Yasodcvi  and  Her  Transmigrations  300 
The  Queen  and  the  Laughing  Fish                                       .    301 

The  Son  of  Promise  309 

Devika  and  Her  Foolish  Husband  313 

The  Lady  and   the  Tiger  314 

The  Concluding  Story  315 

BUDDHISM 

The  Dhammapada 

Introduction  321 

The   Dhammapada  327 

Three  Sermons  by  Buddha 

Introduction  357 

The  Sermon  at   Benares  359 

The  Sermon  on  Abuse  362 

The  Fire  Sermon  363 

Some  Buddhist  Parables  and  Legends 

Introduction  365 

Kisa  Gotami  367 

The  Marriage-Feast   in   Jambunada  369 

Following  the  Master  over  the  Stream  370 

The  Greedy  Monk  371 

A  Courtesan  Tempts  the  Monk  Ocean-of-Bcauty  373 

The  Light  of  ASM 

Introduction  377 

The  Light  of  Asia  380 

The  Surangama  Sutra 

Introduction  491 

The  Surangama  Sutra  496 

What  Is  Nirvana? 

Introduction  550 

What  Is  Nirvana?  552 

GLOSSARY  OF  HINDU  WORDS  557 


CONTENTS 

PART  TWO:  THE  WISDOM  OF  CHINA 

INTRODUCTION  567 

CHINESE  MYSTICISM 

Laotse,  the  Book  cf  Tao 

Introduction  579 

The  Principles  of  Tao  583 

The  Application  of  Tao  604 

Chuangtse,  Mystic  and  Humorist 

Introduction  625 

A  Happy  Excursion  629 

On  Levelling  All  Things  633 

The  Preservation  of  Life  643 

This  Human  World  645 

Deformities,  or  Evidences  of  a  Full  Character  651 

The  Great  Supreme  657 

Joined  Toes  666 

Horses'  Hoofs  669 

Opening  Trunks,  or  a  Protest  Against  Civilization  671 

On  Tolerance  675 

Autumn  Floods  682 

CHINESE  DEMOCRACY 

The  Book  of  History,  Documents  of  Chinese  Democracy 

Introduction  695 

The  Canon  of  Yao  707 

The  Counsels  of  the  Great  Yu  714 

The  Counsels  of  Kao-Yao  718 

The  Songs  of  the  Five  Sons  720 

The  Announcement  of  T'ang  722 

T'ai  Chia  724 

The  Common  Possession  of  Pure  Virtue  726 

The  Charge  to  Yueh  727 

The  Great  Declaration  731 

The  Metal-Bound  CofTer  735 

The  Announcement  of  the  Duke  of  Shao  737 

The  Speech  of  Ch'm  741 
Mencius,  the  Democratic  Philosopher 

Introduction  743 

Mencius,  the  Democratic  Philosopher  747 


CONTENTS  XI 

Motse,  the  Religious  Teacher 

Introduction  785 

On  the  Necessity  of  Standards  788 

On  the  Importance  of  a  Common  Standard  790 

Universal  Love  (II)  794 

Universal  Love  (III)  795 

Condemnation  of  Offensive  War  (I)  797 

Condemnation  of  Offensive  War  (II)  798 

Condemnation  of  Offensive  War  (III)  800 

The  Will  of  Heaven  (I)  80 1 

The  Will  of  Heaven  (II)  803 

The  Will  of  Heaven  (III)  804 

Anti-Confucianism  (II)  806 

Keng  Chu  806 

THE  MIDDLE  WAY 

The  Aphorisms  of  Confucius 

Introduction  8n 

Description  of  Confucius  by  Himself  and  Others  814 

The  Emotional  and  Artistic  Life  of  Confucius  818 

The  Conversational  Style  821 

The  Johnsonian  Touch  823 

Wit  and  Wisdom  826 

Humanism  and  True  Manhood  829 

The  Superior  Man  and  the  Inferior  Man  833 
The  Mean  as  the  Ideal  Character  and  Types  of  Persons 

that  Confucius  Hated  835 

Government  838 

On  Education,  Ritual  and  Poetry  840 

The  Golden  Mean  of  Tscszc 

Introduction  843 

The  Central  Harmony  845 

The  Golden  Mean  846 

Moral  Law  Everywhere  847 

The  Humanistic  Standard  848 

Certain  Models  850 

Ethics  and  Politics  852 

Being  One's  True  Self  856 

Those  Who  Are  Absolute*  True  Selves  857 

Eulogy  on  Confucius  859 

Epilogue  862 


Xll  CONTENTS 

CHINESE  POETRY 

Introduction  867 

Some  Great  Ancient  Lyrics  871 

Ch'ii  Yuan  892 

Li  Po  898 

The  Tale  of  Meng  Chiang  909 

The  Mortal  Thoughts  of  a  Nun  932 

SKETCHES  OF  CHINESE  LIFE 

Introduction  937 

Chinese  Tales 

The  Judgmejnt  Between  Two  Mothers  939 

The  Judgment  on  a  Dispute  940 

The  Chinese  Cinderella  940 

The  Tale  of  Ch'ienniang  943 

The  Man  Who  Sold  Ghosts  945 

It's  Wonderful  to  Be  Drunk  946 

It's  Good  to  Be  Headless  947 

The  Brothers'  Search  for  Their  Father  947 

The  Private  History  of  Queen  Feiyen  955 

Six  Chapters  of  a  Floating  Life 

Introduction  964 

Wedded  Bliss  968 

The  Little  Pleasures  of  Life  990 

Sorrow  1003 

The  Joys  of  Travel  1023 
Experience  (missing) 
The  Way  of  Life  (missing) 

CHINESE  WIT  AND  WISDOM 

Introduction  1053 

Parables  of  Ancient  Philosophers 

The  Man  Who  Spurned  the  Machine  I054 

Do-Nothing  Say-Nothing  1055 

The  Concealed  Deer  1056 

The  Man  Who  Forgot  1057 

Chi  Liang's  Physicians  1058 

Honest  Shangch'iu  Kai  IO59 

The  Man  Who  Worried  About  Heaven  1061 

The  Old  Man  Who  Would  Move  Mountains  1062 

Confucius  and  the  Children  1063 


CONTENTS  Xlll 

The  Man  Who  Saw  Only  Gold  1064 

Looks  Like  a  Thief  1064 

Measurements  for  Shoes  1064 

King  Huan  Lost  His  Hat  1065 

How  the  Tongue  Survived  the  T^eth  1065 

The  Owl  and  the  Quail  1066 

The  Tiger  and  the  Fox  1066 

The  Crane  and  the  Clam  1067 

The  Blind  Man's  Idea  of  the  Sun  1067 

Family  Letters  of  a  Chinese  Poet 

Introduction  1068 

Family  Letters  of  a  Chinese  Poet  1070 

The  Epigrams  of  Lusin 

Introduction  1083 

The  Epigrams  of  Lusin  1087 

One  I  lundrcd  Proverbs 

Introduction  1091 

One  Hundred  Proverbs  IO93 

THE  PRONUNCIATION  OF  CHINESE  NAMES          1102 

TABLE  OF  CHINESE  DYNASTIES  1104 


THE 
WISDOM 

OF 
INDIA 


Introduction 


I  AM  NOT  a  Sanskrit  or  Pali  scholar,  but,  better  than  that,  a  lover  o£  books 
that  are  eternal  in  their  wisdom.  The  purpose  of  including  the  wisdom 
of  India  with  the  wisdom  of  China  is  to  communicate  a  joyful  experience 
of  the  beauty  and  wisdom  of  that  country's  literature  and  share  it  with 
my  readers.  In  the  process  of  compilation,  I  could  not  have  enjoyed  it 
more  if  I  had  taken  a  trip  to  India.  How  could  it  be  otherwise?  The 
contact  with  poets,  forest  saints  and  the  best  wits  of  the  land,  the  glimpse 
into  the  first  awakening  of  Ancient  India's  mind  as  it  searched,  at  times 
childishly  and  naively,  at  times  with  a  deep  intuition,  but  at  all  times 
earnestly  and  passionately,  for  the  spiritual  truths  and  the  meaning  of 
existence — this  experience  must  be  highly  stimulating  to  anyone,  par- 
ticularly because  the  Hindu  cultuie  is  so  different  and  therefore  has  so 
much  to  ofTer.  One  sees  the  ideas  and  the  ethos  of  a  nation  as  revealed 
in  its  literature,  which  have  activated  and  moulded  that  people  for  three 
thousand  years.  Not  until  we  see  the  richness  of  the  Hindu  mind  and 
its  essential  spirituality  can  we  understand  India  or  hope  to  share  with 
it  the  freedom  and  equality  of  peoples  which  we  in  some  lame  and 
halting  fashion  are  trying  to  create  out  of  this  morally  and  politically 
chaotic  world. 

In  accordance  with  Chinese  courtesy,  I  have  put  the  section  on  the 
wisdom  of  India  first,  reversing  the  order  suggested  by  the  title.  If  I 
have  put  China  first  in  the  title,  it  is  because  I  strongly  suspect  that  the 
average  reader  does  not  suspect  India  has  as  rich  a  culture,  as  creative  an 
imagination  and  wit  and  humor  as  any  China  has  to  offer,  and  that 
India  was  China's  teacher  in  religion  and  imaginative  literature,  and 
the  world's  teacher  in  trigonometry,  quadratic  equations,  grammar, 

3 


4  THE    WISDOM     OP    INDIA 

phonetics,  Arabian  Nights,  animal  fables,  chess,  as  well  as  in  philosophy, 
and  that  she  inspired  Boccaccio,  Goethe,  Herder,  Schopenhauer,  Emer- 
son, and  probably  also  old  Aesop. 

But  the  great  age  of  Western  appreciation  of  Indian  literature  and 
philosophy,  the  age  of  Sir  William  Jones,  Franz  Bopp  and  Sir  Edwin 
Arnold,  has  passed.  The  enthusiasm  that  came  with  the  discovery  of 
Sanskrit  and  the  founding  of  the  science  of  Indo-Germanic  philology, 
directly  inspired  by  it,  soon  evaporated.  1860  marked  the  turning  point. 
G.  T.  Garratt  writes  in  his  extremely  informative  article  "Indo-British 
Civilization"  in  The  Legacy  of  India  (Oxford) :  "This  phase  was  not 
fated  to  last.  His  [Sir  William  Jones's]  successors  soon  began  to  adopt 
that  slightly  hostile  and  superior  attitude  which  characterizes  the  work 
of  Englishmen  writing  on  Indian  subjects.  .  .  .  From  about  1836,  this 
tradition  had  become  firmly  established.  India  was  the  'Land  of  Regrets' 
in  which  Englishmen  spent  years  of  exile  amongst  a  people  half  savage, 
half  decadent."  "After  the  Mutiny  .  .  .  new  types  of  Englishmen  went 
out  East,  including  journalists  and  schoolmasters;  they  brought  their 
wives,  and  were  visited  by  tourists;  within  India  a  domiciled  English 
and  Eurasian  population  was  growing  in  numbers  and  developing  a 
life  of  its  own.  .  .  .  The  British  were  rapidly  developing  into  a  separate 
caste,  strongly  reinforced  by  the  new  officials,  planters,  and  business 
men  who  came  crowding  out  East  after  1860.  There  was  a  natural  tend- 
ency for  writers  to  concentrate  more  upon  this  colony  of  their  expatri- 
ated countrymen,"  producing  a  mass  of  cheap  novels,  "nearly  all  of 
which  are  grossly  offensive  to  (the  Hindu)  race."  "They  are  interesting 
for  the  light  they  throw  upon  the  bureaucracy  during  the  most  static, 
self-satisfied,  and  sterile  era  of  British  rule,  from  about  1870,  till  the  end 
of  the  century.  The  greater  part  of  Rudyard  Kipling's  Indian  works  is 
directly  in  this  tradition,  though  it  is  illumined  by  his  own  genius.  .  .  . 
Apart  from  the  'Jungle*  books,  the  greater  part  of  his  Indian  fiction  and 
verse  is  concerned  with  these  two  [European  and  Eurasian]  tiny  com- 
munities, the  officials  and  military  officers,  and  the  subordinate  Euro- 
peans and  Eurasians.  Round  them  surges  the  immense  sea  of  Indians, 
but  nearly  all  of  this  subjected  race  who  appear  as  individuals  are  minor 
characters,  mostly  domestic  servants  or  women  kept  by  Englishmen. 
The  few  educated  Indians  who  come  into  his  pages  seem  to  have  been 
introduced  to  satisfy  the  deep-seated  prejudices  of  the  English  in  India. 
.  .  .  Kipling  allowed  himself  the  most  astounding  generalizations  about 
Indian  duplicity  and  mendacity,  or  the  physical  cowardice  of  certain 


INTRODUCTION  5 

races."  When  Sir  Edwin  Arnold  wrote  about  1860  in  his  Preface  to  his 
translation  of  the  Hitopadesa,  "No  one  listens  now  to  the  precipitate 
ignorance  which  would  set  aside  as  'heathenish'  the  high  civilization 
of  this  great  race,"  he  did  not  know  what  he  was  talking  about.  India 
today  has  become  an  untouchable  topic,  and  the  most  untouchable  topic 
is  about  the  untouchable  caste  of  the  Englishmen  in  India — I  must  for- 
bear to  touch  the  topic  now. 

The  average  Western  attitude  toward  India  may  be  summed  up  in  a 
sentence  which  contains  a  fourfold  untruth:  "All  I  know  about  India 
is  that  the  Hindus  are  Buddhists,  and  as  the  Nirvana  of  Buddha's 
teachings  means  extinction,  obviously  India  has  nothing  to  contribute 
to  the  world  civilization."  The  first  untruth  is  that  the  Hindus  are 
Buddhists,  which  they  as  a  nation  are  not.  Characteristically,  the  Hindus 
have  rejected  Buddhism  as  the  Jews  have  rejected  Christianity.  The 
second  untruth  is  the  assumption  that  the  meaning  of  Nirvana  is  ever 
understood  by  the  conditioned,  finite,  logical  intelligence  of  man.  The 
third  untruth  rises  from  the  fact  that  India  has  actually  produced  a  vast, 
rich  imaginative  literature  and  philosophy,  besides  Buddhism,  and  that 
the  Indian  culture  is  highly  creative  and  in  fact  has  enriched  the  world 
literature  with  the  droll  humor  that  we  associate  with  the  Arabian 
Nights.  And  the  fourth  untruth  is  the  denial  that  the  essential  spiritual 
concept  of  man  in  both  Hinduism  and  Buddhism,  their  essential  denial 
of  materialism,  and  their  stand  on  non-violence  arising  from  those  re- 
ligions, have  anything  to  teach  to  the  modern  world.  Buddha  taught 
that  the  greatest  sin  is  ignorance  or  thoughtlessness,  and  that  the  holy 
life  begins  with,  and  is  founded  upon,  moral  earnestness  and  the  spirit 
of  inquiry  and  self-examination.  This  sin  of  thoughtlessness  about  India 
has  to  cease.  Nobody  is  going  to  profit  by  making  the  problem  of  India 
or  British  rule  in  India  an  untouchable  topic.  It  is  my  firm  belief  that 
this  generation  of  elderly  statesmen  is  hopeless,  and  that  we  must  begin 
by  educating  a  new  generation  toward  a  more  correct  view  of  the  Indian 
nation. 

The  basic  material  concerning  the  beliefs  of  Hinduism,  the  national 
religion  of  present-day  Hindus  and  their  leaders  like  Gandhi  and 
Nehru,  is  to  be  found  in  the  first  section  on  Hindu  piety.  It  is  charac- 
teristic of  Indian  thought  that,  in  India,  religion  and  philosophy  art 
inseparable.  In  India,  no  "link"  between  philosophy  and  religion  is 
necessary  and  the  problem  of  finding  that  fatal  missing  link  in  the 
modern  world  does  not  exist.  Hindu  philosophy  and  the  knowledge  of 


6  THE    WISDOM     OF    INDIA 

God  are  inseparable  as  Chinese  philosophy  and  the  questions  of  human 
conduct  are  inseparable.  We  do  not  know  whether  we  are  coming  to 
the  close  of  an  epoch;  we  do  not  know  whether  our  highly  specialized 
and  departmentalized  thinkers  are  capable  of  reuniting  science,  phi- 
losophy and  religion.  But  it  is  evident  that  India  is  a  land  overflowing 
with  religion  and  with  the  religious  spirit.  India  produced  too  much 
religion,  and  China,  too  little.  A  trickle  of  Indian  religious  spirit  over- 
flowed to  China  and  inundated  the  whole  of  Eastern  Asia.  Not  too  little, 
but  too  much  is  India's  trouble.  It  would  seem  logical  and  appropriate 
that  any  one  suffering  from  a  deficiency  of  the  religious  spirit  should 
turn  to  India  rather  than  to  any  other  country  in  the  world.  It  is  appar- 
ent that  only  in  India  is  religion  still  a  living  emotion  today,  and  that 
the  Christian  doctrine  of  turning  the  other  cheek  could  be  turned  into 
a  national  movement,  practiced  by  the  masses,  only  in  India  and  in  no 
other  country  in  the  world.  India's  paradox  is  the  pacifist's  paradox  the 
world  over.  But  peace  can  come  only  from  non-violence  and  disbelief 
in  force,  and  non-violence  can  come  only  from  India,  because  the 
Indians  seem  really  to  believe  in  it. 

In  the  realm  of  imaginative  literature,  the  great  Indian  epics  will 
speak  for  themselves.  The  comparison  with  the  Iliad  and  the  Odyssey 
is  inevitable.  I  have  preferred  to  give  the  whole  story  of  the  Ramayana, 
rather  than  give  incomplete  selections  from  both;  those  interested  may 
read  the  Mahabharata  in  the  Everyman's  Library  edition.  I  have,  for 
reasons  of  space,  also  found  it  necessary  to  exclude  the  great  dramatic 
poetry  of  Shafyuntala,  by  Kalidasa,  "the  Indian  Shakespeare"  (Every- 
man's) and  the  popular  classical  drama,  Little  Clay  Cart  (tr.  by  Arthur 
William  Ryder,  Harvard  Oriental  Series). 

It  may  also  be  a  complete  revelation  to  find  that  the  fabulous  Hindu 
mind  is  responsible  for  the  genre  of  animal  fables  and  many  stories  of 
the  Arabian  Nights  type,  in  which  Buddhist  and  non-Buddhist  litera- 
ture abounds.  "Numerous  European  fairy  stories,  to  be  found  in  Grimm 
or  Hans  Andersen,  including  the  magic  mirror,  the  seven-leagued 
boots,  Jack  and  the  beanstalk,  and  the  purse  of  Fortunatus,  have  been 
traced  to  Indian  sources,"  writes  H.  G.  Rawlinson,  in  his  article  "India 
in  European  Literature  and  Thought"  in  The  Legacy  of  India.  "Many 
of  them  are  to  be  found  in  the  Gesta  Romanorum,  the  Decameron,  and 
Chaucer's  Canterbury  Tales."  The  story  of  the  Three  Caskets,  used  in 
the  Merchant  of  Venice,  is  found  in  the  romance  of  Barlaam  and  Josa- 
phat,  which  is  too  clearly  the  story  of  Buddha,  who  was  changed  into 


INTRODUCTION  7 

a  Christian  garb,  and  later  canonized  as  a  Christian  saint  as  St.  Josaphat! 
And  everyone  of  course  knows  the  story  of  the  Milkmaid  who  dreamt 
of  her  wedding  and  overthrew  the  milk  pail,  now  to  be  recognized  in 
its  original  form  as  the  story  of  the  Brahman's  Dream,  included  in  the 
selections  from  the  Panchatantra. 

Lastly,  I  have  included  important  selections  from  Buddhist  canons 
and  non-canonical  works,  chiefly  from  the  Mahayana,  or  the  "Greater 
Vehicle  School,"  or  the  school  of  "Northern  Buddhism."  I  confess  to  a 
personal  bias,  and  have  largely  used  Mahayana  texts  based  on  Chinese 
translations  from  the  Sanskrit.  The  study  of  Pali,  which  rose  to  impor- 
tance about  1880,  has  shifted  the  emphasis  to  the  Hinayana  texts  of  the 
school  of  "Southern  Buddhism."  And  I  believe  that,  apart  from  scholarly 
convenience  in  the  study  of  Pali,  any  satisfactory  interpretation  of 
Buddhism  as  a  religion  for  the  common  man  must  come  from  the 
Mahayana  texts.  This  I  have  tried  to  make  plain  in  my  introduction  to 
the  selection  from  the  Surangama  Sutra.  In  spite  of  the  wealth  of  the 
Pali  Tripttalja,  I  rather  think  the  final  gleanings  as  a  living  belief  for 
the  student  of  larger  human  truths  must  be  somewhat  barren. 

I  think  it  is  possible  to  take  the  three  selections,  the  Hymns  from  the 
Rigveda,  the  Bhagavad-Gita  and  the  Dhammapada,  the  latter  two  being 
reproduced  here  complete,  as  milestones  in  the  development  of  Hindu 
thought  and  find  therein  the  best  fruit  of  the  Hindu  speculation  about 
the  meaning  of  man's  existence  on  earth. 

India's  achievements  in  the  field  of  the  positive  sciences  have  natu- 
rally not  been  included.  It  is  interesting  to  note  that  when  Houston 
Chamberlain,  the  English  apostle  of  Aryanism,  wanted  to  prove 
Aryan  superiority,  he  had  to  point  out  Panini  as  the  world's  first  gram- 
marian. Readers  who  are  interested  should  read  the  relevant  chapters  in 
The  Legacy  of  India  or  the  less  obtainable  "Positive  Sciences  of  the 
Ancient  Hindus"  by  Sarkar. 

In  a  book  for  the  general  reader  such  as  this,  it  is  advisable  to  use  a 
simple  system  of  transcription  of  Indian  words.  I  have,  therefore, 
eliminated  all  accent  marks  except  those  for  long  vowels  in  the  selec- 
tions. For  variations  in  spellings  of  the  same  word,  see  the  short  note  pre- 
ceding the  "Glossary  of  Hindu  Words." 

Finally  I  have  to  thank  Dr.  Taraknath  Das  of  the  College  of  the  City 
of  New  York  who  has  been  helpful  in  guiding  me  to  certain  interesting 
references,  as  well  as  explaining  certain  obscure  Indian  terms,  and  in 
going  over  the  proofs  of  the  Indian  section  of  this  book. 


INDIAN 
PIETY 


Hymns  from  the  Rigveda 


INTRODUCTION 

INDIA  is  A  LAND  and  a  people  intoxicated  with  God.  This  is  the  impres- 
sion of  anyone  who  reads  through  the  Hymns  from  the  Rigveda,  and 
follows  through  the  Upanishads  to  the  arrival  of  Buddha  in  563  B.C. 
The  Hindu  preoccupation  with  questions  of  the  world  soul  and  the 
individual  soul  is  so  intense  that  at  times  it  must  seem  oppressive  to  a 
less  spiritual  people.  I  doubt  there  is  a  nation  on  earth  that  equals  the 
Hindus  in  religious  emotional  intensity  except  the  Jews.  It  is  therefore 
entirely  natural  that  we  find  the  earliest  creation  of  the  Hindu  spirit 
assumed  a  form  and  passion  very  similar  to  the  Psalms  of  the  Old 
Testament. 

Max  Miiller  has  called  the  Rigveda  (rig  means  "verse"  and  veda  means 
"knowledge,"  the  title  meaning  "songs  of  spiritual  knowledge")  "the 
first  word  spoken  by  the  Aryan  man."  The  Vedas  cover  ten  books  and 
1,028  hymns.  In  point  of  antiquity,  the  earliest  of  the  Vedas  probably 
went  as  far  back  as  1,500  or  1,200  B.C.,  covering  eight  centuries  of  de- 
velopment, during  which  they  grew  to  their  present  form.  Throughout 
this  development  and  down  to  present-day  Hinduism,  we  see  this  pre- 
occupation with  God  and  the  mystic  conception  of  the  universe.  Hindus 
are  natural  mystics,  mysticism  meaning  a  form  of  religion  aiming  at 
achieving  direct  union  with  God.  To  achieve  the  union  of  the  individual 
soul  (atman)  with  the  world  soul  (brahma)  behind  all  things  may  be 
said  to  be  the  whole  effort  of  the  Vedic  philosophy. 

In  these  Hymns  one  sees,  at  the  very  birth  of  this  religious  spirit,  such 
utterances  expressing  an  awakening  of  man's  soul  and  sense  of  wonder 
and  doubt  and  intellectual  inquiry,  in  such  characteristic  fashion  like 
something  that  hits  one  in  the  eye.  It  may  sound  frivolous,  yet  pro- 

II 


12  INDIAN    PIETY 

foundly  true,  to  say  that  Hindu  intoxication  with  God  began  with  the 
drink  of  the  soma-juice,  a  fermented  drink  from  the  soma-plant,  used  in 
Vcdic  rituals.  For,  says  the  early  Hindu  poet: 

Not  as  a  mote  within  the  eye  count  the  five  tribes  of  men  with  me: 
Have  I  not  drunk  of  soma-juice? 

The  heavens  and  earth  themselves  have  not  grown  equal  to  half  of  me: 
Have  I  not  drunk  of  soma-juice? 

I  in  my  grandeur  have  surpassed  the  heavens  and  all  this  spacious  earth: 
Have  I  not  drunk  of  soma-juice? 

Aha!  this  spacious  earth  will  I  deposit  either  here  or  there: 
Have  I  not  drunk  of  soma-juice? 

One  of  my  flanks  is  in  the  sky:  I  let  the  other  trail  below: 
Have  I  not  drunk  of  soma-juice? 

The  case  for  intoxication  with- God  is  therefore  established.  And  readers 
may  well  regard  these  Hymns  as  the  first  cocktail  sips  of  the  Hindu 
religious  philosophy. 

The  suggestion  of  similarity  with  the  Psalms  is  inevitable,  when  one 
reads  lines  like  the  following,  in  the  able  version  by  Ralph  T.  H. 
Griffith: 

Far  from  me,  Varuna,  remove  all  danger:  accept  me  graciously,  thou  holy 

sovran. 
Cast  off,  like  cords  that  hold  a  calf,  my  troubles:  I  am  not  even  mine  eyelid's 

lord  without  thec. 

O  mighty  Varuna,  now  and  hereafter,  even  as  of  old,  will  we  speak  forth  thy 

worship. 
For  in  thyself,  invincible  god,  thy  statutes  ne'er  to  be  moved  as  fixed  as  on 

a  mountain.    (To  Varuna) 

Or  listen  to  the  first  fervent  cry  of  joy  at  the  glories  of  the  sunrise  at 
dawn: 

Bright  leader  of  glad  sounds,  our  eyes  behold  her:  splendid  in  hue  she  hath 

unclosed  the  portals. 
She,  stirring  up  the  world,  hath  shown  us  riches;  Dawn  hath  awakened  every 

living  creature. 


HYMNS   FROM  THE  RIGVEDA  13 

Dawns  giving  sons  all  heroes,  kine  and  horses,  shining  upon  the  man  who 

brings  oblations — 
These  let  the  soma-presser  gain  when  ending  his  glad  songs  louder  than  the 

voices  of  Vayu.    (To  Dawn) 

Equally  reminiscent  of  the  Psalms  are  the  Hymns  to  Indra,  the  "fierce 
god": 

He  who  hath  smitten,  ere  they  knew  their  danger,  with  his  hurled  weapon 

many  grievous  sinners; 
Who  pardons  not  his  boldness  who  provokes  him,  who  slays  the  Dasyu,  he, 

O  men,  is  Indra. 
Even  the  heaven  and  earth  bow  down  before  him,  before  his  very  breath  the 

mountains  tremble. 
Known  as  the  soma-drinker,  armed  with  thunder,  who  wields  the  bolt,  he, 

0  men,  is  Indra.    (To  Indra) 

And  the  sense  of  intellectual  inquiry  and  doubt  naturally  followed  the 

sense  of  wonder  and  worship: 

What  was  the  tree,  what  wood  in  sooth  produced  it,  from  which  they  fash- 
ioned out  the  earth  and  heaven? 

Ye  thoughtful  men  inquire  within  your  spirit  whereon  he  stood  when  he 
established  all  things.  (To  Visvakarman) 

Skepticism  arose  at  the  end  of  the  "Song  of  Creation": 

He,  the  first  origin  of  this  creation,  whether  he  formed  it  all  or  did  not 

form  it, 

Whose  eye  controls  this  world  in  highest  heaven,  he  verily  knows  it,  or  per- 
haps he  knows  not. 

And  so  on,  until  in  the  Hymn  to  Prajapati  (the  Creator),  which  Max 
Miiller  has  entitled  "To  the  Unknown  god,"  the  Vedic  poet  in  ten 
successive  verses  asks  the  question,  "What  god  shall  we  adore  with 
our  oblation?" 

1  notice  among  certain  European  students  of  Hinduism  the  constant 
insinuation  of  polytheism  with  a  tone  of  reproach.  That  Hindu  mono- 
theism developed  in  the  Upanishads  with  the  Vedanta  belief  in  the  One 
behind  all  things  is  a  minor  point.  It  is  my  belief  that  it  is  entirely 
unimportant  what  god  one  worships,  monotheistic  or  polytheistic;  what 
is  important  is  that  belief  should  produce  the  true  spirit  of  devotion  in 
the  life  of  the  worshipper.  In  modern  terms,  what  is  important  is  that 
religion  be  "efficient,"  that  is,  that  it  produce  results,  and  I  may  say  that 
modern  monotheism  is  less  efficient  than  when  men  believed  in  the 
spirituality  of  trees  and  rocks,  and  mountains  and  rivers. 


Hymns  from  the  Rigveda 

Translated  by  Ralph  J.  H.  Griffith 


TO  INDRA1 

THIS,  even  this  was  my  resolve,  to  win  a  cow,  to  win  a  steed: 
Have  I  not  drunk  of  soma-juice? 

Like  violent  gusts  of  wind  the  draughts  that  I  have  drunk  have  lifted  me: 
Have  I  not  drunk  of  soma-juice? 

The  draughts  I  drank  have  borne  me  up,  as  fleet-foot  horses  draw  a  car: 
Have  I  not  drunk  of  soma-juice? 

The  hymn  hath  reached  me,  like  a  cow  who  lows  to  meet  her  darling 

calf: 
Have  I  not  drunk  of  soma-juice? 

As  a  wright  bends  a  chariot-seat,  so  round  my  heart  I  bend  the  hymn: 
Have  I  not  drunk  of  soma-juice? 

Not  as  a  mote  within  the  eye  count  the  five  tribes  of  men  with  me : 
Have  I  not  drunk  of  soma-juice? 

The  heavens  and  earth  themselves  have  not  grown  equal  to  one  half 

of  me: 
Have  I  not  drunk  of  soma-juice? 

1  The  favorite  national  deity  of  the  Vedic  age.  He  hurls  thunderbolts. 

14 


HYMNS   FROM  THE  RIGVEDA  .    15 

I  in  my  grandeur  have  surpassed  the  heavens  and  all  this  spacious  earth: 
Have  I  not  drunk  of  soma-juice? 

\ 

Aha!  this  spacious  earth  will  I  deposit  either  here  or  there: 
Have  I  not  drunk  of  soma-juice? 

In  one  short  moment  will  I  smite  the  earth  in  fury  here  or  there: 
Have  I  not  drunk  of  soma-juice? 

One  of  my  flanks  is  in  the  sky;  I  let  the  other  trail  below: 
Have  I  not  drunk  of  soma-juice? 

I,  greatest  of  the  mighty  ones,  am  lifted  to  the  firmament: 
Have  I  not  drunk  of  soma-juice? 

I  seek  the  worshipper's  abode;  oblation-bearer  to  the  gods: 
Have  I  not  drunk  of  soma-juice?     (Boof^  X,  7/9) 


THE  SONG  OF  CREATION 

THEN  was  not  non-existent  nor  existent:  there  was  no  realm  of  air,  no 

sky  beyond  it. 
What  covered  in,  and  where?  and  what  gave  shelter?  Was  water  there, 

unfathomed  depth  of  water? 

Death  was  not  then,  nor  was  there  aught  immortal:  no  sign  was  there, 

the  day's  and  night's  divider. 
That  one  thing,  breathless,  breathed  by  its  own  nature:  apart  from  it  was 

nothing  whatsoever. 

Darkness  there  was:  at  first  concealed  in  darkness,  this  All  was  indis- 

criminated  chaos. 
All  that  existed  then  was  void  and  formless:  by  the  great  power  of 

warmth  was  born  that  unit. 

Thereafter  rose  desire  in  the  beginning,  Desire,  the  primal  seed  and  germ 

of  spirit. 
Sages  who  searched  with  their  heart's  thought  discovered  the  existent's 

kinship  in  the  non-existent. 


l6  INDIAN    PIETY 

Transversely  was  their  severing  line  extended:  what  was  above  it  then, 

and  what  below  it? 
There  were  begetters,  there  were  mighty  forces,  free  action  here  and 

energy  up  yonder. 

Who  verily  knows  and  who  can  here  declare  it,  whence  it  was  born  and 

whence  comes  this  creation  ? 
The  gods  are  later  than  this  world's  production.  Who  knows,  then, 

whence  it  first  came  into  being? 

He,  the  first  origin  of  this  creation,  whether  he  formed  it  all  or  did  not 

form  it, 
Whose  eye  controls  this  world  in  highest  heaven,  he  verily  knows  it, 

or  perhaps  he  knows  not.    (Boof^  X,  129) 


TO  PRAJAPATI1 

IN  the  beginning  rose  Hiranyagarbha,*  born  only  lord  of  all  created 

beings. 
He  fixed  and  holdeth  up  this  earth  and  heaven.  What  god  shall  we  adore 

with  our  oblation? 

Giver  of  vital  breath,  of  power  and  vigour,  he  whose  commandments  all 

the  gods  acknowledge: 
The  lord  of  death,  whose  shade  is  life  immortal.  What  god  shall  we  adore 

with  our  oblation? 

Who  by  his  grandeur  hath  become  sole  ruler  of  all  the  moving  world 

that  breathes  and  slumbers: 
He  who  is  lord  of  men  and  lord  of  cattle.  What  god  shall  we  adore  with 

our  oblation  ? 

His,  through  his  might,  are  these  snow-covered  mountains,  and  men  call 

sea  and  Rasa 8  his  possession  : 
His  arms  are  these,  his  are  these  heavenly  regions.  What  god  shall  we 

adore  with  our  oblation  ? 

1  The  Creator,  ruler  of  the  universe. 

8  Hiranyagarbha :  the  sun -god. 

*Rasa,  the  mythical  river  of  the  firmament 


HYMNS    FROM   THE   RIGVEDA  V] 

By  him  the  heavens  are  strong  and  earth  is  stedfast,  by  him  light's  realm 

and  sky-vault  are  supported: 
By  him  the  regions  in  mid-air  were  measured.  What  god  shall  we  adore 

with  our  oblation  ? 

To  him,  supported  by  his  help,  two  armies  embattled  look  with  trem- 
bling in  their  spirit, 

When  over  them  the  risen  sun  is  shining.  What  god  shall  we  adore  with 
our  oblation  ? 

What  time  the  mighty  waters  came,  containing  the  universal  gern\ 

producing  Agni,1 
Thence  sprang  the  god's  one  spirit  into  being.  What  god  shall  we  adore 

with  our  oblation  ? 

He  in  his  might  surveyed  the  floods  containing  productive  force  and 

generating  worship. 
He  is  the  god  of  gods,  and  none  beside  him.  What  god  shall  we  adore 

with  our  oblation? 

Ne'er  may  he  harm  us  who  is  earth's  begetter,  nor  he  whose  laws  are 

sure,  the  heavens'  creator, 
He  who  brought  forth  the  great  and  lucid  waters.  What  god  shall  we 

adore  with  our  oblation? 

Prajapati!  thou  only  comprehendest  all  these  created  things,  and  none 

beside  thee. 
Grant  us  our  hearts'  desire  when  we  invoke  thee:  may  we  have  store  of 

riches  in  possession.    (Boo!(  X,  121) 


TO  VARUNA' 

THIS  laud  of  the  self-radiant  wise  Aditya8  shall  be  supreme  o'er  all  that 

is  in  greatness. 
I  beg  renown  of  Varuna  the  mighty,  the  god  exceeding  kind  to  him  who 

worships. 

1  The  god  of  fire  and  light 

*  King  of  air  and  sea. 

*  Son  of  Aditi.  Both  Varuna  and  the  Sun  are  Adityas. 


l8  INDIAN    PIETY 

Having  extolled  thee,  Varuna,  with  thoughtful  care  may  we  have  high 

fortune  in  thy  service. 
Singing  thy  praises  like  the  fires  at  coming,  day  after  day,  of  mornings 

rich  in  cattle. 

May  we  be  in  thy  keeping,  O  thou  leader,  wide  ruling  Varuna,  Lord  of 

many  heroes. 
O  sons  of  Aditi,  for  ever  faithful,  pardon  us,  gods,  admit  us  to  your 

friendship. 

He  made  them  flow,  the  Aditya,  the  sustainer:  the  rivers  run  by  Varuna's 

commandment. 
These  feel  no  weariness,  nor  cease  from  flowing:  swift  have  they  flown 

like  birds  in  air  around  us. 

Loose  me  from  sin  as  from  a  band  that  binds  me:  may  we  swell,  Varuna, 

thy  spring  of  order. 
Let  not  my  thread,  while  I  weave  song,  be  severed,  nor  my  work's  sum, 

before  the  time,  be  shattered. 

Far  from  me,  Varuna,  remove  all  danger:  accept  me  graciously,  thou 

holy  sovran. 
Cast  off,  like  cords  that  hold  a  calf,  my  troubles:  I  am  not  even  mine 

eyelid's  lord  without  thee. 

Strike  us  not,  Varuna,  with  those  dread  weapons  which,  Asura,  at  thy 

bidding  wound  the  sinner. 
Let  us  not  pass  away  from  light  to  exile.  Scatter,  that  we  may  live,  the 

men  who  hate  us. 

O  mighty  Varuna,  now  and  hereafter,  even  as  of  old,  will  we  speak  forth 

our  worship. 
For  in  thyself,  invincible  god,  thy  statutes  ne'er  to  be  moved  are  fixed  as 

on  a  mountain. 

Move  far  from  me  what  sins  I  have  committed:  let  me  not  suffer,  King, 

for  guilt  of  others. 
Full  many  a  morn  remains  to  dawn  upon  us:  in  these,  O  Varuna,  while 

we  live  direct  us. 


HYMNS    FROM   THE   RIGVEDA  19 

Q  King,  whoever,  be  he  friend  or  kinsman,  hath  threatened  me  af- 
frighted in  my  slumber — 

If  any  wolf  or  robber  fain  would  harm  us,  therefrom,  O  Varuna,  give 
thou  us  protection. 

May  I  not  live,  O  Varuna,  to  witness  my  wealthy,  liberal,  dear  friend's 

destitution. 
King,  may  I  never  lack  well-ordered  riches.  Loud  may  we  speak  with 

heroes  in  assembly.    (Boof^  U,  28) 


TO  VARUNA 

SING  forth  a  hymn  sublime  and  solemn,  grateful  tc  glorious  Varuna, 

imperial  ruler, 
Who  hath  struck  out,  like  one  who  slays  the  victim,  earth  as  a  skin  to 

spread  in  front  of  Surya.1 

In  the  tree-tops  the  air  he  hath  extended,  put  milk  in  kine  and  vigorous 

speed  in  horses, 
Set  intellect  in  hearts,  fire  in  the  waters,  Surya  in  heaven  and  Soma  on 

the  mountain. 

Varuna  lets  the  big  cask,  opening  downward,  flow  through  the  heaven 

and  earth  and  air's  mid-region. 
Therewith  the  universe's  sovran  waters  earth  as  the  shower  of  rain 

bedews  the  barley. 

When  Varuna  is  fain  for  milk,  he  moistens  the  sky,  the  land,  and  earth 

to  her  foundation. 
Then  straight  the  mountains  clothe  them  in  the  raincloud:  the  heroes, 

putting  forth  their  vigour,  loose  them. 

I  will  declare  this  mighty  deed  of  magic,  of  glorious  Varuna,  the  lord 

immortal, 
Who,  standing  in  the  firmament,  hath  meted  the  earth  out  with  the  sun 

as  with  a  measure. 

lThc  Sun  God. 


20  INDIAN    PIETY 

None,  verily,  hath  ever  let  or  hindered  this  the  most  wise  god's  mighty 

deed  of  magic, 
Whereby  with  all  their  flood,  the  lucid  rivers  fill  not  one  sea  wherein  they 

pour  their  waters. 

If  we  have  sinned  against  the  man  who  loves  us,  have  ever  wronged  a 

brother,  friend,  or  comrade, 
The  neighbour  ever  with  us,  or  a  stranger,  O  Varuna,  remove  from  us 

the  trespass. 

If  we,  as  gamesters  cheat  at  play,  have  cheated,  done  wrong  unwit- 
tingly or  sinned  of  purpose, 

Cast  all  these  sins  away  like  loosened  fetters,  and,  Varuna,  let  us  be  thine 
own  beloved.  (Bool^  V,  #5) 

TO  VISVAKARMAN1 

HE  who  sate  down  as  Hotar-priest,3  the  Rishi,8  our  father,  offering  up  all 

things  existing — 
He,  seeking  through  his  wish  a  great  possession,  came  among  men  on 

earth  as  archetypal. 

What  was  the  place  whereon  he  took  his  station  ?  What  was  it  that  sup- 
ported him?  How  was  it? 

Whence  Visvakarman,  seeing  all,  producing  the  earth,  with  mighty 
power  disclosed  the  heavens. 

He  who  hath  eyes  on  all  sides  round  about  him,  a  mouth  on  all  sides, 

arms  and  feet  on  all  sides, 
He,  the  sole  god,  producing  earth  and  heaven,  wcldeth  them,  with  his 

arms  as  wings,  together. 

What  was  the  tree,  what  wood  in  sooth  produced  it,  from  which  they 

fashioned  out  the  earth  and  heaven  ? 
Ye  thoughtful  men  inquire  within  your  spirit  whereon  he  stood  when 

he  established  all  things. 

1  Visvakarman  is  represented  in  this  hymn  as  the  creator  of  all  things  and  architect  of 

the  worlds. 

1  The  priest  who  invokes  the  gods  to  receive  the  offerings. 

*A  saint,  anchorite,  a  term  commonly  used. 


HYMNS    FROM    THE    RIGVEDA  21 

Thine  highest,  lowest,  sacrificial  natures  and  these  thy  midmost  here, 

O  Visvakarman, 
Teach  thou  thy  friends  at  sacrifice,  O  Blessed,  and  come  thyself,  exalted, 

to  our  worship. 

Bring  thou  thyself,  exalted  with  oblation,  O  Visvakarman,  earth  and 

heaven  to  worship. 
Let  other  men  around  us  live  in  folly:  here  let  us  have  a  rich  and  liberal 

patron. 

Let  us  invoke  to-day,  to  aid  our  labour,  the  lord  of  speech,  the  thought- 
swift  Visvakarman. 

May  he  hear  kindly  all  our  invocations  who  gives  all  bliss  for  aid,  whose 
works  arc  righteous.  (Boof^  X,  Si) 


TO  INDRA 

HE  who,  just  born,  chief  god  of  lofty  spirit  by  power  and  might  became 

the  gods'  protector, 
Before  whose  breath  through  greatness  of  his  valour  the  two  worlds 

trembled,  he,  O  men,  is  Indra. 

He  who  fixed  fast  and  firm  the  earth  that  staggered,  and  set  at  rest  the 

agitated  mountains, 
Who  measured  out  the  air's  wide  middle  region  and  gave  the  heaven 

support,  he,  men,  is  Indra. 

Who  slew  the  dragon,  freed  the  seven  rivers,  and  drove  the  kine  forth 

from  the  cave  of  Vala, 
Begat  the  fire  between  two  stones,  the  spoiler  in  warrior's  battle,  he, 

O  men,  is  Indra. 

By  whom  this  universe  was  made  to  tremble,  who  chased  away  the 

humbled  brood  of  demons, 
Who,  like  a  gambler  gathering  his  winnings,  seized  the  foe's  riches,  he, 

O  men,  is  Indra. 


22  INDIAN    PIETY 

Of  whom,  the  terrible,  they  ask,  Where  is  he?  or  verily  they  say  of  him, 

He  is  not 
He  sweeps  away,  like  birds,  the  foe's  possessions.  Have  faith  in  him, 

for  he,  O  men,  is  Indra. 

Stirrer  to  action  of  the  poor  and  lowly,  of  priest,  of  suppliant  who  sings 

his  praises; 
Who,  fair-faced,  favours  him  who  presses  soma  with  stones  made  ready, 

he,  O  men,  is  Indra. 

He  under  whose  supreme  control  are  horses,  all  chariots,  and  the  villages, 

and  cattle; 
He  who  gave  being  to  the  sun  and  morning,  who  leads  the  waters,  he, 

O  men,  is  Indra. 

To  whom  two  armies  cry  in  close  encounter,  both  enemies  the  stronger 

and  the  weaker; 
Whom  two  invoke  upon  one  chariot  mounted,  each  for  himself,  he, 

O  ye  men,  is  Indra. 

Without  whose  help  our  people  never  conquer;  whom,  battling,  they 

invoke  to  give  them  succour; 
He  of  whom  all  this  world  is  but  the  copy,  who  shakes  things  moveless, 

he,  O  men,  is  Indra. 

He  who  hath  smitten,  ere  they  knew  their  danger,  with  his  hurled 
•  weapon  many  grievous  sinners; 

Who  pardons  not  his  boldness  who  provokes  him,  who  slays  the  Dasyu, 
he,  O  men,  is  Indra. 

He  who  discovered  in  the  fortieth  autumn  Sambara  as  he  dwelt  among 

the  mountains; 
Who  slew  the  dragon  putting  forth  his  vigour,  the  demon  lying  there, 

he,  men,  is  Indra. 

Who  with  seven  guiding  reins,  the  bull,  the  mighty,  set  free  the  seven 

great  floods  to  flow  at  pleasure; 
Who,  thunder-armed,  rent  Rauhina *  in  pieces  when  scaling  heaven,  he, 

O  ye  men,  is  Indra. 

1 A  demon  of  drought. 


HYMNS   FROM  THE  RIGVEDA  23 

Even  the  heaven  and  earth  bow  down  before  him,  before  his  very  breath 

the  mountains  tremble. 
Known  as  the  soma-dnnkcr,  armed  with  thunder,  who  wields  the  bolt, 

he,  O  ye  men,  is  Indra. 

Who  aids  with  favour  him  who  pours  the  soma  and  him  who  brews  it, 

sacrificer,  singer, 
Whom  prayer  exalts,  and  pouring  forth  of  soma,  and  this  our  gift,  he, 

O  ye  men,  is  Indra. 

Thou  verily  art  fierce  and  true  who  sendest  strength  to  the  man  who 

brews  and  pours  libation. 
So  may  we  evermore,  thy  friends,  O  Indra,  speak  loudly  to  the  synod 

with  our  heroes.    (Boot^  II,  12) 


HYMN  OF  MAN 

A  THOUSAND  heads  hath  Purusha,1  a  thousand  eyes,  a  thousand  feet. 
On  every  side  pervading  earth  he  fills  a  space  ten  fingers  wide. 

This  Purusha  is  all  that  yet  hath  been  and  all  that  is  to  be, 
The  lord  of  immortality  which  waxes  greater  still  by  food. 

So  mighty  is  his  greatness;  yea,  greater  than  this  is  Purusha. 

All  creatures  are  one-fourth  of  him,  three-fourths  eternal  life  in  heaven. 

With  three-fourths  Purusha  went  up:  one-fourth  of  him  again  was  here. 
Thence  he  strode  out  to  every  side  over  what  eats  not  and  what  eats. 

From  him  Viraj  *  was  born;  again  Purusha  from  Viraj  was  born. 

As  soon  as  he  was  born  he  spread  eastward  and  westward  o'er  the  earth. 

J  Purusha,  embodied  spirit,  or  man  personified  and  regarded  as  the  soul  and  original  source 
of  the  universe,  the  personal  and  life-giving  principle  in  all  animated  beings,  is  said  to  have 
a  thousand,  that  is  innumerable,  heads,  eyes,  and  ject,  as  being  one  with  all  created  life. 
A  space  ten  fingers  wide'  the  region  of  the  heart  of  man,  wherein  the  soul  was  supposed 
to  reside.  Although  as  the  universal  soul  he  pervades  the  universe,  as  the  individual  soul 
he  is  enclosed  in  a  space  of  narrow  dimensions. 
3  One  of  the  sources  of  existence. 


24  INDIAN    PIETY 

When  gods  prepared  the  sacrifice  with  Purusha  as  their  offering, 
Its  oil  was  spring;  the  holy  gift  was  autumn;  summer  was  the  wood. 

They  balmed  as  victim  on  the  grass  Purusha  born  in  earliest  time. 
With  him  the  deities  and  all  Sadhyas  *  and  Rishis  sacrificed. 

From  that  great  general  sacrifice  the  dripping  fat  was  gathered  up. 
He  formed  the  creatures  of  the  air,  and  animals  both  wild  and  tame. 

From  that  great  general  sacrifice  Richas  and  Sama-hymns  were  born: 
Therefrom  were  spells  and  charms  produced;  the  Yajus  had  its  birth 
from  it. 

From  it  were  horses  born,  from  it  all  cattle  with  two  rows  of  teeth: 
From  it  were  generated  kine,  from  it  the  goats  and  sheep  were  born. 

When  they  divided  Purusha,  how  many  portions  did  they  make? 
What  do  they  call  his  mouth,  his  arms?  What  do  they  call  his  thighs 
and  feet? 

The  Brahman*  was  his  mouth,  of  both  his  arms  was  the  Rajanya  *  made. 
His  thighs  became  the  Vaisya,4  from  his  feet  the  Sudra  "  was  produced. 

The  moon  was  gendered  from  his  mind,  and  from  his  eye  the  sun  had 

birth; 
Indra  and  Agni  from  his  mouth  were  born,  and  Vayu  *  from  his  breath. 

Forth  from  his  navel  came  mid-air;  the  sky  was  fashioned  from  his  head; 
Earth  from  his  feet,  and  from  his  ear  the  regions.  Thus  they  formed  the 
worlds. 

Seven  fencing-sticks  had  he,  thrice  seven  layers  of  fuel  were  prepared, 
When  the  gods,  offering  sacrifice,  bound,  as  their  victim,  Purusha. 

1  Celestial  beings. 

8  The  first  caste  of  Brahman  priests. 

8  The  second  caste  of  kings. 

4  The  third  caste  of  traders. 

8  The  fourth  caste  of  laborers. 

•God  of  Wind. 


HYMNS    FROM   THE   RIGVEDA  25 

Gods,  sacrificing,  sacrificed  the  victim:  these  were  the  earliest  holv 

ordinances. 
The  mighty  ones  attained  the  height  of  heaven,  there  where  the  Sadhyas, 

gods  of  old,  arc  dwelling.    (Boo{  X,  90) 


TO  LIBERALITY 

THE  gods  have  not  ordained  hunger  to  be  our  death:  even  to  the  well- 
fed  man  comes  death  in  varied  shape. 

The  riches  of  the  liberal  never  waste  away,  while  he  who  will  not  give 
finds  none  to  comfort  him. 

The  man  with  food  in  store  who,  when  the  needy  comes  in  miserable 

case  begging  for  bread  to  eat, 
Hardens  his  heart  against  him — even  when  of  old  he  did  him  service — 

finds  not  one  to  comfort  him. 

Bounteous  is  he  who  gives  unto  the  beggar  who  comes  to  him  in  want 

of  food  and  feeble. 
Success  attends  him  in  the  shout  of  battle.  He  makes  a  friend  of  him  in 

future  troubles. 

No  friend  is  he  who  to  his  friend  and  comrade  who  comes  imploring 

food,  will  offer  nothing. 
Let  him  depart — no  home  is  that  to  rest  in — and  rather  seek  a  stranger 

to  support  him. 

Let  the  rich  satisfy  the  poor  implorer,  and  bend  his  eye  upon  a  longer 

pathway. 
Riches  come  now  to  one,  now  to  another,  and  like  the  wheels  of  cars 

are  ever  rolling. 

The  foolish  man  wins  food  with  fruitless  labour:  that  food — I  speak  the 

truth — shall  be  his  ruin. 
He  feeds  no  trusty  friend,  no  man  to  love  him.  All  guilt  is  he  who  eats 

with  no  partaker. 


26  INDIAN    PIETY 

The  ploughshares  ploughing  makes  the  food  that  feeds  us,  and  with  its 
feet  cuts  through  the  path  it  follows. 

Better  the  speaking  than  the  silent  Brahman:  the  liberal  friend  out- 
values him  who  gives  not. 

He  with  one  foot  hath  far  outrun  the  biped,  and  the  two-footed  catches 

the  three-footed. 
Four-footed  creatures  come  when  bipeds  call  them,  and  stand  and  look 

where  five  are  met  together. 

The  hands  are  both  alike:  their  labour  differs.  The  yield  of  sister  milch- 

kine  is  unequal. 
Twins  even  differ  in  their  strength  and  vigour:  two,  even  kinsmen,  differ 

in  their  bounty.    (Boo^  X,  777) 


TO  FAITH 

BY  faith  is  Agni  kindled,  through  faith  is  oblation  offered  up. 
We  celebrate  with  praises  faith  upon  the  height  of  happiness. 

Bless  thou  the  man  who  gives,  O  Faith;  Faith,  bless  the  man  who  fain 

would  give. 
Bless  thou  the  liberal  worshippers;  bless  thou  the  word  that  I  have  said. 

Even  as  the  deities  maintained  faith  in  the  mighty  Asuras,1 

So  make  this  uttered  wish  of  mine  true  for  the  liberal  worshippers. 

Guarded  by  Vayu,  gods  and  men  who  sacrifice  draw  near  to  faith. 
Man  winneth  faith  by  yearnings  of  the  heart,  and  opulence  by  faith. 

Faith  in  the  early  morning,  Faith  at  noonday  will  we  invocate, 
Faith  at  the  setting  of  the  sun.  O  Faith,  endow  us  with  belief. 

(Boo^  X,  757) 

1  Primeval  Aryan  gods,  later  believed  as  demons  working  against  God. 


HYMNS   FROM   THE   RIGVEDA  27 

TO  NIGHT 

WITH  all  her  eyes  the  goddess  Night  looks  forth  approaching  many  a 

spot: 
She  hath  put  all  her  glories  on. 

Immortal,  she  hath  filled  the  waste,  the  goddess  hath  filled  height  ancj 

depth  : 
She  conquers  darkness  with  her  light. 

The  goddess  as  she  comes  hath  set  the  Dawn  her  sister  in  her  place: 
And  then  the  darkness  vanishes. 

So  favour  us  this  night,  O  thou  whose  pathways  we  have  visited 
As  birds  their  nest  upon  the  tree. 

The  villagers  have  sought  their  homes,  and  all  that  walks  and  all  that 

flies, 
Even  the  falcons  fain  for  prey. 

Keep  off  the  she-wolf  and  the  wolf;  O  Urmya,1  keep  the  thief  away: 
Easy  be  thou  for  us  to  pass. 

Clearly  hath  she  come  nigh  to  me  who  decks  the  dark  with  richest  hues: 
O  morning,  cancel  it  like  debts. 

These  have  I  brought  to  thee  like  kine.  O  Night,  thou  child  of  heaven, 

accept 
This  laud  as  for  a  conqueror.    (Boo^  X.  727) 


TO  DAWN 

THIS  light  is  come,  amid  all  lights  the  fairest;  born  is  the  brilliant,  far- 
extending  brightness. 

Night,  sent  away  for  SavitarV  uprising,  hath  yielded  up  a  birthplace; 
for  the  morning. 

1  Epithet  for  "night"  personified. 
*  Savttar:  the  sun,  the  life-giver. 


28  INDIAN    PIETY 

The  fair,  the  bright  is  come  with  her  white  offspring;  to  her  the  dark 

one  hath  resigned  her  dwelling. 
Akin,  immortal,  following  each  other,  changing  their  colours,  both  the 

heavens  move  onward. 

Common,  unending  is  the  sisters'  pathway:  taught  by  the  gods,  alter- 
nately they  travel. 

Fair-formed,  of  different  hues  and  yet  one-minded,  Night  and  Dawn 
clash  not,  neither  do  they  tarry. 

Bright  leader  of  glad  sounds,  our  eyes  behold  her :  splendid  in  hue  she 

hath  unclosed  the  portals. 
She,  stirring  up  the  world,  hath  shown  us  riches :  Dawn  hath  awakened 

every  living  creature. 

Rich  Dawn,  she  sets  afoot  the  coiled-up  sleeper,  one  for  enjoyment,  one 

for  wealth  or  worship, 
Those  who  saw  little  for  extended  vision:  all  living  creatures  hath  the 

Dawn  awakened. 

One  to  high  sway,  one  to  exalted  glory,  one  to  pursue  his  gain  and  one 

his  labour; 
All  to  regard  their  different  vocations,  all  moving  creatures  hath  the 

Dawn  awakened. 

We  see  her  there,  the  child  of  heaven,  apparent,  the  young  maid,  flushing 

in  her  shining  raiment. 
Thou  sovran  lady  of  all  earthly  treasure,  flush  on  us  here,  auspicious 

Dawn,  this  morning. 

She,  first  of  endless  morns  to  come  hereafter,  follows  the  path  of  morns 

that  have  departed. 
Dawn,  at  her  rising,  urges  forth  the  living:  him  who  is  dead  she  wakes 

not  from  his  slumber. 

As  thou,  Dawn,  hast  caused  Agni  to  be  kindled,  and  with  the  sun's  eye 

hast  revealed  creation, 
And  hast  awakened  men  to  offer  worship,  thou  hast  performed,  for 

gods,  a  noble  service. 


HYMNS    FROM   THE   RIGVEDA  29 

How  long  a  time,  and  they  shall  be  together. — Dawns  that  have  shone 

and  dawns  to  shine  hereafter  ? 
She  yearns  for  former  dawns  with  eager  longing,  and  goes  forth  gladly 

shining  with  the  others. 

Gone  are  the  men  who  in  the  days  before  us  looked  on  the  rising  of  the 

earlier  morning. 
We,  we  the  living,  now  behold  her  brightness,  and  they  come  nigh  who 

shall  hereafter  see  her. 

Foe-chaser,  born  of  Law,  the  law's  protectress,  joy-giver,  waker  of  all 

pleasant  voices, 
Auspicious,  bringing  food  for  gods'  enjoyment,  shine  on  us  here,  most 

bright,  O  Dawn,  this  morning. 

From  days  eternal  hath  Dawn  shone,  the  goddess,  and  shows  this  light 

to-day,  endowed  with  riches. 
So  will  she  shine  on  days  to  come;  immortal  she  moves  on  in  her  own 

strength,  undecaying. 

In  the  sky's  borders  hath  she  shone  in  splendour:  the  goddess  hath 

thrown  off  the  veil  of  darkness. 
Awakening  the  world  with  purple  horses,  on  her  well-harnessed  chariot 

Dawn  approaches. 

Bringing  all  life-sustaining  blessings  with  her,  showing  herself,  she 

sends  forth  brilliant  lustre. 
Last  of  the  countless  mornings  that  have  vanished,  first  of  bright  morns 

to  come  hath  Dawn  arisen. 

Arise!  the  breath,  the  life,  again  hath  reached  us:  darkness  hath  passed 

away,  and  light  approacheth. 
She  for  the  sun  hath  left  a  path  to  travel :  we  have  arrived  where  men 

prolong  existence. 

Singing  the  praises  of  refulgent  mornings  with  his  hymn's  web,  the 

priest,  the  poet,  rises. 
Shine  then  to-day,  rich  maid,  on  him  who  lauds  thee,  shine  down  on  us 

the  gift  of  life  and  offspring. 


3O  INDIAN    PIETY 

Dawns  giving  sons  all  heroes,  kine  and  horses,  shining  upon  the  man 

who  brings  oblations — 
These  let  the  soma-presser  gain  when  ending  his  glad  songs  louder  than 

the  voice  of  Vayu. 

Mother  of  gods,  Aditi's  form  of  glory,  ensign  of  sacrifice,  shine  forth 

exalted. 
Rise  up,  bestowing  praise  on  our  devotion :  all-bounteous,  make  us  chief 

among  the  people. 

Whatever  splendid  wealth  the  dawns  bring  with  them  to  bless  the  man 

who  offers  praise  and  worship, 
Even  that  may  Mitra,  Varuna  vouchsafe  us,  and  Aditi1  and  Sindhu," 

earth  and  heaven.  (Bool^  /,  113) 

*The  Infinite. 

9  The  Indus,  or  any  great  river. 


The  Upanishads 


INTRODUCTION 

SCHOPENHAUER  is  CREDITED  to  have  read  a  Latin  translation  of  a  Persian 
translation  of  the  Upantshads,  which  influenced  his  philosophic  specula- 
tions about  the  world  as  will  and  as  idea,  and  I  trust  many  English 
readers  hear  of  the  Upanishads  in  connection  with  Schopenhauer,  if  not 
with  Emerson.  The  age  of  "Brahmin"  transcendentalism  has  passed, 
yet  W.  B.  Yeats,  George  Russell  and  a  number  of  contemporary  poets 
seem  to  entertain  a  curiosity  about  what  is  contained  in  the  mystic- 
metaphysical  view  of  man  and  God  and  the  universe  in  the  Upanishads? 
When  one  comes  to  read  the  Upanishads  themselves,  many  may  have 
been  repelled  by  what  Yeats  calls  the  "polyglot,  hyphenated,  latinised, 
muddied  muddle  of  distortion  that  froze  belief  in  some  of  the  scholarly 
translations.  Furthermore,  the  Upanishads,  being  the  earliest  specula- 
tions about  the  universe  and  encasing  some  very  naive  dogmatizations 
as  well  as  later  and  more  mature  developments,  are  often  not  easy  to 
follow  or  enjoy,  made  worse  by  commentaries  by  scholars,  who  help 
to  split  the  hair,  not  yet  split  fine  enough  by  the  forest  sages  of  ancient 
India.  A  discriminating  selection  is  therefore  necessary.  Personally  I 
have  been  kept  away  from  many  of  the  world's  masterpieces  because  in 
my  young  days  I  happened  to  stumble  upon  some  bad  edition  or  trans- 
lation of  a  certain  work. 

The  Upantshads  are  believed  to  have  been  mostly  written  before  the 
time  of  Buddha,  although  some  (the  last  five  in  the  present  selection) 
might  be  as  late  as  400  B.C.  They  represented  the  development  ot 

1Scc  Yeats'  Preface  to  The  Ten  Principal  Upantshads  which  he  helped  to  translate  in 
collaboration  with  a  Hindu  scholar  Shrec  Purohit  Swami  (Macmillan,  1937). 

31 


32  INDIAN    PIETY 

probably  three  or  four  centuries,  and  this  fact  explains  why  the  differ- 
ent Upanishads  are  of  uneven  value  to  the  modern  reader.  Compare, 
for  instance,  the  first  selection  with  the  last  in  the  present  volume,  and 
one  can  readily  see  the  difference  in  language  and  thought.  It  may  be 
surprising  that  the  Upanishads  as  a  whole  are  regarded  by  the  Hindus 
today  as  holy  scriptures,  which  are  still  sung  daily  as  a  form  of  devo- 
tion by  the  learned  Brahmans.  Yet  an  analogy  with  the  Old  Testament 
should  make  the  matter  clear.  The  fact  that  the  books  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment present  different  views  of  Jahveh,  now  a  tribal  god,  now  a  supreme 
ruler,  now  jealous  and  fierce  with  vengeance,  and  now  benevolent,  does 
not  make  any  difference  to  the  average  believer  in  Christianity.  The 
modern  Christian  who  believes  God  is  the  Father  of  all  mankind  still 
finds  it  possible  to  enjoy  the  story  of  Joshua  who  prayed  to  God  to  stay 
the  sun  in  order  to  allow  him  time  to  annihilate  the  enemy. 

The  Upanishads  are  strictly  speaking  the  speculations  of  the  Indian 
forest  sages  about  the  world  system,  and  therefore  quite  different  from 
the  Hymns  of  the  Rigveda.  "It  is  this  brooding  on  the  meaning  of 
existence  which  distinguishes  the  spirit  of  the  Hymns  from  the  Upani- 
shads"  says  Tagore.  The  entire  collection  breathes  the  spirit  of  a 
troubled  inquiry  into  the  problems  of  the  reality,  the  individual  soul  and 
the  world  soul  behind  the  phenomena.  What  is  the  Ultimate  Self,  the 
Atman?  What  is  the  spirit  of  the  universe,  the  Brahman?  What  is 
mind  and  what  is  matter,  and  what  is  that  personality  behind  our  con- 
sciousness, the  Purusha?  Finally,  what  is  God?  Is  he  transcendent  or 
immanent?  The  Sankhya  philosophers  believed  that  the  world  consists 
of  two  principles,  souls  and  the  material  world,  the  Prat(riti,  or  Nature, 
while  the  Vedanta  philosophers  believed  in  one  all-comprising  unity. 
Out  of  such  debates  in  the  forest  grew  these  books.  These  questions  are 
vexing  in  their  very  nature,  whether  to  the  ancient  or  to  the  better- 
equipped  modern  man.  Two  important  conclusions  are:  first,  that  the 
ultimate  reality,  or  Brahman,  is  incomprehensible  and  surpasses  all  un- 
derstanding. "And  he  (the  Atman)  can  only  be  described  as  no,  no!" 
The  second  result,  the  most  important  discovery,  is  that  the  individual 
soul,  or  Self,  within  is  identical  with  the  soul  without,  and  that  by 
discovering  this  real  Self,  man  achieves  freedom  and  emancipation  from 
Mara,  or  the  illusions.  Still,  as  Tagore  rightly  points  out,  the  whole 
approach  is  too  intellectual,  and  the  final  consummation  of  Vedic  philos- 
opbv  is  to  be  found  in  Bhagavad-Gita,  written  perhaps  two  centuries 
later,  when  an  ardent  devotion  to  a  personal  God  took  the  place  of  these 


THE   UPANISHADS  33 

barren  speculations.  According  to  Buddhist  records,  there  were  as  many 
as  sixty-three  confusing  schools  of  philosophy  at  the  time  of  Buddha 
(563-483  B.C.),  which  explained  Buddha's  revolt  at  their  futile  reason- 
ings and  ritualism.  Buddha  came  as  a  giant,  and  attacked  the  same  prob- 
lem from  a  human  approach,  and  preached  the  fourfold  truth:  that 
there  is  human  suffering,  that  there  is  a  cause  for  this  suffering,  that 
there  is  an  escape,  and  that  his  teachings  of  emancipation  from  illusions 
and  senses  and  desires  constitute  that  escape.  Against  that  Brahmanic 
background,  Buddhism  had  an  austere  clarity  of  method  and  goal,  but 
as  will  be  seen  from  the  Upanishads,  it  was  from  this  soil  that  Buddha's 
teachings  naturally  grew. 

It  is  the  "troubled  intensity"  of  man's  search  after  the  soul  and  its 
moral  earnestness  that  seems  to  constitute  the  value  and  significance  of 
the  Upanishads.  Nor  can  it  be  said  that  the  final  message  of  the 
Upanishads  can  be  ignored  even  today : 

"Only  when  men  shall  roll  up  the  sky  like  a  hide,  will  there  be  an  end  to 
misery,  unless  God  has  first  been  known." 

— The  Svctasvatara  V  pants  had 


The  Upanishads 

Translated  by  F.  Max  M tiller 

THE  STORY  OF  THE  CREATION1 

IN  THE  BEGINNING  this  was  Self  alone,  in  the  shape  of  a  person  (Purusha). 
He  looking  round  saw  nothing  but  his  Self.  He  first  said,  'This  is  F; 
therefore  he  became  I  by  name.  Therefore  even  now,  if  a  man  is  asked, 
he  first  says,  'This  is  I,'  and  then  pronounces  the  other  name  which  he 
may  have.  And  because  before  all  this,  he  burnt  down  all  evils,  there- 
fore he  was  a  person.  Verily  he  who  knows  this,  burns  down  everyone 
who  tries  to  be  before  him. 

He  feared,  and  therefore  anyone  who  is  lonely  fears.  He  thought,  'As 
there  is  nothing  but  myself,  why  should  I  fear?'  Thence  his  fear  passed 
away.  For  what  should  he  have  feared  ?  Verily  fear  arises  from  a  second 
only. 

But  he  felt  no  delight.  Therefore  a  man  who  is  lonely  feels  no  delight. 
He  wished  for  a  second.  He  was  so  large  as  man  and  wife  together. 
He  then  made  this  his  Self  to  fall  in  two  and  thence  arose  husband  and 
wife.  Therefore  Yajnavalkya  said:  'We  two  are  thus  (each  of  us)  like 
half  a  shell/  Therefore  the  void  which  was  there,  is  filled  by  the  wife. 
He  embraced  her,  and  men  were  born. 

She  thought,  'How  can  he  embrace  me,  after  having  produced  me 
from  himself?  I  shall  hide  myself/ 

She  then  became  a  cow,  the  other  became  a  bull  and  embraced  her, 
and  hence  cows  were  born.  The  one  became  a  mare,  the  other  a  stallion; 

xThis  curious  and  rather  crude  story  of  the  creation  contains  nevertheless  many  germinal 
ideas  of  Hinduism. 

34 


THE    UPANISHADS  35 

the  one  a  male  ass,  the  other  a  female  ass.  He  embraced  her,  and  hence 
one-hoofed  animals  were  born.  The  one  became  a  she-goat,  the  other  a 
he-goat;  the  one  became  a  ewe,  the  other  a  ram.  He  embraced  her,  and 
hence  goats  and  sheep  were  born.  And  thus  he  created  everything  that 
exists  in  pairs,  down  to  the  ants. 

He  knew,  'I  indeed  am  this  creation,  for  I  created  all  this/  Hence  he 
became  the  creation,  and  he  who  knows  this  lives  in  this  his  creation. 

Next  he  thus  produced  fire  by  rubbing.  From  the  mouth,  as  from 
the  fire-hole,  and  from  the  hands  he  created  fire.  Therefore  both  the 
mouth  and  the  hands  are  inside  without  hair,  for  the  fire-hole  is  inside 
without  hair. 

And  when  they  say,  'Sacrifice  to  this  or  sacrifice  to  that  god,'  each 
god  is  but  his  manifestation,  for  he  is  all  gods. 

Now,  whatever  there  is  moist,  that  he  created  from  seed;  this  is  Soma. 
So  far  verily  is  this  universe  either  food  or  eater.  Soma  indeed  is  food, 
Agni  eater.  This  is  the  highest  creation  of  Brahman,  when  he  created 
the  gods  from  his  better  part,  and  when  he,  who  was  (then)  mortal, 
created  the  immortals.  Therefore  it  was  the  highest  creation.  And  he 
who  knows  this,  lives  in  this  his  highest  creation. 

Now  all  this  was  then  undeveloped.  It  became  developed  by  form  and 
name,  so  that  one  could  say,  'He,  called  so  and  so,  is  such  a  one.'  There- 
fore at  present  also  all  this  is  developed  by  name  and  form,  so  that  one 
can  say,  'He,  called  so  and  so,  is  such  a  one.' 

He  (Brahman  or  the  Self)  entered  thither,  to  the  very  tips  of  the 
finger-nails,  as  a  razor  might  be  fitted  in  a  razor-case,  or  as  fire  in  a 
fire-place. 

He  cannot  be  seen,  for,  in  part  only,  when  breathing,  he  is  breath  by 
name;  when  speaking,  speech  by  name;  when  seeing,  eye  by  name; 
when  hearing,  ear  by  name;  when  thinking,  mind  by  name.  All  these 
are  but  the  names  of  his  acts.  And  he  who  worships  (regards)  him  as 
the  one  or  the  other,  does  not  know  him,  for  he  is  apart  from  this  (when 
qualified)  by  the  one  or  the  other  (predicate).  Let  men  worship  him  as 
Self,  for  in  the  self  all  these  are  old.1  This  Self  is  the  footstep  of  every- 
thing, for  through  it  one  knows  everything.  And  as  one  can  find  again 
by  footsteps  what  was  lost,  thus  he  who  knows  this  finds  glory  and  praise. 

This,  which  is  nearer  to  us  than  anything,  this  Self,  is  dearer  than  a 
son,  dearer  than  wealth,  dearer  than  all  else. 

xThe  Brahman  "Self"  is  almost  what  we  mean  by  the  divine  nature  immanent  in  ourselves 
as  well  as  in  the  external  world. 


36  INDIAN    PIETY 

And  if  one  were  to  say  to  one  who  declares  another  than  the  Self 
dear,  that  he  will  lose  what  is  dear  to  him,  very  likely  it  would  be  so. 
Let  him  worship  the  Self  alone  as  dear.  He  who  worships  the  Self  alone 
as  dear,  the  object  of  his  love  will  never  perish. 

Here  they  say:  'If  men  think  that  by  knowledge  of  Brahman  they 
will  become  everything,  what  then  did  that  Brahman  know,  from 
whence  all  this  sprang?' 

Verily  in  the  beginning  this  was  Brahman,  that  Brahman  knew  (its) 
Self  only,  saying,  *I  am  Brahman.'  From  it  all  this  sprang.  Thus,  what- 
ever Deva  was  awakened  (so  as  to  know  Brahman),  he  indeed  became 
that  (Brahman);  and  the  same  with  Rishis  and  men.  The  Rishi 
Vamadeva  saw  and  understood  it,  singing,  'I  was  Manu  (moon),  I  was 
the  sun.*  Therefore  now  also  he  who  thus  knows  that  he  is  Brahman, 
becomes  all  this,  and  even  the  Devas  cannot  prevent  it,  for  he  himself  is 
their  Self. 

Now  if  a  man  worships  another  deity,  thinking  the  deity  is  one  and 
he  another,  he  does  not  know.  He  is  like  a  beast  for  the  Devas.  For 
verily,  as  many  beasts  nourish  a  man,  thus  does  every  man  nourish  the 
Devas.  If  only  one  beast  is  taken  away,  it  is  not  pleasant;  how  much 
more  when  many  are  taken!  Therefore  it  is  not  pleasant  to  the  Devas 
that  men  should  know  this. 

Verily  in  the  beginning  this  was  Brahman,  one  only.  That  being  one, 
was  not  strong  enough.  It  created  still  further  the  most  excellent 
Kshatra  (power),  viz.  those  Kshatras  (powers)  among  the  Devas — 
Indra,  Varuna,  Soma,  Rudra,  Parjanya,  Yama,  Mrityu,  Isana.  Therefore 
there  is  nothing  beyond  the  Kshatra,  and  therefore  at  the  Rajasuya  sac- 
rifice the  Brahmana  sits  down  below  the  Kshatriya.  He  confers  that 
glory  on  the  Kshatra  alone.  But  Brahman  is  (nevertheless)  the  birth- 
place of  the  Kshatra.  Therefore  though  a  king  is  exalted,  he  sits  down 
at  the  end  (of  the  sacrifice)  below  the  Brahman,  as  his  birthplace.  He 
who  injures  him,  injures  his  own  birthplace.  He  becomes  worse,  because 
he  has  injured  one  better  than  himself. 

He  was  not  strong  enough.  He  created  the  people,  the  classes  of  Devas 
which  in  their  different  orders  are  called  Vasus,  Rudras,  Adityas,  Visve 
Devas,  Maruts. 

He  was  not  strong  enough.  He  created  the  Sudra  caste,  as  nourisher. 
This  earth  verily  is  Pushan  (the  nourisher) ;  for  the  earth  nourishes  all 
this  whatsoever. 

He  was  not  strong  enough.  He  created  still  further  the  most  excellent 


THE   UPANISHADS  37 

Law.  Law  is  the  Kshatra  (power)  of  the  Kshatra,  therefore  there  is 
nothing  higher  than  the  Law.  Thenceforth  even  a  weak  man  rules  a 
stronger  with  the  help  of  the  Law,  as  with  the  help  of  a  king.  Thus  the 
Law  is  what  is  called  the  true.  And  if  a  man  declares  what  is  true,  they 
say  he  declares  the  Law;  and  if  he  declares  the  Law,  they  say  he  declares 
what  is  true.  Thus  both  are  the  same. 

There  are  then  this  Brahman,  Kshatra,  Vis,  and  Sudra.  Among  the 
Devas  that  Brahman  existed  as  fire  only,  among  men  as  Brahmana,  as 
Kshatriya  through  the  (divine)  Kshatriya,  as  Vaisya  through  the 
(divine)  Vaisya,  as  Sudra  through  the  (divine)  Sudra.  Therefore  people 
wish  for  their  future  state  among  the  Devas  through  the  sacrificial  fire 
only;  and  among  men  through  the  Brahmana,  for  in  these  two  forms 
did  Brahman  exist. 

Now  if  a  man  departs  this  life  without  having  seen  his  true  future 
life  (in  the  Self),  then  that  Self,  not  being  known,  does  not  receive  and 
bless  him,  as  if  the  Veda  had  not  been  read,  or  as  if  a  good  work  had 
not  been  done.  Nay,  even  if  one  who  does  not  know  that  (Self),  should 
perform  here  on  earth  some  great  holy  work,  it  will  perish  for  him  in  the 
end.  Let  a  man  worship  the  Self  only  as  his  true  state.  If  a  man  wor- 
ships the  Self  only  as  his  true  state,  his  work  does  not  perish,  for  what- 
ever he  desires  that  he  gets  from  that  Self. 

Now  verily  this  Self  (of  the  ignorant  man)  is  the  world  of  all  crea- 
tures. In  so  far  as  man  sacrifices  and  pours  out  libations,  he  is  the  world 
of  the  Devas;  in  so  far  as  he  repeats  the  hymns,  etc.,  he  is  the  world 
of  the  Rishis;  in  so  far  as  he  offers  cakes  to  the  fathers  and  tries  to  obtain 
offspring,  he  is  the  world  of  the  fathers;  in  so  far  as  he  gives  shelter  and 
food  to  men,  he  is  the  world  of  men;  in  so  far  as  he  finds  fodder  and 
water  for  the  animals,  he  is  the  world  of  the  animals;  in  so  far  as  quadru- 
peds, birds,  and  even  ants  live  in  his  houses,  he  is  their  world.  And  as 
everyone  wishes  his  own  world  not  to  be  injured,  thus  all  beings  wish 
that  he  who  knows  this  should  not  be  injured.  Verily  this  is  known  and 
has  been  well  reasoned. 

In  the  beginning  this  was  Self  alone,  one  only.  He  desired,  'Let  there 
be  a  wife  for  me  that  I  may  have  offspring,  and  let  there  be  wealth  for 
me  that  I  may  offer  sacrifices.'  Verily  this  is  the  whole  desire,  and,  even 
if  wishing  for  more,  he  would  not  find  it.  Therefore  now  also  a  lonely 
person  desires,  'Let  there  be  a  wife  for  me  that  I  may  have  offspring, 
and  let  there  be  wealth  for  me  that  I  may  offer  sacrifices.'  And  so  long 
as  he  does  not  obtain  either  of  these  things,  he  thinks  he  is  incomplete. 


38  INDIAN    PIETY 

Now  his  completeness  (is  made  up  as  follows) :  mind  is  his  Self  (hus- 
band); speech  the  wife;  breath  the  child;  the  eye  all  worldly  wealth, 
for  he  finds  it  with  the  eye;  the  ear  his  divine  wealth,  for  he  hears  it 
with  the  ear.  The  body  (atman)  is  his  work,  for  with  the  body  he  works. 
This  is  the  fivefold  sacrifice,  for  fivefold  is  the  animal,  fivefold  man, 
fivefold  all  this  whatsoever.  He  who  knows  this,  obtains  all  this. 

(From  the  Erihaddranya^a  Upanishad) 


THE  SUBTLE  ESSENCE1 

'As  the  bees,  my  son,  make  honey  by  collecting  the  juices  of  distant 
trees,  and  reduce  the  juice  into  one  form. 

'And  as  these  juices  have  no  discrimination,  so  that  they  might  say, 
I  am  the  juice  of  this  tree  or  that,  in  the  same  manner,  my  son,  all  these 
creatures,  when  they  have  become  merged  in  the  True  (either  in  deep 
sleep  or  in  death),  know  not  that  they  are  merged  in  the  True. 

'Whatever  these  creatures  are  here,  whether  a  lion,  or  a  wolf,  or  a 
boar,  or  a  worm,  or  a  midge,  or  a  gnat,  or  a  mosquito,  that  they  become 
again  and  again. 

'Now  that  which  is  that  subtle  essence,  in  it  all  that  exists  has  its  self. 
It  is  the  True.  It  is  the  Self,  and  thou,  O  Svetaketu,  art  it/ 

'Please,  Sir,  inform  me  still  more,'  said  the  son. 

'Be  it  so,  my  child,'  the  father  replied. 

'These  rivers,  my  son,  run,  the  eastern  (like  the  Ganga)  toward  the 
east,  the  western  (like  the  Smdhu)  toward  the  west.  They  go  from  sea 
to  sea.  They  become  indeed  sea.  And  as  those  rivers,  when  they  are  in 
the  sea,  do  not  know,  I  am  this  or  that  river. 

'In  the  same  manner,  my  son,  all  these  creatures,  when  they  have 
come  back  from  the  True,  know  not  that  they  have  come  back  from  the 
True.  Whatever  these  creatures  are  here,  whether  a  lion,  or  a  wolf,  or  a 
boar,  or  a  worm,  or  a  midge,  or  a  gnat,  or  a  mosquito,  that  they  become 
again  and  again. 

That  which  is  that  subtle  essence,  in  it  all  that  exists  has  its  self.  It  is 
the  True.  It  is  the  Self,  and  thou,  O  Svetaketu,  art  it.' 

'Please,  Sir,  inform  me  still  more,'  said  the  son. 

'Be  it  so,  my  child,'  the  father  replied. 

1  This  is  the  teaching  of  Uddalaka  Aruni  to  his  son  Svetaketu. 


THE   UPANISHADS  39 

'If  someone  were  to  strike  at  the  root  of  this  large  tree  here,  it  would 
bleed,  but  live.  If  he  were  to  strike  at  its  stem,  it  would  bleed,  but  live. 
If  he  were  to  strike  at  its  top,  it  would  bleed,  but  live.  Pervaded  by  the 
living  Self  that  tree  stands  firm,  drinking  in  its  nourishment  and  re- 
joicing; 

'But  if  the  living  Self  leaves  one  of  its  branches,  that  branch  withers; 
if  it  leaves  a  second,  that  branch  withers;  if  it  leaves  a  third,  that  branch 
withers.  If  it  leaves  the  whole  tree,  the  whole  tree  withers.  In  exactly 
the  same  manner,  my  son,  know  this.'  Thus  he  spoke: 

'This  body  indeed  withers  and  dies  when  the  living  Self  has  left  it; 
the  living  Self  dies  not. 

That  which  is  that  subtle  essence,  in  it  all  that  exists  has  its  self.  It  is 
the  Self,  and  thou,  Svetaketu,  art  it.1 

'Please,  Sir,  inform  me  still  more,'  said  the  son. 

'Be  it  so,  my  child,*  the  father  replied. 

'Fetch  me  from  thence  a  fruit  of  the  nyagrodha  tree.' 

'Here  is  one,  Sir.' 

'Break  it.' 

'It  is  broken,  Sir/ 

'What  do  you  see  there?1 

'These  seeds,  almost  infinitesimal.' 

'Break  one  of  them.' 

'It  is  broken,  Sir.1 

'What  do  you  see  there?1 

'Not  anything,  Sir.1 

The  father  said:  'My  son,  that  subtle  essence  which  you  do  not  per- 
ceive there,  of  that  very  essence  this  great  nyagrodha  tree  exists. 

'Believe  it,  my  son.  That  which  is  the  subtle  essence,  in  it  all  that 
exists  has  its  self.  It  is  the  True.  It  is  the  Self,  and  thou,  O  Svetaketu, 
art  it.* 

'Please,  Sir,  inform  me  still  more,1  said  the  son. 

'Be  it  so,  my  child,1  the  father  replied. 

'Place  this  salt  in  water,  and  then  wait  on  me  in  the  morning.' 
The  son  did  as  he  was  commanded. 

The  father  said  to  him:  'Bring  me  the  salt,  which  you  placed  in  the 
water  last  night.' 
The  son  having  looked  for  it,  found  it  not,  for,  of  course,  it  was  melted. 


40  INDIAN    PIETY 

The  father  said:  'Taste  it  from  the  surface  of  the  water.  How  is  it?1 

The  son  replied:  'It  is  salt.' 

'Taste  it  from  the  middle.  How  is  it?' 

The  son  replied:  'It  is  salt.' 

'Taste  it  from  the  bottom.  How  is  it?' 

The  son  replied:  'It  is  salt.' 

The  father  said:  'Throw  it  away  and  then  wait  on  me.' 

He  did  so;  but  salt  exists  for  ever. 

Then  the  father  said:  'Here  also,  in  this  body,  forsooth,  you  do  not 
perceive  the  True,  my  son;  but  there  indeed  it  is. 

'That  which  is  subtle  essence,  in  it  all  that  exists  has  its  self.  It  is 
the  True.  It  is  the  Self,  and  thou,  Svetaketu,  art  it.' 

'Please,  Sir,  inform  me  still  more,'  said  the  son. 

'Be  it  so,  my  child,'  the  father  replied. 

(From  the  Chhdndogya  Upanishad) 

THE  TRUE  BRAHMAN 

All  this  is  Brahman.  Let  a  man  meditate  on  that  visible  world  as 
beginning,  ending,  and  breathing  in  it. 

Now  man  is  a  creature  of  will.  According  to  what  his  will  is  in  this 
world,  so  will  he  be  when  he  has  departed  this  life.  Let  him  therefore 
have  this  will  and  belief: 

The  intelligent,  whose  body  is  spirit,  whose  form  is  light,  whose 
thoughts  are  true,  whose  nature  is  like  ether,  from  whom  all  works,  all 
desires,  all  sweet  odours  and  tastes  proceed;  he  who  embraces  all  this, 
who  never  speaks,  and  is  never  surprised, 

He  is  my  self  within  the  heart,  smaller  than  a  corn  of  rice,  smaller 
than  a  corn  of  barley,  smaller  than  a  mustard  seed,  smaller  than  a 
canary  seed  or  the  kernel  of  a  canary  seed.  He  also  is  my  self  within  the 
heart,  greater  than  the  earth,  greater  than  the  sky,  greater  than  heaven, 
greater  than  all  these  worlds. 

He  from  whom  all  works,  all  desires,  all  sweet  odours  and  tastes  pro- 
ceed, who  embraces  all  this,  who  never  speaks  and  who  is  never  sur- 
prised, he,  my  self  within  the  heart,  is  that  Brahman.  When  I  shall  have 
departed  from  hence,  I  shall  obtain  that  Self.  He  who  has  this  faith 
has  no  doubt;  thus  said  Sandilya,1  yea,  thus  he  said. 

(From  the  Chhdndogya  Upanishad) 

1  This  chapter  is  frequently  quoted  as  the  Sandilya-vidyL 


THE    UPANISHADS  4! 


EMANCIPATION 

Hari,  Om.  There  is  this  city  of  Brahman  (the  body),  and  in  it  the 
palace,  the  -small  lotus  of  the  heart,  and  in  it  that  small  ether.  Now 
what  exists  within  that  small  ether,  that  is  to  be  sought  for,  that  is  to  be 
understood. 

And  if  they  should  say  to  him:  'Now  with  regard  to  that  city  of 
Brahman,  and  the  palace  in  it,  i.e.  the  small  lotus  of  the  heart,  and  the 
small  ether  within  the  heart,  what  is  there  within  it  that  deserves  to 
be  sought  for,  or  that  is  to  be  understood?* 

Then  he  should  say:  'As  large  as  this  ether  is,  so  large  is  that  ether 
within  the  heart.  Both  heaven  and  earth  are  contained  within  it,  both 
fire  and  air,  both  sun  and  moon,  both  lightning  and  stars;  and  whatever 
there  is  of  him  here  in  the  world,  and  whatever  is  not,  all  that  is  con- 
tained within  it.' 

And  if  they  should  say  to  him:  'If  everything  that  exists  is  contained 
in  that  city  of  Brahman,  all  beings  and  all  desires,  then  what  is  left  of 
it,  when  old  age  reaches  it  and  scatters  it,  or  when  it  falls  to  pieces?* 

Then  he  should  say:  'By  the  old  age  of  the  body,  the  ether  does 
not  age;  by  the  death  of  the  body,  the  ether  is  not  killed.  That  is  the 
true  Brahma<ity.  In  it  all  desires  are  contained.  It  is  the  Self,  free  from 
sin,  free  from  old  age,  from  death  and  grief,  from  hunger  and  thirst, 
which  desires  nothing  but  what  it  ought  to  desire,  and  imagines  nothing 
but  what  it  ought  to  imagine.  Now  as  here  on  earth  people  follow  as 
they  are  commanded,  and  depend  on  the  object  which  they  are  attached 
to,  be  it  a  country  or  a  piece  of  land, 

'And  as  here  on  earth,  whatever  has  been  acquired  by  exertion  per- 
ishes, so  perishes  whatever  is  acquired  for  the  next  world  by  sacrifices 
and  other  good  actions  performed  on  earth.  Those  who  depart  from 
hence  without  having  discovered  the  Self  and  those  true  desires,  for 
them  there  is  no  freedom  in  all  the  worlds.  But  those  who  depart  from 
hence,  after  having  discovered  the  Self  and  those  true  desires,  for  them 
there  is  freedom  in  all  the  worlds. 

(From  the  Chhandogya  Upanishad) 


42  INDIAN    PIETY 

THE  CONQUEST  OF  DEATH 

I 

VAJASRAVASA,  desirous  of  heavenly  rewards,  surrendered  at  a  sacrifice 
all  that  he  possessed.  He  had  a  son  of  the  name  of  Nachiketas. 

When  the  promised  presents  were  being  given  (to  the  priests),  faith 
entered  into  the  heart  of  Nachiketas,  who  was  still  a  boy,  and  he  thought : 

'Unblessed,  surely,  are  the  worlds  to  which  a  man  goes  by  giving  cows 
which  have  drunk  water,  eaten  hay,  given  their  milk,  and  are  barren.' 

He  (knowing  that  his  father  had  promised  to  give  up  all  that  he 
possessed,  and  therefore  his  son  also)  said  to  his  father :  'Dear  father,  to 
whom  wilt  thou  give  me?' 

He  said  it  a  second  and  a  third  time.  Then  the  father  replied : 

'I  shall  give  thee  unto  Death.' 

(The  father,  having  once  said  so,  though  in  haste,  had  to  be  true  to 
his  word  and  to  sacrifice  his  son.) 

The  son  said:  'I  go  as  the  first,  at  the  head  of  many  (who  have  still 
to  die);  I  go  in  the  midst  of  many  (who  are  now  dying).  What  will  be 
the  work  of  Yama 1  which  to-day  he  has  to  do  unto  me  ? 

'Look  back  how  it  was  with  those  who  came  before,  look  forward 
how  it  will  be  with  those  who  come  hereafter.  A  mortal  ripens  like 
corn,  like  corn  he  springs  up  again.' 

(Nachiketas  enters  into  the  abode  of  Yama  Vaivasvata,  and  there  is 
no  one  to  receive  him.  Thereupon  one  of  the  attendants  of  Yama  is 
supposed  to  say:) 

'Fire  enters  into  the  houses,  when  a  Brahmana  enters  as  a  guest.  That 
fire  is  quenched  by  this  peace-offering — bring  water,  O  Vaivasvata  I 

'A  Brahmana  that  dwells  in  the  house  of  a  foolish  man  without  re- 
ceiving food  to  eat,  destroys  his  hopes  and  expectations,  his  possessions, 
his  righteousness,  his  sacred  and  his  good  deeds,  and  all  his  sons  and 
cattle.' 

(Yama,  returning  to  his  house  after  an  absence  of  three  nights,  during 
which  time  Nachiketas  had  received  no  hospitality  from  him,  says:) 

'O  Brahmana,  as  thou,  a  venerable  guest,  hast  dwelt  in  my  house  three 
nights  without  eating,  therefore  choose  now  three  boons.  Hail  to  thee! 
and  welfare  to  me!' 
1  The  King  of  Death. 


THE    UPANISHADS  43 


II 

Nachiketas  said:  'O  Death,  as  the  first  of  the  three  boons  I  choose 
that  Gautama,  my  father,  be  pacified,  kind,  and  free  from  anger  towards 
me;  and  that  he  may  know  me  and  greet  me,  when  I  shall  have  been 
dismissed  by  thee." 

Yama  said:  'Through  my  favour  Auddalaki  Aruni,  thy  father,  will 
know  thee,  and  be  again  towards  thee  as  he  was  before.  He  shall  sleep 
peacefully  through  the  night,  and  free  from  anger,  after  having  seen 
thee  freed  from  the  mouth  of  death.' 

Nachiketas  said:  'In  the  heaven-world  there  is  no  fear;  thou  art  not 
there,  O  Death,  and  no  one  is  afraid  on  account  of  old  age.  Leaving 
behind  both  hunger  and  thirst,  and  out  of  the  reach  of  sorrow,  all 
rejoice  in  the  world  of  heaven. 

'Thou  knowcst,  O  Death,  the  fire-sacrifice  which  leads  us  to  heaven; 
tell  it  to  me,  for  I  am  full  of  faith.  Those  who  live  in  the  heaven-world 
reach  immortality — this  I  ask  as  my  second  boon.* 

Yama  said:  'I  tell  it  thee,  learn  it  from  me,  and  when  thou  under- 
standest  that  fire-sacrifice  which  leads  to  heaven,  know,  O  Nachiketas, 
that  it  is  the  attainment  of  the  endless  worlds,  and  their  firm  support, 
hidden  in  darkness.' 

Yama  then  told  him  that  fire-sacrifice,  the  beginning  of  all  the  worlds, 
and  what  bricks  are  required  for  the  altar,  and  how  many,  and  how  they 
are  to  be  placed.  And  Nachiketas  repeated  all  as  it  had  been  told  to  him. 
Then  Mrityu,  being  pleased  with  him,  said  again: 

The  generous,  being  satisfied,  said  to  him:  'I  give  thee  now  another 
boon;  that  fire-sacrifice  shall  be  named  after  thee,  take  also  this  many- 
coloured  chain. 

'He  who  has  three  times  performed  this  Nachiketa  rite,  and  has  been 
united  with  the  three  (father,  mother,  and  teacher),  and  has  performed 
the  three  duties  (study,  sacrifice,  almsgiving)  overcomes  birth  and 
death.  When  he  has  learnt  and  understood  this  fire,  which  knows  (or 
makes  us  know)  all  that  is  born  of  Brahman,  which  is  venerable  and 
divine,  then  he  obtains  everlasting  peace. 

'He  who  knows  the  three  Nachiketa  fires,  and  knowing  the  three,  piles 
up  the  Nachiketa  sacrifice,  he,  having  first  thrown  off  the  chains  of 
death,  rejoices  in  the  world  of  heaven,  beyond  the  reach  of  grief. 

'This,  O  Nachiketas,  is  thy  fire  which  leads  to  heaven,  and  which 


44  INDIAN    PIETY 

thou  hast  chosen  as  thy  second  boon.  That  fire  all  men  will  proclaim. 
Choose  now,  O  Nachiketas,  thy  third  boon.' 

Nachiketas  said :  'There  is  that  doubt,  when  a-  man  is  dead — some 
saying,  he  is;  others,  he  is  not.  This  I  should  like  to  know,  taught  by 
thee;  this  is  the  third  of  my  boons.' 

Death  said:  'On  this  point  even  the  gods  have  doubted  formerly;  it 
is  not  easy  to  understand.  That  subject  is  subtle.  Choose  another  boon, 

0  Nachiketas,  do  not  press  me,  and  let  me  off  that  boon.' 
Nachiketas  said:  'On  this  point  even  the  gods  have  doubted  indeed, 

and  thou,  Death,  hast  declared  it  to  be  not  easy  to  understand,  and 
another  teacher  like  thee  is  not  to  be  found — surely  no  other  boon  is 
like  unto  this.' 

Death  said:  'Choose  sons  and  grandsons  who  shall  live  a  hundred 
years,  herds  of  cattle,  elephants,  gold,  and  horses.  Choose  the  wide 
abode  of  the  earth,  and  live  thyself  as  many  harvests  as  thou  desirest. 

'If  you  can  think  of  any  boon  equal  to  that,  choose  wealth,  and  long 
life.  Be  king,  Nachiketas,  on  the  wide  earth.  I  make  thee  the  enjoyer 
of  all  desires. 

'Whatever  desires  are  difficult  to  attain  among  mortals,  ask  for  them 
according  to  thy  wish;  these  fair  maidens  with  their  chariots  and 
musical  instruments — such  are  indeed  not  to  be  obtained  by  men — be 
waited  on  by  them  whom  I  give  to  thee,  but  do  not  ask  me  about  dying/ 

Nachiketas  said:  'These  things  last  till  to-morrow,  O  Death,  for  they 
wear  out  this  vigour  of  all  the  senses.  Even  the  whole  of  life  is  short. 
Keep  thou  thy  horses,  keep  dance  and  song  for  thyself. 

'No  man  can  be  made  happy  by  wealth.  Shall  we  possess  wealth,  when 
we  see  thee  ?  Shall  we  live,  as  long  as  thou  rulest  ?  Only  that  boon  which 

1  have  chosen  is  to  be  chosen  by  me. 

'What  mortal,  slowly  decaying  here  below,  and  knowing,  after  having 
approached  them,  the  freedom  from  decay  enjoyed  by  the  immortals, 
would  delight  in  a  long  life,  after  he  has  pondered  on  the  pleasures 
which  arise  from  beauty  and  love? 

'No,  that  on  which  there  is  this  doubt,  O  Death,  tell  us  what  there  is 
in  that  great  hereafter.  Nachiketas  does  not  choose  another  boon  but 
that  which  enters  into  the  hidden  world/ 


THE    UPANISHADS  45 


III 

Death  said:  'The  good  is  one  thing,  the  pleasant  another;  these  two, 
having  different  objects,  chain  a  man.  It  is  well  with  him  who  clings  to 
the  good;  he  who  chooses  the  pleasant,  misses  his  end. 

'The  good  and  pleasant  approach  man:  the  wise  goes  round  about 
them  and  distinguishes  them.  Yea,  the  wise  prefers  the  good  to  the 
pleasant,  but  the  fool  chooses  the  pleasant  through  greed  and  avarice. 

Thou,  O  Nachiketas,  after  pondering  all  pleasures  that  are  or  seem 
delightful,  hast  dismissed  them  all.  Thou  hast  not  gone  into  the  road 
that  leadeth  to  wealth,  in  which  many  men  perish. 

'Wide  apart  and  leading  to  different  points  are  these  two,  ignorance, 
and. what  is  known  as  wisdom.  I  believe  Nachiketas  to  be  one  who 
desires  knowledge,  for  even  many  pleasures  did  not  tear  thee  away. 

Tools  dwelling  in  darkness,  wise  in  their  own  conceit,  and  puffed 
up  with  vain  knowledge,  go  round  and  round,  staggering  to  and  fro, 
like  blind  men  led  by  the  blind. 

'The  hereafter  never  rises  before  the  eyes  of  the  careless  child,  deluded 
by  the  delusion  of  wealth.  "This  is  the  world,"  he  thinks,  "there  is  no 
other" — thus  he  falls  again  and  again  under  my  sway. 

'He  (the  Self)  of  whom  many  are  not  even  able  to  hear,  whom  many, 
even  when  they  hear  of  him,  do  not  comprehend;  wonderful  is  a  man, 
when  found,  who  is  able  to  teach  him  (the  Self) ;  wonderful  is  he  who 
comprehends  him,  when  taught  by  an  able  teacher. 

'That  Self,  when  taught  by  an  inferior  man,  is  not  easy  to  be  known, 
even  though  often  thought  upon;  unless  it  be  taught  by  another,  there 
is  no  way  to  it,  for  it  is  inconceivably  smaller  than  what  is  small. 

'That  doctrine  is  not  to  be  obtained  by  argument,  but  when  it  is  de- 
clared by  another,  then,  O  dearest,  it  is  easy  to  understand.  Thou  hast 
obtained  it  now;  thou  art  truly  a  man  of  true  resolve.  May  we  have 
always  an  inquirer  like  thee!' 

Nachiketas  said:  'I  know  that  what  is  called  a  treasure  is  transient, 
for  that  eternal  is  not  obtained  by  things  which  are  not  eternal.  Hence 
the  Nachiketa  fire-sacrifice  has  been  laid  by  me  first;  then,  by  means 
of  transient  things,  I  have  obtained  what  is  not  transient.' 

Yama  said:  'Though  thou  hadst  seen  the  fulfilment  of  all  desires,  the 
foundation  of  the  world,  the  endless  rewards  of  good  deeds,  the  shore 
where  there  is  no  fear,  that  which  is  magnified  by  praise,  the  wide 


46  INDIAN    PIETY 

abode,  the  rest,  yet  being  wise  thou  hast  with  firm  resolve  dismissed  it 
all 

The  knowing  Self  is  not  born,  it  dies  not;  it  sprang  from  nothing, 
nothing  sprang  from  it.  The  Ancient  is  unborn,  eternal,  everlasting;  he 
is  not  killed,  though  the  body  is  killed. 

'If  the  killer  thinks  that  he  kills,  if  the  killed  thinks  that  he  is  killed, 
they  do  not  understand;  for  this  one  does  not  kill,  nor  is  that  one  killed. 

The  Self,  smaller  than  small,  greater  than  great,  is  hidden  in  the  heart 
of  that  creature.  A  man  who  is  free  from  desires  and  free  from  grief,  sees 
the  majesty  of  the  Self  by  the  grace  of  the  Creator. 

Though  sitting  still,  he  walks  far;  though  lying  down,  he  goes  every- 
where. Who,  save  myself,  is  able  to  know  that  God  who  rejoices  and 
rejoices  not? 

The  wise  who  knows  the  Self  as  bodiless  within  the  bodies,  as 
unchanging  among  changing  things,  as  great  and  omnipresent,  does 
never  grieve. 

That  Self  cannot  be  gained  by  the  Veda,  nor  by  understanding,  nor 
by  much  learning.  He  'whom  the  Self  chooses,  by  him  the  Self  can  be 
gained.  The  Self  chooses  his  body  as  his  own. 

'But  he  who  has  not  first  turned  away  from  his  wickedness,  who  is  not 
tranquil,  and  subdued,  or  whose  mind  is  not  at  rest,  he  can  never  obtain 
the  Self  even  by  knowledge. 

'Who  then  knows  where  He  is,  He  to  whom  the  Brahmans  and 
Kshatriyas  are  (as  it  were)  but  food,  and  death  itself  a  condiment  ? 

(From  the  Katha  Upamshad) 

THE  ONE  GOD 

The  snarer  who  rules  alone  by  his  powers,  who  rules  all  the  worlds 
by  his  powers,  who  is  one  and  the  same,  while  things  arise  and  exist — 
they  who  know  this  are  immortal. 

For  there  is  one  Rudra  only,  they  do  not  allow  a  second,  who  rules 
all  the  worlds  by  his  powers.  He  stands  behind  all  persons,  and  after 
having  created  all  worlds  he,  the  protector,  rolls  it  up  at  the  end  of 
time. 

That  one  god,  having  his  eyes,  his  face,  his  arms,  and  his  feet  in  every 
place,  when  producing  heaven  and  earth,  forges  them  together  with  his 
arms  and  his  wings. 

He,  the  creator  and  supporter  of  the  gods,  Rudra,  the  great  seer,  the 


THE    UPANISHADS  47 

lord  of  all,  he  who  formerly  gave  birth  to  Hiranyagarbha,  may  he  endow 
us  with  good  thoughts. 

O  Rudra,  thou  dweller  in  the  mountains,  look  upon  us  with  that 
most  blessed  form  of  thine  which  is  auspicious,  not  terrible,  and  reveals  no 
evil! 

0  lord  of  the  mountains,  make  lucky  that  arrow  which  thou,  a  dweller 
in  the  mountains,  boldest  in  thy  hand  to  shoot.  Do  not  hurt  man  or 
beast! 

Those  who  know  beyond  this  the  High  Brahman,  the  vast,  hidden  in 
the  bodies  of  all  creatures,  and  alone  enveloping  everything,  as  the  Lord, 
they  become  immortal. 

1  know  that  great  person  (purusha)  of  sunlike  lustre  beyond  the 
darkness.  A  man  who  knows  him  truly,  passes  over  death;  there  is  no 
other  path  to  go. 

This  whole  universe  is  filled  by  this  person  (purusha),  to  whom 
there  is  nothing  superior,  from  whom  there  is  nothing  different,  than 
whom  there  is  nothing  smaller  or  larger,  who  stands  alone,  fixed  like 
a  tree  in  the  sky. 

That  which  is  beyond  this  world  is  without  form  and  without  suffer- 
ing. They  who  know  it,  become  immortal,  but  others  suffer  pain  indeed. 

That  Bhagavat  exists  in  the  faces,  the  heads,  the  necks  of  all,  he  dwells 
in  the  cave  (of  the  heart)  of  all  beings,  he  is  all-pervading,  therefore  he 
is  the  omnipresent  Siva. 

That  person  is  the  great  lord;  he  is  the  mover  of  existence,  he  possesses 
that  purest  power  of  reaching  everything;  he  is  light,  he  is  undecaying. 

The  person,  not  larger  than  a  thumb,  dwelling  within,  always  dwelling 
in  the  heart  of  man,  is  perceived  by  the  heart,  the  thought,  the  mind; 
they  who  know  it  become  immortal. 

The  person  with  a  thousand  heads,  a  thousand  eyes,  a  thousand  feet, 
having  compassed  the  earth  on  every  side,  extends  beyond  it  by  ten 
fingers'  breadth. 

That  person  alone  (purusha)  is  all  this,  what  has  been  and  what  will 
be;  he  is  also  the  lord  of  immortality;  he  is  whatever  grows  by  food. 

Its  hands  and  feet  are  everywhere,  its  eyes  and  head  are  everywhere, 
its  ears  are  everywhere,  it  stands  encompassing  all  in  the  world. 

Separate  from  all  the  senses,  yet  reflecting  the  qualities  of  all  the  senses, 
it  is  the  lord  and  ruler  of  all,  it  is  the  great  refuge  of  all. 

The  embodied  spirit  within  the  town  with  nine  gates,  the  bird,  flut- 


48  INDIAN    PIETY 

tcrs  outwards,  the  ruler  of  the  whole  world,  of  all  that  rests  and  of  all 
that  moves. 

Grasping  without  hands,  hasting  without  feet,  he  sees  without  eyes, 
he  hears  without  ears.  He  knows  what  can  be  known,  but  no  one  knows 
him;  they  call  him  the  first,  the  great  person. 

The  Self,  smaller  than  small,  greater  than  great,  is  hidden  in  the  heart 
of  the  creature.  A  man  who  has  left  all  grief  behind,  sees  the  majesty,  the 
Lord,  the  passionless,  by  the  grace  of  the  creator. 

I  know  this  undecaying,  ancient  one,  the  self  of  all  things,  being 
infinite  and  omnipresent.  They  declare  that  in  him  all  birth  is  stopped, 
for  the  Brahma-students  proclaim  him  to  be  eternal. 

(From  the  Svetdsvatara  Upanishad) 

THE  IMMANENCE  OF  GOD 

He,  the  sun,  without  any  colour,  who  with  set  purpose  by  means  of 
his  power  produces  endless  colours,  in  whom  all  this  comes  together  in 
the  beginning,  and  comes  asunder  in  the  end — may  he,  the  god,  endow 
us  with  good  thoughts. 

That  Self  indeed  is  fire,  it  is  the  sun,  it  is  wind,  it  is  moon;  the  same 
also  is  the  starry  firmament,  it  is  Brahman,  it  is  water,  it  is  Prajapati. 

Thou  art  woman,  thou  art  man;  thou  are  youth,  thou  art  maiden; 
thou,  as  an  old  man,  totterest  along  on  thy  staff;  thou  art  born  with  thy 
face  turned  everywhere. 

Thou  art  the  dark-blue  bee,  thou  art  the  green  parrot  with  red  eyes, 
thou  art  the  thunder-cloud,  the  seasons,  the  seas.  Thou  art  without  begin- 
ning, because  thou  art  infinite,  thou  from  whom  all  worlds  are  born. 

There  is  one  unborn  being  (female),  red,  white,  and  black,  uniform, 
but  producing  manifold  offspring.  There  is  one  unborn  being  (male) 
who  loves  her  and  lies  by  her;  there  is  another  who  leaves  her,  while  she 
is  eating  what  has  to  be  eaten. 

Two  birds,  inseparable  friends,  cling  to  the  same  tree.  One  of  them 
eats  the  sweet  fruit,  the  other  looks  on  without  eating.  " 

On  the  same  tree  man  sits  grieving,  immersed,  bewildered,  by  his  own 
Impotence.  But  when  he  sees  the  other  lord  contented,  and  knows  his 
glory,  then  his  grief  passes  away. 

He  who  does  not  know  that  indestructible  being  of  the  Rigveda,  that 
highest  ether-like  Self  wherein  all  the  gods  reside,  of  what  use  is  the 
Higvcda  to  him?  Those  only  who  know  it,  rest  contented. 


THEUPANISHADS  49 

That  from  which  the  maker  (mayin)  sends  forth  all  this— the  sacred 
verses,  the  offerings,  the  sacrifices,  the  panaceas,  the  past,  the  future, 
and  all  that  the  Vedas  declare — in  that  the  other  is  bound  up  through 
that  art  (maya). 

Know  then  nature  is  art,  and  the  great  Lord  the  maker;  the  whole 
world  is  filled  with  what  are  his  members. 

If  a  man  has  discerned  him,  who  being  one  only,  rules  over  every 
cause,  in  whom  all  this  comes  together  and  comes  asunder  again,  who 
is  tjie  lord,  the  bestower  of  blessing,  the  adorable  god,  then  he  passes  for 
ever  into  that  peace. 

He,  the  creator  and  supporter  of  the  gods,  Rudra,  the  great  seer,  the 
lord  of  all,  who  saw  Hiranyagarbha  being  born,  may  he  endow  us  with 
good  thoughts. 

He  who  is  the  sovereign  of  the  gods,  he  in  whom  all  the  worlds  rest, 
he  who  rules  over  all  two-footed  and  four-footed  beings,  to  that  god  let 
us  sacrifice  an  oblation. 

He  who  has  known  him  who  is  more  subtle  than  subtle,  in  the  midst 
of  chaos,  creating  all  things,  having  many  forms,  alone  enveloping 
everything,  the  happy  one  (Siva)  passes  into  peace  for  ever. 

He  also  was  in  time  the  guardian  of  this  world,  the  lord  of  all,  hidden 
in  all  beings.  In  him  the  Brahmarsrus  and  the  deities  are  united,  and  he 
who  knows  him  cuts  the  fetters  of  death  asunder. 

He  who  knows  the  blessed  (Siva)  hidden  in  ail  beings,  like  the  subtle 
film  that  rises  from  out  the  clarified  butter,  alone  enveloping  everything 
— he  who  knows  the  god,  is  freed  from  all  fetters. 

That  god,  the  maker  of  all  things,  the  great  Self,  always  dwelling  in 
the  heart  of  man,  is  perceived  by  the  heart,  the  soul,  the  mind; — they 
who  know  it  become  immortal. 

When  the  light  has  risen,  there  is  no  day,  no  night,  neither  existence 
nor  non-existence;  the  blessed  (Siva)  alone  is  there.  That  is  the  eternal, 
the  adorable  light  of  Savitri — and  the  ancient  wisdom  proceeded  thence. 

No  one  has  grasped  him  above,  or  across,  or  in  the  middle.  There  is  no 
image  of  him  whose  name  is  Great  Glory. 

His  form  cannot  be  seen,  no  one  perceives  him  with  the  eye.  Those 
who  through  heart  and  mind  know  him  thus  abiding  in  the  heart, 
become  immortal. 

'Thou  art  unborn,'  with  these  words  some  one  comes  near  to  thce, 
trembling.  O  Rudra,  let  thy  gracious  face  protect  me  for  ever  I 

O  Rudra  I  hurt  us  not  in  our  offspring  and  descendants,  hurt  us  not 


50  INDIAN    PIETY 

in  our  own  lives,  nor  in  our  cows,  nor  in  our  horses!  Do  not  slay  our 
men  in  thy  wrath,  for,  holding  oblations,  we  call  on  thee  always, 

(From  the  Svetasvatara  Upantshad) 

GOD  IS  WITHIN  YOU 

In  the  imperishable  and  infinite  Highest  Brahman,  wherein  the  two, 
knowledge  and  ignorance,  are  hidden,  the  one,  ignorance,  perishes,  the 
other,  knowledge,  is  immortal;  but  he  who  controls  both,  knowledge 
and  ignorance,  is  another. 

It  is  he  who,  being  one  only,  rules  over  every  cause,  over  all  forms,  and 
over  all  germs;  it  is  he  who,  in  the  beginning,  bears  in  his  thoughts  the 
wise  son,  the  fiery,  whom  he  wishes  to  look  on  while  he  is  born. 

In  that  field  in  which  the  god,  after  spreading  out  one  net  after 
another  in  various  ways,  draws  it  together  again,  the  Lord,  the  great 
Self,  having  further  created  the  lords,  thus  carries  on  his  lordship  over 
all. 

As  the  car  of  the  sun  shines,  lighting  up  all  quarters,  above,  below,  and 
across,  thus  does  that  god,  the  holy,  the  adorable,  being  one,  rule  over  all 
that  has  the  nature  of  a  germ. 

He,  being  one,  rules  over  all  and  everything,  so  that  the  universal 
germ  ripens  its  nature,  diversifies  all  natures  that  can  be  ripened,  and 
determines  all  qualities. 

Brahma  knows  this,  which  is  hidden  in  the  upanishads,  which  arc 
hidden  in  the  Vedas,  as  the  Brahma-germ.  The  ancient  gods  and  poets 
who  knew  it,  they  became  it  and  were  immortal. 

But  he  who  is  endowed  with  qualities,  and  performs  works  that  are 
to  bear  fruit,  and  enjoys  the  reward  of  whatever  he  has  done,  migrates 
through  his  own  works,  the  lord  of  life,  assuming  all  forms,  led  by  the 
three  Gunas,1  and  following  the  three  paths. 

That  lower  one  also,  not  larger  than  a  thumb,  but  brilliant  like  the 
sun,  who  is  endowed  with  personality  and  thoughts,  with  the  quality 
of  mind  and  the  quality  of  body,  is  seen  small  even  like  the  point  of  a 
goad. 

That  living  soul  is  to  be  known  as  part  of  the  hundredth  part  of  the 
point  of  a  hair,  divided  a  hundred  times,  and  yet  it  is  to  be  infinite. 

1  Three  primeval  elements,  light,  passion  and  dullness  which  compose  the  world.  Sec  the 
Glossary  under  Gunas. 


THE   UPANISHADS  5! 

It  is  not  woman,  it  is  not  man,  nor  is  it  neuter;  whatever  body  it  takes, 
with  that  it  is  joined  only. 

By  means  of  thoughts,  touching,  seeing,  and  passions  the  incarnate 
Self  assumes  successively  in  various  places  various  forms,  in  accordance 
with  his  deeds,  just  as  the  body  grows  when  food  and  drink  are  poured 
into  it. 

That  incarnate  Self,  according  to  his  own  qualities,  assumes  many 
shapes,  coarse  or  subtile,  and  having  himself  caused  his  union  with  them, 
he  is  seen  as  another  and  another,  through  the  qualities  of  his  acts,  and 
through  the  qualities  of  his  body. 

He  who  knows  him  who  has  no  beginning  and  no  end,  in  the  midst 
of  chaos,  creating  all  things,  having  many  forms,  alone  enveloping 
everything,  is  freed  from  all  fetters. 

Those  who  know  him  who  is  to  be  grasped  by  the  mind,  who  is  not  to 
be  called  the  body,  who  makes  existence  and  non-existence,  the  happy 
one  (Siva)  who  also  creates  the  elements,  they  have  left  the  body. 

(From  the  Svetasvatara  Upanishad) 

KNOW  GOD 

Some  wise  men,  deluded,  speak  of  Nature,  and  others  of  Time  as  the 
cause  of  everything;  but  it  is  the  greatness  of  God  by  which  this  Brahma- 
wheel  is  made  to  turn. 

It  is  at  the  command  of  him  who  always  covers  this  world,  the  knower, 
the  time  of  tune,  who  assumes  qualities  and  all  knowledge,  it  is  at  his 
command  that  this  creation  unfolds  itself,  which  is  called  earth,  water, 
fire,  air,  and  ether; 

He  who,  after  he  has  done  that  work  and  rested  again,  and  after  he 
has  brought  together  the  self  with  matter,  with  one,  two,  three,  or  eight, 
with  time  also  and  with  the  subtle  qualities  of  the  mind, 

Who  after  starting  the  works  endowed  with  the  three  qualities,1  can 
order  all  things,  yet  when,  in  the  absence  of  all  these,  he  has  caused  the 
destruction  of  the  work,  goes  on,  being  in  truth  different  from  all  he  has 
produced; 

He  is  the  beginning,  producing  the  causes  which  unite  the  soul  with 
the  body,  and,  being  above  the  three  kinds  of  time,  past,  present,  future, 
he  is  seen  as  without  parts,  after  we  have  first  worshipped  that  adorable 

1  The  Gunas  referred  to  in  the  preceding  section. 


52  INDIAN    PIETY 

god,  who  has  many  forms,  and  who  is  the  true  source  of  all  things,  as 
dwelling  in  our  own  mind. 

He  is  beyond  all  the  forms  of  the  world  and  of  time,  he  is  the  other, 
from  whom  this  world  moves  round,  when  one  has  known  him  who 
brings  good  and  removes  evil,  the  lord  of  bliss,  as  dwelling  within  the 
self,  the  immortal,  the  support  of  all. 

Let  us  know  that  highest  great  lord  of  lords,  the  highest  deity  of 
deities,  the  master  of  masters,  the  highest  above,  as  God,  the  lord  of  the 
world,  the  adorable. 

There  is  no  effect  and  no  cause  known  of  him,  no  one  is  seen  like 
unto  him  or  better;  his  high  power  is  revealed  as  manifold,  as  inherent, 
acting  as  force  and  knowledge. 

There  is  no  master  of  his  in  the  world,  no  ruler  of  his,  not  even  a  sign 
of  him.  He  is  the  cause,  the  lord  of  the  lords  of  the  organs,  and  there  is  of 
him  neither  parent  nor  lord. 

That  only  God  who  spontaneously  covered  himself,  like  a  spider,  with 
threads  drawn  from  the  first  cause,  grant  us  entrance  into  Brahman. 

He  is  the  one  God,  hidden  in  all  beings,  all-pervading,  the  self  within 
all  beings,  watching  over  all  works,  dwelling  in  all  beings,  tlie  witness, 
the  perceiver,  the  only  one,  free  from  qualities. 

He  is  the  one  ruler  of  many  who  do  not  act;  he  makes  the  one  seed 
manifold.  The  wise  who  perceive  him  within  their  self,  to  them  belongs 
eternal  happiness,  not  to  others. 

He  is  the  eternal  among  eternals,  the  thinker  among  thinkers,  who, 
though  one,  fulfils  the  desires  of  many.  He  who  has  known  that  cause 
which  is  to  be  apprehended  by  Samkhya  (philosophy)  and  Yoga  (reli- 
gious discipline),  he  is  freed  from  all  fetters. 

The  sun  does  not  shine  there,  nor  the  moon  and  the  stars,  nor  these 
lightnings,  and  much  less  this  fire.  When  he  shines,  everything  shines 
after  him;  by  his  light  all  this  is  lightened. 

He  is  the  one  bird  in  the  midst  of  the  world;  he  is  also  like  the  sun 
that  has  set  in  the  ocean.  A  man  knows  him  truly,  passes  over  death; 
there  is  no  other  path  to  go. 

He  makes  all,  he  knows  all,  the  self-caused,  the  knower,  the  destroyer 
of  time,  who  assumes  qualities  and  knows  everything,  the  master  of 
nature  and  of  man,  the  lord  of  the  three  qualities,  the  cause  of  the  bond- 
age, the  existence,  and  the  liberation  of  the  world. 

He  who  has  become  that,  he  is  the  immortal,  remaining  the  lord,  the 


THE   UPANISHADS  53 

knower,  the  ever-present  guardian  of  this  world,  who  rules  this  world 
for  ever,  for  no  one  else  is  able  to  rule  it. 

Seeking  for  freedom  I  go  for  refuge  to  that  God  who  is  the  light  of 
his  own  thoughts,  he  who  first  creates  Brahman  and  delivers  the  Vedas 
to  him; 

Who  is  without  parts,  without  actions,  tranquil,  without  fault,  without 
taint,  the  highest  bridge  to  immortality — like  a  fire  that  has  consumed  its 
fuel. 

Only  when  men  shall  roll  up  the  sky  like  a  hide,  will  there  be  an  end 
of  misery,  unless  God  has  first  been  known.1 

Through  the  power  of  his  penance  and  through  the  grace  of  God  has 
the  wise  Svetasvatara  truly  proclaimed  Brahman,  the  highest  and  holiest, 
to  the  best  of  ascetics,  as  approved  by  the  company  of  Rishis. 

This  highest  mystery  in  the  Vedanta,  delivered  in  a  former  age,  should 
not  be  given  to  one  whose  passions  have  not  been  subdued,  nor  to  one 
who  is  not  a  son,  or  who  is  not  a  pupil. 

If  these  truths  have  been  told  to  a  high-minded  man,  who  feels  the 
highest  devotion  for  God,  and  for  his  Guru 2  as  for  God,  then  they  will 
shine  forth — then  they  will  shine  forth  indeed. 

1  This  may  be  considered  the  final  message  of  the  Upanishads. 
g  Preceptor. 


The  Lord's  Song 


(THE  BHAGAVAD-GITA) 


INTRODUCTION 

THE  BHAGAVAD-GITA  stands  in  relation  to  Hinduism  as  the  Sermon  on 
the  Mount  stands  in  relation  to  the  Christian  teachings.  It  has  been  de- 
scribed as  the  "Essence  of  the  Vedas."  An  Indian  saint  has  said:  "All  the 
Upanishads  are  the  cows,  the  Lord  Himself  is  the  Milker,  Arjuna,  the 
calf,  and  those  of  purified  understanding  are  the  drinkers  of  the  milk,  the 
supreme  nectar  of  the  Gita." 

Originally  it  formed  a  section  of  Book  Six  of  the  great  Hindu  epic, 
the  Mahabharata.  It  is  in  the  form  of  a  conversation  between  the  warrior 
Arjuna  and  his  charioteer,  who  really  was  the  "Blessed  Lord,"  the  god 
Krishna.  War  had  become  inevitable  between  the  sons  of  Pandu  (of 
which  Arjuna  was  one)  and  their  cousin  Duryodhana  and  his  brothers, 
the  sons  of  the  blind  King  Dhritarashtra,  or  briefly  between  the  Pandavas 
and  the  Kurus.  Just  before  the  beginning  of  the  battle,  Arjuna  refused 
to  fight,  when  he  saw  he  was  going  to  kill  his  own  kinsmen.  The  god 
Krishna  explained  to  him  that  no  one  could  be  killed,  since  men's  souls 
live  for  ever,  and  thereon  the  conversation  began,  extending  to  eighteen 
chapters,  covering  every  phase  of  ethical  and  religious  questions,  con- 
cerning the  yoga  of  action,  the  justification  for  rituals  and  sacrifices,  the 
manifestations  of  god  in  this  physical  world,  and  ending  with  the  im- 
portant injunction  on  accepting  Krishna  as  a  refuge  to  whom  all  people 
of  all  classes  could  come  and  find  peace  and  salvation.  The  old  blind 
King,  unable  to  watch  the  battle  was  offered  sight  by  a  great  sage,  but 
declined  it,  for  he  had  no  wish  to  see  the  slaughter  among  his  own  kins- 

54 


THE  LORD'S  SONG  55 

men.  The  great  sage  then  granted  Sanjaya  the  power  of  perceiving  at 
a  distance  all  that  happened  on  the  battlefield.  Therefore,  principally  in 
the  beginning  and  in  the  end,  we  see  the  remarks  of  Sanjaya,  concerning 
the  battle,  while  the  questions  and  answers  between  Arjuna  and  the 
Lord  Krishna,  as  reported  by  Sanjaya,  form  the  substance  of  the  main 
body  of  the  work. 

The  whole  book  breathes  the  Hindu  mental  and  religious  atmosphere, 
although  some  of  the  teachings,  such  as  the  emphasis  on  action  and  doing 
it  without  regard  to  selfish  benefit  but  for  devotion  to  God,  and  par- 
ticularly the  denial  of  materialism  and  emphatic  Vedic  assertion  of  the 
spirit  behind  all  things,  offer  viewpoints  that  are  either  present  or  arc 
greatly  needed  in  the  modern  world.  Anyway,  the  contrasts  are  as 
important  as  the  similarities,  and  it  is  because  the  work  is  characteristi- 
cally the  most  important  product  of  the  Hindu  religious  spirit  that  its 
influence  and  position  in  India  have  been  so  great.  Dr.  E.  J.  Thomas 
calls  it  "one  of  the  greatest  of  the  religious  phenomena  of  the  world" 
and  "the  earliest  and  still  the  greatest  monument  of  Hindu  religion." 

The  Bhagavad-Gita  has  not  the  same  appeal  for  me  as  the  Buddhist 
Dhammapada,  but  that  is  no  reason  why  it  should  be  less  important  to 
the  Hindu  nation.  What  is  important  is  to  note  the  progress  of  the  Hindu 
mind  from  the  Upanishads  to  the  Gita  and  its  increasing  clarity  of 
thought  and  ways  of  thinking  closer  to  our  own.  The  work  was  prob- 
ably written  in  the  second  century  before  the  Christian  era,  although  no 
approximate  date  can  be  assigned.  So  important  did  it  become  in  the 
Hindu  religious  thought  that  every  system  had  to  square  itself  with  the 
teachings  of  the  Lord's  Song.  There  are  strands  of  pantheism,  monothe- 
ism, theism  and  deism  in  it.  Whether  it  was  added  to  by  successive  writers 
is  less  important  than  the  fact  that  these  teachings  were,  and  still  are, 
accepted  by  the  Hindu  people  as  the  ultimate  embodiment  of  religious 
wisdom.  Any  attempt  by  Western  higher  critics  to  separate  the  several 
strands  of  belief  from  one  another  in  the  Song  and  "restore"  the 
"original  text"  is  bound  to  be  both  foolish  and  ridiculous.  Certain  schol- 
ars, presupposing  that  one  man  could  hold  only  one  consistent  system  of 
belief  and  that  that  system  must  be  the  one  they  hold  to  be  the  original 
one,  and  ignoring  the  fact  that  such  a  document  was  necessarily  a  syn- 
thesis of  many  streams  of  influence,  satisfactory  to  its  believers,  have  at- 
tempted the  foolish  task  of  determining  us  original  composition.  It 
never  occurs  to  them  that  the  world  could  be  God  and  at  the  same  time 
a  personal  God  could  exist — rather  fine  distinctions  that  exist  in  academic 


56  INDIAN    PIETY 

minds  only.  The  great  power  of  the  Gita  lies  in  the  fact  that  it  teaches  a 
"loving  faith"  or  devotion  (bha\tt)  to  a  personal  God,  Krishna.  The 
final  message  of  Krishna  is:  "Giving  up  all  Dharmas,  come  unto  me 
alone  for  refuge.  I  shall  free  thee  from  all  sins;  grieve  not."  (XVIII,  66) 

It  is  extremely  important  that  such  a  testimony  of  the  Hindu  religious 
spirit  should  not  be  translated  by  a  scholar  of  Sanskrit,  but  by  a  Hindu 
follower  who  is  at  home  with  its  language  and  at  one  with  the  spirit  of 
its  teachings,  and  who  knows  what  the  different  verses  mean,  directly 
and  simply,  to  the  Indian  people. 

The  Bhagavad-Gita  has  engaged  the  loving  labors  of  many  transla- 
tors, and  many  excellent  translations  exist,  such  as  Lionel  D.  Barnett's 
"Lord's  Song"  (Temple  Classics)  with  a  long  introduction  and  copious 
notes,  E.  J.  Thomas's  "The  Song  of  the  Lord"  (Wisdom  of  the  East 
Series),  the  well-known  version  by  Annie  Besant  (Theosophical  Press), 
Sir  Edwin  Arnold's  "The  Song  Celestial"  (Trubner),  M.  M.  Chatterji's 
"The  Lord's  Lay"  (Houghton),  with  commentary  and  notes  and  ref- 
erences to  the  Christian  Scriptures,  and  the  scholarly  translation  by 
Telang  in  the  Sacred  Books  of  the  East.  I  have,  however,  chosen  the 
translation  by  Swami  Paramananda  (The  Vedanta  Center)  because  I 
believe,  more  than  the  others,  it  shows  that  mastery  of  the  languages 
and  that  profound  understanding  of  the  thought  content,  so  that  the 
result  is,  as  it  should  be,  an  easy,  effective  and  mature  version,  without 
either  the  cumbersomeness  of  the  scholarly  or  the  surreptitious  para- 
phrasing of  the  over-interpretative.  As  the  editor  of  the  book  remarks, 
"The  letter  must  be  illumined  by  the  spirit;  and  none  can  read  the 
translation  without  feeling  convinced  that  the  head,  heart,  and  life  have 
co-operated  in  the  making  of  it."  That  is  no  mean  compliment.  I  have 
kept  the  footnotes  by  Swami  Paramananda. 


The  Blessed  Lord's  Song 

SRIMAD-BHAGAVAD-GITA 
Translated  by  Swami  Paramananda 


CHAPTER  I 

Dhritardshtra  asl^cd: 

1.  O  Sanjaya,  assembled  together  on  the  sacred  plain  of  Kurukshctra, 
being  desirous  to  fight,  what  did  my  people  and  the  Pandavas  do? 

Sanjaya  replied: 

2.  The  Prince  Duryodhana,  having  seen  the  Pandava  forces  arrayed, 
approached  his  teacher  (Drona)  and  spoke  these  words: 

3.  Behold  this  mighty  host  of  the  sons  of  Pandava  arrayed  by  the  son 
of  Drupada,  thy  gifted  pupil. 

4-6.  Here  are  heroes,  mighty  bowmen,  equals  in  battle  to  Bhima  and 
Arjuna — the  great  warriors,  Yuyudhana,  Virata,  Drupada;  valiant  Drish- 
taketu,  Chekitana  and  the  King  of  Kashi;  Purujit,  Kunti-Bhoja  and 
Shaibya,  the  greatest  of  men;  the  powerful  Yudhamanyu  and  the  brave 
Uttamaujas;  the  son  of  Subhadra  and  the  sons  of  Draupadi;  all  of  them 
mighty  car-warriors. 

7.  O  best  of  twice-born,1  hear  also  of  those  who  are  distinguished 
among  ourselves,  the  leaders  of  my  army;  I  relate  their  names  for  thy 
information. 

1 A  Brahmin  is  called  a  twice-born  because  he  is  born  for  the  second  time  when  he  receives 
his  holy  thread  or  badge  for  spintual  life. 

57 


58  INDIAN    PIETY 

8.  Thyself  and  Bhishma  and  Karna,  and  Kripa,  the  victorious  in  battle, 
Aswatthama,  Vikarna,  Jayadratha,  the  son  of  Somadatta. 

9.  Also  there  are  many  heroes  skillful  in  battle  armed  with  many 
kinds  of  weapons,  determined  to  lay  down  their  lives  for  my  sake. 

10.  Yet  this  army  of  ours,  though  commanded  by  Bhishma,  seems 
insufficient;  but  their  army,  commanded  by  Bhima,  seems  sufficient. 

n.  Therefore  ye  all,  being  stationed  in  your  proper  places  in  the 
divisions  of  the  army,  support  Bhishma  alone. 

12.  The  powerful,  the  eldest  of  the  Kurus  (Bhishma),  the  grandsire, 
in  order  to  cheer  him  (Duryodhana),  sounded  aloud  a  lion's  roar  and 
blew  his  conch, 

13.  Then  (following  Bhishma),  conchs,  kettledrums,  tabors,  trumpets 
and  cowhorns  suddenly  sounded.  The  noise  was  tremendous. 

14.  Then  Madhava  (Krishna)  and  Pandava  (Arjuna)  stationed  in 
their  great  war  chariot,  yoked  to  white  horses,  also  blew  their  divine 
conchs. 

15.  Hrishikesha  *  (Krishna)  blew  the  Panchajanya;  and  Dhananjaya a 
(Arjuna),  Devadatta8  (God-given);  and  Vrikodara4  (Bhima),  doer  of 
terrible  deeds,  blew  his  large  conch  Paundra. 

16.  King  Yudhishthira,  son  of  Kunti,  blew  the  conch  named  Ananta- 
vijaya  (endless  victory).  Nakula  and  Sahadeva  their  Sughosha  and 
Manipushpaka. 

17.  The  King  of  Kashi,  the  great  bowman,  and  the  mighty  warrior 
Shikhandi,  Dhrishtadyumna,  Virata  and  the  unconquered  hero,  Satyaki; 

1 8.  (King)  Drupada  and  the  sons  of  Draupadi  and  the  mighty-armed 
son  of  Subhadra,  each  blew  respectively  his  own  conch,  O  Lord  of  the 
Earth! 

19.  That  tremendous  uproar,  filling  earth  and  sky  with  sound,  rent 
the  hearts  of  Dhritarashtra's  party. 

20.  Then,  O  Lord  of  the  Earth!  the  son  of  Pandu  (Arjuna),  whose 
ensign  was  the  monkey,  seeing  Dhritarashtra's  army  arrayed  and  the 
throwing  of  weapons  about  to  begin,  raised  his  bow  and  spoke  the 
following  words  to  Krishna: 

1  The  Lord  of  the  senses. 

1  Conqueror  of  wealth. 

8  Name  of  the  conch. 

*  Having  the  belly  of  a  tiger,  indicating  the  physical  formation  of  a  hero, 


THE    BLESSED    LORD'S    SONG  59 

Arjuna  said: 

21-23.  O  Achyuta  (changeless,  Krishna),  place  my  chariot  between 
the  two  armies  desirous  of  battle,  so  that  I  may  see  with  whom  I  have 
to  fight  in  this  outbreak  of  war,  for  I  desire  to  observe  those  who  are 
assembled  here  for  battle  wishing  to  please  the  evil-minded  son  of 
Dhritarashtra  by  taking  his  side. 

Sanjaya  said: 

24-25.  O  King!  Requested  thus  by  Gudakesha1  (Arjuna),  Krishna, 
having  placed  the  war  chariot  between  the  two  armies  in  front  of 
Bhishma,  Drona  and  all  the  rulers  of  the  earth,  spoke  thus:  O  son  of 
Pritha  (Arjuna),  behold  all  the  Kuru  forces  gathered  together. 

26.  Then  Partha  (Arjuna)  saw  there  in  both  armies  arrayed  grand- 
fathers, fathers-in-law,  uncles,  brothers  and  cousins,  his  own  sons  and 
their  sons  and  grandsons,  comrades,  teachers  and  friends. 

27.  Then  he,  the  son  of  Kunti  (Arjuna),  seeing  all  his  kinsmen  sta- 
tioned in  their  ranks,  spoke  thus  sorrowfully,  overwhelmed  with  deep 
compassion : 

Arjuna  said: 

28.  O  Krishna,  seeing  these  my  kinsmen,  gathered  here  desirous  to 
fight,  my  limbs  fail  me,  my  mouth  is  parched; 

29.  My  body  shivers,  my  hair  stands  on  end,  my  Gandiva  (bow) 
slips  from  my  hand,  my  skin  is  burning. 

30.  O  Keshava  (Krishna,  the  slayer  of  Keshi),  I  am  not  able  to  stand 
upright,  my  mind  is  in  a  whirl  and  I  see  adverse  omens. 

31.  O  Krishna,  neither  do  I  see  any  good  in  slaying  my  own  people 
in  this  strife.  I  desire  neither  victory,  nor  kingdom,  nor  pleasures. 

32-34.  Teachers,  uncles,  sons  and  grandsons,  grandfathers,  fathers-in- 
law,  brothers-in-law,  besides  other  kinsmen,  for  whose  sake  empire, 
enjoyment  and  pleasures  are  desired,  they  themselves  stand  here  in 
battle,  forsaking  life  and  wealth.  What  avail,  then,  is  kingdom,  enjoy- 
ment, or  even  life,  O  Govinda  (Krishna)  ? 

35.  These  warriors  I  do  not  wish  to  kill,  even  though  I  am  killed  by 
them,  not  even  for  the  dominion  over  the  three  worlds,  how  much  less 
for  the  sake  of  this  earth,  O  slayer  of  Madhu. 
1  The  conqueror  of  sleep. 


60  INDIAN    PIETY 

36.  O  Janardana  (giver  of  prosperity  and  salvation,  Krishna),  what 
pleasure  could  there  be  for  us  by  killing  the  sons  of  Dhritarashtra  ?  Sin 
alone  would  take  possession  of  us  by  slaying  these  evil-doers. 

37.  Therefore  we  ought  not  to  kill  these  sons  of  Dhritarashtra  who  are 
our  relations;  for  how  can  we,  O  Madhava  (Krishna),  obtain  happiness 
by  destroying  our  own  kinsmen  ? 

38.  Although  these  (my  enemies),  their  understanding  being  overpow- 
ered by  greed,  see  no  evil  from  extinction  of  families  and  no  sin  in  hos- 
tility to  friends. 

39.  But,  O  Janardana,  why  should  not  we  turn  away  from  this  sin, 
seeing  clearly  the  evil  in  destruction  of  family? 

40.  From  the  destruction  of  a  family  the  immemorial  religious  rites 
of  that  family  perish.  Spirituality  being  destroyed,  that  whole  family  is 
overpowered  by  unrighteousness. 

41.  O  Krishna,  from  the  predominance  of  unrighteousness,  the  women 
of  that  family  become  corrupt;  and  women  being  corrupted,  there  arises 
intermingling  of  castes. 

42.  This  intermingling  of  castes  leads  the  destroyers  of  the  family  to 
hell,  as  also  the  family  itself;  for  their  ancestors  fall,  being  deprived  of 
the  offerings  of  rice  ball  and  water.1 

43.  By  these  misdeeds  of  the  slayers  of  the  family,  bringing  about  con- 
fusion of  caste,  the  immemorial  religious  rites  of  family  and  caste  are 
destroyed. 

44.  O  Janardana,  we  have  heard  that  for  such  men,  whose  household 
religious  rites  have  been  destroyed,  the  dwelling  in  hell  is  inevitable. 

45.  Alas!  what  a  great  sin  we  are  resolved  to  incur,  being  prepared  to 
slay  our  kinsmen,  actuated  by  greed  of  kingdom  and  pleasure. 

46.  Verily,  it  would  be  better  for  me  if  the  sons  of  Dhritarashtra, 
weapons  in  hand,  should  slay  me  in  the  battle,  unresisting  and  unarmed. 

Sanjaya  said: 

47.  Speaking  thus  in  the  midst  of  the  battlefield,  Arjuna  sank  down 
on  the  seat  of  his  war  chariot,  casting  aside  his  bow  and  arrows,  his  mind 
overwhelmed  with  sorrow. 

Here  ends  the  First  Chapter  called 
"The  Grief  of  Arjuna" 

1  Certain  funeral  rites  performed  for  the  welfare  of  the  departed  ones. 


THE    BLESSED    LORD'S    SONG  6l 

CHAPTER  II 

San  jay  a  said: 

1.  To  him  (Arjuna)  whose  mind  was  thus  overpowered  by  pity  and 
grief  and  eyes  dimmed  with  tears,  Madhusudana  (Krishna)  spoke  these 
words: 

The  Blessed  Lord  said: 

2.  O  Arjuna,  whence  comes  upon  thee  in  this  critical  moment  this 
depression  unworthy  of  an  Aryan,  disgraceful,  and  contrary  to  the 
attainment  of  heaven  ? 

3.  O  son  of  Pritha,  yield  not  to  unmanlmcss;  it  does  not  befit  thee. 
Casting  off  this  mean  faint-heartedness,  arise,  O  terror  of  thy  foes! 

Arjuna  said: 

4.  O  destroyer  of  enemies  and  slayer  of  Madhu  (Krishna),  how  can  I 
fight  with  arrows  in  battle  against  Bhishma  and  Drona,  who  are  worthy 
to  be  worshipped  (by  me). 

5.  Instead  of  slaying  these  great-souled  masters,  it  would  be  better 
even  to  live  in  this  life  by  begging;  but  killing  them,  all  our  enjoyments 
of  wealth  and  desires,  even  in  this  world,  will  be  stained  with  blood. 

6.  Indeed  I  know  not  which  of  the  two  is  better  for  us,  whether  we 
should  conquer  them  or  they  should  conquer  us.  For  those  very  sons 
of  Dhntarashtra  stand  before  us,  after  slaying  whom  we  should  not  care 
to  live. 

7.  With  my  nature  overpowered  by  pity  and  depression  and  mind 
confused  about  duty,  I  implore  Thee  (O  Krishna)  tell  me  with  cer- 
tainty what  is  good  for  me.  I  am  Thy  disciple,  instruct  me,  who  have 
taken  refuge  in  Thee. 

8.  For  I  see  not  what  can  remove  this  grief  which  withers  my  senses, 
even  if  I  should  obtain  unrivalled  and  flourishing  dominion  over  the 
earth  and  rulership  over  the  gods. 

Sanjaya  said: 

9.  Gudakesha  (Arjuna),  the  conqueror  of  his  foes,  having  thus  spoken 
to  the  Lord  of  the  senses  (Krishna),  said:  "I  shall  not  fight,  O  Govinda!" 
and  became  silent. 

10.  O  descendant  of  King  Bharata,  Hrishikesha  (Krishna),  as  if 


62  INDIAN    PIETY 

smilingly,  spoke  these  words  to  him  (Arjuna),  who  was  thus  grief- 
stricken  in  the  midst  of  the  two  armies. 

Tht  Blessed  Lord  said: 

11.  Thou  hast  been  mourning  for  those  who  should  not  be  mourned 
for  and  yet  thou  speakest  (apparent)  words  of  wisdom;  but  the  truly 
wise  mourn  not  either  for  the  dead  or  for  the  living. 

12.  It  is  not  that  I  have  never  existed  before,  nor  thou,  nor  all  these 
kings.  Nor  is  it  that  all  of  us  shall  cease  to  exist  hereafter. 

13.  As  in  this  body  the  embodied  soul  passes  through  childhood, 
youth  and  old  age,  in  the  same  manner  it  goes  from  one  body  to  another; 
therefore  the  wise  are  never  deluded  regarding  it  (the  soul). 

14.  O  son  of  Kunti,  the  feelings  of  heat,  cold,  pleasure,  pain,  are  pro- 
duced from  the  contact  of  the  senses  with  sense-objects;  they  are  with 
beginning  and  end,  transitory.  Therefore,  O  Bharata,  endure  them 
(bravely). 

15.  O  mighty  among  men,  he  is  fit  to  attain  immortality  who  is 
serene  and  not  afflicted  by  these  sensations,  but  is  the  same  in  pleasure 
and  pain. 

16.  There  is  no  existence  for  the  unreal  and  the  real  can  never  be  non- 
existent. The  Seers  of  Truth  know  the  nature  and  final  ends  of  both. 

17.  Know  That  to  be  indestructible  by  wh.ch  all  this  is  pervaded.  No 
one  is  ever  able  to  destroy  that  Immutable. 

18.  These  bodies  are  perishable;  but  the  dwellers  in  these  bodies  are 
eternal,  indestructible  and  impenetrable.  Therefore  fight,  O  descendant 
of  Bharata! 

19.  He  who  considers  this  (Self)  as  a  slayer  or  he  who  thinks  that 
this  (Self)  is  slain,  neither  of  these  knows  the  Truth.  For  It  does  not 
slay,  nor  is  It  slain. 

20.  This  (Self)  is  never  born,  nor  does  It  die,  nor  after  once  having 
been,  does  It  go  into  non-being.  This  (Self)  is  unborn,  eternal,  change- 
less, ancient.  It  is  never  destroyed  even  when  the  body  is  destroyed. 

21.  O  son  of  Pritha,  how  can  he  slay  or  cause  the  slaying  of  another 
who  knows  this  (Self)  to  be  indestructible,  eternal,  unborn  and  im- 
mutable ? 

22.  As  man  casts  off  worn-out  garments  and  puts  on  others  which 
are  new,  similarly  the  embodied  soul,  casting  off  worn-out  bodies,  enters 
into  others  which  are  new. 


THE    BLESSED    LORD'S    SONG  63 

23.  Sword  cannot  pierce  It  (Self),  fire  cannot  burn  It,  water  canno- 
wet  It,  and  air  cannot  dry  It. 

24.  It  cannot  be  pierced,  nor  burned,  nor  wet,  nor  dried.  It  is  eternal, 
all-pervading,  unchangeable,  immovable,  everlasting. 

25.  This  (Sell)  is  said  to  be  unmamfested,  unthinkable,  unchange- 
able; therefore  knowing  this  to  be  so,  thou  shouldst  not  grieve. 

26.  But  even  if  thou  thinkest  that  this  (Self)  is  subject  to  constant 
birth  and  death,  even  then,  O  mighty-armed,  thou  shouldst  not  grieve. 

27.  For  that  which  is  born  death  is  certain,  and  for  the  dead  birth  is 
certain.  Therefore  grieve  not  over  that  which  is  unavoidable. 

28.  O  Bharata,  all  creatures  are  unmanifested  in  the  beginning,  mani- 
fested in  their  middle  state,  unmanifested  again  in  the  end.  What  is 
there  to  gr.eve  about? 

29.  Some  look  upon  It  (Self)  with  wonder,  some  speak  about  It  with 
wonder,  some  hear  about  It  with  wonder  and  yet  others,  even  after  hear- 
ing about  It,  know  It  not. 

30.  The  dweller  in  the  body  of  everyone  is  ever  indestructible;  there- 
fore, O  Bharata,  thou  shouldst  not  grieve  over  any  creature. 

31.  Looking  upon  it  even  from  the  standpoint  of  thine  own  Dharma,1 
thou  shouldst  not  waver,  for  nothing  is  higher  for  a  Kshatriya  (warrior) 
than  a  righteous  war. 

32.  O  son  of  Pntha,  fortunate  indeed  are  Kshatriyas  to  whom  comes 
unsought,  as  an  open  gate  to  heaven,  such  a  war. 

33.  But  if  thou  shouldst  not  take  part  in  this  righteous  war,  then 
forfeiting  thine  own  duty  and  honor,  thou  shalt  incur  sin. 

34.  People  will  ever  speak  ill  of  thee;  for  the  esteemed,  dishonor  is 
even  worse  than  death. 

35.  These  great  car-warriors  will  think  that  thou  hast  withdrawn 
from  the  battle  through  fear.  And  thou  shalt  be  thought  of  lightly  by 
those  who  once  honored  thee  highly. 

36.  Thine  enemies  will  speak  unutterable  disgraceful  things  against 
thee  and  blame  thy  valor.  What  can  be  more  painful  than  this? 

37.  If  thou  fallest  in  battle,  thou  shalt  obtain  heaven;  if  thou  conquer- 
est,  thou  shalt  enjoy  the  earth.  Therefore,  O  son  of  Kunti,  arise  and  be 
resolved  to  fight. 

38.  Regarding  alike  pleasure  and  pain,  gain  and  loss,  victory  an<* 
defeat,  fight  thou  the  battle.  Thus  sin  will  not  stain  thee. 

39.  Thus  I  have  declared  unto  thee  the  wisdom  of  Self-realization 

1  Mor-1  ~ad  religious  duty. 


64  INDIAN    PIETY 

Listen  now,  O  son  of  Pritha,  regarding  Yoga,  by  knowing  which  thou 
shalt  be  freed  from  the  bonds  of  Karma  (cause  and  effect) . 

40.  In  this  (Yoga)  there  is  neither  waste  of  effort  nor  possibility  of 
evil  results.  Even  a  little  practice  of  this  (Yoga)  delivers  one  from  great 
fear. 

41.  O  son  of  Kuru,  in  this  (Yoga),  the  well-resolved  mind  is  single 
and  one-pointed;  but  the  purposes  of  the  irresolute  mind  are  many- 
branched  and  endless. 

42.  O  son  of  Pritha,  those  who  delight  in  the  flowery  speech  of  the 
unwise  and  are  satisfied  with  the  mere  letter  of  the  Vedas  (Scriptures) 
saying:  "There  is  naught  else"; 

43.  And  those  who  are  full  of  desires  for  self-gratification,  regarding 
heaven  l  as  their  highest  goal,  and  are  engaged  in  many  intricate  Scrip- 
tural rites  just  to  secure  pleasure  and  power  as  the  result  of  their  deeds 
for  their  future  incarnations; 

44.  Whose  discrimination  is  stolen  away  by  the  love  of  power  and 
pleasure  and  who  are  thus  deeply  attached  therein,  (for  such  people) 
it  is  impossible  to  obtain  either  firm  conviction  (in  purpose)  or  God- 
consciousness. 

45.  The  Vedas  deal  with  the  three  Gunas?  O  Arjuna,  be  thou  free 
from  these  three  Gunas;  free  from  the  pairs  of  opposites  (cold  and  heat, 
pleasure  and  pain);  ever  steadfast,  be  thou  free  from  (thoughts  of) 
acquiring  or  keeping  and  self-possessed. 

46.  To  the  Brahmana,  the  knower  of  Truth,  all  the  Vedas  are  of  as 
little  use  as  a  small  water-tank  is  during  the  time  of  a  flood,  when  water 
is  everywhere.8 

47.  To  work  alone  thou  hast  the  right,  but  never  to  the  fruits  thereof. 
Be  thou  neither  actuated  by  the  fruits  of  action,  nor  be  thou  attached  to 
inaction. 

48.  O  Dhananjaya,  abandoning  attachment  and  regarding  success 
and  failure  alike,  be  steadfast  in  Yoga  and  perform  thy  duties.  Even- 
mindedness  is  called  Yoga. 

49.  O  Dhananjaya,  work  (with  desire  for  results)  is  far  inferior  to 
work  with  understanding.  Therefore  seek  refuge  in  the  Yoga  of  under- 
standing. Wretched  indeed  are  those  who  work  for  results. 

50.  Being  possessed  with  this  understanding,  one  frees  one's  self  even 

1  Heaven  is  the  temporary  abode  of  highest  pleasure. 

*Sattwa,  quality  of  goodness;  Rajas,  quality  of  activity  and  passion:  Tamas,  quality  of 

darkness  and  inertia. 

*  This  verse  shows  the  difference  between  mere  book  knowledge  and  direct  vision  of  Truth. 


THE    BLESSED    LORD   S    SONG  65 

in  this  life  from  good  and  evil.  Therefore  engage  thyself  in  this  Yoga. 
Skillfulness  in  action  is  called  Yoga. 

51.  The  wise,  possessed  with  knowledge,  abandoning  the  fruits  of 
their  actions,  become  freed  from  the  fetters  of  birth  and  reach  that  state 
which  is  beyond  all  evil. 

52.  When  thine  intellect  will  cross  beyond  the  mire  of  delusion,  then 
alone  shalt  thou  attain  to  indifference  regarding  things  heard  and  yet 
to  be  heard. 

53.  When  thine  intellect,  tossed  by  the  various  conflicting  opinions  of 
the  Scriptures,  will  become  firmly  established  in  the  Self,  then  thou  shalt 
attain  Yoga  (Self-realization  or  union  with  God). 

Arjuna  said: 

54.  O  Keshava,  what  are  the  signs  of  the  man  of  steady  wisdom,  one 
who  has  attained  God-consciousness?  How  doe,s  the  man  of  steady 
wisdom  speak?  How  does  he  sit?  How  does  he  walk? 

The  Blessed  Lord  said: 

55.  O  Partha,  when  a  man  is  satisfied  in  the  Self  by  Self  alone  and 
has  completely  cast  out  all  desires  from  the  mind,  then  he  is  said  to  be  of 
steady  wisdom. 

56.  He  whose  mind  is  not  agitated  in  calamities  and  who  has  no 
longing  for  pleasure,  free  from  attachment,  fear  and  anger,  he  indeed  is 
said  to  be  a  saint  of  steady  wisdom. 

57.  He  who  is  free  from  all  attachment  and  neither  rejoices  on  receiv- 
ing good  nor  is  vexed  on  receiving  evil,  his  wisdom  is  well-established. 

58.  When  he  completely  withdraws  his  senses  from  sense-objects  as 
the  tortoise  withdraws  its  limbs,  then  his  wisdom  becomes  well-estab- 
lished. 

59.  The  embodied,  through  the  practice  of  abstinence  (i.e.  not  giv- 
ing food  to  the  senses),  can  deaden  the  feelings  of  the  senses,  but  long- 
ing still  lingers  in  the  heart;  all  longings  drop  off  when  he  has  seen  the 
Supreme. 

60.  O  son  of  Kunti,  dangerous  are  the  senses,  they  even  carry  away 
forcibly  the  mind  of  a  discriminative  man  who  is  striving  for  perfection. 

61.  The  man  of  steady  wisdom,  having  subdued  them  all  (senses), 
becomes  fixed  in  Me,  the  Supreme.  His  wisdom  is  well-established  whose 
senses  are  under  control. 

Thinking  of  sense-objects,  man  becomes  attached  thereto.  From  at- 
tachment arises  longing  and  from  longing  anger  is  born. 


66  INDIAN    PIETY 

63.  From  anger  arises  delusion;  from  delusion,  loss  of  memory  is 
caused.  From  loss  of  memory,  the  discriminative  faculty  is  ruined  and 
from  the  ruin  of  discrimination,  he  perishes.1 

64.  But  the  self-subjugated  attains  peace  and  moves  among  objects 
with  the  senses  under  control,  free  from  any  longing  or  aversion. 

65.  In  peace  there  is  an  end  to  all  misery  and  the  peaceful  mind 
soon  becomes  well-established  in  wisdom. 

66.  There  is  no  wisdom  for  the  unsteady  and  there  is  no  meditation 
for  the  unsteady  and  for  the  unmeditative  there  is  no  peace.  How  can 
there  be  any  happiness  for  the  peaceless  ? 

67.  For  the  mind  that  yields  to  the  uncontrolled  and  wandering 
senses,  carries  away  his  wisdom  just  as  a  boat  on  water  is  carried  away 
by  wind. 

68.  Therefore,  O  mighty-armed,  his  wisdom  is  established  whose 
senses  are  well-restrained  from  all  objects  of  sense. 

69.  That  which  is  night  to  all  beings,  therein  the  self-subjugated 
remains  awake;  and  in  that  where  all  beings  are  awake,  that  is  night  for 
the  knower  of  Self.2 

70.  As  the  ocean  remains  calm  and  unaltered  though  the  waters  flow 
into  it,  similarly  a  self-controlled  saint  remains  unmoved  when  desires 
enter  into  him;  such  a  saint  alone  attains  peace,  but  not  he  who  craves 
the  objects  of  desire. 

71.  That  man  attains  peace  who,  abandoning  all  desires,  moves  about 
without  attachment  and  longing,  without  the  sense  of  "I"  and  "mine." 

72.  O  son  of  Pntha,  this  is  the  state  of  dwelling  in  Brahman  (absolute 
Truth) ;  having  attained  this,  no  one  is  ever  deluded.  Being  established 
in  this  knowledge  even  at  the  end  of  life,  one  attains  oneness  with 
Brahman  (the  Supreme). 

Here  ends  the  Second  Chapter  called 
"Sdn{hya-Yoga,  or  The  Path  of  Wisdom" 

1  When  a  greedy  man  sees  a  bag  of  gold  and  begins  to  thmk  of  its  value,  attachment  for 
the  thing  grows  in  his  heart;  from  attachment  he  feels  intense  longing  to  get  possession  of 
it  and  when  anything  or  anybody  interferes  with  the  gratification  of  his  desire,  it  results  in 
anger.  From  anger  delusion  rises,  i.e.,  confusion  of  understanding;  then  his  memory 
fails  him,  i.e.,  he  forgets  his  position  and  duty  in  life;  and  when  he  is  in  this  state,  without 
discrimination  of  right  and  wrong,  he  does  things  to  cause  his  own  rum. 
8  The  spiritual  plane,  which  to  ordinary  mortals  is  like  night,  full  of  darkness,  is  like  day, 
full  of  clearness  and  light,  to  the  wise  o*nes;  and  the  sense  plane,  where  the  ordinary  minds 
are  wide  awake  and  active,  there  the  wise  men  are  as  if  asleep,  knowing  the  futility  of 
sense  desire.  These  arc  the  two  poles  of  human  existence  represented  by  night  and  day. 


THE    BLESSED    LORD*S    SONG  ff] 

CHAPTER  III 

Arjuna  said: 

1.  O  Janardana,  O  Keshava  (Krishna),  if  to  thy  mind  (the  path  of) 
wisdom  is  superior  to  (the  path  of)  action,  then  why  art  thou  engaging 
me  in  this  terrible  action? 

2.  By  these  seemingly  conflicting  words1  thou  art  bewildering  my 
understanding;  therefore  tell  me  with  certainty  that  one  of  these,  by 
following  which  I  can  attain  the  highest. 

The  Blessed  Lord  said: 

3.  O  sinless  one,  in  this  world  twofold  is  the  path  already  described 
by  me.  The  path  of  wisdom  is  for  the  meditative  and  the  path  of  work  is 
for  the  active. 

4.  A  man  does  not  attain  to  freedom  from  action  by  non-performance 
of  action,  nor  does  he  attain  to  perfection  merely  by  giving  up  action. 

5.  No  one  can  ever  rest  even  for  an  instant  without  performing  action, 
for  all  are  impelled  by  the  Gunas  (qualities),  born  of  Prakriti  (Nature), 
to  act  incessantly. 

He  who,  restraining  the  organs  of  action,  sits  holding  thoughts  of 
sense-objects  in  his  mind,  that  self-deluded  one  is  called  a  hypocrite. 

7.  But,  O  Arjuna,  he  who,  controlling  the  senses  by  the  mind,  follows 
without  attachment  the  path  of  action  with  his  organs  of  action,  he  is 
esteemed. 

8.  Do  thou  therefore  perform  right  and  obligatory  actions,  for  action 
is  superior  to  inaction.  Without  work,  even  the  bare  maintenance  of  thy 
body  would  not  be  possible. 

9.  This  world  is  bound  by  actions,  except  when  they  are  performed 
for  the  sake  of  Yajna.*  Therefore,  O  son  of  Kunti,  do  thou  perform 
action  without  attachment. 

10.  In  the  beginning  the  Lord  of  creatures,  having  created  mankind, 
together  with  Yajna,  said:  "By  this  (Yajna)  ye  shall  prosper  and  obtain 
all  desired  results,  like  Kamadhuk.8 

n.  "By  this  (Yajna)  ye  shall  please  the  Devas  (bright  ones)  and  the 

1  Sometimes  praising  work,  sometimes  praising  wisdom. 
8  Religious  ceremonies,  sacrifices,  worship,  etc. 

8  The  symbolic  cow  who  possesses  the  extraordinary  quality  of  giving  to  the  milker  what- 
ever he  desire. 


68  INDIAN    PIETY 

Devas,  in  their  turn,  will  cherish  you.  Thus  by  cherishing  one  another, 
ye  shall  obtain  the  highest  good. 

12.  "The  Devas,  pleased  by  the  Yajna,  will  bestow  upon  you  all  the 
objects  of  your  desire."  He  who  enjoys  the  objects  given  by  the  Devas 
without  offering  to  them,  he  is  indeed  a  thief. 

13.  The  righteous,  eating  the  remnants  of  Yajna  (sacrifice),  become 
free  from  all  sins;  but  the  unrighteous,  who  cook  for  themselves,  eat  sin. 

14.  Creatures  come  forth  from  food;  food  is  produced  from  rain;  rain 
comes  as  the  result  of  Yajna;  and  Yajna  is  born  of  Karma  (action). 

15.  Know  that  Karma  rises  from  the  Vedas  and  Vedas  from  the  Im- 
perishable. Therefore  the  all-pervading  Truth  (Brahman)  is  ever  estab- 
lished in  Yajna  (sacrifice). 

16.  He  who  here  (on  earth)  does  not  follow  the  wheel  thus  set  revolv- 
ing, lives  in  sin  and  sensuality;  O  Partha,  he  lives  in  vain. 

17.  That  man,  who  is  devoted  to  the  Self,  is  satisfied  with  Self  and  is 
content  in  the  Self  alone,  for  him  there  is  nothing  to  do. 

18.  For  him  there  is  nothing  in  this  world  to  gain  by  action  or  to  lose 
by  inaction;  nor  does  he  need  to  depend  on  any  being  for  any  object. 

19.  Therefore,  being  unattached,  perform  thy  duties  (the  work  that 
ought  to  be  done)  unceasingly;  for  through  the  performance  of  action, 
unattached,  man  attains  the  highest. 

20.  Verily,  by  work  alone,  Janaka1  and  other  (great  souls)  attained 
perfection.  Also  just  from  the  point  of  view  of  benefiting  mankind,  thou 
shouldst  perform  action. 

21.  Whatsoever  a  superior  (man)  does,  that  alone  inferior  men  do. 
Whatever  example  he  sets  by  his  actions,  that  the  people   (masses) 
follow. 

22.  O  Partha,  there  is  nothing  for  Me  to  accomplish;  nothing  there  is  in 
the  three  worlds  unattained  or  to  be  attained  by  Me,  and  yet  I  continue 
in  action. 

23.  For  if  I  do  not  work  unceasingly,  O  Partha,  men  would  follow  my 
path  (example)  in  every  way. 

24.  If  I  did  not  work,  these  worlds  would  perish.*  I  should  cause  the 
confusion  of  castes,3  and  also  the  destruction  of  all  beings. 

25.  O  descendant  of  Bharata,  as  the  ignorant  (who  are  attached  to 

1  The  great  king  who  was  noted  for  his  wisdom  and  non -attachment. 
9  From  the  lack  of  social,  moral  and  spiritual  examples. 
1 0rder  or  division  of  qualities  among  men. 


THE    BLESSED    LORD'S    SONG  69 

results)  work,  so  also  (with  the  same  fervor)  the  wise  should  act,  devoid 
of  attachment,  being  desirous  to  help  mankind. 

26.  One  should  not  unsettle  the  understanding  of  the  ignorant  who 
arc  attached  to  action;  the  man  of  wisdom,  by  steadily  performing  ac- 
tions, should  engage  (the  ignorant)  in  all  right  action. 

27.  All  actions  are  performed  by  the  Gunas,  born  of  Prakriti  (Nature). 
One  whose  understanding  is  deluded  by  egoism  alone  thinks:  "I  am  the 
doer." 

28.  But,  O  mighty-armed,  the  Seer  of  Truth,  understanding  the  divi- 
sions of  Guna  and  Karma  (qualities,  senses  and  actions),  and  knowing 
that  it  is  only  the  senses  which  run  after  sense-objects,  does  not  become 
deluded  therein. 

29.  A  man  of  perfect  wisdom  should  not  unsettle  the  people  of  small 
and  imperfect  understanding,  who  are  deluded  by  the  qualities  born  of 
Nature  and  are  attached  to  the  function  of  the  Gunas  (senses). 

30.  Surrendering  all  action  to  Me  and  fixing  the  mind  on  the  Self, 
devoid  of  hope1  and  egoism,2  and  free  from  the  fever  (of  grief),  fight,  O 
Arjuna, 

31.  Those  who  constantly  practise  this  teaching  of  Mine  with  true 
faith  and  devotion  and  unflinching  heart,  they  too  are  freed  from  (the 
fetters  of)  action. 

32.  But  those  who  find  fault  with  my  teaching  and  do  not  follow  it, 
such  self-deluded  ones,  devoid  of  all  knowledge  and  discrimination, 
know  them  to  be  ruined. 

33.  Even  a  wise  man  acts  according  to  his  nature;  beings  follow 
nature:  What  can  restraint  do? 

34.  Attachment  and  aversion  of  the  senses  are  based  on  sense-objects; 
let  none  come  under  the  sway  of  these  two.  They  are  his  enemies. 

35.  Better  one's  own  duty,  though  devoid  of  merit,  than  the  duty  of 
another,  well  performed.  Better  is  death,  in  following  one's  own  duty; 
the  duty  of  another  is  full  of  danger. 

Arjuna  said: 

36.  But,  O  Descendant  of  Vrishni  (Krishna),  impelled  by  what 
power  does  a  man  commit  sin  even  against  his  wish,  constrained,  as  it 
were,  by  force? 

1  Longing  for  results. 

8  Sense  of  "I"  and  "Mine." 


70  INDIAN    PIETY 

The  Blessed  Lord  said: 

37.  It  is  desire,  it  is  anger,  born  of  Rajo-Guna  (quality  of  passion) ; 
of  unappeasable  craving  and  of  great  sin;  know  this  as  the  foe  in  this 
world.1 

38.  As  fire  is  enveloped  by  smoke,  as  a  mirror  by  dust,  as  an  embryo 
by  the  womb,  so  is  this  (Self)  covered  by  that. 

39.  O  son  of  Kunti,  wisdom  is  covered  by  this  insatiable  fire  of  desire, 
the  constant  enemy  of  the  wise. 

40.  The  senses,  mind  and  intellect  are  said  to  be  its  seats;  through  these 
it  deludes  the  embodied  one  by  covering  his  wisdom. 

41.  Therefore,  O  mightiest  of  the  Bharata  race,  first  subduing  the 
senses,  kill  this  (desire),  the  sinful,  destroyer  of  wisdom  and  Self-knowl- 
edge. 

42.  The  senses  are  said  to  be  superior  (to  the  body),  the  mind  is  super- 
ior to  the  senses  and  intellect  is  superior  to  the  mind;  and  that  which  is 
superior  to  the  intellect  is  He  (Atman,  Self). 

43.  O  mighty-armed,  thus  knowing  Him  who  is  superior  to  the  intel- 
lect, and  subduing  self  by  the  Self,  destroy  this  enemy  in  the  form  of 
desire,  difficult  to  overcome. 

Here  ends  the  Third  Chapter  called 
"Karma-Yoga,  or  The  Path  of  Worf(r 

CHAPTER  IV 

The  Blessed  Lord  said: 

1.  I  declared  this  imperishable  Yoga  to  Vivasvan,  and  Vivasvan  told 
it  to  Manu,  Manu  taught  it  to  Ikshvaku. 

2.  Thus,  handed  down  in  regular  succession,  the  royal  sages  knew  it. 
This  Yoga  through  long  lapse  of  time  has  been  lost  in  this  world,  O 
Parantapa  (Arjuna). 

3.  That  same  ancient  Yoga  has  been  (again)  today  declared  to  thee 
by  Me,  for  thou  art  my  devotee  and  my  friend.  This  is  the  supreme 
secret. 

Arjuna  said: 

4.  Later  was  thy  birth  and  the  birth  of  Vivasvan  was  prior  to  thine, 
How,  then,  am  I  to  know  that  thou  didst  declare  this  in  the  beginning  ? 

lDe««r-fii  *nd  anger  are  inseparable,  as  anger  is  caused  by  obstructed  desire. 


THE    BLESSED    LORD'S    SONG  71 

The  Blessed  Lord  said: 

5.  O  Arjuna,  both  you  and  I  have  gone  through  many  births.  I  know 
them  all,  but  thou  knowest  them  not,  O  Parantapa. 

6.  Though  I  am  unborn  and  of  unchangeable  nature,  and  though  I 
am  Lord  of  all  beings,  yet  by  ruling  over  my  Prakriti  (Nature)  I  come 
into  being  by  my  own  Maya  (mysterious  power) . 

7.  O  Bharata,  whenever  there  is  decline  of  virtue  and  predominance 
of  vice,  then  I  embody  Myself. 

8.  For  the  protection  of  the  good  and  for  the  destruction  of  evil-doers 
and  for  the  re-establishment  of  Dharma  (virtue  and  religion)  I  am  born 
from  age  to  age. 

9.  He  who  thus  understands  truly  My  Divine  birth  and  action  is  not 
born  again  on  leaving  his  body,  O  Arjuna,  but  he  attains  unto  Me. 

10.  Freed  from  attachment,  fear  and  anger,  being  absorbed  in  Me  and 
taking  refuge  in  Me,  purified  by  the  fire  of  wisdom,  many  have  attained 
My  Being. 

11.  In  whatever  way  men  worship  Me,  in  the  same  way  I  fulfil  their 
desires.  O  Partha,  in  every  way  men  follow  My  path. 

12.  Those  who  long  for  success  in  this  world  worship  the  gods,  for 
in  the  human  world  success  is  quickly  attained  by  actions. 

13.  The  fourfold  caste1  was  created  by  Me  according  to  Guna  and 
Karma  (qualities  and  actions).  Although  I  am  the  author  (of  that),  yet 
know  me  to  be  the  non-doer  and  changeless. 

14.  Actions  pollute  Me  not,  nor  have  I  any  desire  for  the  fruits  of 
action.  He  who  knows  Me  thus,  is  not  bound  by  action. 

15.  Knowing  this,  the  ancient  seekers  after  liberation  performed  action. 
Do  thou,  therefore,  also  perform  action  as  did  the  ancients  in  olden 
time. 

1 6.  Even  wise  men  are  bewildered  regarding  what  is  action  and  what 
is  inaction.  Therefore  I  shall  teach  thee  that  action,  by  knowing  which 
thou  shalt  be  freed  from  all  evil. 

17.  For  verily  the  nature  of  right  action  should  be  understood,  also 
that  of  unlawful  action  and  of  inaction.  The  nature  of  Karma  (action) 
is  indeed  very  difficult  to  understand. 

*Brahmana  represents  spiritual  qualities, — goodness,  serenity,  etc.  Kshatrya  stands  for 
the  combination  of  Sattwa  (goodness)  and  Rajas  (passion,  ambition).  Vaisya,  merchant 
class,  is  represented  by  Rajas  (passion)  and  Tamas  (dullness).  Sudra,  or  the  servant  class, 
is  typified  by  Tamas  (dullness,  ignorance  and  inertia).  In  short,  this  fourfold  caste  gives  an 
organized  form  of  division  of  labor,  placing  each  one  in  a  position  according  to  his  quality 
and  capacity. 


72  INDIAN    PIETY 

1 8.  He  who  sees  inaction  in  action  and  action  in  inaction,  he  is  intelli- 
gent among  men;  he  is  a  man  of  established  wisdom  and  a  true  per- 
former of  all  actions.1 

19.  Him  the  sages  call  wise  whose  undertakings  are  devoid  of  desire 
for  results  and  of  plans,  whose  actions  are  burned  by  the  fire  of  wisdom. 

20.  Having  abandoned  attachment  for  the  fruits  of  action,  ever  con- 
tent and  dependent  on  none,  though  engaged  in  action,  yet  he  does 
nothing. 

21.  Being  freed  from  longing,  with  self  under  control,  and  giving  up 
all  sense  of  possession  (ownership),  he  is  not  tainted  by  sin  merely  by 
performing  bodily  action. 

22.  Content  with  whatever  comes  without  effort,  undisturbed  by  the 
pairs  of  opposites  (pleasure  and  pain,  heat  and  cold),  free  from  envy, 
even-minded  in  success  and  failure,  though  acting  (he)  is  not  bound. 

23.  One  whose  attachment  is  gone,  who  is  liberated,  whose  mind  is 
well-established  in  wisdom,  who  works  for  sacrifice  alone,  his  whole 
Karma  melts  away. 

24.  Brahman  (absolute  Truth)  is  the  offering,  Brahman  is  the  obla- 
tion, the  sacrificial  fire  is  (another  form  of)  Brahman  and  by  Brahman 
is  the  sacrifice  performed.  Thus,  by  performing  actions  with  the  con- 
sciousness of  Brahman,  he  reaches  Brahman  alone. 

25.  Some  Yogis  offer  sacrifices  to  the  Devas,  while  others  perform 
sacrifice  in  the  fire  of  Brahman  by  offering  self  by  the  self  alone. 

26.  Some  offer  the  sense  of  hearing  and  other  senses  as  oblation  in  the 
fire  of  control;  still  others  offer  sound  and  other  sense-objects  as  oblation 
in  the  fire  of  the  senses. 

27.  Others  offer  all  the  actions  of  the  senses  and  the  functions  of  the 
vital  forces  as  oblation  in  the  fire  of  self-control,  lighted  by  wisdom. 

28.  Some  offer  wealth  as  sacrifice;  some,  austerity  and  Yoga  as  sacrifice; 
still  others,  of  rigid  vow  and  self-control,  offer  study  of  the  Scriptures 
and  wisdom  as  sacrifice. 

29.  Yet  others  offer  as  sacrifice  the  outgoing  breath  in  the  incoming 
and  the  incoming  breath  in  the  outgoing,  stopping  the  courses  of  the 
outgoing  and  incoming  breaths;  thus  they  constantly  practise  Prana- 
yama.2  Whereas  others,  regulating  their  food,  offer  the  functions  of  the 
vital  forces  in  the  Prana  itself  as  sacrifice. 

1  This  verse  means  that  a  truly  wise  man  knows  how  to  differentiate  body,  mmd  and  senses 
from  the  Self.  Even  when  activity  is  going  on,  on  the  physical  plane,  he  knows  that  the 
true  Self  is  not  acting. 
"Certain  breathing  exercises  for  the  control  of  Prana;  vital  force. 


THE    BLESSED    LORD'S    SONG  73 

30-31*  All  the  knowers  of  sacrifice,  burning  off  their  sins  (impurities) 
by  the  performance  of  sacrifice  and  drinking  the  nectar  of  the  remnant 
of  sacrifice,  go  to  the  eternal  Brahman  (absolute  Truth).  O  best  of  the 
Kurus  (Arjuna),  not  even  this  world  is  for  the  non-performer  of  sac- 
rifice, how  much  less  is  the  other  (world). 

32.  All  these  various  sacrifices  are  given  in  the  Vedas  (the  revelation  of 
Brahman  or  absolute  Truth).  Know  them  all  to  be  born  of  action;  know- 
ing thus  thou  shalt  be  freed. 

33.  O  Parantapa  (Arjuna),  wisdom-sacrifice  is  far  superior  to  the  sac- 
rifice performed  with  material  objects.  The  entire  realm  of  action,  O 
Partha,  ends  in  wisdom. 

34.  Learn  this  by  reverence,  by  enquiry  and  by  humble  service.  Those 
men  of  wisdom,  who  have  realized  the  Truth,  will  teach  thee  supreme 
wisdom. 

35.  Knowing  which,  O  Pandava,  thou  shalt  not  again  thus  fall  into 
error  (delusion)  and  by  which  thou  shalt  see  all  beings  in  (thy)  Self 
and  also  in  Me. 

36.  Even  if  thou  art  the  most  sinful  of  the  sinful,  thou  shalt  cross  over 
(the  ocean  of)  sin  by  the  bark  of  wisdom. 

37.  As  kindled  fire  reduces  fuel  to  ashes,  O  Arjuna,  so  does  the  wisdom 
fire  reduce  all  actions  (Karma)  to  ashes. 

38.  Nothing  indeed  in  this  world  purifies  like  wisdom.  He  who  is 
perfected  by  Yoga,  finds  it  in  time  within  himself  by  himself. 

39.  The  man  of  (unflinching)  faith,  who  has  mastered  his  senses, 
attains  wisdom.  Having  gamed  wisdom,  immediately  he  attains  to 
supreme  peace. 

40.  The  ignorant,  the  faithless  and  one  of  doubting  mind  perishes. 
There  is  neither  this  world  nor  the  next  nor  any  happiness  for  the 
doubting  self. 

41.  O  Dhananjaya,  one  who  has  renounced  actions  by  Yoga  and  has 
cut  asunder  doubt  by  wisdom  and  who  is  self-possessed,  actions  bind  him 
not. 

42.  Therefore,  cutting  asunder  with  the  sword  of  wisdom  this  doubt 
of  Self,  born  of  ignorance,  lying  in  the  heart,  take  refuge  in  Yoga  and 
arise,  O  Bharata! 

Here  ends  the  Fourth  Chapter  called 
"]nana-Yogat  or  The  Path  of  Wisdom" 


74  INDIAN    PIETY 

CHAPTER  V 

Arjuna  said: 

1.  O  Krishna,  renunciation  of  action  thou  praisest  and  then  again 
Yoga  (performance  of  action) ;  tell  me  with  certainty  which  of  the  two 
is  better? 

The  Blessed  Lord  said: 

2.  Renunciation  (of  action)  and  performance  of  action  both  lead  to  lib- 
eration. But  of  the  two,  performance  of  action  is  superior  to  renunciation 
of  action. 

3.  Know  him  to  be  a  perpetual  renouncer  (Sannyasi)  who  has  neither 
longing  nor  aversion,  O  mighty-armed;  being  free  from  the  pairs  of 
opposites  (cold  and  heat,  pleasure  and  pain,  etc.),  he  is  easily  liberated 
from  all  bondage. 

4.  Children  (the  ignorant)  alone  say,  not  wise  men,  that  wisdom  and 
Yoga  are  different.  He  who  is  truly  established  in  one  obtains  the  fruits 
of  both. 

5.  That  place  which  is  attained  by  the  Jnanis  (wise  men),  is  also 
reached  by  the  Karma  Yogins  (men  of  action).  He  who  looks  upon 
wisdom  and  the  performance  of  action  as  one,  is  a  true  Seer. 

6.  O  mighty-armed,  renunciation  of  action  is  difficult  to  attain  with- 
out performance  of  action.  The  wise  man,  being  devoted  to  Yoga  (ac- 
tion), ere  long  attains  to  Brahman  (absolute  Truth). 

7.  One  who  is  devoted  to  Yoga,  of  purified  mind,  self-subjugated  and 
a  master  of  the  senses,  realizes  his  Self  as  the  Self  of  all  beings;  though 
acting  he  is  not  tainted. 

8-9.  The  self-possessed  knower  of  Truth  should  think:  "I  do  nothing 
at  all,"  though  seeing,  hearing,  touching,  smelling,  eating,  walking, 
sleeping,  breathing,  speaking,  letting  go  and  holding,  opening  and  clos- 
ing the  eyes,  firmly  convinced  that  senses  alone  move  among  sense- 
objects. 

10.  He  who  performs  actions,  surrendering  them  to  Brahman  and 
abandoning  all  attachment,  is  not  polluted  by  sin,  as  a  lotus-leaf1  by 
water. 

11.  Karma  Yogins,  for  self-purification  alone,  perform  actions  with 

*  The  lotus-leaf,  though  it  grows  in  water,  is  not  moistened  by  it. 


THE    BLESSED    LORD'S    SONG  75 

body,  with  mind,  with  intellect,  even  with  the  senses,  abandoning  all 
attachment. 

12.  The  steady-minded,  by  giving  up  all  (attachment  for)  the  fruits 
of  action,  obtains  peace,  born  of  steadfastness.  The  unsteady  (fickle), 
being  attached  to  fruits  through  desire,  is  ever  bound  (by  action). 

13.  The  self-subjugated  embodied  one,  by  renouncing  all  actions 
through  mental  discrimination,  rests  happily  in  the  city  of  nine  gates 
(body),  neither  acting  (himself)  nor  causing  (others)  to  act. 

14.  The  Lord  creates  neither  the  agency  (sense  of  "I"),  nor  actions  for 
the  world,  nor  union  with  the  fruit  of  action.  It  is  nature  that  leads  to 
action. 

15.  The  omnipresent  Lord  partakes  neither  of  the  good  nor  of  the 
evil  deed  of  any.  Wisdom  is  covered  by  ignorance,  thus  mortals  are 
deluded. 

1 6.  But  those,  whose  ignorance  is  destroyed  by  Self-knowledge,  their 
knowledge  of  the  Self,  like  the  sun,  illumines  the  Supreme. 

17.  Those  whose  heart  and  soul  are  absorbed  in  That  (Supreme), 
who  are  steadily  devoted  to  That  and  regard  That  as  their  highest  goal, 
they  go  never  to  return,  their  sins  (impurities)  being  washed  off  by 
wisdom. 

1 8.  The  wise  look  upon  a  Brahmana  endowed  with  learning  and 
humility,  a  cow,  an  elephant,  a  dog,  and  a  Pariah  (dog-eater)  with  equal 
regard.1 

19.  Even  here  (in  this  world),  existence  (earthly  life)  is  conquered 
by  them  whose  mind  rests  in  equality,  for  Brahman  is  without  imper- 
fection and  equal.  Therefore  they  abide  in  Brahman. 

20.  The  steady-minded,  undeluded  knower  of  Brahman,  being  well- 
established  in  Brahman,  neither  rejoices  on  receiving  the  pleasant  nor 
grieves  on  receiving  the  unpleasant. 

21.  He,  whose  heart  is  unattached  to  external  contacts  (of  the  senses), 
realizes  the  happiness  that  is  in  the  Self;  being  united  with  Brahman  by 
meditation,  he  attains  to  eternal  bliss. 

22.  The  enjoyments  which  are  born  through  contact  (with  sense-ob- 
jects) are  ever  generators  of  misery;  (they  are)  with  beginning  and  end. 

0  son  of  Kunti,  the  wise  do  not  seek  pleasure  in  them. 

23.  He  who  can  withstand  the  impulse  of  lust  and  anger  even  here  (in 
this  life),  before  he  is  separated  from  the  body,  is  steadfast  and  truly  a 
happy  man. 

1  Tbcv  sec  the  same  underlying  Self  everywhere. 


76  INDIAN    PIETY 

24.  He  whose  joy  is  within,  whose  pleasure  is  within,  and  whose  light 
is  within,  that  Yogi,  being  well-established  in  Brahman,  attains  to  abso- 
lute freedom. 

25.  The  self -subjugated  Rishis  (Truth-Seers),  whose  impurities  are 
washed  o£f,  whose  doubts  are  destroyed,  and  who  are  engaged  in  doing 
good  to  all  beings,  attain  supreme  liberation. 

26.  The  Sannyasins,  who  are  freed  from  lust  and  anger,  with  hearts 
well-subdued  and  Self  realized,  for  them  absolute  freedom  exists  here 
and  hereafter. 

27-28.  Shutting  out  the  external  contact  with  sense -objects,  the  eyes 
fixed  between  the  eyebrows,1  and  equalizing  the  currents  of  Prana  (in- 
coming breath)  and  Apana  (the  outgoing  breath)  inside  the  nostrils,  the 
meditative  man,  having  mastered  the  senses,  mind  and  intellect,  being 
freed  from  desire,  fear  and  anger,  and  regarding  freedom  as  his  supreme 
goal,  is  liberated  forever. 

29.  Knowing  Me  to  be  the  receiver  and  dispenser  of  Yajna  (sacrifice) 
and  austerity,  the  Supreme  Lord  of  the  Universe  and  the  Friend  of  all 
beings,  he  attains  to  peace. 

Here  ends  the  Fifth  Chapter  called 
"Sannyasa-Yoga,  or  The  Path  of  Renunciation" 

CHAPTER  VI 

The  Blessed  Lord  said: 

1.  He  who  performs  his  duty  without  depending  on  the  fruits  of 
action,  he  is  a  Sannyasi  (a  true  renouncer),  and  a  Yogi  (a  true  worker), 
not  he  who  is  without  sacrificial  fire  or  without  action. 

2.  O  Pandava,  that  which  is  called  Sannyasa  (renunciation)  know  that 
to  be  also  Yoga  (true  performance  of  action),  for  none  can  become  a  Yogi 
without  giving  up  fancies  for  the  fruits  of  action. 

3.  For  the  meditative  who  is  striving  to  attain  Yoga,  action  is  said  to 
be  the  means;  for  the  same  man,  when  he  has  attained  to  Yoga,  inaction 
is  said  to  be  the  means. 

4.  He  who  is  unattached  to  sense-objects  and  to  actions,  and  has  given 
up  all  fancies  for  the  fruits  of  action,  he  is  said  to  have  attained  Yoga. 

5.  Let  a  man  raise  himself  by  his  Self,  let  him  never  lower  himself;  for 
he  alone  is  the  friend  of  himself  and  he  alone  is  the  enemy  of  himself. 

1 A  form  of  concentration. 


THE    BLESSED    LORD*S    SONG  77 

6.  He  who  has  conquered  himself  by  the  Self,  he  is  the  friend  of  him- 
self; but  he  whose  self  is  unconquered,  his  self  acts  as  his  own  enemy  like 
an  external  foe. 

7.  The  Supreme  Self  of  the  self-subjugated  and  serene-minded,  is  ever 
undisturbed  in  heat  and  cold,  pleasure  and  pain,  as  well  as  in  honor  and 
dishonor. 

8.  He  who  is  satisfied  with  wisdom  and  direct  vision  of  Truth,  who 
has  conquered  the  senses  and  is  ever  undisturbed,  to  whom  a  lump  of 
earth,  a  stone  and  gold  are  the  same,  that  Yogi  is  said  to  be  a  Yukta  (a 
saint  of  established  wisdom). 

9.  He  is  esteemed  who  looks  with  equal  regard  upon  well-wishers, 
friends,  enemies,  neutrals,  a  mediator,  the  hateful,  relatives,  upon  the 
righteous  and  the  unrighteous. 

10.  A  Yogi l  should  constantly  practise  concentration  of  the  heart,  re^ 
maining  in  seclusion  alone,  subduing  his  body  and  mind  and  being  free 
from  longing  and  possession  (sense  of  ownership). 

11.  In  a  cleanly  spot  having  established  his  seat  firmly,  neither  too 
high  nor  too  low,  with  a  cloth,  skin  and  Kusha  grass,  placed  one  on  the 
other; 

12.  Being  seated  there,  making  the  mind  one-pointed  and  subduing 
the  activities  of  mind  and  senses,  let  him  practise  Yoga  for  self-purifica- 
tion. 

13.  Let  him  hold  his  body,  head  and  neck  erect  and  motionless,  fixing 
the  gaze  on  the  tip  of  his  nose,  not  looking  around.2 

14.  Being  serene -hearted  and  fearless,  ever  steadfast  in  the  vow  of 
Brahmacharya*  and  controlling  the  mind,  let  him  sit  steadfastly  ab- 
sorbed in  thoughts  of  Me,  regarding  Me  as  his  supreme  goal. 

15.  Thus  ever  keeping  himself  steadfast,  the  Yogi  of  subdued  mind 
attains  eternal  peace  and  freedom,  which  abide  in  Me. 

16.  But,  O  Arjuna,  (the  practice  of)  Yoga  is  not  for  him  who  eats  too 
much  or  who  docs  not  cat  at  all,  nor  for  him  who  sleeps  too  much  or 
keeps  awake  (in  excess). 

17.  He  who  is  moderate  in  eating  and  recreation,  moderate  in  his  ef- 
forts in  work,  moderate  in  sleep  and  wakefulness  (his  practice  of)  Yoga 
becomes  the  destroyer  of  all  misery. 

*One  who  is  striving  for  union  with  God   through  the  practice  of  concentration  an** 

meditation. 

*  A  form  of  concentration. 

1  Vow  of  godly  life  and  continence. 


78  INDIAN    PIETY 

1 8.  When  the  mind,  completely  subdued,  rests  in  Self  alone,  free  from 
i^nging  for  all  objects  of  desire,  then  he  is  said  to  be  a  Yukta  (steadfast 
in  Self-knowledge). 

19.  As  a  lamp  placed  in  a  windless  spot  does  not  flicker,  the  same 
simile  is  used  to  define  a  Yogi  of  subdued  mind,  practising  union  with 
the  Self. 

20.  In  that  state,  when  the  mind  is  completely  subdued  by  the  practice 
of  Yoga  and  has  attained  serenity,  in  that  state,  seeing  Self  by  the  self,  he 
is  satisfied  in  the  Self  alone. 

21.  In  that  state,  transcending  the  senses,  he  (the  Yogi)  feels  that  in- 
finite bliss  which  is  perceived  by  the  purified  understanding;  knowing 
that  and  being  established  therein,  he  never  falls  back  from  his  real  state 
(of  Self-knowledge); 

22.  After  having  attained  which,  no  other  gain  seems  greater;  being 
established  wherein,  he  is  not  overwhelmed  even  by  great  sorrow. 

23.  Know  that  (state)  of  separation  from  the  contact  with  pain  as 
Yoga.  This  Yoga  should  be  practised  with  perseverance  and  undepressed 
heart. 

24.  Abandoning  without  reserve  all  the  desires  born  of  mental  fancies, 
and  restraining  completely  by  the  mind  the  entire  group  of  the  senses 
from  all  directions, 

25.  With  understanding  held  by  firmness,  and  mind  established  in 
the  Self,  let  him  (thus)  by  degrees  attain  tranquility;  let  him  not  think 
of  anything  else. 

26.  Wheresoever  the  restless  and  unsteady  mind  may  wander  away, 
let  him  withdraw  it  from  there  and  bring  it  under  the  control  of  the  Self 
alone. 

27.  He  whose  passions  are  quieted  and  mind  perfectly  tranquil,  who 
has  become  one  with  Brahman,  being  freed  from  all  impurities,  to  such 
a  Yogi  comes  supreme  bliss. 

28.  Thus  constantly  holding  the  mind  steadfast,  the  Yogi,  whose  sins 
are  shaken  off,  easily  attains  the  infinite  bliss,  born  of  contact  with 
Brahman, 

29.  He  whose  heart  is  steadfastly  engaged  in  Yoga,  looks  everywhere 
with  the  eyes  of  equality,  seeing  the  Self  in  all  beings  and  all  beings  in 
the  Self. 

30.  He  who  sees  Me  in  all  and  all  in  Me,  from  him  I  vanish  not,  nor 
does  he  vanish  from  Me. 


THE    BLESSED    LORD*S    SONG  79 

31.  He  who,  being  established  in  unity,  worships  Me  dwelling  in  all 
beings,  that  Yogi,  howsoever  living,  abides  in  Me. 

32.  O  Arjuna,  he  who  looks  upon  pleasure  and  pain  everywhere  with 
the  same  regard  as  when  it  is  applied  to  himself,  that  Yogi  is  highly 
esteemed. 

Arjuna  said: 

33.  O  Destroyer  of  Madhu  (Krishna),  this  Yoga,  which  has  been  de- 
clared by  Thee  as  cvcn-mindedness,  I  do  not  see  (the  possibility)  of  its 
lasting  existence,  owing  to  the  restlessness  of  the  mind. 

34.  O  Krishna,  the  mind  is  restless,  turbulent,  strong  and  unyielding; 
I  consider  it  as  difficult  to  subdue  as  the  wind. 

The  Blessed  Lord  said: 

35.  Doubtless,  O  mighty-armed,  the  mind  is  restless  and  difficult  to 
control;  but  O  son  of  Kunti,  through  practice  and  dispassion  (renuncia- 
tion) it  can  be  conquered. 

36.  Yoga  is  difficult  to  attain  by  him  who  is  of  uncontrolled  self:  such 
is  my  conviction;  but  the  self-subjugated  can  attain  it  by  following  the 
right  means. 

Arjuna  said: 

37.  O  Krishna,  he  who,  though  possessed  with  faith,  yet  lacks  in  con- 
trol and  whose  mind  wanders  away  from  Yoga,  what  end  docs  he  meet, 
failing  to  reach  perfection  in  Yoga? 

38.  O  Mighty-armed  (Krishna),  does  he  not  perish  like  a  rent  cloud, 
supportless,  fallen  from  both  (here  and  hereafter),  deluded  in  the  path 
of  Brahman  (Truth)  ? 

39.  O  Krishna,  this  doubt  of  mine  Thou  oughtcst  to  dispel,  for  there 
is  none  but  Thee  who  is  able  to  destroy  this  doubt. 

The  Blessed  Lord  said: 

40.  O  Partha,  there  is  no  destruction  for  him  either  here  or  hereafter, 
for  the  well-doer  (devotee),  O  Beloved,  never  comes  to  an  evil  end. 

41.  One  who  is  fallen  from  Yoga,  after  having  attained  the  regions  of 
the  righteous  and  dwelling  there  for  unlimited  time,  reincarnates  in  the 
house  of  the  pure  and  prosperous. 

42.  Or  else  he  is  born  in  the  family  of  wise  Yogis;  but  such  a  birth  is 
very  rare  to  obtain  in  this  world. 


80  INDIAN    PIETY 

43.  O  descendant  of  Kuru,  there  (in  that  incarnation)  he  gains  the 
knowledge  acquired  in  his  previous  incarnation,  and  he  strives  again 
more  (fervently)  than  before  for  perfection. 

44.  He  is  irresistibly  led  by  the  previous  practice  (of  Yoga) .  Even  the 
enquirer  of  Yoga  goes  beyond  the  letter-Brahman.1 

45.  But  the  Yogi,  striving  with  perseverance,  purified  from  all  sin, 
perfected  through  many  births,  reaches  the  supreme  goal. 

46.  The  Yogi  is  superior  to  ascetics,  and  superior  to  those  who  have 
attained  wisdom  through  books;  he  is  also  superior  to  performers  of 
action  (according  to  the  Scriptures).  Therefore,  O  Arjuna!  be  thou  a 
Yogi. 

47.  And  among  all  the  Yogis,  to  Me  he  is  the  highest,  who,  with  his 
inner  self  absorbed  in  Me,  worships  Me  with  (unflinching)  faith. 

Here  ends  the  Sixth  Chapter  called 
"Dhydna-Yoga,  or  The  Path  of  Meditation" 

CHAPTER  VII 

The  Blessed  Lord  said: 

1.  O  Partha,  practising  Yoga,  with  thy  mind  fixed  on  Me  and  taking 
refuge  in  Me,  do  thou  hear  how  without  doubt  thou  shalt  know  Me 
fully. 

2.  I  shall  declare  unto  thee  without  reserve  this  knowledge  (spec- 
ulative) and  wisdom  (practical),  having  known  which  nothing  more 
here  (in  this  world)  remains  to  be  known. 

3.  Among  thousands  of  human  beings,  scarcely  one  strives  for  perfec- 
tion; and  among  (the  thousands  of)  faithful  strivers  after  perfection, 
scarcely  one  knows  Me  in  truth. 

4.  Earth,  water,  fire,  air,  ether,  mind,  intellect,  egotism,  thus  my 
Prakriti  (Nature)  is  divided  eightfold. 

5.  This  Prakrit!  is  inferior;  but  different  from  this,  know  thou, 
mighty-armed,  my  higher  Prakriti  in  the  form  of  life-consciousness,  by 
which  this  universe  is  supported. 

6.  Know  that  all  beings  are  generated  from  these  two  (Prakritis).  I 
am  the  origin  and  also  the  dissolution  of  the  entire  universe. 

7.  O  Dhananjaya  (Arjuna),  there  is  naught  else  (existing)  higher 
than  I.  Like  pearls  on  a  thread,  all  this  (universe)  is  strung  in  Me. 
1The  performance  o£  ntes  and  rituals  given  in  the  Scriptures. 


THE    BLESSED    LORD*S    SONG  8l 

8.  O  son  of  Kunti,  I  am  the  sapidity  in  waters  and  the  radiance  in  sun 
and  moon,  I  am  Om1  in  all  the  Vedas,  sound  in  Akasha  (ether),  self- 
consciousness  in  mankind. 

9.  I  am  the  sacred  fragrance  in  earth  and  brilliance  in  fire;  I  am  the 
life  in  all  beings  and  austerity  in  ascetics. 

10.  Know  Me,  O  Partha,  as  the  eternal  seed  of  all  beings.  I  am  the  in- 
tellect of  the  intelligent  and  the  prowess  of  the  powerful. 

11.  O  mighty  of  the  Bharata  race,  of  the  strong  I  am  the  strength, 
devoid  of  desire  and  attachment;  I  am  (also)  desire  in  all  beings,  unop- 
posed to  Dharma  (spiritual  duty). 

12.  Whatever  conditions  there  are  pertaining  to  the  states  of  Sattwa 
(quality  of  goodness),  Rajas   (passion),  Tamas   (ignorance,  inertia), 
know  them  all  to  proceed  from  Me.  I  am  not  in  them,  but  they  are  in  Me. 

13.  Being  deluded  by  these  states,  composed  of  the  three  Gunas 
(qualities),  all  this  world  does  not  know  Me,  who  am  beyond  these  and 
immutable. 

14.  Verily  this  divine  Maya  of  mine  (elusive  mystery),  composed  of 
Gunas,  is  difficult  to  surmount;  those  who  take  refuge  in  Me  alone,  they 
cross  over  this  Maya. 

15.  The  deluded,  evil-doers,  the  lowest  of  men,  robbed  of  understand- 
ing by  Maya  and  following  demonic  tendencies,  do  not  attain  unto  Me. 

16.  O  Prince  of  the  Bharata  race,  O  Arjuna,  four  kinds  of  virtuous 
men  worship  Me:  the  distressed,  the  seeker  of  knowledge,  the  seeker  of 
material  prosperity  and  the  wise. 

17.  Among  them  the  wise,  ever  steadfast,  devoted  to  the  One  (to  Me), 
excels;  for  I  am  supremely  dear  to  the  wise  and  he  is  dear  to  Me. 

18.  Noble  are  all  these,  but  I  regard  the  wise  as  my  very  Self;  for  with 
soul  ever  steadfast,  he  is  established  in  Me  alone  as  his  supreme  goal. 

19.  At  the  end  of  many  births  the  man  of  wisdom  comes  unto  Me. 
seeing  that  all  this  is  (pervaded  by)  one  Self.  Such  a  great-souled  one  is 
very  difficult  to  find. 

20.  Those  whose  discrimination  is  stolen  away  by  diverse  desires,  wor- 
ship other  deities  by  observing  various  external  rites  (with  the  hope  of 
gaining  pleasure,  power,  etc.),  being  impelled  by  their  own  nature. 

21.  Whatever  devotee  seeks  to  worship  whatever  (Divine)  form  with 
faith,  I  make  his  faith  unwavering. 

22.  Possessed  with  that  faith,  he  engages  himself  in  worship  of  (that 
1  The  Pranava  or  Word-God.  The  same  as  the  Logos  of  Christian  theology. 


82  INDIAN    PIETY 

deity) ;  and  from  that  he  gains  the  desired  results,  those  being  granted 
by  Me  alone. 

23.  But  the  fruit  (acquired)  by  these  men  of  small  understanding  is 
limited  and  perishable.  The  worshippers  of  the  Devas  (bright  ones)  go 
to  the  Devas;  but  my  devotees  come  unto  Me. 

24.  The  ignorant,  not  knowing  my  Eternal,  Immutable  and  Supreme 
state,  consider  Me  as  the  unmanifested  coming  into  manifestation. 

25.  I  am  not  manifest  to  all,  being  veiled  by  Yoga-Maya.1  This  deluded 
world  knows  Me  not,  the  Unborn  and  Immutable. 

26.  O  Arjuna,  I  know  the  past,  present  and  future  of  all  beings,  but  no 
one  knows  Me. 

27.  O  Bharata,  terror  of  thy  foes,  all  beings  at  birth  fall  into  delusion, 
caused  by  the  pairs  of  opposites,  arising  from  desire  and  aversion. 

28.  But  those  men  of  virtuous  deeds,  whose  sin  has  come  to  an  end, 
freed  from  the  delusion  of  the  pairs  of  opposites,  worship  Me  with  firm 
resolve. 

29.  Those  who,  having  taken  refuge  in  Me,  strive  to  attain  freedom 
from  old  age  and  death,  they  know  Brahman,  the  whole  of  the  individual 
Self  and  the  entire  realm  of  Karma  (action). 

30.  Those  who  know  Me  in  the  physical  realm,  in  the  Divine  realm 
and  in  the  realm  of  sacrifice,  being  steadfast  in  heart,  they  know  Me 
even  at  the  time  of  death. 

Here  ends  the  Seventh  Chapter  called 

"Jnana-Vijndna-Yoga,  or  The  Path  of 

Wisdom  and  Realization'9 


CHAPTER  VIII 

drjuna  said: 

1.  O  Best  of  Beings  (Krishna),  what  is  Brahman,  what  is  Adhyatma 
(embodied  soul),  and  what  is  Karma?  What  is  the  physical  realm 
(Adhihhuta),  and  what  is  called  the  Divine  realm  (Adhidaiva)  ? 

2.  O  Destroyer  of  Madhu,  how  and  who  dwells  in  this  body  as  Ad- 
hiyajna  (deity  of  sacrifice);  and  how  art  Thou  known  at  the  time  of 
death  by  the  self-subjugated  ones? 

1  Delusion  composed  of  the  three  Gunas. 


THE    BLESSED    LORD'S    SONG  83 

The  Blessed  Lord  said: 

3.  The  Imperishable  Supreme  Being  is  Brahman,  its  manifestation  as 
the  embodied  soul  is  called  Adhyatman.  The  prescribed  sacrifice,  which 
causes  the  creation  and  support  of  beings,  is  called  Karma. 

4.  O  best  of  the  embodied  (Arjuna),  perishable  existence  is  called 
Adhibhuta  (the  physical);  the  Supreme  Self  is  the  Adhidaivata  (Uni- 
versal Spirit).  I  am  the  Adhiyajna  (the  presiding  deity  of  sacrifice)  in 
the  body. 

5.  He  who,  at  the  time  of  death,  thinking  of  Me  alone,  goes  forth, 
leaving  the  body,  he  attains  unto  my  Being.  There  is  no  doubt  in  this. 

6.  O  son  of  Kunti,  whatever  state  (or  being)  one  dwells  upon  in  the 
end,  at  the  time  of  leaving  the  body,  that  alone  he  attains,  because  of  hit, 
constant  thought  of  that  state  or  being. 

7.  Therefore,  at  all  times,  think  of  Me  and  fight  (perform  actions) . 
Having  offered  thy  mind  and  intellect  to  Me,  thou  shalt  without  doubr 
come  unto  Me. 

8.  O  son  of  Pntha,  by  the  steadfast  practice  of  meditation  with  un- 
wavering mind  (not  moving  elsewhere)  and  constant  thought  of  the 
Supreme  Divine  Being,  one  goes  to  Him. 

9.  He  who  thinks  upon  the  Omniscient,  the  Ancient,  the  Ruler,  the 
minutest  of  the  minute,  the  Sustamer  of  all,  whose  form  is  inconceivable, 
Self-effulgent  like  the  sun,  and  beyond  the  darkness  (of  ignorance) ; 

10.  (He  who  thus  meditates  on  Him)  at  the  time  of  death,  with  un- 
flinching mind,  possessed  with  devotion,  fully  fixing  the  Prana  (life- 
breath)  between  the  eyebrows  by  the  power  of  Yoga,  he  attains  to  the 
Supreme  Divine  Being. 

11.  That  which  the  knowers  of  Veda  (Truth,  Wisdom)  speak  of  as 
imperishable,  that  which  the  unattached  Sannyasins a  enter  into,  by  de- 
siring which  they  practise  Brahmacharya,2  that  state  I  shall  declare  unto 
thee  in  brief. 

12.  Closing  all  the  gates  of  the  senses,  confining  the  mind  in  the  heart, 
and  fixing  the  Prana  in  the  head  (between  the  eyebrows),  thus  engaged 
in  the  practice  of  concentration  (Yoga) ; 

13.  Uttering  the  monosyllable  "Om,"   (the  sound)   Brahman,  and 
meditating  on  Me,  he  who  departs,  leaving  his  body,  he  attains  the 
supreme  goal. 

1  Self-controlled  renouncen. 
1  Life  of  continence  and  purity. 


84  INDIAN    PIETY 

14.  He  who  is  without  any  other  thought  (but  Me),  who  remembers 
Me  daily  and  constantly,  O  Partha,  I  am  easily  attained  by  that  ever- 
devoted  Yogi. 

15.  The  great-souled  ones,  having  reached  Me,  do  not  come  to  re-birth, 
the  ever-changing  abqde  of  misery,  for  they  have  attained  the  highest 
perfection. 

1 6.  O  Arjuna,  all  worlds,  from  the  abode  of  Brahma  to  this  world, 
are  subject  to  return;  but,  O  son  of  Kunti,  after  having  attained  Me, 
there  is  no  re-birth. 

17.  Those  who  know  that  Brahma's  day  ends  in  a  thousand  Yugas 
(ages)  and  his  night  in  a  thousand  Yugas,  they  are  the  true  knowcrs  of 
the  night  and  day. 

18.  At  the  approach  of  (Brahma's)  day,  all  manifestations  proceed 
from  the  Unmanifested,  and  at  the  approach  of  the  night,  they  merge 
into  that  which  is  called  the  Unmanifested.1 

19.  O  Partha,  the  multitude  of  beings,  coming  into  birth  again  and 
again,  helplessly  merge  into  (the  Unmanifested)  at  the  approach  of 
night  and  again  remanifest  at  the  approach  of  day. 

20.  But  beyond  this  Unmanifested,.  there  is  another  Unmanifested, 
which  is  eternally  existent  and  is  not  destroyed  even  when  all  beings  are 
destroyed. 

21.  That  which  has  been  described  as  Unmanifested  and  Imperishable 
is  called  the  Highest  Goal,  having  attained  which  there  is  no  return  (re- 
births) .  That  is  my  Supreme  Abode. 

22.  O  son  of  Pritha,  that  Supreme  Self,  in  whom  all  beings  abide  and 
by  whom  all  this  is  pervaded,  can  be  attained  by  whole-hearted  and  ex- 
clusive devotion  to  Him. 

23.  O  Prince  of  the  Bharata  race,  now  I  shall  declare  to  thee  that  time, 
at  which  in  departing  (leaving  the  body)  the  Yogis  return  (to  re-birth), 
and  also  that  time  at  which  in  departing  they  do  not  return. 

24.  Fire,  light,  day-time,  the  bright  fortnight  (ascending  moon),  the 
six  months  of  the  sun's  northern  course,  departing  at  such  time,  the 
knowers  of  Brahman  go  to  Brahman. 

25.  Smoke,  night-time,  the  dark  fortnight  (waning  moon),  the  six 
months  of  the  sun's  southern  course,  the  Yogi  departing  at  such  time 
and  receiving  the  lunar  light,  returns. 

x  These  two  verses  signify  the  evolution  and  involution  of  the  sum-total  of  Cosmic  energy, 
represented  by  Brahma's  day  and  night. 


THE    BLESSED    LORD*S    SONG  85 

26.  These  two  are  considered  as  eternal  paths  of  the  world,  the  bright 
and  the  dark  (path  of  wisdom  and  path  of  ignorance).  By  one,  (man) 
attains  to  non-return  (freedom) ;  by  the  other,  he  returns  again. 

27.  O  son  of  Pritha,  by  knowing  these  (two)  paths,  the  Yogis  are 
never  deluded.  Therefore,  O  Arjuna,  in  all  times  be  thou  steadfastly 
engaged  in  Yoga. 

28.  Whatever  fruits  of  good  deeds  are  promised  in  the  study  of  the 
Vedas,  in  sacrifices,  in  the  practice  of  austerities,  in  charitable  gifts,  the 
Yogi,  having  known  these  and  rising  above  all,  attains  to  the  primeval 
Supreme  Abode. 

Here  ends  the  Eighth  Chapter  called 

" A  fohara-Brah  ma-Yoga,  or  The  Path  of  the 

Imperishable  Brahman" 

CHAPTER  IX 

The  Blessed  Lord  said: 

1.  (Now)  I  shall  declare  to  thee,  who  art  without  evil  thought,  this 
great  secret,  wisdom  together  with  realization,  knowing  which  thou 
shalt  be  freed  from  evil. 

2.  This  is  the  king  of  sciences,  king  of  secrets,  the  supreme  purifier;  it 
is  realized  by  direct  perception  and  is  endowed  with  righteousness, 
easily  performed  and  imperishable. 

3.  O  Parantapa  (Arjuna),  the  men  who  have  no  faith  in  this  Dharma 
(science  of  Self-knowledge),  without  attaining  Me,  return  to  the  path 
of  death  and  re-birth. 

4.  By  My  unmanifested  Form  all  this  world  is  pervaded;  all  beings 
dwell  in  Me,  but  I  do  not  dwell  in  them. 

5.  Behold  My  Divine  Yoga!  Beings  do  not  dwell  in  Me;  (although) 
the  Creator  and  Supporter  of  all  beings,  (yet)  My  Self  dwells  not  in 
them. 

6.  As  the  air,  vast  and  always  moving  everywhere,  exists  in  Akasha 
(space  and  ether),  even  st>,  know  thou,  all  beings  exist  in  Me. 

7.  O  son  of  Kunti,  all  beings,  at  the  end  of  a  cycle,  go  back  to  my 
Prakriti  (Nature) ;  again,  at  the  beginning  of  a  cycle,  I  send  them  forth. 

8.  Ruling  over  My  Prakriti,  I  send  forth  again  and  again  this  vast 
multitude  of  beings,  who  are  helplessly  impelled  by  Nature. 


86  INDIAN    PIETY 

9.  O  conqueror  of  wealth  (Arjuna),  these  acts  (of  creation  and  dis- 
solution) do  not  bind  Me,  sitting  as  one  unconcerned  and  unattached  to 
these  acts. 

10.  O  son  of  Kunti,  with  Me  as  the  presiding  Deity,  Prakriti  (Nature) 
sends  forth  the  moving  and  the  unmoving.  For  this  reason  the  world 
wheels  round  and  round. 

n.  Fools,  unaware  of  My  Supreme  state,  as  the  great  Lord  of  beings, 
disregard  Me  dwelling  in  human  form. 

12.  They  are  of  vain  hopes,  of  vain  deeds,  of  vain  knowledge,  and 
senseless,  possessed  with  the  deluding  nature  of  Rakshasas  (unclean,  pas- 
sionate and  godless  creatures)  and  Asuras  (creatures  of  darkness  and  of 
ignorance). 

13.  But,  O  son  of  Kunti,  the  great-souled  ones,  possessing  the  Divine 
Nature,  knowing  Me  as  Immutable  and  as  the  Source  of  beings,  worship 
Me  with  single-minded  devotion. 

14.  Ever  singing  My  glory  and  striving  with  steadfast  vows,  bowing 
down  to  Me  in  devotion,  (they)  perpetually  worship  Me. 

15.  Others  again  by  performing  the  wisdom-sacrifice  worship  Me,  the 
All-facing,  as  One,  as  separate,  or  in  manifold  forms. 

16.  I  am  Kratu,1 1  am  Yajna,2 1  am  Svadha,8  I  am  medicinal  herbs,  I 
am  the  Mantra,*  I  am  the  oblation,  I  am  the  fire  and  I  am  the  act  of 
sacrifice. 

17.  I  am  the  Father  of  the  universe,  the  Mother,  the  Sustainer,  the 
Grandsire,  the  One  to  be  known,  the  Purifier,  Om  (Sound-Brahman), 
the  Rik,  Saman  and  Yajur.5 

18.  (I  am)  the  Way,  the  Supporter,  the  Lord,  the  Witness,  the  Abode, 
the  Refuge,  the  Friend,  the  Origin,  the  Dissolution,  the  Resting-Place, 
the  Storehouse  and  the  Eternal  Seed. 

19.  O  Arjuna,  I  give  heat,  I  send  forth  rain  and  withhold  it;  I  am 
Immortality  and  also  Death.  I  am  being  and  non-being  (the  manifested 
and  the  unmanif ested) . 

20.  The  knowers  of  the  three  Vedas,*  having  worshipped  Me  with 
sacrifice,  drinking  the  Soma 7  and  thus  being  purified  from  sin,  pray  for 

1  Certain  Vedic  rite. 
a  Sacrifice. 

*  Offering  for  the  benefit  of  the  departed  ancestors. 

*  The  sacred  text,  by  repeating  and  meditating  on  which  one  is  purified. 
5  Different  branches  of  the  Vcdas. 

*  Mentioned  in  verse  17. 

7  Nectar,  remnant  of  the  sacrifice. 


THE    BLESSED    LORD'S    SONG  87 

the  goal  of  heaven;  they,  having  reached  the  region  of  the  ruler  of  the 
Devas,  enjoy  in  heaven  the  celestial  pleasures  of  the  Devas. 

21.  Having  enjoyed  that  vast  celestial  world,  they,  at  the  exhaustion 
of  the  merit  (of  their  good  deeds),  again  enter  into  the  mortal  world; 
thus  following  the  religion  of  the  three  Vedas,  with  the  craving  for  ob- 
jects of  desire,  they  attain  coming  and  going  (birth  and  re-birth). 

22.  Those  who  worship  Me  and  meditate  on  Me  without  any  other 
thought,  to  these  ever  steadfast  devotees  I  secure  safety  and  supply  all 
their  needs  (I  carry  their  burden). 

23.  O  son  of  Kunti,  even  those  devotees  who  worship  other  gods  with 
faich,  they  too  worship  Me,  but  contrary  to  the  law. 

24.  For  I  am  alone  the  Enjoyer  and  Lord  of  all  sacrifice;  but  they  do 
not  know  Me  in  truth,  hence  they  return  (fall  into  re-birth). 

25.  The  worshippers  of  the  gods  go  to  the  gods;  to  the  ancestors  go 
the  ancestor-worshippers;  the  spirit-worshippers  go  to  the  spirits;  but 
My  worshippers  come  unto  Me. 

26.  He  who,  with  devotion  offereth  to  Me  a  leaf,  a  flower,  a  fruit  and 
water,  that  love-offering  I  accept,  made  by  the  pure-hearted. 

27.  Whatever  thou  doest,  whatever  thou  eatcst,  whatever  thou  offerest 
as  oblation,  whatever  thou  givest  and  the  austerities  thou  performest,  O 
son  of  Kunti,  do  that  as  an  offering  to  Me. 

28.  Thus  thou  shah  be  freed  from  the  bonds  of  action  that  bears  good 
and  evil  fruit;  and  thy  soul,  being  steadfastly  engaged  m  this  devotion  of 
renunciation,  liberated  thou  shalt  come  unto  me. 

29.  Alike  am  I  to  all  beings;  hated  or  beloved  there  is  none  to  Me. 
But  those  who  worship  Me  with  devotion,  they  are  m  Me  and  I  am  in 
them. 

30.  Even  if  the  most  wicked  worships  Me  with  undivided  devotion,  he 
should  be  regarded  as  good,  for  he  is  rightly  resolved. 

31.  Very  soon  he  becomes  a  righteous  soul  and  attains  to  eternal  peace 
Know  thou,  O  son  of  Kunti,  that  my  devotee  never  perishes. 

32.  O  Partha,  even  those  who  are  of  inferior  birth, — women,  Vaishyas 
(merchant  class)  and  Sudras  (servant  class), — even  they,  by  taking 
refuge  in  Me,  attain  to  the  Supreme  Goal. 

33.  What  need  is  there,  then,  to  speak  of  the  holy  Brahmanas  and  the 
royal  Sages! l  Having  come  into  this  transitory  and  joyless  world,  do 
thou  worship  Me. 

1  How  much  more  easily  is  the  goal  attained  by  them. 


88  INDIAN    PIETY 

34.  Fill  thy  mind  with  Me,  be  thou  My  devotee,  worship  Me  and  bow 
down  to  Me;  thus,  steadfastly  uniting  thy  heart  with  Me  alone  and  re- 
garding Me  as  thy  Supreme  Goal,  thou  shalt  come  unto  Me. 

Here  ends  the  Ninth  Chapter  called 

"The  Path  of  Royal  Science 

and  Royal  Secret" 

CHAPTER  X 

The  Blessed  Lord  said: 

1.  O  mighty-armed,  again  do  thou  listen  to  My  Supreme  Word,  which 
I,  wishing  thy  welfare,  declare  unto  thee  who  art  rejoiced  (to  hear  Me). 

2.  All  the  Devas  know  not  My  origin,  nor  do  the  great  Rishis  (Seers) ; 
for  I  am  the  Source  of  all  the  Devas  and  the  great  Rishis. 

3.  He  who  knows  Me  as  birthless  and  beginningless,  the  Supreme 
Lord  of  the  universe,  he  among  mortals  is  undeluded  and  is  freed  from 
all  sins. 

4.  Intelligence,  wisdom,  non-delusion,  forgiveness,  truth,  control  of 
the  senses,  serenity  of  the  heart,  pleasure  and  pain,  birth  and  death,  fear 
and  fearlessness. 

5.  Non-injury,  equanimity,  contentment,  austerity,  benevolence,  fame 
and  infamy;  these  different  states  of  beings  arise  from  Me  alone. 

6.  The  seven  great  Rishis,  the  elder  four x  as  well  as  the  Manus,  were 
born  of  My  mind  and  endowed  with  My  nature,  from  whom  (are  gen- 
erated) all  these  creatures  in  the  world. 

7.  He  who  comprehends  in  reality  these  My  various  manifestations 
and  My  Yoga  power,  he  becomes  well-established  in  unshakable  Yoga. 
There  is  no  doubt  in  this. 

8.  I  am  the  Origin  of  all,  everything  evolves  from  Me.  Knowing  this, 
the  wise  worship  Me  with  loving  ecstasy. 

9.  With  their  heart  fixed  on  Me,  with  their  life  absorbed  in  Me,  mutu- 
ally enlightening  (one  another),  and  perpetually  singing  My  glory,  they 
are  contented  and  rejoiced. 

10.  To  these  ever  steadfast  and  loving  worshippers,  I  give  that  Yoga 
of  wisdom  by  which  they  come  unto  Me. 

11.  Out  of  pure  compassion  for  them,  I,  dwelling  in  their  hearts,  de- 
stroy the  darkness  born  of  ignorance,  by  the  effulgent  light  of  wisdom. 
1  Elder  than  the  seven. 


THE    BLESSED    LORD    S    SONG  89 

Arjuna  said: 

12-13.  Thou  art  the  Supreme  Brahman,  the  Supreme  Abode  and  Su- 
preme Purity.  All  the  Rishis  (Sages),  the  divine  sage  Narada,  as  well  as 
Asita,  Devala  and  Vyasa,  have  declared  Thee  as  the  Eternal  and  Self- 
effulgent  Being,  the  primeval  Deity,  unborn  and  all-pervading;  anb! 
Thou  Thyself  declarest  to  me  the  same. 

14.  O  Keshava  (Krishna),  I  regard  all  that  Thou  sayest  to  me  as  true. 

0  Blessed  Lord,  neither  the  Devas  nor  the  Danavas  (demi-gods)  know 
Thy  manifestations. 

15.  O  Supreme  Being,  O  Source  of  beings,  O  Lord  of  beings,  O  God 
of  gods,  O  Ruler  of  the  universe,  Thou  Thyself  alone  knowest  Thyself  by 
Thyself. 

16.  (O  Lord),  Thou  oughtest  to  tell  me,  without  reserve,  of  Thy 
Divine  manifestations,  by  which  Divine  attributes  Thou  abidest,  pervad- 
ing all  the  worlds. 

17.  O  Yogm  (Krishna),  how  by  constantly  meditating  on  Thee  shall 

1  know  Thee?  O  Blessed  Lord,  in  what  aspects  art  Thou  to  be  medi- 
tated upon  by  me? 

18.  O  Janardana  (Krishna),  tell  me  again  in  detail  of  Thy  Yoga  power 
and  Divine  attributes,  for  I  am  never  satiated  in  listening  to  Thy  words 
of  nectar. 

The  Blessed  Lord  said: 

19.  O  best  of  the  Kurus,  I  shall  declare  to  thce  My  principal  Divine 
attributes,  for  there  is  no  end  to  the  vastness  of  My  manifestations. 

20.  O  Gudakesha  (Arjuna),  I  am  the  Self  existing  in  the  heart  of  all 
beings.  I  am  the  beginning,  the  middle  and  also  the  end  of  beings. 

21.  I  am  Vishnu  of  the  Adityas,  of  the  luminaries  I  am  the  radiant 
Sun,  among  the  winds  I  am  Marichi,  among  the  constellations  I  am  the 
Moon. 

22.  Of  the  Vedas  I  am  the  Sama-Veda,  and  of  the  Devas  I  am  Vasava 
(Indra).  Of  the  senses  I  am  the  mind  and  I  am  the  consciousness  of  all 
living  beings. 

23.  Of  the  Rudras  I  am  Sankara;  I  am  the  Lord  of  wealth  of  the 
Yakshas  and  Rakshasas;  of  the  Vasus  I  am  the  Fire-god;  I  am  Meru 
among  the  mountains. 

24.  O  Partha,  know  Me  to  be  Brihaspati,  the  high  priest;  of  generals,  I 
am  Skanda;  among  waters,  I  am  the  ocean. 


90  INDIAN    PIETY 

25.  I  am  Bhrigu  among  the  great  Rishis;  of  words,  I  am  the  mono- 
syllable "Om."  Of  Yajnas  (sacrifices),  I  am  Japa; l  of  the  immovable,  I 
am  the  Himalaya. 

26.  I  am  Aswattha  among  all  the  trees;  among  the  divine  Rishis,  I  am 
Narada.  I  am  Chitraratha  of  the  Gandharvas;''  I  am  the  sage  Kapila' 
among  the  perfected  ones. 

27.  Among  horses,  know  Me  as  Uchchaisrava,  born  of  nectar;  and  of 
the  lordly  elephants  as  Airavata,  and  among  men  as  Monarch. 

28.  I  am  the  Thunderbolt  among  weapons;  among  cows,  I  am  Kama- 
dhuk.  I  am  Kandarpa,  the  cause  of  offspring;  and  of  serpents,  I  am 
Vasuki. 

29.  I  am  Ananta  among  the  snakes;  I  am  Varuna  among  water-be- 
ings; of  ancestors,  I  am  Aryama;  I  am  Yama  among  rulers. 

30.  I  am  Prahlada  among  the  Daityas;  of  measures,  I  am  Time; 
among  wild  beasts,  I  am  the  lord  of  beasts  (the  lion) ;  and  among  birds, 
I  am  Vainateya. 

31.  Among  purifiers,  I  am  the  wind;  among  warriors,  I  am  Rama; 
among  fishes,  I  am  Makara  (shark) ;  and  among  rivers,  I  am  the  Ganges. 

32.  O  Arjuna,  of  all  creations  I  am  the  beginning,  the  middle  and  also 
the  end;  of  all  the  sciences,  I  am  the  science  of  Self-knowledge;  among 
ihe  disputants,  I  am  Vada.*     > 

33.  Of  syllables,  I  am  "A,"  and  Dvandva 5  of  all  compound  words.  I 
am  inexhaustible  Time;  I  am  the  Dispenser  (of  fruits  of  actions),  facing 
everywhere. 

34.  I  am  all-seizing  Death;  I  am  the  origin  of  all  that  is  to  be;  of  the 
female  I  am  fame,  prosperity,  speech,  memory,  intelligence,  constancy 
and  forgiveness. 

35.  I  am  the  Brihat-saman  of  the  Vedic  hymns;  I  am  Gayatri8  of 
metres.  Of  months  I  am  Margashirsha  and  of  seasons  I  am  the  flowering 
season. 

36.  I  am  gambling  among  the  fraudulent;  I  am  the  prowess  of  the 
powerful.  I  am  Victory,  I  am  Perseverance,  I  am  the  Goodness  of  the 
good. 

37.  Of  the  Vrishnis  I  am  Vasudeva;  among  the  Pandavas  I  am 

1  Silent  repetition  of  the  sacred  text. 
'Celestial  musicians. 
Founder  of  the  Sankya  system  of  philosophy. 

•  Truth-seeking  arguments. 
"  Copulative. 

*  A.  verse  of  twenty-four  syllables. 


THE    BLESSED    LORD    S    SONG  91 

Dhananjaya;  among  the  saints  I  am  Vyasa  and  among  the  sages  I  am 
Ushana. 

38.  I  am  the  Rod  of  disciplinarians;  I  am  the  Polity  o£  the  seekers  of 
conquest.  I  am  the  Silence  of  secrets;  I  am  the  Wisdom  of  the  wise. 

39.  O  Arjuna,  whatever  is  the  seed  of  all  beings,  that  also  am  I.  With- 
out Me  there  is  no  being  existent,  whether  moving  or  unmoving. 

40.  O  Parantapa,  there  is  no  end  to  the  manifestations  of  My  Divine 
Power;  what  I  have  declared  is  only  a  partial  statement  of  the  vastness 
of  my  Divine  manifestation. 

41.  Whatever  being  there  is,  glorious,  prosperous  or  powerful,  know 
thou  that  to  have  sprung  from  a  portion  of  My  splendor. 

42.  O  Arjuna,  what  need  is  there  for  thee  to  know  these  details?  I 
alone  exist,  sustaining  this  whole  universe  by  a  portion  of  Myself. 

Here  ends  the  Tenth  Chapter  called 

"Vibhttti-Yoga,  or  The  Path  of 

Divine  Manifestation" 


CHAPTER  XI 

Arjuna  said: 

1.  The  supremely  profound  word  regarding  Self-knowledge,  spoken 
by  Thee  out  of  compassion  for  me,  has  dispelled  this  my  delusion. 

2.  O  Lotus-Eyed  (Krishna),  I  have  heard  at  length  from  Thee  of  the 
creation  and  dissolution  of  beings,  as  well  as  of  Thine  inexhaustible 
glory. 

3.  O  Great  Lord,  as  Thou  hast  declared  Thyself,  so  it  is.  O  Supreme 
Being,  I  desire  to  see  Thy  Godly  Form. 

4.  O  Lord,  if  Thou  thinkest  me  able  (worthy)  to  see  that  (Form), 
then,  O  Lord  of  Yogis,  show  me  Thine  Infinite  Self. 

The  Blessed  Lord  said: 

5.  Behold,  O  Partha,  My  various  celestial  Forms,  of  different  color* 
and  shapes,  by  hundreds  and  by  thousands. 

6.  O  descendant  of  Bharata,  behold  the  Adityas,  the  Rudras,  the  Vasus, 
the  twin  Asvins  and  the  Maruts.1  Behold  many  wonders  that  were  not 
seen  before. 

1  Names  for  celestial  beings. 


92  INDIAN    PIETY 

7.  O  Gudakesha  (Arjuna),  behold  in  this  body  of  Mine  the  entire 
universe  together,  with  all  that  is  moving  and  unmoving  and  whatever 
else  thou  desirest  to  perceive. 

8.  But  with  these  eyes  of  thine  thou  canst  not  see  Me;  therefore  I  give 
thee  Divine  sight.  Behold  my  Supreme  Yoga  power! 

Sanjaya  said: 

9.  O  King,  having  spoken   thus,  the  great  Lord   of  Yoga,   Hari 
(Krishna),  then  showed  to  Partha  His  Supreme  Godly  Form. 

10.  With  many  faces  and  eyes,  with  many  wondrous  sights,  with  many 
celestial  ornaments  and  with  many  celestial  weapons  uplifted, 

11.  Wearing  celestial  garlands  and  garments,  anointed  with  celestial 
fragrant  perfumes;  the  all- wonderful  Deity,  infinite,  facing  the  universe 
everywhere. 

12.  If  the  effulgence  of  a  thousand  suns  were  to  shine  at  once  in  the 
sky,  that  might  resemble  the  splendor  of  that  great  Being. 

13.  Then  the  son  of  Pandu  (Arjuna)  saw  the  entire  universe  resting 
together,  with  its  manifold  divisions,  in  the  body  of  the  God  of  gods. 

14.  Then  Dhananjaya,  overpowered  with  wonder,  and  his  hair  stand- 
ing on  end,  bending  down  his  head  in  awe  to  the  Deity,  spoke  with 
folded  hands  : 

Arjuna  said: 

15.  O  God!  in  Thy  body  I  see  all  the  gods,  as  well  as  multitudes  of  all 
kinds  of  beings;  the  Lord  Brahma,  seated  on  the  lotus  throne,  all  the 
Rishis  and  all  the  celestial  serpents. 

16.  O  Lord  of  the  universe,  O  Universal  Form,  I  see  Thee  with  mani- 
fold arms,  bellies,  mouths  and  eyes,  boundless  on  every  side;  neither  do 
I  see  Thy  beginning,  nor  middle  nor  end. 

17.  I  see  Thee  with  diadems,  maces,  discus,  shiningly  effulgent  every- 
where, blazing  all  around  like  the  burning  fire  and  the  sun,  dazzling  to 
the  sight  and  immeasurable. 

18.  Thou  art  the  Imperishable,  the  Supreme,  the  One  to  be  known. 
Thou  art  the  Supreme  Refuge  of  this  universe;  Thou  art  the  ever  un- 
changing Guardian  of  the  Eternal  Dharma  (religion);  Thou  art,  I 
know,  the  Ancient  Being. 

19.  I  see  Thee  without  beginning,  middle  or  end,  with  infinite  power, 
with  numberless  arms,  the  sun  and  moon  as  Thine  eyes,  Thy  mouth  as 
the  blazing  fire,  heating  this  universe  with  Thine  own  radiance. 


THE    BLESSED    LORD*S    SONG  93 

20.  By  Thee  alone  the  space  between  heaven  and  earth  and  all  the 
quarters  is  pervaded.  O  Great  Soul,  seeing  this,  Thy  wonderful  and  ter- 
rifying Form,  the  three  worlds  are  stricken  with  fear. 

21.  Verily,  these  hosts  of  Devas  are  entering  into  Thee;  some  in  fear, 
praising  Thee  with  folded  hands.  The  host  of  great  Rishis  and  Siddhas, 
saying  "Svasti"  (peace,  may  it  be  well),  are  singing  Thy  glory  in  beauti- 
ful hymns. 

22.  The  Rudras,  Adityas,  Vasus,  Sadhyas,  the  Visvas,  the  Asvins,  the 
Maruts,  the  Ushmapas,  the  host  of  Gandharvas,  Yakshas,  Asuras,  Sid- 
dhas, they  are  all  looking  at  Thee  wonderstruck. 

23.  O  Mighty-armed,  seeing  Thine  immeasurable  form,  with  many 
mouths  and  eyes,  with  many  arms,  thighs  and  feet,  with  many  loins,  and 
fearful  with  many  large  teeth,  the  worlds  and  I,  as  well,  are  agitated  with 
terror. 

24.  O  Vishnu,  seeing  Thee  touching  the  sky,  shining  in  many  colors, 
with  mouths  wide  open,  and  with  large  blazing  eyes,  my  heart  is  terrified 
and  I  find  neither  peace  nor  tranquillity. 

25.  O  Lord  of  gods!  seeing  Thy  mouths,  terrible  with  long  teeth, 
blazing  like  the  fires  of  destruction,  I  know  not  the  four  quarters,  nor  do 
T  find  any  peace.  Have  mercy,  O  Abode  of  the  universe! 

26.  All  these  sons  of  Dhntarashtra,  with  the  multitude  of  monarchs, 
Bhishma,  Drona  and  Sutaputra  (Kama),  as  well  as  our  own  principal 
warriors, 

27.  Enter  rushmgly  into  Thy  mouths,  terrible  with  long  teeth  and 
fearful  to  look  at.  Some  are  seen  hanging  between  Thy  teeth,  with  their 
heads  crushed  to  powder. 

28.  As  the  many  torrents  of  rivers  rush  towards  the  ocean,  similarly 
do  these  heroes  amongst  men  enter  into  Thy  mouths,  blazing  fiercely  on 
all  sides. 

29.  As  the  moths  rush  into  the  burning  fire  with  headlong  speed  for 
destruction,  in  the  same  manner  do  these  creatures  rush  into  Thy  mouths 
with  headlong  speed,  only  to  perish. 

30.  O  Vishnu!  swallowing  all  the  worlds  with  Thy  blazing  flames, 
Thou  art  licking  all  around.  Thy  fierce,  radiant  rays,  filling  the  whole 
universe,  are  burning. 

31.  Tell  me,  who  art  Thou,  in  this  terrible  Form?  Salutation  to  Thee! 
O  Supreme  Deity,  have  mercy!  O  Primeval  One,  I  desire  to  know  Thee, 
for  indeed  I  know  not  Thy  purpose. 


94  INDIAN    PIETY 

The  Blessed  Lord  said: 

32.  I  am  eternal,  world-destroying  Time,  manifested  here  for  the  de- 
struction of  these  people.  Even  without  Thee,  none  of  these  warriors,  ar- 
rayed here  in  the  hostile  armies,  shall  live. 

33.  Therefore,  do  thou  arise  and  acquire  glory.  Conquering  the 
enemies,  enjoy  the  unrivalled  kingdom.  By  Me  alone  have  they  already 
been  slain;  be  thou  merely  an  instrumental  cause,  O  Savyasachin1 
(Arjuna). 

34.  Drona,  Bhishma,  Jayadratha,  Kama,  as  well  as  the  other  brave 
warriors,  are  already  slain  by  Me.  Do  thou  kill  and  be  not  distressed  by 
fear.  Fight  1  and  thou  shalt  conquer  thine  enemies  in  battle. 

Sanjaya  said: 

35.  Having  heard  these  words  of  Keshava  (Krishna),  (Arjuna)  the 
diadem-wearer,  with  folded  hands,  trembling,  prostrating  himself,  again 
spoke  to  Krishna  in  a  choked  voice,  bowing  down,  overwhelmed  with 
fear. 

Arjuna  said: 

36.  O  Lord  of  the  senses  (Krishna),  it  is  right  that  the  world  delights 
and  rejoices  in  Thy  glory.  The  Rakshasas  (demonic  creatures)  fly  with 
fear  in  all  directions  and  the  host  of  Siddhas  bow  down  to  Thee  in 
adoration. 

37.  Why  should  they  not  bow  down  to  Thee,  O  Mighty  Being,  O 
Infinite  One,  O  Lord  of  the  gods,  O  Abode  of  the  universe,  greater 
than  Brahma  and  even  the  primeval  cause  of  Brahma;  for  Thou  art  the 
Imperishable;  (Thou  art)  Existence  and  Non-existence  and  all  that  is 
beyond. 

38.  O  boundless  Form,  Thou  art  the  Primeval  Deity,  the  Ancient 
Being,  Thou  art  the  Supreme  Refuge  of  this  universe;  Thou  art  the 
Knower,  the  One  to  be  known  and  the  Supreme  Abode.  By  Thee  alone 
is  this  universe  pervaded. 

39.  Thou  art  Vayu,  Yama,  Agni,  Varuna,  the  Moon;  Thou  art  the 
Lord  of  creatures  and  the  great  Grandsire.  Salutations  to  Thee,  my 
salutations  a  thousand  times,  again  and  again  my  salutations  to  Thee  I 

40.  Salutations  to  Thee  before,  salutations  to  Thee  behind,  salutations 

1  Who  could  shoot  arrows  even  with  his  left  hand. 


THE    BLESSED    LORD*S    SONG  <g 

to  Thee  on  all  sides!  O  All,  infinite  in  power,  and  immeasurable  in 
valor,  Thou  pervadest  all,  therefore  Thou  art  All. 

41.  Not  knowing  this  Thy  glory  and  regarding  Thee  merely  as  a 
friend,  whatever  I  may  have  said  presumptuously,  out  of  either  care- 
lessness or  fondness,  addressing  Thee  as  "O  Krishna/'  "O  Yadava,"  "O 
Friend"; 

42.  O  Changeless  One,  in  whatever  manner  I  may  have  been  disre- 
spectful to  Thee,  in  jesting,  in  walking,  in  reposing,  sitting,  or  at  meals, 
alone,  or  in  the  presence  of  others;  O  Unfathomable  One,  I  implore 
Thee  to  forgive  all  that. 

43.  Thou  art  the  Father  of  the  moving  and  unmoving  world,  and  its 
object  of  worship;  greater  than  the  great,  O  Incomparable  Power,  no 
one  in  the  three  worlds  exists  equal  to  Thee.  How  can,  then,  anyone 
excell  Thee? 

44.  O  Adorable  Lord!  prostrating  my  body  in  adoration,  I  beg  Thy 
forgiveness.  O  God,  as  a  father  forgives  his  son,  a  friend  his  dear  friend, 
a  beloved  one  his  love,  even  so  do  Thou  forgive  me! 

45.  O  God,  joyous  am  I  to  have  seen  (Thy  form)  which  I  never  saw 
before;  yet  my  heart  is  agitated  with  terror,  therefore  show  me  that 
Form  of  Thine.  O  God  of  gods!  O  Abode  of  the  universe,  have  mercy. 

46.  I  desire  to  see  Thee  as  before,  with  diadem,  mace  and  discus.  O 
Universal  Form  of  thousand  arms,  do  Thou  manifest  Thyself  in  that 
same  Four-armed  Form  (form  of  Vishnu). 

The  Blessed  Lord  said: 

47.  O  Arjuna,  mercifully  have  I  shown  thee  this  Supreme  Form  by 
My  own  Yoga  power.  This  effulgent,  infinite,  primeval,  great  universal 
Form  of  Mine,  which  has  not  been  seen  by  anyone  else  before  thee. 

48.  O  great  hero  of  the  Kurus,  not  by  the  study  of  the  sacred  Vedas 
or  by  sacrifice,  not  by  charity  or  rituals,  not  by  severe  austerities,  am  I 
visible  in  such  Form  in  this  world  of  men  to  any  other  than  thee. 

49.  Be  not  frightened,  nor  bewildered,  having  seen  this  terrific  Form 
of  Mine,  getting  rid  of  thy  fear  and  with  gladdened  heart,  behold  thou 
again  this  My  former  Form. 

Sanjaya  said: 

50.  Vasudeva  (Krishna),  having  thus  spoken  to  Arjuna,  showed  again 
His  own  Form.  The  Great-souled  One,  having  assumed  again  His  gentle 
Form,  pacified  him  (Arjuna)  who  was  terrified. 


96  INDIAN    PIETY 

Arjuna  said: 

51.  O  Janardana,  seeing  this,  Thy  gentle  human  Form,  now  my 
thoughts  are  collected  and  I  have  recovered  myself. 

The  Blessed  Lord  said: 

52.  This  Form  of  Mine  which  thou  hast  seen  is  very  difficult  to  per- 
ceive; even  gods  ever  long  to  behold  this  Form. 

53.  Neither  by  the  Vedas,  nor  by  austerities,  nor  by  charitable  gifts, 
nor  by  sacrifice,  can  I  be  seen  as  thou  hast  seen  Me, 

54.  But  by  single-hearted  devotion  alone  I  can  be  known  in  this 
manner,  O  Arjuna,  and  perceived  in  reality  and  also  entered  into,  O 
Parantapa. 

55.  O  Pandava,  he  who  works  for  Me,  has  Me  for  his  highest  goal, 
is  devoted  to  Me,  is  free  from  attachment  and  bears  enmity  towards  no 
creature,  he  enters  into  Me. 

Here  ends  the  Eleventh  Chapter  called 

"Vishya-Rupa-Darsanam,  or  The 

Vision  of  the  Universal  Form" 


CHAPTER  XII 

Arjuna  said: 

1.  Those  devotees  who,  ever  steadfast,  thus  worship  Thee  and  those 
who  worship  the  Unmanifested  Imperishable,  which  of  them  are  better 
knowers  of  Yoga? 

The  Blessed  Lord  said: 

2.  Those  who,  fixing  their  minds  on  Me,  worship  Me  with  perpetual 
devotion,  endowed  with  supreme  faith,  to  My  mind  they  are  the  best 
knowers  of  Yoga. 

3.  But  those  who  contemplate  the  Imperishable,  the  Undefinable, 
Unmanifested,  Omnipresent,  Unthinkable,  Unchangeable,  Immovable 
and  Eternal, 

4.  Having  subdued  all  the  senses,  even-minded  everywhere,  and  en- 
gaged in  doing  good  to  all  beings,  verily  they  attain  unto  Me. 

5.  Greater  is  their  difficulty  whose  minds  are  set  on  the  Unmanifested, 


THE    BLESSED    LORD'S    SONG  97 

for  the  goal  of  the  Unmanifested  is  very  arduous  for  the  embodied  to 
attain. 

6.  But  those  who,  surrendering  all  actions  to  Me  and  regarding  Me 
as  the  Supreme  Goal,  worship  Me  with  single-hearted  devotion, 

7.  For  them  whose  hearts  are  thus  fixed  on  Me,  O  son  of  Pritha,  I 
become  ere  long  the  Saviour  from  the  ocean  of  mortal  Samsara  (world 
of  birth  and  death). 

8.  Fix  thy  mind  on  Me  alone  and  rest  thine  understanding  in  Me, 
thus  thou  shalt  doubtlessly  live  in  Me  hereafter. 

9.  O  Dhananjaya,  if  thou  art  unable  to  fix  thy  mind  steadfastly  on 
Me,  then,  by  faithful  practice  of  devotion,  do  thou  seek  to  reach  Me. 

10.  If  thou  art  also  unable  to  practise  devotion,  then  be  thou  intent 
on  working  for  Me.  Even  by  performing  actions  for  My  sake,  thou 
shalt  attain  perfection. 

11.  If  thou  art  not  able  to  do  even  this,  then,  taking  refuge  in  Me 
alone,  and  self-controlled,  do  thou  surrender  the  fruits  of  all  actions. 

12.  Knowledge  is  indeed  better  than  blind  practice;  meditation  excels 
knowledge;  surrender  of  the  fruits  of  action  is  more  esteemed  than 
meditation.  Peace  immediately  follows  surrender. 

13.  He  who  hates  no  creature  and  is  friendly  and  compassionate  to 
all,  who  is  free  from  attachment  and  egotism,  equal-minded  in  pleasure 
and  pain,  and  forgiving, 

14.  Who  is  ever  content  and  meditative,  self-subjugated  and  possessed 
with  firm  conviction,  with  mind  and  intellect  dedicated  to  Me,  he  who 
is  thus  devoted  to  Me  is  dear  to  Me. 

15.  He  by  whom  the  world  is  not  afflicted  and  who  is  not  afflicted  by 
the  world,  who  is  free  from  elation,  envy,  fear  and  anxiety,  he  is  dear 
to  Me. 

16.  He  who  is  free  from  all  external  dependence,  pure,  efficient,  unat- 
tached, undisturbed,  and  has  given  up  all  (selfish)  undertakings,  he 
who  is  thus  devoted  to  Me  is  dear  to  Me. 

17.  He  who  neither  rejoices,  nor  hates,  nor  sorrows,  nor  desires  and 
who  has  renounced  good  and  evil,  he  who  is  thus  full  of  devotion  is  dear 
to  Me. 

18.  He  who  is  the  same  to  friend  and  foe  and  also  in  honor  and  dis^ 
honor,  the  same  in  heat  and  cold,  pleasure  and  pain,  free  from  all 
attachment, 

19.  He  who  is  alike  in  praise  and  blame,  is  silent,  content  with  every- 
thing, homeless,  steady-minded,  such  a  devoted  soul  is  dear  to  Me. 


90  INDIAN    PIETY 

20.  Those  who  follow  this  immortal  Dharma  (teaching)  as  declared 
(by  Me)  and  who  are  possessed  with  faith,  regarding  Me  as  the  Supreme 
Goal,  such  devotees  are  exceedingly  dear  to  Me. 

Here  ends  the  Twelfth  Chapter  called 
"Bhatyi-Yoga,  or  The  Path  of  Devotion' 

CHAPTER  XIII 

[Arjuna  said:  O  Keshava,  Prakriti  (Nature)  and  Purusha  (Self), 
Kshetra  and  the  knower  of  Kshetra,  knowledge  and  that  which  ought 
to  be  known,  these  I  desire  to  learn.] 

The  Blessed  Lord  said: 

1.  O  son  of  Kunti,  this  body  is  called  Kshetra  (field),  the  wise  call 
the  knower  of  it  as  Kshetrajna  (knower  of  the  field). 

2.  O  descendant  of  Bharata,  know  Me  to  be  the  Kshetrajna  (con- 
scious Soul)  in  all  Kshetras  (bodies).  To  My  mind,  the  knowledge  of 
Kshetra  (body)  and  Kshetrajna  (Soul)  is  the  true  knowledge. 

3.  What  the  Kshetra  (field)  is,  of  what  nature,  what  are  its  modifica- 
tions, whence  it  arises;  also  who  is  he  (knower,  Soul)  and  what  are  his 
powers,  do  thou  hear  that  from  me  in  brief. 

4.  This  truth  has  been  sung  by  the  Rishis  (Seers)  in  various  ways,  in 
many   different  hymns,  in   Brahma-Sutra-Aphorisms,   full  of  sound 
reasoning  and  conviction. 

5.  The  great  elements  (earth,  water,  fire,  air,  ether),  egoism,  intellect, 
the  Unmanifested  (Nature),  the  ten  organs  (of  sense  and  action)  and 
the  one  (mind),  the  five  sense-objects; 

6.  Desire,  aversion,  pleasure,  pain,  combination  (of  these),  conscious- 
ness, fortitude,  thus  the  Kshetra  (body)  has  been  briefly  described  with 
its  modifications. 

7.  Humility,  unostentatiousness,  non-injuring,  forgiveness,  simplicity, 
service  to  the  Guru  (spiritual  teacher),  purity,  steadfastness,  self-control; 

8.  Renunciation  of  sense-objects  as  well  as  absence  of  egoism,  realiza- 
tion of  the  evils  of  birth,  death,  old  age,  disease,  pain; 

9.  Non-attachment,  non-identification  of  self  with  son,  wife,  home 
and  the  rest;  equal-mindedness  in  beneficial  and  non-beneficial  hap- 
penings; 


THE    BLESSED    LORD*S    SONG  99 

10.  One-pointed  and  unwavering  devotion  to  Me,  resort  to  secluded 
places,  distaste  for  assemblies; 

11.  Constant  devotion  to  spiritual  knowledge,  realization  of  the  es- 
sence of  Truth,  this  is  declared  to  be  wisdom;  what  is  opposed  to  this  is 
ignorance. 

12.  I  shall  declare  now  that  which  is  to  be  known,  by  knowing  which 
one  attains  immortality.  The  Supreme  Brahman  is  begmningless;  It  is 
said  to  be  neither  Sat  (existence)  nor  Asat  (non-existence). 

13.  With  hands  and  feet  everywhere,  with  eyes,  heads  and  mouths 
everywhere  and  with  ears  everywhere  in  the  universe,  That  alone  exists 
enveloping  all. 

14.  It  shines  through  the  functions  of  all  the  senses,  and  yet  It  is  with- 
out  senses;  unattached,  yet  It  sustains  all;  devoid  of  Gunas  (qualities), 
yet  It  is  the  expencncer  of  Gunas. 

15.  It  exists  within  and  without  all  beings;  It  is  unmoving  as  well  as 
moving,  incomprehensible  because  of  Its  subtlety;  It  is  far  and  also  near. 

16.  Indivisible,  yet  It  exists  as  if  divided  m  beings;  It  is  to  be  known 
as  the  Sustainer  of  beings;  It  destroys  and  also  generates. 

17.  It  is  the  Light  of  lights  and  is  said  to  be  beyond  darkness.  It  is 
knowledge,  the  One  to  be  known,  and  the  Goal  of  knowledge,  dwelling 
in  the  hearts  of  all. 

1 8.  Thus  Kshetra  (field),  knowledge  and  that  which  is  to  be  known, 
have  been  told  briefly.  My  devotee,  knowing  this,  becomes  fitted  to 
enter  into  My  Being  (oneness  with  Me). 

19.  Know  thou  both  Prakriti  (Nature)  and  Purusha  (Soul)  to  be  with- 
out beginning.  Know  thou  also  that  all  the  modifications  and  Gunas 
(qualities)  are  born  of  Prakriti. 

20.  Prakriti  is  said  to  be  the  productive  source  of  cause  and  effect; 
while  the  embodied  soul  is  the  cause  of  experiences  of  pleasure  and  pain, 

21.  For  the  Purusha  (Soul)  experiences  the  Gunas,  born  of  Prakriti; 
attachment  to  the  Gunas  is  the  cause  of  its  birth  in  good  and  evil  wombs. 

22.  The  great  Soul  (that  dwells)  in  this  body  is  called  the  Witness  or 
Looker-on,  the  Sanctioner,  the  Sustainer,  the  Experienccr,  the  mighty 
Lord  and  also  the  Supreme  Self. 

23.  He  who  thus  knows  Purusha  (Soul)  and  Prakriti  (Nature)  with 
the  Gunas  (qualities),  howsoever  he  may  be  living,  is  not  born  again. 

24.  Some,  by  meditation,  behold  the  Self  by  the  self  within  them- 
selves; others  by  the  path  of  wisdom;  slill  others  by  the  path  of  action* 


100  INDIAN    PIETY 

25.  Others  again,  not  possessing  such  knowledge  themselves,  worship 
as  they  have  heard  from  others  (illumined  Souls) ;  even  they  surmount 
death,  by  following  with  faith  what  they  have  heard. 

26.  O  mighty  of  the  Bharata  race,  whatever  is  born,  whether  moving 
or  unmoving,  know  it  to  be  (produced)  from  the  union  of  Kshetra  and 
Kshetrajna  (Nature  and  Soul). 

27.  The  Supreme  Lord  abides  in  all  beings  equally;  (He  is)  undying 
in  the  dying:  He  who  sees  (thus)  sees  truly. 

28.  Seeing  the  same  Lord  existing  everywhere  equally,  he  does  not 
hurt  Self  by  the  self  and  thus  attains  the  highest  goal. 

29.  And  he  who  sees  that  all  actions  are  being  performed  by  Prakriti 
(Nature)  alone  and  that  the  Self  is  not  acting,  he  sees  truly. 

30.  When  he  sees  the  separate  existence  of  all  beings  established  in 
One,  and  their  expansion  from  that  One  alone,  then  he  becomes  Brah- 
man (one  with  Brahman) . 

31.  O  son  of  Kunti,  being  without  beginning  and  devoid  of  Gunas,  the 
Supreme  Self  is  immutable;  though  dwelling  in  the  body,  It  neither  acts 
nor  is  affected  (by  the  fruits  of  action). 

32.  As  the  all-pervading  ether  (Akasha)  is  not  tainted,  because  of  its 
subtlety,  similarly  this  Self,  (though)  existing  everywhere  in  the  body, 
is  not  tainted. 

33.  O  descendant  of  Bharata,  as  one  sun  illumines  all  this  world,  sim- 
ilarly He  who  dwells  in  the  body  illumines  all  bodies. 

34.  They  who  thus,  by  the  eyes  of  wisdom,  perceive  the  distinction 
between  body  and  Soul,  and  the  liberation  of  beings  from  Nature 
(Prakriti),  they  attain  to  the  Supreme. 

Here  ends  the  Thirteenth  Chapter  called 

"Yoga  of  Kshetra  and  Kshetrajna,  or 

The  Path  of  Discrimination 

between  Body  and  Soul" 

CHAPTER  XIV 

The  Blessed  Lord  said: 

i.  Now  I  shall  again  declare  unto  thee  that  supreme  wisdom,  which 
is  above  all  wisdom,  by  knowing  which  all  the  Sages  after  this  life 
attain  to  the  highest  perfection. 


THE    BLESSED    LORD    S    SONG  101 

2.  Abiding  by  this  wisdom,  and  having  attained  to  My  Being,  neither 
do  they  come  forth  in  evolution1  nor  are  they  affected  in  involution.8 

3.  O  descendant  of  Bharata,  the  great  Prakriti  is  My  womb;  in  that 
I  place  the  seed,  from  thence  is  the  birth  of  all  beings. 

4.  O  son  of  Kunti,  whatever  forms  are  produced  in  all  the  wombs, 
the  great  Prakriti  is  the  womb  and  I  am  the  seed-giving  Father. 

5.  O  mighty-armed,  Sattwa,  Rajas,  Tamas,8  these  Gunas  (qualities), 
born  of  Prakriti,  bind  the  immutable,  embodied  soul  in  the  body. 

6.  O  sinless  one,  of  these  (Gunas)  Sattwa,  being  transparent,  luminous 
and  free  from  evil,  binds  (the  embodied)  by  attachment  to  happiness 
and  attachment  to  knowledge. 

7.  O  son  of  Kunti,  know  thou  Rajas  to  be  of  the  nature  of  passion, 
giving  rise  to  thirst  (for  pleasure)  and  attachment.  It  binds  the  embodied 
by  attachment  to  action. 

8.  O  Bharata  (Arjuna),  know  thou  Tamas  to  be  born  of  ignorance; 
it  deludes  all  embodied  beings  and  binds  by  false  perception,  indolence 
snd  sleep. 

9.  O  Bharata,  Sattwa  attaches  one  to  happmes;  Rajas  to  action;  while 
Tamas,  covering  wisdom,  attaches  one  to  false  perception. 

10.  O  Bharata   (sometimes)   Sattwa  predominates  over  Rajas  and 
Tamas;  (sometimes)  Rajas  predominates  over  Sattwa  and  Tamas;  and 
(sometimes)  Tamas  over  Sattwa  and  Rajas. 

11.  When  through  all  the  senses  of  this  body  the  light  of  understand- 
ing shines  forth,  then  it  is  to  be  known  that  Sattwa  is  predominant. 

12.  O  Prince  of  the  Bharata  race,  greed,  (excessive)  activity,  enter- 
prise, restlessness,  longing,  these  prevail  when  Rajas  is  predominant. 

13.  O  descendant  of  Kuru,  darkness,  inertia,  false  perception,  and 
also  delusion  prevail  when  Tamas  is  predominant. 

14.  If  the  embodied  meets  with  death  when  Sattwa  is  predominant, 
then  he  attains  the  spotless  regions  of  the  knowers  of  the  Highest. 

15.  Meeting  with  death  in  Rajas,  one  is  born  among  those  attached 
to  action;  and  dying  in  Tamas,  one  is  born  in  the  wombs  of  senseless 
beings. 

16.  The  fruit  of  good  deeds  is  declared  to  be  Sattwika  and  pure;  the 
fruit  of  Rajas  (passionate  deeds)  is  pain;  and  ignorance  is  the  fruit  of 
Tamas. 

1  Creation. 

8  Dissolution. 

*  Goodness,  passion,  darkness. 


IO2  INDIAN    PIETY 

17.  Wisdom  is  born  of  Sattwa;  greed,  of  Rajas;  false  perception,  delu- 
sion and  ignorance  arise  from  Tamas. 

18.  The  dwellers  of  Sattwa  go  upward;  the  Rajasic  (of  passionate 
natures)  stay  in  the  middle;  and  the  Tamasic,  abiding  in  the  functions  of 
the  lowest  Guna,  go  downward. 

19.  When  the  Seer  beholds  no  other  agent  than  the  Gunas,  and  knows 
also  That  which  is  higher  than  the  Gunas,  then  he  attains  to  My  Being. 

20.  The  embodied,  having  gone  beyond  these  three  Gunas,  out  of 
which  the  body  is  evolved,  is  liberated  from  birth,  death,  decay  and 
pain,  and  attains  to  immortality. 

Arjuna  said: 

21.  O  Lord,  what  are  the  signs  of  him  who  has  gone  beyond  the 
three  Gunas?  What  are  his  characteristics  and  how  does  he  go  beyond 
these  three  Gunas? 

The  Blessed  Lord  said: 

22.  O  Pandava,  he  who  neither  hates  the  presence  of  illumination 
(Sattwa),  activity  (Rajas)  or  delusion  (Tamas),  nor  craves  for  them 
when  they  are  absent; 

23.  He  who  is  seated  unconcerned  (like  a  witness)  and  is  not  moved 
by  the  Gunas,  who  is  established  and  unshaken,  knowing  that  the  Gunas 
alone  operate; 

24.  He  who  is  alike  in  pleasure  and  pain;  self-possessed;  regarding 
alike  a  lump  of  earth,  a  stone  and  gold;  who  is  the  same  in  pleasant  and 
unpleasant,  in  praise  and  blame,  and  steady' 

25.  He  who  is  alike  in  honor  and  dishonor,  the  same  to  friend  and 
foe,  giving  up  all  (selfish)  undertakings,  he  is  said  to  have  crossed 
beyond  the  Gunas. 

26.  And  he  who,  crossing  over  these  Gunas,  serves  me  with  unwaver- 
ing devotion,  becomes  fit  to  attain  oneness  with  Brahman. 

27.  For  I  am  the  Abode  of  Brahman,  the  Immutable,  the  Immortal, 
the  eternal  Dharma  and  Absolute  Bliss. 

Here  ends  the  Fourteenth  Chapter  called 
"Distinction  of  the  Three  Gunas'' 


THE    BLESSED    LORD'S    SONG  103 

CHAPTER  XV 

The  Blessed  Lord  said: 

1.  They  speak  of  an  eternal  Ashwattha   (tree),  rooted  above  and 
branching  below,  whose  leaves  are  the  Vedas.  He  who  knows  it  knows 
the  Vedas. 

2.  Its  branches  are  spread  below  and  above,  nourished  by  the  Gunas; 
the  sense-objects  are  its  buds;  its  roots  stretch  down  below  in  the  world 
of  men,  creating  actions. 

3.  Its  form  is  not  visible  here,  neither  its  end  nor  its  origin,  nor  its 
basis.  Having  cut  down  this  firm-rooted  Ashwattha  tree  by  the  mighty 
sword  of  non-attachment, 

4.  Then  that  Goal  is  to  be  sought  after,  attaining  which  they  (the 
wise)  do  not  return  again.  I  take  refuge  in  that  Primeval  Being  from 
which  streams  forth  the  Eternal  (creative)  Energy. 

5.  Free  from  pride  and  false  conceit,  the  evil  of  attachment  conquered, 
ever  devoted  to  spiritual  knowledge,  desires  completely  pacified,  liber- 
ated from  the  pairs  of  opposites  known  as  pleasure  and  pain,  the  unde- 
luded  reach  that  eternal  Goal. 

6.  That  (Goal)  the  sun  does  not  illumine,  nor  the  moon,  nor  fire; 
going  there,  they  (the  wise)  do  not  return.  That  is  My  Supreme  Abode. 

7.  A  portion  of  Myself  has  become  the  living  Soul  in  the  world  of 
life  from  time  without  beginning.  It  draws  the  (five)  senses  and  mind, 
the  sixth  (sense),  which  are  in  Prakriti. 

8.  When  the  Lord  (Soul)  obtains  a  body  and  when  He  leaves  it, 
He  takes  these  (senses  and  mind)  and  goes  forth  as  the  wind  (goes 
forth),  carrying  away  the  scents  from  their  seats  (the  flowers). 

9.  The  embodied  soul,  presiding  over  the  ear,  eye,  the  sense  of  touch, 
of  taste  and  smell,  as  well  as  over  the  mind,  experiences  sense-objects. 

10.  Either  going  forth  from  the  body,  or  residing  in  it,  or  experiencing, 
or  united  with  the  Gunas,  the  deluded  do  not  see  It  (the  Soul);  but 
those  who  have  the  eye  of  wisdom  perceive  It. 

n.  The  self-subjugated  perceive  It,  dwelling  in  themselves;  but  the 
impure-hearted  and  the  unintelligent,  even  though  striving,  behold  It 
not. 

12.  The  light  which  resides  in  the  sun,  in  the  moon,  in  fire,  and 
which  illumines  the  whole  world,  know  that  light  to  be  Mine. 


104  INDIAN    PIETY 

13.  Entering  the  earth  with  My  energy,  I  support  all  beings  and  I 
nourish  all  the  herbs,  becoming  the  watery  moon. 

14.  Dwelling  in  the  body  of  living  beings  as  Fire,  I,  being  united  with 
Prana  (ingoing  breath)  and  Apana  (outgoing  breath),  digest  four 
kinds  of  food.1 

15.  I  am  seated  in  the  hearts  of  all,  from  Me  alone  comes  memory, 
wisdom,  and  also  their  loss.  I  am  that  which  is  known  in  all  the  Vedas. 
Verily  I  am  the  Author  of  Vedanta  and  the  knower  of  the  Vedas  am  I. 

16.  There  are  two  kinds  of  beings  in  the  world:  the  perishable  and 
the  imperishable;  all  beings  are  perishable,  but  the  Purusha  (Self)  is 
imperishable. 

17.  But  there  is  another,  the  Highest  Being,  called  the  Supreme  Self, 
who  is  the  Immutable  Lord,  pervading  the  three  worlds  and  supporting 
them. 

18.  As  I  am  beyond  the  perishable  and  am  above  even  the  imperish- 
able, therefore  in  the  world  and  in  the  Veda  I  am  known  as  the  Supreme 
Being. 

19.  O  descendant  of  Bharata,  he  who,  free  from  delusion,  thus  knows 
Me  as  the  Supreme  Being,  he,  knowing  all,  worships  Me  with  his  whole 
heart. 

20.  Thus,  O  sinless  Bharata,  has  been  declared  by  Me  the  most  pro- 
found teaching,  knowing  this  one  attains  enlightenment  and  the  fulfill- 
ment of  all  duties. 

Here  ends  the  Fifteenth  Chapter  called 
"The  Path  of  the  Supreme  Being" 


CHAPTER  XVI 

The  Blessed  Lord  said: 

1.  Fearlessness,  purity  of  heart,  steadfastness  in  Yoga  of  Self-knowl- 
edge, charitable  gifts,  control  of  the  senses,  sacrifice,  study  of  the  Sacred 
Scriptures,  austerity  and  simplicity, 

2.  Non-injury,  truthfulness,  absence  of  anger,  renunciation,  peace, 
absence  of  calumny,  compassion  to  beings,  non-covetousness,  gentleness, 
modesty  and  absence  of  fickleness, 

3.  Vigor,  forgiveness,  fortitude,  purity,  absence  of  hatred  and  pride, 
1  Fourfold  foods  which  require  masticating,  sucking,  licking  and  swallowing  or  drinking. 


THE    BLESSED    LORD*S    SONG  I(>5 

these,  O  descendant  of  Bharata,  belong  to  one  born  with  the  divine 
property. 

4.  O  Partha,  ostentatiousness,  arrogance  and  self-conceit    anger  as 
well  as  cruelty  and  ignorance,  belong  to  one  born  with  the  demonic 
property. 

5.  The  divine  property  is  for  liberation  and  the  demonic  for  bondage. 
Grieve  not,  O  Pandava,  thou  art  born  with  the  divine  property. 

6.  O  Partha,  in  this  world  there  are  twofold  manifestations  of  beings; 
the  divine  and  the  demonic.  The  divine  has  been  described  at  length. 
Hear  from  Me  now  of  the  demonic  state. 

7.  The  demonic  people  know  not  how  to  follow  right  or  how  to 
refrain  from  wrong;  there  is  neither  purity,  nor  good  conduct,  nor  truth 
in  them. 

8.  They  say  that  "this  universe  is  without  truth,  without  a  basis,  with- 
out God,  born  of  mutual  union  caused  by  lust.  What  else  is  there?" 

9.  Holding  this  view,  these  ruined  souls,  of  small  understanding  and 
of  fierce  deeds,  rise  as  the  enemies  of  the  world  for  its  destruction. 

10.  Filled  with  insatiable  desires,  possessed  with  hypocrisy,  pride  and 
arrogance,  holding  evil  fancies  through  delusion,  they  work  with  unholy 
resolve; 

11.  Beset  with  immense  cares,  ending  only  in  death;  regarding  sensual 
enjoyment  as  the  highest  and  feeling  sure  that  that  is  all  there  is; 

12.  Bound  by  a  hundred  ties  of  hope,  given  over  to  lust  and  anger, 
they  strive  to  secure  hoards  of  wealth  by  unjust  means,  for  sensual 
gratification. 

13.  "This  has  been  gained  by  me  today  and  this  desire  I  shall  obtain, 
this  is  mine  and  this  wealth  also  shall  be  mine." 

14.  "That  enemy  has  been  slain  by  me,  others  also  shall  I  slay.  I  am 
the  lord,  I  am  the  enjoyer,  I  am  successful,  powerful  and  happy." 

15.  "I  am  rich  and  well-born;  who  is  equal  to  me?  I  shall  sacrifice,  I 
shall  give,  I  shall  rejoice":  thus  deluded  by  ignorance, 

1 6.  Bewildered  by  many  fancies,  enwrapped  in  the  net  of  delusion, 
addicted  to  the  gratification  of  the  senses,  they  fall  into  a  foul  hell. 

17.  Self-glorifying,  haughty,  filled  with  the  vanity  and  intoxication  of 
wealth,  they  perform  sacrifices  (merely)  in  name  out  of  hypocrisy,  dis- 
regarding the  Scriptural  injunctions. 

1 8.  Possessed  by  egoism,  power,  insolence,  lust  and  anger,  these  malig- 
nant people  hate  Me  (dwelling)  in  their  own  bodies  and  in  those  of 
others. 


106  INDIAN    PIETY 

19.  I  hurl  these  malignant  and  cruel  evil  doers,  most  degraded  of  men, 
into  the  wombs  of  Asuras  *  in  the  world  (of  birth  and  death) . 

20.  O  son  of  Kunti,  entering  into  the  Asuric  (unclean)  wombs  and 
deluded  birth  after  birth,  without  attaining  Me  they  fall  into  a  still 
lower  state. 

21.  Lust,  anger  and  greed,  these  three  arc  the  soul-destroying  gates 
of  hell.  Therefore  one  should  forsake  these  three. 

22.  O  son  of  Kunti,  he  who  is  free  from  these  three  gates  of  darkness, 
practises  what  is  good  for  his  soul  and  thus  attains  the  Supreme  Goal. 

23.  He  who,  setting  aside  the  injunctions  of  the  Scriptures,  follows 
the  impulse  of  desire,  attains  neither  perfection,  nor  happiness,  nor  the 
highest  goal. 

24.  Therefore  let  the  Scriptures  be  thy  authority  in  ascertaining  what 
ought  to  be  done  and  what  ought  not  to  be  done.  Having  learned  the 
injunctions  declared  in  the  Scriptures,  thou  shouldst  act  here  (in  this 
world). 

Here  ends  the  Sixteenth  Chapter  called 

"Distinction  between  the  Divine  and 

the  Demonic  Property" 

CHAPTER  XVII 

Arjuna  said: 

1.  O  Krishna,  those  who,  disregarding  the  injunctions  of  the  Scrip- 
tures, perform  sacrifice  with  faith,  what  is  their  state?  Is  it  Sattwa  (good- 
ness), Rajas  (passion)  or  Tamas  (darkness)  ? 

The  Blessed  Lord  said: 

2.  Threefold  is  the  faith  of  the  embodied,  born  of  their  inherent  nature: 
Sattwica  (good),  Rajasica  (passionate),  Tamasica  (ignorant).  Do  thou 
hear  of  that. 

3.  O  descendant  of  Bharata,  the  faith  of  each  is  according  to  his  in- 
herent nature.  The  man  consists  of  his  faith;  he  is  verily  what  his  faith  is. 

4.  The  men  of  purity  worship  the  gods;  the  men  of  passionate  nature 
worship  Yakshas  and  Rakshasas;  while  the  others,  men  of  Tamasica 
(ignorant)  nature,  worship  ghosts  (departed  spirits)  and  goblins. 

1  Unclean,  cruel  and  godless  creatures. 


THE    BLESSED    LORD'S    SONG  107 

5.  The  men  who  practise  severe  austerities,  not  enjoined  by  the  Scrip- 
tures', being  possessed  with  hypocrisy  and  egoism,  impelled  by  lust  and 
attachment. 

6.  Torturing,  senseless  as  they  are,  all  the  organs  of  the  senses  and  Me, 
dwelling  in  the  body,  know  them  to  be  of  demonic  resolve. 

7.  The  foods  also  are  of  threefold  nature  which  are  liked  respectively 
by  each  of  these;  and  so  also  sacrifice,  austerity  and  charitable  gifts.  Do 
thou  hear  the  distinction  of  these. 

8.  The  foods  which  increase  life-force,  energy,  strength,  health,  joy  and 
cheerfulness,  and  which  are  savory,  soothing,  substantial  and  agreeable, 
are  liked  by  the  Sattwica  nature. 

9.  The  Rajasica  nature  likes  foods  which  are  bitter,  sour,  saline,  over- 
hot,  pungent,  dry,  burning,  and  which  produce  pain,  grief  and  disease. 

10.  That  which  is  stale,  insipid,  putrid,  cooked  over  night,  even  leav- 
ings or  unclean  food  is  liked  by  the  Tamasica  nature. 

11.  That  sacrifice  is  Sattwica  which  is  performed  by  men  desiring  no 
fruit,  as  it  is  enjoined  by  the  Scriptural  laws,  with  the  mind  fixed  on  the 
sacrifice  alone,  just  for  its  own  sake. 

12.  But,  O  best  of  the  Bharatas,  that  which  is  performed  with  the  desire 
for  fruits  and  for  ostentation,  know  that  to  be  Rajasica  sacrifice. 

13.  The  sacrifice  which  is  performed,  without  regard  to  Scriptural 
injunctions,  in  which  no  food  is  distributed,  and  which  is  without  sacred 
texts,  charitable  gifts  and  faith,  is  said  to  be  Tamasica. 

14.  Worship  of  the  gods,  of  the  twice-born,1  of  Gurus8  and  wise  men; 
purity,  simplicity,  continence,  non-injury;  these  are  called  the  austerity 
of  the  body. 

15.  Speech,  which  causes  no  pain  (to  others)  and  is  true  as  well  as 
pleasant  and  beneficial;  regular  study  of  the  Scriptures:  these  are  called 
the  austerity  of  speech. 

1 6.  Cheerfulness  of  mind,  kindliness,  silence,  self-control,  purity  of 
heart:  these  are  called  austerity  of  the  mind. 

17.  When  this  threefold  austerity  is  practised,  by  men  of  steadfast 
devotion,  with  great  faith,  without  desiring  fruits,  it  is  said  to  be  Sattwica. 

18.  When  this  austerity  is  performed  with  the  object  of  gaining  wel- 
come, honor  and  worship,  or  from  ostentation,  it  is  said  to  be  Rajasica, 
unstable  and  fleeting. 

19.  The  austerity  which  is  performed  with  deluded  understanding,  by 

1  Brahmanas. 

*  Spiritual  teachers, 


108  INDIAN    PIETY 

self-torture  or  for  the  purpose  of  injuring  another,  that  is  said  to  be 
Tamasica. 

20.  "To  give  is  right'*:  with  this  thought,  giving  to  one  who  does 
nothing  in  return,  in  a  fit  place,  time  and  to  a  worthy  person,  is  regarded 
as  a  Sattwica  gift. 

21.  That  gift  which  is  made  with  the  thought  of  receiving  in  return  or 
of  looking  for  the  fruits,  or  given  reluctantly,  is  known  as  a  Rajasica  gift. 

22.  The  gift  which  is  made  in  the  wrong  place  or  time,  to  unworthy 
persons,  with  disrespect  and  contempt,  that  is  said  to  be  a  Tamasica  gift. 

23.  "Om,  Tat,  Sat"  (Yes,  That,  the  Real),  this  is  declared  to  be  the 
triple  name  of  Brahman,  by  which  were  made  of  old  the  Brahmanas,  the 
Vedas  and  sacrifices. 

24.  Therefore  the  followers  of  the  Vedas  always  begin  their  acts  of 
sacrifice,  gift  and  austerity  by  uttering  "Om"  as  enjoined  in  the  Scriptures. 

25.  By  uttering  "Tat,"  without  looking  for  fruits,  the  seekers  after 
liberation  perform  various  acts  of  sacrifice,  austerity  and  gift. 

26.  O  Partha,  the  word  "Sat"  is  used  in  the  sense  of  reality  and  of  good- 
ness; and  the  word  "Sat"  is  also  used  in  the  sense  of  auspicious  act. 

27.  Steadfastness  in  sacrifice,  austerity  and  gift  is  called  "Sat,"  and 
action  performed  for  the  sake  of  That  (Supreme)  is  also  called  "Sat." 

28.  O  Partha,  whatever  is  sacrificed,  or  given,  or  performed,  or  what- 
ever austerities  are  practised  without  faith,  that  is  called  "Asat"  (Unreal). 
It  is  neither  good  for  here  nor  for  hereafter. 

Here  ends  the  Seventeenth  Chapter  called 
"Division  of  the  Threefold  Faith" 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

Arjuna  said: 

1.  O  Lord  of  the  senses,  O  Mighty-armed,  O  Destroyer  of  Keshi,  I 
desire  to  know  respectively  the  truth  regarding  Sannyasa  (renunciation) 
as  well  as  of  Tyaga  (relinquishment). 

The  Blessed  Lord  said: 

2.  The  Sages  declare  that  the  renunciation  of  actions  with  desire  (for 
fruits)  is  Sannyasa,  and  the  learned  declare  that  the  relinquishment  of 
the  fruits  of  all  actions  is  Tyaga. 


THE    BLESSED    LORD    S    SONG  ZOO, 

3.  Some  philosophers  declare  that  all  actions  should  be  given  up  as  an 
evil;  while  others  say  that  the  work  of  sacrifice,  gift  and  austerity  should 
never  be  given  up. 

4.  O  best  of  the  Bharatas,  O  tiger  among  men,  hear  from  Me  the  final 
truth  regarding  relinquishment;  for  relmquishment  has  been  declared 
to  be  of  three  kinds. 

5.  The  acts  of  sacrifice,  gift  and  austerity  are  not  to  be  relinquished,  but 
should  indeed  be  performed;  for  sacrifice,  gift  and  austerity  are  purifying 
to  the  discriminative. 

6.  But,  O  Partha,  even  these  acts  are  to  be  performed,  giving  up  attach- 
ment and  the  fruits.  This  is  My  best  and  sure  conviction. 

7.  Relinquishment'of  the  prescribed  actions  is  not  proper.  Abandon- 
ment of  the  same,  through  delusion,  is  declared  to  be  Tamasica. 

8.  He  who  relinquishes  action  out  of  fear  of  bodily  trouble,  thinking 
"it  is  painful,"  thus  performing  Rajasica  relinquishment,  does  not  obtain 
the  fruit  thereof. 

9.  O  Arjuna,  giving  up  attachment  and  fruit,  when  prescribed  action 
is  performed  because  it  should  be  done,  such  relinquishment  is  regarded 
as  Sattwica. 

10.  The  relmquisher,  imbued  with  Sattwa  and  steady  understanding, 
with  his  doubts  destroyed,  does  not  hate  a  disagreeable  work,  nor  is  he 
attached  to  an  agreeable  one. 

11.  It  is  not  possible  for  the  embodied  to  relinquish  actions  entirely; 
but  he  who  relinquishes  the  fruits  of  action  is  called  a  (true)  relinquisher. 

12.  Good,  evil  and  mixed,  threefold  is  the  fruit  of  action  obtained  by 
non-relmquishers  after  death;  but  never  by  relinquishes. 

13.  O  mighty-armed,  learn  from  Me  the  five  causes  for  the  accomplish- 
ment of  all  action,  as  it  is  declared  in  the  Sankhya  philosophy. 

14.  The  body,  the  agent,  the  various  senses,  the  different  and  manifold 
functions  and  the  presiding  deity  as  the  fifth. 

15.  Whatever  action  man  performs  with  his  body,  speech  and  mind, 
whether  right  or  the  reverse,  these  five  are  its  causes. 

16.  This  being  the  case,  he  who,  through  impure  understanding,  looks 
upon  his  Self,  the  One,  as  the  agent,  he  of  perverted  mind,  sees  not  (the 
Truth). 

17.  He  who  has  no  egotistical  notion  (such  as  "I  am  the  doer"),  whose 
understanding  is  not  affected  (by  good  and  evil),  even  though  slaying 
these  people,  be  neither  slays  nor  is  bound  (by  action). 


110  INDIAN    PIETY 

1 8.  The  knowledge,  the  knowable,  and  the  knower  are  the  threefold 
cause  of  action;  the  instrument  (senses),  the  object  and  the  agent,  are  the 
threefold  basis  of  action. 

19.  Knowledge,  action  and  agent  are  declared  in  the  Sankhya  philos- 
ophy to  be  threefold,  according  to  the  distinction  of  the  Gunas.  Hear 
them  also  duly. 

20.  Know  that  knowledge  to  be  Sattwica,  by  which  is  seen  in  all  beings 
the  One  Immutable,  inseparate  in  the  separate. 

21.  But  the  knowledge  which  sees  in  all  beings  the  distinct  entities  of 
diverse  kinds  as  different  from  one  another,  know  that  knowledge  to  be 
Rajasica  (passionate). 

22.  While  that  knowledge  which  is  confined  to  one  single  effect,  as  if 
it  were  the  whole,  without  reason,  not  founded  on  truth,  and  trivial,  that 
is  declared  to  be  Tamasica. 

23.  The  action  which  is  ordained,  performed  by  one  not  desirous  of 
fruits,  free  from  attachment  and  without  love  or  aversion,  is  declared  to 
be  Sattwica. 

24.  But  the  action  which  is  performed  with  longing  for  objects  of  desire, 
or  with  egoism,  or  with  much  effort,  is  declared  to  be  Rajasica. 

25.  The  action  which  is  undertaken  from  delusion,  without  heed  to 
ability  and  consequence,  loss  and  injury  (to  others)  is  said  to  be  Tamasica. 

26.  Free  from  attachment,  non-egotistic,  endued  with  perseverance  and 
enthusiasm,  unaffected  in  success  or  failure,  such  an  agent  is  called 
Sattwica. 

27.  He  who  is  passionate  and  desirous  of  the  fruits  of  action,  greedy, 
malignant,  impure,  easily  moved  by  joy  or  sorrow,  such  an  agent  is  called 
Rajasica. 

28.  Unsteady,  vulgar,  arrogant,  dishonest,  malicious,  indolent,  de- 
spondent, procrastinating,  such  an  agent  is  called  Tamasica. 

29.  O  Dhananjaya,  hear  thou  the  distinction  of  understanding  and 
fortitude  according  to  the  threefold  Gunas,  as  I  declare  them  exhaustively 
and  distinctively. 

30.  O  Partha,  know  that  understanding  to  be  Sattwica  which  knows 
when  to  act  and  when  to  abstain  from  action;  also  right  and  wrong  action, 
fear  and  fearlessness,  bondage  and  liberation. 

31.  O  Partha,  that  by  which  the  understanding  is  distorted  regarding 
right  and  wrong,  proper  and  improper  action,  that  is  called  Rajasica 
understanding. 


THE    BLESSED    LORD    S    SONG  III 

32.  That  understanding  which  is  covered  with  darkness  and  regards 
unrighteousness  as  righteousness,  and  looks  upon  all  things  in  a  perverted 
light,  that,  O  Partha,  is  Tamasica  understanding. 

33.  That  firmness,  O  Partha,  by  which  one  can  control  the  activity  of 
the  mind,  Prana  and  senses,  through  the  unwavering  practice  of  Yoga, 
that  firmness  is  Sattwica. 

34.  But  that  firmness  by  which  one  clings  to  duty,  desire  and  wealth, 
being  attached  therein  and  desirous  of  fruits,  that  firmness  is  Rajasica. 

35.  O  Partha,  that  by  which  a  stupid  man  does  not  give  up  sleep,  fear, 
grief,  despondency  and  vanity,  that  firmness  is  Tamasica. 

36.  O  Prince  of  the  Bharata  race,  now  hear  from  Me  regarding  the 
threefold  happiness,  that  happiness  which  one  enjoys  by  habit  and  by 
which  one  comes  to  the  end  of  pain. 

37.  That  which  is  like  poison  in  the  beginning  and  like  nectar  in  the 
end,  that  happiness  is  said  to  be  Sattwica  (pure),  born  of  the  blissful 
knowledge  of  the  Self. 

38.  That  happiness  which  arises  from  the  contract  of  the  senses  with 
sense-objects  and  is  like  nectar  in  the  beginning  but  like  poison  in  the 
end,  is  declared  to  be  Rajasica. 

39.  That  happiness  which  begins  and  ends  in  self-delusion,  arising  from 
sleep,  indolence  and  false  perception,  is  declared  to  be  Tamasica. 

40.  There  is  no  being  on  earth  or  in  heaven  among  the  gods,  who  is 
free  from  these  three  Gunas,  born  of  Praknti  (Nature). 

41.  O  Parantapa  (Arjuna),  the  duties  of  Brahmanas,  Kshatriyas,  Vais- 
yas  and  also  of  Sudras,  are  distributed  according  to  their  Gunas,  born  of 
their  nature. 

42.  Control  of  mind  and  senses,  austerity,  purity,  forgiveness  and  also 
simplicity,  knowledge,  realization  and  faith  in  God,  these  are  the  duties 
of  Brahmanas,  born  of  their  nature. 

43.  Bravery,  energy,  firmness,  skill  and  also  not  flying  from  the  battle, 
generosity,  lordliness,  are  the  duties  of  Kshatriyas,  born  of  their  nature. 

44.  Agriculture,  rearing  of  cattle  and  trade  are  the  dudes  of  the  Vaisyas, 
born  of  their  nature.  Service  is  the  duty  of  Sudras,  born  of  their  nature. 

45.  Man  attains  perfection,  being  engaged  in  his  own  duty.  Hear  now 
how  one  engaged  in  his  own  duty  attains  perfection. 

46.  Him  from  Whom  is  the  evolution  of  all  beings,  by  Whom  all  this 
is  pervaded,  by  worshipping  Him  with  his  own  duty  man  attains  per- 
fection. 

47.  Better  is  one's  own  duty,  although  imperfect,  than  that  of  another 


112  INDIAN    PIETY 

well  performed.  He  who  does  the  duty  born  of  his  own  nature  incurs 
no  sin. 

48.  O  son  of  Kunti,  one  should  not  relinquish  the  duty  to  which  he  is 
born,  though  it  is  defective,  for  all  undertakings  are  surrounded  by  evil 
as  fire  by  smoke. 

49.  He,  whose  understanding  is  unattached  everywhere,  who  is  self- 
subjugated,  devoid  of  desires,  he,  by  renunciation,  attains  the  supreme 
perfection,  consisting  in  freedom  from  action. 

50.  O  son  of  Kunti,  after  reaching  such  perfection,  how  he  attains  to 
Brahman,  the  highest  Goal  of  Wisdom,  do  thou  hear  that  from  Me 
in  brief. 

51.  Endued  with  pure  understanding;  subduing  self  by  firmness;  re- 
linquishing sound  and  other  sense-objects;  abandoning  longing  and 
aversion; 

52.  Resorting  to  a  secluded  spot;  eating  little;  controlling  body,  speech 
and  mind;  ever  steadfastly  engaged  in  meditation  and  concentration; 
endued  with  dispassion; 

53.  Forsaking  egoism,  power,  pride,  lust,  anger  and  possession;  freed 
from  the  notion  of  "mine"  and  tranquil:  one  is  thus  fit  to  become  one 
with  Brahman. 

54.  Becoming  one  with  Brahman,  serene-minded,  he  neither  grieves 
nor  desires;  alike  to  all  beings,  he  attains  supreme  devotion  unto  Me. 

55.  By  devotion  he  knows  Me  in  truth,  what  and  who  I  am;  having 
thus  known  Me  in  truth,  he  forthwith  enters  into  Me. 

56.  Even  though  constantly  performing  all  actions,  taking  refuge  in 
Me,  through  My  grace  he  attains  to  the  Eternal,  Immutable  Abode. 

57.  Surrendering  mentally  all  actions  to  Me,  regarding  Me  as  the  high- 
est goal,  resorting  to  Self-knowledge,  do  thou  ever  fix  thy  heart  on  Me. 

58.  Fixing  thy  heart  on  Me,  thou  shalt,  by  My  grace,  overcome  all 
obstacles;  but  if,  through  egoism,  thou  wilt  not  hear  Me,  thou  shalt  perish. 

59.  If,  actuated  by  egoism,  thou  thinkest:  "I  will  not  fight,"  in  vain  is 
this  thy  resolve.  Thine  own  nature  will  impel  thee. 

60.  O  son  of  Kunti,  being  bound  by  thine  own  Karma,  born  of  thine 
own  nature,  thou  shalt  be  helplessly  led  to  do  that  which  from  delusion 
thou  desirest  not  to  do. 

61.  O  Arjuna,  the  Lord  dwells  in  the  heart  of  all  beings,  causing  all 
beings  to  revolve,  as  if  mounted  on  a  wheel. 

62.  O  Bharata,  take  refuge  in  Him  with  all  thy  heart;  through  His 
grace  thou  shalt  attain  Supreme  Peace  and  the  Eternal  Abode, 


THE    BLESSED    LORD'S    SONG  113 

63.  Thus  wisdom,  most  profound  of  all  secrets,  has  been  declared  unto 
thee  by  Me;  pondering  over  it  fully,  do  as  thou  likest. 

64.  Hear  again  My  Supreme  Word,  most  profound  of  all;  for  thou 
art  My  dearly  beloved,  therefore  I  shall  speak  for  thy  good. 

65.  Fill  thy  heart  with  Me,  be  thou  devoted  to  Me,  do  thou  worship 
Me  and  bow  down  to  Me.  Thus  thou  shalt  attain  unto  Me.  Truly  I 
promise  thee,  for  thou  art  dear  to  Me. 

66.  Giving  up  all  Dharmas  (righteous  and  unrighteous  actions),  come 
unto  Me  alone  for  refuge.  I  shall  free  thee  from  all  sins;  grieve  not. 

67.  This  should  never  be  spoken  by  thee  to  one  who  is  devoid  of  aus- 
terity or  without  devotion,  nor  to  one  who  does  not  render  service,  nor  to 
one  who  speaks  ill  of  Me. 

68.  He  who,  with  supreme  devotion  to  Me,  will  declare  this  deeply 
profound  secret  to  My  devotees,  doubtless  he  shall  come  unto  Me. 

69.  There  is  none  among  men  who  does  dearer  service  to  Me  than  he, 
nor  shall  there  be  any  other  on  earth  dearer  to  Me  than  he. 

70.  And  he  who  shall  study  this  Sacred  Dialogue  between  us,  by  him 
I  shall  be  worshipped  with  sacrifice  of  wisdom.  Such  is  My  conviction. 

71.  And  even  that  man  who  shall  hear  this,  full  of  faith  and  without 
malice,  he  too,  being  freed  from  evil,  shall  attain  to  the  sacred  region  of 
those  of  righteous  deeds. 

72.  O  son  of  Pntha,  has  this  been  heard  by  thee  with  an  attentive  mind  ? 
O  Dhananjaya,  has  the  delusion  of  thine  ignorance  been  destroyed? 

Arjuna  said: 

73.  My  delusion  is  destroyed  and  I  have  regained  my  memory  through 
Thy  grace,  O  Changeless  One.  I  stand  firm  with  doubts  dispelled;  I  will 
do  Thy  Word. 

Sanjaya  said: 

74.  Thus  have  I  heard  this  wonderful  Dialogue  between  Vasudeva 
(Krishna)  and  great-souled  Partha,  causing  my  hair  to  stand  on  end. 

75.  Through  the  grace  of  Vyasa  have  I  heard  this  supreme  and  most 
profound  Yoga,  declared  directly  by  Krishna  Himself,  the  Lord  of  Yoga. 

76.  O  King,  as  I  remember,  over  and  over,  this  wonderful  and  holy 
Dialogue  between  Keshava  and  Arjuna,  I  rejoice  again  and  again. 

77.  And  as  I  remember,  over  and  over,  that  most  wonderful  Form  of 
Hari  (the  Lord),  great  is  my  wonder,  O  King,  and  I  rejoice  again  and 
again. 


114  INDIAN    PIET* 

78.  Wherever  is  Krishna,  the  Lord  of  Yoga,  wherever  is  Partha,  the 
bowman,  there  are  prosperity,  victory,  glory,  sound  polity.  Such  is  my 
firm  conviction. 

Here  ends  the  Eighteenth  Chapter  called 
''The  Path  of  Liberation  through  Renun- 
ciation" in  the  Srimad-Bhagavad-Gita, 
the  Essence  of  the  Upamshads,  the 
Science  of  Brahman,  the  Scrip- 
ture of  Yoga,  the  Dialogue 
between  Sri  Krishna 
and  Arjuna 

Peace!  Peace!  Peace  be  unto  all. 


The  Yoga  Aphorisms  of 
Patanjali 


INTRODUCTION 

THE  MOST  CURIOUS,  most  distinctive  and  at  the  same  time  probably  the 
most  widely  known  aspect  of  Hindu  mysticism  is  the  philosophy  and 
practice  of  yoga.  If  the  sum  of  Brahmanism  may  be  defined  as  teaching 
the  mystic  union  of  man's  true  self  with  the  world-soul  (brahman,  God, 
etc.),  yoga  represents  the  most  direct  and  well-formulated  method  for 
achieving  that  goal,  and  as  such  constitutes  a  form  of  religious  experi- 
ence and  a  religious  technique.  The  reason  for  the  popularity  of  yoga 
philosophy  and  its  particular  appeal  to  the  modern  world  is  twofold;  it 
arises  from  the  combination  of  a  system  of  physical  regimen  that  has 
something  to  do  with  physical  and  mental  health  with  a  mystic  search 
for  inner  stability  and  the  psychic  depths  of  man's  soul,  which  seems  to 
underly  a  broad  and  deep  undercurrent  of  modern  life.  "To  me,"  says 
C.  G.  Jung,  "the  crux  of  the  spiritual  problem  of  today  is  to  be  found  in 
the  fascination  which  psychic  life  exerts  upon  the  modern  man."  It  is 
needless  to  point  out  that  it  is  modern  psychoanalysis  itself,  which  has 
awakened  our  interest  in,  and  opened  our  way  to  the  exploration  of,  the 
subconscious,  and  by  changing  our  whole  conception  of  the  human 
"mind,"  has  exhibited  to  us  the  tyrannous  demoniac  power  of  our  primor- 
dial instincts,  impulses  and  "urges"  which  govern  our  lives  in  that  vast 
psychological  underworld.  Lastly,  it  must  be  pointed  out  that  popularity 
of  yoga  is  due  to  its  claims  of  supernatural  powers  and  to  the  general 
interest  in  the  hocus-pocus  of  all  forms  of  occultism. 

"5 


Il6  INDIAN    PIETY 

Yoga  (meaning  "yoke")  represents  a  form  of  personal  discipline,  with 
the  object  of  "yoking"  the  body  to  the  soul,  and  the  individual  soul  to 
the  universal  soul.  From  a  practical  aspect,  its  aim  is  to  help  culti- 
vate emotional  stability.  It  begins  with  a  unique  and  unparalleled  explor- 
ation in  the  region  of  the  involuntary  muscles  and  bringing  them  under 
the  control  of  the  mind,  and  proceeds  to  the  liberation  of  the  mind  from 
its  sense  impressions  and  the  deeper  residuents  and  impedimenta  that  not 
only  clog  but  form  the  very  fabric  of  our  subconscious  life  which  Freud 
has  summed  up  as  Eros,  or  the  life-principle,  comprising  the  sex  instinct 
and  the  ego-instinct.  Finally,  it  aims  at  the  destruction  of  the  "mind" 
for  the  liberation  of  the  "soul"  (which  is  variously  interpreted),  at  which 
point  it  has  a  religious  character  and  goes  beyond  the  fields  and  aims  of 
psychoanalytic  research. 

Before  the  coming  of  Freud  and  Jung,  we  might  have  easily  laughed 
off  yoga  philosophy  and  put  it  on  the  same  level  with  the  much  debated 
Hindu  rope  trick  and  levitation.  Yoga  does  claim  powers  of  levitation. 
In  the  first  week  of  July,  1942, 1  read  in  the  New  Yor/(  Herald  Tribune 
a  factual  account  by  a  responsible  Hindu  professor  of  a  yogi  buried  under 
publicly  tested  conditions  and  coming  to  life  again  after  six  months  in 
the  presence  of  thousands  of  Hindu  peasants.  It  is  these  sensational  reports 
that  appeal  to  the  popular  fancy.  After  the  modern  experiments  of  freez- 
ing of  patients  under  ice,  these  feats  seem  less  incredible  and  are  not  any 
more  inexplicable  than  the  hibernation  of  animals.  Still,  they  are  bound  to 
detract  our  attention  from  the  more  normal  and  earnest  problems  of 
achieving  emotional  stability  and  psychological  health. 

Luckily,  modern  psychology  offers  the  key  to  our  understanding  of 
yoga.  Breathing  exercises  and  the  mastery  of  ordinarily  involuntary 
muscles  by  practice  require  no  explanation;  the  deeper  problems  of  the 
psyche  do.  Jung  has  written  a  full  and  highly  illuminating  introduction 
to  a  Chinese  yoga  book  (The  Secret  of  the  Golden  Flower,  Harcourt, 
Brace,  1938,  not  to  be  confused  with  the  Buddhistic  Lotus  Gospel;  see 
especially  the  sections,  "Difficulties  encountered  by  a  European  in  trying 
to  understand  the  East,"  and  "Modern  psychology  offers  a  possibility  of 
understanding").  Kovoor  T.  Behanan,  in  his  "Yoga:  a  Scientific  Evalua- 
tion" (Macmillan,  1937)  has  also  drawn  interesting  parallels  in  the  chap- 
ter, "Yoga  and  Psychoanalysis."  The  curious  thing  about  this  book  is 
that  in  Behanan,  a  Hindu  by  birth,  his  scientific  training  in  Toronto  and 
Vale  seems  to  have  got  the  upper  hand  of  his  native  Hindu  blood  and 
his  early  training  at  Calcutta;  I  rather  think  his  approach  to  yoga  is  more 


THE   YOGA   APHORISMS   OF   PATANJALI  117 

"university  trained"  and  therefore  more  trivial  than  that  of  a  continental 
mind  like  Jung. 

Readers  of  the  yoga  section  of  the  Bhagavad-Gita  must  have  been  im- 
pressed by  its  concern  with  what  lies  in  the  subconscious  life.  The  over- 
whelming emphasis  on  the  subconscious  and  the  dependence  of  the  yoga 
disciple  upon  the  guru,  or  spiritual  teacher,  are  points  of  similarity  with 
the  practice  of  psychoanalysis.  " Yoga  can  only  be  safely  learned  by  direct 
contact  with  a  teacher,"  warns  Swami  Vivekananda.  When  we  come  to 
the  analysis  of  the  mind  itself,  only  modern  psychology  makes  the  doc- 
trine intelligible  to  us.  The  process  of  destruction  of  the  mind  (chitta) 
in  order  to  save  the  soul  (pttrusha)  can  be  understood"  only  in  psycho- 
logical terms.  The  mind  with  its  incrusted  layers  of  sense -attachments, 
which  yoga  teaches  as  the  hindrances  to  our  seeing  of  the  ultimate  soul, 
is  no  more  than  the  sepulchre  of  primordial  life-urges  that  psychology 
has  shown  us;  the  doctrine  of  the  rebirth  is  no  more  than  that  survival  in 
individual  of  a  superpersonal  or  collective  race  inheritance  phylogene- 
tically  acquired;  the  impersonal,  collective  nature  of  these  primordial 
forces  is  apparently  the  same  as  that  of  the  "collective  unconscious"  of 
Jung.  Finally,  the  urge  for  release  and  liberation  is  what  Freud  has 
negatively  called  the  "death-instinct,"  the  opposite  of  the  "life-instinct," 
very  inadequately  illustrated,  I  am  afraid,  in  sadism  and  masochism. 
Freud  says  very  correctly,  in  the  subconscious,  "instinctive  impulses  .  .  . 
exist  independently  side  by  side,  and  are  exempt  from  mental  contradic- 
tion. .  .  .  There  is  in  this  system  no  negation,  no  dubiety,  no  varying 
degrees  of  certainty.  ...  Its  processes  are  timeless,  they  are  not  ordered 
temporarily,  are  not  altered  by  the  passage  of  time,  in  fact  bear  no  rela- 
tion to  time  at  all."  It  is  these  forces,  as  well  as  the  body  that  must  be 
brought  under  control  by  yoga  practice. 

It  is  also  important  to  point  out  that  the  theories  of  psychoanalysis, 
like  the  theories  of  yoga,  are  speculative,  and  only  a  portion  of  these  sub- 
jective interpretations  are  amenable  to  proof  by  experimentation.  We 
have  not  even  the  vocabulary  for  these  inner  phenomena,  and  when 
psychoanalysis  begins  to  tackle  the  depths  of  the  psyche,  it  is  compelled 
to  invent  terms  that  are  in  their  nature  quasi-scientific  make-shifts — 
terms  like  life-urge,  the  Id,  animus,  anima,  libido  (a  form  of  discharge 
of  energy  which  unfortunately  cannot  be  measured  in  volts),  and  that 
elusive  spiritual  entity  called  Eros.  Hindu  psychology,  Buddhist  and 
non-Buddhist,  abounds  in  such  terms.  It  is  said  that  there  is  a  greater 
psychological  vocabulary  in  Sanskrit  and  Pali  than  in  the  "modern  Ian- 


Il8  INDIAN    PIETY 

guages"  combined.  (For  example,  see  the  "Table  of  the  Eighty-Nine 
Consciousnesses"  in  Henry  Clarke  Warren's  Buddhism  in  Translations.) 

Jung  says,  "We  have  not  yet  clearly  grasped  the  fact  that  Western 
Theosophy  is  an  amateurish  imitation  of  the  East.  We  are  just  taking  up 
astrology  again,  and  that  to  the  Oriental  is  his  daily  bread.  Our  studies 
of  sexual  life,  originating  in  Vienna  and  England,  are  matched  or  sur- 
passed by  Hindu  teachings  on  the  subject.  Oriental  texts  ten  centuries 
old  introduce  us  to  philosophical  relativism,1  while  the  idea  of  indeter- 
mination,  newly  broached  in  the  West,  furnishes  the  very  basis  of  Chinese 
science.8  Richard  Wilhelm  has  even  shown  me  that  certain  complicated 
processes  discovered  by  analytical  psychology  are  recognizably  described 
in  ancient  Chinese  texts.8  Psycholanalysis  itself  and  the  lines  of  thought 
to  which  it  gives  rise — surely  a  distinctly  Western  development — are  only 
a  beginner's  attempt  compared  to  what  is  an  immemorial  art  in  the 
East."4 

I  can  do  no  better  than  quote  Swami  Vivekananda  on  the  nature  and 
character  of  the  yoga  discipline.  "For  thousands  of  years  such  phenomena 
have  been  studied,  investigated,  and  generalised,  the  whole  ground  of 
the  religious  faculties  of  man  has  been  analysed,  and  the  practical  result 
is  the  science  of  Raja-yoga.  ...  It  declares  that  each  man  is  only  a  con- 
duit for  the  infinite  ocean  of  knowledge  and  power  that  lies  beyond  man- 
kind. It  teaches  that  desires  and  wants  are  in  man,  that  the  power  of 
supply  is  also  in  man;  and  that  wherever  and  whenever  a  desire,  a  want, 
a  prayer  has  been  fulfilled,  it  was  out  of  this  infinite  magazine  that  the 
supply  came,  and  not  from  any  supernatural  being.  The  idea  of  super- 
natural beings  may  arouse  to  a  certain  extent  the  power  of  action  in  man, 
but  it  also  brings  spiritual  decay.  It  brings  dependence;  it  brings  fear; 
it  brings  superstition.  It  degenerates  into  a  horrible  belief  in  the  natural 
weakness  of  man.  There  is  no  supernatural,  says  the  Yogi,  but  there  are 
in  nature  gross  manifestations  and  subtle  manifestations.  The  subtle  are 
the  causes,  the  gross  the  effects.  The  gross  can  be  easily  perceived  by  the 
senses;  not  so  the  subtle.  The  practice  of  Raja-Yoga  will  lead  to  the  acqui- 
sition of  the  more  subtle  perceptions." 

The  Yoga  Aphorisms  of  Patanjali  is  the  classic  and  textbook  of  yoga, 
acknowledged  by  all  schools  to  be  the  highest  authority  on  the  subject. 

*  Relativism  is  really  as  old  as  Taoism  in  China. 

*  Jung  is  referring  to  Yt-ching,  one  of  the  Chinese  Five  Classics. 
8  For  instance,  the  case  of  narcissism  in  Miss  Feng  Hsiao-ch'mg. 
4  C.  G.  Jung:  Modern  Man  in  Search  of  a  Soul,  p.  249. 


THE  YOGA  APHORISMS  OF  PATANJALI    119 

It  was  written,  according  to  Professor  J.  H.  Woods,  in  the  fourth  or  fifth 
centuries  of  our  .era.  In  this  complete  text,  without  the  commentaries,  a 
brief  glimpse  may  be  had  of  the  contents  of  yoga  teachings.  I  have  used 
the  free  and  easily  understandable  translation  of  Swami  Vivekananda, 
and  those  who  are  interested  should  read  his  commentaries  (Raja-Yoga, 
Ramakrishna-Vivekananda  Center,  New  York,  1939).  The  classic  Com- 
ment, and  Explanations  of  the  Comment,  together  with  Professor  James 
Haughton  Woods'  scholarly  translation  of  the  text  Yoga-System  of 
Patanjali,  Harvard  Oriental  Series,  Vol.  17,  may  be  consulted  only  by 
the  academically-minded.  Professor  Woods  seems  to  err  on  the  scholarly 
side:  his  "sources-of-valid-ideas"  are  translated  by  Vivekananda  as  "right 
knowledge,"  his  "predicate-relation"  (yikjdfa)  is  simply  the  latter's  "ver- 
bal delusion,"  and  "Memory  is  not-addmg-surreptitiously  to  a  once 
experienced  object"  simply  means,  according  to  the  Hindu  yoga  teacher, 
"Memory  is  when  perceived  objects  do  not  slip  away."  In  the  same  way, 
I  believe  "non-attachment"  is  better  English  than  "passionlessness"  and 
"egoism"  better  than  "feeling-of-personality."  "Undifferentiated-con- 
sciousness"  may  be  etymologically  more  exact  than  "ignorance"  for  the 
rendering  of  avidyd,  but  the  important  thing  is  what  a  Hindu  word 
means  to  a  Hindu,  for  etymological  meaning  is  always  altered  by  a  cur- 
rent meaning  which  usage  has  acquired.  A  brief,  but  clear  exposition  of 
the  yoga  mysticism  may  be  found  in  Hindu  Mysticism,  by  S.  N.  Dasgupta 
(Open  Court),  a  lucid  introduction  to  Hindu  thought,  in  general,  as 
against  the  same  author's  heavy  and  scholarly  History  of  Indian  Phil- 
osophy. I  have  supplied  the  sectional  headings  for  the  convenience  of 
the  reader. 


The  Yoga  Aphorisms  of 
Patanjali 

Translated  by  Swami  Vivefynanda 
CHAPTER  I:  CONCENTRATION:  ITS  SPIRITUAL  USES 


Goal  of  Concentration 

1.  Now  concentration  is  explained. 

2.  Yoga  is  restraining  the  mind-stuff  (Chitta)  from  taking  various 
forms  (Vrittis). 

3.  At  that  time  (the  time  of  concentration)  the  seer  (Pur  us  ha)  rests  in 
his  own  (unmodified)  state. 

Forms  of  Mind-Stuff 

4.  At  other  times  (other  than  that  of  concentration)  the  seer  is  iden- 
tified with  the  modifications. 

5.  There  are  five  classes  of  modifications,  (some)  painful  and  (others) 
not  painful. 

6.  (These  are)  right  knowledge,  indiscrimination,  verbal  delusion, 
sleep  and  memory. 

7.  Direct  perception,  inference,  and  competent  evidence,  are  proofs. 

8.  Indiscrimination  is  false  knowledge  not  established  in  real  nature. 

9.  Verbal  delusion  follows  from  words  having  no  (corresponding) 
reality. 

10.  Sleep  is  a  Vritti  which  embraces  the  feeling  of  voidness. 

120 


THE   YOGA   APHORISMS   OF    PATANJALI  121 

ii.  Memory  is  when  (Vrtttis  of)  perceived  subjects  do  not  slip  away 
(and  through  impressions  come  back  to  consciousness). 


Methods  of  Control 

12.  Their  control  is  by  practice  and  non-attachment. 

13.  Continuous  struggle  to  keep  them  (the  Vnttts)  perfectly  restrained 
is  practice. 

14.  It  becomes  firmly  grounded  by  long  constant  efforts  with  great 
love  (for  the  end  to  be  attained). 

15.  That  effect  which  comes  to  those  who  have  given  up  their  thirst 
after  objects  either  seen  or  heard,  and  which  wills  to  control  the  objects, 
is  non-attachment. 

16.  That  is  extreme  non-attachment  which  gives  up  even  the  qualities, 
and  comes  from  the  knowledge  of  (the  real  nature  of)  the  Purusha* 

Kinds  of  Concentration 

17.  The  concentration  called  right  knowledge  is  that  which  is  followed 
by  reasoning,  discrimination,  bliss,  unqualified  egoism. 

1 8.  There  is  another  Samddht  ~  which  is  attained  by  the  constant  prac- 
tice of  cessation  of  all  mental  activity,  in  which  the  Chitta  retains  only 
the  unmanifested  impressions. 

Different  Ways  of  Attaining  Samddhi 

19.  (This  Samddhi  when  not  followed  by  extreme  non-attachment) 
becomes  the  cause  of  the  re-manifestation  of  the  gods  and  of  those  thai 
become  merged  in  nature. 

1  Note  by  Vii'tkananda.  "We  have  first  to  understand  what  the  Pnrusha,  the  Self,  is,  and 
what  arc  the  qualities.  According  to  Yoga  philosophy  the  whole  of  nature  consists  of  three 
qualities  or  forces;  one  is  called  Tamos,  another  Rajas  and  the  third  Sattva.  These  three 
qualities  manifest  themselves  in  the  ph>sical  world  as  darkness  or  inactivity;  attraction  or 
repulsion;  and  equilibrium  of  the  two.  Everything  that  is  in  nature,  all  manifestations,  arc 
combinations  and  recombinations  of  these  three  forces.  Nature  has  been  divided  into  variou1 
categories  by  the  Santyyas;  the  Self  of  man  is  bc\ond  all  these,  beyond  nature.  It  is  effulgent 
pure  and  perfect.  Whatever  of  intelligence  we  see  in  nature  is  but  the  reflection  of  this  Sell 
upon  nature." 
9  Supcrconscious  state,  trance. 


122  INDIAN    PIETY 

20.  To  others  (this  Satnddhi)  comes  through  faith,  energy,  memory, 
concentration,  and  discrimination  of  the  real. 

21.  Success  is  speedy  for  the  extremely  energetic. 

22.  The  success  of  Yogis  differs  according  as  the  means  they  adopt  are 
mild,  medium  or  intense. 

23.  Or  by  devotion  to  Isvara. 

The  "Om" 

24.  Isvara  (the  Supreme  Ruler)  is  a  special  Purusha,  untouched  by 
misery,  actions,  their  results  and  desires. 

25.  In  Him  becomes  infinite  that  all-knowingness  which  in  others 
is  (only)  a  germ. 

26.  He  is  the  Teacher  of  even  the  ancient  teachers,  being  not  limited 
by  time. 

27.  His  manifesting  word  is  Om. 

28.  The  repetition  of  this  (Om)  and  meditating  on  its  meaning  (is 
the  way) . 

29.  From  that  is  gained  (the  knowledge  of)  introspection,  and  the 
destruction  of  obstacles. 

Forms  of  Meditation  and  Samddhi 

30.  Disease,  mental  laziness,  doubt,  lack  of  enthusiasm,  lethargy,  cling- 
ing to  sense-enjoyments,  false  perception,  non-attaining  concentration, 
and  falling  away  from  the  state  when  obtained,  are  the  obstructing  dis- 
tractions. 

31.  Grief,  mental  distress,  tremor  of  the  body,  irregular  breathing, 
accompany  non-retention  of  concentration. 

32.  To  remedy  this,  the  practice  of  one  subject  (should  be  made). 

33.  Friendship,  mercy,  gladness  and  indifference,  being  thought  of  in 
regard  to  subjects,  happy,  unhappy,  good  and  evil  respectively,  pacify 
the  Chitta. 

34.  By  throwing  out  and  restraining  the  Breath. 

35.  Those  forms  of  concentration  that  bring  extraordinary  sense  per- 
ceptions cause  perseverance  of  the  mind. 

36.  Or  (by  the  meditation  on)  the  Effulgent  Light,  which  is  beyond 
all  sorrow. 


THE    YOGA    APHORISMS    OF    PATANJALI          123 

37.  Or  (by  meditation  on)  the  heart  that  has  given  up  all  attachment 
to  sense-objects. 

38.  Or  by  meditating  on  the  knowledge  that  comes  in  sleep. 

39.  Or  by  the  meditation  on  anything  that  appeals  to  one  as  good. 

40.  The  Yogi's  mind  thus  meditating,  becomes  unobstructed  from  the 
atomic  to  the  infinite. 

41.  The  Yogi  whose  Vrittis  have  thus  become  powerless  (controlled) 
obtains  in  the  receiver,  (the  instrument  of)  receiving,  and  the  received 
(the  Self,  the  mind,  and  external  objects),  concentratedness  and  same- 
ness, like  the  crystal  (before  different  coloured  objects). 

42.  Sound,  meaning,  and  resulting  knowledge,  being  mixed  up,  is 
(called)  Samddhi  with-question. 

43.  Samddhi  called  'without-question*  (comes)  when  the  memory  is 
purified,  or  devoid  of  qualities,  expressing  only  the  meaning  (of  the 
meditated  object). 

44.  By  this  process  (the  concentrations)  with  discrimination  and  with- 
out discrimination,  whose  objects  are  finer,  are  (also)  explained. 

45.  The  finer  objects  end  with  the  Pradhdna. 

46.  These  concentrations  are  with  seed. 

47.  The  concentration  "without  discrimination"  being  purified,  the 
Chitta  becomes  firmly  fixed. 

48.  The  knowledge  in  that  is  called  "filled  with  Truth." 

49.  The  knowledge  that  is  gained  from  testimony  and  inference  is 
about  common  objects.  That  from  the  Samddhi  just  mentioned  is  of  a 
much  higher  order,  being  able  to  penetrate  where  inference  and  testi- 
mony cannot  go. 

50.  The  resulting  impression  from  this  Samddhi  obstructs  all  other 
impressions. 

51.  By  the  restraint  of  even  this  (impression,  which  obstructs  all  other 
impressions),  all  being  restrained,  comes  the  "seedless"  Samddhi. 

CHAPTER  II:  CONCENTRATION:  ITS  PRACTICE 

The  Pain-Bearing  Obstructions 

1.  Mortification,  study,  and  surrendering  fruits  of  work  to  God  are 
called  Kriyd-yoga. 

2.  (It  is  for)  the  practice  of  Samddhi  and  minimising  the  pain-bearing 
obstructions. 


124  INDIAN     PIETY 

3.  The  pain-bearing  obstructions  are — ignorance,  egoism,  attachment, 
aversion,  and  clinging  to  life. 

4.  Ignorance  is  the  productive  field  of  all  these  that  follow,  whether 
they  are  dormant,  attenuated,  overpowered,  or  expanded. 

5.  Ignorance  is  taking  the  non-eternal,  the  impure,  the  painful,  and  the 
non-Self,  as  the  eternal,  the  pure,  the  happy,  and  the  At  man  or  Self  (re- 
spectively). 

6.  Egoism  is  the  identification  of  the  seer  with  the  instrument  of  seeing. 

7.  Attachment  is  that  which  dwells  on  pleasure. 

8.  Aversion  is  that  which  dwells  on  pain. 

9.  Flowing  through  its  own  nature,  and  established  even  in  the  learned, 
is  the  clinging  to  life. 

10.  The  fine  Sams^aras1  are  to  be  conquered  by  resolving  them  into 
their  causal  state. 

11.  By  meditation,  their  (gross)  modifications  are  to  be  rejected. 

12.  The  'receptacle  of  works' 8  has  its  root  in  these  pain-bearing  obstruc- 
tions, and  their  experience  is  in  this  visible  life,  or  in  the  unseen  life. 

13.  The  root  being  there,  the  fruition  comes  (in  the  form  of)  species, 
life,  and  experience  of  pleasure  and  pain. 

14.  They  bear  fruit  as  pleasure  or  pain,  caused  by  virtue  or  vice. 

15.  To  the  discriminating,  all  is,  as  it  were,  painful  on  account  of  every- 
thing bringing  pain,  either  as  consequence,  or  as  anticipation  of  loss  of 
happiness  or  as  fresh  craving  arising  from  impressions  of  happiness,  and 
also  as  counter-action  of  qualities. 

1 6.  The  misery  which  is  not  yet  come  is  to  be  avoided. 

The  Independence  of  the  Soul  as  Seer 

17.  The  cause  of  that  which  is  to  be  avoided  is  the  junction  of  the 
seer  and  the  seen. 

1 8.  The  experienced  is  composed  of  elements  and  organs,  is  of  the 
nature  of  illumination,  action,  and  inertia,  and  is  for  the  purpose  of  ex* 
perience  and  release  (of  the  experiencer) . 

19.  The  states  of  the  qualities  are  the  defined,  the  undefined,  the  indi< 
cated  only,  and  the  signless. 

1  Samskflras  are  the  subtle  impressions  that  manifest  themselves  into  gross  forms  later 

on — original  note. 

1  By  the  'receptacle  of  works'  is  meant  the  sum  total  of  Samstyras — original  note. 


THE   YOGA  APHORISMS   OF   PATANJALI          125 

20.  The  seer  is  intelligence  only,  and  though  pure,  sees  through  the 
colouring  of  the  intellect. 

21.  The  nature  of  the  experienced  is  for  him. 

22.  Though  destroyed  for  him  whose  goal  has  been  gained,  yet  it  is 
not  destroyed,  being  common  to  others. 

23.  Junction  is  the  cause  of  the  realisation  of  the  nature  of  both  the 
powers,  the  experienced  and  its  Lord. 

24.  Ignorance  is  its  cause. 

25.  There  being  absence  of  that  (ignorance)  there  is  absence  of  junc- 
tion, which  is  the  thing-to-be-avoided;  that  is  the  independence  of  the 
seer. 

26.  The  means  of  destruction  of  ignorance  is  unbroken  practice  of  dis- 
crimination. 

27.  His  knowledge  is  of  the  sevenfold  highest  ground. 

The  Eight  Stages 

28.  By  the  practice  of  the  different  parts  of  Yoga  the  impurities  being 
destroyed,  knowledge  becomes  effulgent  up  to  discrimination. 

29.  Yama,  Niyama,  Asana,  Prdndydma,  Pratydhdra,  Dhdrand,  Dhydna, 
and  Samddhi,  are  the  eight  limbs  of  Yoga. 

1.  FIVE  vows  (Yama) 

30.  Non-killing,  truthfulness,  non-stealing,  continence,  and  non-receiv- 
ing, are  called  Yama. 

31.  These,  unbroken  by  time,  place,  purpose  and  caste-rules,  are  (uni- 
versal) great  vows. 

2.  FIVE  OBSERVANCES  (Niyamo) 

32.  Internal  and  external  purification,  contentment,  mortification, 
study,  and  worship  of  God,  are  the  Niyamas. 

33.  To  obstruct  thoughts  which  are  inimical  to  Yoga,  contrary  thoughts 
should  be  brought. 

34.  The  obstructions  to  Yoga  are  killing,  falsehood,  etc.,  whether  com- 
mitted, caused,  or  approved;  either  through  avarice,  or  anger  or  igno- 
rance; whether  slight,  middling,  or  great;  and  result  in  infinite  ignorance 
and  misery.  This  is  (the  method  of)  thinking  the  contrary. 

35.  Non-killing  being  established,  in  his  presence  all  enmities  cease 
(mothers). 


126  INDIAN    PIETY 

36.  By  the  establishment  of  truthfulness  the  Yogi  gets  the  pov/er  oi 
attaining  for  himself  and  others  the  fruits  of  work  without  the  works. 

37.  By  the  establishment  of  non-stealing  all  wealth  comes  to  the  Yogi. 

38.  By  the  establishment  of  continence  energy  is  gained. 

39.  When  he  is  fixed  in  non-receiving  he  gets  the  memory  of  past  life. 

40.  Internal  and  external  cleanliness  being  established,  arises  disgust 
for  one's  own  body,  and  non-intercourse  with  others. 

41.  There  also  arises  purification  of  the  Sattva*  cheerfulness  of  the 
mind,  concentration,  conquest  of  the  organs,  and  fitness  for  the  realisa- 
tion of  the  Self. 

42.  From  contentment  comes  superlative  happiness. 

43.  The  result  of  mortification  is  bringing  powers  to  the  organs  and 
the  body,  by  destroying  the  impurity. 

44.  By  repetition  of  the  Mantra  *  comes  the  realisation  of  the  intended 
deity. 

45.  By  sacrificing  all  to  Iswara  *  comes  Samddhi. 

5.  POSTURE:  (Asana) 

46.  Posture  is  that  which  is  firm  and  pleasant. 

47.  By  lessening  the  natural  tendency  (for  restlessness)  and  meditating 
on  the  unlimited  (posture  becomes  firm  and  pleasant). 

48.  Seat  being  conquered,  the  dualities  do  not  obstruct. 

4.  RESPIRATION  (Prdndydma) 

49.  Controlling  the  motion  of  the  exhalation  and  the  inhalation  follows 
after  this. 

50.  Its  modifications  are  either  external  or  internal,  or  motionless,  regu- 
lated by  place,  time,  and  number,  either  long  or  short. 

51.  The  fourth  is  restraining  the  Prdna  by  reflecting  on  external  or  in- 
ternal objects. 

52.  From  that,  the  covering  to  the  light  of  the  Chitta  is  attenuated. 

53.  The  mind  becomes  fit  for  Dhdrand. 

5.  WITHDRAWING  OF  THE  ORGANS  (Pratydhdra) 

54.  The  drawing  in  of  the  organs  is  by  their  giving  up  their  own  objects 
and  taking  the  form  of  the  mind-stuff,  as  it  were. 

55.  Thence  arises  supreme  control  of  the  organs. 

1The  good  clement;  see  note  to  I,  16. 

*  Prayer  formula. 

*  The  Lord  (also  I  war  a). 


THE   YOGA   APHORISMS   OF   PATANJALI  127 

CHAPTER  III:  POWERS 

We  have  now  come  to  the  chapter  in  which  the  Yoga  powers  arc  de- 
scribed. 

6.  CONCENTRATION  ON  ONE  OBJECT  (Dhdrana) 

1.  Dhdrana  is  holding  the  mind  on  to  some  particular  object. 

7.  MEDITATION  (Dhyfino) 

2.  An  unbroken  flow  of  knowledge  in  that  object  is  Dhydna. 

8.  SUPERCONSCIOUSNESS  (Samddhi) 

3.  When  that,  giving  up  all  forms,  reflects  only  the  meaning,  it  is 
Samddhi. 

Description  of  the  Last  Three  Stages 

4.  (These)  three  (when  practised)  in  regard  to  one  object  is  Samyama. 

5.  By  the  conquest  of  that  comes  light  of  knowledge. 

6.  That  should  be  employed  in  stages. 

7.  These  three  are  more  internal  than  those  that  precede. 

8.  But  even  they  are  external  to  the  seedless  (Samddhi). 

9.  By  the  suppression  of  the  disturbed  impressions  of  the  mind,  and 
by  the  rise  of  impressions  of  control,  the  mind,  which  persists  in  that 
moment  of  control,  is  said  to  attain  the  controlling  modifications. 

10.  Its  flow  becomes  steady  by  habit. 

11.  Taking  in  all  sorts  of  objects,  and  concentrating  upn  one  object, 
these  two  powers  being  destroyed  and  manifested  respectively,  the  Chitta 
gets  the  modification  called  Samddhi. 

12.  The  one-pointedness  of  the  Chitta  is  when  the  impression  that  is 
past  and  that  which  is  present  are  similar. 

13.  By  this  is  explained  the  threefold  transformation  of  form,  time 
and  state,  in  fine  or  gross  matter,  and  in  the  organs. 

14.  That  which  is  acted  upon  by  transformations,  either  past,  present  or 
yet  to  be  manifested,  is  the  qualified. 

15.  The  succession  of  changes  is  the  cause  of  manifold  evolution. 


125  INDIAN    PIETY 

The  Transformation  of  Mental  Powers 

1 6.  By  making  Samyama  on  the  three  sorts  of  changes  comes  the 
knowledge  of  past  and  future. 

17.  By  making  Samyama  on  word,  meaning,  and  knowledge,  which 
arc  ordinarily  confused,  comes  the  knowledge  of  all  animal  sounds. 

18.  By  perceiving  the  impressions,  (comes)  the  knowledge  of  past  life. 

19.  By  making  Samyama  on  the  signs  in  another's  body,  knowledge  of 
his  mind  comes. 

20.  But  not  its  contents,  that  not  being  the  object  of  the  Samyama. 

21.  By  making  Samyama  on  the  form  of  the  body,  the  perceptibility  of 
the  form  being  obstructed,  and  the  power  of  manifestation  in  the  eye 
being  separated,  the  Yogi's  body  becomes  unseen. 

22.  By  this  the  disappearance  or  concealment  of  words  which  are  being 
spoken  and  such  other  things,  are  also  explained. 

23.  Karma  is  of  two  kinds,  soon  to  be  fructified,  and  late  to  be  fructi- 
fied. By  making  Samyama  on  these,  or  by  the  signs  called  Arishta, 
portents,  the  Yogis  know  the  exact  time  of  separation  from  their  bodies. 

24.  By  making  Samyama  on  friendship,  mercy,  etc.  (1:33),  tne  Y°g* 
excels  in  respective  qualities. 

25.  By  making  Samyama  on  the  strength  of  the  elephant,  and  others, 
their  respective  strength  comes  to  the  Yogi. 

26.  By  making  Samyama  on  the  effulgent  light   (1:36)   comes  the 
knowledge  of  the  fine,  the  obstructed  and  the  remote. 

27.  By  making  Samyama  on  the  sun,  (comes)  the  knowledge  of  the 
world. 

28.  On  the  moon,  (comes)  the  knowledge  of  the  cluster  of  stars. 

29.  On  the  pole-star,  (comes)  the  knowledge  of  the  motion  of  the  stars. 

30.  On  the  navel  circle,  (comes)  the  knowledge  of  the  constitution  of 
the  body. 

31.  On  the  hollow  of  the  throat,  (comes)  cessation  of  hunger. 

32.  On  the  nerve  called  Kurma  (comes)  fixity  of  the  body. 

33.  On  the  light  emanating  from  the  top  of  the  head,  sight  of  the 
Siddhas? 

3-|.  Or  by  the  power  of  Prdtibha 8  all  knowledge. 
35.  In  the  heart,  knowledge  of  minds. 

*The  Siddhas  are  beings  who  arc  a  little  above  ghosts.  When  the  Yogi  concentrates  his 
mind  on  the  top  of  his  head  he  will  see  these  Stddhas— original  note. 
*  Spontaneous  enlightenment  from  purity. 


THE   YOGA   APHORISMS   OF   PATANJALI  129 

36.  Enjoyment  comes  by  the  i.&n-discrimmation  of  the  Soul  and 
Sattva  which  are  totally  different.  The  latter  whose  actions  are  for  an- 
other is  separate  from  the  self-centred  one.  Samyama  on  the  seltcentred 
one  gives  knowledge  of  the  Purushj. 

37.  From  that  arises  the  knowledge  belonging  to  Prdtibha  and  (super- 
natural) hearing,  touching,  seeing,  tasting,  and  smelling. 

38.  These  are  obstacles  to  Samddhi:  but  they  are  powers  in  the  worldly 
state. 

Supernatural  Powers 

39.  When  the  cause  of  bondage  of  the  Chttta  has  become  loosened, 
the  yogi,  by  his  knowledge  of  its  channels  of  activity  (the  nerves),  enters 
another's  body. 

40.  By  conquering  the  current  called  Uddna l  the  Yogi  does  not  sink  in 
water,  or  in  swamps,  he  can  walk  on  thorns,  etc.,  and  can  die  at  will. 

41.  By  the  conquest  of  the  current  Sarndna  he  is  surrounded  by  a  blaze 
of  light. 

42.  By  making  Samyama  on  the  relation  between  the  ear  and  the 
Al(dsa*  comes  divine  hearing. 

43.  By  making  Samyama  on  the  relation  between  the  A^dsa  and  the 
body  and  becoming  light  as  cotton  wool,  etc.,  through  meditation  on 
them,  the  Yogi  goes  through  the  skies. 

44.  By  making  Samyama  on  the  'real  modifications*  of  the  mind,  out- 
side of  the  body,  called  great  disembodiedness,  comes  disappearance  of 
the  covering  to  light. 

45.  By  making  Samyama  on  the  gross  and  fine  forms  of  the  elements, 
their  essential  traits,  the  inherence  of  the  Gnnas*  in  them  and  on  their 
contributing  to  the  experience  of  the  soul,  comes  mastery  of  the  elements. 

46.  From  that  comes  minuteness,  and  the  rest  of  the  powers,  glori- 
fication of  the  body,'  and  indestructiblcncss  of  the  bodily  qualities. 

47.  The  'glorification  of  the  body'  is  beauty,  complexion,  strength, 
adamantine  hardness. 

48.  By  making  Samyama  on  the  objectivity  and  power  of  illumination 
of  the  organs,  on  egoism,  the  inherence  of  the  Gunas  in  them  and  on 
their  contributing  to  the  experience  of  the  soul,  comes  the  conquest  of 
the  organs. 

1  The  name  of  the  nerve  current  that  governs  the  lungs,  and  all  the  upper  parts  of  the  body. 

f  The  ether 

1  The  three  elements. 


I3O  INDIAN    PIETY 

49.  From  that  comes  to  the  body  the  power  of  rapid  movement  like 
the  mind,  power  of  the  organs  independently  of  the  body,  and  conquest 
of  nature. 

50.  By  making  Samyama  on  the  discrimination  between  Sattva  and 
the  Purusha  come  omnipotence  and  omniscience.  * 

Isolation  or  Complete  Freedom 

51.  By  giving  up  even  these  powers  comes  the  destruction  of  the  very 
seed  of  evil,  which  leads  to  Kaivalya* 

52.  The  yogi  should  not  feel  allured  or  flattered  by  the  overtures  of 
celestial  beings,  for  fear  of  evil  again. 

53.  By  making  Samyama  on  a  particle  of  time  and  its  precession  and 
succession  comes  discrimination. 

54.  Those  things  which  cannot  be  differentiated  by  species,  sign  and 
place,  even  they  will  be  discriminated  by  the  above  Samyama. 

55.  The  saving  knowledge  is  that  knowledge  of  discrimination  which 
simultaneously  covers  all  objects,  in  all  their  variations. 

56.  By  the  similarity  of  purity  between  the  Sattva  and  the  Purusha 
comes  Kaivalya. 


CHAPTER  IV:  INDEPENDENCE 
Desires  and  Objects  of  the  Mind 

1.  The  Siddhis  (powers)  are  attained  by  birth,  chemical  means,  power 
of  words,  mortification  or  concentration. 

2.  The  change  into  another  species  is  by  the  filling  in  of  nature. 

3.  Good  and  bad  deeds  are  not  the  direct  causes  in  the  transforma- 
tions of  nature,  but  they  act  as  breakers  of  obstacles  to  the  evolutions  of 
nature:  as  a  farmer  breaks  the  obstacles  to  the  course  of  water,  which 
then  runs  down  by  its  own  nature. 

4.  From  egoism  alone  proceed  the  created  minds. 

5.  Though  the  activities  of  the  different  created  minds  are  various,  the 
one  original  mind  is  the  controller  of  them  all. 

6.  Among  the  various  Chittas  that  which  is  attained  by  Samddhi  is 
desireless. 

'Complete  isolation  or  independence. 


THE  YOGA  APHORISMS  OF  PATANJALI     13! 

7.  Works  arc  neither  black  nor  white  for  the  Yogis;  for  others  they 
are  three-fold — black,  white,  and  mixed. 

8.  From  these  threefold  works  are  manifested  in  each  state  only  those 
desires  (which  are)  fitting  to  that  state  alone.  (The  others  are  held  in 
abeyance  for  the  time  being.) 

9.  There  is  consecutiveness  in  desires,  even  though  separated  by  species, 
space  and  time,  there  being  identification  of  memory  and  impressions. 

10.  Thirst  for  happiness  being  eternal  desires  are  without  beginning. 

11.  Being  held  together  by  cause,  effect,  support,  and  objects,  in  the 
absence  of  these  is  its  absence. 

12.  The  past  and  future  exist  in  their  own  nature,  qualities  having  dif- 
ferent ways. 

13.  They  are  manifested  or  fine,  being  of  the  nature  of  the  Gunas.1 

14.  The  unity  in  things  is  from  the  unity  in  changes. 

15.  Since  perception  and  desire  vary  with  regard  to  the  same  object, 
mind  and  object  are  of  different  nature. 

1 6.  Things  are  known  or  unknown  to  the  mind,  being  dependent  on 
the  colouring  which  they  give  to  the  mind. 

17.  The  states  of  the  mind  are  always  known  because  the  lord  of  the 
mind,  the  Purnsha,  is  unchangeable. 

iS.  The  mind  is  not  self-luminous,  being  an  object. 

19.  From  its  being  unable  to  cognise  both  at  the  same  time. 

20.  Another  cognising  mind  being  assumed  there  will  be  no  end  to 
such  assumptions  and  confusion  of  memory  will  be  the  result. 

21.  The  essence  of  knowledge  (the  P  urns  ha)  being  unchangeable, 
when  the  mind  takes  its  form,  it  becomes  conscious. 

22.  Qiloured  by  the  seer  and  the  seen  the  mind  is  able  to  understand 
everything. 

2$.  The  mind  though  variegated  by  innumerable  desires  acts  for  an- 
other (the  Pttntsha))  because  it  acts  in  combination. 

Complete  Isolation 

24.  For  the  discriminating  the  perception  of  the  mind  as  Atman 
ceases. 

1  The  Ctttnas  are  the  three  substances,  Sattra,  Rajas,  and  Tamas,  whose  gross  state  is  the 
sensible  universe.  Past  and  future  arise  from  the  different  modes  of  manifestation  of 
these  Gunaf — original  note. 


132  INDIAN    PIETY 

25.  Then  bent  on  discriminating,  the  mind  attains  the  previous  state 
of  Kaivalya  (isolation) . 

26.  The  thoughts  that  arise  as  obstructions  to  that  are  from  impres- 
sions. 

27.  Their  destruction  is  in  the  same  manner  as  of  ignorance,  egoism, 
etc.,  as  said  before  (II:io). 

28.  Even  when  arriving  at  the  right  discriminating  knowledge  of  the 
essences,  he  who  gives  up  the  fruits,  unto  him  comes  as  the  result  of 
perfect  discrimination,  the  Samddhi  called  the  cloud  of  virtue. 

29.  From  that  comes  cessation  of  pains  and  works. 

30.  Then  knowledge,  bereft  of  covering  and  impurities,  becoming 
infinite,  the  knowable  becomes  small. 

31.  Then  are  finished  the  successive  transformations  of  the  qualities, 
they  having  attained  the  end. 

32.  The  changes  that  exist  in  relation  to  moments,  and  which  are  per- 
ceived at  the  other  end  (at  the  end  of  a  series)  are  succession. 

33.  The  resolution  in  the  inverse  order  of  the  qualities,  bereft  of  any 
motive  of  action  for  the  Piirttsha,  is  Katvalya,  or  it  is  the  establishment 
of  the  power  of  knowledge  in  its  own  nature. 


INDIAN 
IMAGINATION 


The  Ramayana 


INTRODUCTION 

MY  LOVE  AND  TRUE  RESPECT  for  India  were  born  when  I  first  read  the 
Indian  epics,  the  Ramayana  and  the  Mahabharata  in  the  present  transla- 
tion in  my  college  days.  In  these  two  masterpieces  we  are  brought  closer 
to  the  atmosphere,  ideals  and  customs  of  ancient  Hindu  life  than  by  a 
hundred  volumes  of  commentary  on  the  Upamshads,  and  through  them 
Hindu  ideals,  as  well  as  Hindu  men  and  women,  become  real  to  us. 
And  the  fact  that  Hindu  imagination  produced  such  masterpieces  of 
literature,  closely  rivalling  Homer  in  antiquity  and  in  beauty  and  power 
of  portraying  human  passions,  is  a  definite  pledge  of  the  worth  and  rich- 
ness of  the  Hindu  civilization. 

It  is  more  than  a  figure  of  speech  to  say  that  the  Mahabharata  must 
be  compared,  if  compared  at  all,  with  Homer's  Iliad,  and  the  Ramayana, 
with  the  Odyssey.  To  take  the  Mahabharata,  the  subject  of  the  epic  was 
the  same,  dealing  with  a  long-drawn-out  war  between  the  Kurus  and 
the  Panchalas,  as  Homer  dealt  with  the  Trojan  War.  The  treatment 
was  the  same:  the  delineation  of  the  character  of  the  warriors,  the 
"tiger-waisted"  Bhima,  the  "helmet-wearing"  Arjuna  (the  Achilles  of 
the  epic),  the  royal  and  dignified  Yudhishthir  (suggesting  Agamem- 
non), the  vengeance  of  Arjuna  for  the  death  of  his  boy,  the  fierce  con- 
tests and  rounds  of  combats  between  heroes  of  the  opposing  camps,  the 
Homeric  speeches  before  the  combats,  the  Councils  of  War,  and  the 
presence  of  gods  and  celestial  spirits  all  reproduce  the  epic  impression. 
The  Hindu  epic  abounds  more  in  episodic  developments  and  discourses 
(such  as  the  long  discourse  between  Yudhishthir  and  Bhishmd  on  the 
art  of  government)  and  has  a  wider  canvas,  with  descriptions  of  forest 
life  and  later  interpolations  of  discussions  on  questions  of  spiritual 


136  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

truth  (such  as  the  Bhagavad-Gita,  which  is  merely  a  reported  conversa- 
tion between  the  god  Krishna  and  Arjuna  before  the  battle,  now 
accepted  as  a  separate  book).  In  magnitude,  the  Mahabharata  comprises 
100,000  couplets,  which  is  the  result  of  successive  accretions  in  the  easy 
slo^a  verse-form,  while  the  Ramayana  comprises  24,000  couplets,  and 
is  more  the  unified  work  of  one  writer.  In  so  far  as  the  Ramayana  deals 
with  the  story  of  wanderings  of  Rama  and  his  wife  Sita,  it  may  be  said 
to  resemble  the  Odyssey.  Beyond  that,  the  resemblance  ceases,  for  while 
the  story  of  Sita  is  that  of  the  test  of  a  woman's  loyalty,  like  that  of 
Penelope,  the  main  theme  is  not  that  of  Ulyssean  adventures,  but  of 
domestic  human  passions,  comprising  such  tragic  material  as  is  found 
in  King  Lear,  Macbeth  and  Othello.  It  is  also  extremely  important  to 
note  the  tragic  ending  of  Sita,  where  a  happy  ending  would  have 
been  easy. 

In  modern  terms,  the  Mahabharata  may  be  said  to  be  realistic,  and 
the  Ramayana,  idealistic,  in  their  respective  handling  of  human  charac- 
ters. Sita  in  Ramayana  is  all  that  a  woman  could  or  should  be,  and  is 
impressive  by  her  sweetness  and  devotion.  Draupadi  in  Mahabharata, 
on  the  other  hand,  may  be  any  of  the  high-spirited  modern  women  who 
live  off  one  of  New  York's  avenues,  with  her  anger  and  her  brooding 
for  revenge — and  for  that  reason  more  human.  There  is  greater  "re- 
alistic" truth  in  the  full-blooded  characters  of  the  Mahabharata,  higher 
passion  and  nobler  resolve,  fiercer  jealousy  and  more  biting  scorn,  and 
greater  grandeur  in  many  of  its  scenes.  Yet  it  is  undeniable  there  is 
greater  spiritual  beauty,  greater  softness  and  tenderness  of  emotion  in 
Ramayana.  The  subject  of  Mahbharata  is  men  and  war;  the  subject  of 
Ramayana  is  women  and  the  home.  If  I  judge  human  nature  correctly, 
by  the  preference  of  fathers  for  daughters  and  mothers  for  sons,  then  it 
is  inevitable  that  Mahabharata  is  the  women's  epic,  while  Ramayana  is 
the  men's.  As  it  is  impossible  to  include  both  epics,  and  highly  desirable 
to  reproduce  one  of  them  complete,  therefore,  as  a  man,  I  have  chosen 
the  Ramayana. 

Truly,  as  the  translator  says,  "The  two  together  comprise  the  whole 
of  the  epic  literature  of  the  ancient  Hindus;  and  the  two  together  present 
us  with  the  most  graphic  and  lifelike  picture  that  exists  of  the  civiliza- 
tion and  culture,  the  political  and  social  life,  the  religion  and  thought  of 
ancient  India."  And  "to  know  the  Indian  epics  is  to  understand  the 
Indian  people  better."  For  it  must  be  remembered,  also,  that  these  are 
not  dead  literature  of  long  ago;  they  have  influenced  and  molded 


THE    RAM  A  VAN  A  137 

Indian  life  for  thousands  of  years  and  are  still  a  living  factor  today  in 
the  innermost  depths  of  Indian  consciousness. 

Eventually,  I  am  convinced  India  must  win  her  freedom,  not  by 
fighting,  because  they  will  not  resort  to  violence,  and  not  by  politics, 
for  the  English  are  superb  at  politics,  but  by  Englishmen  falling  in 
love  with  Sita.  Whether  English  stockholders  will  ever  read  Indian 
literature  and  poetry  is  doubtful,  and  it  is  not  implied  that  the  prospect 
is  bright,  for  the  great  age  of  English  appreciation  of  Hindu  thought 
has  declined.  But  anyone  can  see  that  one  who  loves  Phidias  would  not 
like  to  bomb  the  Acropolis,  and  no  one  in  his  senses  could  believe  that 
a  people  that  could  produce  such  epics  ought  to  be  ruled  by  others.  It 
docs  not  make  sense. 

Having  said  so  much,  I  believe  I  am  not  in  a  position  to  improve 
upon  an  introduction  to  the  Rama\ana,  which  Romesh  Dutt  has  so 
ably  written  in  his  "Epilogue."  The  following  abstracts  from  the 
"Epilogue"  will  make  the  contents  of  this  epic  and  its  significance  to 
the  Indian  people  clear.  The  translation,  reproduced  here  complete,  is 
a  condensation  of  the  original.  I  have  therefore  kept  the  separate  intro- 
ductions to  the  different  Books,  which  supply  the  outline  of  the  epic 
story. 

"It  would  appear  that  the  original  work  ended  with  the  sixth  Book, 
which  describes  the  return  of  the  hero  to  his  country  and  to  his  loving 
subjects.  The  seventh  Book  is  called  Uttara  or  Supplemental,  and  in  it 
we  are  told  something  of  the  dimensions  of  the  poem,  appaiently  after 
the  fatal  process  of  additions  and  interpolations  had  gone  on  for  cen- 
turies. We  are  informed  that  the  poem  consists  of  six  Books  and  a 
Supplemental  Book;  and  that  it  comprises  500  cantos  and  24,000  couplets. 
And  we  are  also  told  in  this  Supplemental  Book  that  the  descendants 
of  Rama  and  his  brothers  founded  some  of  the  great  towns  and  states 
which,  we  know  from  other  sources,  flourished  in  the  fifth  and  fourth 
centuries  before  Christ.  It  is  probable  therefore  that  the  Epic,  commenced 
after  1000  B.C.,  had  assumed  something  like  its  present  shape  a  few 
centuries  before  the  Christian  Era. 

"The  Mahabharata  grew  out  of  the  legends  and  traditions  of  a  great 
historical  war  between  the  Kurus  and  the  Panchalas;  the  Ramayana 
grew  out  of  the  recollections  of  the  golden  age  of  the  Kosalas  and  the 
Videhas.  The  characters  of  the  Mahabharata  are  characters  of  flesh  and 
blood,  with  the  virtues  and  crimes  of  great  actors  in  the  historic  world; 
the  characters  of  the  Ramayana  are  more  often  the  ideals  of  manly 


138  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

devotion  to  truth,  and  of  womanly  faithfulness  and  love  in  domestic 
life.  ...  As  an  heroic  poem  the  Mahabharata  stands  on  a  higher  level; 
as  a  poem  delineating  the  softer  emotions  of  our  everyday  life  the 
Ramayana  sends  its  roots  deeper  into  the  hearts  and  minds  of  the  millions 
in  India.  .  .  .  Without  rivalling  the  heroic  grandeur  of  the  Mahabharata, 
the  Ramayana  is  immeasurably  superior  in  its  delineation  of  those 
softer  and  perhaps  deeper  emotions  which  enter  into  our  everyday  life 
and  hold  the  world  together.  And  these  descriptions,  essentially  of 
Hindu  life,  are  yet  so  true  to  nature  that  they  apply  to  all  races  and 
nations. 

"There  is  something  indescribably  touching  and  tender  in  the  descrip- 
tion of  the  love  of  Rama  for  his  subjects  and  the  loyalty  of  his  people 
towards  Rama, — that  loyalty  which  has  ever  been  a  part  of  the  Hindu 
character  in  every  age — 

'As  a  father  to  his  children  to  his  loving  men  he  came, 

Blessed  our  homes  and  maids  and  matrons  till  our  infants  lisped  his  name, 

For  our  humble  woes  and  troubles  Rama  hath  the  ready  tear, 
To  our  humble  tales  of  suffering  Rama  lends  his  willing  ear!' 

"Deeper  than  this  was  Rama's  duty  towards  his  father  and  his  father's 
fondness  for  Rama;  and  the  portion  of  the  Epic  which  narrates  the  dark 
scheme  by  which  the  prince  was  at  last  torn  from  the  heart  and  home 
of  his  dying  father  is  one  of  the  most  powerful  and  pathetic  passages 
in  Indian  literature.  The  stepmother  of  Rama,  won  by  the  virtues  and 
the  kindliness  of  the  prince,  regards  his  proposed  coronation  with  pride 
and  pleasure,  but  her  old  nurse  creeps  into  her  confidence  like  a  creeping 
serpent,  and  envenoms  her  heart  with  the  poison  of  her  own  wicked- 
ness. She  arouses  the  slumbering  jealousy  of  a  woman  and  awakens  the 
alarms  of  a  mother,  till — 

'Like  a  slow  but  deadly  poison  worked  the  ancient  nurse's  tears, 
And  a  wife's  undying  impulse  mingled  with  a  mother's  fears!' 

"The  nurse's  dark  insinuations  work  on  the  mind  of  the  queen  till  she 
becomes  a  desperate  woman,  resolved  to  maintain  her  own  influence  on 
her  husband,  and  to  see  her  own  son  on  the  throne.  The  determination 
of  the  young  queen  tells  with  terrible  effect  on  the  weakness  and  vacil- 
lation of  the  feeble  old  monarch,  and  Rama  is  banished  at  last.  And 
the  scene  closes  with  a  pathetic  story  in  which  the  monarch  recounts  his 
misdeed  of  past  years,  accepts  his  present  suffering  as  the  fruit  of  that 


THE    RAMAYANA  139 

misdeed,  and  dies  in  agony  for  his  banished  son.  The  inner  workings 
of  the  human  heart  and  of  human  motives,  the  dark  intrigue  of  a 
scheming  dependant,  the  awakening  jealousy  and  alarm  of  a  wife  and 
a  mother,  the  determination  of  a  woman  and  an  imperious  queen,  and 
the  feebleness  and  despair  and  death  of  a  fond  old  father  and  husband, 
have  never  been  more  vividly  described.  .  .  . 

"It  is  truth  and  power  in  the  depicting  of  such  scenes,  and  not  in  the 
delineation  of  warriors  and  warlike  incidents,  that  the  Ramayana  excels. 
It  is  in  the  delineation  of  domestic  incidents,  domestic  affections,  and 
domestic  jealousies,  which  are  appreciated  by  the  prince  and  the  peasant 
alike,  that  the  Ramayana  bases  its  appeal  to  the  hearts  of  the  millions 
in  India.  And  beyond  all  this,  the  righteous  devotion  of  Rama,  and  the 
faithfulness  and  womanly  love  of  Sita,  run  like  two  threads  of  gold 
through  the  whole  fabric  of  the  Epic,  and  ennoble  and  sanctify  the 
work  in  the  eyes  of  Hindus. 

"Sita  holds  a  place  in  the  hearts  of  women  in  India  which  no  other 
creation  of  a  poet's  imagination  holds  among  any  other  nation  on  earth. 
There  is  not  a  Hindu  woman  whose  earliest  and  tcndcrest  recollections 
do  not  cling  round  the  story  of  Sita's  sufferings  and  Sita's  faithfulness, 
told  in  the  nursery,  taught  .n  the  family  circle,  remembered  and  cher- 
ished through  life.  Sita's  adventures  in  a  desolate  forest  and  in  a  hostile 
prison  only  represent  in  an  exaggerated  form  the  humbler  trials  of  a 
woman's  life;  and  Sita's  endurance  and  faithfulness  teach  her  devotion 
to  duty  in  all  trials  and  troubles  of  life.  'For,'  said  Sita: 

Tor  my  mother  often  taught  me  and  my  father  often  spake, 

That  her  home  the  wedded  \\oman  doth  beside  her  husband  make, 

As  the  shadow  to  the  substance,  to  her  lord  is  faithful  wife, 

And  she  parts  not  from  her  consort  till  she  parts  with  fleeting  life! 

Therefore  bid  me  seek  the  jungle  and  in  pathless  forests  roam, 

Where  the  wild  deer  freely  ranges  and  the  tiger  makes  his  home, 

Happier  than  in  father's  mansions  in  the  woods  will  Sita  rove, 

Waste  no  thought  on  home  or  kindred,  nestling  in  her  husband's  love!' 

"The  ideal  of  life  was  joy  and  beauty  and  gladness  in  ancient  Greece; 
the  ideal  of  life  was  piety  and  endurance  and  devotion  in  ancient  India. 
The  tale  of  Helen  was  a  tale  of  womanly  beauty  and  loveliness  which 
charmed  the  western  world.  The  tale  of  Sita  was  a  tale  of  womanly  faith 
and  self-abnegation  which  charmed  and  fascinated  the  Hindu  world. 
Repeated  trials  bring  out  in  brighter  relief  the  unfaltering  truth  of  Sita's 


140  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

character;  she  goes  to  a  second  banishment  in  the  woods  with  the  same 
trust  and  devotion  to  her  lord  as  before,  and  she  returns  once  more, 
and  sinks  into  the  bosom  of  her  Mother  Earth,  true  in  death  as  she  had 
been  true  in  life.  The  creative  imagination  of  the  Hindus  has  conceived 
no  loftier  and  holier  character  than  Sita;  the  literature  of  the  world 
has  not  produced  a  higher  ideal  of  womanly  love,  womanly  truth,  and 
womanly  devotion," 


The  Epic  of  Rama 

Translated  by  Romcsh  Dutt 


BOOK  I    SITA-SWAYAMVARA 
(The  Bridal  of  Sita) 

THE  EPIC  relates  to  the  ancient  traditions  of  two  powerful  races,  the 
Kosalas  and  the  Videhas,  who  lived  in  Northern  India  between  the 
twelfth  and  tenth  centuries  before  Christ.  The  names  Kosala  and  Videha 
in  the  singular  number  indicate  the  kingdoms — Oudh  and  North  Behar 
— and  in  the  plural  number  they  mean  the  ancient  races  which  inhabited 
those  two  countries. 

According  to  the  Epic,  Dasa-ratha  king  of  the  Kosalas  had  four  sons, 
the  eldest  of  whom  was  Rama  the  hero  of  the  poem.  And  Janak  king  of 
the  Videhas  had  a  daughter  named  Sita,  who  was  miraculously  born  of 
a  field  furrow,  and  who  is  the  heroine  of  the  Epic. 

Janak  ordained  a  severe  test  for  the  hand  of  his  daughter,  and  many 
a  prince  and  warrior  came  and  went  away  disappointed.  Rama  suc- 
ceeded, and  won  Sita.  The  story  of  Rama's  winning  his  bride,  and  of 
the  marriage  of  his  three  brothers  with  the  sister  and  cousins  of  Sita, 
forms  the  subject  of  this  Book. 

The  portions  translated  in  this  Book  form  Section  vi.,  Sections  Ixvii, 
to  Ixix.,  Section  Ixxiii.,  and  Section  Ixxvii.  of  Book  i.  of  the  original  text. 

/    Ayodhya,  the  Righteous  City 

Rich  in  royal  worth  and  valour,  rich  in  holy  Vedic  lore, 
Dasa-ratha  ruled  his  empire  in  the  happy  days  of  yore, 

141 


142  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

Loved  of  men  in  fair  Ayodhya,  sprung  of  ancient  Solar  Race, 

Royal  rishi  in  his  duty,  saintly  rishi*  in  his  grace, 

Great  as  INDRA  in  his  prowess,  bounteous  as  KUVERA  kind, 

Dauntless  deeds  subdued  his  foemen,  lofty  faith  subdued  his  mind! 

Like  the  ancient  monarch  Manu,  father  of  the  human  race, 

Dasa-ratha  ruled  his  people  with  a  father's  loving  grace, 

Truth  and  Justice  swayed  each  action  and  each  baser  motive  quelled 

People's  Love  and  Monarch's  Duty  every  thought  and  deed  impelled, 

And  his  town  like  INDRA'S  city, — tower  and  dome  and  turret  brave — 

Rose  in  proud  and  peerless  beauty  on  Sarayu's  limpid  wave! 

Peaceful  lived  the  righteous  people,  rich  in  wealth  in  merit  high, 

Envy  dwelt  not  in  their  bosoms  and  their  accents  shaped  no  lie, 

Fathers  with  their  happy  households  owned  their  cattle,  corn,  and  gold, 

Galling  penury  and  famine  in  Ayodhya  had  no  hold, 

Neighbours  lived  in  mutual  kindness  helpful  with  their  ample  wealth, 

None  who  begged  the  wasted  refuse,  none  who  lived  by  fraud  and 

stealth! 

And  they  wore  the  gem  and  earring,  wreath  and  fragrant  sandal  paste, 
And  their  arms  were  decked  with  bracelets,  and  their  necks  with 

nishf(as2  graced, 

Cheat  and  braggart  and  deceiver  lived  not  in  the  ancient  town, 
Proud  despiser  of  the  lowly  wore  not  insults  in  their  frown, 
Poorer  fed  not  on  the  richer,  hireling  friend  upon  the  great, 
None  with  low  and  lying  accents  did  upon  the  proud  man  wait! 
Men  to  plighted  vows  were  faithful,  faithful  was  each  loving  wife, 
Impure  thought  and  wandering  fancy  stained  not  holy  wedded  life, 
Robed  in  gold  and  graceful  garments,  fair  in  form  and  fair  in  face, 
Winsome  were  Ayodhya's  daughters,  rich  in  wit  and  woman's  grace! 
Twice-born  men  were  free  from  passion,  lust  of  gold  and  impure  greed, 
Faithful  to  their  Rites  and  Scriptures,  truthful  in  their  word  and  deed, 
Altar  blazed  in  every  mansion,  from  each  home  was  bounty  given, 
Stooped  no  man  to  fulsome  falsehood,  questioned  none  the  will  of 

Heaven. 

Kshatras  bowed  to  holy  Brahmans,  Vaisyas  to  the  Kshatras  bowed 
Toiling  Sudras  lived  by  labour,  of  their  honest  duty  proud, 
To  the  Gods  and  to  the  Fathers,  to  each  guest  in  virtue  trained, 
Rites  were  done  with  true  devotion  as  by  holy  writ  ordained. 

1  Saint  or  anchorite. 

8  Coins  often  used  for  ornament. 


THE   EPIC   OF    RAMA  143 

Pure  each  caste  in  due  observance,  stainless  was  each  ancient  rite, 
And  the  nation  thrived  and  prospered  by  its  old  and  matchless  might. 
And  each  man  in  truth  abiding  lived  a  long  and  peaceful  life, 
With  his  sons  and  with  his  grandsons,  with  his  loved  and  honoured  wife. 
Thus  was  ruled  the  ancient  city  by  her  monarch  true  and  bold, 
As  the  earth  was  ruled  by  Manu  in  the  misty  days  of  old, 
Troops  who  never  turned  in  battle,  fierce  as  fire  and  strong  and  brave, 
Guarded  well  her  lofty  ramparts  as  the  lions  guard  the  cave. 
Steeds  like  INDRA'S  in  their  swiftness  came  from  far  Kamboja's  land, 
From  Vanaya  and  Vahhka  and  from  Smdhu's  rock-bound  strand, 
Elephants  of  mighty  stature  from  the  Vindhya  mountains  came, 
Or  from  deep  and  darksome  forests  lound  Himalayas  peaks  of  fame, 
Matchless  in  their  mighty  prowess,  peerless  in  their  wondrous  speed, 
Nobler  than  the  noble  tuskers  sprung  from  high  celestial  breed. 
Thus  Ayodhya,  "virgin  city," — faithful  to  her  haughty  name, — 
Ruled  by  righteous  Dasa-ratha  won  a  world-embracing  fame, 
Strong-barred  gates  and  lofty  arches,  tower  and  dome  and  turret  high 
Decked  the  vast  and  peopled  city  fair  as  mansions  of  the  sky. 
Queens  of  proud  and  peerless  beauty  born  of  houses  rich  in  fame, 
Loved  of  royal  Dasa-ratha  to  his  happy  mansion  came, 
Queen  Kausalya  blessed  with  virtue  true  and  righteous  Rama  bore 
Queen  Kaikeyi  young  and  beauteous  bore  him  Bharat  rich  in  lore, 
Queen  Simitra  bore  the  bright  twins,  Lakshman  and  Satrughna  bold, 
Four  brave  princes  served  their  father  in  the  happy  days  of  old! 

II    MMila,  and  the  Breaking  of  the  Sous 

Janak  monarch  of  Videha  spake  his  message  near  and  far,— 
He  shall  win  my  peerless  Sita  who  shall  bend  my  bow  of  war, — 
Suitors  came  from  farthest  regions,  warlike  princes  known  to  fame, 
Vainly  strove  to  wield  the  weapon,  left  Videha  in  their  shame. 
Viswa-mitra  royal  rishi,  Rama  true  and  Lakshman  bold, 
Came  to  fair  Mithila's  city  from  Ayodhya  famed  of  old, 
Spake  in  pride  the  royal  rishi:  "Monarch  of  Videha's  throne, 
Grant,  the  wondrous  bow  of  RUDRA  be  to  princely  Rama  shown." 
Janak  spake  his  royal  mandate  to  his  lords  and  warriors  bold: 
"Bring  ye  forth  the  bow  of  RUDRA  decked  in  garlands  and  in  gold," 
And  his  peers  and  proud  retainers  waiting  on  the  monarch's  call, 
Brought  the  great  and  goodly  weapon  from  the  city's  inner  hall. 


144  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

Stalwart  men  of  ample  stature  pulled  the  mighty  iron  car 

In  which  rested  all-inviolate  Janak's  dreaded  bow  of  war, 

And  where  midst  assembled  monarchs  sat  Videha's  godlike  king, 

With  a  mighty  toil  and  effort  did  the  eight- wheeled  chariot  bring. 

"This  the  weapon  of  Videha,"  proudly  thus  the  peers  begun, 

"Be  it  shewn  to  royal  Rama,  Dasa-ratha's  righteous  son:" 

"This  the  bow,"  then  spake  the  monarch  to  the  nsha  famed  of  old, 

To  the  true  and  righteous  Rama  and  to  Lakshman  young  and  bold, 

"This  the  weapon  of  my  fathers  prized  by  kings  from  age  to  age, 

Mighty  chiefs  and  sturdy  warriors  could  not  bend  it,  noble  sage! 

Gods  before  the  bow  of  RUDRA  have  in  righteous  terror  quailed, 

Rat(shas*  fierce  and  stout  Asuras2  have  in  futile  effort  failed, 

Mortal  man  will  struggle  vainly  RUDRA'S  wondrous  bow  to  bend, 

Vainly  strive  to  string  the  weapon  and  the  shining  dart  to  send, 

Holy  saint  and  royal  rishi,  here  is  Janak's  ancient  bow, 

Shew  it  to  Ayodhya's  princes,  speak  to  them  my  kingly  vow!" 

Viswa-mitra  humbly  listened  to  the  words  the  monarch  said, 

To  the  brave  and  righteous  Rama,  Janak's  mighty  bow  displayed, 

Rama  lifted  high  the  cover  of  the  pond'rous  iron  car, 

Gazed  with  conscious  pride  and  prowess  on  the  mighty  bow  of  war. 

"Let  me,"  humbly  spake  the  hero,  "on  this  bow  my  fingers  place, 

Let  me  lift  and  bend  the  weapon,  help  me  with  your  loving  grace." 

"Be  it  so,"  the  rishi  answered,  "be  it  so,"  the  monarch  said, 

Rama  lifted  high  the  weapon  on  his  stalwart  arms  displayed, 

Wond'ring  gazed  the  kings  assembled  as  the  son  of  Raghu's  race 

Proudly  raised  the  bow  of  RUDRA  with  a  warrior's  stately  grace, 

Proudly  strung  the  bow  of  RUDRA  which  the  kings  had  tried  in  vain, 

Drew  the  cord  with  force  resistless  till  the  weapon  snapped  in  twain! 

Like  the  thunder's  pealing  accent  rose  the  loud  terrific  clang, 

And  the  firm  earth  shook  and  trembled  and  the  hills  in  echoes  rang, 

And  the  chiefs  and  gathered  monarchs  fell  and  fainted  in  their  fear, 

And  the  men  of  many  nations  shook  the  dreadful  sound  to  hear! 

Pale  and  white  the  startled  monarchs  slowly  from  their  terror  woke, 

And  with  royal  grace  and  greetings  Janak  to  the  rishi  spoke : 

"Now  my  ancient  eyes  have  witnessed  wond'rous  deed  by  Rama  done, 

Deed  surpassing  thought  or  fancy  wrought  by  Dasa-ratha's  son, 

And  the  proud  and  peerless  princess,  Sita  glory  of  my  house, 

Sheds  on  me  an  added  lustre  as  she  weds  a  godlike  spouse, 

1  Night  demons.  a  Evil  spirits. 


THE    EPIC    OF    RAMA  145 

True  shall  be  my  plighted  promise,  Sita  dearer  than  my  life, 
Won  by  worth  and  wond'rous  valour  shall  be  Rama's  faithful  wife! 
Grant  us  leave,  O  royal  nshi,  grant  us  blessings  kind  and  fair, 
Envoys  mounted  on  my  chariot  to  Ayodhya  shall  repair, 
They  shall  speak  to  Rama's  father  glorious  feat  by  Rama  done, 
They  shall  speak  to  Dasa-ratha,  Sita  is  by  valour  won, 
They  shall  say  the  noble  princes  safely  live  within  our  walls, 
They  shall  ask  him  by  his  presence  to  adorn  our  palace  halls!" 
Pleased  at  heart  the  sage  assented,  envoys  by  the  monarch  sent, 
To  Ayodhya's  distant  city  with  the  royal  message  went. 

///    The  Embassy  to  Ayodhya 

Three  nights  halting  in  their  journey  with  their  steeds  fatigued  and 

spent, 

Envoys  from  Manila's  monarch  to  Ayodhya's  city  went, 
And  by  royal  mandate  bidden  stepped  within  the  palace  hall, 
Where  the  ancient  Dasa-ratha  sat  with  peers  and  courtiers  all, 
And  with  greetings  and  obeisance  spake  their  message  calm  and  bold, 
Softly  fell  their  gentle  accents  as  their  happy  tale  they  told. 
"Greetings  to  thce,  mighty  monarch,  greetings  to  each  priest  and  peer, 
Wishes  for  thy  health  and  safety  from  Videha's  king  we  bear, 
Janak  monarch  of  Videha  for  thy  happy  life  hath  prayed, 
And  by  Viswa-mitra's  bidding  words  of  gladsome  message  said: 
'Know  on  earth  my  plighted  promise,  spoke  by  heralds  near  and  far, — 
He  shall  win  my  peerless  Sita  who  shall  bend  my  bow  of  war, — 
Monarchs  came  and  princely  suitors,  chiefs  and  warriors  known  to  fame, 
Baffled  in  their  fruitless  effort  left  Mithila  in  their  shame, 
Rama  came  with  gallant  Lakshman  by  their  proud  preceptor  led, 
Bent  and  broke  the  mighty  weapon,  he  the  beauteous  bride  shall  wed! 
Rama  strained  the  weapon  stoutly  till  it  snapped  and  broke  in  twain, 
In  the  concourse  of  the  monarchs,  in  the  throng  of  armed  men, 
Rama  wins  the  peerless  princess  by  the  righteous  will  of  Heaven, 
I  redeem  my  plighted  promise — be  thy  kind  permission  given! 
Monarch  of  Kosala's  country!  with  each  lord  and  peer  and  priest, 
Welcome  to  Mithila's  city,  welcome  to  Videha's  feast, 
Joy  thee  in  thy  Rama's  triumph,  joy  thee  with  a  father's  pride, 
Let  each  prince  of  proud  Kosala  win  a  fair  Videha-bride!' 


146  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

These  by  Viswa-mitra's  bidding  are  the  words  our  monarch  said, 
This  by  Sata-nanda's  counsel  is  the  quest  that  he  hath  made." 
Joyful  was  Kosala's  monarch,  spake  to  chieftains  in  the  hall, 
Vama-deva  and  Vasishtha  and  to  priests  and  Brahmans  all: 
"Priests  and  peers!  in  far  Mithila,  so  these  friendly  envoys  tell, 
Righteous  Rama,  gallant  Lakshman,  in  the  royal  palace  dwell, 
And  our  brother  of  Videha  prizes  Rama's  warlike  pride, 
To  each  prince  of  proud  Kosala  yields  a  fair  Videha-bridc, 
If  it  please  ye,  priests  and  chieftains,  speed  we  to  Mithila  fair, 
World-renowned  is  Janak's  virtue,  Heaven-inspired  his  learning  rare! 
Spake  each  peer  and  holy  Brahman:  "Dasa-ratha's  will  be  done!" 
Spake  the  king  unto  the  envoys:  "Part  we  with  the  rising  sun!" 
Honoured  with  a  regal  honour,  welcomed  to  a  rich  repast, 
Gifted  envoys  from  Mithila  day  and  night  in  gladness  passed! 

IV    Meeting  of  JanaJ^  and  Dasa-ratha 

On  Ayodhya's  tower  and  turret  now  the  golden  morning  woke, 
Dasa-ratha  girt  by  courtiers  thus  to  wise  Sumantra  spoke : 
"Bid  the  keepers  of  my  treasure  with  their  waggons  lead  the  way, 
Ride  in  front  with  royal  riches,  gold  and  gems  in  bright  array, 
Bid  my  warriors  skilled  in  duty  lead  the  four-fold  ranks  of  war, 
Elephants  and  noble  chargers,  serried  foot  and  battle-car, 
Bid  my  faithful  chariot-driver  harness  quick  each  car  of  state, 
With  the  fleetest  of  my  coursers,  and  upon  my  orders  wait. 
Vama-deva  and  Vasishtha  versed  in  Veda's  ancient  lore, 
Kasyapa  and  good  Jabali  sprung  from  holy  saints  of  yore, 
Markandeya  in  his  glory,  Katyayana  in  his  pride, 
Let  each  priest  and  proud  preceptor  with  Kosala's  monarch  ride, 
Harness  to  my  royal  chariot  strong  and  stately  steeds  of  war, 
For  the  envoys  speed  my  journey  and  the  way  is  long  and  far." 
With  each  priest  and  proud  retainer  Dasa-ratha  led  the  way, 
Glittering  ranks  of  forces  followed  in  their  four-fold  dread  array, 
Four  days  on  the  way  they  journeyed  till  they  reached  Videha's  land, 
Janak  with  a  courteous  welcome  came  to  greet  the  royal  band. 
Joyously  Videha's  monarch  greeted  every  priest  and  peer, 
Greeted  ancient  Dasa-ratha  in  his  accents  soft  and  clear : 
"Hast  thou  come,  my  royal  brother,  on  my  house  to  yield  thy  grace, 
Hast  thou  made  a  peaceful  journey,  pride  of  Raghu's  royal  race? 


THE   EPIC   OF   RAMA  147 

Welcome  I  for  Mithila's  people  seek  my  royal  guest  to  greet, 
Welcome!  for  thy  sons  of  valour  long  their  loving  sire  to  meet, 
Welcome  to  the  priest  Vasishtha  versed  in  Veda's  ancient  lore, 
Welcome  every  righteous  rishi  sprung  from  holy  saints  of  yore! 
And  my  evil  fates  are  vanquished  and  my  race  is  sanctified, 
With  the  warlike  race  of  Raghu  thus  in  loving  bonds  allied, 
Sacrifice  and  rites  auspicious  we  ordain  with  rising  sun, 
Ere  the  evening's  darkness  closes,  happy  nuptials  shall  be  done!" 
Thus  in  kind  and  courteous  accents  Janak  spake  his  purpose  high, 
And  his  royal  love  responding,  Dasa-ratha  made  reply: 
"Gift  betokens  giver's  bounty, — so  our  ancient  sages  sing, — 
And  thy  righteous  fame  and  virtue  grace  thy  gift,  Videha's  king! 
World-renowned  is  Janak's  bounty,  Heaven-inspired  his  holy  grace, 
And  we  take  his  boon  and  blessing  as  an  honour  to  our  race!" 
Royal  grace  and  kingly  greeting  marked  the  ancient  monarch's  word 
Janak  with  a  grateful  pleasure  Dasa-ratha's  answer  heard, 
And  the  Brahmans  and  preceptors  joyously  the  midnight  spent, 
And  in  converse  pure  and  pleasant  and  in  sacred  sweet  content. 
Righteous  Rama,  gallant  Lakshman  piously  their  father  greet, 
Duly  make  their  deep  obeisance,  humbly  touch  his  royal  feet, 
And  the  night  is  filled  with  gladness  for  the  king  revered  and  old, 
Honoured  by  the  saintly  Janak,  greeted  by  his  children  bold, 
On  Mithila's  tower  and  turret  stars  their  silent  vigils  keep, 
When  each  sacred  rite  completed,  Janak  seeks  his  nightly  sleep. 

V    The  Preparation 

All  his  four  heroic  princes  now  with  Dasa-ratha  stayed 

In  Mithila's  ancient  city,  and  their  father's  will  obeyed, 

Thither  came  the  bold  Yudhajit  prince  of  proud  Kaikeya's  line, 

On  the  day  that  Dasa-ratha  made  his  gifts  of  gold  and  kine, 

And  he  met  the  ancient  monarch,  for  his  health  and  safety  prayed, 

Made  his  bow  and  due  obeisance  and  in  gentle  accents  said: 

"List,  O  king!  my  royal  father,  monarch  of  Kaikeya's  race, 

Sends  his  kindly  love  and  greetings  with  his  blessings  and  his  grace. 

And  he  asks  if  Dasa-ratha  prospers  in  his  wonted  health, 

If  his  friends  and  fond  relations  live  in  happiness  and  wealth. 

Queen  Kaikeyi  is  my  sister,  and  to  see  her  son  I  came, 

Bharat  prince  of  peerless  virtue,  worthy  of  his  father's  fame, 


148  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

Aye,  to  see  that  youth  o£  valour,  by  my  royal  father  sent, 

To  Ayodhya's  ancient  city  with  an  anxious  heart  I  went, 

In  the  city  of  Mithila, — thus  did  all  thy  subjects  say, — 

With  his  sons  and  with  his  kinsmen  Dasa-ratha  makes  his  stay, 

Hence  in  haste  I  journeyed  hither,  travelling  late  and  early  dawn, 

For  to  do  thee  due  obeisance  and  to  greet  my  sister's  son!" 

Spake  the  young  and  proud  Kaikeya,  dear  and  duly-greeted  guest, 

Dasa-ratha  on  his  brother  choicest  gifts  and  honours  pressed. 

Brightly  dawned  the  happy  morning,  and  Kosala's  king  of  fame 

With  his  sons  and  wise  Vasishtha  to  the  sacred  yajna 1  came, 

Rama  and  his  gallant  brothers  decked  in  gem  and  jewel  bright, 

In  th'  auspicious  hour  of  morning  did  the  blest  Kautu^a 2  rite, 

And  beside  their  royal  father  piously  the  princes  stood, 

And  to  fair  Videha's  monarch  spake  Vasishtha  wise  and  good: 

"Dasa-ratha  waits  expectant  with  each  proud  and  princely  son, 

Waits  upon  the  bounteous  giver,  for  each  holy  rite  is  done, 

'Twixt  the  giver  and  the  taker  sacred  word  is  sacred  deed, 

Seal  with  gift  thy  plighted  promise,  let  the  nuptial  rites  proceed !" 

Thus  the  righteous-souled  Vasishtha  to  Videha's  monarch  prayed, 

Janak  versed  in  holy  Vedas  thus  in  courteous  accents  said: 

"Wherefore  waits  the  king  expectant?  Free  to  him  this  royal  dome 

Since  my  kingdom  is  his  empire  and  my  palace  is  his  home, 

And  the  maidens,  flame-resplendent,  done  each  fond  Kautul^a  rite. 

Beaming  in  their  bridal  beauty  tread  the  sacrificial  site! 

I  beside  the  lighted  altar  wait  upon  thy  sacred  hest, 

And  auspicious  is  the  moment,  sage  Vasishtha  knows  the  rest, 

Let  the  peerless  Dasa-ratha,  proud  Kosala's  king  of  might, 

With  his  sons  and  honoured  sages  enter  on  the  holy  site, 

Let  the  righteous  sage  Vasishtha,  sprung  from  Vedic  saints  of  old, 

Celebrate  the  happy  wedding;  be  the  sacred  mantras s  told!" 

VI     The  Wedding 

Sage  Vasishtha  skilled  in  duty  placed  Videha's  honoured  king, 
Viswa-mitra,  Sata-nanda,  all  within  the  sacred  ring, 

1  Sacrifice. 

'Wedding  investiture  with  the  nuptial  chord. 
*  Hymns  or  incantations. 


THE   EPIC   OF   RAMA  149 

And  he  raised  the  holy  altar  as  the  ancient  writs  ordain, 

Decked  and  graced  with  scented  garlands  grateful  unto  gods  and  men, 

And  he  set  the  golden  ladles,  vases  pierced  by  artists  skilled, 

Holy  censers  fresh  and  fragrant,  cups  with  sacred  honey  filled, 

Sanf(a  bowls  and  shining  salvers,  arghya  1  plates  for  honoured  guest, 

Parched  rice  arranged  in  dishes,  corn  unhusked  that  filled  the  rest, 

And  with  careful  hand  Vasishtha  grass  around  the  altar  flung, 

Offered  gift  to  lighted  AGNI  and  the  sacred  mantra  sung! 

Softly  came  the  sweet-eyed  Sita, — bridal  blush  upon  her  brow, — 

Rama  in  his  manly  beauty  came  to  take  the  sacred  vow, 

Janak  placed  his  beauteous  daughter  facing  Dasa-ratha's  son, 

Spake  with  father's  fond  emotion  and  the  holy  rite  was  done: 

"This  is  Sita  child  of  fana/^,  dearer  unto  him  than  life, 

Henceforth  sharer  of  thy  virtue,  be  she,  prince,  thy  faithful  wife, 

Of  thy  weal  and  woe  partaker,  be  she  thine  in  every  land, 

Cherish  her  in  joy  and  sorrow,  clasp  her  hand  within  thy  handt 

As  the  shadow  to  the  substance,  to  her  lord  is  faithful  wife, 

And  my  Sita  best  of  women  follows  thee  in  death  or  life!" 

Tears  bedew  his  ancient  bosom,  gods  and  men  his  wishes  share, 

And  he  sprinkles  holy  water  on  the  blest  and  wedded  pair. 

Next  he  turned  to  Sita's  sister,  Urmila  of  beauty  rare, 

And  to  Lakshman  young  and  valiant  spake  in  accents  soft  and  fair: 

"Lal(shman,  dauntless  in  thy  duty,  loved  of  men  and  Gods  above, 

Tal{e  my  dear  devoted  daughter,  Urmila  of  stainless  love, 

iM^shman,  fearless  in  thy  virtue,  ta\e  thy  true  and  faithful  wife, 

Clasp  her  hand  within  thy  fingers,  be  she  thine  in  death  or  life!" 

To  his  brother's  child  Mandavi,  Janak  turned  with  father's  love, 

Yielded  her  to  righteous  Bharat,  prayed  for  blessings  from  above: 

"Bharat,  taf(e  the  fair  Mandavi,  be  she  thine  in  death  or  life, 

Clasp  her  hand  within  thy  fingers  as  thy  true  and  faithful  wife!" 

Last  of  all  was  Sruta-kriti,  fair  in  form  and  fair  in  face, 

And  her  gentle  name  was  honoured  for  her  acts  of  righteous  grace, 

"TaJ{e  her  by  the  hand,  Satrughna,  be  she  thine  in  death  or  life. 

As  the  shadow  to  the  substance,  to  her  lordt  is  faithful  wife!" 

Then  the  princes  held  the  maidens,  hand  embraced  in  loving  hand, 

And  Vasishtha  spake  the  mantra,  holiest  priest  in  all  the  land, 

And  as  ancient  rite  ordameth,  and  as  sacred  laws  require, 

Stepped  each  bride  and  princely  bridegroom  round  the  altar's  lighted  fire, 

1  Offering  to  an  honored  guest. 


150  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

Round  Videha's  ancient  monarch,  round  the  holy  rishis  all, 
Lightly  stepped  the  gentle  maidens,  proudly  stepped  the  princes  tall! 
And  a  rain  of  flowers  descended  from  the  sky  serene  and  fair, 
And  a  soft  celestial  music  filled  the  fresh  and  fragrant  air, 
Bright  Gandharvas  skilled  in  music  waked  the  sweet  celestial  song, 
Fair  Afsaras1  in  their  beauty  on  the  greensward  tripped  along! 
As  the  flowery  rain  descended  and  the  music  rose  in  pride, 
Thrice  around  the  lighted  altar  every  bridegroom  led  his  bride, 
And  the  nuptial  rites  were  ended,  princes  took  their  brides  away, 
Janak  followed  with  his  courtiers,  and  the  town  was  proud  and  gay! 

VII    Return  to  Ayodhya 

With  his  wedded  sons  and  daughters  and  his  guard  in  bright  array, 

To  the  famed  and  fair  Ayodhya,  Dasa-ratha  held  his  way, 

And  they  reached  the  ancient  city  decked  with  banners  bright  and  brave, 

And  the  voice  of  drum  and  trumpet  hailed  the  home-returning  brave. 

Fragrant  blossoms  strewed  the  pathway,  song  of  welcome  filled  the  air, 

Joyous  men  and  merry  women  issued  forth  in  garments  fair, 

And  they  lifted  up  their  faces  and  they  waved  their  hands  on  high, 

And  they  raised  the  voice  of  welcome  as  their  righteous  king  drew  nigh. 

Greeted  by  his  loving  subjects,  welcomed  by  his  priests  of  fame, 

Dasa-ratha  with  the  princes  to  his  happy  city  came, 

With  the  brides  and  stately  princes  in  the  town  he  held  his  way, 

Entered  slow  his  lofty  palace  bright  as  peak  of  Himalay. 

Queen  Kausalya  blessed  with  virtue,  Queen  Kaikeyi  in  her  pride, 

Queen  Sumitra  sweetly  loving,  greeted  every  happy  bride, 

Soft-eyed  Sita  noble-destined,  Urmila  of  spotless  fame, 

Mandavi  and  Sruta-kirti  to  their  loving  mothers  came. 

Decked  in  silk  and  queenly  garments  they  performed  each  pious  rite, 

Brought  their  blessings  on  the  household,  bowed  to  Gods  of  holy  might, 

Bowed  to  all  the  honoured  elders,  blest  the  children  with  their  love, 

And  with  soft  and  sweet  endearment  by  their  loving  consorts  moved. 

Happy  were  the  wedded  princes  peerless  in  their  warlike  might, 

And  they  dwelt  in  stately  mansions  like  KUVERA'S  mansions  bright. 

Loving  wife  and  troops  of  kinsmen,  wealth  and  glory  on  them  wait, 

Filial  love  and  fond  affection  sanctify  their  happy  fate. 

1  Celestial  nymphs. 


THE    EPIC   OF   RAMA  15! 

Once  when  on  the  palace  chambers  bright  the  golden  morning  woke, 
To  his  son  the  gentle  Bharat,  thus  the  ancient  monarch  spoke: 
"Know,  my  son,  the  prince  Kaikeya,  Yudajit  of  warlike  fame, 
Queen  Kaikeyi's  honoured  brother,  from  his  distant  regions  came, 
He  hath  come  to  take  thee,  Bharat,  to  Kaikeya's  monarch  bold, 
Go  and  stay  with  them  a  season,  greet  thy  grandsire  loved  of  old." 
Bharat  heard  with  filial  duty  and  he  hastened  to  obey, 
Took  with  him  the  young  Satrughna  in  his  grandsire's  home  to  stay, 
And  from  Rama  and  from  Lakshman  parted  they  with  many  a  tear, 
From  their  young  and  gentle  consorts,  from  their  parents  ever  dear, 
And  Kaikeya  with  the  princes,  with  his  guards  and  troopers  gay, 
To  his  father's  western  regions  gladsome  held  his  onward  way. 
Rama  with  a  pious  duty, — favoured  by  the  Gods  above, — 
Tended  still  his  ancient  father  with  a  never-faltering  love, 
In  his  father's  sacred  mandate  still  his  noblest  Duty  saw, 
In  the  weal  of  subject  nations  recognised  his  foremost  Law! 
And  he  pleased  his  happy  mother  with  a  fond  and  filial  care, 
And  his  elders  and  his  kinsmen  with  devotion  soft  and  fair, 
Brahmans  blessed  the  righteous  Rama  for  his  faith  in  gods  above, 
People  in  the  town  and  hamlet  blessed  him  with  their  loyal  love! 
With  a  woman's  whole  affection  fond  and  trusting  Sita  loved, 
And  within  her  faithful  bosom  loving  Rama  lived  and  moved, 
And  he  loved  her,  for  their  parents  chose  her  as  his  faithful  wife, 
Loved  her  for  her  peerless  beauty,  for  her  true  and  trustful  life, 
Loved  and  dwelt  within  her  bosom  though  he  wore  a  form  apart, 
Rama  in  a  sweet  communion  lived  in  Sita's  loving  heart! 
Days  of  joy  and  momhs  of  gladness  o'er  the  gentle  Sita  flew, 
As  she  like  the  QUEEN  OF  BEAUTY  brighter  in  her  graces  grew, 
And  as  VISHNU  with  his  consort  dwells  in  skies,  alone,  apart, 
Rama  in  a  sweet  communion  lived  in  Sita's  loving  heart! 

BOOK  II    VANA-GAMANA-ADESA 

(The  Banishment) 

THE  EVENTS  NARRATED  in  this  Book  occupy  scarcely  two  days.  The  descrip- 
tion of  Rama's  princely  virtues  and  the  rejoicings  at  his  proposed  corona- 
tion, with  which  the  Book  begins,  contrast  with  much  dramatic  force  and 
effect  with  the  dark  intrigues  which  follow,  and  which  end  in  his  cruel 
banishment  for  fourteen  years. 


152  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

The  portions  translated  in  this  Book  form  Sections  i.,  ii.,  vi.,  and  vii., 
portions  of  Sections  x.  to  xiii.,  and  the  whole  of  Section  xviii.  of  Book  ii.  of 
the  original  text. 

/    The  Council  Convened 

Thus  the  young  and  brave  Satrughna,  Bharat  ever  true  and  bold, 

Went  to  warlike  western  regions  where  Kaikeyas  lived  of  old, 

Where  the  ancient  Aswa-pati  ruled  his  kingdom  broad  and  fair, 

Hailed  the  sons  of  Dasa-ratha  with  a  grandsire's  loving  care. 

Tended  with  a  fond  affection,  guarded  with  a  gentle  sway, 

Still  the  princes  of  their  father  dreamt  and  thought  by  night  and  day, 

And  their  father  in  Ayodhya,  great  of  heart  and  stout  of  hand, 

Thought  of  Bharat  and  Satrughna  living  in  Kaikeya's  land. 

For  his  great  and  gallant  princes  were  to  him  his  life  and  light, 

Were  a  part  of  Dasa-ratha  like  his  hands  and  arms  of  might, 

But  of  all  his  righteous  children  righteous  Rama  won  his  heart, 

As  SWAYAMBHU  of  all  creatures,  was  his  dearest,  holiest  part, 

For  his  Rama  strong  and  stately  was  his  eldest  and  his  best, 

Void  of  every  baser  passion  and  with  every  virtue  blest! 

Soft  in  speech,  sedate  arid  peaceful,  seeking  still  the  holy  path, 

Calm  in  conscious  worth  and  valour,  taunt  nor  cavil  waked  his  wrath, 

In  the  field  of  war  excelling,  boldest  warrior  midst  the  bold, 

In  the  palace  chambers  musing  on  the  tales  by  elders  told, 

Faithful  to  the  wise  and  learned,  truthful  in  his  deed  and  word, 

Rama  dearly  loved  his  people  and  his  people  loved  their  lord! 

To  the  Brahmans  pure  and  holy  Rama  due  obeisance  made, 

To  the  poor  and  to  the  helpless  deeper  love  and  honour  paid, 

Spirit  of  his  race  and  nation  was  to  high-souled  Rama  given, 

Thoughts  that  widen  human  glory,  deeds  that  ope  the  gates  of  heaven. 

Not  intent  on  idle  cavil  Rama  spake  with  purpose  high, 

And  the  God  of  speech  might  envy  when  he  spake  or  made  reply, 

In  the  learning  of  the  Vedas  highest  meed  and  glory  won, 

In  the  skill  of  arms  the  father  scarcely  matched  the  gallant  son! 

Taught  by  sages  and  by  elders  in  the  manners  of  his  race, 

Rama  grew  in  social  virtues  and  each  soft  endearing  grace, 

Taught  by  inborn  pride  and  wisdom  patient  purpose  to  conceal, 

Deep  determined  was  his  effort,  dauntless  was  his  silent  will! 


THE   EPIC  OF   RAMA  153 

Peerless  in  his  skill  and  valour  steed  and  elephant  to  tame, 
Dauntless  leader  of  his  forces,  matchless  in  his  warlike  fame, 
Higher  thought  and  nobler  duty  did  the  righteous  Rama  move, 
By  his  toil  and  by  his  virtues  still  he  sought  his  people's  lovel 
Dasa-ratha  marked  his  Rama  with  each  kingly  virtue  blest, 
And  from  lifelong  royal  duties  now  he  sought  repose  and  rest: 
"Shall  I  see  my  son  anointed,  seated  on  Kosala's  throne, 
In  the  evening  of  my  lifetime  ere  my  days  on  earth  be  done, 
Shall  I  place  my  ancient  empire  in  the  youthful  Rama's  care, 
Seek  for  me  a  higher  duty  and  prepare  for  life  more  fair?" 
Pondering  thus  within  his  bosom  counsel  from  his  courtiers  sought, 
And  to  crown  his  Rama,  Regent,  was  his  purpose  and  his  thought, 
For  strange  signs  and  diverse  tokens  now  appeared  on  earth  and  sky, 
And  his  failing  strength  and  vigour  spoke  his  end  approaching  nigh, 
And  he  witnessed  Rama's  virtues  filling  all  the  world  with  love, 
As  the  full-moon's  radiant  lustre  fills  the  earth  from  skies  above! 
Dear  to  him  appeared  his  purpose,  Rama  to  his  people  dear, 
Private  wish  and  public  duty  made  his  path  serene  and  clear, 
Dasa-ratha  called  his  Council,  summoned  chiefs  from  town  and  plain, 
Welcomed  too  from  distant  regions  monarchs  and  the  kings  of  men, 
Mansions  meet  for  prince  and  chieftain  to  his  guests  the  monarch  gave. 
Gracious  as  the  Lord  of  Creatures  held  the  gathering  rich  and  brave! 
Nathless  to  Kosala's  Council  nor  Videha's  monarch  came, 
Nor  the  warlike  chief  Kaikeya,  Aswa-pati  king  of  fame, 
To  those  kings  and  near  relations,  ancient  Dasa-ratha  meant, 
Message  of  the  proud  anointment  with  his  greetings  would  be  sent. 
Brightly  dawned  the  day  of  gathering;  in  the  lofty  Council  Hall 
Stately  chiefs  and  ancient  burghers  came  and  mustered  one  and  all, 
And  each  prince  and  peer  was  seated  on  his  cushion  rich  and  high, 
And  on  monarch  Dasa-ratha  eager  turned  his  anxious  eye, 
Girt  by  crowned  kings  and  chieftains,  burghers  from  the  town  and  plain, 
Dasa-ratha  shone  like  INDRA  girt  by  heaven's  immortal  train! 

77    The  People  Consulted 

With  the  voice  of  pealing  thunder  Dasa-ratha  spake  to  all, 
To  the  princes  and  the  burghers  gathered  in  Ayodhya's  hall: 
"Known  to  all,  the  race  of  Raghu  rules  this  empire  broad  and  fair, 
And  hath  ever  loved  and  cherished  subjects  with  a  father's  care, 


154  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

In  my  fathers'  footsteps  treading  I  have  sought  the  ancient  path, 

Nursed  my  people  as  my  children,  free  from  passion,  pride  and  wrath, 

Underneath  this  white  umbrella,  seated  on  this  royal  throne, 

I  have  toiled  to  win  their  welfare  and  my  task  is  almost  donel 

Years  have  passed  of  fruitful  labour,  years  of  work  by  fortune  blest, 

And  the  evening  of  my  lifetime  needs,  my  friends,  the  evening's  rest, 

Years  have  passed  in  watchful  effort,  Law  and  Duty  to  uphold, 

Effort  needing  strength  and  prowess — and  my  feeble  limbs  arc  old! 

Peers  and  burghers,  let  your  monarch,  now  his  lifelong  labour  done, 

For  the  weal  of  loving  subjects  on  his  empire  seat  his  son, 

iNDRA-like  in  peerless  valour,  rishi-like  in  holy  lore, 

Rama  follows  Dasa-ratha,  but  in  virtues  stands  before! 

Throned  in  Pushya's  constellation  shines  the  moon  with  fuller  light, 

Throned  to  rule  his  father's  empire  Rama  wins  a  loftier  might, 

He  will  be  your  gracious  monarch  favoured  well  by  FORTUNE'S  QUEEN, 

By  his  virtue  and  his  valour  lord  of  earth  he  might  have  been! 

Speak  your  thoughts  and  from  this  bosom  lift  a  load  of  toil  and  care, 

On  the  proud  throne  of  my  fathers  let  me  place  a  peerless  heir, 

Speak  your  thought,  my  chiefs  and  people,  if  this  purpose  please  you  well, 

Or  if  wiser,  better  counsel  in  your  wisdom  ye  can  tell, 

Speak  your  thoughts  without  compulsion,  though  this  plan  to  me  be  dear, 

If  some  middle  course  were  wiser,  if  some  other  way  were  clear!" 

Gathered  chieftains  hailed  the  mandate  with  applauses  long  and  loud, 

As  the  peafowls  hail  the  thunder  of  the  dark  and  laden  cloud, 

And  the  gathered  subjects  echoed  loud  and  long  the  welcome  sound, 

Till  the  voices  of  the  people  shook  the  sky  and  solid  ground! 

Brahmans  versed  in  laws  of  duty,  chieftains  in  their  warlike  pride, 

Countless  men  from  town  and  hamlet  heard  the  mandate  far  and  wide. 

And  they  met  in  consultation,  joyously  with  one  accord, 

Freely  and  in  measured  accents,  gave  their  answer  to  their  lord: 

"Years  of  toil  and  watchful  labour  weigh  upon  thee,  king  of  men, 

Young  in  years  is  righteous  Rama,  Heir  and  Regent  let  him  reign, 

We  would  see  the  princely  Rama,  Heir  and  Regent  duly  made, 

Riding  on  the  royal  tusker  in  the  white  umbrella's  shade!" 

Searching  still  their  secret  purpose,  seeking  still  their  thought  to  know, 

Spake  again  the  ancient  monarch  in  his  measured  words  and  slow: 

"I  would  know  your  inner  feelings,  loyal  thoughts  and  whispers  kind, 

For  a  doubt  within  me  lingers  and  a  shadow  clouds  my  mind, 


THE   EPIC   OF   RAMA  155 

True  to  Law  and  true  to  Duty  while  I  rule  this  kingdom  fair, 

Wherefore  would  you  see  my  Rama  seated  as  the  Regent  Heir  ?" 

"We  would  see  him  Heir  and  Regent,  Dasa-ratha,  ancient  lord, 

For  his  heart  is  blessed  with  valour,  virtue  marks  his  deed  and  word, 

Lives  not  man  in  all  the  wide  earth  who  excels  the  stainless  youth, 

In  his  loyalty  to  Duty,  in  his  love  of  righteous  Truth, 

Truth  impels  his  thought  and  action,  Truth  inspires  his  soul  with  grace, 

And  his  virtue  fills  the  wide  earth  and  exalts  his  ancient  race! 

Bright  Immortals  know  his  valour;  with  his  brother  Lakshman  bold 

He  hath  never  failed  to  conquer  hostile  town  or  castled  hold, 

And  returning  from  his  battles,  from  the  duties  of  the  war, 

Riding  on  his  royal  tusker  or  his  all-resistless  car, 

As  a  father  to  his  children  to  his  loving  men  he  came, 

Blessed  our  homes  and  maids  and  matrons  till  our  infants  lisped  his 

name, 

For  our  humble  woes  and  troubles  Rama  hath  the  ready  tear, 
To  our  humble  tales  of  suffering  Rama  lends  his  willing  ear! 
Happy  is  the  royal  father  who  hath  such  a  righteous  son, 
For  in  town  and  mart  and  hamlet  every  heart  hath  Rama  won, 
Burghers  and  the  toiling  tillers  tales  of  Rama's  kindness  say, 
Man  and  infant,  maid  and  matron,  morn  and  eve  for  Rama  pray, 
To  the  Gods  and  bright  Immortals  we  our  inmost  wishes  send, 
May  the  good  and  godlike  Rama  on  his  father's  throne  ascend, 
Great  in  gifts  and  great  in  glory,  Rama  doth  our  homage  own, 
We  would  see  the  princely  Rama  seated  on  his  father's  throne!" 

///    The  City  Decorated 

With  his  consort  pious  Rama,  pure  in  deed  and  pure  in  thought, 
After  evening's  due  ablutions  NARAYANA'S  chamber  sought, 
Prayed  unto  the  Lord  of  Creatures,  NARAYANA  Ancient  Sire, 
Placed  his  offering  on  his  forehead,  poured  it  on  the  lighted  fire, 
Piously  partook  the  remnant,  sought  for  NARAYANA'S  aid, 
As  he  kept  his  fast  and  vigils  on  the  grass  of  fasa*  spread. 
With  her  lord  the  saintly  Sita  silent  passed  the  sacred  night, 
Contemplating  World's  Preserver,  Lord  of  Heaven's  ethereal  height, 
And  within  the  sacred  chamber  on  the  grass  of  fasa  lay, 
Till  the  crimson  streaks  of  morning  ushered  in  the  festive  day, 
'  Grass  strewn  round  the  altar  at  sacrifice. 


156  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

Till  the  royal  bards  and  minstrels  chanted  forth  the  morning  call, 

Pealing  through  the  holy  chamber,  echoing  through  the  royal  hall. 

Past  the  night  of  sacred  vigils,  in  his  silken  robes  arrayed, 

Message  of  the  proud  anointment  Rama  to  the  Brahmans  said, 

And  the  Brahmans  spake  to  burghers  that  the  festive  day  was  come, 

Till  the  mart  and  crowded  pathway  rang  with  note  of  pipe  and  drum, 

And  the  townsmen  heard  rejoicing  of  the  vigils  of  the  night, 

Kept  by  Rama  and  by  Sita  for  the  day's  auspicious  rite. 

Rama  shall  be  Heir  and  Regent,  Rama  shall  be  crowned  to-day, — 

Rapid  flew  the  gladdening  message  with  the  morning's  gladsome  ray, 

And  the  people  of  the  city,  maid  and  matron,  man  and  boy, 

Decorated  fair  Ayodhya  in  their  wild  tumultuous  joy! 

On  the  temple's  lofty  steeple  high  as  cloud  above  the  air, 

On  the  crossing  of  the  pathways,  in  the  garden  green  and  fair, 

On  the  merchant's  ample  warehouse,  on  the  shop  with  stores  displayed, 

On  the  mansion  of  the  noble  by  the  cunning  artist  made, 

On  the  gay  and  bright  pavilion,  on  the  high  and  shady  trees, 

Banners  rose  and  glittering  streamers,  flags  that  fluttered  in  the  breeze! 

Actors  gay  and  nimble  dancers,  singers  skilled  in  lightsome  song, 

With  their  antics  and  their  music  pleased  the  gay  and  gathered  throng, 

And  the  people  met  in  conclaves,  spake  of  Rama,  Regent  Heir, 

And  the  children  by  the  roadside  lisped  of  Rama  brave  and  fair! 

Women  wove  the  scented  garland,  merry  maids  the  censer  lit, 

Men  with  broom  and  sprinkled  water  swept  the  spacious  mart  and  street, 

Rows  of  trees  and  posts  they  planted  hung  with  lamps  for  coming  night, 

That  the  midnight  dark  might  rival  splendour  of  the  noonday  light! 

Troops  of  men  and  merry  children  laboured  with  a  loving  care, 

Woman's  skill  and  woman's  fancy  made  the  city  passing  fair, 

So  that  good  and  kindly  Rama  might  his  people's  toil  approve, 

So  that  sweet  and  soft-eyed  Sita  might  accept  her  people's  love! 

Groups  of  joyous  townsmen  gathered  in  the  square  or  lofty  hall, 

Praised  the  monarch  Dasa-ratha,  regent  Rama  young  and  tall: 

"Great  and  good  is  Dasa-ratha  born  of  Raghu's  royal  race, 

In  the  fulness  of  his  lifetime  on  his  son  he  grants  his  grace, 

And  we  hail  the  rite  auspicious  for  our  prince  of  peerless  might, 

He  will  guard  us  by  his  valour,  he  will  save  our  cherished  right, 

Dear  unto  his  loving  brothers  in  his  father's  palace  hall, 

As  is  Rama  to  his  brothers  dear  is  Rama  to  us  all, 


THE   EPIC   OF   RAMA  157 

Long  live  ancient  Dasa-ratha  king  of  Raghu's  royal  race, 
We  shall  see  his  son  anointed  by  his  father's  righteous  grace!" 
Thus  of  Rama's  consecration  spake  the  burghers  one  and  all, 
And  the  men  from  distant  hamlets  poured  within  the  city  wall, 
From  the  confines  of  the  empire,  north  and  south  and  west  and  east, 
Came  to  see  the  consecration  and  to  share  the  royal  feast! 
And  the  rolling  tide  of  nations  raised  their  voices  loud  and  high, 
Like  the  tide  of  sounding  ocean  when  the  full  moon  lights  the  sky, 
And  Ayodhya  thronged  by  people  from  the  hamlet,  mart  and  lea, 
Was  tumultuous  like  the  ocean  thronged  by  creatures  of  the  sea! 

IV    Intrigue 

In  the  inner  palace  chamber  stood  the  proud  and  peerless  queen, 
With  a  mother's  joy  Kaikeyi  gaily  watched  the  festive  scene, 
But  with  deep  and  deadly  hatred  Manthara,  her  nurse  and  maid, 
Marked  the  city  bright  with  banners,  and  in  scornful  accents  said: 
"Take  thy  presents  back,  Kaikeyi,  for  they  ill  befit  the  day, 
And  when  clouds  of  sorrow  darken,  ill  beseems  thee  to  be  gay, 
And  thy  folly  moves  my  laughter  though  an  anguish  wakes  my  sigh, 
For  a  gladness  stirs  thy  bosom  when  thy  greatest  woe  is  nigh! 
Who  that  hath  a  woman's  wisdom,  who  that  is  a  prudent  wife, 
Smiles  in  joy  when  prouder  rival  triumphs  in  the  race  of  life, 
How  can  hapless  Queen  Kaikeyi  greet  this  deed  of  darkness  done, 
When  the  favoured  Queen  Kausalya  wins  the  empire  for  her  son? 
Know  the  truth,  O  witless  woman!  Bharat  is  unmatched  in  fame, 
Rama,  deep  and  darkly  jealous,  dreads  thy  Bharat's  rival  claim, 
Younger  Lakshman  with  devotion  doth  on  eldest  Rama  wait, 
Young  Satrughna  with  affection  follows  Bharat's  lofty  fate, 
Rama  dreads  no  rising  danger  from  the  twins,  the  youngest-born, 
But  thy  Bharat's  claims  and  virtues  fill  his  jealous  heart  with  scorn! 
Trust  me,  queen,  thy  Bharat's  merits  are  too  well  and  widely  known, 
And  he  stands  too  near  and  closely  by  a  rival  brother's  throne, 
Rama  hath  a  wolf-like  wisdom  and  a  fang  to  reach  the  foe, 
And  I  tremble  for  thy  Bharat,  Heaven  avert  untimely  woe! 
Happy  is  the  Queen  Kausalya,  they  will  soon  anoint  her  son, 
When  on  Pushya's  constellation  gaily  rides  to-morrow's  moon, 
Happy  is  the  Queen  Kausalya  in  her  regal  pomp  and  state, 
And  Kaikeyi  like  a  bond-slave  must  upon  her  rival  wait! 


158  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

Wilt  thou  do  her  due  obeisance  as  we  humble  women  do, 

Will  thy  proud  and  princely  Bharat  as  his  brother's  henchman  go, 

Will  thy  Bharat's  gentle  consort,  fairest  princess  in  this  land, 

In  her  tears  and  in  her  anguish  wait  on  Sita's  proud  command?" 

With  a  woman 's*  scornful  anger  Manthara  proclaimed  her  grief, 

With  a  mother's  love  for  Rama  thus  Kaikeyi  answered  brief: 

"What  inspires  thee,  wicked  woman,  thus  to  rail  in  bitter  tone, 

Shall  not  Rama,  best  and  eldest,  fill  his  father's  royal  throne, 

What  alarms  thee,  crooked  woman,  in  the  happy  rites  begun, 

Shall  not  Rama  guard  his  brothers  as  a  father  guards  his  son  ? 

And  when  Rama's  reign  is  over,  shall  not  Gods  my  Bharat  speed, 

And  by  law  and  ancient  custom  shall  not  younger  son  succeed, 

In  the  present  bliss  of  Rama  and  in  Bharat's  future  hope, 

What  offends  thee,  senseless  woman,  wherefore  dost  thou  idly  mope  ? 

Dear  is  Rama  as  my  Bharat,  ever  duteous  in  his  ways, 

Rama  honours  Queen  Kausalya,  loftier  honour  to  me  pays, 

Rama's  realm  is  Bharat's  kingdom,  ruling  partners  they  shall  prove, 

For  himself  than  for  his  brothers  Rama  owns  no  deeper  love!" 

Scorn  and  anger  shook  her  person  and  her  bosom  heaved  a  sigh, 

As  in  wilder,  fiercer  accents  Manthara  thus  made  reply : 

"What  insensate  rage  or  madness  clouds  thy  heart  and  blinds  thine  eye, 

Courting  thus  thy  own  disaster,  courting  danger  dread  and  high, 

What  dark  folly  clouds  thy  vision  to  the  workings  of  thy  foe, 

Heedless  thus  to  seek  destruction  and  to  sink  in  gulf  of  woe  ? 

Know,  fair  queen,  by  law  and  custom,  son  ascends  the  throne  of  pride, 

Rama's  son  succeedeth  Rama,  luckless  Bharat  steps  aside, 

Brothers  do  not  share  a  kingdom,  nor  can  one  by  one  succeed, 

Mighty  were  the  civil  discord  if  such  custom  were  decreed! 

For  to  stop  all  war  and  tumult,  thus  the  ancient  laws  ordain, 

Eldest  son  succeeds  his  father,  younger  children  may  not  reign, 

Bharat  barred  from  Rama's  empire,  vainly  decked  with  royal  grace, 

Friendless,  joyless,  long  shall  wander,  alien  from  his  land  and  race! 

Thou  hast  borne  the  princely  Bharat,  nursed  him  from  thy  gentle  breast, 

To  a  queen  and  to  a  mother  need  a  prince's  claims  be  pressed, 

To  a  thoughtless  heedless  mother  must  I  Bharat's  virtues  plead, 

Must  the  Queen  Kaikeyi  witness  Queen  Kausalya's  son  succeed? 

Trust  thy  old  and  faithful  woman  who  hath  nursed  thee,  youthful  queen, 

And  in  great  and  princely  houses  many  darksome  deeds  hath  seen, 


THE    EPIC    OF   RAMA  159 

Trust  my  word,  the  wily  Rama  for  his  spacious  empire's  good, 
Soon  will  banish  friendless  Bharat  and  secure  his  peace  with  blood  I 
Thou  hast  sent  the  righteous  Bharat  to  thy  ancient  father's  land, 
And  Satrughna  young  and  valiant  doth  beside  his  brother  stand, 
Young  in  years  and  generous-hearted,  they  will  grow  in  mutual  love, 
As  the  love  of  elder  Rama  doth  in  Lakshman's  bosom  move. 
Young  companions  grow  in  friendship,  and  our  ancient  legends  tell, 
Weeds  protect  a  forest  monarch  which  the  woodman's  axe  would  fell, 
Crowned  Rama  unto  Lakshman  will  a  loving  brother  prove, 
But  for  Bharat  and  Satrughna,  Rama's  bosom  owns  no  love, 
And  a  danger  thus  ariseth  if  the  elder  wins  the  throne, 
Haste  thee,  heedless  Queen  Kaikeyi,  save  the  younger  and  thy  son! 
Speak  thy  mandate  to  thy  husband,  let  thy  Bharat  rule  at  home, 
In  the  deep  and  pathless  jungle  let  the  banished  Rama  roam, 
This  will  please  thy  ancient  father  and  thy  father's  kith  and  kin, 
This  will  please  the  righteous  people,  Bharat  knows  no  guile  or  sin! 
Speak  thy  mandate  to  thy  husband,  win  thy  son  a  happy  fate, 
Doom  him  not  to  Rama's  service  or  his  unrelenting  hate, 
Let  not  Rama  in  his  rancour  shed  a  younger  brother's  blood, 
As  the  lion  slays  the  tiger  in  the  deep  and  echoing  wood! 
With  the  magic  of  thy  beauty  thou  hast  won  thy  monarch's  heart, 
Queen  Kausalya's  bosom  rankles  with  a  woman's  secret  smart, 
Let  her  not  with  woman's  vengeance  turn  upon  her  prouder  foe, 
And  as  crowned  Rama's  mother  venge  her  in  Kaikeyi's  woe, 
Mark  my  word,  my  child  Kaikeyi,  much  these  ancient  eyes  have  seen, 
Rama's  rule  is  death  to  Bharat,  insult  to  my  honoured  queen!" 
Like  a  slow  but  deadly  poison  worked  the  ancient  nurse's  tears, 
And  a  wife's  undying  impulse  mingled  with  a  mother's  fears, 
Deep  within  Kaikeyi's  bosom  worked  a  woman's  jealous  thought, 
Speechless  in  her  scorn  and  anger  mourner's  dark  retreat  she  sought. 

V    The  Queen's  Demand 

Rama  shall  be  crowned  at  sunrise,  so  did  royal  bards  proclaim, 
Every  rite  arranged  and  ordered,  Dasa-ratha  homeward  came, 
To  the  fairest  of  his  consorts,  dearest  to  his  ancient  heart, 
Came  the  king  with  eager  gladness  joyful  message  to  impart, 
Radiant  as  the  Lord  of  Midnight,  ere  the  eclipse  casts  its  gloom, 
Came  the  old  and  ardent  monarch  heedless  of  his  darksome  doom! 


l6o  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

Through  the  shady  palace  garden  where  the  peacock  wandered  free, 
Lute  and  lyre  poured  forth  their  music,  parrot  flew  from  tree  to  tree, 
Through  the  corridor  of  creepers,  painted  rooms  by  artists  done, 
And  the  halls  where  scented  Chamfat^ *  and  the  flaming  Asof( a  shone, 
Through  the  portico  of  splendour  graced  by  silver,  tusk  and  gold, 
Radiant  with  his  thought  of  gladness  walked  the  monarch  proud  and 

bold. 

Through  the  lines  of  scented  blossoms  which  by  limpid  waters  shone, 
And  the  rooms  with  seats  of  silver,  ivory  bench  and  golden  throne, 
Through  the  chamber  of  confection,  where  each  viand  wooed  the  taste, 
Every  object  in  profusion  as  in  regions  of  the  blest, 
Through  Kaikeyi's  inner  closet  lighted  with  a  softened  sheen, 
Walked  the  king  with  eager  longing, — but  Kaikeyi  was  not  seen! 
Thoughts  of  love  and  gentle  dalliance  woke  within  his  ancient  heart, 
And  the  magic  of  her  beauty  and  the  glamour  of  her  art, 
With  a  soft  desire  the  monarch  vainly  searched  the  vanished  fair, 
Found  her  not  in  royal  chamber,  found  her  not  in  gay  parterre! 
Filled  with  love  and  longing  languor  loitered  not  the  radiant  queen, 
In  her  soft  voluptuous  chamber,  in  the  garden,  grove  or  green. 
And  he  asked  the  faithful  warder  of  Kaikeyi  loved  and  lost, 
She  who  served  him  with  devotion  and  his  wishes  never  crost, 
Spake  the  warder  in  his  terror  that  the  queen  with  rage  distraught, 
Weeping  silent  tears  of  anguish  had  the  mourner's  chamber  sought! 
Thither  flew  the  stricken  monarch;  on  the  bare  and  unswept  ground, 
Trembling  with  tumultuous  passion  was  the  Queen  Kaikeyi  found, 
On  the  cold  uncovered  pavement  sorrowing  lay  the  weeping  wife, 
Young  wife  of  an  ancient  husband,  dearer  than  his  heart  and  life! 
Like  a  bright  and  blossoming  creeper  rudely  severed  from  the  earth, 
Like  a  fallen  fair  Apsara?  beauteous  nymph  of  heavenly  birth, 
Like  a  female  forest-ranger  bleeding  from  the  hunter's  dart, 
Whom  her  mate  the  forest-monarch  soothes  with  soft  endearing  art, 
Lay  the  queen  in  tears  of  anguish!  And  with  sweet  and  gentle  word 
To  the  lotus-eyed  lady  softly  spake  her  loving  lord : 
"Wherefore  thus,  my  Queen  and  Empress,  sorrow-laden  is  thy  heart, 
Who  with  daring  slight  or  insult  seeks  to  cause  thy  bosom  smart  ? 

*A  tree  with  yellow  blossoms;  its  blossom. 
*  Name  of  a  bright  flower. 
"Celestial  nymph. 


THE   EPIC   OF   RAMA  l6l 

If  some  unknown  ailment  pains  thee,  evil  spirit  of  the  air, 

Skilled  physicians  wait  upon  thee,  priests  with  incantations  fair, 

If  from  human  foe  some  insult,  wipe  thy  tears  and  doom  his  fate, 

Rich  reward  or  royal  vengeance  shall  upon  thy  mandate  wait! 

Wilt  thou  doom  to  death  the  guiltless,  free  whom  direst  sins  debase, 

Wilt  thou  lift  the  poor  and  lowly  or  the  proud  and  great  disgrace, 

Speak,  and  I  and  all  my  courtiers  Queen  Kaikeyi's  hest  obey, 

For  thy  might  is  boundless,  Empress,  limitless  thy  regal  sway! 

Rolls  my  chariot-wheel  revolving  from  the  sea  to  farthest  sea, 

And  the  wide  earth  is  my  empire,  monarchs  list  my  proud  decree, 

Nations  of  the  eastern  regions  and  of  Sindhu's  western  wave, 

Brave  Saurashtras  and  the  races  who  the  ocean's  dangers  brave, 

Vangas,  Angas  and  Magadhas,  warlike  Matsyas  of  the  west, 

Kasis  and  the  southern  races,  brave  Kosalas  first  and  best, 

Nations  of  my  world-wide  empire,  rich  in  corn  and  sheep  and  kine, 

All  shall  serve  my  Queen  Kaikeyi  and  their  treasures  all  are  thine, 

Speak,  command  thy  king's  obedience,  and  thy  wrath  will  melt  away, 

Like  the  melting  snow  of  winter  'neath  the  sun's  reviving  ray!" 

Blinded  was  the  ancient  husband  as  he  lifted  up  her  head, 

Heedless  oath  and  word  he  plighted  that  her  wish  should  be  obeyed, 

Scheming  for  a  fatal  purpose,  inly  then  Kaikeyi  smiled, 

And  by  sacred  oath  and  promise  bound  the  monarch  love-beguiled : 

"Thou  hast  given,  Dasa-ratha,  troth  and  word  and  royal  oath, 

Three  and  thirty  Gods  be  witness,  watchers  of  the  righteous  truth, 

Sun  and  Moon  and  Stars  be  witness,  Sky  and  Day  and  sable  Night, 

Rolling  Worlds  and  this  our  wide  Earth,  and  each  dark  and  unseen 

wight, 

Witness  Rangers  of  the  forest,  Household  Gods  that  guard  us  both, 
Mortal  beings  and  Immortal,— witness  ye  the  monarch's  oath, 
Ever  faithful  to  his  promise,  ever  truthful  in  his  word, 
Dasa-ratha  grants  my  prayer,  Spirits  and  the  Gods  have  heard  1 
Call  to  mind,  O  righteous  monarch,  days  when  in  a  bygone  strife, 
Warring  with  thy  foes  immortal  thou  hadst  almost  lost  thy  life, 
With  a  woman's  loving  tendance  poor  Kaikeyi  cured  thy  wound, 
Till  from  death  and  danger  rescued,  thou  wert  by  a  promise  bound, 
Two  rewards  my  husband  offered,  what  my  loving  heart  might  seek, 
Long  delayed  their  wished  fulfilment,—-now  let  poor  Kaikeyi  speak, 
And  if  royal  deeds  redeem  not  what  thy  royal  lips  did  say, 
Victim  to  thy  broken  promise  Queen  Kaikeyi  dies  to-day  I 


l62  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

By  these  rites  ordained  for  Rama, — such  the  news  my  menials  bring, — 
Let  my  Bharat,  and  not  Rama,  be  anointed  Regent  King, 
Wearing  s^tns  and  matted  tresses,  in  the  cave  or  hermit's  cell, 
Fourteen  years  in  DandaJ(s  forests  let  the  elder  Rama  dwell, 
These  are  Queen  Kaikeyi  s  wishes,  these  are  boons  for  which  I  pray, 
I  would  see  my  son  anointed,  Rama  banished  on  this  day  I" 

VI    The  King's  Lament 

"Is  this  torturing  dream  or  madness,  do  my  feeble  senses  fail, 
O'er  my  darkened  mind  and  bosom  doth  a  fainting  fit  prevail?" 
So  the  stricken  monarch  pondered  and  in  hushed  and  silent  fear, 
Looked  on  her  as  on  a  tigress  looks  the  dazed  and  stricken  deer, 
Lying  on  the  unswept  pavement  still  he  heaved  the  choking  sigh, 
Like  a  wild  and  hissing  serpent  quelled  by  incantations  high! 
Sobs  convulsive  shook  his  bosom  and  his  speech  and  accent  failed, 
And  a  dark  and  deathlike  faintness  o'er  his  feeble  soul  prevailed, 
Stunned  awhile  remained  the  monarch,  then  in  furious  passion  woke, 
And  his  eyeballs  flamed  with  redfire,  to  the  queen  as  thus  he  spoke: 
"Traitress  to  thy  king  and  husband,  fell  destroyer  of  thy  race, 
Wherefore  seeks  thy  ruthless  rancour  Rama  rich  in  righteous  grace, 
Traitress  to  thy  kith  and  kindred,  Rama  loves  thee  as  thy  own, 
Wherefore  then  with  causeless  vengeance  as  a  mother  hate  thy  son? 
Have  I  courted  thee,  Kaikeyi,  throned  thee  in  my  heart  of  truth, 
Nursed  thee  in  my  home  and  bosom  like  a  snake  of  poisoned  tooth, 
Have  I  courted  thee,  Kaikeyi,  placed  thee  on  Ayodhya's  throne, 
That  my  Rama,  loved  of  people,  thou  shouldst  banish  from  his  own  ? 
Banish  far  my  Queen  Kausalya,  Queen  Sumitra  saintly  wife, 
Wrench  from  me  my  ancient  empire,  from  my  bosom  wrench  my  life, 
But  with  brave  and  princely  Rama  never  can  his  father  part, 
Till  his  ancient  life  is  ended,  cold  and  still  his  beating  heart! 
Sunless  roll  the  world  in  darkness,  rainless  may  the  harvests  thrive, 
But  from  righteous  Rama  severed,  never  can  his  sire  survive, 
Feeble  is  thy  aged  husband,  few  and  brief  on  earth  his  day, 
Lend  me,  wife,  a  woman's  kindness,  as  a  consort  be  my  stay! 
Ask  for  other  boon,  Kaikeyi,  aught  my  sea-girt  empire  yields, 
Wealth  or  treasure,  gem  or  jewel,  castled  town  or  smiling  fields, 
Ask  for  other  gift,  Kaikeyi,  and  thy  wishes  shall  be  given, 
Stain  me  not  with  crime  unholy  in  the  eye  of  righteous  Heaven!" 


THE   EPIC  OF   RAMA  163 

Coldly  spake  the  Queen  Kaikeyi :  "If  thy  royal  heart  repent, 
Break  thy  word  and  plighted  promise,  let  thy  royal  faith  be  rent, 
Ever  known  for  truth  and  virtue,  speak  to  peers  and  monarchs  all, 
When  from  near  and  distant  regions  they  shall  gather  in  thy  hall, 
Speak  if  so  it  please  thee,  monarch,  of  thy  evil-destined  wife, 
How  she  loved  with  wife's  devotion,  how  she  served  and  saved  thy  life, 
How  on  plighted  promise  trusting  for  a  humble  booh  she  sighed, 
How  a  monarch  broke  his  promise,  how  a  cheated  woman  died!" 
"Fair  thy  form,"  resumed  the  monarch,  "beauty  dwells  upon  thy  face, 
Woman's  winsome  charms  bedeck  thee,  and  a  woman's  peerless  grace, 
Wherefore  then  within  thy  bosom  wakes  this  thought  of  cruel  wile, 
And  what  dark  and  loathsome  spirit  stains  thy  heart  with  blackest  guile? 
Ever  since  the  day,  Kaikeyi,  when  a  gentle  bride  you  came, 
By  a  wife's  unfailing  duty  you  have  won  a  woman's  fame, 
Wherefore  now  this  cruel  purpose  hath  a  stainless  heart  defiled, 
Ruthless  wish  to  send  my  Rama  to  the  dark  and  pathless  wild? 
Wherefore,  darkly-scheming  woman,  on  unrighteous  purpose  bent, 
Doth  thy  cruel  causeless  vengeance  on  my  Rama  seek  a  vent, 
Wherefore  seek  by  deeds  unholy  for  thy  son  the  throne  to  win, 
Throne  which  Bharat  doth  not  covet, — blackened  by  his  mother's  sin? 
Shall  I  see  my  banished  Rama  mantled  in  the  garb  of  woe, 
Reft  of  home  and  kin  and  empire  to  the  pathless  jungle  go, 
Shall  I  see  disasters  sweeping  o'er  my  empire  dark  and  deep, 
As  the  forces  of  a  foeman  o'er  a  scattered  army  sweep? 
Shall  I  hear  assembled  monarchs  in  their  whispered  voices  say, 
Weak  and  foolish  in  his  dotage,  Dasa-nuha  holds  his  sway, 
Shall  I  say  to  righteous  elders  when  they  blame  my  action  done, 
That  by  woman's  mandate  driven  I  have  banished  thus  my  son  ? 
Queen  Kausalya,  dear-loved  woman!  she  who  serves  me  as  a  slave, 
Soothes  me  like  a  tender  sister,  helps  me  like  a  consort  brave, 
As  a  fond  and  loving  mother  tends  me  with  a  watchful  care, 
As  a  daughter  ever  duteous  doth  obeisance  sweet  and  fair, 
When  my  fond  and  fair  Kausalya  asks  me  of  her  banished  son, 
How  shall  Dasa-ratha  answer  for  the  impious  action  done, 
How  can  husband,  cold  and  cruel,  break  a  wife's  confiding  heart, 
How  can  father,  false  and  faithless,  from  his  best  and  eldest  part?'1 
Coldly  spake  the  Queen  Kaikeyi:  "If  thy  royal  heart  repent, 
Break  thy  word  and  plighted  promise,  let  thy  royal  faith  be  rent, 


164  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

Truth-abiding  is  our  monarch,  so  I  heard  the  people  say, 
And  his  word  is  all  inviolate,  stainless  virtue  marks  his  sway, 
Let  it  now  be  known  to  nations, — righteous  Dasa-ratha  lied, 
And  a  trusting,  cheated  woman  broke  her  loving  heart  and  died!" 
Darker  grew  the  shades  of  midnight,  coldly  shone  each  distant  star, 
Wilder  in  the  monarch's  bosom  raged  the  struggle  and  the  war : 
"Starry  midnight,  robed  in  shadows!  give  my  wearied  heart  relief, 
Spread  thy  sable  covering  mantle  o'er  an  impious  monarch's  grief, 
Spread  thy  vast  and  inky  darkness  o'er  a  deed  of  nameless  crime, 
Reign  perennial  o'er  my  sorrows  heedless  of  the  lapse  of  time, 
May  a  sinful  monarch  perish  ere  the  dawning  of  the  day, 
O'er  a  dark  life  sin-polluted,  beam  not  morning's  righteous  ray!" 

VII    The  Sentence 

Morning  came  and  duteous  Rama  to  the  palace  bent  his  way, 
For  to  make  his  salutation  and  his  due  obeisance  pay, 
And  he  saw  his  aged  father  shorn  of  kingly  pomp  and  pride, 
And  he  saw  the  Queen  Kaikeyi  sitting  by  her  consort's  side. 
Duteously  the  righteous  Rama  touched  the  ancient  monarch's  feet, 
Touched  the  feet  of  Queen  Kaikeyi  with  a  son's  obeisance  meet, 
"Rama!"  cried  the  feeble  monarch,  but  the  tear  bedimmed  his  eye, 
Sorrow  choked  his  failing  utterance  and  his  bosom  heaved  a  sigh, 
Rama  started  in  his  terror  at  his  father's  grief  or  wrath, 
Like  a  traveller  in  the  jungle  crossed  by  serpent  in  his  path! 
Reft  of  sense  appeared  the  monarch,  crushed  beneath  a  load  of  pain, 
Heaving  oft  a  sigh  of  sorrow  as  his  heart  would  break  in  twain, 
Like  the  ocean  tempest-shaken,  like  the  sun  in  eclipse  pale, 
Like  a  crushed  repenting  rishi  when  his  truth  and  virtue  fail! 
Breathless  mused  the  anxious  Rama, — what  foul  action  hath  he  done, 
What  strange  anger  fills  his  father,  wherefore  greets  he  not  his  son? 
"Speak,  my  mother,"  uttered  Rama,  "what  strange  error  on  my  part, 
Unremembered  sin  or  folly  fills  with  grief  my  father's  heart, 
Gracious  unto  me  is  father  with  a  father's  boundless  grace, 
Wherefore  clouds  his  altered  visage,  wherefore  tears  bedew  his  face? 
Doth  a  piercing  painful  ailment  rack  his  limbs  with  cruel  smart, 
Doth  some  secret  silent  anguish  wring  his  torn  and  tortured  heart, 
Bharat  lives  with  brave  Satrughna  in  thy  father's  realms  afar, 
Hath  some  cloud  of  dark  disaster  crossed  their  bright  auspicious  star  ? 


THE  EPIC  OF  RAMA  165 

Duteously  the  royal  consorts  on  the  loving  monarch  wait, 

Hath  some  woe  or  dire  misfortune  dimmed  the  lustre  of  their  fate, 

I  would  yield  my  life  and  fortune  ere  I  wound  my  father's  heart, 

Hath  my  unknown  crime  or  folly  caused  his  ancient  bosom  smart? 

Ever  dear  is  Queen  Kaikeyi  to  her  consort  and  her  king, 

Hath  some  angry  accent  escaped  thee  thus  his  royal  heart  to  wring, 

Speak,  my  ever-loving  mother,  speak  the  truth,  for  thou  must  know, 

What  distress  or  deep  disaster  pains  his  heart  and  clouds  his  brow?" 

Mother's  love  nor  woman's  pity  moved  the  deep-determined  queen, 

As  in  cold  and  cruel  accents  thus  she  spake  her  purpose  keen : 

"Grief  nor  woe  nor  sudden  ailment  pains  thy  father  loved  of  old, 

But  he  fears  to  speak  his  purpose  to  his  Rama  true  and  bold, 

And  his  loving  accents  falter  some  unloving  wish  to  tell, 

Till  you  give  your  princely  promise,  you  will  serve  his  mandate  well! 

Listen  more,  in  bygone  seasons, — Rama  thou  wert  then  unborn, — 

I  had  saved  thy  royal  father,  he  a  gracious  boon  had  sworn, 

But  his  feeble  heart  repenting  is  by  pride  and  passion  stirred, 

He  would  break  his  royal  promise  as  a  caitiff  breaks  his  word, 

Years  have  passed  and  now  the  monarch  would  his  ancient  word  forego, 

He  would  build  a  needless  causeway  when  the  waters  ceased  to  flow! 

Truth  inspires  each  deed  attempted  and  each  word  by  monarchs  spoke, 

Not  for  thee,  though  loved  and  honoured,  should  a  royal  vow  be  broke, 

If  the  true  and  righteous  Rama  binds  him  by  his  father's  vow, 

I  will  tell  thee  of  the  anguish  which  obscures  his  royal  brow, 

If  thy  feeble  bosom  falter  and  thy  halting  purpose  fail, 

Unredeemed  is  royal  promise  and  unspoken  is  my  tale!" 

"Speak  thy  word,"  exclaimed  the  hero,  "and  my  purpose  shall  not  fail 

Rama  serves  his  father's  mandate  and  his  bosom  shall  not  quail, 

Poisoned  cup  or  death  untimely, — what  the  cruel  fates  decree, — 

To  his  king  and  to  his  father  Rama  yields  obedience  free, 

Speak  my  father's  royal  promise,  hold  me  by  his  promise  tied, 

Rama  speaks  and  shall  not  falter,  for  his  lips  have  never  lied." 

Cold  and  clear  Kaikeyi's  accents  fell  as  falls  the  hunter's  knife, 

"Listen  then  to  word  of  promise  and  redeem  it  with  thy  life, 

Wounded  erst  by  foes  immortal,  saved  by  Queen  Kaikeyi's  care, 

Two  great  boons  your  father  plighted  and  his  royal  words  were  fair, 

I  have  sought  their  due  fulfilment,—brightly  shines  my  Bharat's  star, 

Bharat  shall  be  Heir  and  Regent,  Rama  shall  be  banished  far! 


l66  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

//  thy  father's  royal  mandate  thou  wouldst  list  and  honour  still, 
Fourteen  years  in  Danda^'s  forest  live  and  wander  at  thy  will, 
Seven  long  years  and  seven,  my  Rama,  thou  shalt  in  the  jungle  dwell, 
Ear\  of  trees  shall  be  thy  raiment  and  thy  home  the  hermit's  cell, 
Over  fair  Kosala's  empire  let  my  princely  Bharat  reign, 
With  his  cars  and  steeds  and  tuskers,  wealth  and  gold  and  armed  men! 
Tender-hearted  is  the  monarch,  age  and  sorrow  dim  his  eye, 
And  the  anguish  of  a  father  checks  his  speech  and  purpose  high, 
For  the  love  he  bears  thee,  Rama,  cruel  vow  he  may  not  speak, 
I  have  spoke  his  will  and  mandate,  and  thy  true  obedience  seek." 
Calmly  Rama  heard  the  mandate,  grief  nor  anger  touched  his  heart, 
Calmly  from  his  father's  empire  and  his  home  prepared  to  part. 


BOOK  III    DASA-RATHA-VIYOGA 

(The  Death  of  the  King) 

THE  FIRST  six  DAYS  of  Rama's  wanderings  are  narrated  in  this  Book.  Sita 
and  the  faithful  Lakshman  accompanied  Rama  in  his  exile,  and  the  loyal 
people  of  Ayodhya  followed  their  exiled  prince  as  far  as  the  banks  of  the 
Tamasa  river,  where  they  halted  on  the  first  night.  Rama  had  to  steal 
away  at  night  to  escape  the  citizens,  and  his  wanderings  during  the 
following  days  give  us  beautiful  glimpses  of  forest  life  in  holy  hermitages. 
Thirty  centuries  have  passed  since  the  age  of  the  Kosalas  and  Videhas, 
but  every  step  of  the  supposed  journey  of  Rama  is  well  known  in  India 
to  this  day,  and  is  annually  traversed  by  thousands  of  devoted  pilgrims. 
The  past  is  not  dead  and  buried  in  India,  it  lives  in  the  hearts  of  millions 
of  faithful  men  and  faithful  women,  and  shall  live  for  ever. 

On  the  third  day  of  their  exile,  Rama  and  his  wife  and  brother  crossed 
the  Ganges;  on  the  fourth  day  they  came  to  the  hermitage  of  Bharad-vaja, 
which  stood  where  Allahabad  now  stands,  on  the  confluence  of  the 
Ganges  and  the  Jumna;  on  the  fifth  day  they  crossed  the  Jumna,  the 
southern  shores  of  which  were  then  covered  with  woods;  and  on  the  sixth 
day  they  came  to  the  hill  of  Chitrakuta,  where  they  met  the  saint 
Valmiki,  the  reputed  author  of  this  Epic.  "We  have  often  looked,"  says 
a  writer  in  Calcutta  Review,  vol.  xxii,  "on  that  green  hill :  it  is  the  holiest 
spot  of  that  sect  of  the  Hindu  faith  who  devote  themselves  to  this  incar- 
nation of  Vishnu.  The  whole  neighbourhood  is  Rama's  country.  Every 
headland  has  some  legend,  every  cavern  is  connected  with  his  name, 


THE    EPIC   OF   RAMA  167 

some  of  the  wild  fruits  are  still  called  Sita-phal,  being  the  reputed  food 
of  the  exile.  Thousands  and  thousands  annually  visit  the  spot,  and  round 
the  hill  is  raised  a  footpath  on  which  the  devotee,  with  naked  feet,  treads 
full  of  pious  awe." 

Grief  for  the  banished  Rama  pressed  on  the  ancient  heart  of  Dasa- 
ratha.  The  feeble  old  king  pined  away  and  died,  remembering  and  re- 
counting on  his  death-bed  how  in  his  youth  he  had  caused  sorrow  and 
death  to  an  old  hermit  by  killing  his  son.  Scarcely  any  passage  in  the 
Epic  is  more  touching  than  this  old  sad  story  told  by  the  dying  monarch. 

The  portions  translated  in  this  Book  form  the  whole  or  the  main  por- 
tions of  Sections  xxvi.,  xxvii.,  xxxi.,  xxxix.,  xl.,  xlvL,  lii.,  liv.,  lv.,  Ivi.,  Ixiii., 
and  Ixiv.  of  Book  ii.  of  the  original  text. 

/    Woman's  Love 

"Dearly  loved,  devoted  Sita!  daughter  of  a  royal  line, 

Part  we  now,  for  years  of  wand'ring  in  the  pathless  woods  is  mine, 

For  my  father,  promise-fettered,  to  Kaikeyi  yields  the  sway, 

And  she  wills  her  son  anointed, — fourteen  years  doth  Rama  stray, 

But  before  I  leave  thec,  Sita,  in  the  wilderness  to  rove, 

Yield  me  one  more  tender  token  of  thy  true  and  trustful  lovel 

Serve  my  crowned  brother,  Sita,  as  a  faithful,  duteous  dame, 

Tell  him  not  of  Rama's  virtues,  tell  him  not  of  Rama's  claim, 

Since  my  royal  father  willeth, — Bharat  shall  be  regent-heir, 

Serve  him  with  a  loyal  duty,  serve  him  with  obeisance  fair, 

Since  my  royal  father  willeth, — years  of  banishment  be  mine, 

Brave  in  sorrow  and  in  suffering,  woman's  brightest  fame  be  thine! 

Keep  thy  fasts  and  vigils,  Sita,  while  thy  Rama  is  away, 

Faith  in  Gods  and  faith  in  virtue  on  thy  bosom  hold  their  sway, 

In  the  early  watch  of  morning  to  the  Gods  for  blessings  pray, 

To  my  father  Dasa-ratha  honour  and  obeisance  pay, 

To  my  mother,  Queen  Kausalya,  is  thy  dearest  tendance  due, 

Offer  her  thy  consolation,  be  a  daughter  fond  and  true! 

Queen  Kaikeyi  and  Sumitra  equal  love  and  honour  claim, 

With  a  soothing  soft  endearment  sweetly  serve  each  royal  dame, 

Cherish  Bharat  and  Satrughna  with  a  sister's  watchful  love, 

And  a  mother's  true  affection  and  a  mother's  kindness  prove! 

Listen,  Sita,  unto  Bharat  speak  no  heedless  angry  word, 

He  is  monarch  of  Kosala  and  of  Raghu's  race  is  lord, 


l68  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

Crowned  kings  our  willing  service  and  our  faithful  duty  own, 

Dearest  sons  they  disinherit,  cherish  strangers  near  the  throne! 

Bharat's  will  with  deep  devotion  and  with  faultless  faith  obey, 

Truth  and  virtue  on  thy  bosom  ever  hold  their  gentle  sway, 

And  to  please  each  dear  relation,  gentle  Sita,  be  it  thine, 

Part  we  love!  for  years  of  wand'ring  in  the  pathless  woods  is  mine!" 

Rama  spake,  and  soft-eyed  Sita,  ever  sweet  in  speech  and  word, 

Stirred  by  loving  woman's  passion  boldly  answered  thus  her  lord : 

"Do  I  hear  my  husband  rightly,  are  these  words  my  Rama  spake, 

And  her  banished  lord  and  husband  will  the  wedded  wife  forsake? 

Lightly  I  dismiss  the  counsel  which  my  lord  hath  lightly  said, 

For  it  ill  beseems  a  warrior  and  my  husband's  princely  grade! 

For  the  faithful  woman  follows  where  her  wedded  lord  may  lead, 

In  the  banishment  of  Rama,  Sita's  exile  is  decreed t 

Sire  nor  son  nor  loving  brother  rules  the  wedded  woman's  state  f 

With  her  lord  she  falls  or  rises t  with  her  consort  courts  her  fatet 

If  the  righteous  son  of  Raghu  wends  to  forests  dar/(  and  drear, 

Sita  steps  before  her  husband  wild  and  thorny  paths  to  clear! 

Like  the  tasted  refuse  water  cast  thy  timid  thoughts  aside, 

Take  me  to  the  pathless  jungle,  bid  me  by  my  lord  abide, 

Car  and  steed  and  gilded  palace,  vain  are  these  to  woman's  life, 

Dearer  is  her  husband's  shadow  to  the  loved  and  loving  wife! 

For  my  mother  often  taught  me  and  my  father  often  spake, 

That  her  home  the  wedded  woman  doth  beside  her  husband  make, 

As  the  shadow  to  the  substance,  to  her  lord  is  faithful  wife, 

And  she  parts  not  from  her  consort  till  she  parts  with  fleeting  life! 

Therefore  bid  me  seek  the  jungle  and  in  pathless  forests  roam, 

Where  the  wild  deer  freely  ranges  and  the  tiger  makes  his  home, 

Happier  than  in  father's  mansions  in  the  woods  will  Sita  rove, 

Waste  no  thought  on  home  or  kindred,  nestling  in  her  husband's  love! 

World-renowned  is  Rama's  valour,  fearless  by  her  Rama's  side, 

Sita  will  still  live  and  wander  with  a  faithful  woman's  pride, 

And  the  wild  fruit  she  will  gather  from  the  fresh  and  fragrant  wood, 

And  the  food  by  Rama  tasted  shall  be  Ska's  cherished  food! 

Bid  me  seek  the  sylvan  greenwoods,  wooded  hills  and  plateaus  high, 

Limpid  rills  and  crystal  nullas*  as  they  softly  ripple  by, 

And  where  in  the  lake  of  lotus  tuneful  ducks  their  plumage  lave, 

Let  me  with  my  loving  Rama  skim  the  cool  translucent  wavcl 

1  Rivulets. 


THE    EPIC   OF   RAMA  169 

Years  will  pass  in  happy  union, — happiest  lot  to  woman  given, — 
Sita  seeks  not  throne  or  empire,  nor  the  brighter  joys  of  heaven, 
Heaven  conceals  not  brighter  mansions  in  its  sunny  fields  of  pride, 
Where  without  her  lord  and  husband  faithful  Sita  would  reside! 
Therefore  let  me  seek  the  jungle  where  the  jungle-rangers  rove, 
Dearer  than  the  royal  palace,  where  I  share  my  husband's  love, 
And  my  heart  in  sweet  communion  shall  my  Rama's  wishes  share, 
And  my  wifely  toil  shall  lighten  Rama's  load  of  woe  and  carel" 
Vainly  gentle  Rama  pleaded  dangers  of  the  jungle  life, 
Vainly  spake  of  toil  and  trial  to  a  true  and  tender  wife! 

77    Brothers  Faithfulness 

Tears  bedewed  the  face  of  Lakshman  as  he  heard  what  Sita  said, 
And  he  touched  the  feet  of  Rama  and  in  gentle  accents  prayed: 
"7/  my  elder  and  his  lady  to  the  pathless  forests  wend, 
Armed  with  bow  and  ample  quiver  LaJ(shman  will  on  them  attend, 
Where  the  wild  deer  range  the  forest  and  the  lordly  tuskers  roam, 
And  the  bird  of  gorgeous  plumage  nestles  in  its  jungle  home, 
Dearer  jar  to  me  those  woodlands  where  my  elder  Rama  dwells, 
Than  the  homes  of  bright  Immortals  where  perennial  bliss  prevails! 
Grant  me  then  thy  sweet  permission, — faithful  to  thy  glorious  star, 
Lakshman  shall  not  wait  and  tarry  when  his  Rama  wanders  far, 
Grant  me  then  thy  loving  mandate, — Lakshman  hath  no  wish  to  stay, 
None  shall  bar  the  faithful  younger  when  the  elder  leads  the  way!" 
"Ever  true  to  deeds  of  virtue,  duteous  brother,  faithful  friend, 
Dearer  than  his  life  to  Rama,  thou  shall  not  to  forests  wend, 
Who  shall  stay  by  Queen  Kausalya,  Lakshman,  if  we  both  depart, 
Who  shall  stay  by  Queen  Sumitra,  she  who  nursed  thee  on  her  heart? 
For  the  king  our  aged  father,  he  who  ruled  the  earth  and  main, 
Is  a  captive  to  Kaikeyi,  fettered  by  her  silken  chain, 
Little  help  Kaikeyi  renders  to  our  mothers  in  her  pride, 
Little  help  can  Bharat  offer,  standing  by  his  mother's  side. 
Thou  alone  can'st  serve  Kausalya  when  for  distant  woods  I  part, 
When  the  memory  of  my  exile  rankles  in  her  sorrowing  heart, 
Thou  alone  can'st  serve  Sumitra,  soothe  her  sorrows  with  thy  love, 
Stay  by  them,  my  faithful  Lakshman,  and  thy  filial  virtues  prove, 
Be  this  then  they  sacred  duty,  tend  our  mothers  in  their  woe, 
Little  joy  or  consolation  have  they  left  on  earth  below!" 


170  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

Spake  the  hero:  "Fear  no  evil,  well  is  Rama's  prowess  known, 
And  to  mighty  Rama's  mother  Bharat  will  obeisance  own, 
Nathless  if  the  pride  of  empire  sways  him  from  the  righteous  path, 
Blood  will  venge  the  offered  insult  and  will  quench  our  filial  wrath! 
But  a  thousand  peopled  hamlets  Queen  Kausalya's  hests  obey, 
And  a  thousand  armed  champions  own  her  high  and  queenly  sway, 
Aye,  a  thousand  village-centres  Queen  Sumitra's  state  maintain, 
And  a  thousand  swords  like  Lakshman's  guard  her  proud  and  prosper- 
ous reign  1 

All  alone  with  gentle  Sita  thou  shalt  track  thy  darksome  way, 
Grant  it,  that  thy  faithful  Lakshman  shall  protect  her  night  and  day, 
Grant  it,  with  his  bow  and  quiver  Lakshman  shall  the  forests  roam, 
And  his  axe  shall  fell  the  jungle,  and  his  hands  shall  rear  the  home! 
Grant  it,  in  the  deepest  woodlands  he  shall  seek  the  forest  fruit, 
Berries  dear  to  holy  hermits  and  the  sweet  and  luscious  root, 
And  when  with  thy  meek-eyed  Sita  thou  shalt  seek  the  mountain  crest, 
Grant  it,  Lakshman  ever  duteous  watch  and  guard  thy  nightly  rest!" 
Words  of  brother's  deep  devotion  Rama  heard  with  grateful  heart, 
And  with  Sita  and  with  Lakshman  for  the  woods  prepared  to  part : 
"Part  we  then  from  loving  kinsmen,  arms  and  mighty  weapons  bring, 
Bows  of  war  which  Lord  VARUNA  rendered  to  Videha's  king, 
Coats  of  mail  to  sword  impervious,  quivers  which  can  never  fail, 
And  the  rapiers  bright  as  sunshine,  golden-hiked,  tempered  well, 
Safely  rest  these  goodly  weapons  in  our  great  preceptor's  hall, 
Seek  and  bring  them,  faithful  brother,  for  me  thinks  we  need  them  all!" 
Rama  spake;  his  valiant  brother  then  the  wondrous  weapons  brought, 
Wreathed  with  fresh  and  fragrant  garlands  and  with  gold  and  jewels 

wrought, 

"Welcome,  brother,"  uttered  Rama,  "stronger  thus  to  woods  we  go, 
Wealth  and  gold  and  useless  treasure  to  the  holy  priests  bestow, 
To  the  son  of  saint  Vasishtha,  to  each  sage  is  honour  due, 
Then  we  leave  our  father's  mansions,  to  our  father's  mandate  true!" 

///    Mother's  Blessings 

Tears  of  sorrow  and  of  suffering  flowed  from  Queen  Kausalya's  eye, 
As  she  saw  departing  Sita  for  her  blessings  drawing  nigh, 
And  she  clasped  the  gentle  Sita  and  she  kissed  her  moistened  head, 
And  her  tears  like  summer  tempest  choked  the  loving  words  she  said: 


THE   EPIC  OF   RAMA  IJl 

"Part  we,  dear  devoted  daughter,  to  thy  husband  evei  true, 
With  a  woman's  whole  affection  render  love  to  husband's  due! 
False  are  women  loved  and  cherished,  gentle  in  their  speech  and  word, 
When  misfortune's  shadows  gather,  who  are  faithless  to  their  lord, 
Who  through  years  of  sunny  splendour  smile  and  pass  the  livelong  day> 
When  misfortune's  darkness  thickens,  from  their  husband  turn  away> 
Who  with  changeful  fortune  changing  oft  ignore  the  plighted  word, 
And  forget  a  woman's  duty,  woman's  faith  to  wedded  lord, 
Who  to  holy  love  inconstant  from  their  wedded  consort  part, 
Manly  deed  nor  manly  virtue  wins  the  changeful  woman's  heart! 
But  the  true  and  righteous  woman,  loving  spouse  and  changeless  wife, 
Faithful  to  her  lord  and  consort  holds  him  dearer  than  her  life, 
Ever  true  and  righteous  Sita,  follow  still  my  godlike  son, 
Like  a  God  to  thee  is  Rama  in  the  woods  or  on  the  throne!" 
"I  shall  do  my  duty,  mother,"  said  the  wife  with  wifely  pride, 
"Like  a  God  to  me  is  Rama,  Sita  shall  not  leave  his  side, 
From  the  Moon  will  part  his  lustre  ere  I  part  from  wedded  lord, 
Ere  from  faithful  wife's  devotion  falter  in  my  deed  or  word, 
For  the  stringless  lute  is  silent,  idle  is  the  wheel-less  car, 
And  no  wife  the  loveless  consort,  inauspicious  is  her  star! 
Small  the  measure  of  affection  which  the  sire  and  brother  prove, 
Measureless  to  wedded  woman  is  her  lord  and  husband's  love, 
True  to  Law  and  true  to  Scriptures,  true  to  woman's  plighted  word, 
Can  I  ever  be,  my  mother,  faithless,  loveless  to  my  lord?" 
Tears  of  joy  and  mingled  sorrow  filled  the  Queen  Kausalya's  eye, 
As  she  marked  the  faithful  Sita  true  in  heart,  in  virtue  high, 
And  she  wept  the  tears  of  sadness  when  with  sweet  obeisance  due, 
Spake  with  hands  in  meekness  folded  Rama  ever  good  and  true: 
"Sorrow  not,  my  loving  mother,  trust  in  virtue's  changeless  beam, 
Swift  will  fly  the  years  of  exile  like  a  brief  and  transient  dream, 
Girt  by  faithful  friends  and  forces,  blest  by  righteous  Gods  above, 
Thou  shah  see  thy  son  returning  to  thy  bosom  and  thy  love!" 
Unto  all  the  royal  ladies  Rama  his  obeisance  paid, 
For  his  failings  unremembered,  blessings  and  forgiveness  prayed, 
And  his  words  were  soft  and  gentle,  and  they  wept  to  see  him  go, 
Like  the  piercing  cry  of  curlew  rose  the  piercing  voice  of  woe, 
And  in  halls  where  drum  and  tabor  rose  in  joy  and  regal  pride, 
Voice  of  grief  and  lamentation  sounded  far  and  sounded  wide! 


172  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

Then  the  true  and  faithful  Lakshman  parted  from  each  weeping  dame, 
And  to  sorrowing  Queen  Sumitra  with  his  due  obeisance  came, 
And  he  bowed  to  Queen  Sumitra  and  his  mother  kissed  his  head, 
Stilled  her  anguish-laden  bosom  and  in  trembling  accents  said: 
"Dear  devoted  duteous  Lakshman,  ever  to  thy  elder  true, 
When  thy  elder  wends  to  forest,  forest-life  to  thee  is  due, 
Thou  hast  served  him  true  and  faithful  in  his  glory  and  his  fame, 
This  is  Law  for  true  and  righteous, — serve  him  in  his  woe  and  shame, 
This  is  Law  for  race  of  Raghu  known  on  earth  for  holy  might, 
Bounteous  in  their  sacred  duty,  brave  and  warlike  in  the  fight! 
Therefore  tend  him  as  thy  father,  as  thy  mother  tend  his  wife, 
And  to  thee,  like  fair  Ayodhya  be  thy  humble  forest  life, 
Go,  my  son,  the  voice  of  Duty  bids  my  gallant  Lakshman  go, 
Serve  thy  elder  with  devotion  and  with  valour  meet  thy  foe! 

IV    Citizens'  Lament 

Spake  Sumantra  chariot-driver  waiting  by  the  royal  car, 
"Haste  thee,  mighty-destined  Rama,  for  we  wander  long  and  far, 
Fourteen  years  in  Dandak's  forest  shall  the  righteous  Rama  stray, 
Such  is  Dasa-ratha's  mandate,  haste  thee  Rama  and  obey." 
Queenly  Sita  bright-apparelled,  with  a  strong  and  trusting  heart, 
Mounted  on  the  car  of  splendour  for  the  pathless  woods  to  part, 
And  the  king  for  needs  providing  gave  her  robes  and  precious  store, 
For  the  many  years  of  exile  in  a  far  and  unknown  shore, 
And  a  wealth  of  warlike  weapons  to  the  exiled  princes  gave, 
Bow  and  dart  and  linked  armour,  sword  and  shield  and  lances  brave. 
Then  the  gallant  brothers  mounted  on  the  gold-emblazoned  car, 
For  unending  was  the  journey  and  the  wilderness  was  far, 
Skilled  Sumantra  saw  them  seated,  urged  the  swiftly-flying  steed, 
Faster  than  the  speed  of  tempest  was  the  noble  coursers'  speed. 
And  they  parted  for  the  forest;  like  a  long  unending  night, 
Gloomy  shades  of  grief  and  sadness  deepened  on  the  city's  might, 
Mute  and  dumb  but  conscious  creatures  felt  the  woe  the  city  bore, 
Horses  neighed  and  shook  their  bright  bells,  elephants  returned  a  roar! 
Man  and  boy  and  maid  and  matron  followed  Rama  with  their  eye, 
As  the  thirsty  seek  the  water  when  the  parched  fields  are  dry, 
Clinging  to  the  rapid  chariot,  by  its  side,  before,  behind, 
Thronging  men  and  wailing  women  wept  for  Rama  good  and  kind: 


THE  EPIC  OF  RAMA  173 

"Draw  the  reins,  benign  Sumantra,  slowly  drive  the  royal  car, 

We  would  once  more  see  our  Rama,  banished  long  and  banished  far, 

Iron-hearted  is  Kausalya  from  her  Rama  thus  to  part, 

Rends  it  not  her  mother's  bosom  thus  to  see  her  son  depart? 

True  is  righteous-hearted  Sita  cleaving  to  her  husband  still, 

As  the  ever  present  sunlight  cleaves  to  Meru's  golden  hill, 

Faithful  and  heroic  Lakshman!  thou  hast  by  thy  brother  stood, 

And  in  duty  still  unchanging  thou  hast  sought  the  pathless  wood, 

Fixed  in  purpose,  true  in  valour,  mighty  boon  to  thee  is  given, 

And  the  narrow  path  thou  choosest  is  the  righteous  path  to  heaven!" 

Thus  they  spake  in  tears  and  anguish  as  they  followed  him  apace, 

And  their  eyes  were  fixed  on  Rama,  pride  of  Raghu's  royal  race, 

Meanwhile  ancient  Dasa-ratha  from  his  palace  chamber  came, 

With  each  weeping  queen  and  consort,  with  each  woe-distracted  dame! 

And  around  the  aged  monarch  rose  the  piercing  voice  of  pain, 

Like  the  wail  of  forest  creatures  when  the  forest-king  is  slam, 

And  the  faint  and  feeble  monarch  was  with  age  and  anguish  pale, 

Like  the  darkened  moon  at  eclipse  when  his  light  and  radiance  faill 

Ram?  saw  his  ancient  father  with  a  faltering  footstep  go, 

Used  to  royal  pomp  and  splendour,  stricken  now  by  age  and  woe, 

Saw  his  mother  faint  and  feeble  to  the  speeding  chariot  hie, 

As  the  mother-cow  returneth  to  her  young  that  loiters  by, 

Still  she  hastened  to  the  chariot,  "Rama!  Rama!"  was  her  cry, 

And  a  throb  was  in  her  bosom  and  a  tear  was  in  her  eye! 

"Speed,  Sumantra,"  uttered  Rama,  "from  this  torture  let  me  part, 

Speed,  my  friend,  this  sight  of  sadness  breaks  a  much-enduring  heart, 

Heed  not  Dasd-ratha's  mandate,  stop  not  for  the  royal  train, 

Parting  slow  is  lengthened  sorrow  like  the  sinner's  lengthened  pain!" 

Sad  Sumantra  urged  the  coursers  and  the  rapid  chariot  flew, 

And  the  royal  chiefs  and  courtiers  round  their  fainting  monarch  drew, 

And  they  spake  to  Dasa-ratha:  "Follow  not  thy  banished  son, 

He  whom  thou  wouldst  keep  beside  thee  comes  not  till  his  task  is  done!'* 

Dasa-ratha,  faint  and  feeble,  listened  to  these  words  of  pain, 

Stood  and  saw  his  son  departing, — saw  him  not  on  earth  again! 

V    Crossing  the  Tatnasa:  The  Citizens'  Return 

Evening's  thickening  shades  descended  on  Tamasa's  distant  shore, 
Rama  rested  by  the  river,  day  of  toilsome  journey  o'er, 


174  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

And  Ayodhya's  loving  people  by  the  limpid  river  lay, 
Sad  and  sorrowing  they  had  followed  Rama's  chariot  through  the  day! 
"Soft-eyed  Ska,  faithful  Lakshman,"  thus  the  gentle  Rama  said, 
"Hail  the  first  night  of  our  exile  mantling  us  in  welcome  shade, 
Weeps  the  lone  and  voiceless  forest,  and  in  darksome  lair  and  nest, 
Feathered  bird  and  forest  creature  seek  their  midnight's  wonted  rest, 
Weeps  methinks  our  fair  Ayodhya  to  her  Rama  ever  dear, 
And  perchance  her  men  and  women  shed  for  us  a  silent  tear, 
Loyal  men  and  faithful  women,  they  have  loved  their  ancient  king, 
And  his  anguish  and  our  exile  will  their  gentle  bosoms  wring! 
Most  I  sorrow  for  my  father  and  my  mother  loved  and  lost, 
Stricken  by  untimely  anguish,  by  a  cruel  fortune  crost, 
But  the  good  and  righteous  Bharat  gently  will  my  parents  tend, 
And  with  fond  and  filial  duty  tender  consolation  lend, 
Well  I  know  his  stainless  bosom  and  his  virtues  rare  and  high, 
He  will  soothe  our  parents'  sorrow  and  their  trickling  tear  will  dry! 
Faithful  Lakshman,  thou  hast  nobly  stood  by  us  when  sorrows  fell, 
Guard  my  Sita  by  thy  valour,  by  thy  virtues  tend  her  well, 
Wait  on  her  while  from  this  river  Rama  seeks  his  thirst  to  slake, 
On  this  first  night  of  his  exile  food  nor  fruit  shall  Rama  take, 
Thou  Sumantra,  tend  the  horses,  darkness  comes  with  close  of  day, 
Weary  was  the  endless  journey,  weary  is  our  onward  way!" 
Store  of  grass  and  welcome  fodder  to  the  steeds  the  driver  gave, 
Gave  them  rest  and  gave  them  water  from  Tamasa's  limpid  wave, 
And  performing  night's  devotions,  for  the  princes  made  their  bed, 
By  the  softly  rippling  river  'neath  the  tree's  umbrageous  shade. 
On  a  bed  of  leaf  and  verdure  Rama  and  his  Sita  slept, 
Faithful  Lakshman  with  Sumantra  nightly  watch  arid  vigils  kept, 
And  the  stars  their  silent  lustre  on  the  weary  exiles  shed, 
And  on  wood  and  rolling  river  night  her  darksome  mantle  spread. 
Early  woke  the  righteous  Rama  and  to  watchful  Lakshman  spake: 
"Mark  the  slumb'ring  city  people,  still  their  nightly  rest  they  take, 
They  have  left  their  homes  and  children,  followed  us  with  loyal  heart, 
They  would  take  us  to  Ayodhya,  from  their  princes  loth  to  part! 
Speed,  my  brother,  for  the  people  wake  not  till  the  morning's  star, 
Speed  by  night  the  silent  chariot,  we  may  travel  fast  and  far, 
So  my  true  and  loving  people  see  us  not  by  dawn  of  day, 
Follow  not  through  wood  and  jungle  Rama  in  his  onward  way, 


THE   EPIC   OF   RAMA  175 

For  a  monarch  meek  in  suffering  should  his  burden  bravely  bear, 
And  his  true  and  faithful  people  may  not  ask  his  woe  to  share!" 
Lakshman  heard  the  gentle  mandate,  and  Sumantra  yoked  the  steed, 
Fresh  with  rest  and  grateful  fodder,  matchless  in  their  wondrous  speed, 
Rama  with  his  gentle  consort  and  with  Lakshman  true  and  brave, 
Crossed  beneath  the  silent  starlight  dark  Tamasa's  limpid  wave. 
On  the  farther  bank  a  pathway,  fair  to  view  and  far  and  wide, 
Stretching  onwards  to  the  forests  spanned  the  spacious  country-side, 
"Leave  the  broad  and  open  pathway,"  so  the  gentle  Rama  said, 
"Follow  yet  a  track  diverging,  so  the  people  be  misled. 
Then  returning  to  the  pathway  we  shall  march  ere  break  of  day, 
So  our  true  and  faithful  people  shall  not  know  our  southward  way." 
Wise  Sumantra  hastened  northward,  then  returning  to  the  road, 
By  his  master  and  his  consort  and  the  valiant  Lakshman  stood, 
Raghu's  sons  and  gentle  Sita  mounted  on  the  stately  car, 
And  Sumantra  drove  the  coursers  travelling  fast  and  travelling  far. 
Morning  dawned,  the  waking  people  by  Tamasa's  limpid  wave, 
Saw  not  Rama  and  his  consort,  saw  not  Lakshman  young  and  brave, 
And  the  tear  suffused  their  faces  and  their  hearts  with  anguish  burned, 
Sorrow-laden  and  lamenting  to  their  cheerless  homes  returned. 

VI    Crossing  the  Ganges.    Bharad-Vajas  Hermitage 

Morning  dawned,  and  far  they  wandered,  by  their  people  loved  and  lost. 
Drove  through  grove  and  flowering  woodland,  rippling  rill  and  river 

crost, 

Crossed  the  sacred  Vedasruti  on  their  still  unending  way, 
Crossed  the  deep  and  rapid  Gumti  where  the  herds  of  cattle  stray, 
All  the  toilsome  day  they  travelled,  evening  fell  o'er  wood  and  lea, 
And  they  came  where  sea-like  Ganga  rolls  in  regal  majesty, 
'Neath  a  tall  Ingudi's  shadow  by  the  river's  zephyrs  blest, 
Second  night  of  Rama's  exile  passed  in  sleep  and  gentle  rest. 
Morning  dawned,  the  royal  chariot  Rama  would  no  further  own, 
Sent  Sumantra  and  the  coursers  back  to  fair  Ayodhya's  town, 
Doffing  then  their  royal  garments  Rama  and  his  brother  bold 
Coats  of  bark  and  matted  tresses  wore  like  anchorites  of  old. 
Guha,  chief  of  wild  Nishadas,  boat  and  needed  succour  gave, 
And  the  princes  and  fair  Sita  ventured  on  the  sacred  wave. 


176  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

And  by  royal  Rama  bidden  strong  Nishadas  plied  the  oar, 

And  the  strong  boat  quickly  bounding  left  fair  Ganga's  northern  shore. 

"Goddess  of  the  mighty  Ganga!"  so  the  pious  Sita  prayed, 

"Exiled  by  his  father's  mandate,  Rama  seeks  the  forest  shade, 

Ganga!  o'er  the  three  worlds  rolling,  bride  and  empress  of  the  sea, 

And  from  BRAHMA'S  sphere  descended!  banished  Sita  bows  to  thee. 

May  my  lord  return  in  safety,  and  a  thousand  fattened  kine, 

Gold  and  gifts  and  gorgeous  garments,  pure  libations  shall  be  thine, 

And  with  flesh  and  corn  I  worship  unseen  dwellers  on  thy  shore, 

May  my  lord  return  in  safety,  fourteen  years  of  exile  o'er!" 

On  the  southern  shore  they  journeyed  through  the  long  and  weary  day, 

Still  through  grove  and  flowering  woodland  held  their  long  and  weary 

way, 

And  they  slayed  the  deer  of  jungle  and  they  spread  their  rich  repast, 
Third  night  of  the  princes'  exile  underneath  a  tree  was  past. 
Morning  dawned,  the  soft-eyed  Sita  wandered  with  the  princes  brave, 
To  the  spot  where  ruddy  Ganga  mingles  with  dark  Jumna's  wave, 
And  they  crost  the  shady  woodland,  verdant  lawn  and  grassy  mead, 
Till  the  sun  was  in  its  zenith,  Rama  then  to  Lakshman  said : 
"Yonder  mark  the  famed^prayaga,  spot  revered  from  age  to  age, 
And  the  line  of  smoke  ascending  speaks  some  rishi's  hermitage, 
There  the  waves  of  ruddy  Ganga  with  the  dark  blue  Jumna  meet, 
And  my  ear  the  sea-like  voices  of  the  mingling  waters  greet. 
Mark  the  monarchs  of  the  forest  severed  by  the  hermit's  might, 
And  the  logs  of  wood  and  fuel  for  the  sacrificial  rite, 
Mark  the  tall  trees  in  their  blossom  and  the  peaceful  shady  grove, 
There  the  sages  make  their  dwelling,  thither,  Lakshman,  let  us  rove." 
Slowly  came  the  exile-wand'rers,  when  the  sun  withdrew  his  rays, 
Where  the  vast  and  sea-like  rivers  met  in  sisters'  sweet  embrace, 
And  the  asram's*  peaceful  dwellers,  bird  of  song  and  spotted  deer, 
Quaked  to  see  the  princely  strangers  in  their  warlike  garb  appear! 
Rama  stepped  with  valiant  Lakshman,  gentle  Sita  followed  close, 
Till  behind  the  screening  foliage  hermits'  peaceful  dwellings  rose, 
And  they  came  to  Bharad-vaja,  anchorite  and  holy  saint, 
Girt  by  true  and  faithful  pupils  on  his  sacred  duty  bent. 
Famed  for  rites  and  lofty  penance  was  the  anchorite  of  yore, 
Blest  with  more  than  mortal  vision,  deep  in  more  than  mortal  lore, 
1  Hermitage. 


THE   EPIC   OF   RAMA  177 

And  he  sat  beside  the  altar  for  the  agni-hotra l  rite, 
Rama  spake  in  humble  accents  to  the  man  of  holy  might: 
"We  are  sons  of  Dasa-ratha  and  to  thee  our  homage  bring, 
With  my  wife,  the  saintly  Sita,  daughter  of  Videha's  king, 
Exiled  by  my  royal  father  in  the  wilderness  I  roam, 
And  my  wife  and  faithful  brother  make  the  pathless  woods  their  home, 
We  would  through  these  years  of  exile  in  some  holy  asram  dwell, 
And  our  food  shall  be  the  wild,  fruit  and  our  drink  from  crystal  well, 
We  would  practise  pious  penance  still  on  sacred  rites  intent, 
Till  our  souls  be  filled  with  wisdom  and  our  years  of  exile  spent!" 
Pleased  the  ancient  Bharad-vaja  heard  the  prince's  humble  tale, 
And  with  kind  and  courteous  welcome  royal  strangers  greeted  well, 
And  he  brought  the  milk  and  arghya  where  the  guests  observant  stood, 
Crystal  water  from  the  fountain,  berries  from  the  darksome  wood, 
And  a  low  and  leafy  cottage  for  their  dwelling-place  assigned, 
As  a  host  receives  a  stranger,  welcomed  them  with  offerings  kind. 
In  the  asram 's  peaceful  courtyard  fearless  browsed  the  jungle  deer, 
All  unharmed  the  bird  of  forest  pecked  the  grain  collected  near, 
And  by  holy  men  surrounded  'neath  the  trees'  unbrageous  shade, 
In  his  pure  and  peaceful  accents  rishi  Bharad-vaja  said: 
"Not  unknown  or  unexpected,  princely  strangers,  have  ye  come, 
I  have  heard  of  sinless  Rama's  causeless  banishment  from  home, 
Welcome  to  a  hermit's  forest,  be  this  spot  your  place  of  rest, 
Where  the  meeting  of  the  rivers  makes  our  sacred  asram  blest, 
Live  amidst  these  peaceful  woodlands,  still  on  sacred  rites  intent 
Till  your  souls  be  filled  with  wisdom  and  your  years  of  exile  spent!" 
"Gracious  are  thy  accents,  rishi,"  Rama  answered  thus  the  sage, 
"But  fair  towns  and  peopled  hamlets  border  on  this  hermitage. 
And  to  see  the  banished  Sita  and  to  see  us,  much  I  fear, 
Crowds  of  rustics  oft  will  trespass  on  thy  calm  devotions  here, 
Far  from  towns  and  peopled  hamlets,  grant  us,  rishi,  in  thy  grace, 
Some  wild  spot  where  hid  in  jungle  we  may  pass  these  years  in  peace." 
"Twenty  miles  from  this  Prayaga,"  spake  the  rishi  pond'ring  well, 
"Is  a  lonely  hill  and  jungle  where  some  ancient  hermits  dwell, 
Chitra-kuta,  Peak  of  Beauty,  where  the  forest  creatures  stray, 
And  in  every  bush  and  thicket  herds  of  lightsome  monkeys  play, 
Men  who  view  its  towering  summit  are  on  lofty  thoughts  inclined, 
Earthly  pride  nor  earthly  passions  cloud  their  pure  and  peaceful  mind, 

1  Sacrifice  to  the  fire  with  offering  of  milk. 


178  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

Hoary-headed  ancient  hermits,  hundred  autumns  who  have  done, 
By  their  faith  and  lofty  penance  heaven's  eternal  bliss  have  won, 
Holy  is  the  fair  seclusion  for  thy  purpose  suited  well, 
Or  if  still  thy  heart  inclineth,  here  in  peace  and  comfort  dwell!" 
Spake  the  rishi  Bharad-vaja,  and  with  every  courteous  rite, 
Cheered  his  guests  with  varied  converse  till  the  silent  hours  of  night, 
Fourth  night  of  the  princes'  exile  in  Prayaga's  hermitage, 
Passed  the  brothers  and  fair  Sita  honoured  by  Prayaga's  Sage. 

VII    Crossing  the  Jumna — V dimity's  Hermitage 

Morning  dawned,  and  faithful  Sita  with  the  brothers  held  her  way, 
Where  the  dark  and  eddying  waters  of  the  sacred  Jumna  stray, 
Pondering  by  the  rapid  river  long  the  thoughtful  brothers  stood, 
Then  with  stalwart  arms  and  axes  felled  the  sturdy  jungle  wood, 
Usira *  of  strongest  fibre,  slender  bamboo  smooth  and  plain, 
Jambu a  branches  intertwining  with  the  bent  and  twisting  cane, 
And  a  mighty  raft  constructed,  and  with  creepers  scented  sweet, 
Lakshman  for  the  gentle  Sita  made  a  soft  and  pleasant  seat. 
Then  the  rustic  bark  was  floated,  framed  with  skill  of  woodman's  craft, 
By  her  loving  lord  suppoued  Sita  stepped  upon  the  raft, 
And  her  raiments  and  apparel  Rama  by  his  consort  laid, 
And  the  axes  and  the  deerskins,  bow  and  dart  and  shining  blade, 
Then  with  stalwart  arms  the  brothers  plied  the  bending  bamboo  oar, 
And  the  strong  raft  gaily  bounding  left  for  Jumna's  southern  shore. 
"Goddess  of  the  glorious  Jumna!"  so  the  pious  Sita  prayed, 
"Peaceful  be  my  husband's  exile  in  the  forest's  darksome  shade, 
May  he  safely  reach  Ayodhya,  and  a  thousand  fattened  kine, 
Hundred  jars  of  sweet  libation,  mighty  Jumna,  shall  be  thine, 
Grant  that  from  the  woods  returning  he  may  see  his  home  again, 
Grant  that  honoured  by  his  kinsmen  he  may  rule  his  loving  men!" 
On  her  breast  her  arms  she  folded  while  the  princes  plied  the  oar, 
And  the  bright  bark  bravely  bounding  reached  the  wooded  southern 

shore. 

And  the  wanderers  from  Ayodhya  on  the  river*s  margin  stood, 
Where  the  unknown  realm  extended  mantled  by  unending  wood, 
Gallant  Lakshman  with  his  weapons  went  before  the  path  to  clear, 
Soft-eyed  Sita  followed  gently,  Rama  followed  in  the  rear. 

1  A  kind  of  hard  wood.  *  Name  of  a  tree. 


THE   EPIC  OF   RAMA  179 

Oft  from  tree  and  darksome  jungle,  Lakshman  ever  true  and  brave, 
Plucked  the  fruit  or  smiling  blossom  and  to  gentle  Sita  gave, 
Oft  to  Rama  turned  his  consort,  pleased  and  curious  evermore, 
Asked  the  name  of  tree  or  creeper,  fruit  or  flower  unseen  before. 
Still  with  brotherly  affection  Lakshman  brought  each  dewy  spray, 
Bud  or  blossom  of  wild  beauty  from  the  woodland  bright  and  gay, 
Still  with  eager  joy  and  pleasure  Sita  turned  her  eye  once  more, 
Where  the  tuneful  swans  and  saras*  flocked  on  Jumna's  sandy  shore. 
Two  miles  thus  they  walked  and  wandered  and  the  belt  of  forest  passed, 
Slew  the  wild  deer  of  the  jungle,  spread  on  leaves  their  rich  repast, 
Peacocks  flew  around  them  gaily,  monkeys  leaped  on  branches  bent, 
Fifth  night  of  their  endless  wanderings  in  the  forest  thus  they  spent. 
"Wake,  my  love,  and  list  the  warblings  and  the  voices  of  the  wood," 
Thus  spake  Rama  when  the  morning  on  the  eastern  mountains  stood, 
Sita  woke  and  gallant  Lakshman,  and  they  sipped  the  sacred  wave, 
To  the  hill  of  Chitra-kuta  held  their  way  serene  and  brave, 
"Mark,  my  love,"  so  Ramu  uttered,  "every  bush  and  tree  and  flower, 
Tinged  by  radiant  light  of  morning  sparkles  in  a  golden  shower, 
Mark  the  flaming  flower  of  KinsuJ^  and  the  Vilwa  in  its  pride, 
Luscious  fruits  in  wild  profusion  ample  store  of  food  provide, 
Mark  the  honeycombs  suspended  from  each  tall  and  stately  tree, 
How  from  every  virgin  blossom  steals  her  store  the  faithless  bee! 
Oft  the  lone  and  startled  wild  cock  sounds  its  clarion  full  and  clear, 
And  from  flowering  fragrant  forests  peacocks  send  the  answering  cheer, 
Oft  the  elephant  of  jungle  ranges  in  this  darksome  wood, 
For  yon  peak  is  Chitra-kuta  loved  by  saints  and  hermits  good, 
Oft  the  chanted  songs  of  hermits  echo  through  its  sacred  grove, 
Peaceful  on  its  shady  uplands,  Sita,  we  shall  live  and  rove!" 
Gently  thus  the  princes  wandered  through  the  fair  and  woodland  scene, 
Fruits  and  blossoms  lit  the  branches,  feathered  songsters  filled  the  green, 
Anchorites  and  ancient  hermits  lived  in  every  sylvan  grove, 
And  a  sweet  and  sacred  stillness  filled  the  woods  with  peace  and  love! 
Gently  thus  the  princes  wandered  to  the  holy  hermitage, 
Where  in  lofty  contemplation  lived  the  mighty  Saint  and  Sage, 
Heaven  inspired  thy  song,  Valmiki!  Ancient  Bard  of  ancient  day, 
Deeds  of  virtue  and  of  valour  live  in  thy  undying  lay! 
And  the  Bard  received  the  princes  with  a  father's  greetings  kind, 
Bade  them  live  in  Chitra-kuta  with  a  pure  and  peaceful  mind, 

1  Sarasa  the  Indian  crane. 


l8o  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

To  the  true  and  faithful  Lakshman,  Rama  then  his  purpose  said, 
And  of  leaf  and  forest  timber  Lakshman  soon  a  cottage  made. 
"So  our  sacred  Sastras*  sanction,"  thus  the  righteous  Rama  spake, 
"Holy  offering  we  should  render  when  our  dwelling-home  we  make, 
Slay  the  black  buck,  gallant  Lakshman,  and  a  sacrifice  prepare, 
For  the  moment  is  auspicious  and  the  day  is  bright  and  fair," 
Lakshman  slew  a  mighty  black-buck,  with  the  antlered  trophy  came, 
Placed  the  carcass  consecrated  by  the  altar's  blazing  flame, 
Radiant  round  the  mighty  offering  tongues  of  red  fire  curling  shone, 
And  the  buck  was  duly  roasted  and  the  tender  meat  was  done. 
Pure  from  bath,  with  sacred  mantra  Rama  did  the  holy  rite, 
And  invoked  the  bright  Immortals  for  to  bless  the  dwelling  site, 
To  the  kindly  VISWA-DEVAS,  and  to  RUDRA  fierce  and  strong, 
And  to  VISHNU  Lord  of  Creatures,  Rama  raiseoj  the  sacred  song. 
Righteous  rite  was  duly  rendered  for  the  forest-dwelling  made, 
And  with  true  and  deep  devotion  was  the  sacred  mantra  prayed, 
And  the  worship  of  the  Bright  Ones  purified  each  earthly  stain, 
Pure-souled  Rama  raised  the  altar  and  the  chaitya's*  sacred  fane. 
Evening  spread  its  holy  stillness,  bush  and  tree  its  magic  felt, 
As  the  Gods  in  BRAHMA'S  mansions,  exiles  in  their  cottage  dwelt, 
In  the  woods  of  Chitra-kuta  where  the  Malyavati  flows, 
Sixth  day  of  their  weary  wand'rings  ended  in  a  sweet  repose. 

VIII    Tale  of  the  Hermit's  Son 

Wise  Sumantra  chariot-driver  came  from  Ganga's  sacred  wave, 
And  unto  Ayodhya's  monarch,  banished  Rama's  message  gave, 
Dasa-ratha's  heart  was  shadowed  by  the  deepening  shade  of  night, 
As  the  darkness  of  the  eclipse  glooms  the  sun's  meridian  light! 
On  the  sixth  night, — when  his  Rama  slept  in  Chitra-kuta's  bower, — 
Memory  of  an  ancient  sorrow  flung  on  him  its  fatal  power, 
Of  an  ancient  crime  and  anguish,  unforgotten,  dark  and  dread, 
Through  the  lapse  of  years  and  seasons  casting  back  its  death-like  shade! 
And  the  gloom  of  midnight  deepened,  Dasa-ratha  sinking  fast, 
To  Kausalya  sad  and  sorrowing  spake  his  memories  of  the  past : 
"Deeds  we  do  in  life,  Kausalya,  be  they  bitter,  be  they  sweet, 
Bring  their  fruit  and  retribution,  rich  reward  or  suffering  meet. 
1  Scriptures.  fl  A  shrine  or  temple. 


THE    EPIC   OF    RAMA  l8l 

Heedless  child  is  he,  Kausalya,  in  his  fate  who  doth  not  scan 

Retribution  of  his  far  ma,1  sequence  of  a  mighty  plan! 

Oft  in  madness  and  in  folly  we  destroy  the  mango  grove, 

Plant  the  gorgeous  gay  palasa*  for  the  red  flower  that  we  love, 

Fruitless  as  the  red  palasa  is  the  forma  I  have  sown, 

And  my  barren  lifetime  withers  through  the  deed  which  is  my  ownl 

Listen  to  my  tale,  Kausalya,  in  my  days  of  youth  renowned, 

I  was  called  a  sabda-bedhi*  archer  prince  who  shot  by  sound, 

I  could  hit  the  unseen  target,  by  the  sound  my  aim  could  tell, — 

Blindly  drinks  a  child  the  poison,  blindly  in  my  pride  I  fell! 

I  was  then  my  father's  Regent,  thou  a  maid  to  me  unknown, 

Hunting  by  the  fair  Sarayu  in  my  car  I  drove  alone, 

Buffalo  or  jungle  tusker  might  frequent  the  river's  brink, 

Nimble  deer  or  watchful  tiger  stealing  for  his  nightly  drink, 

Stalking  with  a  hunter's  patience,  loitering  in  the  forests  drear, 

Sound  of  something  in  the  water  struck  my  keen  and  listening  ear, 

In  the  dark  I  stood  and  listened,  some  wild  beast  the  water  drunk, 

Tis  some  elephant,  I  pondered,  lifting  water  with  its  trunk. 

I  was  called  a  sabda-bedhi,  archer  prince  who  shot  by  sound, 

On  the  unseen  fancied  tusker  dealt  a  sure  and  deadly  wound, 

Ah!  too  deadly  was  my  arrow  and  like  hissing  cobra  fell, 

On  my  startled  ear  and  bosom  smote  a  voice  of  human  wail, 

Dying  voice  of  lamentation  rose  upon  the  midnight  high, 

Till  my  weapons  fell  in  tremor  and  a  darkness  dimmed  my  eye! 

Hastening  with  a  nameless  terror  soon  I  reached  Sarayu's  shore, 

Saw  a  boy  with  hermit's  tresses,  and  his  pitcher  lay  before, 

Weltering  in  a  pool  of  red  blood,  lying  on  a  gory  bed, 

Feebly  raised  his  voice  the  hermit,  and  in  dying  accents  said: 

'What  offence,  O  mighty  monarch,  all-unknowing  have  I  done, 

That  with  quick  and  kingly  justice  slayest  thus  a  hermit's  son? 

Old  and  feeble  are  my  parents,  sightless  by  the  will  of  fate, 

Thirsty  in  their  humble  cottage  for  their  duteous  boy  they  wait,  • 

And  thy  shaft  that  kills  me,  monarch,  bids  my  ancient  parents  die, 

Helpless,  friendless,  they  will  perish,  in  their  anguish  deep  and  high! 

Sacred  lore  and  lifelong  penance  change  not  mortal's  earthly  state, 

Wherefore  else  they  sit  unconscious  when  their  son  is  doomed  by  fate, 

1  A  man's  deeds  with  their  consequences  in  this  or  future  life. 

*  A  tree  bearing  large,  red  blossoms  with  no  scent. 

s  An  archer  who  shoots  by  sound,  not  by  sight  of  his  object. 


l82  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

Or  if  conscious  of  my  danger,  could  they  dying  breath  recall, 
Can  the  tall  tree  save  the  sapling  doomed  by  woodman's  axe  to  fall? 
Hasten  to  my  parents,  monarch,  soothe  their  sorrow  and  their  ire, 
For  the  tears  of  good  and  righteous  wither  like  the  forest  fire, 
Short  the  pathway  to  the  asram,  soon  the  cottage  thou  shalt  see 
Soothe  their  anger  by  entreaty,  ask  their  grace  and  pardon  free! 
But  before  thou  goest,  monarch,  take,  O  take  thy  torturing  dart, 
For  it  rankles  in  my  bosom  with  a  cruel  burning  smart, 
And  it  eats  into  my  young  life  as  the  river's  rolling  tide 
By  the  rains  of  summer  swollen  eats  into  its  yielding  side.' 
Writhing  in  his  pain  and  anguish  thus  the  wounded  hermit  cried, 
And  I  drew  the  fatal  arrow,  and  the  holy  hermit  died! 
Darkly  fell  the  thickening  shadows,  stars  their  feeble  radiance  lent, 
As  I  filled  the  hermit's  pitcher,  to  his  sightless  parents  went, 
Darkly  fell  the  moonless  midnight,  deeper  gloom  my  bosom  rent, 
As  with  faint  and  falt'ring  footsteps  to  the  hermits  slow  I  went. 
Like  two  birds  bereft  of  plumage,  void  of  strength,  deprived  of  flight, 
Were  the  stricken  ancient  hermits,  friendless,  helpless,  void  of  sight, 
Lisping  in  their  feeble  accents  still  they  whispered  of  their  child, 
Of  the  stainless  boy  whose  red  blood  Dasa-ratha's  hands  defiled! 
And  the  father  heard  my  footsteps,  spake  in  accents  soft  and  kind: 
'Come,  my  son,  to  waiting  parents,  wherefore  dost  thou  stay  behind, 
Sporting  in  the  rippling  water  didst  thou  midnight's  hour  beguile, 
But  thy  faint  and  thirsting  mother  anxious  waits  for  thee  the  while, 
Hath  my  heedless  word  or  utterance  caused  thy  boyish  bosom  smart, 
But  a  feeble  father's  failings  may  not  wound  thy  filial  heart, 
Help  of  helpless,  sight  of  sightless,  and  thy  parents'  life  and  joy, 
Wherefore  art  thou  mute  and  voiceless,  speak,  my  brave  and  beauteous 

boy!' 

Thus  the  sightless  father  welcomed  cruel  slayer  of  his  son, 
And  an  anguish  tore  my  bosom  for  the  action  I  had  done, 
Scarce  upon  the  sonless  parents  could  I  lift  my  aching  eye, 
Scarce  in  faint  and  faltering  accents  to  the  father  make  reply, 
For  a  tremor  shook  my  person  and  my  spirit  sank  in  dread, 
Straining  all  my  utmost  prowess,  thus  in  quavering  voice  I  said: 
'Not  thy  son,  O  holy  hermit,  but  a  Kshatra  warrior  born, 
Dasa-ratha  stands  before  thee  by  a  cruel  anguish  torn, 
For  I  came  to  slay  the  tusker  by  Sarayu's  wooded  brink, 
Buffalo  or  deer  of  jungle  stealing  for  his  midnight  drink, 


THE   EPIC   OF   RAMA  183 

And  I  heard  a  distant  gurgle,  some  wild  beast  the  water  drunk, — 

So  I  thought, — some  jungle  tusker  lifting  water  with  its  trunk, 

And  I  sent  my  fatal  arrow  on  the  unknown,  unseen  prey, 

Speeding  to  the  spot  I  witnessed, — there  a  dying  hermit  lay! 

From  his  pierced  and  quivering  bosom  then  the  cruel  dart  I  drew, 

And  he  sorrowed  for  his  parents  as  his  spirit  heavenward  flew, 

Thus  unconscious,  holy  father,  I  have  slayed  thy  stainless  son, 

Speak  my  penance,  or  in  mercy  pardon  deed  unknowing  done!' 

Slow  and  sadly  by  their  bidding  to  the  fatal  spot  I  led, 

Long  and  loud  bewailed  the  parents  by  the  cold  unconscious  dead, 

And  with  hymns  and  holy  water  they  performed  the  funeral  rite, 

Then  with  tears  that  burnt  and  withered,  spake  the  hermit  in  his  might: 

'Sorrow  for  a  son  beloved  is  a  fathers  direst  woe, 

Sorrow  for  a  son  beloved,  Dasa-ratha,  thou  shcdt  foow! 

See  the  parents  weep  and  perish,  grieving  for  a  slaughtered  son, 

Thou  shalt  weep  and  thou  shalt  perish  for  a  loved  and  righteous  sonl 

Distant  is  the  expiation, — but  in  fulness  of  the  time, 

Dasa-rathas  death  in  anguish  cleanses  Dasa-ratha's  crime!' 

Spake  the  old  and  sightless  prophet ;  then  he  made  the  funeral  pyre, 

And  the  father  and  the  mother  perished  in  the  lighted  fire, 

Years  have  gone  and  many  seasons,  and  in  fulness  of  the  time, 

Comes  the  fruit  of  pride  and  folly  and  the  harvest  of  my  crime! 

Rama  eldest  born  and  dearest,  Lakshman  true  and  faithful  son, 

Ah!  forgive  a  dying  father  and  a  cruel  action  done, 

Queen  Kaikeyi,  thou  hast  heedless  brought  on  Raghu's  race  this  stain, 

Banished  are  the  guiltless  children  and  thy  lord  and  k.ing  is  slain! 

Lay  thy  hands  on  mine,  Kausalya,  wipe  thy  unavailing  tear, 

Speak  a  wife's  consoling  accents  to  a  dying  husband's  ear, 

Lay  thy  hands  on  mine,  Sumitra,  vision  falls  my  closing  eyes, 

And  for  brave  and  banished  Rama  wings  my  spirit  to  the  skies! 

Hushed  and  silent  passed  the  midnight,  feebly  still  the  monarch  sighed, 

Blessed  Kausalya  and  Sumitra,  blest  his  banished  sons,  and  died. 

BOOK  IV    RAMA-BHARATA-SAMBADA 

(The  Meeting  of  the  Princes) 

THE  SCENE  OF  THIS  BOOK  is  laid  at  Chitra-kuta.  Bharat  returning  from  the 
kingdom  of  the  Kaikeyas  heard  of  his  father's  death  and  his  brother's 


154  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

exile,  and  refused  the  throne  which  had  been  reserved  for  him.  He  wan- 
dered through  the  woods  and  jungle  to  Chitra-kuta,  and  implored  Rama 
to  return  to  Ayodhya  and  seat  himself  on  the  throne  of  his  father.  But 
Rama  had  given  his  word,  and  would  not  withdraw  from  it. 

Few  passages  in  the  Epic  are  more  impressive  than  Rama's  wise  and 
kindly  advice  to  Bharat  on  the  duties  of  a  ruler,  and  his  firm  refusal  to 
Bharat's  passionate  appeal  to  seat  himself  on  the  throne.  Equally  touch- 
ing is  the  lament  of  Queen  Kausalya  when  she  meets  Sita  in  the  dress  of 
an  anchorite  in  the  forest. 

But  one  of  the  most  curious  passages  in  the  whole  Epic  is  the  speech  of 
Jabali  the  Sceptic,  who  denied  heaven  and  a  world  hereafter.  In  ancient 
India  as  in  ancient  Greece  there  were  different  schools  of  philosophers, 
some  of  them  orthodox  and  some  of  them  extremely  heterodox,  and  the 
greatest  latitude  of  free  thought  was  permitted.  In  Jabali,  the  poet  depicts 
a  free-thinker  of  the  broadest  type.  He  ridicules  the  ideas  of  Duty  and  of 
Future  Life  with  a  force  of  reasoning  which  a  Greek  sophist  and  phi- 
losopher could  not  have  surpassed.  But  Rama  answers  with  the  fervour 
of  a  righteous,  truth-loving,  God-fearing  man. 

All  persuasion  was  in  vain,  and  Bharat  returned  to  Ayodhya  with 
Rama's  sandals,  and  placed  them  on  the  throne,  as  an  emblem  of  Rama's 
sovereignty  during  his  voluntary  exile.  Rama  himself  then  left  Chitra- 
kuta  and  sought  the  deeper  forests  of  Dandak,  so  that  his  friends  and 
relations  might  not  find  him  again  during  his  exile.  He  visited  the  her- 
mitage of  the  Saint  Atri;  and  the  ancient  and  venerable  wife  of  Atri 
welcomed  the  young  Sita,  and  robed  her  in  rich  raiments  and  jewels,  on 
the  eve  of  her  departure  for  the  unexplored  wildernesses  of  the  south. 

The  portions  translated  in  this  Book  are  the  whole  or  the  main  portions 
of  Sections  xcix.,  c.,  ci.,  civ.,  cviii.,  cix.,  cxii.,  and  cxix.  of  Book  ii.  of  the 
original  text. 

/    The  Meeting  of  the  Brothers 

Sorrowing  for  his  sire  departed  Bharat  to  Ayodhya  came, 
But  the  exile  of  his  brother  stung  his  noble  heart  to  flame, 
Scorning  sin-polluted  empire,  travelling  with  each  widowed  queen, 
Sought  through  wood  and  trackless  jungle  Chitra-kuta's  peaceful  scene. 
Royal  guards  and  Saint  Vasishtha  loitered  with  the  dames  behind, 
Onward  pressed  the  eager  Bharat,  Rama's  hermit-home  to  find, 


THE   EPIC   OF   RAMA  185 

Nestled  in  a  jungle  thicket,  Rama's  cottage  rose  in  sight, 
Thatched  with  leaves  and  twining  branches,  reared  by  Lakshman's  faith- 
ful might. 

Faggots  hewn  of  gnarled  branches,  blossoms  culled  from  bush  and  tree, 
Coats  of  bark  and  russet  garments,  f(usa l  spread  upon  the  lea, 
Store  of  horns  and  branching  antlers,  fire-wood  for  the  dewy  night, — 
Spake  the  dwelling  of  a  hermit  suited  for  a  hermit's  rite. 
"May  the  scene,"  so  Bharat  uttered,  "by  the  righteous  nshi  told, 
Markalvati's  rippling  waters,  Chitra-kuta's  summit  bold, 
Mark  the  dark  and  trackless  forest  where  the  untamed  tuskers  roam, 
And  the  deep  and  hollow  caverns  where  the  wild  beasts  make  their 

home, 

Mark  the  spacious  wooded  uplands,  wreaths  of  smoke  obscure  the  sky, 
Hermits  feed  their  flaming  altars  for  their  worship  pure  and  high. 
Done  our  weary  work  and  wand'ring,  righteous  Rama  here  we  meet, 
Saint  and  king  and  honoured  elder!  Bharat  bows  unto  his  feet, 
Born  a  king  of  many  nations,  he  hath  forest  refuge  sought, 
Yielded  throne  and  mighty  kingdom  for  a  hermit's  humble  cot, 
Honour  unto  righteous  Rama,  unto  Sita  true  and  bold, 
Theirs  be  fair  Kosala's  empire,  crown  and  sceptre,  wealth  and  gold!" 
Stately  Sal*  and  feathered  palm-tree  on  the  cottage  lent  their  shade. 
Strewn  upon  the  sacred  altar  was  the  grass  of  f{nsa  spread, 
Gaily  on  the  walls  suspended  hung  two  bows  of  ample  height, 
And  their  back  with  gold  was  pencilled,  bright  as  INDR\'S  bow  of  might, 
Cased  in  broad  unfailing  quivers  arrows  shone  like  light  of  day, 
And  like  flame-tongued  fiery  serpents  cast  a  dread  and  lurid  ray, 
Resting  in  their  golden  scabbards  lay  the  sword  of  warriors  bold, 
And  the  targets  broad  and  ample  bossed  with  rings  of  yellow  gold, 
Glove  and  gauntlet  decked  the  cottage  safe  from  fear  of  hostile  men, 
As  from  creatures  of  the  forest  is  the  lion's  lordly  den! 
Calm  in  silent  contemplation  by  the  altar's  sacred  fire, 
Holy  in  his  pious  purpose  though  begirt  by  weapons  dire, 
Clad  in  deer-skin  pure  and  peaceful,  poring  on  the  sacred  flame, 
In  his  bark  and  hermit's  tresses  like  an  anchorite  of  fame, 
Lion-shouldered,  mighty-armed,  but  with  gentle  lotus  eye, 
Lord  of  wide  earth  ocean-girdled,  but  intent  on  penance  high, 
Godlike  as  the  holy  BRAHMA,  on  a  skin  of  dappled  deer 
Rama  sat  with  meek-eyed  Sita,  faithful  Lakshman  loitered  near! 

1  Grass  strewn  around  the  altar  at  sacrifice.  *  Sala,  a  tall  forest  tree. 


l86  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

"Is  this  he  whom  joyous  nations  called  to  fair  Ayodhya's  throne, 
Now  the  friend  of  forest-rangers  wandering  in  the  woods  alone, 
Is  this  he  who  robed  in  purple  made  Ayodhya's  mansions  bright, 
Now  in  jungle  bark  and  deer-skin  clad  as  holy  anchorite, 
Is  this  he  whose  wreathed  ringlets  fresh  and  holy  fragrance  shed, 
Now  a  hermit's  matted  tresses  cluster  round  his  royal  head, 
Is  this  he  whose  royal  yajnas  filled  the  earth  with  righteous  fame, 
Now  inured  to  hermit's  labour  by  the  altar's  sacred  flame, 
Is  this  he  whose  brow  and  forehead  royal  gem  and  jewel  graced, 
Heir  to  proud  Kosala's  empire,  eldest,  noblest,  and  the  best?" 
Thus  lamented  pious  Bharat,  for  his  heart  was  anguish-rent, 
As  before  the  feet  of  Rama  he  in  loving  homage  bent, 
"Arya!" l  in  his  choking  accents  this  was  all  that  Bharat  said, 
"Arya!"  spake  the  young  Satrughna  and  he  bent  his  holy  head! 
Rama  to  his  loving  bosom  raised  his  brothers  from  his  feet, 
Ah,  too  deep  is  love  for  utterance  when  divided  brothers  meet, 
Faithful  Guha,  brave  Sumantra,  bowed  to  Rama's  righteous  feet, 
And  a  joy  and  mingled  sadness  filled  the  hermit's  calm  retreat! 

II    Bharafs  Entreaty  and  Rama's1  Reply 

"Speak,  my  true,  my  faithful  Bharat,"  so  the  righteous  Rama  cried, 
"Wherefore  to  this  jungle  dwelling  hast  thou  from  Ayodhya  hied, 
Speak,  my  fond  and  loving  brother,  if  our  father  bade  thee  come, 
Leaving  throne  and  spacious  empire  in  this  wilderness  to  roam  ? 
Heir  and  Regent  of  Kosala!  Dost  thou  tend  our  father  well, 
And  obey  the  lofty  mandate  from  his  royal  lips  that  fell, 
And  the  ancient  Dasa-ratha,  glorious  still  in  regal  might, 
Doth  he  pass  his  bright  life's  evening  in  each  pure  and  holy  rite  ? 
Doth  my  mother,  Queen  Kausalya,  still  for  Rama  wet  her  eye, 
And  the  gentle  Queen  Sumitra  for  her  banished  Lakshman  sigh, 
Doth  the  peerless  Queen  Kaikeyi  pass  her  days  in  duties  fair, 
Guard  her  Bharat's  mighty  empire,  tend  him  with  a  mother's  care  ? 
Is  each  holy  rite  and  homage  to  the  Gods  and  Fathers  done, 
Is  the  honour  due  to  elders  rendered  by  each  duteous  son, 
Do  thy  warriors  guard  thy  kingdom  as  of  yore  with  matchless  skill, 
And  with  counsel  deep  and  duteous  do  thy  min'sters  serve  thy  will  ? 
1  Honorable  person,  an  Aryan, 


THE   EPIC   OF   RAMA  187 

Rich  thy  fields  in  corn  and  produce  fed  by  rivers  broad  and  deep, 

Rich  thy  green  unending  pastures  with  the  kine  and  fattened  sheep, 

Tend  the  herdsman  and  his  cattle,  tend  the  tiller  of  the  soil, 

Watch  and  help  with  all  thy  bounty  workmen  in  their  peaceful  toil, 

For  the  monarch's  highest  duty  is  to  serve  his  people's  weal 

And  the  ruler's  richest  glory  is  to  labour  and  to  heal! 

Guard  thy  forts  with  sleepless  caution  with  the  engines  of  the  war, 

With  the  men  who  shoot  the  arrow  and  who  drive  the  flying  car, 

Guard  Kosala's  royal  treasure,  make  thy  gifts  of  wealth  and  food, 

Not  to  lords  and  prouH  retainers,  but  to  worthy  and  the  good! 

Render  justice  pure  and  spotless  as  befits  thy  royal  line, 

And  to  save  the  good  and  guiltless,  Bharat,  be  it  ever  thine, 

For  the  tears  of  suffering  virtue  wither  like  the  thunder  levin, 

And  they  slay  our  men  and  cattle  like  the  wrath  of  righteous  heaven, 

Fruitful  be  thy  lore  of  Veda,  fruitful  be  each  pious  rite, 

Be  thy  queen  a  fruitful  mother,  be  thy  empire  full  of  might!" 

Weeping,  weeping,  Bharat  answered  Dasa-ratha's  eldest  son, 

"Dasa-ratha  walks  the  bright  sky,  for  his  earthly  task  is  done! 

For  impelled  by  Queen  Kaikeyi  to  the  woods  he  bade  thee  go, 

And  his  spotless  fame  was  clouded  and  his  bosom  sank  in  woe, 

And  my  mother,  late  repenting,  weeps  her  deed  of  deepest  shame, 

Weeps  her  wedded  lord  departed,  and  a  woman's  tarnished  fame! 

Thou  alone  canst  wipe  this  insult  by  a  deed  of  kindness  done, — 

Rule  o'er  Dasa-ratha's  empire,  Dasa-ratha's  eldest  son, 

Weeping  queens  and  loyal  subjects  supplicate  thy  noble  grace, — 

Rule  o'er  Raghu's  ancient  empire,  son  of  Raghu's  royal  race! 

For  our  ancient  Law  ordaineth  and  thy  Duty  makes  it  plain, 

Eldest-born  succeeds  his  father  as  the  king  of  earth  and  main, 

By  the  fair  Earth  loved  and  welcomed,  Rama,  be  her  wedded  lord, 

As  by  planet-jewelled  Midnight  is  the  radiant  Moon  adored! 

And  thy  father's  ancient  min'sters  and  thy  courtiers  faithful  still, 

Wait  to  do  thy  righteous  mandate  and  to  serve  thy  royal  will, 

As  a  pupil,  as  a  brother,  as  a  slave,  I  seek  thy  grace, — 

Come  and  rule  thy  father's  empire,  king  of  Raghu's  royal  race!" 

Weeping,  on  the  feet  of  Rama,  Bharat  placed  his  lowly  head, 

Weeping  for  his  sire  departed,  tears  of  sorrow  Rama  shed, 

Then  he  raised  his  loving  brother  with  an  elder's  deathless  love, 

Sorrow  wakes  our  deepest  kindness  and  our  holiest  feelings  prove  1 


l88  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

"But  I  may  not,"  answered  Rama,  "seek  Ayodhya's  ancient  throne, 

For  a  righteous  father's  mandate  duteous  son  may  not  disown, 

And  I  may  not,  gentle  brother,  break  the  word  of  promise  given, 

To  a  king  and  to  a  father  who  is  now  a  saint  in  heaven! 

Not  on  thee,  nor  on  thy  mother,  rests  the  censure  or  the  blame, 

Faithful  to  his  father's  wishes  Rama  to  the  forest  came, 

For  the  son  and  duteous  consort  serve  the  father  and  the  lord, 

Higher  than  an  empire's  glory  is  a  father's  spoken  word! 

All  inviolate  is  his  mandate, — on  Ayodhya's  jewelled  throne, 

Or  in  pathless  woods  and  jungle  Rama  shall  his  duty  own, 

All  inviolate  is  the  blessing  by  a  loving  mother  given, 

For  she  blessed  my  life  in  exile  like  a  pitying  saint  of  heaven! 

Thou  shah  rule  the  tyngdom,  Bharat,  guard  our  loving  people  well, 

Clad  in  wild  bar\  and  in  deer-s\in  I  shall  in  the  forests  dwell, 

So  spa\e  saintly  Dasa-ratha  in  Ayodhya's  palace  hall, 

And  a  righteous  father's  mandate  duteous  son  may  not  recall!" 

Ill    Kausalya's  Lament  and  Rama's  Reply 

Slow  and  sad  with  Saint  Vasishtha,  with  each  widowed  royal  dame, 
Unto  Rama's  hermit-cottage  ancient  Queen  Kausalya  came, 
And  she  saw  him  clad  in  wild  bark  like  a  hermit  stern  and  high, 
And  an  anguish  smote  her  bosom  and  a  tear  bedewed  her  eye. 
Rama  bowed  unto  his  mother  and  each  elder's  blessings  sought, 
Held  their  feet  in  salutation  with  a  holy  reverence  fraught, 
And  the  queens  with  loving  fingers,  with  a  mother's  tender  care, 
Swept  the  dust  of  wood  and  jungle  from  his  head  and  bosom  fair, 
Lakshman  too  in  loving  homage  bent  before  each  royal  dame, 
And  they  blessed  the  faithful  hero  spotless  in  his  righteous  fame. 
Lastly  came  the  soft-eyed  Sita  with  obeisance  soft  and  sweet, 
And  with  hands  in  meekness  folded  bent  her  tresses  to  their  feet, 
Pain  and  anguish  smote  their  bosoms,  round  their  Sita  as  they  prest, 
As  a  mother  clasps  a  daughter,  clasped  her  in  their  loving  breast! 
Torn  from  royal  hall  and  mansions,  ranger  of  the  darksome  wood, 
Reft  of  home  and  kith  and  kindred  by  her  forest  hut  she  stood! 
"Hast  thou,  daughter  of  Videha,"  weeping  thus  Kausalya  said, 
"Dwelt  in  woods  and  leafy  cottage  and  in  pathless  jungle  strayed, 
Hast  thou,  Rama's  royal  consort,  lived  a  homeless  anchorite, 
Pale  with  rigid  fast  and  penance,  worn  with  toil  of  righteous  rite  ? 


THE   EPIC   OF   RAMA  189 

But  thy  sweet  face,  gentle  Ska,  is  like  faded  lotus  dry, 
And  like  lily  parched  by  sunlight,  lustreless  thy  beauteous  eye, 
Like  the  gold  untimely  tarnished  is  thy  sorrow-shaded  brow, 
Like  the  moon  by  shadows  darkened  is  thy  form  of  beauty  now! 
And  an  anguish  scathes  my  bosom  like  the  withering  forest  fire, 
Thus  to  see  thee,  duteous  daughter,  in  misfortunes  deep  and  dire, 
Dark  is  wide  Kosala's  empire,  dark  is  Raghu's  royal  house, 
When  in  woods  my  Rama  wanders  and  my  Rama's  royal  spouse!" 
Sweetly,  gentle  Sita  answered,  answered  Rama  fair  and  tall, 
That  a  righteous  father's  mandate  duteous  son  may  not  recall! 

IV    Jabali's  Reasoning  and  Rama's  Reply 

Jabali  a  learned  Brahman  and  a  Sophist  skilled  in  word, 

Questioned  Faith  and  Law  and  Duty,  spake  to  young  Ayodhya's  lord: 

"Wherefore,  Rama,  idle  maxims  cloud  thy  heart  and  warp  thy  mind, 

Maxims  which  mislead  the  simple  and  the  thoughtless  human  kind  ? 

Love  nor  friendship  doth  a  mortal  to  his  kith  or  kindred  own, 

Entering  on  his  wide  earth  friendless,  and  departing  all  alone, 

Foolishly  upon  the  father  and  the  mother  dotes  the  son, 

Kinship  is  an  idle  fancy, — save  thyself  thy  kith  is  none! 

In  the  wayside  inn  he  halteth  who  in  distant  lands  doth  roam, 

Leaves  it  with  the  dawning  daylight  for  another  transient  home, 

Thus  on  earth  are  kin  and  kindred,  home  and  country,  >vealth  and  store, 

We  but  meet  them  on  our  journey,  leave  them  as  we  pass  before! 

Wherefore  for  a  father's  mandate  leave  thy  empire  and  thy  throne, 

Pass  thy  days  in  trackless  jungle  sacrificing  all  thy  own, 

Wherefore  to  Ayodhya's  city,  as  to  longing  wife's  embrace, 

Speed'st  thou  not  to  rule  thy  empire,  lord  of  Raghu's  royal  race  ? 

Dasa-ratha  claims  no  duty,  and  this  will  is  empty  word, 

View  him  as  a  foreign  monarch,  of  thy  realm  thou  art  the  lord, 

Dasa-ratha  is  departed,  gone  where  all  the  mortals  go, 

For  a  dead  man's  idle  mandate  wherefore  lead  this  life  of  woe? 

Ah!  I  weep  for  erring  mortals  who  on  erring  duty  bent 

Sacrifice  their  dear  enjoyment  till  their  barren  life  is  spent, 

Who  to  Gods  and  to  the  Fathers  vainly  still  their  offerings  make, 

Waste  of  food!  for  God  nor  Father  doth  our  pious  homage  take! 

And  the  food  by  one  partaken,  can  it  nourish  other  men, 

Food  bestowed  upon  a  Brahman,  can  it  serve  our  Fathers  then  ? 


ipo  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

Crafty  priests  have  forged  these  maxims  and  with  selfish  objects  say, 
Make  thy  gifts  and  do  thy  penance,  leave  thy  worldly  wealth  and  pray  I 
There  is  no  Hereafter,  Rama,  vain  the  hope  and  creed  of  men, 
Seek  the  pleasures  of  the  present,  spurn  illusions  poor  and  vain, 
Take  the  course  of  sense  and  wisdom,  cast  all  idle  faith  aside, 
Take  the  kingdom  Bharat  offers,  rule  Ayodhya  in  thy  pride!" 
"Fair  thy  purpose,"  answered  Rama,  "false  thy  reason  leads  astray, 
Tortuous  wisdom  brings  no  profit,  virtue  shuns  the  crooked  way, 
For  the  deed  proclaims  the  hero  from  the  man  of  spacious  lies, 
Marks  the  true  and  upright  Arya  from  the  scheming  worldly-wise! 
If  assuming  virtue's  mantle  I  should  seek  the  sinful  path, 
Gods  who  judge  our  secret  motives  curse  me  with  their  deepest  wrath, 
And  thy  counsel  helps  not,  rishi,  mansions  of  the  sky  to  win, 
And  a  king  his  subjects  follow  adding  deeper  sin  to  sin! 
Sweep  aside  thy  crafty  reasoning,  Truth  is  still  our  ancient  way, 
Truth  sustains  the  earth  and  nations  and  a  monarch's  righteous  sway, 
Mighty  Gods  and  holy  sages  find  in  Truth  their  haven  shore, 
Scorning  death  and  dark  destruction,  Truth  survives  for  evermore! 
Deadlier  than  the  serpent's  venom  is  the  venom  of  a  lie, 
From  the  false,  than  from  the  cobra,  men  with  deeper  terror  fly, 
Dearer  than  the  food  to  mortals,  Truth  as  nourishment  is  given, 
Truth  sustains  the  wide  creation,  Truth  upholds  the  highest  heaven, 
Vain  were  gifts  and  sacrifices,  rigid  penances  were  vain, 
Profitless  the  holy  Vedas  but  for  Truth  which  they  sustain, 
Gifts  and  rites  and  rigid  penance  have  no  aim  or  purpose  high, 
Save  in  Truth  which  rules  the  wide  earth  and  the  regions  of  the  sky! 
I  have  plighted  truth  and  promise  and  my  word  may  not  unsay, 
Fourteen  years  in  pathless  forests  father's  mandate  I  obey, 
And  I  seek  no  spacious  reasons  my  relinquished  throne  to  win, 
Gods  nor  Fathers  nor  the  Vedas  counsel  tortuous  paths  of  sin! 
Pardon,  rishi,  still  unchanging  shall  remain  my  promise  given 
To  my  mother  Queen  Kaikeyi,  to  my  father  now  in  heaven, 
Pardon,  rishi,  still  in  jungle  we  shall  seek  the  forest  fare, 
Worship  Gods  who  watch  our  actions,  and  pervade  the  earth  and  air! 
Unto  AGNI,  unto  VAYU,  shall  my  constant  prayers  run, 
I  shall  live  like  happy  INDRA,  hundred  sacrifices  done, 
And  the  deep  and  darksome  jungle  shall  be  Rama's  royal  hallt 
For  a  righteous  father's  mandate  duteous  son  may  not  recall!" 


THE   EPIC  OF   RAMA  19! 

V    The  Sandals 

Tears  nor  sighs  nor  sad  entreaty  Rama's  changeless  purpose  shook, 
Till  once  more  with  hands  conjoined  Bharat  to  his  elder  spoke: 
"Rama,  true  to  royal  mercy,  true  to  duties  of  thy  race, 
Grant  this  favour  to  thy  mother,  to  thy  brother  grant  this  grace, 
Vain  were  my  unaided  efforts  to  protect  our  father's  throne, 
Town  and  hamlet,  lord  and  tiller,  turn  to  thee  and  thee  alone! 
Unto  Rama,  friends  and  kinsmen,  chiefs  and  warriors,  turn  in  pain, 
And  each  city  chief  and  elder,  and  each  humble  village  swain, 
Base  thy  empire  strong,  unshaken,  on  a  loyal  nation's  will, 
With  thy  worth  and  with  thy  valour  serve  thy  faithful  people  still!" 
Rama  raised  the  prostrate  Bharat  to  his  ever-loving  breast, 
And  in  voice  of  tuneful  hansa  *  thus  his  gentle  speech  addrest: 
"Trust  me,  Bharat,  lofty  virtue,  strength  and  will  to  thee  belong, 
Thou  could'st  rule  a  worldwide  empire  in  thy  faith  and  purpose  strong, 
And  our  father's  ancient  min'sters,  ever  faithful,  wise  and  deep, 
They  shall  help  thee  with  their  counsel  and  thy  ancient  frontiers  keep. 
List!  the  Moon  may  lose  his  lustre,  Himalaya  lose  his  snow, 
Heaving  Ocean  pass  his  confines  surging  from  the  caves  below, 
But  the  truth-abiding  Rama  will  not  move  from  promise  given, 
He  hath  spoke  and  will  not  palter,  help  him  righteous  Gods  in  heaven!" 
Blazing  like  the  Sun  in  splendour,  beauteous  like  the  Lord  of  Night, 
Rama  vowed  his  Vow  of  Duty,  changeless  in  his  holy  might! 
"Humble  token,"  answered  Bharat,  "still  I  seek  from  Rama's  hand, 
Token  of  his  love  and  kindness,  token  of  his  high  command, 
From  thy  feet  cast  forth  those  sandals,  they  shall  decorate  the  throne, 
They  shall  nerve  my  heart  to  duty  and  shall  safely  guard  thy  own, 
They  shall  to  a  loyal  nation  absent  monarch's  will  proclaim, 
Watch  the  frontiers  of  the  empire  and  the  people's  homage  claim!" 
Rama  gave  the  loosened  sandals  as  his  younger  humbly  prayed, 
Bharat  bowed  to  them  in  homage  and  his  parting  purpose  said: 
"Not  alone  will  banished  Rama  barks  and  matted  tresses  wear, 
Fourteen  years  the  crowned  Bharat  will  in  hermit's  dress  appear, 
Henceforth  Bharat  dwells  in  palace  guised  as  hermit  of  the  wood, 
In  the  sumptuous  hall  of  feasting  wild  fruit  is  his  only  food, 
Fourteen  years  shall  pass  in  waiting,  weary  toil  and  penance  dire 
Then,  if  Rama  comes  not  living,  Bharat  dies  upon  the  pyre!" 
1  Swan  or  goose. 


Ip2  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

VI    The  Hermitage  of  Atri 

With  the  sandals  of  his  elder  Bharat  to  Ayodhya  went, 

Rama  sought  for  deeper  forests  on  his  arduous  duty  bent, 

Wandering  with  his  wife  and  Lakshman  slowly  sought  the  hermitage, 

Where  resided  saintly  Atri,  Vedic  Bard  and  ancient  sage. 

Anasuya,  wife  of  Atri,  votaress  of  Gods  above, 

Welcomed  Sita  in  her  cottage,  tended  her  with  mother's  love, 

Gave  her  robe^and  holy  garland,  jewelled  ring  and  chain  of  gold, 

Heard  the  tale  of  love  and  sadness  which  the  soft-eyed  Sita  told : 

How  the  monarch  of  Videha  held  the  plough  and  tilled  the  earth, 

From  the  furrow  made  by  ploughshare  infant  Sita  sprang  to  birth, 

How  the  monarch  of  Videha  welcomed  kings  of  worth  and  pride, 

Rama  'midst  the  gathered  monarchs  broke  the  bow  and  won  the  bride, 

How  by  Queen  Kaikeyi's  mandate  Rama  lost  his  father's  throne, 

Sita  followed  him  in  exile  in  the  forest  dark  and  lone! 

Softly  from  the  lips  of  Sita  words  of  joy  and  sorrow  fell, 

And  the  pure-souled  pious  priestess  wept  to  hear  the  tender  tale, 

And  she  kissed  her  on  the  forehead,  held  her  on  her  ancient  breast, 

And  in  mother's  tender  accents  thus  her  gentle  thoughts  exprest: 

"Sweet  the  tale  you  tell  me,  Sita,  of  thy  wedding  and  thy  love, 

Of  the  true  and  tender  Rama,  righteous  as  the  Gods  above, 

And  thy  wifely  deep  devotion  fills  my  heart  with  purpose  high, 

Stay  with  us  my  gentle  daughter  for  the  night  shades  gather  nigh. 

Hastening  from  each  distant  region  feathered  songsters  seek  their  nest, 

Twitter  in  the  leafy  thickets  ere  they  seek  their  nightly  rest, 

Hastening  from  their  pure  ablutions  with  their  pitcher  smooth  and  fair, 

Lrtheir  dripping  barks  the  hermits  to  their  evening  rites  repair, 

And  in  sacred  agni-hotra x  holy  anchorites  engage, 

And  a  wreath  of  smoke  ascending  marks  the  altar  of  each  sage. 

Now  a  deeper  shadow  mantles  bush  and  brake  and  trees  around, 

And  a  thick  and  inky  darkness  falls  upon  the  distant  ground, 

Midnight  prowlers  of  the  jungle  steal  beneath  the  sable  shade, 

But  the  tame  deer  by  the  altar  seeks  his  wonted  nightly  bed. 

Mark!  how  by  the  stars  encircled  sails  the  radiant  Lord  of  Night, 

With  his  train  of  silver  glory  streaming  o'er  the  azure  height, 

And  thy  consort  waits  thee,  Sita,  but  before  thou  leavest,  fair, 

Let  me  deck  thy  brow  and  bosom  with  these  jewels  rich  and  rare, 

1 A  sacrifice  to  the  fire  with  daily  offering  of  milk  morning  and  evening. 


THE   EPIC  OF   RAMA  193 

Old  these  eyes  and  grey  these  tresses,  but  a  thrill  of  joy  is  mine, 
Thus  to  see  thy  youth  and  beauty  in  this  gorgeous  garment  shine!" 
Pleased  at  heart  the  ancient  priestess  clad  her  m  apparel  meet, 
And  the  young  wife  glad  and  grateful  bowed  to  Anasuya's  feet, 
Robed  and  jewelled,  bright  and  beauteous,  sweet-eyed  Sita  softly  came, 
Where  with  anxious  heart  awaited  Rama  prince  of  righteous  fame. 
With  a  wifely  love  and  longing  Sita  met  her  hero  bold, 
Anasuya's  love  and  kindness  in  her  grateful  accents  told, 
Rama  and  his  brother  listened  of  the  grace  by  Sita  gained, 
Favours  of  the  ancient  priestess,  pious  blessings  she  had  rained. 
In  the  rishi's  peaceful  asram  Rama  passed  the  sacred  night, 
In  the  hushed  and  silent  forest  silvered  by  the  moon's  pale  light, 
Daylight  dawned,  to  deeper  forests  Rama  went  serene  and  proud, 
As  the  sun  in  midday  splendour  sinks  within  a  bank  of  cloud! 


BOOK  V    PANCHAVATI 

(On  the  BanJ^s  of  the  Godavari) 

THE  wanderings  of  Rama  in  the  Dcccan,  his  meeting  with  Saint 
Agastya,  and  his  residence  on  the  banks  of  the  Godavari  river,  are 
narrated  in  this  Book.  The  reader  has  now  left  Northern  India  and 
crossed  the  Vindhya  mountains;  and  the  scene  of  the  present  and  suc- 
ceeding five  Books  is  laid  in  the  Deccan  and  Southern  India.  The  name 
of  Agastya  is  connected  with  the  Deccan,  and  many  are  the  legends  told 
of  this  great  Saint,  before  whom  the  Vmdhya  mountains  bent  in  awe, 
and  by  whose  might  the  Southern  ocean  was  drained.  It  is  likely  that 
some  religious  teacher  of  that  name  first  penetrated  beyond  the  Vind- 
hyas,  and  founded  the  first  Aryan  settlement  in  the  Deccan,  three 
thousand  years  ago.  He  was  pioneer,  discoverer  and  settler, — the  Indian 
Columbus  who  opened  out  Southern  India  to  Aryan  colonization  and 
Aryan  religion. 

Two  yojanas *  from  Agastya's  hermitage,  Rama  built  his  forest  dwell- 
ing in  the  woods  of  Panchavati,  near  the  sources  of  the  Godavari  river, 
and  within  a  hundred  miles  from  the  modern  city  of  Bombay.  There  he 
lived  with  his  wife  and  brother  in  peace  and  piety,  and  the  Book  closes 
with  the  description  of  an  Indian  winter  morning,  when  the  brothers 
and  Sita  went  for  their  ablutions  to  the  Godavari,  and  thought  of  their 
1 A  ydjana  is  about  nine  English  miles. 


194  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

distant  home  in  Oudh.  The  description  of  the  peaceful  forest-life  of  the 
exiles  comes  in  most  appropriately  on  the  eve  of  stirring  events  which 
immediately  succeed,  and  which  give  a  new  turn  to  the  story  of  the 
Epic.  We  now  stand  therefore  at  the  turning  point  of  the  poet's  narra- 
tive; he  has  sung  of  domestic  incidents  and  of  peaceful  hermitages  so 
far;  he  sings  of  dissensions  and  wars  hereafter. 

The  portions  translated  in  this  Book  form  Sections  i.,  xii.,  xiii.,  xv., 
and  xvi.  of  Book  iii.  of  the  original  text. 

/    The  Hermitage  of  Agastya 

Righteous  Rama,  soft-eyed  Sita,  and  the  gallant  Lakshman  stood 
In  the  wilderness  of  Dandak, — trackless,  pathless,  boundless  wood, 
But  within  its  gloomy  gorges,  dark  and  deep  and  known  to  few, 
Humble  homes  of  hermit  sages  rose  before  the  princes'  view. 
Coats  of  bark  and  scattered  \usa  spake  their  peaceful  pure  abode, 
Seat  of  pious  rite  and  penance  which  with  holy  splendour  glowed, 
Forest  songsters  knew  the  asram  and  the  wild  deer  cropt  its  blade, 
And  the  sweet-voiced  sylvan  wood-nymph  haunted  oft  its  holy  shade, 
Brightly  blazed  the  sacred  altar,  vase  and  ladle  stood  around, 
Fruit  and  blossom,  skin  and  faggot,  sanctified  the  holy  ground. 
From  the  broad  and  bending  branches  ripening  fruits  in  clusters  hung, 
And  with  gifts  and  rich  libations  hermits  raised  the  ancient  song, 
Lotus  and  the  virgin  lily  danced  upon  the  rippling  rill, 
And  the  golden  sunlight  glittered  on  the  greenwoods  calm  and  still, 
And  the  consecrated  woodland  by  the  holy  hermits  trod, 
Shone  like  BRAHMA'S  sky  in  lustre,  hallowed  by  the  grace  of  God! 
Rama  loosened  there  his  bow-string  and  the  peaceful  scene  surveyed, 
And  the  holy  sages  welcomed  wanderers  in  the  forest  shade, 
Rama  bright  as  Lord  of  Midnight,  Sita  with  her  saintly  face, 
Lakshman  young  and  true  and  valiant,  decked  with  warrior's  peerless 

grace! 

Leafy*  hut  the  holy  sages  to  the  royal  guests  assigned, 
Brought  them  fruit  and  forest  blossoms,  blessed  them  with  their  bless- 

ings  kind, 

"Raghu's  son,"  thus  spake  the  sages,  "helper  of  each  holy  rite, 
Portion  of  the  royal  INDRA,  fount  of  justice  and  of  might, 
On  thy  throne  or  in  the  forest,  king  of  nations,  lord  of  men, 
Grant  us  to  thy  kind  protection  in  this  hermit's  lonely  den!" 


THE   EPIC  OF  RAMA  195 

Homely  fare  and  jungle  produce  were  before  the  princes  laid, 
And  the  toil-worn,  tender  Sita  slumbered  in  the  asram's  shade. 
Thus  from  grove  to  grove  they  wandered,  to  each  haunt  of  holy  sage, 
Sarabhanga's  sacred  dwelling  and  Sutikshna's  hermitage, 
Till  they  met  the  Saint  Agastya,  mightiest  Saint  of  olden  time,    „ 
Harbinger  of  holy  culture  in  the  wilds  of  Southern  clime! 
"Eldest  born  of  Dasa-ratha,  long  and  far  hath  Rama  strayed,"— 
Thus  to  pupil  of  Agastya  young  and  gallant  Lakshman  said, — 
"With  his  faithful  consort  Sita  in  these  wilds  he  wanders  still, 
I  am  righteous  Rama's  younger,  duteous  to  his  royal  will, 
And  we  pass  these  years  of  exile  to  our  father's  mandate  true, 
Fain  to  mighty  Saint  Agastya  we  would  render  homage  due!" 
Listening  to  his  words  the  hermit  sought  the  shrine  of  Sacred  Fire, 
Spake  the  message  of  the  princes  to  the  Saint  and  ancient  Sire: 
"Righteous  Rarna^  valiant  Lakshman,  saintly  Sita  seeks  this  shade, 
And  to  see  thee,  radiant  rishi,  have  in  humble  accents  prayed." 
"Hath  he  come,"  so  spake  Agastya,  "Rama  prince  of  Raghu's  race, 
Youth  for  whom  this  heart  hath  thirsted,  youth  endued  with  righteous 

grace, 

Hath  he  come  with  wife  and  brother  to  accept  our  greetings  kind, 
Wherefore  came  ye  for  permission,  wherefore  linger  they  behind?" 
Rama  and  the  soft-eyed  Sita  were  with  gallant  Lakshman  led, 
Where  the  dun  deer  free  and  fearless  roamed  within  the  holy  shade, 
Where  the  shrines  of  great  Immortals  stood  in  order  thick  and  close, 
And  by  bright  and  blazing  altars  chanted  songs  and  hymns  arose. 
BRAHMA  and  the  flaming  AGNI,  VISHNU  lord  of  heavenly  light, 
INDRA  and  benign  VIVAS vr  ruler  of  the  azure  height, 
SOMA  and  the  radiant  BHAGA,  and  KUVERA  lord  of  gold, 
And  VIDHATRI  great  Creator  worshipped  by  the  saints  of  old, 
VAYU  breath  of  living  creatures,  YAMA  monarch  of  the  dead, 
And  VARUNA  with  his  fetters  which  the  trembling  sinners  dread, 
Holy  Spirit  of  GAYATRI  goddess  of  the  morning  prayer, 
VASUS  and  the  hooded  NAGAS,  golden-winged  GARUDA  fair, 
KARITKEYA  heavenly  leader  strong  to  conquer  and  to  bless, 
DHARMA  god  of  human  duty  and  of  human  righteousness, 
Shrines  of  all  these  bright  Immortals  ruling  in  the  skies  above, 
Filled  the  pure  and  peaceful  forest  with  a  calm  and  holy  love! 
Girt  by  hermits  righteous-hearted  then  the  Saint  Agastya  came, 
Rich  in  wealth  of  pious  penance,  rich  in  learning  and  in  fame, 


196  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

Mighty-armed  Rama  marked  him  radiant  like  the  midday  sun, 

Bowed  and  rendered  due  obeisance  with  each  act  of  homage  done, 

Valiant  Lakshman  tall  and  stately  to  the  great  Agastya  bent, 

With  a  woman's  soft  devotion  Sita  bowed  unto  the  saint. 

Saint  Agastya  raised  the  princes,  greeted  them  in  accents  sweet, 

Gave  them  fruit  and  herb  and  water,  offered  them  the  honoured  seat, 

With  libations  unto  AGNI  offered  welcome  to  each  guest, 

Food  and  drink  beseeming  hermits  on  the  wearied  princes  pressed. 

"False  the  hermits,"  spake  Agastya,  "who  to  guests  their  dues  deny, 

Hunger  they  in  life  hereafter — like  the  speaker  of  a  lie. 

And  a  royal  guest  and  wanderer  doth  our  foremost  honour  claim, 

Car-borne  kings  protect  the  wide  earth  by  their  prowess  and  their  fame, 

By  these  fruits  and  forest  blossoms  be  our  humble  homage  shewn, 

By  some  gift,  of  Rama  worthy,  be  Agastya's  blessings  known! 

Take  this  bow,  heroic  Rama, — need  for  warlike  arn\$  is  thine, — 

Gems  of  more  than  earthly  radiance  on  the  goodly  weapon  shine, 

Worshipper  of  righteous  VISHNU!  VISHNU'S  wondrous  weapon  take, 

Heavenly  artist  VISWA-KARMAN  shaped  this  bow  of  heavenly  make! 

Take  this  shining  dart  of  BRAHMA  radiant  like  a  tongue  of  flame, 

Sped  by  good  and  worthy  archer  never  shall  it  miss  its  aim, 

And  this  INDRA'S  sample  quiver  filled  with  arrows  true  and  keen, 

Filled  with  arrows  still  unfailing  in  the  battle's  dreadful  scene! 

Take  this  sabre  golden-hiked  in  its  case  of  burnished  gold, 

Not  unworthy  of  a  monarch  and  a  warrior  true  and  bold, 

Impious  foes  of  bright  Immortals  know  these  weapons  dread  and  dire, 

Mowing  down  the  ranks  of  foemen,  scathing  like  the  forest  fire! 

Be  these  weapons  thy  companions, — Rama  thou  shall  need  them  oft, — 

Meet  and  conquer  still  thy  foemen  li\e  the  Thunder-God  aloft!" 

11    The  Counsel  of  Agastya 

"Pleased  am  I,"  so  spake  Agastya,  "in  these  forests  dark  and  wild, 
Thou  hast  come  to  seek  me,  Rama,  with  the  saintly  Janak's  child, 
But  like  pale  and  drooping  blossoms  severed  from  the  parent  tree, 
Far  from  home  in  toil  and  trouble,  faithful  Sita  follows  thee, 
True  to  wedded  lord  and  husband  she  hath  followed  Raghu's  son, 
With  a  woman's  deep  devotion  woman's  duty  she  hath  done! 
How  unlike  the  fickle  woman,  true  while  Fame  and  Fortune  smile, 
Faithless  when  misfortunes  gather,  loveless  in  her  wicked  wile, 


THE    EPIC   OF    RAMA  197 

How  unlike  the  changeful  woman,  false  as  light  the  lightnings  fling, 
Keen  as  sabre,  quick  as  tempest,  swift  as  bird  upon  its  wing! 
Dead  to  Fortune's  frown  or  favour,  Sita  still  in  truth  abides, 
As  the  star  of  Arundhati  in  her  mansion  still  resides, 
Rest  thee  with  thy  gentle  consort,  farther  still  she  may  not  roam, 
Holier  were  this  hermit's  forest  as  the  saintly  Ska's  home!" 
"Great  Agastya!"  answered  Rama,  "blessed  is  my  banished  life, 
For  thy  kindness  to  an  exile  and  his  friendless  homeless  wife, 
But  in  wilder,  gloomier  forests  lonesome  we  must  wander  still, 
Where  a  deeper,  darker  shadow  settles  on  the  rock  and  rill." 
"Be  it  so,"  Agastya  answered,  "two  short  yojans  from  this  place, 
Wild  is  Panchavati's  forest  where  unseen  the  wild  deer  race, 
Godavari's  limped  waters  through  its  gloomy  gorges  flow, 
Fruit  and  root  and  luscious  berries  on  its  silent  margin  grow, 
Seek  that  spot  and  with  thy  brother  build  a  lonesome  leafy  home, 
Tend  thy  true  and  toil-worn  Sita,  farther  still  she  may  not  roam! 
Not  unknown  to  me  the  mandate  by  thy  royal  father  given, 
Not  unseen  thy  endless  wanderings  destined  by  the  will  of  Heaven, 
Therefore  Panchavati's  forest  marked  I  for  thy  woodland  stay, 
Where  the  ripening  wild  fruit  clusters  and  the  wild  bird  trills  his  lay, 
Tend  thy  dear  devoted  Sita  and  protect  each  pious  rite, 
Matchless  in  thy  warlike  weapons  peerless  in  thy  princely  might! 
Mark  yon  gloomy  Mahna  forest  stretching  o'er  the  boundless  lea, 
Pass  that  wood  and  turning  northward  seek  an  old  Nyagrodha  tree, 
Then  ascend  a  sloping  upland  by  a  steep  and  lofty  hill, 
Thou  shah  enter  Panchavati,  blossom-covered,  calm  and  still!" 
Bowing  to  the  great  Agastya,  Rama  left  the  mighty  sage, 
Bowing  to  each  saint  and  hermit,  Lakshman  left  the  hermitage, 
And  the  princes  tall  and  stately  marched  where  Panchavati  lay, 
Soft-eyed  Sita  followed  meekly  where  her  Rama  led  the  way! 

///    The  Forest  of  Panchavati 

Godavari's  limpid  waters  in  her  gloomy  gorges  strayed, 
Unseen  rangers  of  the  jungle  nestled  in  the  darksome  shade! 
"Mark  the  woodlands,"  uttered  Rama,  "by  the  Saint  Agastya  told, 
Panchavati's  lonesome  forest  with  its  blossoms  red  and  gold, 
Skilled  to  scan  the  wood  and  jungle,  Lakshman,  cast  thy  eye  around, 
For  our  humble  home  and  dwelling  seek  a  low  and  level  ground, 


IpO  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

Where  the  river  laves  its  margin  with  a  soft  and  gentle  kiss, 
Where  my  sweet  and  soft-eyed  Sita  may  repose  in  sylvan  bliss, 
Where  the  lawn  is  fresh  and  verdant  and  the  {usa  young  and  bright, 
And  the  creeper  yields  her  blossoms  for  our  sacrificial  rite." 
"Little  can  I  help  thee,  brother,"  did  the  duteous  Lakshman  say, 
"Thou  art  prompt  to  judge  and  fathom,  Lakshman  listens  to  obey!" 
"Mark  this  spot,"  so  answered  Rama,  leading  Lakshman  by  the  hand, 
"Soft  the  lawn  of  verdant  fysa,  beauteous  blossoms  light  the  land, 
Mark  the  smiling  lake  of  lotus  gleaming  with  a  radiance  fair, 
Wafting  fresh  and  gentle  fragrance  o'er  the  rich  and  laden  air, 
Mark  each  scented  shrub  and  creeper  bending  o'er  the  lucid  wave, 
Where  the  bank  with  soft  caresses  Godavari's  waters  lave! 
Tuneful  ducks  frequent  this  margin,  Chafy-avakas x  breathe  of  love, 
And  the  timid  deer  of  jungle  browse  within  the  shady  grove, 
And  the  valleys  are  resonant  with  the  peacock's  clarion  cry, 
And  the  trees  with  budding  blossoms  glitter  on  the  mountains  high, 
And  the  rocks  in  well-marked  strata  in  their  glittering  lines  appear. 
Like  the  streaks  of  white  and  crimson  painted  on  our  tuskers  fair! 
Stately  Sal  and  feathered  palm-tree  guard  this  darksome  forest-land, 
Golden  date  and  flowering  mango  stretch  afar  on  either  hand, 
Asof(  thrives  and  blazing  Kinsu\,  Chandan  wafts  a  fragrance  rare, 
Aswa-karna  and  Khadira  by  the  Satni  dark  and  fair, 
Beauteous  spot  for  hermit-dwelling  joyous  with  the  voice  of  song, 
Haunted  by  the  timid  wild  deer  and  by  black  buck  fleet  and  strong!" 
Foe-compelling  faithful  Lakshman  heard  the  words  his  elder  said, 
And  by  sturdy  toil  and  labour  stately  home  and  dwelling  made, 
Spacious  was  the  leafy  cottage  walled  with  moistened  earth  and  soft, 
Pillared  with  the  stately  bamboo  holding  high  the  roof  aloft, 
Interlacing  twigs  and  branches,  corded  from  the  ridge  to  eaves, 
Held  the  thatch  of  reed  and  branches  and  of  jungle  grass  and  leaves, 
And  the  floor  was  pressed  and  levelled  and  the  toilsome  task  was  done, 
And  the  structure  rose  in  beauty  for  the  righteous  Raghu's  son! 
To  the  river  for  ablutions  Lakshman  went  of  warlike  fame, 
With  a  store  of  fragrant  lotus  and  of  luscious  berries  came, 
Sacrificing  to  the  Bright  Gods  sacred  hymns  and  mantras  said, 
Proudly  then  unto  his  elder  shewed  the  home  his  hand  had  made. 
In  her  soft  and  grateful  accents  gentle  Sita  praised  his  skill, 
Praised  a  brother's  loving  labour,  praised  a  hero's  dauntless  will, 

1  The  male  and  female  geese,  as  symbols  of  conjugal  love. 


THE    EPIC   OF   RAMA  199 

Rama  clasped  his  faithful  Lakshman  in  a  brother's  fond  embrace, 
Spake  in  sweet  and  kindly  accents  with  an  elder's  loving  grace: 
"How  can  Rama,  homeless  wand'rer,  priceless  love  like  thine  requite, 
Let  him  hold  thee  in  his  bosom,  soul  of  love  and  arm  of  might, 
And  our  father  good  and  gracious,  in  a  righteous  son  like  thee, 
Lives  again  and  treads  the  bright  earth,  from  the  bonds  of  YAMA  free!" 
Thus  spake  Rama,  and  with  Lakshman  and  with  Sita  child  of  love, 
Dwelt  in  Panchavati's  cottage  as  the  Bright  Gods  dwell  above  I 

IV    Winter  in  Panchavati 

Came  and  passed  the  golden  autumn  in  the  forest's  gloomy  shade, 
And  the  northern  blasts  of  winter  swept  along  the  silent  glade, 
When  the  chilly  night  was  over,  once  at  morn  the  prince  of  fame, 
For  his  morning's  pure  ablutions  to  the  Godavari  came. 
Meek-eyed  Sita  softly  followed  with  the  pitcher  in  her  arms, 
Gallant  Lakshman  spake  to  Rama  of  the  Indian  winter's  charms: 
"Comes  the  bright  and  bracing  winter  to  the  royal  Rama  dear, 
Like  a  bride  the  beauteous  season  doth  in  richest  robes  appear, 
Frosty  air  and  freshening  zephyrs  wake  to  life  each  mart  and  plain, 
And  the  corn  in  dewdrop  sparkling  makes  a  sea  of  waving  green, 
But  the  village  maid  and  matron  shun  the  freezing  river's  shore, 
By  the  fire  the  village  elder  tells  the  stirring  tale  of  yore! 
With  the  winter's  ample  harvest  men  perform  each  pious  rite, 
To  the  Fathers  long  departed,  to  the  Gods  of  holy  might, 
With  the  rite  of  agrayana l  pious  men  their  sins  dispel, 
And  with  gay  and  sweet  observance  songs  of  love  the  women  tell, 
And  the  monarchs  bent  on  conquest  mark  the  winter's  cloudless  glow, 
Lead  their  bannered  cars  and  forces  'gainst  the  rival  and  the  foe! 
Southward  rolls  the  solar  chariot,  and  the  cold  and  widowed  North 
Reft  of  'bridal  mark'  and  joyance  coldly  sighs  her  sorrows  forth, 
Southward  rolls  the  solar  chariot,  Himalaya,  'home  of  snow,' 
True  to  name  and  appellation  doth  in  whiter  garments  glow, 
Southward  rolls  the  solar  chariot,  cold  and  crisp  the  frosty  air, 
And  the  wood  of  flower  dismantled  doth  in  russet  robes  appear! 
Star  of  Pushya  rules  December  and  the  night  with  rime  is  hoar, 
And  beneath  the  starry  welkin  in  the  woods  we  sleep  no  more, 

xThe  autumn  harvest  festival,  with  offerings  of  new  gram. 


200  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

And  the  pale  moon  mist-enshrouded  sheds  a  faint  and  feeble  beam, 
As  the  breath  obscures  the  mirror,  winter  mist  obscures  her  gleam, 
Hidden  by  the  rising  vapour  faint  she  glistens  on  the  dale, 
Like  our  sun-embrowned  Sita  with  her  toil  and  penance  pale! 
Sweeping  blasts  from  western  mountains  through  the  gorges  whistle  by 
And  the  saras  and  the  curlew  raise  their  shrill  and  piercing  cry, 
Boundless  fields  of  wheat  and  barley  are  with  dewdrops  moist  and  wet, 
And  the  golden  rice  of  winter  ripens  like  the  clustering  date, 
Peopled  marts  and  rural  hamlets  wake  to  life  and  cheerful  toil, 
And  the  peaceful  happy  nations  prosper  on  their  fertile  soil! 
Mark  the  sun  in  morning  vapours — like  the  moon  subdued  and  pale — 
Brightening  as  the  day  advances  piercing  through  the  darksome  veil, 
Mark  his  gay  and  golden  lustre  sparkling  o'er  the  dewy  lea, 
Mantling  hill  and  field  and  forest,  painting  bush  and  leaf  and  tree, 
Mark  it  glisten  on  the  green  grass,  on  each  bright  and  bending  blade, 
Lighten  up  the  long-drawn  vista,  shooting  through  the  gloomy  glade! 
Thirst-impelled  the  lordly  tusker  still  avoids  the  freezing  drink, 
Wild  duck  and  the  tuneful  hansa  doubtful  watch  the  river's  brink, 
From  the  rivers  wrapped  in  vapour  unseen  cries  the  wild  curlew, 
Unseen  rolls  the  misty  streamlet  o'er  its  sandbank  soaked  in  dew, 
And  the  drooping  water-lily  bends  her  head  beneath  the  frost, 
Lost  her  fresh  and  fragrant  beauty  and  her  tender  petals  lost! 
Now  my  errant  fancy  wanders  to  Ayodhya's  distant  town, 
Where  in  hermit's  barks  and  tresses  Bharat  wears  the  royal  crown, 
Scorning  regal  state  and  splendour,  spurning  pleasures  loved  of  yore, 
Spends  his  winter  day  in  penance,  sleeps  at  night  upon  the  floor, 
Aye!  perchance  Sarayu's  waters  seeks  he  now,  serene  and  brave, 
As  we  seek,  when  dawns  the  daylight,  Godavari's  limpid  wave! 
Rich  of  hue,  with  eye  of  lotus,  truthful,  faithful,  strong  of  mind, 
For  the  love  he  bears  thee,  Rama,  spurns  each  joy  of  baser  kind, 
'False  he  proves  unto  his  father  who  is  led  by  mother's  wile,' — 
Vain  this  ancient  impious  adage — Bharat  spurns  his  mother's  guile, 
Bharat's  mother  Queen  Kaikeyi,  Dasa-ratha's  royal  spouse, 
Deep  in  craft,  hath  brought  disaster  on  Ayodhya's  royal  house!" 
"Speak  not  thus,"  so  Rama  answered,  "on  Kaikeyi  cast  no  blame, 
Honour  still  the  righteous  Bharat,  honour  still  the  royal  dame, 
Fixed  in  purpose  and  unchanging  still  in  jungle  wilds  I  roam, 
But  thy  accents,  gentle  Lakshman,  wake  a  longing  for  my  home! 


THE   EPIC   OF   RAMA  201 

And  my  loving  mem'ry  lingers  on  each  word  from  Bharat  fell, 

Sweeter  than  the  draught  of  nectar,  purer  than  the  crystal  well, 

And  my  righteous  purpose  falters,  shaken  by  a  brother's  love, 

May  we  meet  again  our  brother,  if  it  please  the  Gods  above!" 

Waked  by  love,  a  silent  tear-drop  fell  on  Godavari's  wave, 

True  once  more  to  righteous  purpose  Rama's  heart  was  calm  and  brave, 

Rama  plunged  into  the  river  'neath  the  morning's  crimson  beam, 

Sita  softly  sought  the  waters  as  the  lily  seeks  the  stream, 

And  they  prayed  to  Gods  and  Fathers  with  each  rite  and  duty  done, 

And  they  sang  the  ancient  mantra  to  the  red  and  rising  Sun, 

With  her  lord,  in  loosened  tresses  Sita  to  her  cottage  came, 

As  with  RUDRA  wanders  UMA  in  Kailasa's  hill  of  fame! 


BOOK  VI    SITA-HARANA 

(Sita  Lost) 

WE  EXCHANGE  the  quiet  life  of  Rama  in  holy  hermitages  for  the  more 
stirring  incidents  of  the  Epic  in  this  Book.  The  love  of  a  Raksha  princes? 
for  Rama  and  for  Lakshman  is  rejected  with  scorn,  and  smarting  under 
insult  and  punishment  she  fires  her  brother  Ravan,  the  king  of  Ceylon, 
with  a  thirst  for  vengeance.  The  dwellers  of  Ceylon  are  described  in 
the  Epic  as  monsters  of  various  forms,  and  able  to  assume  different 
shapes  at  will.  Ravan  sends  Maricha  in  the  shape  of  a  beautiful  deer  to 
tempt  away  Rama  and  Lakshman  from  the  cottage,  and  then  finds  his 
chance  for  stealing  away  the  unprotected  Sita. 

The  misfortunes  of  our  lives,  according  to  Indian  thinkers,  are  but 
the  results  of  our  misdeeds;  calamities  are  brought  about  by  our  sins. 
And  thus  we  find  in  the  Indian  Epic,  that  a  dark  and  foul  suspicion 
against  Lakshman  crossed  the  stainless  mind  of  Sita,  and  words  of 
unmerited  insult  fell  from  her  gentle  lips,  on  the  eve  of  the  great 
calamity  which  clouded  her  life  ever  after.  It  was  the  only  occasion  on 
which  the  ideal  woman  of  the  Epic  harboured  an  unjust  thought  or 
spoke  an  angry  word;  and  it  was  followed  by  a  tragic  fate  which  few 
women  on  earth  have  suffered.  To  the  millions  of  men  and  women  in 
India,  Sita  remains  to  this  day  the  ideal  of  female  love  and  female 
devotion;  her  dark  suspicions  pgainst  Lakshman  sprang  out  of  an 
excess  of  her  affection  for  her  husband;  and  her  tragic  fate  and  long 
trial  proved  that  undying  love. 


202  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

The  portions  translated  in  this  Book  form  the  whole  or  the  main  por- 
tions of  Sections  xvii.,  xviii.,  xliii.,  xlv.,  xlvi.,  xlvii.,  and  xlix.  of  Book  iii. 
of  the  original  text. 

7    Surpa-na\ha  in  Love 

As  the  Moon  with  starry  Chitra  dwells  in  azure  skies  above, 

In  his  lonesome  leafy  cottage  Rama  dwelt  in  Sita's  love, 

And  with  Lakshman  strong  and  valiant,  quick  to  labour  and  obey, 

Tales  of  bygone  times  recounting  Rama  passed  the  livelong  day. 

And  it  so  befell,  a  maiden,  dweller  of  the  darksome  wood, 

Led  by  wand'ring  thought  or  fancy  once  before  the  cottage  stood, 

Surpa-nakha,  Raksha  maiden,  sister  of  the  Raksha  lord, 

Came  and  looked  with  eager  longing  till  her  soul  was  passion-stirred! 

Looked  on  Rama  lion-chested,  mighty-armed,  lotus-eyed, 

Stately  as  the  jungle  tusker,  with  his  crown  of  tresses  tied, 

Looked  on  Rama  lofty-fronted,  with  a  royal  visage  graced, 

Like  KANDARPA  young  and  lustrous,  lotus-hued  and  lotus-faced! 

What  though  she  a  Raksha  maiden,  poor  in  beauty  plain  in  face, 

Fell  her  glances  passion-laden  on  the  prince  of  peerless  grace, 

What  though  wild  her  eyes  and  tresses,  and  her  accents  counselled  fear» 

Soft-eyed  Rama  fired  her  bosom,  and  his  sweet  voice  thrilled  her  ear, 

What  though  bent  on  deeds  unholy,  holy  Rama  won  her  heart, 

And,  for  love  makes  bold  a  female,  thus  did  she  her  thoughts  impart : 

"Who  be  thou  in  hermit's  vestments,  in  thy  native  beauty  bright, 

Friended  by  a  youthtful  woman,  armed  with  thy  bow  of  might, 

Who  be  thou  in  these  lone  regions  where  the  Rakshas  hold  their  sway. 

Wherefore  in  a  lonely  cottage  in  this  darksome  jungle  stay?" 

With  his  wonted  truth  and  candour  Rama  spake  sedate  and  bold, 

And  the  story  of  his  exile  to  the  Raksha  maiden  told : 

"Dasa-ratha  of  Ayodhya  ruled  with  INDRA'S  godlike  fame, 

And  his  eldest,  first-born  Rama,  by  his  mandate  here  I  came, 

Younger  Lakshman  strong  and  valiant  doth  with  me  these  forests  roam, 

And  my  wife,  Videha's  daughter,  Sita  makes  with  me  her  home. 

Duteous  to  my  father's  bidding,  duteous  to  my  mother's  will, 

Striving  in  the  cause  of  virtue  in  the  woods  we  wander  still. 

Tell  me,  female  of  the  forest,  who  thou  be  and  whence  thy  birth, 

Much  I  fear  thou  art  a  Raksha  wearing  various  forms  on  earth!" 


THE    EPIC   OF   RAMA  203 

"Listen,"  so  spake  Surpa-nakha,  "if  my  purpose  thou  wouldst  know, 
I  am  Raksha,  Surpa-nakha,  wearing  various  shapes  below, 
Know  my  brothers,  royal  Ravan,  Lanka's  lord  from  days  of  old, 
Kumbha-karna  dread  and  dauntless,  and  Bibhishan  true  and  bold, 
Khara  and  the  doughty  Dushan  with  me  in  these  forests  stray, 
But  by  Rama's  love  emboldened  I  have  left  them  on  the  way! 
Broad  and  boundless  is  my  empire  and  I  wander  in  my  pride, 
Thee  I  choose  as  lord  and  husband, — cast  thy  human  wife  aside, 
Pale  is  Sita  and  misshapen,  scarce  a  warrior's  worthy  wife, 
To  a  nobler,  lordlier  female  consecrate  thy  gallant  life! 
Human  flesh  is  food  of  Rakshas!  weakling  Sita  I  will  slay, 
Slay  that  boy  the  stripling  brother, — thee  as  husband  I  obey, 
On  the  peaks  of  lofty  mountains,  in  the  forests  dark  and  lone, 
We  shall  range  the  boundless  woodlands  and  the  joys  of  dalliance 
prove!" 

//    Surpa-nat^ha  Punished 

Rama  heard  her  impious  purpose  and  a  gentle  smile  repressed, 
To  the  foul  and  forward  female  thus  his  mocking  words  addressed : 
"List,  O  passion-smitten  maiden!  Sita  is  my  honoured  wife, 
With  a  rival  loved  and  cherished  cruel  were  thy  wedded  life! 
But  no  consort  follows  Lakshman,  peerless  is  his  comely  face, 
Dauntless  is  his  warlike  valour,  matchless  is  his  courtly  grace, 
And  he  leads  no  wife  or  consort  to  this  darksome  woodland  grove, 
With  no  rival  to  thy  passion  seek  his  ample-hearted  love!" 
Surpa-nakha  passion-laden  then  on  Lakshman  turned  her  eye, 
But  in  merry  mocking  accents  smiling  Lakshman  made  reply : 
"Ruddy  in  thy  youthful  beauty  like  the  lotus  in  her  pride, 
I  am  slave  of  royal  Rama,  wouldst  thou  be  a  vassal's  bride  ? 
Rather  be  his  younger  consort,  banish  Sita  from  his  arms, 
Spurning  Sita's  faded  beauty  let  him  seek  thy  fresher  charms, 
Spurning  Sita's  faded  graces  let  him  brighter  pleasures  prove, 
Wearied  with  a  woman's  dalliance  let  him  court  a  Raksha's  love!" 
Wrath  of  unrequited  passion  raged  like  madness  in  her  breast, 
Torn  by  anger  strong  as  tempest  thus  her  answer  she  addrest : 
"Are  these  mocking  accents  uttered,  Rama,  to  insult  my  flame, 
Feasting  on  her  faded  beauty  dost  thou  still  revere  thy  dame? 
But  beware  a  Raksha's  fury  and  an  injured  female's  wrath, 
Surpa-nakha  slays  thy  consort,  bears  no  rival  in  her  path!" 


204  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

Fawn-eyed  Sita  fell  in  terror  as  the  Raksha  rose  to  slay, 
So  beneath  the  flaming  meteor  sinks  Rohini's  softer  ray, 
And  like  Demon  of  Destruction  furious  Surpa-nakha  came,     , 
Rama  rose  to  stop  the  slaughter  and  protect  his  helpless  dame. 
"Brother,  we  have  acted  wrongly,  for  with  those  of  savage  breed, 
Word  in  jest  is  courting  danger, — this  the  penance  of  our  deed, 
Death  perchance  or  death-like  stupor  hovers  o'er  my  loved  dame, 
Let  me  wake  to  life  my  Sita,  chase  this  female  void  of  shame!" 
Lakshman's  anger  leaped  like  lightning  as  the  female  hovered  near, 
With  his  sword  the  wrathful  warrior  cleft  her  nose  and  either  ear, 
Surpa-nakha  in  her  anguish  raised  her  accents  shrill  and  high, 
And  the  rocks  and  wooded  valleys  answered  back  the  dismal  cry, 
Khara  and  the  doughty  Dushan  heard  the  far-resounding  wail, 
Saw  her  red  disfigured  visage,  heard  her  sad  and  woeful  tale! 

///    Rama's  Departure 

Vainly  fought  the  vengeful  Khara,  doughty  Dushan  vainly  bled, 
Rama  and  the  valiant  Lakshman  strewed  the  forest  with  the  dead, 
Till  the  humbled  Surpa-nakha  to  her  royal  brother  hied, 
Spake  her  sorrows  unto  Ravan  and  Maricha  true  and  tried. 
Shape  of  deer  unmatched  in  beauty  now  the  deep  Maricha  wore, 
Golden  tints  upon  his  haunches,  sapphire  on  his  antlers  bore, 
Till  the  woodland-wand'ring  Sita  marked  the  creature  in  his  pride, 
Golden  was  his  neck  of  beauty,  silver-white  his  flank  and  side! 
"Come,  my  lord  and  gallant  Lakshman,"  thus  the  raptur'd  Sita  spake, 
"Mark  the  deer  of  wondrous  radiance  browsing  by  the  forest  brake!" 
"Much  my  heart  misgives  me,  sister,"  Lakshman  hesitated  still, 
"  'Tis  some  deep  deceitful  Raksha  wearing  every  shape  at  will, 
Monarchs  wand'ring  in  this  forest,  hunting  in  this  lonely  glen, 
Oft  waylaid  by  artful  Rakshas  are  by  deep  devices  slain, 
Bright  as  day-god  or  Gandharva?  woodland  scenes  they  love  to  stray, 
Till  they  fall  upon  the  heedless,  quick  to  slaughter  and  to  slay, 
Trust  me,  not  in  jewelled  lustre  forest  creatures  haunt  the  green, 
Tis  some  may  a3  and  illusion,  trust  not  what  thy  eyes  have  seen!" 
Vainly  spake  the  watchful  Lakshman  in  the  arts  of  Rakshas  skilled, 
For  with  forceful  fascination  Sita's  inmost  heart  was  thrilled, 
1 A  celestial  musician.  *  Maya  is  illusion. 


THE  EPIC  OF  RAMA  205 

"Husband,  good  and  ever  gracious,"  sweetly  thus  implored  the  wife, 

"I  would  tend  this  thing  of  beauty, — sharer  of  my  forest  life! 

I  have  witnessed  in  this  jungle  graceful  creatures  passing  fair, 

Chowri1  and  the  gentle  roebuck,  antelope  of  beauty  rare, 

I  have  seen  the  lithesome  monkey  sporting  in  the  branches'  shade, 

Grizzly  bear  that  feeds  on  Mahua?  and  the  deer  that  crops  the  blade, 

I  have  marked  the  stately  wild  bull  dash  into  the  deepest  wood, 

And  the  Kinnar  *  strange  and  wondrous  as  in  sylvan  wilds  he  stood, 

But  these  eyes  have  never  rested  on  a  form  so  wondrous  fair, 

On  a  shape  so  full  of  beauty,  decked  with  tints  so  rich  and  rare! 

Bright  his  bosom  gem-bespangled,  soft  the  lustre  of  his  eye, 

Lighting  up  the  gloomy  jungle  as  the  Moon  lights  up  the  sky, 

And  his  gentle  voice  and  glances  and  his  graceful  steps  and  light, 

Fill  my  heart  with  eager  longing  and  my  soul  with  soft  delight! 

If  alive  that  beauteous  object  thou  canst  capture  in  thy  way, 

As  thy  Sita's  sweet  companion  in  these  woodlands  he  will  stay, 

And  when  done  our  days  of  exile,  to  Ayodhya  will  repair, 

Dwell  in  Sita's  palace  chamber  nursed  by  Sita's  tender  care, 

And  our  royal  brother  Bharat  oft  will  praise  his  strength  and  speed, 

And  the  queens  and  royal  mothers  pause  the  gentle  thing  to  feed! 

If  alive  this  wary  creature  be  it,  husband,  hard  to  take, 

Slay  him  and  his  skin  of  lustre  cherish  for  thy  Sita's  sake, 

I  will  as  a  golden  carpet  spread  the  skin  upon  the  grass, 

Sweet  memento  of  this  forest  when  our  forest  days  will  pass! 

Pardon  if  an  eager  longing  which  befits  a  woman  ill, 

And  an  unknown  fascination  doth  my  inmost  bosom  fill, 

As  I  mark  his  skin  bespangled  and  his  antlers'  sapphire  ray, 

And  his  coat  of  starry  radiance  glowing  in  the  light  of  day!" 

Rama  bade  the  faithful  Lakshman  with  the  gentle  Sita  stay, 

Long  through  woods  and  gloomy  gorges  vainly  held  his  cautious  way, 

Vainly  set  the  snare  in  silence  by  the  lake  and  in  the  dale, 

'Scaping  every  trap,  Maricha,  pierced  by  Rama's  arrows  fell, 

Imitating  Rama's  accents  uttered  forth  his  dying  cry: 

"Speed,  my  faithful  brother  Lakshman,  helpless  in  the  woods  I  die!" 

1  Properly  chamari,  the  yak. 
8  Properly  madhu^a,  a  tree. 
8  A  being  with  the  body  of  a  man,  and  face  of  a  horse. 


206  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

/  V    LaJ(sh  m  an 's  Departure 

"Heardst  that  distant  cry  of  danger?"  questioned  Sita  in  distress, 
"Woe,  to  me!  who  in  my  frenzy  sent  my  lord  to  wilderness, 
Speed,  brave  Lakshman,  help  my  Rama,  doleful  was  his  distant  cry, 
And  my  fainting  bosom  falters  and  a  dimness  clouds  my  eye! 
To  the  dread  and  darksome  forest  with  thy  keenest  arrows  speed, 
Help  thy  elder  and  thy  monarch,  sore  his  danger  and  his  need, 
For  perchance  the  cruel  Rakshas  gather  round  his  lonesome  path, 
As  the  mighty  bull  is  slaughtered  by  the  lions  in  their  wrath!** 
Spake  the  hero:  "Fear  not,  Sita!  Dwellers  of  the  azure  height, 
Rakshas  nor  the  jungle-rangers  match  the  peerless  Rama's  might, 
Rama  knows  no  dread  or  danger,  and  his  mandate  still  I  own, 
And  I  may  not  leave  thee,  Lady,  in  this  cottage  all  alone! 
Cast  aside  thy  causeless  terror;  in  the  sky  or  earth  below, 
In  the  nether  regions,  Rama  knows  no  peer  or  equal  foe, 
He  shall  slay  the  deer  of  jungle,  he  shall  voice  no  dastard  cry, 
'Tis  some  trick  of  wily  Rakshas  in  this  forest  dark  and  high! 
Sita,  thou  hast  heard  my  elder  bid  me  in  this  cottage  stay, 
Lakshman  may  not  leave -thee,  Lady,  for  this  duty — to  obey. 
Ruthless  Rakshas  roam  the  forest  to  revenge  their  leader  slain, 
Various  are  their  arts  and  accents;  chase  thy  thought  of  causeless  pain!' 
Sparkled  Sita's  eye  in  anger,  frenzy  marked  her  speech  and  word, 
For  a  woman's  sense  is  clouded  by  the  danger  of  her  lord : 
"Markest  thou  my  Rama's  danger  with  a  cold  and  callous  heart, 
Courtest  thou  the  death  of  elder  in  thy  deep  deceitful  art, 
In  thy  semblance  of  compassion  dost  thou  hide  a  cruel  craft, 
As  in  friendly  guise  the  foeman  hides  his  death-compelling  shaft, 
Following  like  a  faithful  younger  in  this  dread  and  lonesome  land, 
Seekest  thou  the  death  of  elder  to  enforce  his  widow's  hand  ? 
False  thy  hope  as  foul  thy  purpose!  Sita  is  a  faithful  wife, 
Sita  follows  saintly  Rama,  true  in  death  as  true  in  life!" 
Quivered  Lakshman's  frame  in  anguish  and  the  tear  stood  in  his  eye, 
Fixed  in  faith  and  pure  in  purpose,  calm  and  bold  he  made  reply : 
"Unto  me  a  Queen  and  Goddess, — as  a  mother  to  a  son, — 
Answer  to  thy  heedless  censure  patient  Lakshman  speaketh  none, 
Daughter  of  Videha's  monarch, — paidon  if  I  do  thee  wrong, — 
Fickle  is  the  faith  of  woman,  poison-dealing  is  her  tongue! 


THE  EPIC  OF  RAMA  207 

And  thy  censure,  trust  me,  Lady,  scathes  me  like  a  burning,  dart, 

Free  from  guile  is  Lakshman's  purpose,  free  from  sin  is  Lakshman's 

heart, 

Witness  ye  my  truth  of  purpose,  unseen  dwellers  of  the  wood, 
Witness,  I  for  Sita's  safety  by  my  elder's  mandate  stood, 
Duteous  to  my  queen  and  elder,  I  have  toiled  and  worked  in  vain, 
Dark  suspicion  and  dishonour  cast  on  me  a  needless  stain! 
Lady!  I  obey  thy  mandate,  to  my  elder  now  I  go, 
Guardian  Spirits  of  the  forest  watch  thee  from  each  secret  joe, 
Omens  dar\  and  signs  of  danger  meet  my  pained  and  aching  sight, 
May  I  see  thee  by  thy  Rama,  guarded  by  his  conquering  might!" 

V    Ravan's  Coming 

Ravan  watched  the  happy  moment  burning  with  a  vengeful  spite, 
Came  to  sad  and  sorrowing  Sita  in  the  guise  of  anchorite, 
Tufted  hair  and  russet  garment,  sandals  on  his  feet  he  wore, 
And  depending  from  his  shoulders  on  a  staff  his  vessel  bore, 
And  he  came  to  lonely  Sita,  for  each  warlike  chief  was  gone, 
As  the  darkness  comes  to  evening  lightless  from  the  parted  Sun, 
And  he  cast  his  eyes  on  Sita,  as  a  graha 1  casts  its  shade 
On  the  beauteous  star  Rohini  when  the  bright  Moon's  glories  fade. 
Quaking  Nature  knew  the  moment;  silent  stood  the  forest  trees, 
Conscious  of  a  deed  of  darkness  fell  the  fragrant  forest  breeze, 
Godavari's  troubled  waters  trembled  'neath  his  lurid  glance, 
And  his  red  eye's  fiery  lustre  sparkled  in  the  wavelets'  dance! 
Mute  and  still  were  forest  creatures  when  in  guise  of  anchorite, 
Unto  Sita's  lonely  cottage  pressed  the  Raksha  in  his  might, 
Mute  and  voiceless  was  the  jungle  as  he  cast  on  her  his  eye, 
As  across  the  star  of  Chitra,  planet  Sani  walks  the  sky! 
Ravan  stood  in  hermit's  vestments, — vengeful  purpose  unrevealed,  - 
As  a  deep  and  darksome  cavern  is  by  grass  and  leaf  concealed, 
Ravan  stood  sedate  and  silent,  and  he  gazed  on  Rama's  queen, 
Ivory  brow  and  lip  of  coral,  sparkling  teeth  of  pearly  sheen! 
Lighting  up  the  lonely  cottage,  Sita  sat  in  radiance  high, 
As  the  Moon  with  streaks  of  silver  fills  the  lonely  midnight  sky, 
Lighting  up  the  gloomy  woodlands  with  her  eyes  serenely  fair, 
With  her  bark-clad  shape  of  beauty  mantled  by  her  raven  hair! 
1  The  power  of  darkness,  supposed  to  seize  the  sun  or  the  moon  at  eclipse. 


208  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

Ravan  fired  by  impure  passion  fixed  on  her  in  lustful  eye, 
And  the  light  that  lit  his  glances  gave  his  holy  texts  the  lie, 
Ravan  in  his  flattering  accents,  with  a  soft  and  soothing  art, 
Praised  the  woman's  peerless  beauty  to  subdue  the  woman's  heart: 
"Beaming  in  thy  golden  beauty,  robed  in  sylvan  russet  dress, 
Wearing  wreath  of  fragrant  lotus  like  a  nymph  of  wilderness, 
Art  thou  Sri  *  or  radiant  Gaurif  maid  of  Fortune  or  of  Fame, 
Nymph  of  Love  or  sweet  Fruition,  what  may  be  thy  sacred  name? 
On  thy  lips  of  ruddy  coral  teeth  of  tender  jasmine  shine, 
In  thy  eyes  of  limpid  lustre  dwells  a  light  of  love  divine, 
Tall  and  slender,  softly  rounded,  are  thy  limbs  of  beauty  rare, 
Like  the  swelling  fruit  of  tala*  heaves  thy  bosom  sweetly  fair! 
Smiling  lips  that  tempt  and  ravish,  lustre  that  thy  dark  eyes  beam, 
Crush  my  heart,  as  rolling  waters  crush  the  margin  of  the  stream. 
And  thy  wealth  of  waving  tresses  mantles  o'er  thy  budding  charms, 
And  thy  waist  of  slender  beauty  courts  a  lover's  circling  arms! 
Goddess  or  Gandharva  maiden  wears  no  brighter  form  or  face, 
Woman  seen  by  eyes  of  mortals  owns  not  such  transcendent  grace, 
Wherefore  then,  in  lonesome  forest,  nymph  or  maiden,  make  thy  stay, 
Where  the  jungle  creatures  wander  and  the  Rakshas  hold  their  sway? 
Royal  halls  and  stately  mansions  were  for  thee  a  meeter  home, 
And  thy  steps  should  grace  a  palace,  not  in  pathless  forest  roam, 
Blossoms  rich,  not  thorn  of  jungle,  decorate  a  lady's  bower, 
Silken  robes,  not  sylvan  garments,  heighten  Beauty's  potent  power! 
Lady  of  the  sylvan  forest!  other  destiny  is  thine, — 
As  a  bride  beloved  and  courted  in  thy  bridal  garments  shine, 
Choose  a  loved  and  lordly  suitor  who  shall  wait  on  thee  in  pride, 
Choose  a  hero  worth  thy  beauty,  be  a  monarch's  queenly  bride! 
Speak  thy  lineage,  heaven-descended!  who  may  be  thy  parents  high, 
Rudras  or  the  radiant  Maruts,  Vasus  leaders  of  the  sky, 
All  unworthy  is  this  forest  for  a  nymph  or  heavenly  maid, 
Beasts  of  prey  infest  the  jungle,  Rakshas  haunt  its  gloomy  shade, 
Lions  dwell  in  lovely  caverns,  tuskers  ford  the  silent  lake, 
Monkeys  sport  on  pendant  branches,  tigers  steal  beneath  the  brake, 
Wherefore  then  this  dismal  forest  doth  thy  fairy  face  adorn, 
Who  are  thou  and  whence  descended,  nymph  or  maid  or  goddess-born  ?' 

1  Goddess  of  beauty  and  wealth,  wife  of  Vishnu. 

*  A  goddess,  wife  of  Siva. 

*  A  species  of  palm-tree  with  round  fruit. 


THE   EPIC  OF  RAMA  209 

VI    Ravan's  Wooing 

"Listen,  Brahman!"  answered  Sita, — unsuspecting  in  her  mind 

That  she  saw  a  base  betrayer  in  a  hermit  seeming  kind, — 

"I  am  born  of  royal  Janak,  ruler  of  Videha's  land, 

Rama  prince  of  proud  Kosala  by  his  valour  won  my  hand. 

Years  we  passed  in  peaceful  pleasure  in  Ayodhya's  happy  clime, 

Rich  in  every  rare  enjoyment  gladsome  passed  our  happy  time, 

Till  the  monarch  Dasa-ratha, — for  his  days  were  almost  done, — 

Wished  to  crown  the  royal  Rama  as  his  Heir  and  Regent  son. 

But  the  scheming  Queen  Kaikeyi  claimed  a  long-forgotten  boon, 

That  my  consort  should  be  exiled  and  her  son  should  fill  the  throne, 

She  would  take  no  rest  or  slumber,  nourishment  of  drink  or  food, 

Till  her  Bharat  ruled  the  empire,  Rama  banished  to  the  wood! 

Five  and  twenty  righteous  summers  graced  my  good  and  gracious  lord, 

True  to  faith  and  true  to  duty,  true  in  purpose,  deed,  and  word, 

Loved  of  all  his  loyal  people,  rich  in  valour  and  in  fame, 

For  the  rite  of  consecration  Rama  to  his  father  came. 

Spake  Kaikeyi  to  my  husband : — 'List  thy  father's  promise  fair, 

Bharat  shall  be  ruling  monarch,  do  thou  to  the  woods  repair,' — 

Ever  gentle,  ever  duteous,  Rama  listened  to  obey, 

And  through  woods  and  pathless  jungles  we  have  held  our  lonely  way. 

This,  O  pious-hearted  hermit,  is  his  story  of  distress, 

And  his  young  and  faithful  brother  follows  him  in  wilderness, 

Lion  in  his  warlike  valour,  hermit  in  his  saintly  vow, 

Lakshman  with  his  honoured  elder  wanders  through  the  forest  now. 

Rest  thee  here,  O  holy  Brahman,  rich  in  piety  and  fame, 

Till  the  forest-ranging  brothers  greet  thee  with  the  forest  game, 

Speak,  if  so  it  please  thee,  father,  what  great  rishi  claims  thy  birth, 

Wherefore  in  this  pathless  jungle  wand'rest  friendless  on  this  earth." 

"Brahman  nor  a  righteous  rishi''  royal  Ravan  made  reply, 

"Leader  of  the  wrathful  Rakshas,  Lanka's  lord  and  king  am  I, 

He  whose  valour  quells  the  wide-world,  Gods  above  and  men  below, 

He  whose  proud  and  peerless  prowess  Rakshas  and  Asuras  know! 

But  thy  beauty's  golden  lustre,  Sita,  wins  my  royal  heart, 

Be  a  sharer  of  my  empire,  of  my  glory  take  a  part, 

Many  queens  of  queenly  beauty  on  the  royal  Ravan  wait, 

Thou  shalt  be  their  reigning  empress,  thou  shalt  own  my  regal  state! 


210  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

Lanka  girt  by  boundless  ocean  is  of  royal  towns  the  best, 

Seated  in  her  pride  and  glory  on  a  mountain's  towering  crest, 

And  in  mountain  paths  and  woodlands  thou  shalt  with  thy  Ravan  stray 

Not  in  Godavari's  gorges  through  the  dark  and  dreary  day, 

And  five  thousand  gay-dressed  damsels  shall  upon  my  Sita  wait, 

Queen  of  Ravan's  true  affection,  proud  partaker  of  his  state!" 

Sparkled  Sita's  eyes  in  anger  and  a  tremor  shook  her  frame, 

As  in  proud  and  scornful  accents  answered  thus  the  royal  dame : 

"Knowest  thou  Rama  great  and  godlike,  peerless  hero  in  the  strife, 

Deep,  uncompassed,  like  the  ocean? — I  am  Rama's  wedded-wife! 

Knowest  thou  Rama  proud  and  princely,  sinless  in  his  saintly  life, 

Stately  as  the  tall  Nyagrodha? * — I  am  Rama's  wedded  wife! 

Mighty-armed,  mighty-chested,  mighty  with  his  bow  and  sword, 

Lion  midst  the  sons  of  mortals, — Rama  is  my  wedded  lord! 

Stainless  as  the  Moon  in  glory,  stainless  in  his  deed  and  word, 

Rich  in  valour  and  in  virtue, — Rama  is  my  wedded  lord! 

Sure  thy  fitful  life  is  shadowed  by  a  dark  and  dreadful  fate, 

Since  in  frenzy  of  thy  passion  courtest  thou  a  warrior's  mate, 

Tear  the  tooth  of  hungry  lion  while  upon  the  calf  he  feeds, 

"Touch  the  fang  of  deadly  cobra  while  his  dying  victim  bleeds, 

Aye,  uproot  the  solid  mountain  from  its  base  of  rocky  land, 

Ere  thou  win  the  wife  of  Rama  stout  of  heart  and  strong  of  hand! 

Pierce  thy  eye  with  point  of  needle  till  it  racks  thy  tortured  head, 

Press  thy  red  tongue  cleft  and  bleeding  on  the  razor's  shining  blade, 

Hurl  thyself  upon  the  ocean  from  a  towering  peak  and  high, 

Snatch  the  orbs  of  day  and  midnight  from  their  spheres  in  azure  sky, 

Tongues  of  flaming  conflagration  in  thy  flowing  dress  enfold, 

Ere  thou  take  the  wife  of  Rama  to  thy  distant  dungeon  hold, 

Ere  thou  seek  to  insult  Rama  unrelenting  in  his  wrath, 

O'er  a  bed  of  pikes  of  iron  tread  a  softer  easier  path!" 

VII    Ravan's  Triumph 

Vain  her  threat  and  soft  entreaty,  Ravan  held  her  in  his  wrath, 
As  the  planet  Budha  captures  fair  Rohini  in  his  path, 
By  his  left  hand  tremor-shaken,  Ravan  held  her  streaming  hair, 
By  his  right  the  ruthless  Raksha  lifted  up  the  fainting  fair! 
1  The  banyan  or  Indian  fig-tree.  * 


THE   EPIC   OF   RAMA  211 

Unseen  dwellers  of  the  woodlands  watched  the  dismal  deed  of  shame, 

Marked  the  mighty-armed  Raksha  lift  the  poor  and  helpless  dame, 

Seat  her  on  his  car  celestial  yoked  with  asses  winged  with  speed, 

Golden  in  its  shape  and  radiance,  fleet  as  INDRA'S  heavenly  steed! 

Angry  threat  and  sweet  entreaty  Ravan  to  her  ears  addressed, 

As  the  struggling  fainting  woman  still  he  held  upon  his  breast, 

Vain  his  threat  and  vain  entreaty,  "Rama!  Rama!"  still  she  cried, 

To  the  dark  and  distant  forest  where  her  noblt  lord  had  hied. 

Then  arose  the  car  celestial  o'er  the  hill  and  wooded  vale, 

Like  a  snake  in  eagle's  talons  Sita  writhed  with  piteous  wail, 

Dim  and  dizzy,  faint  and  faltering,  still  she  sent  her  piercing  cry, 

Echoing  through  the  boundless  woodlands,  pealing  to  the  upper  sky: 

"Save  me,  mighty-armed  Lakshman,  stainless  in  thy  heart  and  deed, 

Save  a  faithful  wife  and  woman  from  a  Raksha's  lust  and  greed, 

True  and  faithful  was  thy  warning, — false  and  foul  the  charge  I  made, 

Pardon,  friend,  an  erring  sister,  pardon  words  a  woman  said! 

Help  me,  ever  righteous  Rama,  duty  bade  thee  yield  thy  throne, 

Duty  bids  thee  smite  the  sinful,  save  the  wife  who  is  thy  own, 

Thou  art  king  and  stern  chastiser  of  each  deed  of  sin  and  shame, 

Hurl  thy  vengeance  on  the  Raksha  who  insults  thy  faithful  dame! 

Deed  of  sin,  unrighteous  Ravan,  brings  in  time  its  dreadful  meed , 

As  the  young  corn  grows  and  ripens  from  the  small  and  living  seed, 

For  this  deed  of  insult,  Ravan,  in  thy  heedless  jolly  done, 

Death  of  all  thy  race  and  tyndred  thou  shalt  reap  from  Raghu's  son! 

Darksome  woods  of  Panchavati,  Janasthana's  smiling  vale, 

Flowering  trees  and  winding  creepers,  murmur  to  my  lord  this  tale, 

Sweet  companions  of  my  exile,  friends  who  cheered  my  woodland  stay, 

Speak  to  Rama,  that  his  Sita  ruthless  Ravan  bears  away! 

Towering  peaks  and  lofty  mountains,  wooded  hills  sublime  and  high, 

Far-extending  gloomy  ranges  heaving  to  the  azure  sky, 

In  your  voice  of  pealing  thunder  to  my  lord  and  consort  say, 

Speak  of  Rama,  that  his  Sita  ruthless  Ravan  bears  away! 

Unseen  dwellers  of  the  woodlands,  spirits  of  the  rock  and  fell, 

Sita  renders  you  obeisance  as  she  speaks  her  sad  farewell, 

Whisper  to  my  righteous  Rama  when  he  seeks  his  homeward  way, 

Speak  to  Rama,  that  his  Sita  ruthless  Ravan  bears  away! 

Ah,  my  Rama,  true  and  tender!  thou  hast  loved  me  as  thy  life, 

From  the  foul  and  impious  Raksha  thou  shalt  still  redeem  thy  wife, 


212  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

Ah,  my  Rama,  mighty-armed!  vengeance  soon  shall  speed  thy  way, 
When  thou  nearest  helpless  Sita  is  by  Ravan  torn  away! 
And  thou  royal  bird,  Jatayu,  witness  Ravan's  deed  of  shame, 
Witness  how  he  courts  destruction,  stealing  Rama's  faithful  dame, 
Rama  and  the  gallant  Lakshman  soon  shall  find  their  destined  prey, 
When  they  know  that  trusting  Sita  is  by  Ravan  torn  away!" 
Vainly  wept  the  anguished  Sita;  vain  Jatayu  in  his  wrath, 
Fought  with  beak  and  bloody  talons  to  impede  the  Raksha's  path, 
Pierced  and  bleeding  fell  the  vulture;  Raven  fled  with  Rama's  bride, 
Where  amidst  the  boundless  ocean  Lanka  rose  in  towering  pride! 


BOOK  VII    KISHKINDHA 
(In  the  Nilgiri  Mountains) 

RAMA'S  WANDERINGS  in  the  Nilgiri  mountains,  and  his  alliance  with 
Sugriva  the  chief  of  these  regions,  form  the  subject  of  the  Book.  With 
that  contempt  for  aboriginal  races  which  has  marked  civilized  con- 
querors in  all  ages,  the  poet  describes  the  dwellers  of  these  regions  as 
monkeys  and  bears.  But  the  modern  reader  sees  through  these  strange 
epithets;  and  in  the  description  of  the  social  and  domestic  manners,  the 
arts  and  industries,  the  sacred  rites  and  ceremonies,  and  the  civic  and 
political  life  of  the  Vanars,  the  reader  will  find  that  the  poet  even  imports 
Aryan  customs  into  his  account  of  the  dwellers  of  Southern  India.  They 
formed  an  alliance  with  Rama,  they  fought  for  him  and  triumphed  with 
him,  and  they  helped  him  to  recover  his  wife  from  the  king  of  Ceylon. 
The  portions  translated  in  this  Book  from  Sections  v.,  xv.,  xvi.,  xxvi.,  a 
portion  of  Section  xxviii.,  and  an  abstract  of  Sections  xl.  to  xliii.  of  Book 
iv.  of  the  original  text. 

I    Friends  in  Misfortune 

Long  and  loud  lamented  Rama  by  his  lonesome  cottage  door, 
Janasthana's  woodlands  answered,  Panchavati's  echoing  shore, 
Long  he  searched  in  wood  and  jungle,  mountain  crest  and  pathless  plain, 
Till  he  reached  the  Malya  mountains  stretching  to  the  southern  main. 
There  Sugriva  king  of  Vanars,  Hanuman  his  henchman  brave, 
Banished  from  their  home  and  empire  lived  within  the  forest  cave, 


THE   EPIC   OF   RAMA  213 

To  the  exiled  king  Sugriva,  Hanuman  his  purpose  told, 

As  he  marked  the  pensive  Rama  wand'ring  with  his  brother  bold: 

"Mark  the  sons  of  Dasa-ratha  banished  from  their  royal  home, 

Duteous  to  their  father's  mandate  in  these  pathless  forests  roam, 

Great  was  monarch  Dasa-ratha  famed  for  sacrifice  divine, 

Raja-suya,1  Aswa-medha?  and  for  gift  of  gold  and  kine, 

By  a  monarch's  stainless  duty  people's  love  the  monarch  won, 

By  a  woman's  false  contrivance  banished  he  his  eldest  son! 

True  to  duty,  true  to  virtue,  Rama  passed  his  forest  life, 

Till  a  false  perfidious  Raksha  stole  his  fair  and  faithful  wife, 

And  the  anguish-stricken  husband  seeks  thy  friendship  and  thy  aid, 

Mutual  sorrow  blends  your  fortunes,  be  ye  friends  in  mutual  need!" 

Bold  Sugriva  heard  the  counsel,  and  to  righteous  Rama  hied, 

And  the  princess  of  Ayodhya  with  his  greetings  gratified: 

"Well  I  f(now  thee,  righteous  Rama,  soul  of  piety  and  love, 

And  thy  duty  to  thy  father  and  thy  jatth  in  God  above,  • 

Fortune  favours  poor  Sugriva,  Rama  courts  his  humble  aid, 

In  our  deepest  direst  danger  be  our  truest  friendship  made! 

Equal  is  our  fateful  fortune, — I  have  lost  a  queenly  wife, 

Banished  from  Kishfyndha's  empire  here  I  lead  a  forest  life, 

Pledge  of  love  and  true  alliance,  Rama,  taJ^e  this  proffered  hand, 

Banded  by  a  common  sorrow  we  shall  fall  or  stoutly  stand!" 

Rama  grasped  the  hand  he  offered,  and  the  tear  was  in  his  eye, 

And  they  swore  undying  friendship  o'er  the  altar  blazing  high, 

Hanuman  with  fragrant  blossoms  sanctified  the  sacred  rite, 

And  the  comrades  linked  by  sorrow  walked  around  the  altar's  light, 

And  their  word  and  troth  they  plighted:  "In  our  happiness  and  woe 

We  are  friends  in  thought  and  action,  we  will  face  our  common  foe!" 

And  they  broke  a  leafy  Sal  tree,  spread  it  underneath  their  feet, 

Rama  and  his  friend  Sugriva  sat  upon  the  common  seat, 

And  a  branch  of  scented  Chandan  *  with  its  tender  blossoms  graced, 

Hanuman  as  seat  of  honour  for  the  faithful  Lakshman  placed. 

"Listen,  Rama,"  spake  Sugriva,  "reft  of  kingdom,  reft  of  wife, 

Fleeing  to  these  rugged  mountains  I  endure  a  forest  life, 

For  my  tyrant  brother  Bali  rules  Kishkindha  all  alone, 

Forced  my  wife  from  my  embraces,  drove  me  from  my  father's  throne, 

Trembling  in  my  fear  and  anguish  I  endure  a  life  of  woe, 

Render  me  my  wife  and  empire  from  my  brother  and  my  foe!" 

1  An  imperial  sacrifice.  *  Horse  sacrifice.  *  Sandal  tree. 


214  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

'Not  in  vain  they  seek  my  succour,"  so  the  gallant  Rama  said, 
"Who  with  love  and  offered  friendship  seek  my  counsel  and  my  aid, 
Not  in  vain  these  glistening  arrows  in  my  ample  quiver  shine, 
Bali  dies  the  death  of  tyrants,  wife  and  empire  shall  be  thine! 
Quic\  as  INDRA'S  forced  lightning  arc  these  arrows  feather-plumed, 
Deadly  as  the  hissing  serpent  are  these  darts  with  points  illumed, 
And  this  day  shall  not  be  ended  ere  it  sees  thy  brother  jail, 
As  by  lurid  lightning  severed  sin\s  the  crest  of  mountain  tall!" 

II    The  Counsel  of  Tara 

Linked  in  bonds  of  faithful  friendship  Rama  and  Sugriva  came, 

Where  in  royal  town  Kishkmdha,  Bali  ruled  with  warlike  fame, 

And  a  shout  like  troubled  ocean's  or  like  tempest's  deafening  roar 

Spake  Sugriva's  mighty  challenge  to  the  victor  king  once  more! 

Bali  knew  that  proud  defiance  shaking  sky  and  solid  ground, 

And  like  sun  by  eclipse  shaded,  dark  and  pale  he  looked  around, 

And  his  teeth  were  set  in  anger  and  a  passion  lit  his  eye, 

As  a  tempest  stirs  a  torrent  when  its  lilies  scattered  lie, 

And  he  rose  in  wrath  terrific  with  a  thought  of  vengeance  dread, 

And  the  firm  earth  shook  and  trembled  'neath  his  proud  and  haughty 

tread! 

But  the  true  and  tender  Tara  held  her  husband  and  her  lord, 
And  a  woman's  deeper  wisdom  spake  in  woman's  loving  word: 
"Wherefore  like  a  rain-fed  torrent  swells  thy  passion  in  its  sway, 
Thoughts  of  wrath  like  withered  blossoms  from  thy  bosom  cast  away. 
Wait  till  dawns  another  morning,  wait  till  thou  dost  truly  know, 
With  what  strength  and  added  forces  comes  again  thy  humbled  foe. 
Crushed  in  combat  faint  Sugriva  fled  in  terror  and  in  pain, 
Trust  me,  not  without  a  helper  comes  he  to  the  fight  again, 
Trust  me,  lord,  that  loud  defiance  is  no  coward's  falt'ring  cry, 
Conscious  strength  not  hesitation  speaks  in  voice  so  proud  and  high ! 
Much  my  woman's  heart  misgives  me,  not  without  a  mighty  aid, 
Not  without  a  daring  comrade  comes  Sugriva  to  this  raid, 
Not  with  feeble  friend  Sugriva  seeks  alliance  in  his  need, 
Nor  invokes  a  powerless  chieftain  in  his  lust  and  in  his  greed. 
Mighty  is  his  royal  comrade, — listen,  husband,  to  my  word, 
What  my  son  in  forest  confines  from  his  messengers  hath  heard, — 


THE   EPIC   OF    RAMA  215 

Princes  from  Ayodhya's  country  peerless  in  the  art  of  war, 

Rama  and  the  valiant  Lakshman  in  these  forests  wander  far, 

Much  I  fear,  these  matchless  warriors  have  their  aid  and  counsel  lent 

Conscious  of  his  strength  Sugriva  hath  this  proud  defiance  sent! 

To  his  foes  resistless  Rama  is  a  lightning  from  above, 

To  his  friends  a  tree  of  shelter,  soul  of  tenderness  and  love, 

Dearer  than  his  love  of  glory  is  his  love  to  heal  and  bless, 

Dearer  than  the  crown  and  empire  is  his  hermit's  holy  dress, 

Not  with  such,  my  lord  and  husband,  seek  a  vain  unrighteous  strife, 

For,  like  precious  ores  in  mountains,  virtues  dwell  in  Rama's  life. 

Make  Sugriva  thy  companion,  make  him  Regent  and  thy  Heir, 

Discord  with  a  younger  brother  rends  an  empire  broad  and  fair, 

Make  thy  peace  with  young  Sugriva,  nearest  and  thy  dearest  kin, 

Brother's  love  is  truest  safety,  brother's  hate  is  deadliest  sin! 

Trust  me,  monarch  of  Kishkindha,  trust  thy  true  and  faithful  wife, 

Thou  shalt  find  no  truer  comrade  than  Sugriva  in  thy  life, 

Wage  not  then  a  war  fraternal,  smite  him  not  in  sinful  pride, 

As  a  brother  and  a  warrior  let  him  stand  by  Bali's  side. 

Listen  to  thy  Tara's  counsel  if  to  thee  is  Tara  dear, 

If  thy  wife  is  true  in  duty  scorn  not  Tara's  wifely  tear, 

Not  with  Rama  prince  of  virtue  wage  a  combat  dread  and  high, 

Not  with  Rama  prince  of  valour,  peerless  like  the  Lord  of  sky!" 

///    The  Fall  of  Bali 

Star-eyed  Tara  softly  counselled  pressing  to  her  consort's  side, 

Mighty  Bah  proudly  answered  with  a  warrior's  lofty  pride: 

"Challenge  of  a  humbled  foeman  and  a  younger's  haughty  scorn 

May  not,  shall  not,  tender  Tara,  by  a  king  be  meekly  borne! 

Bali  turns  not  from  encounter  even  with  his  dying  breath, 

Insult  from  a  foe,  unanswered,  is  a  deeper  stain  than  death, 

And  Sugriva's  quest  for  combat  Bali  never  shall  deny, 

Though  sustained  by  Rama's  forces  and  by  Rama's  prowess  high! 

Free  me  from  thy  sweet  embraces  and  amidst  thy  maids  retire, 

Woman's  love  and  soft  devotion  woman's  timid  thoughts  inspire, 

Fear  not,  Tara,  blood  of  brother  Bali's  honour  shall  not  stain, 

I  will  quell  his  proud  presumption,  chase  him  from  this  realm  again,' 

Free  me  from  thy  loving  dalliance,  midst  thy  damsels  seek  thy  place, 

Till  I  come  a  happy  victor  to  my  Tara's  fond  embrace!" 


2l6  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

Slow  and  sad  with  sweet  obeisance  Tara  stepped  around  her  lord, 
Welling  tear-drops  choked  her  accents  as  she  prayed  in  stifled  word, 
Slow  and  sad  with  swelling  bosom  Tara  with  her  maids  retired, 
Bali  issued  proud  and  stately  with  the  thought  of  vengeance  fired  1 
Hissing  like  an  angry  cobra,  city's  lofty  gates  he  past, 
And  his  proud  and  angry  glances  fiercely  all  around  he  cast, 
Till  he  saw  bold  Sugriva,  gold-complexioned,  red  with  ire, 
Girded  for  the  dubious  combat,  flaming  like  the  forest  fire! 
Bali  braced  his  warlike  garments  and  his  hand  he  lifted  high, 
Bold  Surgiva  raised  his  right  arm  with  a  proud  and  answering  cry, 
Bali's  eyes  were  red  as  copper  and  his  chain  was  burnished  gold, 
To  his  brother  bold  Sugriva  thus  he  spake  in  accents  bold : 
"Mark  this  iron  fist,  intruder,  fatal  is  its  vengeful  blow, 
Crushed  and  smitten  thou  shalt  perish  and  to  nether  world  shalt  go," 
"Nay  that  fate  awaits  thee,  Bah,"  spake  Sugriva  armed  for  strife, 
"When  this  right  arm  smites  thy  forehead,  from  thy  bosom  rends  thy 

life!" 

Closed  the  chiefs  in  fatal  combat,  each  resistless  in  his  pride, 
And  like  running  rills  from  mountains  poured  their  limbs  the  purple 

tide, 

Till  Sugriva  quick  uprooting  Sal  tree  from  the  jungle  wood, 
As  the  dark  cloud  hurls  the  lightning,  hurled  it  where  his  brother  stood, 
Staggering  'neath  the  blow  terrific  Bali  reeled  and  almost  fell, 
As  a  proud  ship  overladen  reels  upon  the  ocean's  swell! 
But  with  fiercer  rage  and  fury  Bali  in  his  anguish  rose, 
And  with  mutual  blows  they  battled, — brothers  and  relentless  foes, 
Like  the  sun  and  moon  in  conflict  or  like  eagles  in  their  fight, 
Still  they  fought  with  cherished  hatred  and  an  unforgotten  spite, 
Till  with  mightier  force  and  fury  Bali  did  his  younger  quell, 
Faint  Sugriva  fiercely  struggling  'neath  his  brother's  prowess  fell! 
Still  the  wrathful  rivals  wrestled  with  their  bleeding  arms  and  knees, 
With  their  nails  like  claws  of  tigers  and  with  riven  rocks  and  trees, 
And  as  INDRA  battles  Vritra  in  the  tempest's  pealing  roar, 
Blood-stained  Bali,  red  Sugriva,  strove  and  struggled,  fought  and  tore, 
Till  Sugriva  faint  and  falt'ring  fell  like  Vritra  from  the  sky, 
To  his  comrade  and  his  helper  turned  his  faint  and  pleading  eye! 
Ah!  those  soft  and  pleading  glances  smote  the  gentle  Rama's  heart, 
On  his  bow  of  ample  stature  Rama  raised  the  fatal  dart, 


THE    EPIC  OF   RAMA  2IJ 

Like  the  fatal  disc  of  YAMA  was  his  proudly  circled  bow, 
Like  a  snake  of  deadly  poison  flew  his  arrow  swift  and  low, 
Winged  dwellers  of  the  forest  heard  the  twang  with  trembling  fear, 
Echoing  woods  gave  back  the  accent,  lightly  fled  the  startled  deer, 
And  as  INDRA'S  flag  is  lowered  when  the  Aswin  winds  prevail, 
Lofty  Bali  pierced  and  bleeding  by  that  fatal  arrow  fell! 

IV    The  Consecration  of  Sugriva 

Tears  of  love  the  tender  Tara  on  her  slaughtered  hero  shed, 

E'en  Sugriva's  bosom  melted  when  he  saw  his  brother  dead, 

And  each  Vanar  chief  and  warrior,  maha-matra*  lord  and  peer, 

Gathered  round  the  sad  Sugriva  wet  with  unavailing  tear! 

And  they  girt  the  victor  Rama  and  they  praised  his  wond'rous  might, 

As  the  heavenly  rishis  gather  circling  BRAHMA'S  throne  of  light, 

Hanuman  of  sun-like  radiance,  lofty  as  a  hill  of  gold, 

Clasped  his  hands  in  due  obeisance,  spake  in  accents  calm  and  bold: 

"By  thy  prowess,  peerless  Rama,  prince  Sugriva  is  our  lord, 

To  his  father's  throne  and  empire,  to  his  father's  town  restored, 

Cleansed  by  bath  and  fragrant  unguents  and  in  royal  garments  gay, 

He  shall  with  his  gold  and  garlands  homage  to  the  victor  pay, 

To  the  rock-bound  fair  Kishkindha  do  thy  friendly  footsteps  bend, 

And  as  monarch  of  the  Vanars  consecrate  thy  grateful  friend!" 

"Fourteen  years,"  so  Rama  answered,  "by  his  father's  stern  command, 

In  a  city's  sacred  confines  banished  Rama  may  not  stand, 

Friend  and  comrade,  brave  Sugriva,  enter  thou  the  city  wall, 

And  assume  the  royal  sceptre  in  thy  father's  royal  hall. 

Gallant  Angad,  son  of  Bah,  is  in  regal  duties  trained, 

Ruling  partner  of  thy  empire  be  the  valiant  prince  ordained, 

Eldest  son  of  eldest  brother, — such  the  maxim  that  we  own, — 

Worthy  of  his  father's  kingdom,  doth  ascend  his  father's  throne. 

Listen!  'tis  the  month  of  Sravan?  now  begins  the  yearly  ram, 

In  these  months  of  wind  and  deluge  thoughts  of  vengeful  strife  were  vain, 

Enter  then  thy  royal  city,  fair  Kishkindha  be  thy  home, 

With  my  ever  faithful  Lakshman  let  me  in  these  mountains  roam. 

Spacious  is  yon  rocky  cavern  fragrant  with  the  mountain  air, 

Bright  with  lily  and  with  lotus,  watered  by  a  streamlet  fair, 

1  A  royal  officer.  *  Sravana,  July-August. 


2l8  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

Here  we  dwell  till  month  of  Kartif^ 1  when  the  clouded  sky  will  clear, 
And  the  time  of  war  and  vengeance  on  our  foeman  shall  be  near." 
Bowing  to  the  victor's  mandate  brave  Sugriva  marched  in  state, 
And  the  host  of  thronging  Vanars  entered  by  the  city  gate, 
Prostrate  chiefs  with  due  obeisance  rendered  homage,  one  and  all, 
And  Sugriva  blessed  his  people,  stepped  within  the  palace  hall. 
And  they  sprinkled  sacred  water  from  the  vases  jewel-graced, 
And  they  waved  the  fan  of  choivri?  raised  the  sun-shade  silver-laced, 
And  they  spread  the  gold  and  jewel,  gram  and  herb  and  fragrant  ghee? 
Sapling  twigs  and  bending  branches,  blossoms  from  the  flowering  tree, 
Milk-white  garments  gem-bespangled,  and  the  Chandans  fragrant  dye, 
Wreaths  and  spices,  snow-white  lilies,  lotus  azure  as  the  sky, 
Jatarupa  and  Prtyangu*  honey,  curd  and  holy  oil, 
Costly  sandals  gilt  and  jewelled,  tiger-skin  the  hunter's  spoil! 
Decked  in  gold  and  scented  garlands,  robed  in  radiance  rich  and  rare, 
Sweetly  stepped  around  Sugriva  sixteen  maidens  passing  fair, 
Priests  received  the  royal  bounty,  gift  and  garment  gold-belaced, 
And  they  lit  the  holy  altar  with  the  sacred  mantra  graced, 
And  they  poured  the  sweet  libation  on  the  altar's  lighted  flame, 
And  on  throne  of  royal  splendour  placed  the  chief  of  royal  fame! 
On  a  high  and  open  terrace  with  auspicious  garlands  graced, 
Facing  eastward,  in  his  glory  was  the  brave  Sugriva  placed, 
Water  from  each  holy  river,  from  each  tirtha  famed  of  old, 
From  the  broad  and  boundless  ocean,  was  arranged  in  jars  of  gold, 
And  from  vase  and  horn  of  wild  bull,  on  their  monarch  and  their  lord, 
Holy  consecrating  water  chiefs  and  loyal  courtiers  poured. 
Gaya  and  the  great  Gavaksha,  Gandha-madan  proud  and  brave, 
Hanuman  held  up  the  vases,  Jambman  his  succour  gave, 
And  they  laved  the  king  Sugriva  as  Immortals  in  the  sky 
Consecrate  the  star-eyed  INDRA  in  his  mansions  bright  and  high, 
And  a  shout  of  joy  and  triumph,  like  the  pealing  voice  of  war, 
Spake  Sugriva's  consecration  to  the  creatures  near  and  far! 
Duteous  still  to  Rama's  mandate,  as  his  first-born  and  his  own, 
King  Sugriva  named  young  Angad  sharer  of  his  royal  throne, 
Gay  and  bannered  town  Kishkindha  hailed  Sugriva's  gracious  word, 
Tender  Tara  wiped  her  tear-drops  bowing  to  a  younger  lord! 

1  Karttf(a,  October-November.  8  Or  ghrita,  clarified  butter. 

8  Fan  made  from  the  tail  of  the  Indian  yak.    *  Fragrant  ointment, 


THE   EPIC   OF   RAMA  219 

V    The  Rams  in  the  Nilgiri  Mountains 

"Mark  the  shadowing  rain  and  tempest,"  Rama  to  his  brother  said, 
As  on  Malya's  cloud-capped  ranges  in  their  hermit-guise  they  strayed, 
"Massive  clouds  like  rolling  mountains  gather  thick  and  gather  high, 
Lurid  lightnings  glint  and  sparkle,  pealing  thunders  shake  the  sky, 
Pregnant  with  the  ocean  moisture  by  the  solar  ray  instilled, 
Now  the  skies  like  fruitful  mothers  are  with  grateful  waters  filled! 
Mark  the  folds  of  cloudy  masses,  ladder-like  of  smooth  ascent, 
One  could  almost  reach  the  Sun-god,  wreath  him  with  a  wreath  of  scent, 
And  when  glow  these  heavy  masses  red  and  white  with  evening's  glow, 
One  could  almost  deem  them  sword-cuts  branded  by  some  heavenly  foe! 
Mark  the  streaks  of  golden  lustre  lighting  up  the  checkered  sky, 
Like  a  lover  chandan-pamtcd  in  each  breeze  it  heaves  a  sigh, 
And  the  earth  is  hot  and  feverish,  moistened  with  the  tears  of  rain, 
Sighting  like  my  anguished  Siu  whrn  she  wept  in  woe  and  pain! 
Fresh  and  sweet  like  draught  of  nectar  is  the  ram-besprinkled  breeze, 
Fragrant  with  the  /±cta/{  l  blossom,  scented  by  the  camphor  trees, 
Fresh  and  bold  each  peak  and  mountain  bathed  in  soft  descending  rain, 
So  they  sprinkle  holy  water  when  they  bless  a  monarch's  reign! 
Fair  and  tall  as  holy  hermits,  stand  yon  shadow-mantled  hills, 
Murmuring  mantras  with  the  zephyr,  robed  in  threads  of  sparkling  rills, 
Fair  and  young  as  gallant  coursers  neighing  forth  their  thunder  cries, 
Lashed  by  golden  whips  of  lightning  are  the  dappled  sunlit  skies! 
Ah,  my  lost  and  loving  Sita!  writhing  in  a  Raksha's  power, 
As  the  lightning  shakes  and  quivers  in  this  dark  tempestuous  shower, 
Shadows  thicken  on  the  prospect,  flower  and  leaf  are  wet  with  rain, 
And  each  passing  object,  Lakshman,  wakes  in  me  a  thought  of  pain! 
Joyously  from  throne  and  empire  with  my  Sita  I  could  part, 
As  the  stream  erodes  its  margin,  Sita's  absence  breaks  my  heart, 
Rain  and  tempest  cloud  the  prospect  as  they  cloud  my  onward  path, 
Dubious  is  my  darksome  future,  mighty  is  my  foeman's  wrath! 
Ravan  monarch  of  the  Rakshas, — so  Jatayu  said  and  died, — 
In  some  unknown  forest  fastness  doth  my  sorrowing  Sita  hide, 
But  Sugriva  true  and  faithful  seeks  the  Raksha's  secret  hold, 
Firm  in  faith  and  fixed  in  purpose  we  will  face  our  foeman  bold!'* 

1 A  strong-scented  plant. 


22O  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

VI    The  Quest  for  Sita 

Past  the  rains,  the  marshalled  Vanars  gathered  round  Sugriva  bold, 
And  unto  a  gallant  chieftain  thus  the  king  his  purpose  told: 
"Brave  in  war  and  wise  in  counsel!  take  ten  thousand  of  my  best, 
Seek  the  hiding-place  of  Ravan  in  the  regions  of  the  East. 
Seek  each  ravine  rock  and  forest  and  each  shadowy  hill  and  cave, 
Far  where  bright  Sarayu's  waters  mix  with  Ganga's  ruddy  wave, 
And  where  Jumna's  dark  blue  waters  ceaseless  roll  in  regal  pride, 
And  the  Sone  through  leagues  of  country  spreads  its  torrents  far  and 

wide. 

Seek  where  in  Videha's  empire  castled  towns  and  hamlets  shine, 
In  Kosala  and  in  Malwa  and  by  Kasi's  sacred  shrine, 
Magadh  rich  in  peopled  centres,  Pundra  region  of  the  brave, 
Anga  rich  in  corn  and  cattle  on  the  eastern  ocean  wave. 
Seek  where  clans  of  skilful  weavers  dwell  upon  the  eastern  shore, 
And  from  virgin  mines  of  silver  miners  work  the  sparkling  ore. 
In  the  realms  of  uncouth  nations,  in  the  islets  of  the  sea, 
In  the  mountains  of  the  ocean,  wander  far  and  wander  free!" 
Next  to  Nila  son  of  AGNI,  Jambaman  VIDAHATA'S  son, 
Hanuman  the  son  of  MARUT,  famed  for  deeds  of  valour  done, 
Unto  Gaya  and  Gavaksha,  Gandha-madan  true  and  tried, 
Unto  Angad  prince  and  regent,  thus  the  brave  Sugriva  cried: 
"Noblest,  bravest  of  our  chieftains,  greatest  of  our  race  are  ye, 
Seek  and  search  the  southern  regions,  rock  and  ravine,  wood  and  tree, 
Search  the  thousand  peaks  of  Vmdhya  lifting  high  its  misty  head, 
Through  the  gorges  of  Narmada  rolling  o'er  its  rocky  bed, 
By  the  gloomy  Godovari  and  by  Krishna's  wooded  stream, 
Through  Utkala's  sea-girt  forests  tinged  by  morning's  early  gleam. 
Search  the  towns  of  famed  Dasarna  and  Avanti's  rocky  shore, 
And  the  uplands  of  Vidarbha  and  the  mountains  of  Mysore, 
Land  of  Matsyas  and  Kalingas  and  Kausika's  regions  fair, 
Trackless  wilderness  of  Dandak  seek  with  anxious  toil  and  care. 
Search  the  empire  of  the  Andhras,  of  the  sister-nations  three, — 
Cholas,  Cheras  and  the  Pandyas  dwelling  by  the  southern  sea, 
Pass  Kaveri's  spreading  waters,  Malya's  mountains  towering  brave, 
Seek  the  isle  of  Tamra-parni,  gemmed  upon  the  ocean  wave!" 
To  Susena  chief  and  elder, — Tara's  noble  sire  was  he, — 
Spake  Sugriva  with  obeisance  and  in  accents  bold  and  free: 


THE   EPIC  OF  RAMA  221 

"Take  my  lord,  a  countless  army  of  the  bravest  and  the  best, 
Search  where  beats  the  sleepless  ocean  on  the  regions  of  the  West. 
Search  the  country  of  Saurashtras,  of  Bahhkas  strong  and  brave, 
And  each  busy  mart  and  seaport  on  the  western  ocean  wave, 
Castles  girt  by  barren  mountains,  deserts  by  the  sandy  sea, 
Forests  of  the  fragrant  f(etaJ{,  regions  of  the  tamal  tree! 
Search  the  ocean  port  of  Pattan  shaded  by  its  fruitful  trees, 
Where  the  feathery  groves  of  cocoa  court  the  balmy  western  breeze, 
Where  on  peaks  of  Soma-giri  lordly  lions  wander  free, 
Where  the  waters  of  the  Indus  mingle  with  the  mighty  sea!" 
Lastly  to  the  valiant  chieftain  Satavala  strong  and  brave, 
For  the  quest  of  saintly  Sita  thus  his  mighty  mandate  gave: 
"Hie  thee,  gallant  Satavala,  with  thy  forces  wander  forth, 
To  the  peaks  of  Himalaya,  to  the  regions  of  the  North! 
Mlechchas  and  the  wild  Pulmdas  in  the  rocky  regions  dwell, 
Madra  chiefs  and  mighty  Kurus  live  within  each  fertile  vale, 
Wild  Kambojas  of  the  mountains,  Yavanas  of  wondrous  skill, 
Sakas  swooping  from  their  gorges,  Pattanas  of  iron  will! 
Search  the  woods  of  devadanf  mantling  Himalaya's  side, 
And  the  forests  of  the  lodhra  *  spreading  m  their  darksome  pride, 
Search  the  land  of  Soma-srama  where  the  gay  Gandharvas  dwell 
In  the  tableland  of  Kala  search  each  rock  and  ravine  well! 
Cross  the  snowy  Himalaya,  and  Sudarsan's  holy  peak, 
Deva-sakha's  wooded  ranges  which  the  feathered  songsters  seek, 
Cross  the  vast  and  dreary  region  void  of  stream  or  wooded  hill, 
Till  you  reach  the  white  Kailasa,  home  of  Gods,  serene  and  still! 
Pass  Kuvera's  pleasant  regions,  search  the  Krauncha  mountain  well, 
And  the  land  where  warlike  females  and  the  horse-faced  women  dwell, 
Halt  not  till  you  reach  the  country  where  the  Northern  Kurus  rest, 
Utmost  confines  of  the  wide  earth,  home  of  Gods  and  Spirits  blest!" 


BOOK  VIII    SITA-SANDESA 
(Sita  Discovered) 

AMONG  THE  MANY  CHIEFS  sent  by  Sugriva  in  different  directions  in  search 
of  Sita,  Hanuman  succeeded  in  the  quest  and  discovered  Sita  in  Ceylon. 
Ceylon  is  separated  from  India  by  a  broad  channel  of  the  sea,  and 

1  The  Himalayan  pine.  "*  A  tree. 


222  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

Hanuman  leaped,  or  rather  flew  through  the  air,  across  .the  channel,  and 
lighted  on  the  island.  Sita,  scorning  the  proposals  of  Ravan,  was  kept 
in  confinement  in  a  garden  of  Aso\a  trees,  surrounded  by  a  terrible 
guard  of  Raksha  females;  and  in  this  hard  confinement  she  remained 
true  and  faithful  to  her  lord.  Hanuman  gave  her  a  token  from  Rama, 
and  carried  back  to  Rama  a  token  which  she  sent  of  her  undying  affec- 
tion and  truth. 

The  portions  translated  in  this  Book  form  the  whole  of  the  main  por- 
tions of  Sections  xv.,  xxxi.,  xxxvi.,  and  Ixvi.  of  Book  v.  of  the  original 
text. 

/    Sita  in  the  Asofa  Garden 

Crossed  the  ocean's  boundless  waters,  Hanuman  in  duty  brave, 
Lighted  on  the  emerald  island  girded  by  the  sapphire  wave, 
And  in  tireless  quest  of  Sita  searched  the  margin  of  the  sea, 
In  a  dark  Asofa1  garden  hid  himself  within  a  tree. 
Creepers  threw  their  clasping  tendrils  round  the  trees  of  ample  height, 
Stately  palm  and  feathered  cocoa,  fruit  and  blossom  pleased  the  sight, 
Herds  of  tame  and  gentle  creatures  in  the  grassy  meadow  strayed, 
Kofyls*  sang  in  leafy  thicket,  birds  of  plumage  lit  the  shade, 
Limpid  lakes  of  scented  lotus  with  their  fragrance  filled  the  air, 
Homes  and  huts  of  rustic  beauty  peeped  through  bushes  green  and  fair, 
Blossoms  rich  in  tint  and  fragrance  in  the  checkered  shadow  gleamed, 
Clustering  fruits  of  golden  beauty  in  the  yellow  sunlight  beamed! 
Brightly  shone  the  red  Aso^a  with  the  morning's  golden  ray, 
Karm^ara  and  Kinsufa 3  dazzling  as  the  light  of  day, 
Brightly  grew  the  flower  of  Champa^  in  the  vale  and  on  the  reef, 
Punnaga  and  Saptaparna  with  its  seven-fold  scented  leaf, 
Rich  in  blossoms  many  tinted,  grateful  to  the  ravished  eye, 
Gay  and  green  and  glorious  Lanka  was  like  garden  of  the  sky, 
Rich  in  fruit  and  laden  creeper  and  in  beauteous  bush  and  tree, 
Flower-bespangled  golden  Lanka  was  like  gem-bespangled  sea! 
Rose  a  palace  in  the  woodlands  girt  by  pillars  strong  and  high, 
Snowy-white  like  fair  Kailasa  cleaving  through  the  azure  sky, 
And  its  steps  were  ocean  coral  and  its  pavements  yellow  gold, 
White  and  gay  and  heaven-aspiring  rose  the  structure  high  and  bold! 

1  Name  of  a  flower,  orange  and  scarlet.  8  All  names  of  flowers. 

*  An  Indian  singing  bird. 


THE   EPIC   OF   RAMA  223 

By  the  rich  and  royal  mansion  Hanuman  his  eyes  did  rest, 

On  a  woman  sad  and  sorrowing  in  her  sylvan  garments  drest, 

Like  the  moon  obscured  and  clouded,  dim  with  shadows  deep  and  dark, 

Like  the  smoke-enshrouded  red  fire,  dying  with  a  feeble  spark, 

Like  the  tempest-pelted  lotus  by  the  wind  and  torrent  shaken, 

Like  the  beauteous  star  Rohini  by  a  graha1  overtaken! 

Fasts  and  vigils  paled  her  beauty,  tears  bedimmed  her  tender  grace, 

Anguish  dwelt  within  her  bosom,  sorrow  darkened  on  her  face, 

And  she  lived  by  Rakshas  guarded,  as  a  faint  and  timid  deer, 

Severed  from  her  herd  and  kindred  when  the  prowling  wolves  are  near, 

And  her  raven  locks  ungathered  hung  behind  in  single  braid, 

And  her  gentle  eye  was  lightless,  and  her  brow  was  hid  in  shade! 

"This  is  she!  the  peerless  princess,  Rama's  consort  loved  and  lost, 

This  is  she!  the  saintly  Sita,  by  a  cruel  fortune  crost," 

Hanuman  thus  thought  and  pondered:  "On  her  graceful  form  I  spy, 

Gems  and  gold  by  sorrowing  Rama  oft  depicted  with  a  sigh, 

On  her  ears  the  golden  pendants  and  the  tiger's  sharpened  tooth, 

On  her  arms  the  jewelled  bracelets,  tokens  of  unchanging  truth, 

On  her  pallid  brow  and  bosom  still  the  radiant  jewels  shine, 

Rama  with  a  sweet  affection  did  in  early  days  entwine! 

Hermit's  garments  clothe  her  person,  braided  in  her  raven  hair, 

Matted  bark  trees  of  forest  drape  her  neck  and  bosom  fair, 

And  a  dower  of  dazzling  beauty  still  bedecks  her  peerless  face, 

Though  the  shadowing  tinge  of  sorrow  darkens  all  her  earlier  grace! 

This  is  she!  the  soft-eyed  Sita,  wept  with  unavailing  tear, 

This  is  she!  the  faithful  consort,  unto  Rama  ever  dear, 

Unforgetting  and  unchanging,  truthful  still  in  deed  and  word, 

Sita  in  her  silent  suffering  sorrows  for  her  absent  lord, 

Still  for  Rama  lost  but  cherished,  Sita  heaves  the  choking  sigh, 

Sita  lives  for  righteous  Rama,  for  her  Rama  she  would  die!" 

II    The  Voice  of  Hope 

Hanuman  from  leafy  shelters  lifts  his  voice  in  sacred  song, 
Till  the  tale  of  Rama's  glory  Lanka's  woods  and  vales  prolong : 
"Listen,  Lady,  to  my  story; — Dasa-ratha  famed  in  war, 
Rich  in  steeds  and  royal  tuskers,  armed  men  and  battle  car, 

1  The  spint  of  darkness,  responsible  for  eclipse. 


224  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

Ruled  his  realm  in  truth  and  virtue,  in  his  bounty  ever  free, 

Of  the  mighty  race  of  Raghu  mightiest  king  and  monarch  he, 

Robed  in  every  royal  virtue,  great  in  peace  in  battle  brave, 

Blest  in  bliss  of  grateful  nations,  blest  in  blessings  which  he  gave! 

And  his  eldest-born  and  dearest,  Rama  soul  of  righteous  might, 

Shone,  as  mid  the  stars  resplendent  shines  the  radiant  Lord  of  Night, 

True  unto  his  sacred  duty,  true  unto  his  kith  and  kin, 

Friend  of  piety  and  virtue,  pumsher  of  crime  and  sin, 

Loved  in  all  his  spacious  empire,  peopled  mart  and  hermit's  den, 

With  a  truer  deeper  kindness  Rama  loved  his  subject  men! 

Dasa-ratha,  promise-fettered,  then  his  cruel  mandate  gave, 

Rama  with  his  wife  and  brother  lived  in  woods  and  rocky  cave, 

And  he  slayed  the  deer  of  jungle  and  he  slept  in  leafy  shade, 

Stern  destroyer  of  the  Rakshas  in  the  pathless  forests  strayed, 

Till  the  monarch  of  the  Rakshas, — fraudful  is  his  impious  life, — 

Cheated  Rama  in  the  jungle,  from  his  cottage  stole  his  wife! 

Long  lamenting  lone  and  weary  Rama  wandered  in  the  wood, 

Searched  for  Sita  in  the  jungle  where  his  humble  cottage  stood, 

Godavari's  gloomy  gorges,  Krishna's  dark  and  wooded  shore, 

And  the  ravine,  rock  and  valley,  and  the  cloud-capped  mountain  hoar! 

Then  he  met  the  sad  Sugriva  in  wild  Malya's  dark  retreat, 

Won  for  him  his  father's  empire  and  his  father's  royal  seat, 

Now  Sugriva's  countless  forces  wander  far  and  wander  near, 

In  the  search  of  stolen  Sita  still  unto  his  Rama  dear! 

I  am  henchman  of  Sugriva  and  the  mighty  sea  have  crost, 

In  the  quest  of  hidden  Sita,  Rama's  consort  loved  and  lost, 

And  methinks  that  form  of  beauty,  peerless  shape  of  woman's  grace, 

Is  my  Rama's  dear-loved  consort,  Rama's  dear-remembered  face!" 

Hushed  the  voice :  the  ravished  Sita  cast  her  wond'ring  eyes  around, 

Whence  that  song  of  sudden  gladness,  whence  that  soul-entrancing 

sound  ? 

Dawning  hope  and  rising  rapture  overflowed  her  widowed  heart, 
Is  it  dream's  deceitful  whisper  which  the  cruel  Fates  impart? 

///    Rama's  Tofyn 

"  'Tis  no  dream's  deceitful  whisper!"  Hanuman  spake  to  the  dame, 
As  from  darksome  leafy  shelter  he  to  Rama's  consort  came, 


THE   EPIC   OF   RAMA  225 

"Rama's  messenger  and  vassal,  token  from  thy  lord  I  bring, 

Mark  this  bright  ring,  jewel-lettered  with  the  dear  name  of  thy  king, 

For  the  loved  and  cherished  Sita  is  to  Rama  ever  dear, 

And  he  sends  his  loving  message  and  his  force  is  drawing  near!" 

Sita  held  that  tender  token  from  her  loved  and  cherished  lord, 

And  once  more  herself  she  fancied  to  his  loving  arms  restored, 

And  her  pallid  face  was  lighted  and  her  soft  eye  sent  a  spark, 

As  the  Moon  regains  her  lustre  freed  from  Rahu's1  shadows  dark! 

And  with  voice  of  deep  emotion  in  each  softly  whispered  word, 

Spake  her  thoughts  in  gentle  accents  of  her  consort  and  her  lord: 

"Messenger  of  love  of  Rama!  Dauntless  is  thy  deed  and  bold, 

Thou  hast  crossed  the  boundless  ocean  to  the  Raksha's  castled  hold, 

Thou  hast  crossed  the  angry  billows  which  confess  no  monarch's  sway, 

O'er  the  face  of  rolling  waters  found  thy  unresisted  way, 

Thou  hast  done  what  living  mortal  never  sought  to  do  before, 

Dared  the  Raksha  in  his  island,  Ravan  in  his  sea-girt  shore! 

Speak,  if  Rama  lives  in  safety  in  the  woods  or  by  the  hill, 

And  if  young  and  gallant  Lakshman  faithful  serves  his  brother  still, 

Speak,  if  Rama  in  his  anger  and  his  unforgiving  ire, 

Hurls  destruction  on  my  captor  like  the  world-consuming  fire, 

Speak,  if  Rama  in  his  sorrow  wets  his  pale  and  drooping  eye, 

If  the  thought  of  absent  Sita  wakes  within  his  heart  a  sigh! 

Doth  my  husband  seek  alliance  with  each  wild  and  warlike  chief, 

Striving  for  a  speedy  vengeance  and  for  Sita's  quick  relief, 

Doth  he  stir  the  warlike  races  to  a  fierce  and  vengeful  strife, 

Dealing  death  to  ruthless  Rakshas  for  this  insult  on  his  wife, 

Doth  he  still  in  fond  remembrance  cherish  Sita  loved  of  yore, 

Nursing  in  his  hero-bosom  tender  sorrows  evermore! 

Didst  thou  hear  from  far  Ayodhya,  from  Kausalya  royal  dame, 

From  the  true  and  tender  Bharat  prince  of  proud  and  peerless  fame, 

Didst  thou  hear  if  royal  Bharat  leads  his  forces  to  the  fight, 

Conquering  Ravan's  scattered  army  in  his  all-resistless  might, 

Didst  thou  hear  if  brave  Sugriva  marshals  Vanars  in  his  wrath, 

And  the  young  and  gallant  Lakshman  seeks  to  cross  the  ocean  path?" 

Hanuman  with  due  obeisance  placed  his  hand  upon  his  head, 

Bowed  unto  the  queenly  Sita  and  in  gentle  accents  said: 

"Trust  me,  Lady,  valiant  Rama  soon  will  greet  his  saintly  wife, 

E'en  as  INDRA  greets  his  goddess,  SACHI  dearer  than  his  life, 

1Thc  spirit  of  darkness. 


226  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

Trust  me,  Sita,  conquering  Rama  comes  with  panoply  of  war, 
Shaking  Lanka's  sea-girt  mountains,  slaying  Rakshas  near  and  far! 
He  shall  cross  the  boundless  ocean  with  the  battle's  dread  array, 
He  shall  smite  the  impious  Ravan  and  the  cruel  Rakshas  slay, 
Mighty  Gods  and  strong  Asuras  shall  not  hinder  Rama's  path, 
When  at  Lanka's  gates  he  thunders  with  his  more  than  godlike  wrath, 
Deadly  YAMA,  all-destroying,  pales  before  his  peerless  might, 
When  his  red  right  arm  of  vengeance  wrathful  Rama  lifts  to  smite! 
By  the  lofty  Mandar  mountains,  by  the  fruit  and  root  I  seek, 
By  the  cloud-obstructing  Vindhyas,  and  by  Malya's  towering  peak, 
I  will  swear,  my  gentle  Lady,  Rama's  vengeance  draweth  nigh, 
Thou  shalt  see  his  beaming  visage  like  the  Lord  of  Midnight  Sky, 
Firm  in  purpose  Rama  waiteth  on  the  Prasra-vana  hill, 
As  upon  the  huge  Airavat,  INDRA,  motionless  and  still! 
Flesh  of  deer  nor  forest  honey  tasteth  Rama  true  and  bold, 
Till  he  rescues  cherished  Stta  from  the  Rakshas  castled  hold, 
Thoughts  of  Sha  leave  not  Rama  dreary  day  or  darksome  night, 
Till  his  vengeance  deep  and  dreadful  crushes  Ravan  in  his  might, 
Forest  flower  nor  scented  creeper  pleases  Rama's  anguished  heart, 
Till  he  wins  his  wedded  consort  by  his  death-compelling  dart!" 

IV    Sita's  ToJ^en 

Token  from  her  raven  tresses  Sita  to  the  Vanar  gave, 

Hanuman  with  dauntless  valour  crossed  once  more  the  ocean  wave, 

Where  in  Prasra-vana's  mountain  Rama  with  his  brother  stayed, 

Jewel  from  the  brow  of  Sita  by  her  sorrowing  consort  laid, 

Spake  of  Ravan's  foul  endearment  and  his  loathsome  loving  word, 

Spake  of  Sita's  scorn  and  anger  and  her  truth  unto  her  lord, 

Tears  of  sorrow  and  affection  from  the  warrior's  eyelids  start, 

As  his  consort's  loving  token  Rama  presses  to  his  heart! 

"As  the  mother-cow,  Sugriva,  yields  her  milk  beside  her  young, 

Welling  tears  upon  this  token  yields  my  heart  by  anguish  wrung, 

Well  I  know  this  dear-loved  jewel  sparkling  with  the  ray  of  heaven, 

Born  in  sea,  by  mighty  INDRA  to  my  Sita's  father  given, 

Well  I  know  this  tender  token,  Janak  placed  it  on  her  hair, 

When  she  came  my  bride  and  consort  decked  in  beauty  rich  and  rare, 

Well  I  know  this  sweet  memorial,  Sita  wore  it  on  her  head, 

And  her  proud  and  peerless  beauty  on  the  gem  a  lustre  shed! 


THE   EPIC  OF   RAMA  227 

Ah,  mcthinks  the  gracious  Janak  stands  again  before  my  eye, 
With  a  father's  fond  affection,  with  a  monarch's  stature  high, 
Ah,  methinks  my  bride  and  consort,  she  who  wore  it  on  her  brow, 
Stands  again  before  the  altar,  speaks  again  her  loving  vow, 
Ah,  the  sad,  the  sweet  remembrance!  ah,  the  happy  days  gone  by, 
Once  again,  O  loving  vision,  wilt  thou  gladden  Rama's  eye! 
Speak  again,  my  faithful  vassal,  how  my  Sita  wept  and  prayed, 
Like  the  water  to  the  thirsty,  dear  to  me  what  Sita  said, 
Did  she  send  this  sweet  remembrance  as  a  blessing  from  above, 
As  a  true  and  tender  token  of  a  woman's  changeless  love, 
Did  she  waft  her  heart's  affection  o'er  the  billows  of  the  sea, 
Wherefore  came  she  not  in  person  from  her  foes  and  fetters  free  ? 
Hanuman,  my  friend  and  comrade,  lead  me  to  the  distant  isle, 
Where  my  soft-eyed  Sita  lingers  midst  the  Rakshas  dark  and  vile, 
Where  my  true  and  tender  consort  like  a  lone  and  stricken  deer, 
Girt  by  Rakshas  stern  and  ruthless  sheds  the  unavailing  tear, 
Where  she  weeps  in  ceaseless  anguish,  sorrow-stricken,  sad  and  pale, 
Like  the  Moon  by  dark  clouds  shrouded  then  her  light  and  lustre  fail! 
Speak  again,  my  faithful  henchman,  loving  message  of  my  wife. 
Like  some  potent  drug  her  accents  renovate  my  fainting  life, 
Arm  thy  forces,  friend  Sugriva,  Rama  shall  not  brook  delay, 
While  in  distant  Lanka's  confines  Sita  weeps  the  livelong  day, 
Marshal  forth  thy  bannered  forces,  cross  the  ocean  in  thy  might, 
Rama  speeds  on  wings  of  vengeance  Lanka's  impious  lord  to  smite!" 


BOOK  IX    RAVANA-SABHA 

(The  Council  of  War) 

RAVAN  WAS  THOROUGHLY  FRIGHTENED  by  the  deeds  of  Hanuman.  For 
Hanuman  had  not  only  penetrated  into  his  island  and  discovered  Sita  in 
her  imprisonment,  but  had  also  managed  to  burn  down  a  great  portion 
of  the  city  before  he  left  the  island.  Ravan  called  a  Council  of  War,  and 
as  might  be  expected,  all  the  advisers  heedlessly  advised  war. 

All  but  Bibhishan.  He  was  the  youngest  brother  of  Ravan,  and  con- 
demned the  folly  and  the  crime  by  which  Ravan  was  seeking  a  war  with 
the  righteous  and  unoffending  Rama.  He  advised  that  Sita  should  be 
restored  to  her  lord  and  peace  made  with  Rama.  His  voice  was  drowned 
in  the  cries  of  more  violent  advisers. 


228  INDIAN   IMAGINATION 

It  is  noticeable  that  Ravan's  second  brother,  Kumbha-karna,  also  had 
the  courage  to  censure  his  elder's  action.  But  unlike  Bibhishan  he  was 
determined  to  fight  for  his  king  whether  he  was  right  or  wrong.  There 
is  a  touch  of  sublimity  in  this  blind  and  devoted  loyalty  of  Kumbha- 
karna  to  the  cause  of  his  king  and  his  country. 

Bibhishan  was  driven  from  the  court  with  indignity,  and  joined  the 
forces  of  Rama,  to  whom  he  gave  much  valuable  information  about 
Lanka  and  its  warriors. 

The  passages  translated  in  this  Book  form  Sections  vi.,  viii.,  ix.,  por- 
tions of  Sections  xii.  and  xv.,  and  the  whole  of  Section  xvi.  of  Book  vi,  of 
the  original  text. 

I   Ravan  Sce^s  Advice 

Monarch  of  the  mighty  Rakshas,  Ravan  spake  to  warriors  all, 
Spake  to  gallant  chiefs  and  princes  gathered  in  his  Council  Hall: 
"Listen,  Princes,  Chiefs,  and  Wairiors!  Hanuman  our  land  hath  seen, 
Stealing  through  the  woods  of  Lanka  unto  Rama's  prisoned  queen. 
And  audacious  in  his  purpose  and  resistless  in  his  ire, 
Burnt  our  turret  tower  and  temple,  wasted  Lanka's  town  with  fire! 
Speak  your  counsel,  gallant  leaders,  Ravan  is  intent  to  hear, 
Triumph  waits  on  fearless  wisdom,  speak  your  thoughts  without  a  fear, 
Wisest  monarchs  act  on  counsel  from  his  men  for  wisdom  known, 
Next  are  they  who  in  their  wisdom  and  their  daring  act  alone, 
Last,  unwisest  are  the  monarchs  who  nor  death  nor  danger  weigh, 
Think  not,  ask  not  friendly  counsel,  by  their  passions  borne  a  way  I 
Wisest  counsel  comes  from  courtiers  who  in  holy  lore  unite, 
Next,  when  varying  plans  and  reasons  blending  lead  unto  the  right, 
Last  and  worst,  when  stormy  passions  mark  the  hapless  king's  debate, 
And  his  friends  are  disunited  when  his  foe  is  at  the  gatel 
Therefore  freely  speak  your  counsel  and  your  monarch's  task  shall  be 
But  to  shape  in  deed  and  action  what  your  wisest  thoughts  decree, 
Speak  with  minds  and  hearts  united,  shape  your  willing  monarch's  deed, 
Counsel  peace,  or  Ravan's  forces  to  a  war  of  vengeance  lead, 
Ere  Sugriva's  countless  forces  cross  the  vast  and  boundless  main, 
Ere  the  wrathful  Rama  girdles  Lanka  with  a  living  chain!" 


THE   EPIC   OF   RAMA  229 

//    Prahastas  Speech 

Dark  and  high  as  summer  tempest  mighty-armed  Prahasta  rose, 
Spake  in  fierce  and  fiery  accents  hurling  challenge  on  his  foes: 
"Wherefore,  Ravan,  quails  thy  bosom,  gods  against  thee  strive  in  vain, 
Wherefore  fear  the  feeble  mortals,  homeless  hermits,  helpless  men? 
Hanuman  approached  in  secret,  stealing  like  a  craven  spy, 
Not  from  one  in  open  combat  would  alive  the  Vanar  fly, 
Let  him  come  with  all  his  forces,  to  the  confines  of  the  sea 
I  will  chase  the  scattered  army  and  thy  town  from  foeman  free! 
Not  in  fear  and  hesitation  Ravan  should  repent  his  deed, 
While  his  gallant  Raksha  forces  stand  beside  him  in  his  need, 
Not  in  tears  and  vain  repentance  Sita  to  his  consort  yield, 
While  his  chieftains  guard  his  empire  in  the  battle's  gory  field!" 

///    Durmukjia's  Speech 

Durmukha  of  cruel  visage  and  of  fierce  and  angry  word, 

Rose  within  the  Council  Chamber,  spake  to  Lanka's  mighty  lord: 

"Never  shall  the  wily  foeman  boast  of  insult  on  us  flung, 

Hanuman  shall  die  a  victim  for  the  outrage  and  the  wrong! 

Stealing  in  unguarded  Lanka  through  thy  city's  virgin  gate, 

He  hath  courted  deep  disaster  and  a  dark  untimely  fate, 

Stealing  in  the  inner  mansions  where  our  dames  and  damsels  dwell, 

Hanuman  shall  die  a  victim, — tale  of  shame  he  shall  not  tell! 

Need  is  none  of  Ravan's  army,  bid  me  seek  the  foe  alone, 

If  he  hides  in  sky  or  ocean  or  in  nether  regions  thrown, 

Need  is  none  of  gathered  forces,  Ravan's  mandate  I  obey, 

I  will  smite  the  bold  intruder  and  his  Vanar  forces  slay!" 

IV    Vajra-danshtra's  Speech 

Iron-toothed  Vajra-danshtra  then  arose  in  wrath  and  pride, 
And  his  blood-stained  mace  of  battle  held  in  fury  by  his  side, 
"Wherefore,  Ravan,  waste  thy  forces  on  the  foemen  poor  and  vile, 
Hermit  Rama  and  his  brother,  Hanuman  of  impious  wile, 
Bid  me, — with  this  mace  of  battle  proud  Sugriva  I  will  slay, 
Chase  the  helpless  hermit  brothers  to  the  forests  far  away! 


230  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

Or  to  deeper  counsel  listen!  Varied  shapes  the  Rakshas  wear, 

Let  them  wearing  human  visage,  dressed  as  Bharat's  troops  appear, 

Succour  from  his  ruling  brother  Rama  will  in  gladness  greet, 

Then  with  mace  and  blood-stained  sabre  we  shall  lay  them  at  our  feet, 

Rock  and  javelin  and  arrow  we  shall  on  our  foemen  hail, 

Till  no  poor  surviving  Vanar  lives  to  tell  the  tragic  tale!" 

V    Speech  of  Nikumbha  and  Vajra-Hanu 

Then  arose  the  brave  Nikumbha, — Kumbha-karna's  son  was  he, — 
Spake  his  young  heart's  mighty  passion  in  his  accents  bold  and  free : 
"Need  is  none,  O  mighty  monarch,  for  a  battle  or  a  war, 
Bid  me  meet  the  homeless  Rama  and  his  brother  wand'ring  far, 
Bid  me  face  the  proud  Sugriva,  Hanuman  of  deepest  vile, 
I  will  rid  thee  of  thy  foemen  and  of  Vanars  poor  and  vile!'* 
Rose  the  chief  with  jaw  of  iron,  Vajra-hanu  fierce  and  young, 
Licked  his  lips  like  hungry  tiger  with  his  red  and  lolling  tongue: 
"Wherefore,  monarch,  dream  of  battle?  Rakshas  feed  on  human  gore, 
Let  me  feast  upon  thy  foemen  by  the  ocean's  lonely  shore, 
Rama  and  his  hermit  brother,  Hanuman  who  hides  in  wood, 
Angad  and  the  proud  Sugriva  soon  shall  be  my  welcome  food!" 

VI    Bibhishan's  Warning 

Twenty  warriors  armed  and  girded  in  the  Council  Hall  arose, 
Thirsting  for  a  war  of  vengeance,  hurling  challenge  on  the  foes, 
But  Bibhishan  deep  in  wisdom, — Ravan's  youngest  brother  he, — 
Spake  the  word  of  solemn  warning,  for  his  eye  could  farthest  see: 
"Pardon,  king  and  honoured  elder,  if  Bibhishan  lifts  his  voice 
'Gainst  the  wishes  of  the  warriors  and  the  monarch's  fatal  choice, 
Firm  in  faith  and  strong  in  forces  Rama  comes  with  conqu'nng  might, 
Vain  against  a  righteous  warrior  would  unrighteous  Ravan  fight! 
Think  him  not  a  common  Vanar  who  transpassed  the  ocean  wave, 
Wrecked  thy  city  tower  and  temple  and  a  sign  and  warning  gave, 
Think  him  not  a  common  hermit  who  Ayodhya  ruled  of  yore, 
Crossing  India's  streams  and  mountains,  thunders  now  on  Lanka's  shore! 
What  dark  deed  of  crime  or  folly  hath  the  righteous  Rama  done, 
That  you  stole  his  faithful  consort  unprotected  and  alone, 


THE    EPIC   OF   RAMA  23! 

What  offence  or  nameless  insult  hath  the  saintly  Sita  given, 

She  who  chained  in  Lanka's  prison  pleads  in  piteous  tear  to  Heaven? 

Take  my  counsel,  king  and  elder,  Sita  to  her  lord  restore, 

Wipe  this  deed  of  wrong  and  outrage,  Rama's  righteous  grace  implore, 

Take  my  counsel,  Raksha  monarch,  vain  against  him  is  thy  might, 

Doubly  armed  is  the  hero, — he  who  battles  for  the  right! 

Render  Sita  to  her  Rama  ere  with  vengeance  swift  and  dire, 

He  despoils  our  peopled  Lanka  with  his  bow  and  brand  and  fire, 

Render  wife  unto  her  husband  ere  in  battle's  dread  array, 

Rama  swoops  upon  thy  empire  like  a  falcon  on  its  prey, 

Render  to  the  lord  his  consort  ere  with  blood  of  Rakshas  slain, 

Rama  soaks  the  land  of  Lanka  to  the  margin  of  the  main! 

Listen  to  my  friendly  counsel, — though  it  be  I  stand  alone, — 

Faithful  friend  by  fiery  foeman  is  this  Dasa-ratha's  son, 

Listen  to  my  voice  of  warning, — Rama's  shafts  are  true  and  keen, 

Flaming  like  the  with'rmg  sunbeams  on  the  summer's  parched  green, 

Listen  to  my  soft  entreaty, — righteousness  becomes  the  brave, 

Cherish  peace  and  cherish  virtue  and  thy  sons  and  daughters  save!" 

VII    Kumbha-Varna's  Determination 

Ravan's  brother  Kumbha-karna,  from  his  wonted  slumber  woke: 

Mightiest  he  of  all  the  Rakshas,  thus  in  solemn  accents  spoke: 

"Truly  speaks  the  wise  Bibhishan;  ere  he  stole  a  hermit's  wife, 

Ravan  should  have  thought  and  pondered,  courted  not  a  causeless  strife, 

Ere  he  did  this  deed  of  folly,  Ravan  should  have  counsel  sought, 

Tardy  is  the  vain  repentance  when  the  work  of  shame  is  wrought! 

Word  of  wisdom  timely  spoken  saves  from  death  and  dangers  dire, 

Vain  is  grief  for  crime  committed, — offerings  to  unholy  fire, 

Vain  is  hero's  worth  or  valour  if  by  foolish  counsel  led, 

Toil  and  labour  fail  and  perish  save  when  unto  wisdom  wed, 

And  the  foeman  speeds  in  triumph  o'er  a  heedless  monarch's  might, 

As  through  gaps  of  Krauncha  mountains  hansas a  speed  their  southern 

flight! 

Ravan,  thou  hast  sought  unwisely  Sita  in  her  calm  retreat, 
As  the  wild  and  heedless  hunter  feeds  upon  the  poisoned  meat, 
Nathless,  faithful  Kumbha-karna  will  his  loyal  duty  know, 
He  shall  fight  his  monarch's  battle,  he  shall  face  his  brother's  foe! 

1  Geese. 


232  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

True  to  brother  and  to  monarch,  be  he  right  or  be  he  wrong, 

Kumbha-karna  fights  for  Lanka  'gainst  her  foemen  fierce  and  strong, 

Recks  not  if  the  mighty  INDRA  and  VIVASVAT  cross  his  path, 

Or  the  wild  and  stormy  MARUTS,  AGNI  in  his  fiery  wrath! 

For  the  Lord  of  Sky  shall  tremble  when  he  sees  my  stature  high, 

And  he  hears  his  thunders  echoed  by  my  loud  and  answering  cry, 

Rama  armed  with  ample  quiver  shall  no  second  arrow  send, 

Ere  I  slay  him  in  the  battle  and  his  limb  from  limb  I  rend! 

Wiser  heads  than  Kumbha-karna  right  and  true  from  wrong  may  know, 

Faithful  to  his  race  and  monarch  he  shall  face  the  haughty  foe, 

Joy  thee  in  thy  pleasure,  Ravan,  rule  thy  realm  in  regal  pride, 

When  I  slay  the  hermit  Rama,  widowed  Sita  be  thy  bride!" 

VIII    In  dr a  jit's  Assurance 

Indrajit  the  son  of  Ravan  then  his  lofty  purpose  told, 
'Midst  the  best  and  boldest  Rakshas  none  so  gallant,  none  so  bold: 
"Wherefore,  noble  king  and  father,  pale  Bibhishan's  counsel  hear, 
Scion  of  the  race  of  Rakshas  speaks  not  thus  in  dastard  fear, 
In  this  race  of  valiant  Rakshas,  known  for  deeds  of  glory  done, 
Feeble-hearted,  faint  in  courage,  save  Bibhishan,  there  is  none! 
Matched  with  meanest  of  the  Rakshas  what  are  sons  of  mortal  men, 
What  are  homeless  human  brothers  hiding  in  the  hermit's  den, 
Shall  we  yield  to  weary  wand'rers,  driven  from  their  distant  home, 
Chased  from  throne  and  father's  kingdom  in  the  desert  woods  to  roam ? 
Lord  of  sky  and  nether  region,  INDRA  'neath  my  weapon  fell, 
Pale  Immortals  know  my  valour  and  my  warlike  deeds  can  tell, 
'INDRA'S  tusker,  huge  Airavat,  by  my  prowess  overthrown, 
Trumpeted  its  anguished  accents,  shaking  sky  and  earth  with  groan, 
Mighty  God  and  dauntless  Daityas  fame  of  Indrajit  may  know, 
And  he  yields  not,  king  and  father,  to  a  homeless  human  foe!" 

IX    Ravan  s  Decision 

Anger  swelled  in  Ravan's  bosom  as  he  cast  his  blood-red  eye 
On  Bibhishan  calm  and  fearless,  and  he  spake  in  accents  high : 
"Rather  dwell  with  open  foemen  or  in  homes  where  cobras  haunt, 
Than  with  faithless  friends  who  falter  and  whom  fears  of  danger  daunt! 


THE    EPIC   OF   RAMA  233 

O,  the  love  of  near  relations! — false  and  faithless,  full  of  guile, — 

How  they  sorrow  at  my  glory,  at  my  danger  how  they  smile, 

How  they  grieve  with  secret  anguish  when  my  loftier  virtues  shine, 

How  they  harbour  jealous  envy  when  deserts  and  fame  are  mine, 

How  they  scan  with  curious  vision  every  fault  that  clouds  my  path, 

How  they  wait  with  eager  longing  till  I  fall  in  Fortune's  wrath! 

Ask  the  elephants  of  jungle  how  their  captors  catch  and  bind, — 

Not  by  fire  and  feeble  weapons,  but  by  treason  of  their  kind, 

Not  by  javelin  or  arrow, — little  for  these  arms  they  care, — 

But  their  false  and  fondling  females  lead  them  to  the  hunter's  snare! 

Long  as  nourishment  and  vigour  shall  impart  the  milk  of  cow, 

Long  as  woman  shall  be  changeful,  hermits  holy  in  their  vow, 

Aye,  so  long  shall  near  relations  hate  us  in  their  inner  mind, 

Mark  us  with  a  secret  envy  though  their  words  be  ne'er  so  kind! 

Rain-drops  fall  upon  the  lotus  but  unmingling  hang  apart, 

False  relations  round  us  gather  but  they  blend  not  heart  with  heart, 

Winter  clouds  are  big  with  thunder  but  they  shed  no  freshening  rain, 

False  relations  smile  and  greet  us  but  their  soothing  words  are  vain, 

Bees  are  tempted  by  the  honey  but  from  flower  to  flower  they  range, 

False  relations  share  our  favour  but  in  secret  seek  a  change! 

Lying  is  thy  speech,  Bibhishan,  secret  envy  lurks  within, 

Thou  wouldst  rule  thy  elder's  empire,  thou  wouldst  wed  thy  elder's 

queen, 

Take  thy  treason  to  the  foemen, — brother's  blood  I  may  not  shed, — 
Other  Raksha  craven-hearted  by  my  royal  hands  had  bled!" 

X    Bibhishan  s  Departure 

"This  to  me!"  Bibhishan  answered,  as  with  fiery  comrades  four, 
Rose  in  arms  the  wrathful  Raksha  and  in  fury  rushed  before, 
"But  I  spare  thee,  royal  Ravan,  angry  words  thy  lips  have  passed, 
False  and  lying  and  unfounded  is  the  censure  thou  hast  cast! 
True  Bibhishan  sought  thy  safety,  strove  to  save  his  elder's  reign,— 
Speed  thee  now  to  thy  destruction  since  all  counsel  is  in  vain, 
Many  are  thy  smiling  courtiers  who  with  honeyed  speech  beguile,— 
Few  are  they  with  true  and  candour  speak  their  purpose  void  of  guile! 
Blind  to  reason  and  to  wisdom,  Ravan,  see^  thy  destined  fate, 
For  thy  impious  lust  of  woman,  for  thy  dar{  unrighteous  hate, 


234  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

Blind  to  danger  and  destruction,  decf  to  word  of  counsel  given, 
By  the  flaming  shafts  of  Rama  thou  shalt  die  by  will  of  Heaven! 
Yet,  O!  yet,  my  fang  and  elder,  let  me  plead  with  latest  breath, 
'Gainst  the  death  of  race  and  kinsmen,  'gainst  my  lord  and  brother  s 

death. 

Ponder  yet,  O  Ra^sha  monarch,  save  thy  race  and  save  thy  own, 
Ravan,  part  we  now  for  ever, — guard  thy  ancient  sea-girt  thronel" 


BOOK  X    YUDDHA 

(The  War  in  Ceylon) 

RAMA  CROSSED  over  with  his  army  from  India  to  Ceylon.  There  is  a  chain 
of  islands  across  the  strait,  and  the  Indian  poet  supposes  them  to  be  the 
remains  of  a  vast  causeway  which  Rama  built  to  cross  over  with  his  army. 

The  town  of  Lanka,  the  capital  of  Ceylon,  was  invested,  and  the  war 
which  followed  was  a  succession  of  sallies  by  the  great  leaders  and  princes 
of  Lanka.  But  almost  every  sally  was  repulsed,  every  chief  was  killed,  and 
at  last  Ravan  himself  who  made  the  lasi  sally  was  slain  and  the  war  ended. 

Among  the  numberless  fights  described  in  the  original  work,  those  of 
Ravan  himself,  his  brother  Kumbha-karna,  and  his  son  Indrajit,  are  the 
most  important,  and  oftenest  recited  and  listened  to  in  India;  and  these 
have  been  rendered  into  English  in  this  Book.  And  the  reader  will  mark 
a  certain  method  in  the  poet's  estimate  of  the  warriors  who  took  part  in 
these  battles. 

First  and  greatest  among  the  warriors  was  Rama;  he  was  never  beaten 
by  an  open  foe,  never  conquered  in  fair  fight.  Next  to  him,  and  to  him 
only,  was  Ravan  the  monarch  of  Lanka;  he  twice  defeated  Lakshman 
in  battle,  and  never  retreated  except  before  Rama.  Next  to  Rama  and  to 
Ravan  stood  their  brothers,  Lakshman  and  Kumbha-karna;  it  is  difficult 
to  say  who  was  the  best  of  these  two,  for  they  fought  only  once,  and  it 
was  a  drawn  battle.  Fifth  in  order  of  prowess  was  Indrajit  the  son  of 
Ravana,  but  he  was  the  first  in  his  magic  art.  Concealed  in  mists  by  his 
magic,  he  twice  defeated  both  Rama  and  Lakshman;  but  in  his  last  battle 
he  had  to  face  combat  with  Lakshman,  and  was  slain.  After  these  five 
warriors,  pre-eminent  for  their  prowess,  various  Vanars  and  Rakshas 
took  their  rank. 

The  war  ended  with  the  fall  of  Ravan  and  his  funerals.  The  portions 
translated  in  this  Book  form  the  whole  or  portions  of  Sections  xliv.,  xlviii., 


THE    EPIC    OF    RAMA  235 

lix.,  Ixvi.,  Ixvii.,  and  Ixxiii.,  an  abstract  of  Sections  Ixxv.  to  xci.,  and  por- 
tions of  Sections  xciii.,  xcvi.,  ci.,  cii.,  ciii.,  cix.,  ex.,  and  cxiii.  of  Book  vi. 
of  the  original  text. 

/    Indrajit's  First  Battle—The  Serpent-Noose 

Darkly  round  the  leaguered  city  Rama's  countless  forces  lay, 
Far  as  Ravan  cast  his  glances  in  the  dawning  light  of  day, 
Wrath  and  anguish  shook  his  bosom  and  the  gates  he  opened  wide, 
And  with  ranks  of  charging  Rakshas  sallied  with  a  Raksha's  pride! 
All  the  day  the  battle  lasted,  endless  were  the  tale  to  tell, 
What  unnumbered  Vanars  perished  and  what  countless  Rakshas  fell, 
Darkness  came,  the  fiery  foemen  urged  the  still  unceasing  fight, 
Struggling  with  a  deathless  hatred  fiercer  in  the  gloom  of  night! 
Onward  came  resistless  Rakshas,  laid  Sugriva's  forces  low, 
Crushed  the  broken  ranks  of  Vanars,  drank  the  red  blood  of  the  foe, 
Bravely  fought  the  scattered  Vanars  facing  still  the  tide  of  war, 
Struggling  with  the  charging  tusker  and  the  steed  and  battle  car, 
Till  at  last  the  gallant  Lakshman  and  the  godlike  Rama  came, 
And  they  swept  the  hosts  of  Ravan  like  a  sweeping  forest  flame, 
And  their  shafts  like  hissing  serpents  on  the  falt'ring  foemen  fell, 
Fiercer  grew  the  sable  midnight  with  the  dying  shriek  and  yell! 
Dust  arose  like  clouds  of  summer  from  each  thunder-sounding  car, 
From  the  hoofs  of  charging  coursers,  from  the  elephants  of  war, 
Streams  of  red  blood  warm  and  bubbling  issued  from  the  countless  slain, 
Flooded  battle's  dark  arena  like  the  floods  of  summer  rain, 
Sound  of  trumpet  and  of  bugle,  drum  and  horn  and  echoing  shell, 
And  the  neigh  of  charging  coursers  and  the  tuskers'  dying  wail, 
And  the  yell  of  wounded  Rakshas  and  the  Vanars1  fierce  delight, 
Shook  the  earth  and  sounding  welkin,  waked  the  echoes  of  the  night! 
Six  bright  arrows  Rama  thundered  from  his  weapon  dark  and  dread, 
Iron-toothed  Vajra-dranshtra  and  his  fainting  comrades  fled, 
Dauntless  still  the  serried  Rakshas,  wave  on  wave  succeeding  came, 
Perished  under  Rama's  arrows  as  the  moths  upon  the  flame! 
Indrajit  the  son  of  Ravan,  Lanka's  glory  and  her  pride, 
Matchless  in  his  magic  weapons  came  and  turned  the  battle's  tide, 
What  though  Angad  in  his  fury  had  his  steeds  and  driver  slayed, 
Indrajit  hid  in  the  midnight  battled  from  its  friendly  shade, 


236  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

Shrouded  in  a  cloud  of  darkness  still  he  poured  his  darts  like  rain, 
On  young  Lakshman  and  on  Rama  and  on  countless  Vanars  slain, 
Matchless  in  his  magic  weapons,  then  he  hurled  his  Naga  x-dart, 
Serpent  noose  upon  his  foemen  draining  lifeblood  from  their  heart! 
Vainly  then  the  royal  brothers  fought  the  cloud-enshrouded  foe, 
Vainly  sought  the  unseen  warrior  dealing  unresisted  blow, 
Fastened  by  a  noose  of  Naga *  forced  by  hidden  foe  to  yield. 
Rama  and  the  powerless  Lakshman  fell  and  fainted  on  the  field  1 

II    Sita's  Lament 

Indrajit  ere  dawned  the  morning  entered  in  his  father's  hall, 

Spake  of  midnight's  darksome  contest,  Rama's  death  and  Lakshman's 

fall, 

And  the  proud  and  peerless  Ravan  clasped  his  brave  and  gallant  son, 
Praised  him  for  his  skill  and  valour  and  his  deed  of  glory  done, 
And  with  dark  and  cruel  purpose  bade  his  henchmen  yoke  his  car, 
Bade  them  take  the  sorrowing  Sita  to  the  gory  field  of  war! 
Soon  they  harnessed  royal  coursers  and  they  took  the  weeping  wife, 
Where  her  Rama,  pierced  and  bleeding,  seemed  bereft  of  sense  and  life, 
Brother  lay  beside  his  brother  with  their  shattered  mail  and  bow, 
Arrows  thick  and  dark  with  red  blood  spake  the  conquest  of  the  foe, 
Anguish  woke  in  Sita's  bosom  and  a  dimness  filled  her  eye, 
And  a  widow's  nameless  sorrow  burst  in  widow's  mournful  cry: 
"Rama,  lord  and  king  and  husband!  didst  thou  cross  the  billowy  sea, 
Didst  thou  challenge  death  and  danger,  court  thy  fate  to  rescue  me, 
Didst  thou  hurl  a  fitting  vengeance  on  the  cruel  Raksha  force, 
Till  the  hand  of  hidden  foeman  checked  thy  all-resistless  course? 
Breathes  upon  the  earth  no  warrior  who  could  face  thee  in  the  fight, 
Who  could  live  to  boast  his  triumph  o'er  thy  world-subduing  might, 
But  the  will  of  Fate  is  changeless,  Death  is  mighty  in  his  sway, — 
Peerless  Rama,  faithful  Lakshman,  sleep  the  sleep  that  knows  no  day! 
But  I  weep  not  for  my  Rama  nor  for  Lakshman  young  and  brave, 
They  have  done  a  warrior's  duty  and  have  found  a  warrior's  grave, 
And  I  weep  not  for  my  sorrows, — sorrow  marked  me  from  my  birth, — 
Child  of  Earth  I  seek  in  suffering  bosom  of  my  mother  Earth! 
But  I  grieve  for  dear  Kausalya,  sonless  mother,  widowed  queen, 
How  she  reckons  day  and  seasons  in  her  anguish  ever  green. 
1 A  snake;  name  of  a  tribe. 


THE   EPIC   OF   RAMA  237 

How  she  waits  with  eager  longing  till  her  Rama's  exile  o'er, 
He  would  soothe  her  lifelong  sorrow,  bless  her  aged  eyes  once  more, 
Sita's  love!  Ayodhya's  monarch!  Queen  Kausalya's  dearest  born! 
Rama  soul  of  truth  and  virtue  sleeps  the  sleep  that  knows  no  morn!" 
Sorely  wept  the  sorrowing  Sita  in  her  accents  soft  and  low, 
And  the  silent  stars  of  midnight  wept  to  witness  Sita's  woe, 
But  Trijata  her  companion,— though  a  Raksha  woman  she,— 
Felt  her  soul  subdued  by  sadness,  spake  to  Sita  tenderly: 
"Weep  not,  sad  and  saintly  Sita,  shed  not  widow's  tears  in  vain, 
For  thy  lord  is  sorely  wounded,  but  shall  live  to  fight  again, 
Rama  and  the  gallant  Lakshman,  fainting,  not  bereft  of  life, 
They  shall  live  to  fight  and  conquer, — thou  shalt  be  a  happy  wife, 
Mark  the  Vanars'  marshalled  forces,  listen  to  their  warlike  cries, 
Tis  not  thus  the  soldiers  gather  when  a  chief  and  hero  dies, 
"Tis  not  thus  round  lifeless  leader  muster  warriors  true  and  brave, 
For  when  falls  the  dying  helmsman,  sinks  the  vessel  in  the  wave! 
Mark  the  ring  of  hopeful  Vanars,  how  they  watch  o'er  Rama's  face, 
How  they  guard  the  younger  Lakshman  beaming  yet  with  living  grace. 
Trust  me,  sad  and  sorrowing  Sita,  marks  of  death  these  eyes  can  trace, 
Shade  of  death's  decaying  fingers  sweeps  not  o'er  thy  Rama's  face! 
Listen  more,  my  gentle  Sita,  though  a  captive  in  our  keep, 
For  thy  woes  and  for  thy  anguish  see  u  Raksha  woman  weep, 
Though  thy  Rama  armed  in  battle  is  our  unrelenting  foe, 
For  a  true  and  stainless  warrior  see  a  Raksha  filled  with  woe! 
Fainting  on  the  field  of  battle,  blood-ensanguined  in  their  face, 
They  shall  live  to  fight  and  conquer,  worthy  of  their  gallant  race, 
Cold  nor  rigid  are  their  features,  darkness  dwells  not  on  their  brow, 
Weep  not  thus,  my  gentle  Sita,— hasten  we  to  Lanka  now." 
And  Trijata  spake  no  falsehood,  by  the  winged  Garuda's  skill, 
Rama  and  the  valiant  Lakshman  lived  to  fight  their  foemen  still! 

///    Ravan's  First  Battle — The  Javelin-Strobe 

'Gainst  the  God-assisted  Rama,  Ravan's  efforts  all  were  vain, 
Leaguered  Lanka  vainly  struggled  in  her  adamantine  chain, 
Wrathful  Rakshas  with  their  forces  vainly  issued  through  the  gate, 
Chiefs  and  serried  ranks  of  warriors  met  the  same  resistless  fate! 
Dark-eyed  chief  Dhumraksha  sallied  with  the  fierce  tornado's  shock, 
Hanuman  of  peerless  prowess  slayed  him  with  a  rolling  rock, 


238  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

Iron-toothed  Vajra-danshtra  dashed  through  countless  Vanars  slain, 
But  the  young  and  gallant  Angad  laid  him  lifeless  on  the  plain, 
Akampan  unshaken  warrior  issued  out  of  Lanka's  wall, 
Hanuman  was  true  and  watchful,  speedy  was  the  Raksha's  fall, 
Then  the  mighty-armed  Prahasta  strove  to  break  the  hostile  line, 
But  the  gallant  Nila  felled  him  as  the  woodman  fells  the  pine! 
Bravest  chiefs  and  countless  soldiers  sallied  forth  to  face  the  fight, 
Broke  not  Rama's  iron  circle,  'scraped  not  Rama's  wondrous  might, 
Ravan  could  no  longer  tarry,  for  his  mightiest  chiefs  were  slam, 
Foremost  leaders,  dearest  kinsmen,  lying  on  the  gory  plain! 
"Lofty  scorn  of  foes  unworthy  spared  them  from  my  flaming  ire, 
But  the  blood  of  slaughtered  kinsmen  claims  from  me  a  vengeance  dire," 
Speaking  thus  the  wrathful  Ravan  mounted  on  his  thundering  car, 
Flame-resplendent  was  the  chariot  drawn  by  matchless  steeds  of  war! 
Beat  of  drum  and  voice  of  sanfyjia^  and  the  Raksha's  battle  cry, 
Song  of  triumph,  chanted  mantra,  smote  the  echoing  vault  of  sky, 
And  the  troops  like  cloudy  masses  with  their  eyes  of  lightning  fire 
Girt  their  monarch,  as  his  legions  girdle  RUDRA  in  his  ire! 
Rolled  the  car  with  peal  of  thunder  through  the  city's  lofty  gate, 
And  each  fierce  and  fiery  Raksha  charged  with  warrior's  deathless  hate, 
And  the  vigour  of  the  onset  cleft  the  stunned  and  scattered  foe, 
As  a  strong  bark  cleaves  the  billows  riding  on  the  ocean's  brow! 
Brave  Sugriva  kmg.of  Vanars  met  the  foeman  fierce  and  strong, 
And  a  rock  with  mighty  effort  on  the  startled  Ravan  flung, 
Vain  the  toil,  disdainful  Ravan  dashed  aside  the  flying  rock, 
Brave  Sugriva  pierced  by  arrows  fainted  neath  the  furious  shock. 
Next  Susena  chief  and  elder,  Nala  and  Gavaksha  bold, 
Hurled  them  on  the  path  of  Ravan  speeding  m  his  car  of  gold, 
Vainly  heaved  the  rock  and  missile,  vainly  did  with  trees  assail, 
Onward  sped  the  conquering  Ravan,  pierced  the  fainting  Vanars  fell. 
Hanuman  the  son  of  MARUT  next  against  the  Raksha  came, 
Fierce  and  strong  as  stormy  MARUT,  warrior  of  unrivalled  fame, 
But  the  Raksha's  mighty  onset  gods  nor  mortals  might  sustain, 
Hanuman  in  red  blood  welt'ring  rolled  upon  the  gory  plain. 
Onward  rolled  the  car  of  Ravan,  where  the  dauntless  Nila  stood, 
Armed  with  rock  and  tree  and  missile,  thirsting  for  the  Raksha's  blood, 
Vainly  fought  the  valiant  Nila,  pierced  by  Ravan's  pointed  dart, 
On  the  gory  field  of  battle  poured  the  red  blood  of  his  heart. 

x  Conch-shell,  used  as  bugle  in  war  and  festivities. 


THE   EPIC  OF   RAMA  239 

Onward  through  the  scattered  forces  Ravan's  conquering  chariot  came, 
Where  in  pride  and  dauntless  valour  Lakshman  stood  of  warlike  fame, 
Calm  and  proud  the  gallant  Lakshman  marked  the  all-resistless  foe, 
Boldly  challenged  Lanka's  monarch  as  he  held  aloft  his  bow: 
"Welcome,  mighty  Lord  of  Lanka!  wage  with  me  an  equal  strife, 
Wherefore  with  thy  royal  prowess  seek  the  humble  Vanars'  life!" 
"Hath  thy  fate,"  so  answered  Ravan,  "brought  thee  to  thy  deadly  foe, 
Welcome,  valiant  son  of  Raghu!  Ravan  longs  to  lay  thee  low!" 
Then  they  closed  in  dubious  battle,  Lanka's  Lord  his  weapon  bent, 
Seven  bright  arrows,  keen  and  whistling,  on  the  gallant  Lakshman  sent, 
Vain  the  toil,  for  watchful  Lakshman  stout  of  heart  and  true  of  aim, 
With  his  darts  like  shooting  sunbeams  cleft  each  arrow  as  it  came. 
Bleeding  from  the  darts  of  Lakshman,  pale  with  anger,  wounded  sore, 
Ravan  drew  at  last  his  Sakti?  gift  of  Gods  in  days  of  yore, 
Javelin  of  flaming  splendour,  deadly  like  the  shaft  of  Fate, 
Ravan  hurled  on  dauntless  Lakshman  in  his  fierce  and  furious  hate. 
Vain  were  Lakshman's  human  weapons  aimed  with  skill  directed  well, 
Pierced  by  Sa^tt,  gallant  Lakshman  in  his  red  blood  fainting  fell, 
Wrathful  Rama  saw  the  combat  and  arose  in  godlike  might, 
Bleeding  Ravan  turned  to  Lanka,  sought  his  safety  in  his  flight. 

IV    Fall  of  Kumbha-Kama 

Once  more  healed  and  strong  and  valiant,  Lakshman  in  his  arms  arose, 
Safe  behind  the  gates  of  Lanka  humbled  Ravan  shunned  his  foes, 
Till  the  stalwart  Kumbha-karna  from  his  wonted  slumbers  woke, 
Mightiest  he  of  all  the  Rakshas; — Ravan  thus  unto  him  spoke: 
"Thou  alone,  O  Kumbha-karna,  can  the  Raksha's  honour  save, 
Strongest  of  the  Raksha  warriors,  stoutest-hearted  midst  the  brave, 
Speed  thee  like  the  Dread  Destroyer  to  the  dark  and  dubious  fray, 
Cleave  through  Rama's  girdling  forces,  chase  the  scattered  foe  away!" 
Like  a  mountain's  beetling  turret  Kumbha-karna  stout  and  tall, 
Passed  the  city's  lofty  portals  and  the  city's  girdling  wall, 
And  he  raised  his  voice  in  battle,  sent  his  cry  from  shore  to  shore, 
Solid  mountains  shook  and  trembled  and  the  sea  returned  the  roar! 
INDRA  nor  the  great  VARUNA  equalled  Kumbha-karna's  might, 
Vanars  trembled  at  the  warrior,  sought  their  safety  in  their  flight, 
1  Javelin. 


240  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

But  the  prince  of  fair  Kishkindha,  Angad  chief  of  warlike  fame, 
Marked  his  panic-stricken  forces  with  a  princely  warrior's  shame. 
"Wither  fly,  ye  trembling  Vanars?"  thus  the  angry  chieftain  cried, 
"All  forgetful  of  your  duty,  of  your  worth  and  warlike  pride, 
Deem  not  stalwart  Kumbha-karna  is  our  match  in  open  fight, 
Forward  let  us  meet  in  battle,  let  us  crush  his  giant  might!" 
Rallied  thus,  the  broken  army  stone  and  tree  and  massive  rock, 
Hurled  upon  the  giant  Raksha  speeding  with  the  lightning's  shock, 
Vain  each  flying  rock  and  missile,  vain  each  stout  and  sturdy  stroke, 
On  the  Raksha's  limbs  of  iron  stone  and  tree  in  splinters  broke. 
Dashing  through  the  scattered  forces  Kumbha-karna  fearless  stood, 
As  a  forest  conflagration  feasts  upon  the  parched  wood, 
Far  as  confines  of  the  ocean,  to  the  causeway  they  had  made, 
To  the  woods  or  caves  or  billows,  Vanars  in  their  terror  fled! 
Hanuman  of  dauntless  valour  turned  not  in  his  fear  nor  fled, 
Heaved  a  rock  with  mighty  effort  on  the  Raksha's  towering  head, 
With  his  spear-head  Kumbha-karna  dashed  the  flying  rock  aside, 
By  the  Raksha's  weapon  stricken  Hanuman  fell  in  his  pride. 
Next  Rishabha  and  brave  Nila  and  the  bold  Sarabha  came, 
Gavaksha  and  Gandha-madan,  chieftains  of  a  deathless  fame, 
But  the  spear  of  Kumbha-karna  hurled  to  earth  his  feeble  foes, 
Dreadful  was  the  field  of  carnage,  loud  the  cry  of  battle  rose! 
Angad  prince  of  fair  Kishkindha,  filled  with  anger  and  with  shame, 
Tore  a  rock  with  wrathful  prowess,  to  the  fatal  combat  came, 
Short  the  combat,  soon  the  Raksha  caught  and  turned  his  foe  around 
Hurled  him  in  his  deadly  fury,  bleeding,  senseless  on  the  ground! 
Last,  Sugriva  king  of  Vanars  with  a  vengeful  anger  woke, 
Tore  a  rock  from  bed  of  mountain  and  in  proud  defiance  spoke, 
Vain  Sugnva's  toil  and  struggle,  Kumbha-karna  hurled  a  rock, 
Fell  Sugriva  crushed  and  senseless  'neath  the  missile's  mighty  shock! 
Piercing  through  the  Vanar  forces,  like  a  flame  through  forest  wood, 
Came  the  Raksha  where  in  glory  Lakshman  calm  and  fearless  stood, 
Short  their  contest, — Kumbha-karna  sought  a  greater,  mightier  foe, 
To  the  young  and  dauntless  Lakshman  spake  in  accents  soft  and  low: 
"Dauntless  prince  and  matchless  warrior,  fair  Sumitra's  gallant  son, 
Thou  hast  proved  unrivalled  prowess  and  unending  glory  won, 
But  I  seek  a  mightier  foeman,  to  thy  elder  let  me  go, 
I  would  fight  the  royal  Rama,  or  to  die  or  slay  my  foe!" 


THE    EPIC   OF   RAMA  24! 

"Victor  proud!"  said  gallant  Lakshman,  "peerless  in  thy  giant  might, 
Conquerer  of  great  Immortals,  Lakshman  owns  thy  skill  in  fight, 
Mightier  joe  than  bright  Immortals  thou  shalt  meet  in  fatal  war, 
Death  for  thee  in  guise  of  Rama  tarries  yonder f  not  afar!" 
Ill  it  fared  with  Kumbha-karna  when  he  strove  with  Rama's  might, 
Men  on  earth  nor  Gods  immortal  conquered  Rama  in  the  fight, 
Deadly  arrows  keen  and  flaming  from  the  hero's  weapon  broke, 
Kumbha-karna  faint  and  bleeding  felt  his  death  at  every  stroke, 
Last,  an  arrow  pierced  his  armour,  from  his  shoulders  smote  his  head, 
Kumbha-karna,  lifeless,  headless,  rolled  upon  the  gory  bed, 
Hurled  unto  the  heaving  ocean  Kumbha-karna's  body  fell, 
And  as  shaken  by  a  tempest,  mighty  was  the  ocean's  swell! 

V    Indrajit's  Sacrifice  and  Second  Battle 

Still  around  beleaguered  Lanka  girdled  Rama's  living  chain, 
Raksha  chieftain  after  chieftain  strove  to  break  the  line  in  vain, 
Sons  of  Ravan, — brave  Narantak  was  by  valiant  Angad  slain, 
Trisiras  and  fierce  Devantak,  Hanuman  slew  on  the  plain, 
Atikaya,  tall  of  stature,  was  by  gallant  Lakshman  killed, 
Ravan  wept  for  slaughtered  princes,  brave  in  war  in  weapons  skilled. 
"Shed  no  tears  of  sorrow,  father!"  Indrajit  exclaimed  in  pride, 
"While  thy  eldest  son  surviveth  triumph  dwells  on  Ravan's  side, 
Rama  and  that  stripling  Lakshman,  I  had  left  them  in  their  gore, 
Once  again  I  seek  their  lifeblood, — they  shall  live  to  fight  no  more. 
Hear  my  vow,  O  Lord  of  Rakshas!  ere  descends  yon  radiant  sun, 
Rama's  days  and  gallant  Lakshman's  on  this  wide  earth  shall  be  done, 
Witness  INDRA  and  VIVASWAT,  VISHNU  great  and  RUDRA  dire, 
Witness  Sun  and  Moon  and  Sadhyas,  and  the  living  God  of  Fire!" 
Opened  wide  the  gates  of  Lanka;  in  the  spacious  field  of  war, 
Indrajit  arranged  his  army,  foot  and  horse  and  battle  car, 
Then  with  gifts  and  sacred  mantras  bent  before  the  God  of  Fire, 
And  invoked  celestial  succour  in  the  battle  dread  and  dire. 
With  his  offerings  and  his  garlands,  Indrajit  with  spices  rare, 
Worshipped  holy  VAISWA-NARA  on  the  altar  bright  and  fair, 
Spear  and  mace  were  ranged  in  order,  dart  and  bow  and  shining  blade 
Sacred  fuel,  blood-red  garments,  fragrant  flowers  were  duly  laid, 
Head  of  goat  as  black  as  midnight  offered  then  the  warrior  brave, 
And  the  shooting  tongue  of  red  fire  omens  of  a  conquest  gave, 


242  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

Curling  to  the  right  and  smokeless,  red  and  bright  as  molten  gold, 

Tongue  of  flame  received  the  offering  of  the  hero  true  and  bold! 

Victory  the  sign  betokens!  Bow  and  dart  and  shining  blade, 

Sanctified  by  holy  mantras,  by  the  Fire  the  warrior  laid, 

Then  with  weapons  consecrated,  hid  in  mists  as  once  before, 

Indrajit  on  helpless  foemen  did  his  fatal  arrows  pour! 

Fled  the  countless  Vanar  forces,  panic-stricken,  crushed  and  slain, 

And  the  dead  and  dying  warriors  strewed  the  gory  battle  plain, 

Then  on  Rama,  and  on  Lakshman,  from  his  dark  and  misty  shroud, 

Indrajit  discharged  his  arrows  bright  as  sunbeams  through  a  cloud. 

Scanning  earth  and  bright  sky  vainly  for  his  dark  and  hidden  foe, 

Rama  to  his  brother  Lakshman  spake  in  grief  and  spake  in  woe : 

"Once  again  that  wily  Raksha,  slaying  all  our  Vanar  train, 

From  his  dark  and  shadowy  shelter  doth  on  us  his  arrows  rain, 

By  the  grace  of  great  SWAYAMBHU,  Indrajit  is  lost  to  sight, 

Useless  is  our  human  weapon  'gainst  his  gift  of  magic  might, 

If  SWAYAMBHU  wills  it,  Lakshman,  we  shall  face  these  fatal  darts, 

We  shall  stand  with  dauntless  patience,  we  shall  die  with  dauntless 

hearts!" 

Weaponless  but  calm  and  valiant,  from  the  foeman's  dart  and  spell 
Patiently  the  princes  suffered,  fearlessly  the  heroes  fell! 

VI    Indraft's  Third  Battle  and  Fall 

Healing  herbs  from  distant  mountains  Hanuman  in  safety  brought, 
Rama  rose  and  gallant  Lakshman,  once  again  their  foemen  sought. 
And  when  night  its  sable  mantle  o'er  the  earth  and  ocean  drew, 
Forcing  through  the  gates  of  Lanka  to  the  frightened  city  flew! 
Gallant  sons  of  Kumbha-karna  vainly  fought  to  stem  the  tide, 
Hanuman  and  brave  Sugriva  slew  the  brothers  in  their  pride, 
Makaraksha,  shark-eyed  warrior,  vainly  struggled  with  the  foe, 
Rama  laid  him  pierced  and  lifeless  by  an  arrow  from  his  bow. 
Indrajit  arose  in  anger  for  his  gallant  kinsmen  slayed, 
In  his  arts  and  deep  devices  Sita's  beauteous  image  made, 
And  he  placed  the  form  of  beauty  on  his  speeding  battle  car, 
With  his  sword  he  smote  the  image  in  the  gory  field  of  war! 
Rama  heard  the  fatal  message  which  his  faithful  Vanars  gave, 
And  a  deathlike  trance  and  tremor  fell  upon  the  warrior  brave, 


THE    EPIC   OF    RAMA  243 

But  Bibhishan  deep  in  wisdom  to  the  anguished  Rama  came, 

With  his  words  of  consolation  spake  of  Rama's  righteous  dame : 

"Trust  me,  Rama,  trust  thy  comrade, — for  I  know  our  wily  house, — 

Indrajit  slays  not  the  woman  whom  his  father  seeks  as  spouse, 

Tis  for  Sita,  impious  Ravan  meets  thee  on  the  battle-field, 

Stakes  his  life  and  throne  and  empire,  but  thy  Sita  will  not  yield, 

Deem  not  that  the  king  of  Rakshas  will  permit  her  blood  be  shed, 

Indrajit  slays  not  the  woman  whom  his  father  seeks  to  wed! 

'Twas  an  image  of  thy  Sita,  Indrajit  hath  cleft  in  twain, 

While  our  army  wails  and  sorrows, — he  performs  his  rites  again, 

To  the  holy  Nikumbhila,  Indrajit  in  secret  hies, 

For  the  rights  which  yield  him  prowess,  hide  him  in  the  cloudy  skies. 

Let  young  Lakshman  seek  the  foeman  ere  his  magic  rites  be  done, — 

Once  the  sacrifice  completed,  none  can  combat  Ravan's  son, — 

Let  young  Lakshman  speed  through  Lanka  till  his  wily  foe  is  found, 

Slay  the  secret  sacnficer  on  the  sacrificial  ground!'1 

Unto  holy  Nikumbhila,  Lakshman  with  Bibhishan  went 

Bravest,  choicest  of  the  army,  Rama  with  his  brother  sent, 

Magic  rites  and  sacrifices  Indrajit  had  scarce  begun, 

When  surprised  by  armed  foemen  rose  in  anger  Ravan's  son! 

"Art  thou  he,"  thus  to  Bibhishan,  Indrajit  in  anger  spake, 

"Brother  of  my  royal  father,  stealing  thus  my  life  to  take, 

Raksha  born  of  Raksha  parents,  dost  thou  glory  in  this  deed, 

Traitor  to  thy  king  and  kinsmen,  false  to  us  in  direst  need? 

Scorn  and  pity  fill  my  bosom  thus  to  see  thee  leave  thy  km, 

Serving  as  a  slave  of  foemen,  stooping  to  a  deed  of  sin. 

For  the  slave  who  leaves  his  kindred,  basely  seeks  the  foeman's  grace. 

Meets  destruction  from  the  foeman  after  he  destroys  his  race!" 

"Untaught  child  of  impure  passions,"  thus  Bibhishan  answer  made, 

"Of  my  righteous  worth  unconscious  bitter  accents  hast  thou  said, 

Know,  proud  youth,  that  Truth  and  Virtue  in  my  heart  precedence  take 

And  we  shun  the  impious  kinsman  as  we  shun  the  pois'nous  snake! 

Listen,  youth!  Ms  earth  no  longer  bears  thy  father's  sin  and  strife, 

Plunder  of  the  righteous  neighbour,  passion  for  the  neighbour's  wife, 

Earth  and  styes  have  doomed  thy  father  for  his  sin-polluted  reign, 

Unto  Gods  his  proud  defiance  and  his  wrongs  to  sons  of  me/:! 

Listen  morel  this  fated  Lanf(a  groans  beneath  her  load  of  crime, 

And  shall  perish  in  her  folly  by  the  ruthless  hand  of  Time, 


244  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

Thou  shdt  perish  and  thy  father  and  this  proud  presumptuous  state, 
Lakshman  meets  theet  impious  Ra{shaf  by  the  stern  decree  of  Fatel" 
"Hast  thou  too  forgot  the  lesson,"  Indrajit  to  Lakshman  said, 
"Twice  in  field  of  war  unconscious  thee  with  Rama  have  I  laid, 
Dost  thou  stealing  like  a  serpent  brave  my  yet  unconquered  might, 
Perish,  boy,  in  thy  presumption,  in  this  last  and  fatal  fight  I" 
Spake  the  hero:  "Like  a  coward  hid  beneath  a  mantling  cloud, 
Thou  hast  battled  like  a  caitiff  safe  behind  thy  sheltering  shroud, 
Now  I  seek  an  open  combat,  time  is  none  to  prate  or  speak, 
Boastful  word  is  coward's  weapon,  weapons  and  thy  arrows  seek!" 
Soon  they  mixed  in  dubious  combat,  fury  fired  each  foeman's  heart, 
Either  warrior  felt  his  rival  worthy  of  his  bow  and  dart, 
Lakshman  with  his  hurtling  arrows  pierced  the  Raksha's  golden  mail, 
Shattered  by  the  Raksha's  weapons  Lakshman's  useless  armour  fell, 
Red  with  gore  and  dim  in  eyesight  still  the  chiefs  in  fury  fought, 
Neither  quailed  before  his  foeman,  pause  nor  grace  nor  mercy  sought, 
Till  with  more  than  human  valour  Lakshman  drew  his  bow  amain, 
Slayed  the  Raksha's  steeds  and  driver,  severed  too  his  bow  in  twain. 
"If  the  great  and  godlike  Rama  is  in  faith  and  duty  true, 
Gods  assist  the  cause  of  virtue!" — Lakshman  uttered  as  he  drew, 
Fatal  was  the  dart  unerring, — Gods  assist  the  true  and  bold, — 
On  the  field  of  Nikumbhila,  Lakshman's  foeman  headless  rolled! 

VII    Ravan's  Lament 

"Quenched  the  light  of  Rakshas'  valour!"  so  the  message-bearer  said, 

"Lakshman  with  the  deep  Bibhishan  hath  thy  son  in  battle  slayed, 

Fallen  is  our  prince  and  hero  and  his  day  on  earth  is  done, 

In  a  brighter  world,  O  monarch,  lives  thy  brave,  thy  gallant  son!" 

Anguish  filled  the  father's  bosom  and  his  fleeting  senses  failed, 

Till  to  deeper  sorrow  wakened  Lanka's  monarch  wept  and  wailed : 

"Greatest  of  my  gallant  warriors,  dearest  to  thy  father's  heart, 

Victor  over  bright  Immortals, — art  thou  slain  by  Lakshman's  dart, 

Noble  prince  whose  peerless  arrows  could  the  peaks  of  Mandar  stain, 

And  could  daunt  the  Dread  Destroyer, — art  thou  by  a  mortal  slain  ? 

But  thy  valour  lends  a  radiance  to  elysium's  sunny  clime, 

And  thy  bright  name  adds  a  lustre  to  the  glorious  rolls  of  time, 

In  the  skies  the  bright  Immortals  lisp  thy  name  with  terror  pale, 

On  the  earth  our  maids  and  matrons  mourn  thy  fall  with  piercing  wail! 


THE   EPIC   OF   RAMA  245 

Hark!  the  voice  of  lamentation  waking  in  the  palace  halls, 
Like  the  voice  of  woe  in  forests  when  the  forest  monarch  falls, 
Hark!  the  wailing  widowed  princess,  mother  weeping  for  her  son, 
Leaving  them  in  tears  and  anguish,  Indrajit,  where  are  thou  gone? 
Full  of  years, — so  oft  I  pondered, — when  the  monarch  Ravan  dies, 
Indrajit  shall  watch  his  bedside,  Indrajit  shall  close  his  eyes, 
But  the  course  of  nature  changes,  and  the  father  weeps  the  son, 
Youth  is  fallen,  and  the  aged  lives  to  fight  the  foe  alone!" 
Tears  of  sorrow,  slow  and  silent,  fell  upon  the  monarch's  breast, 
Then  a  swelling  rage  and  passion  woke  within  his  heaving  chest, 
Like  the  sun  of  scorching  summer  glowed  his  face  in  wrathful  shame, 
From  his  brow  and  rolling  eyeballs  issued  sparks  of  living  flame! 
"Perish  she!"  exclaimed  the  monarch,  "she-wolf  Sita  dies  to-day, 
Indrajit  but  cleft  her  image,  Ravan  will  the  woman  slay!" 
Followed  by  his  trembling  courtiers,  regal  robes  and  garments  rent, 
Ravan  shaking  in  his  passion  to  Aso^a's  garden  went, 
Maddened  by  his  wrath  and  anguish,  with  his  drawn  and  flaming  sword, 
Sought  the  shades  where  soft-eyed  Sita  silent  sorrowed  for  her  lord. 
Woman's  blood  the  royal  sabre  on  that  fatal  day  had  stained, 
But  his  true  and  faithful  courtiers  Ravan's  wrathful  hand  restrained. 
And  the  watchful  Raksha  females  girdled  round  the  sorrowing  dame, 
Flung  them  on  the  path  of  Ravan  to  withstand  a  deed  of  shame. 
"Not  against  a  woman,  Ravan,  mighty  warriors  raise  their  hand, 
In  the  battle,"  spake  the  courtiers,  "duty  bids  thee  use  thy  brand, 
Versed  in  Vcdas  and  in  learning,  court  not  thus  a  caitiff's  fate, 
Woman's  blood  pollutes  our  valour,  closes  heaven's  eternal  gate! 
Leave  the  woman  in  her  sorrow,  mount  upon  thy  battle  car, 
Faithful  to  our  king  and  leader  we  will  wake  the  voice  of  war, 
Tis  the  fourteenth  day  auspicious  of  the  dark  and  waning  moon, 
Glory  waiteth  thec  in  battle  and  thy  vengeance  cometh  soon, 
All-resistless  in  the  contest  slay  thy  focman  in  his  pride, 
Seek  as  victor  of  the  combat  widowed  Sita  as  thy  bride!" 
Slow  and  sullen,  dark  and  silent,  Ravan  then  his  wrath  restrained, 
Vengeance  on  his  son's  destroyer  deep  within  his  bosom  reigned! 

VIII    Ravan' s  Second  Battle  and  Vengeance 

Voice  of  woe  and  lamentation  and  the  cry  of  woman's  wail, 
Issuing  from  the  homes  of  Lanka  did  the  monarch's  cars  assail, 


246  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

And  a  mighty  thought  of  vengeance  waked  within  the  monarch's  heart, 

And  he  heaved  a  sigh  of  anguish  as  he  grasped  his  bow  and  dart: 

"Arm  each  chief  and  gallant  Raksha!  be  our  sacred  duty  done, 

Ravan  seeks  a  fitting  vengeance  for  his  brave  and  noble  son, 

Mahodar  and  Virupaksha,  Mahaparshwa  warrior  tall, 

Arm!  this  fated  day  will  witness  Lakshman's  or  your  monarch's  fall! 

Call  to  mind  each  slaughtered  hero, — Khara,  Dushan,  slain  in  fight, 

Kumbha-karna  giant  warrior,  Indrajit  of  magic  might, 

Earth  nor  sky  shall  hide  my  foemen  nor  the  ocean's  heaving  swell, 

Scattered  ranks  of  Rama's  forces  shall  my  speedy  vengeance  tell, 

Be  the  red-earth  strewn  and  covered  with  our  countless  foemen  slain, 

Hungry  wolves  and  blood-beaked  vultures  feed  upon  the  ghastly  plain, 

For  his  great  and  gallant  brother,  for  his  brave  and  beauteous  son, 

Ravan  seeks  a  fitting  vengeance,  Rakshas  be  your  duty  done!" 

House  to  house,  in  Lanka's  city,  Ravan's  royal  hest  was  heard, 

Street  and  lane  poured  forth  their  warriors  by  a  mighty  passion  stirred, 

With  the  javelin  and  sabre,  mace  and  club  and  axe  and  pike, 

Sataghni1  and  bhindipala?  quoit  and  discus  quick  to  strike. 

And  they  formed  the  line  of  tuskers  and  the  line  of  battle  car, 

Mule  and  camel  fit  for  burden  and  the  fiery  steed  of  war, 

Serried  ranks  of  armed  soldiers  shook  the  earth  beneath  their  tread, 

Horsemen  that  on  wings  of  lightning  o'er  the  field  of  battle  spread. 

Drum  and  conch  and  sounding  trumpet  waked  the  echoes  of  the  sky, 

Pataha 3  and  loud  mridanga  *  and  the  people's  maddening  cry, 

Thundering  through  the  gates  of  Lanka,  Ravan's  lofty  chariot  passed 

Destined  by  his  fortune,  Ravan  ne'er  again  those  portals  crost! 

And  the  sun  was  dim  and  clouded  and  a  sudden  darkness  fell, 

Birds  gave  forth  their  boding  voices  and  the  earth  confessed  a  spell, 

Gouts  of  blood  in  rain  descended,  startled  coursers  turned  to  fly, 

Vultures  swooped  upon  the  banner,  jackals  yelled  their  doleful  cry, 

Omens  of  a  dark  disaster  mantled  o'er  the  vale  and  rock, 

And  the  ocean  heaved  in  billows,  nations  felt  the  earthquake  shock! 

Darkly  closed  the  fatal  battle,  sturdy  Vanars  fell  in  fight, 

Warlike  leaders  of  the  Rakshas  perished  neath  the  foeman's  might, 

Mahodhar  and  Virupaksha  were  by  bold  Sugriva  slain, 

Crushed  by  Angad,  Mahaparshwa  slumbered  lifeless  on  the  plain. 

1 A  weapon  of  war,  supposed  to  kill  a  hundred  men  at  one  discharge. 
f  A  weapon  of  war.  8  A  drum.  4  A  drum. 


THE    EPIC   OF    RAMA  247 

But  with  more  than  mortal  valour  Ravan  swept  the  ranks  of  war, 
Warriors  fell  beneath  his  prowess,  fled  before  his  mighty  car, 
Cleaving  through  the  Vanar  forces,  filled  with  vengeance  deep  and  dire, 
Ravan  marked  the  gallant  Lakshman  flaming  like  a  crimson  fire! 
Like  the  tempest  cloud  of  summer  Ravan's  winged  courses  flew, 
But  Bibhishan  in  his  prowess  soon  the  gallant  charges  slew, 
Dashing  from. his  useless  chariot  Ravan  leaped  upon  the  ground, 
And  his  false  and  traitor  brother  by  his  dearest  foeman  found! 
Wrathful  Ravan  marked  Bibhishan  battling  by  the  foeman's  side, 
And  he  hurled  his  pond'rous  weapon  for  to  slay  him  in  his  pride. 
Lakshman  marked  the  mighty  jav'lin  as  it  winged  its  whizzing  flight, 
Cleft  it  in  its  onward  passage,  saved  Bibhishan  by  his  might! 
Grimly  smiled  the  angry  Ravan  gloating  in  his  vengeful  wrath, 
Spake  to  young  and  dauntless  Lakshman  daring  thus  to  cross  his  path : 
"Welcome,  Lakshman!  thee  I  battle  for  thy  deed  of  darkness  done, 
Face  the  anger  of  a  father,  cruel  slayer  of  the  son, 
By  thy  skill  and  by  thy  valour,  false  Bibhishan  thou  hast  saved, 
Save  thyself!  Deep  in  this  bosom  is  a  cruel  grief  engraved!" 
Father's  grief  and  sad  remembrance  urged  the  lightning-winged  dart, 
Ravan's  Satyi  fell  resistless  on  the  senseless  Lakshman's  heart, 
Wrathful  Rama  saw  the  combat  and  arose  in  godlike  might, 
Carless,  steedless,  wounded  Ravan  sought  his  safety  in  his  flight. 

IX    Rama's  Lament 

"Art  thou  fallen,"  sorrowed  Rama,  "weary  of  this  endless  strife, 
Lakshman,  if  thy  days  are  ended,  Rama  recks  not  for  his  life, 
Gone  is  Rama's  wonted  valour,  weapons  leave  his  nerveless  hand, 
Drop  his  bow  and  shining  arrows,  useless  hangs  his  sheathed  brand! 
Art  thou  fallen,  gallant  Lakshman,  death  and  famtness  on  me  creep, 
Weary  of  this  fatal  contest  let  me  by  my  brother  sleep, 
Weary  of  the  strife  and  triumph,  since  my  faithful  friend  is  gone, 
Rama  follows  in  his  footsteps  and  his  task  on  earth  is  done! 
Thou  hast  from  the  far  Ayodhya,  followed  me  in  deepest  wood, 
In  the  thickest  of  the  battle  thou  hast  by  thy  elder  stood, 
Love  of  woman,  love  of  comrade,  trite  is  love  of  kith  and  kind, 
Love  like  thine,  true-hearted  brother,  not  on  earth  we  often  find! 
When  Sumitra  seeks  thee,  Lakshman,  ever  weeping  for  thy  sake, 
When  she  asks  me  of  her  hero,  what  reply  shall  Rama  make, 


248  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

What  reply,  when  Bharat  questions, — Where  is  he  who  went  to  wood, 
Where  is  true  and  faithful  Lakshman  who  beside  his  elder  stood? 
What  great  crime  or  fatal  shadow  darkens  o'er  my  hapless  life, 
Victim  to  the  sins  of  Rama  sinless  Lakshman  falls  in  strife, 
Best  of  brothers,  best  of  warriors,  wherefore  thus  unconscious  lie, 
Mother,  wife,  and  brother  wait  thee,  ope  once  more  thy  sleeping  eye!" 
Tara's  father,  wise  Susena,  gentle  consolation  lent, 
Hanuman  from  distant  mountains  herbs  of  healing  virtue  rent, 
And  by  loving  Rama  tended,  Lakshman  in  his  strength  arose, 
Stirred  by  thoughts  of  fatal  vengeance  Rama  sought  the  flying  foes. 

X    Celestial  Arms  and  Chariot 

Not  in  dastard  terror  Ravan  sought  his  safety  in  his  flight, 
But  to  seek  fresh  steeds  of  battle  ere  he  faced  his  foeman's  might, 
Harnessing  his  gallant  coursers  to  a  new  and  glorious  car, 
Sunlike  in  its  radiant  splendour,  Ravan  came  once  more  to  war. 
Gods  in  wonder  watched  the  contest  of  the  more  than  mortal  foes, 
Ravan  mighty  in  his  vengeance,  Rama  lofty  in  his  woes, 
Gods  in  wonder  marked  the  heroes,  lion-like  in  jungle  wood, 
INDRA  sent  his  arms  and  chariot  where  the  human  warrior  stood! 
"Speed,  Matali"  thus  spal(e  INDRA,  "speed  thee  with  my  heavenly  car, 
Where  on  foot  the  righteous  Rama  meets  his  mounted  foe  in  war, 
Speed,  for  Ravan' s  days  are  ended,  and  his  moments  brief  and  few, 
Rama  strives  for  right  and  virtue, — Gods  assist  the  brave  and  true  I" 
Brave  Matali  drove  the  chariot  drawn  by  steeds  like  solar  ray, 
Where  the  true  and  righteous  Rama  sought  his  foe  in  fatal  fray, 
Shining  arms  and  heavenly  weapons  he  to  lofty  Rama  gave,— 
When  the  righteous  strive  and  struggle,  God  assist  the  true  and  brave! 
"Take  this  car,"  so  said  Matali,  "which  the  helping  Gods  provide, 
Rama,  take  these  steeds  celestial,  INDRA'S  golden  chariot  ride, 
Take  this  royal  bow  and  quiver,  wear  this  falchion  dread  and  dire, 
VISWA-KARMAN  forged  this  armour  in  the  flames  of  heavenly  fire, 
I  shall  be  thy  chariot  driver  and  shall  speed  the  thund'ring  car, 
Slay  the  sin-polluted  Ravan  in  this  last  and  fatal  war!" 
Rama  mounted  on  the  chariot  clad  in  arms  of  heavenly  sheen, 
And  he  mingled  in  a  contest  mortal  eyes  have  never  seen! 


THE    EPIC   OF    RAMA  249 

XI    Ravan's  Third  Battle  and  Fall 

Gods  and  mortals  watched  the  contest  and  the  heroes  of  the  war, 
Ravan  speeding  on  his  chariot,  Rama  on  the  heavenly  car, 
And  a  fiercer  form  the  warriors  in  their  fiery  frenzy  wore, 
And  a  deeper  weight  of  hatred  on  their  anguished  bosoms  bore, 
Clouds  of  dread  and  deathful  arrows  hid  the  radiant  face  of  sky, 
Darker  grew  the  day  of  combat,  fiercer  grew  the  contest  high! 
Pierced  by  Ravan's  pointed  weapons  bleeding  Rama  owned  no  pain, 
Rama's  arrows  keen  and  piercing  sought  his  foeman's  life  in  vain, 
Long  and  dubious  battle  lasted,  and  with  fury  wilder  fraught, 
Wounded,  faint,  and  still  unyielding,  blind  with  wrath  the  rivals  fought, 
Pike  and  club  and  mace  and  trident  scaped  from  Ravan's  vengeful  hand, 
Spear  and  arrows  Rama  wielded,  and  his  bright  and  flaming  brand! 
Long  and  dubious  battle  lasted,  shook  the  ocean,  hill  and  dale, 
Winds  were  hushed  in  voiceless  terror  and  the  livid  sun  was  pale, 
Still  the  dubious  battle  lasted,  until  Rama  in  his  ire 
Wielded  BRAHMA'S  deathful  weapon  flaming  with  celestial  fire! 
Weapon  which  the  Saint  Agastya  had  unto  the  hero  given, 
Winged  as  lightning  dart  of  INDRA,  fatal  as  the  bolt  of  heaven, 
Wrapped  in  smoke  and  flaming  flashes,  speeding  from  the  circled  bow, 
Pierced  the  iron  heart  of  Ravan,  laid  the  lifeless  hero  low, 
And  a  cry  of  pain  and  terror  from  the  Raksha  ranks  arose, 
And  a  shout  from  joyous  Vanars  as  they  smote  their  fleeing  foes! 
Heavenly  flowers  in  rain  descended  on  the  red  and  gory  plain, 
And  from  unseen  harps  and  timbrels  rose  a  soft  celestial  strain, 
And  the  ocean  heaved  in  gladness,  brighter  shone  the  sunlit  sky, 
Soft  and  cool  the  gentle  zephyrs  through  the  forest  murmured  by, 
Sweetest  scent  and  fragrant  odours  wafted  from  celestial  trees, 
Fell  upon  the  earth  and  ocean,  rode  upn  the  laden  breeze! 
Voice  of  blessing  from  the  bright  sty  fell  on  Raghus  valiant  son, — 
"Champion  of  the  true  and  righteous!  now  thy  noble  tas^  is  done!" 

XII    Mandodans  Lament  and  the  Funerals 

"Hast  thou  fallen,"  wept  in  anguish  Ravan's  first  and  eldest  bride, 
Mandodari,  slender-waisted,  Queen  of  Lanka's  state  and  pride, 
"Hast  thou  fallen,  king  and  consort,  more  than  Gods  in  warlike  might, 
Slain  by  man,  whom  bright  Immortals  feared  to  face  in  dubious  fight? 


250  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

Not  a  man! — the  Dark  Destroyer  came  to  thee  in  mortal  form, 

Or  the  heaven-traversing  VISHNU,  INDRA  ruler  of  the  storm, 

Gods  of  sky  in  shape  of  Vanars  helped  the  dark  and  cruel  deed, 

Girdling  round  the  Discus-Wielder  in  the  battle's  direst  need! 

Well  I  knew, — when  Khara,  Dushan,  were  by  Rama's  prowess  slain, 

Rama  v\  as  no  earthly  mortal,  he  who  crossed  the  mighty  main, 

Well  I  knew, — when  with  his  army  he  invested  Lanka's  gate, 

Rama  was  no  earthly  mortal  but  the  messenger  of  Fate, 

And  I  prayed, — the  faithful  Sita  might  unto  her  consort  go, 

For  'tis  writ  that  nations  perish  for  a  righteous  woman's  woe, 

But  for  impious  lust  of  woman, — all  forgetful  of  thy  wife, 

Thou  hast  lost  thy  crown  and  kingdom,  thou  hast  lost  thy  fated  life! 

Woe  to  me!  the  sad  remembrance  haunts  my  tortured  bosom  still, 

Of  our  days  on  famed  Kailasa  or  on  Meru's  golden  hill, 

Gone  the  days  of  joy  and  gladness,  Mandodan's  days  are  done, 

Since  her  lord  and  king  and  husband  from  her  dear  embrace  is  gone!" 

Sorely  wept  the  Queen  of  Lanka;  Rama,  tender,  tearful,  true, 

Bade  the  funeral  rites  and  honours  to  a  fallen  foeman  due, 

And  they  heaped  the  wood  of  Chandan  and  the  fragrant  garland  laid, 

On  the  pyre  they  lifted  Rayan  in  the  richest  robes  arrayed, 

Weeping  queens  and  sorrowing  Rakshas  round  their  fallen  leader  stood, 

Brahmans  with  their  chaunted  mantras  piled  the  dry  and  scented  wood, 

Oil  and  cords  and  sacred  offerings  were  upon  the  altar  laid, 

And  a  goat  of  inky  darkness  as  a  sacrifice  was  slayed. 

Piously  the  good  Bibhishan  lighted  Ravan's  funeral  pyre, 

And  the  zephyrs  gently  blowing  fanned  the  bright  and  blazing  fire, 

Slow  and  sad  with  due  ablutions  mourners  left  the  funeral  site, 

Rama  then  unstrung  his  weapon,  laid  aside  his  arms  of  might. 


BOOK  XI    RAJYA-ABHISHEKA 
(Rama's  Return  and  Consecration) 

THE  REAL  EPIC  ends  with  the  war,  and  with  Rama's  happy  return  to 
Ayodhya.  Sita  proves  her  stainless  virtue  by  an  Ordeal  of  Fire,  and 
returns  with  her  lord  and  with  Lakshman  in  an  aerial  car,  which  Ravan 
had  won  from  the  Gods,  and  which  Bibhishan  made  over  to  Rama. 
Indian  poets  are  never  tired  of  descriptions  of  nature,  and  the  poet  of  the 
Ramayana  takes  advantage  of  Rama's  journey  from  Ceylon  to  Oudh  to 


THE    EPIC    OF    RAMA  251 

give  us  a  bird's-eye  view  of  the  whole  continent  of  India,  as  well  as  to 
recapitulate  the  principal  incidents  of  his  great  Epic. 

The  gathering  of  men  at  Ayodhya,  the  greetings  to  Rama,  and  his 
consecration  by  the  Vedic  bard  Vasishtha,  are  among  the  most  pleasing 
passages  in  the  whole  poem.  And  the  happiness  enjoyed  by  men  during 
the  reign  of  Rama — described  in  the  last  few  couplets  of  this  Book— is  an 
article  of  belief  and  a  living  tradition  in  India  to  this  day. 

The  portions  translated  in  this  Book  form  the  whole  or  portions  of 
Sections  cxviii.,  cxx.,  cxxv.,  cxxix.,  and  cxxx.,  of  Book  vi.  of  the  original 
text. 

7    Ordeal  by  Fire 

For  she  dwelt  in  Ravan's  dwelling, — rumour  clouds  a  woman's  fame — 

Righteous  Rama's  brow  was  clouded,  saintly  Sita  spake  in  shame: 

"Wherefore  spake  ye  not,  my  Rama,  if  your  bosom  doubts  my  faith, 

Dearer  than  a  dark  suspicion  to  a  woman  were  her  death! 

Wherefore,  Rama,  with  your  token  came  your  vassal  o'er  the  wave, 

To  assist  a  fallen  woman  and  a  tainted  wife  to  save, 

Wherefore  with  your  mighty  forces  crossed  the  ocean  in  your  pride. 

Risked  your  life  in  endless  combats  for  a  sin-polluted  bride  ? 

Hast  thou,  Rama,  all  forgotten  ? — Saintly  Janak  saw  my  birth, 

Child  of  harvest-bearing  furrow,  Sita  sprang  from  Mother  Earth, 

As  a  maiden  true  and  stainless  unto  thee  I  gave  my  hand, 

As  a  consort  fond  and  faithful  roved  with  thee  from  land  to  land! 

But  a  woman  pleadeth  vainly  when  suspicion  clouds  her  name, 

Lakshman,  if  thou  lov'st  thy  sister,  light  for  me  the  funeral  flame, 

When  the  shadow  of  dishonour  darkens  o'er  a  woman's  life, 

Death  alone  is  friend  and  refuge  of  a  true  and  trustful  wife, 

When  a  righteous  lord  and  husband  turns  his  cold  averted  eyes, 

Funeral  flame  dispels  suspicion,  honour  lives  when  woman  d  es!" 

Dark  was  Rama's  gloomy  visage  and  his  lips  were  firmly  sealed, 

And  his  eye  betrayed  no  weakness,  word  disclosed  no  thought  concealed, 

Silent  heaved  his  heart  in  anguish,  silent  drooped  his  tortured  head, 

Lakshman  with  a  throbbing  bosom  funeral  pyre  for  Sita  made, 

And  Videha's  sinless  daughter  prayed  unto  the  Gods  above, 

On  her  lord  and  wedded  consort  cast  her  dying  looks  of  love! 

"//  in  act  and  thought"  she  uttered,  '7  am  true  unto  my  name, 

Witness  of  our  sins  and  virtues,  may  this  Fire  protect  my  fame! 


252  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

//  a  false  and  lying  scandal  brings  a  faithful  woman  shame, 
Witness  of  our  sins  and  virtues,  may  this  Fire  protect  my  famel 
If  in  lifelong  loving  duty  I  am  free  from  sin  and  blame. 
Witness  of  our  sins  and  virtues,  may  this  Fire  protect  my  fame!" 
Fearless  in  her  faith  and  valour  Sita  stepped  upon  the  pyre, 
And  her  form  of  beauty  vanished  circled  by  the  clasping  fire, 
And  an  anguish  shook  the  people  like  the  ocean  tempest-tost, 
Old  and  young  and  maid  and  matron  wept  for  Sita  true  and  lost, 
For  bedecked  in  golden  splendour  and  in  gems  and  rich  attire, 
Sita  vanished  in  the  red  fire  of  the  newly  lighted  pyre! 
Rishis  and  the  great  Gandharvas,  Gods  who  know  each  secret  deed, 
Witnessed  Sita's  high  devotion  and  a  woman's  lofty  creed, 
And  the  earth  by  ocean  girdled  with  its  wealth  of  teeming  life, 
Witnessed  deed  of  dauntless  duty  of  a  true  and  stainless  wifel 

II     Woman's  Truth  Vindicated 

Slow  the  red  flames  rolled  asunder,  God  of  Fire  incarnate  came, 
Holding  in  his  radiant  bosom  fair  Videha's  sinless  dame, 
Not  a  curl  upon  her  tresses,  not  a  blossom  on  her  brow, 
Not  a  fibre  of  her  mantle  did  with  tarnished  lustre  glow! 
Witness  of  our  sins»and  virtues,  God  of  Fire  incarnate  spake, 
Bade  the«sorrow-stricken  Rama  back  his  sinless  wife  to  take : 
"Ravan  in  his  impious  folly  forced  from  thee  thy  faithful  dame, 
Guarded  by  her  changeless  virtue,  Sita  still  remains  the  same, 
Tempted  oft  by  female  Rakshas  in  the  dark  and  dismal  wood, 
In  her  woe  and  in  her  sadness  true  to  thee  hath  Sita  stood, 
Courted  oft  by  royal  Ravan  in  the  forest  far  and  lone, 
True  to  wedded  troth  and  virtue  Sita  thought  of  thee  alone, 
Pure  is  she  in  thought  and  action,  pure  and  stainless,  true  and  meek, 
I,  the  witness  of  all  actions,  thus  my  sacred  mandate  speak!" 
Rama's  forehead  was  unclouded  and  a  radiance  lit  his  eye, 
And  his  bosom  heaved  in  gladness  as  he  spake  in  accents  high: 
"Never  from  the  time  I  saw  her  in  her  maiden  days  of  youth, 
Have  I  doubted  Sita's  virtue,  Sita's  fixed  and  changeless  truth, 
I  have  known  her  ever  sinless, — let  the  world  her  virtue  know, 
For  the  God  of  Fire  is  witness  to  her  truth  and  changeless  vow! 
Ravan  in  his  pride  and  passion  conquered  not  a  woman's  love, 
For  the  virtuous  like  the  bright  fire  in  their  native  radiance  move, 


THE    EPIC   OF   RAMA  253 

Ravan  in  his  rage  and  folly  conquered  not  a  faithful  wife, 
For  like  ray  of  sun  unsullied  is  a  righteous  woman's  life, 
Be  the  wide  world  now  a  witness, — pure  and  stainless  is  my  dame, 
Rama  shall  not  leave  his  consort  till  he  leaves  his  righteous  fame!" 
In  his  tears  the  contrite  Rama  clasped  her  in  a  soft  embrace, 
And  the  fond  forgiving  Sita  in  his  bosom  hid  her  face! 

///    Return  Home  by  the  Aerial  Car 

"Mark  my  love,"  so  Rama  uttered,  as  on  flying  Pushpa  car, 
Borne  by  swans,  the  home-returning  exiles  left  the  field  of  war, 
"Lanka's  proud  and  castled  city  on  Tnkuta's  triple  crest, 
As  on  peak  of  bold  Kailasa  mansions  of  Immortals  rest! 
Mark  the  gory  fields  surrounding  where  the  Vanars  in  their  might, 
Faced  and  fought  the  charging  Rakshas  in  the  long  and  deathful  fight, 
Indrajit  and  Kumbha-karna,  Ravan  and  his  chieftains  slain, 
Fell  upon  the  field  of  battle  and  their  red  blood  soaks  the  plain. 
Mark  where  dark-eyed  Mandodari,  Ravan's  slender-waisted  wife, 
Wept  her  widow's  tears  of  anguish  when  her  monarch  lost  his  life, 
She  hath  dried  her  tears  of  sorrow  and  bestowed  her  heart  and  hand, 
On  Bibhishan  good  and  faithful,  crowned  king  of  Lanka's  land. 
See  my  love,  round  Ceylon's  island  how  the  ocean  billows  roar, 
Hiding  pearls  in  caves  of  corals,  strewing  shells  upon  the  shore, 
And  the  causeway  far-extending, — monument  of  Rama's  fame, — 
'Rama's  Bridge'  to  distant  ages  shall  our  deathless  deeds  proclaim! 
See  the  rockbound  fair  Kishkindha  and  her  mountain-girdled  town, 
Where  I  slayed  the  warrior  Bali,  placed  Sugriva  on  the  throne, 
And  the  hill  of  Rishyamuka  where  Sugriva  first  I  met, 
Gave  him  word, — he  would  be  monarch  ere  the  evening's  sun  had  set. 
Sec  the  sacred  lake  of  Pampa  by  whose  wild  and  echoing  shore, 
Rama  poured  his  lamentations  when  he  saw  his  wife  no  more, 
And  the  woods  of  Janasthana  where  Jatayu  fought  and  bled, 
When  the  deep  deceitful  Ravan  with  my  trusting  Sita  fled. 
Dost  thou  mark,  my  soft-eyed  Sita,  cottage  on  the  river's  shore, 
Where  in  righteous  peace  and  penance  Sita  lived  in  days  of  yore, 
And  by  gloomy  Godavari,  Saint  Agastya's  home  of  love, 
Holy  men  by  holy  duties  sanctify  the  sacred  grove! 
Dost  thou,  o'er  the  Dandak  forest,  view  the  Chitrakuta  hill, 
Deathless  bard  the  Saint  Valmiki  haunts  its  shade  and  crystal  rill, 


254  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

Thither  came  the  righteous  Bharat  and  my  loving  mother  came, 
Longing  in  their  hearts  to  take  us  to  Ayodhya's  town  of  fame, 
Dost  thou,  dear  devoted  Sita,  see  the  Jumna  in  her  might, 
Where  in  Bharad-waja's  asram  passed  we,  love,  a  happy  night, 
And  the  broad  and  ruddy  Ganga  sweeping  in  her  regal  pride, 
Forest-dweller  faithful  Guha  crossed  us  to  the  southern  side. 
Joy!  joy!  my  gentle  Sita!  Fair  Ayodhya  looms  above, 
Ancient  seat  of  Raghu's  empire,  nest  of  Rama's  hope  and  love, 
Bow,  bow,  to  bright  Ayodhya!  Darksome  did  the  exiles  roam, 
Now  their  weary  toil  is  ended  in  their  father's  ancient  home!" 

IV    Greetings 

Message  from  returning  Rama,  Vanars  to  Ayodhya  brought, 
Righteous  Bharat  gave  his  mandate  with  a  holy  joy  distraught : 
"Let  our  city  shrines  and  chaityas l  with  a  lofty  music  shake, 
And  our  priests  to  bright  Immortals  grateful  gifts  and  offerings  make. 
Bards,  reciters  of  Puranas,*  minstrels  versed  in  ancient  song, 
Women  with  their  tuneful  voices  lays  of  sacred  love  prolong, 
Let  our  queens  and  stately  courtiers  step  in  splendour  and  in  state, 
Chieftains  with  their  marshalled  forces  range  along  the  city  gate, 
And  our  white-robed  holy  Brahmans  hymns  and  sacred  mantras  sing, 
Offer  greetings  to  our  brother,  render  homage  to  our  king!" 
Brave  Satrughna  heard  his  elder  and  his  mandate  duly  kept: 
"Be  our  great  and  sacred  city  levelled,  cleansed,  and  duly  swept, 
And  the  grateful  earth  be  sprinkled  with  the  water  from  the  well, 
Strewn  with  parched  rice  and  offering  and  with  flower  of  sweetest  smell, 
On  each  turret,  tower,  and  temple  let  our  flags  and  colours  wave, 
On  the  gates  of  proud  Ayodhya  plant  Ayodhya's  banners  brave, 
Gay  festoons  of  flowering  creeper  home  and  street  and  dwelling  line, 
And  in  gold  and  glittering  garment  let  the  gladdened  city  shine!" 
Elephants  in  golden  trappings  thousand  chiefs  and  nobles  bore, 
Chariots,  cars,  and  gallant  chargers  speeding  by  Sarayu's  shore, 
And  the  serried  troops  of  battle  marched  with  colours  rich  and  brave, 
Proudly  o'er  the  gay  procession  did  Ayodhya's  banners  wave. 
In  their  stately  gilded  litters  royal  dames  and  damsels  came, 
Queen  Kausalya  first  and  foremost,  Queen  Sumitra  rich  in  fame, 

*  Sbrincs  or  temples.  *  Sacred  chronicles. 


THE   EPIC   OF   RAMA  255 

Pious  priest  and  learned  Brahman,  chief  of  guild  from  near  and  far, 
Noble  chief  and  stately  courtier  with  the  wreath  and  water  jar. 
Girt  by  minstrel,  bard,  and  herald  chanting  glorious  deeds  of  yore, 
Bharat  came, — his  elder's  sandals  still  the  faithful  younger  bore, — 
Silver-white  his  proud  umbrella,  silver-white  his  garland  brave, 
Silver-white  the  fan  of  chown  which  his  faithful  henchmen  wave. 
Stately  march  of  gallant  chargers  and  the  roll  of  battle  car, 
Heavy  tread  of  royal  tuskers  and  the  beat  of  drum  of  war, 
Dun  dub  hi l  and  echoing  santya,  voice  of  nations  gathered  nigh, 
Shook  the  city's  tower  and  temple  and  the  pealing  vault  of  sky! 
Sailing  o'er  the  cloudless  ether  Rama's  Pushpa  chariot  came, 
And  ten  thousand  jocund  voices  shouted  Rama's  joyous  name, 
Women  with  their  loving  greetings,  children  with  their  joyous  cry, 
Tottering  age  and  lisping  infant  hailed  the  righteous  chief  and  high. 
Bharat  lifted  up  his  glances  unto  Rama  from  afar, 
Unto  Sita,  unto  Lakshman,  seated  on  the  Pushpa  car, 
And  he  wafted  high  his  greetings  and  he  poured  his  pious  lay, 
As  one  wafts  the  chaunted  mantra  to  the  rising  God  of  Day! 
Silver  swans  by  Rama's  bidding  soft  descended  from  the  air, 
And  on  earth  the  chariot  lighted, — car  of  flowers  divinely  fair, — 
Bharat  mounting  on  the  chariot,  sought  his  long- lost  elder's  grace, 
Rama  held  his  faithful  younger  in  a  brother's  dear  embrace. 
With  his  greetings  unto  Lakshman,  unto  Rama's  faithful  dame, 
To  Bibhishan  and  Sugriva  and  each  chief  who  hither  came, 
Bharat  took  the  jewelled  sandals  with  the  rarest  gems  inlaid, 
Placed  them  at  the  feet  of  Rama  and  in  humble  accents  said: 
"Tokens  of  thy  rule  and  empire,  these  have  filled  thy  royal  throne, 
Faithful  to  his  trust  and  duty  Bharat  renders  back  thine  own, 
Bharat's  life  is  joy  and  gladness,  for  returned  from  distant  shore, 
Thou  shalt  rule  thy  spacious  kingdom  and  thy  loyal  men  once  more. 
Thou  shalt  hold  thy  rightful  empire  and  assume  thy  royal  crown, 
Faithful  to  his  trust  and  duty,— Bharat  renders  back  thine  own!" 

V    The  Consecration 

Joy!  joy!  in  bright  Ayodhya  gladness  filled  the  hearts  of  all, 
Joy!  joy!  a  lofty  music  sounded  in  the  royal  hall, 

1  Drum. 


256  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

Fourteen  years  of  woe  were  ended,  Rama  now  assumed  his  own, 

And  they  placed  the  weary  wand'rer  on  his  father's  ancient  throne, 

And  they  brought  the  sacred  water  from  each  distant  stream  and  hill, 

From  the  vast  and  boundless  ocean,  from  each  far  and  sacred  rill. 

Vasishtha  the  Bard  of  Vedas  with  auspicious  rites  and  meet 

Placed  the  monarch  and  his  consort  on  the  gemmed  and  jewelled  seat, 

Gautama  and  Katyayana,  Vamadeva  priest  of  yore, 

Jabali  and  wise  Vijaya  versed  in  holy  ancient  lore, 

Poured  the  fresh  and  fragrant  water  on  the  consecrated  king, 

As  the  Gods  anointed  INDRA  from  the  pure  ethereal  spring! 

Vedic  priests  with  sacred  mantra,  dark-eyed  virgins  with  their  song, 

Warriors  girt  in  arms  and  weapons  round  the  crowned  monarch  throng, 

Juices  from  each  fragrant  creeper  on  his  royal  brow  they  place, 

And  his  father's  crown  and  jewels  Rama's  ample  forehead  grace, 

And  as  Manu,  first  of  monarchs,  was  enthroned  in  days  of  yore, 

So  was  Rama  consecrated  by  the  priests  of  Vedic  lore! 

Brave  Satrughna  on  his  brother  cast  the  white  umbrella's  shade 

Bold  Sugriva  and  Bibhishan  waved  the  chowri  gem-inlaid, 

VAYU,  God  of  gentle  zephyrs,  gift  of  golden  garland  lent, 

INDRA,  God  of  rain  and  sunshine,  wreath  of  pearls  to  Rama  sent, 

Gay  Gandharvas  raised  the  music,  fair  Apsaras l  formed  the  ring, 

Men  in  nations  hailed  their  Rama  as  their  lord  and  righteous  king! 

And  'tis  told  by  ancient  sages,  during  Rama's  happy  reign, 

Death  untimely,  dire  diseases t  came  not  to  his  subject  men, 

Widows  wept  not  in  their  sorrow  for  their  lords  untimely  lost, 

Mothers  wailed  not  in  their  anguish  for  their  babes  by  YAMA  crost, 

Robbers,  cheats,  and  gay  deceivers  tempted  not  with  lying  word, 

Neighbour  loved  his  righteous  neighbour  and  the  people  loved  their  lord! 

Trees  their  ample  produce  yielded  as  returning  seasons  went. 

And  the  earth  in  grateful  gladness  never  jailing  harvest  lent, 

Rains  descended  in  their  season,  never  came  the  blighting  gale, 

Rich  in  crop  and  rich  in  pasture  was  each  soft  and  smiling  vale, 

Loom  and  anvil  gave  their  produce  and  the  tilled  and  fertile  soil, 

And  the  nation  lived  rejoicing  in  their  old  ancestral  toil. 

1  Celestial  nymph. 


THE   EPIC   OF   RAMA  257 

BOOK  XII    ASWA-MEDHA 

(Sacrifice  of  the  Horse) 

THE  REAL  EPIC  ends  with  Rama's  happy  return  to  Ayodhya.  An  Uttara- 
Kanda  or  Supplement  is  added,  describing  the  fate  of  Sita,  and  giving  the 
poem  a  sad  ending. 

The  dark  cloud  of  suspicion  still  hung  on  the  fame  of  Sita,  and  the 
people  of  Aypdhya  made  reflections  on  the  conduct  of  their  king,  who 
had  taken  back  into  his  house  a  woman  who  had  lived  in  the  palace  of 
Ravan.  Rama  gave  way  to  the  opinion  of  his  people,  and  he  sent  away  his 
loving  and  faithful  Sita  to  live  in  forests  once  more. 

Sita  found  an  asylum  in  the  hermitage  of  Valmiki,  and  reputed  author 
of  this  Epic,  and  there  gave  birth  to  twins,  Lava  and  Kusa.  Years  passed 
on,  and  Lava  and  Kusa  grew  up  as  hermit  boys,  and  as  pupils  of  Valmiki. 

After  years  had  passed,  Rama  performed  a  great  Horse-sacrifice.  Kings 
and  princes  were  invited  from  neighbouring  countries,  and  a  great  feast 
was  held.  Valmiki  came  to  the  sacrifice,  and  his  pupils,  Lava  and  Kusa, 
chanted  there  the  great  Epic,  the  Ramayana,  describing  the  deeds  of 
Rama.  In  this  interesting  portion  of  the  poem  we  find  how  songs  and 
poetry  were  handed  down  in  ancient  India  by  memory.  The  boys  had 
learnt  the  whole  of  the  Epic  by  heart,  and  chanted  portions  of  it,  day  after 
day,  till  the  recital  was  completed.  We  are  told  that  the  poem  consists  of 
seven  books,  500  cantos,  and  24,000  couplets.  Twenty  cantos  were  recited 
each  day,  so  that  the  recital  of  the  whole  poem  must  have  taken  twenty- 
five  days.  It  was  by  such  feats  of  memory  and  by  such  recitals  that 
literature  was  preserved  in  ancient  times  in  India. 

Rama  recognised  his  sons  in  the  boy-minstrels,  and  his  heart  yearned 
once  more  for  Sita,  whom  he  had  banished  but  never  forgotten.  He  asked 
the  Poet  Valmiki  to  restore  his  wife  to  him,  and  he  desired  that  Sita  might 
once  more  prove  her  purity  in  the  great  assembly,  so  that  he  might  take 
her  back  with  the  approval  of  his  people. 

Sita  came.  But  her  life  had  been  darkened  by  an  unjust  suspicion,  her 
heart  was  broken,  and  she  invoked  the  Earth  to  take  her  back.  And  the 
Earth,  which  had  given  Sita  birth,  yawned  and  took  back  her  suffering 
child  into  her  bosom. 

In  the  ancient  hymns  of  the  Rtg  Veda,  Sita  is  simply  the  goddess  of  the 
field-furrow  which  bears  crops  for  men.  We  find  how  that  simple  con- 
ception is  concealed  in  the  Ramayana,  where  Sita  the  heroine  of  the  Epic 
is  still  born  of  the  field-furrow,  and  after  all  her  adventures  returns  to 


258  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

the  Earth.  To  the  millions  of  men  and  women  in  India,  however,  Sita  is 
not  an  allegory;  she  lives  in  their  hearts  and  affections  as  the  model  of 
womanly  love,  womanly  devotion,  and  a  wife's  noble  self-abnegation. 

The  portions  translated  in  this  Book  form  the  whole  or  portions  of 
Sections  xcii.,  xciii.,  xciv.,  and  xcvii.  of  Book  vii.  of  the  original  text. 

I    The  Sacrifice 

Years  have  passed;  the  lonely  Rama  in  his  joyless  palace  reigned, 
And  for  righteous  duty  yearning,  Aswa-medha l  rite  ordained, 
A.nd  a  steed  of  darkest  sable  with  the  valiant  Lakshman  sent, 
And  with  troops  and  faithful  courtiers  to  Naimisha's  forest  went. 
Fair  was  far  Naimisha's  forest  by  the  limpid  Gumti's  shore, 
Monarchs  came  and  warlike  chieftains,  Brahmans  versed  in  sacred  lore, 
Bharat  with  each  friend  and  kinsman  served  them  with  the  choicest  food, 
Proud  retainers  by  each  chieftain  and  each  crowned  monarch  stood. 
Palaces  and  stately  mansions  were  for  royal  guests  assigned, 
Peaceful  homes  for  learned  Brahmans  were  with  trees  umbrageous  lined, 
Gifts  were  made  unto  the  needy,  cloth  by  skilful  weavers  wrought, 
Ere  the  suppliants  spake  their  wishes,  ere  they  shaped  their  inmost 

thought! 

Rice  unto  the  helpless  widow,  to  the  orphan  wealth  and  gold, 
Gifts  they  gave  to  holy  Brahmans,  shelter  to  the  weak  and  old, 
Garments  to  the  grateful  people  crowding  by  their  monarch's  door, 
Food  and  drink  unto  the  hungry,  home  unto  the  orphan  poor. 
Ancient  rishis  had  not  witnessed  feast  like  this  in  any  land, 
Bright  Immortals  in  their  bounty  blest  not  with  a  kinder  hand, 
Through  the  year  and  circling  seasons  lasted  Rama's  sacred  feast, 
And  the  untold  wealth  of  Rama  by  his  kindly  gifts  increased! 

II    Valmiki  and  His  Pupils 

Foremost  midst  the  gathered  Sages  to  the  holy  yajna  *  came 
Deathless  Bard  of  Lay  Immortal — Saint  Valmiki  rich  in  fame, 
Midst  the  humble  homes  of  rishis,  on  the  confines  of  the  wood, 
Cottage  of  the  Saint  Valmiki  in  the  shady  garden  stood. 
Fruits  and  berries  from  the  jungle,  water  from  the  crystal  spring, 
With  a  careful  hand  Valmiki  did  unto  his  cottage  bring, 
1  Horse  sacrifice.  •  Sacrifice. 


THE    EPIC    OF    RAMA 

And  he  spake  to  gentle  Lava,  Kusa  child  of  righteous  fame, — 
Sita's  sons,  as  youthful  hermits  to  the  sacred  feast  they  came: 
"Lift  your  voices,  righteous  pupils,  and  your  richest  music  lend, 
Sing  the  Lay  of  Ramayana  from  the  first  unto  the  end, 
Sing  it  to  the  holy  Brahman,  to  the  warrior  fair  and  tall, 
In  the  crowded  street  and  pathway,  in  the  monarch's  palace  hall, 
Sing  it  by  the  door  of  Rama, — he  ordains  this  mighty  feast, 
Sing  it  to  the  royal  ladies, — they  shall  to  the  story  list, 
Sing  from  day  to  day  unwearied,  in  this  sacrificial  site, 
Chant  to  all  the  gathered  nations  Rama's  deeds  of  matchless  might, 
And  this  store  of  fruits  and  berries  will  allay  your  thirst  and  toil, 
Gentle  children  of  the  forest,  unknown  strangers  in  this  soil! 
Twenty  cantos  of  the  Epic,  morn  to  night,  recite  each  clay, 
Till  from  end  to  end  is  chanted  Ramayana  s  deathless  Lay, 
Ask  no  alms,  receive  no  riches,  nor  of  your  misfortunes  tell, 
Useless  unto  us  is  bounty  who  in  darksome  forests  dwell, 
Children  of  the  wood  and  mountain,  cruel  fortune  clouds  your  birth, 
Stainless  virtue  be  your  shelter,  virtue  be  your  wealth  on  earth! 
If  the  royal  Rama  questions  and  your  lineage  seeks  to  know, 
Say, — Valmiki  is  our  Teacher  and  our  Sire  on  earth  below, 
Wake  your  harps  to  notes  of  rapture  and  your  softest  accents  lend, 
With  the  music  of  the  poet  music  of  your  voices  blend, 
Bow  unto  the  mighty  monarch,  bow  to  Rama  fair  and  tall, 
He  is  father  of  his  subjects,  he  is  lord  of  creatures  all!" 

///    Recital  of  the  Ramayana 

When  the  silent  night  was  ended,  and  their  pure  ablutions  done, 
Joyous  went  the  minstrel  brothers,  and  their  lofty  lay  begun, 
Rama  to  the  hermit  minstrels  lent  a  monarch's  willing  ear, 
Blended  with  the  simple  music  dulcet  was  the  lay  to  hear, 
And  so  sweet  the  chanted  accents,  Rama's  inmost  soul  was  stirred, 
With  his  royal  guests  and  courtiers  still  the  deathless  lay  he  heard! 
Heralds  versed  in  old  Puranas,  Brahmans  skilled  in  pious  rite, 
Minstrels  deep  in  lore  of  music,  poets  fired  by  heavenly  might, 
Watchers  of  the  constellations,  ministers  of  the  festive  day, 
Men  of  science  and  of  logic,  bards  who  sang  the  ancient  lay, 
Painters  skilled  and  merry  dancers  who  the  festive  joy  prolong, 
Hushed  and  silent  in  their  wonder  listed  to  the  wondrous  song! 


200  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

And  as  poured  the  flood  of  music  through  the  bright  and  livelong  day, 
Eyes  and  ears  and  hearts  insatiate  drank  the  nectar  of  the  lay, 
And  the  eager  people  whispered :  "See  the  boys,  how  like  our  king 
As  two  drops  of  limpid  water  from  the  parent  bubble  spring! 
Were  the  boys  no  hermit-children,  in  the  hermit's  garments  clad, 
We  would  deem  them  Rama's  image, — Rama  as  a  youthful  lad!" 
Twenty  cantos  of  the  Epic  thus  the  youthful  minstrels  sung, 
And  the  voice  of  stringed  music  through  the  Epic  rolled  along, 
Out  spake  Rama  in  his  wonder:  "Scarce  I  know  who  these  may  be, 
Eighteen  thousand  golden  pieces  be  the  children-minstrels'  fee!" 
"Not  so,"  answered  thus  the  children,  "we  in  darksome  forests  dwell, 
Gold  and  silver,  bounteous  monarch,  forest  life  beseem  not  well!" 
"Noble  children!"  uttered  Rama,  "dear  to  me  the  words  you  say, 
Tell  me  who  composed  this  Epic, — Father  of  this  deathless  Lay?" 
"Saint  Valmity,"  spa\e  the  minstrels,  "framed  the  great  immortal  song 
Four  and  twenty  thousand  verses  to  this  noble  Lay  belong, 
Untold  tales  of  deathless  virtue  sanctify  his  sacred  line, 
And  five  hundred  glorious  cantos  in  this  glorious  Epic  shine, 
In  six  Boof(s  of  mighty  splendour  was  the  poet's  tas^  begun, 
With  a  seventh  Boof^,  supplemental  is  the  poet's  labour  done, 
All  thy  matchless  deeds,  O  monarch,  in  this  Lay  will  brighter  shine. 
List  to  us  from  first  to  ending  if  thy  royal  heart  incline!" 
"Be  it  so,"  thus  Rama  answered,  but  the  hours  of  day  were  o'er, 
And  Valmiki's  youthful  pupils  to  their  cottage  came  once  more. 
Rama  with  his  guests  and  courtiers  slowly  left  the  royal  hall, 
Eager  was  his  heart  to  listen,  eager  were  the  monarchs  all, 
And  the  voice  of  song  and  music  thus  was  lifted  day  to  day, 
And  from  day  to  day  they  listened  to  Valmiki's  deathless  Lay! 

IV    Lava  and  Kusa  Recognised 

Flashed  upon  the  contrite  Rama  glimpses  of  the  dawning  truth, 
And  with  tears  of  love  paternal  Rama  clasped  each  minstrel  youth, 
Yearned  his  sorrow-stricken  bosom  for  his  pure  and  peerless  dame, 
Sita  banished  to  the  forest,  stainless  in  her  righteous  fame! 
In  his  tears  repentant  Rama  to  Valmiki  message  sent, 
That  his  heart  with  eager  longing  sought  her  from  her  banishment : 
"Pure  in  soul!  before  these  monarchs  may  she  yet  her  virtue  prove, 
Grace  once  more  my  throne  and  kingdom,  share  my  unforgotten  love, 


THE   EPIC  OF   RAMA  261 

Pure  in  soul!  before  my  subjects  may  her  truth  and  virtue  shine, 
Queen  of  Rama's  heart  and  empire  may  she  once  again  be  mine!" 

V    SitaLost 

Morning  dawned;  and  with  Valmiki,  Sita  to  the  gathering  came, 

Banished  wife  and  weeping  mother,  sorrow-stricken,  suffering  dame, 

Pure  in  thought  and  deed,  Valmiki  gave  his  troth  and  plighted  word, — 

Faithful  still  the  banished  Sita  in  her  bosom  held  her  lord! 

"Mighty  Saint,"  so  Rama  answered  as  he  bowed  his  humble  head, 

"Listening  world  will  hear  thy  mandate  and  the  word  that  thou  hast  said, 

Never  in  his  bosom  Rama  questioned  Sita's  faithful  love, 

And  the  God  of  Fire  incarnate  did  her  stainless  virtue  prove! 

Pardon,  if  the  voice  of  rumour  drove  me  to  a  deed  of  shame, 

Bowing  to  my  people's  wishes  I  disowned  my  sinless  dame, 

Pardon,  if  to  please  my  subjects  I  have  bade  my  Sita  roam, 

Tore  her  from  my  throne  and  empire,  tore  her  from  my  heart  and  home! 

In  the  dark  and  dreary  forest  was  my  Sita  left  to  mourn, 

In  the  lone  and  gloomy  jungle  were  my  royal  children  born, 

Help  me,  Gods,  to  wipe  this  error  and  this  deed  of  sinful  pride, 

May  my  Sita  prove  her  virtue,  be  again  my  loving  bride!" 

Gods  and  Spirits,  bright  Immortals  to  that  royal  Yajna  came, 

Men  of  every  race  and  nation,  kings  and  chiefs  of  righteous  fame, 

Softly  through  the  halls  of  splendour  cool  and  scented  breezes  blew, 

Fragrance  of  celestial  blossoms  o'er  the  royal  chambers  flew. 

Sita  saw  the  bright  Celestials,  monarchs  gathered  from  afar, 

Saw  her  royal  lord  and  husband  bright  as  heaven-ascending  star, 

Saw  her  sons  as  hermit-minstrels  beaming  with  a  radiance  high, 

Milk  of  love  suffused  her  bosom,  tear  of  sorrow  filled  her  eye! 

Rama's  queen  and  Janak's  daughter,  will  she  stoop  her  cause  to  plead, 

Witness  of  her  truth  and  virtue  can  a  loving  woman  need? 

Oh!  her  woman's  heart  is  bursting,  and  her  day  on  earth  is  done, 

And  she  pressed  her  heaving  bosom,  slow  and  sadly  thus  begun : 

"//  unstained  in  thought  and  action  I  have  lived  from  day  of  birth, 

Spare  a  daughter's  shame  and  anguish  and  receive  her,  Mother  Earth! 

If  in  duty  and  devotion  I  have  laboured  undefiled, 

Mother  Earth!  who  bore  this  woman,  once  again  receive  thy  child! 

If  in  truth  unto  my  husband  I  have  proved  a  faithful  wife, 

Mother  Earth!  relieve  thy  Sita  from  the  burden  of  this  life!" 


262  INDIAN    IMAGINATION 

Then  the  earth  was  rent  and  parted,  and  a  golden  throne  arose, 
Held  aloft  by  jewelled  Nagas  as  the  leaves  enfold  the  rose, 
And  the  Mother  in  embraces  held  her  spotless  sinless  Child, 
Saintly  Janak's  saintly  daughter,  pure  and  true  and  undefiled, 
Gods  and  men  proclaim  her  virtue!  But  fair  Sita  is  no  more, 
Lone  is  Rama's  loveless  bosom  and  his  days  of  bliss  are  o'er! 

CONCLUSION 

IN  THE  CONCLUDING  PORTION  of  the  Uttora  or  Supplemental  Book,  the 
descendants  of  Rama  and  his  brothers  are  described  as  the  founders  of  the 
great  cities  and  kingdoms  which  flourished  in  Western  India  in  the 
fourth  and  fifth  centuries  before  the  Christian  Era. 

Bharat  had  two  sons,  Taksha  and  Pushkala.  The  former  founded 
Taksha-sila,  to  the  east  of  the  Indus,  and  known  to  Alexander  and  the 
Greeks  as  Taxila.  The  latter  founded  Pushkala-vati,  to  the  west  of  the 
Indus,  and  known  to  Alexander  and  the  Greeks  as  Peukelaotis.  Thus  the 
sons  of  Bharat  are  said  to  have  founded  kingdoms  which  flourished  on 
either  side  of  the  Indus  river  in  the  fourth  century  before  Christ. 

Lakshman  had  two  sons,  Angacla  and  Chandraketu.  The  former 
founded  the  kingdom  of  Karupada,  and  the  latter  founded  the  city  of 
Chandrakanti  in  the  Malwa  country. 

Satrughna  had  two  sons,  Suvahu  and  Satrughati.  The  former  became 
king  of  Mathura,  and  the  latter  ruled  in  Vidisha. 

Rama  had  two  sons,  Lava  and  Kusa.  The  former  ruled  in  Sravasti, 
which  was  the  capital  of  Oudh  at  the  time  of  the  Buddha  in  the  fifth  and 
sixth  centuries  before  Christ.  The  latter  founded  Kusavati  at  the  foot 
of  the  Vindhya  mountains. 

The  death  of  Rama  and  his  brothers  was  in  accordance  with  Hindu 
ideas  of  the  death  of  the  righteous.  Lakshman  died  under  somewhat 
peculiar  circumstances.  A  messenger  from  heaven  sought  a  secret  confer- 
ence with  Rama,  and  Rama  placed  Lakshman  at  the  gate,  with  strict 
injunctions  that  whoever  intruded  on  the  private  conference  should  be 
slain.  Lakshman  himself  had  to  disturb  the  conference  by  the  solicitation 
of  the  celestial  rishi  Durvasa,  who  always  appears  on  earth  to  create  mis- 
chief. And  true  to  the  orders  passed  by  Rama,  he  surrendered  his  life  by 
penances,  and  went  to  heaven. 

In  the  fulness  of  time,  Rama  and  his  other  brothers  left  •  Ayodhya, 
crossed  the  Sarayu,  surrendered  their  mortal  life  and  entered  heaven. 


INDIAN 
HUMOR 


The  Fables  of  Panchatantra 


INTRODUCTION 

INDIA  is  THE  HOME  OF  FABLES,  which  are  usually  associated  in  our  minds 
with  the  Greek  slave,  mentioned  by  Herodotus,  by  the  name  of  Aesop. 
Few  users  of  allusions  to  Aesop's  fables  which  have  crept  into  our  every- 
day language  realize  that  these  stories,  their  special  form  and  technique, 
can  be  traced  to  very  remote  sources  in  India.  Ernest  Rhys,  in  his  Intro- 
duction to  Fables,  Aesop  and  Others  (Everyman's)  justly  remarks,  "We 
have  to  admit  diat  the  beast-fable  did  not  begin  with  him  (Aesop),  or  in 
Greece  at  all.  We  have,  m  fact,  to  go  East  and  to  look  to  India  and  burrow 
in  the  'tales  within  tales'  of  Hitopadesa  to  get  an  idea  how  old  the 
antiquity  of  the  fable  actually  is." 

There  are  two  outstanding  collections  of  animal  fables  in  Indian  litera- 
ture, the  Panchatantra  and  the  Hitopadesa.  The  first  is  the  older  and 
richer  collection,  consisting  of  87  stories,  the  second,  of  43,  of  which  25 
are  found  in  the  Panchatantra.  According  to  Dr.  Hertel,  the  Panchatantra 
was  probably  written  down  in  the  second  century  B.C.  in  Kashmir,  but 
the  stones  themselves  are  much  older  from  evidences  in  Sanskrit  works. 
It  was  the  German  Sanskrit  scholar,  Theodor  Benfey,  who  translated  the 
Panchatantra  in  1859,  and  started  the  comparative  study  of  beast  fables, 
while  the  science  of  comparative  philology  had  been  started  by  the  Eng- 
lish pioneer  of  Sanskrit  studies,  Sir  William  Jones  in  1789,  and  its  founda- 
tion laid  by  Franz  Bopp  in  1816  through  the  comparison  of  Greek,  Latin, 
Sanskrit,  Celtic  and  Teutonic  words.  (Note  that  Pancha  means  "five," 
Panchatantra  meaning  "Five  Sections";  cf.  Pentateuch.)  Curiously,  a 
German  version  of  these  animal  fables,  made  in  1481,  was  one  of  the 
earliest  printed  books  in  Europe,  and  an  English  version  was  among 
the  books  that  came  from  Caxton's  printing  press.  Also,  the  Hito- 

265 


266  INDIAN    HUMOR 

padesa  was  one  of  the  first  printed  Sanskrit  books  in  the  beginning  of 
the  nineteenth  century.  Sir  Edwin  Arnold  translated  the  Hitopadesa 
(BooJ^  of  Good  Counsels)  from  the  Sanskrit  in  1861.  On  the  other  hand, 
the  Panchatantra  was  not  directly  translated  from  the  Sanskrit  until 
1924  by  Stanley  Rice,1  and  by  Arthur  W.  Ryder  in  1925. 

While  the  indebtedness  of  Aesop  to  the  Indian  fables  is  open  to  ques- 
tion and  can  never  be  settled  by  conclusive  evidence,  the  established 
route  of  migration  of  Indian  fables  into  Europe  has  been  interestingly 
described  by  Max  Miiller.2  The  stories  from  one  of  the  collections  of  the 
Panchatantra  (of  which  there  are  twenty-five  recensions),  were  translated 
into  Pahlawi  (Pehlevi)  in  the  sixth  century.  From  the  Persian,  it  was 
translated  into  Syriac  in  A.D.  570  (under  the  title  Kalilag  and  Damnag, 
names  of  the  jackals  telling  the  stories,  Tarataka  and  Damnaka),  and 
into  Arabic  in  the  eighth  century  as  the  Fables  of  Pilpay.  In  this  Arabic 
garb,  it  spread  through  the  Islam  world  and  reached  Spain,  Sicily,  Prov- 
ence and  France,  while  through  Constantinople,  it  reached  Eastern 
Europe  and  was  translated  into  Greek,  Latin,  German,  Italian  and 
English.  In  an  English  translation  from  the  Italian  it  was  probably 
known  to  Shakespeare.  Such  tales  have  inspired  similar  stories  of 
Boccaccio;  see  The  Gullible  Husband  and  The  Butter-Blinded  Brahman 
in  the  present  selection.  La  Fontaine,  in  the  edition  of  his  Fables  pub- 
lished in  1678,  says  in  the  Preface,  "It  is  not  necessary  that  I  should  say 
whence  I  have  taken  the  subjects  of  these  new  fables.  I  shall  only  say, 
from  a  sense  of  gratitude  that  I  owe  the  largest  portion  of  them  to 
Pilpay  the  Indian  Sage."  * 

The  Panchatantra  was  therefore  one  of  the  most  widely  known  and 
widely  translated  books  of  the  world  in  the  Middle  Ages.  As  to  the 
intriguing  question  of  the  origin  of  Aesop's  fables,  different  views  are 
possible  and  are  held  by  different  scholars.  Max  Miiller  believed  that 
these  fables  found  their  way  to  Greece  in  or  before  Herodotus'  time; 
others  held  the  opposite;  while  still  others  believe  in  a  common  Aryan 
origin,  or  in  independent  origins.  The  question  will  probably  never  be 
settled.  Rawlinson  points  out,  however,  "That  the  migration  of  fables 
was  originally  from  East  to  West,  and  not  vice  versa,  is  shown  by  the 

1  Stanley  Rice  wrote  in  1924  in  his  introduction  to  Ancient  fables  and  Stories  (Wisdom  of 
the  East  Series) :  "Indeed,  a  search  in  the  British  Museum  and  in  the  India  Office  libraries 
has  failed  to  discover  any  English  translation  whatsoever." 

*  "On  the  Migration  of  Fables,"  in  Chips  from  a  German  Workshop,  vol.  IV. 

*  Quoted  by  1 1.  H.  Gowen,  History  of  Indian  Literature. 


THE    FABLES   OF   PANCHATANTRA  267 

fact  that  the  animals  and  birds  who  play  the  leading  parts,  the  lion,  the 
jackal,  the  elephant,  and  the  peacock,  are  mostly  Indian  ones.  In  the 
European  versions  the  jackal  becomes  the  fox :  the  relation  between  the 
lion  and  the  jackal  is  a  natural  one,  whereas  that  between  the  lion  and 
the  fox  is  not." l  What  seems  to  me  common  sense  is  that  tigers,  monkeys 
and  crocodiles  abound  in  Indian  jungles  and  not  in  Greece.  One  cannot 
read  Indian  literature  without  being  constantly  impressed  by  the  sense 
of  the  forest. 

The  important  thing  to  point  out  is  that  the  fables  have  had  a  too 
luxuriant  growth  in  native  Indian  literature  to  permit  of  the  theory  of 
borrowed  origins.  With  an  apology  for  punning,  one  must  say  that  the 
Hindu  mind  is  fabulous.  The  genius  for  creating  fables  seems  inexhaus- 
tible in  Indian  literature,  while  Aesop  stood  almost  alone  in  Greece.  Wit- 
ness the  Buddhist  Birth  Stones  (the  fata  fas)*  and  the  Dhammapada 
Commentary  by  Buddhaghosha,8  running  each  into  four  or  five  hundred 
stories,  a  great  part  of  them  animal  fables,  and  the  Panchatantra  and  the 
Hitopadesa.  When  one  remembers  also  that  many  of  the  stories  in  the 
Arabian  Nights,  including  that  of  the  famous  Sindbad  the  Sailor,  are  of 
Hindu  origin,  it  is  not  easy  to  accept  the  view  that  such  tales  are  not  of 
native  Indian  growth. 

Like  the  Arabian  Nights,  the  Panchatantra  uses  a  framework:  that 
of  a  king  despairing  of  teaching  his  two  dull  princes  and  finally  engaging 
a  wise  Brahman  who  pledged  to  teach  these  two  dull  boys  the  complete 
niti,  or  wisdom  of  human  intercourse,  in  six  months,  and  who  proceeded 
to  teach  these  lessons  on  human  nature  through  the  fables,  cleverly  weav- 
ing one  tale  within  another  and  very  often  making  one  character  in  the 
story  start  telling  another  story  before  one  is  completed. 

The  gift  for  moralizing  that  we  see  in  Aesop  exists  in  rather  uncom- 
fortable abundance.  For  it  is  quite  clear  that  here  the  tale  adorns  the 
moral,  rather  than  the  moral  adorns  the  tale.  Many  of  these  maxims  are 
quotations  from  older  books,  like  the  Vedas,  and  some  of  them  are 
extremely  appropriate  today.  One  might  choose  the  following  as  the 
maxim  for  the  present  work  and  all  folk  literature: 

All  things  that  are  seen  or  heard 
In  science  or  the  Sacred  Word, 

1  "India  in  European  Thought  and  Literature"  in  The  Legacy  of  India,  Oxford. 
•Translated  by  T.  W.  Rhys  Davids,  London,  1880. 

*  Translated  by  E.  W.  Burhngame,  Buddhist  Legends,  in  3  vols.  I  larvard  Oriental  v 
Nos.  28,  29,  30. 


268  INDIAN    HUMOR 

All  things  in  interstellar  space 
Arc  known  among  the  populace. 

And  in  an  age  when  scholars  build  airplanes  without  knowing  how  to 
use  them,  one  could  agree  in  the  tale  of  Lion-Makers  that 

Scholarship  is  less  than  sense, 
Therefore  seek  intelligence. 

The  folly  of  appeasers  was  once  wittily  expressed  by  Heywood  Broun 
in  Aesop  fashion  when  he  said  that  "appeasers  believe  that  if  you  keep 
on  throwing  steaks  to  a  tiger,  the  tiger  will  become  a  vegetarian."  The 
author  of  Panchatantra  had  some  thing  similar  to  say : 

Caress  a  rascal  as  you  will, 

He  was,  and  is,  a  rascal  still: 

All  salve  and  sweating-treatments  fail 

To  take  the  kink  from  doggy's  tail. 

Conciliation  simply  makes 
A  focman's  indignation  splutter, 
Like  drops  of  water  sprinkled  on 
A  briskly  burning  pan  of  butter. 

And  we  may  derive  some  comfort  in  hearing  that  mankind  eventually 
always  overcomes  its  schemers : 

Since  scamp  and  sneak  and  snake 
So  often  undertake 
A  plan  that  does  not  thrive, 
The  world  wags  on,  alive. 

The  purpose  of  the  book  may  be  said  to  teach  wisdom  about  human 
nature  by  libeling  the  animal  world.  Like  Aesop,  the  author's  morals 
are  sharp  and  shrewd.  But  on  the  whole,  it  is  a  good  procedure  to  make 
the  animal  kingdom  bear  all  the  sins  of  hypocrisy  and  cunning  and 
avarice  of  mankind.  When  the  wolf  chides  the  lamb  for  fouling  the 
water  he  is  drinking,  the  people  of  the  weak  nations  know  who  the  wolf 
is  if  not  the  aggressor  himself.  And  when  a  fox  condemns  "sour  grapes," 
I  feel  that  he  is  distinctly  human:  a  fox  is  too  honest  for  that,  only 
humans  indulge  in  the  luxury  of  rationalizing  errors.  There  is  an  advan- 
tage in  making  animals  talk  like  men,  rather  than  make  gods  do  the 
same.  When  animals  talk  like  men,  we  at  least  feel  as  if  we  were  hearing 
children  talk  like  grown-ups,  which  is  pleasurable,  but  when  we  make 


THE    FABLES    OF    PANCHATANTRA  269 

the  gods  talk  like  human  beings,  we  feel  as  if  we  were  listening  to  old 
men  talking  like  children.  Rather  than  be  anthropomorphic  with  the 
gods,  let's  be  anthropomorphic  with  the  animals. 

The  present  selection  is  taken  from  the  translation  by  Arthur  W. 
Ryder,1  who  has  also  translated  the  beautiful  Safantala,  the  classic  Indian 
drama,  for  us.  I  have  often  found  it  necessary  to  omit  some  of  the  too 
many  verse  comments.  In  an  age  when  men  still  fight  like  animals,  it 
may  be  sometimes  quite  refreshing  to  re-enter  the  world  of  simple  human 
truths  and  recognize  ourselves  or  our  fellowmen  whose  names  may 
appear  in  the  morning  papers.  I  have  included  some  fables  at  the  end 
of  this  selection,  which  are  recognizable  as  familiar  to  us.  The  best  known 
is  that  containing  the  classical  example  of  anti-climax,  The  Brahman's 
Dream,  known  to  us  as  the  story  of  the  Milkmaid  who  dreamed  of  her 
wedding  and  overthrew  her  milk  pail.  The  story  of  the  Loyal  Mungoose, 
so  heroically  pathetic  and  worthy  of  a  Walt  Disney  cartoon,  can  be 
recognized  as  the  Welsh  story  of  Llewellyn  and  Gelert,  where  the  mun- 
goose  has  been  transformed  into  a  faithful  dog. 

But  I  do  wish  that  the  wise,  learned  and  calculating  appeasers  of 
America  and  Europe  had  read  The  Frogs  that  Rode  Snaf(ebac^  in  their 
childhood  and  taken  that  simple  wisdom  to  heart,  for  I  believe  Water- 
foot  who  gave  away  the  plebeian  frogs  to  the  snake  was  the  first  of  the 
race  of  appeasers.  And  the  first  of  the  isolationists  were  the  little  monkeys 
in  the  story  of  The  Unforgiving  Monkey. 
1  The  Panchatafitra,  University  of  Chicago  Press,  1925. 


The  Panchatantra 

Translated  by  Arthur  W.  Ryder 

INTRODUCTION  TO  THE  STORIES 

IN  THE  SOUTHERN  COUNTRY  is  a  city  called  Maidens'  Delight.  There  lived 
a  king  named  Immortal-Power.  He  was  familiar  with  all  the  works 
treating  of  the  wise  conduct  of  life.  His  feet  were  made  dazzling  by  the 
tangle  of  rays  of  light  from  jewels  in  the  diadems  of  mighty  kings  who 
knelt  before  him.  He  had  reached  the  far  shore  of  all  the  arts  that 
embellish  life.  This  king  had  three  sons.  Their  names  were  Rich-Power, 
Fierce-Power,  Endless-Power,  and  they  were  supreme  blockheads. 

Now  when  the  king  perceived  that  they  were  hostile  to  education,  he 
summoned  his  counselors  and  said:  "Gentlemen,  it  is  known  to  you 
that  these  sons  of  mine,  being  hostile  to  education,  are  lacking  in  dis- 
cernment. So  when  I  behold  them,  my  kingdom  brings  me  no  happiness, 
though  all  external  thorns  are  drawn.  For  there  is  wisdom  in  the  proverb : 

Of  sons  unborn,  or  dead,  or  fools, 

Unborn  or  dead  will  do: 
They  cause  a  little  grief,  no  doubt; 

But  fools,  a  long  life  through. 

And  again: 

To  what  good  purpose  can  a  cow 

That  brings  no  calf  nor  milk,  be  bent? 
Or  why  beget  a  son  who  proves 

A  dunce  and  disobedient? 

Some  means  must  therefore  be  devised  to  awaken  their  intelligence." 
And  they,  one  after  another,  replied :  "O  King,  first  one  learns  gram- 
mar, in  twelve  years.  If  this  subject  has  somehow  been  mastered,  then 
270 


THE    PANCHATANTRA  271 

one  masters  the  books  on  religion  and  practical  life.  Then  the  intelligence 
awakens." 

But  one  of  their  number,  a  counselor  named  Keen,  said:  UO  King,  the 
duration  of  life  is  limited,  and  the  verbal  sciences  require  much  time  for 
mastery.  Therefore  let  some  kind  of  epitome  be  devised  to  wake  their 
intelligence.  There  is  a  proverb  that  says : 

Since  verbal  science  has  no  final  end, 
Since  life  is  short,  and  obstacles  impend, 
Let  central  facts  be  picked  and  firmly  fixed, 
As  swans  extract  the  milk  with  water  mixed. 

"Now  there  is  a  Brahman  here  named  Vishnusharman,1  with  a  repu- 
tation for  competence  in  numerous  sciences.  Intrust  the  princes  to  him. 
He  will  certainly  make  them  intelligent  in  a  twinkling." 

When  the  king  had  listened  to  this,  he  summoned  Vishnusharman 
and  said :  "Holy  sir,  as  a  favor  to  me  you  must  make  these  princes  incom- 
parable masters  of  the  art  of  practical  life.  In  return,  I  will  bestow  upon 
you  a  hundred  land-grants." 

And  Vishnusharman  made  answer  to  the  king:  "O  King,  listen.  Here 
is  the  plain  truth.  I  am  not  the  man  to  sell  good  learning  for  a  hundred 
land-grants.  But  if  I  do  not,  m  six  months'  time,  make  the  boys  acquainted 
with  the  art  of  intelligent  living,  I  will  give  up  my  own  name.  Let  us 
cut  the  matter  short.  Listen  to  my  lion-roar.  My  boasting  arises  from  no 
greed  for  cash.  Besides,  I  have  no  use  for  money;  I  am  eighty  years  old, 
and  all  the  objects  of  sensual  desire  have  lost  their  charm.  But  in  order 
that  your  request  may  be  granted,  I  will  show  a  sporting  spirit  in  ref- 
erence to  artistic  matters.  Make  a  note  of  the  date.  If  I  fail  to  render  your 
sons,  in  six  months'  time,  incomparable  masters  of  the  art  of  intelligent 
living,  then  His  Majesty  is  at  liberty  to  show  me  His  Majestic  bare 
bottom." 

When  the  king,  surrounded  by  his  counselors,  had  listened  to  the 
Brahman's  highly  unconventional  promise,  he  was  penetrated  with 
wonder,  intrusted  the  princes  to  him,  and  experienced  supreme  content. 

Meanwhile,  Vishnusharman  took  the  boys,  went  home,  and  made 
them  learn  by  heart  five  books  which  he  compsed  and  called:  (I)  "The 
Loss  of  Friends,"  (II)  "The  Winning  of  Friends,"  (III)  "Crows  and 
Owls,"  (IV)  "Loss  of  Gains,"  (V)  "Ill-considered  Action." 

1  It  1$  possible  that  Vishnusharman  was  the  real  author  of  the  book. 


272  INDIAN    HUMOR 

These  the  princes  learned,  and  in  six  months'  time  they  answered  the 
prescription.  Since  that  day  this  work  on  the  art  of  intelligent  living, 
called  Panchatantra,  or  the  "Five  Books,"  has  traveled  the  world,  aiming 
at  the  awakening  of  intelligence  in  the  young.  To  sum  the  matter  up: 

Whoever  learns  the  work  by  heart, 
Or  through  the  story-teller's  art 

Becomes  acquainted, 
His  life  by  sad  defeat — although 
The  king  of  heaven  be  his  foe — 

Is  never  tainted. 


THE  FROGS  THAT  RODE  SNAKEBACK 

THERE  WAS  ONCE  an  elderly  black  snake  in  a  certain  spot,  and  his  name 
Vvas  Slow-Poison.  He  considered  the  situation  from  this  point  of  view: 
"How  in  the  world  can  I  get  along  without  overtaxing  my  energies?" 
Then  he  went  to  a  pond  containing  many  frogs,  and  behaved  as  if  very 
dejected. 

As  he  waited  thus,  a  frog  came  to  the  edge  of  the  water  and  asked: 
"Uncle,  why  don't  you  bustle  about  today  for  food  as  usual?" 

"My  dear  friend,"  said  Slow-Poison,  "I  am  afflicted.  Why  should  I 
wish  for  food  ?  For  this  evening,  as  I  was  bustling  about  for  food,  I  saw 
a  frog  and  made  ready  to  catch  him.  But  he  saw  me  and,  fearing  death, 
he  escaped  among  some  Brahmans  intent  upon  holy  recitation,  nor  did 
I  perceive  which  way  he  went.  But  in  the  water  at  the  edge  of  the  pond 
was  the  great  toe  of  a  Brahman  boy,  and  stupidly  deceived  by  its  resem- 
blance to  a  frog,  I  bit  it,  and  the  boy  died  immediately.  Then  the  sorrow- 
ing father  cursed  me  in  these  terms:  'Monster!  Since  you  bit  my  harm- 
less son,  you  shall  for  this  sin  become  a  vehicle  for  frogs,  and  shall  subsist 
on  whatever  they  choose  to  allow  you/  Consequently,  I  have  come  here 
to  serve  as  your  vehicle." 

Now  the  frog  reported  this  to  all  the  others.  And  every  last  one  of 
them,  in  extreme  delight,  went  and  reported  to  the  frog-king,  whose 
name  was  Water-Foot.  He  in  turn,  accompanied  by  his  counselors,  rose 
hurriedly  from  the  pond — for  he  thought  it  an  extraordinary  occurrence 
— and  climbed  upon  Slow-Poison's  hood.  The  others  also,  in  order  of 
age,  climbed  on  his  back.  Yet  others,  finding  no  vacant  spot,  hopped 
along  behind  the  snake.  Now  Slow-Poison,  with  an  eye  to  making  his 


THE    PANCHATANTRA  273 

living,  showed  them  fancy  turns  in  great  variety.  And  Water-Foot, 
enjoying  contact  with  his  body,  said  to  him: 

I'd  rather  ride  Slow-Poison  than 

The  finest  horse  I've  seen, 
Or  elephant,  or  chariot, 

Or  man-borne  palanquin. 

The  next  day,  Slow-Poison  was  wily  enough  to  move  very  slowly.  So 
Water-Foot  said :  "My  dear  Slow-Poison,  why  don't  you  carry  us  nicely, 
as  you  did  before?" 

And  Slow-Poison  said:  "O  King,  I  have  no  carrying  power  today  be- 
cause of  lack  of  food."  My  dear  fellow,"  said  the  king,  "eat  the  plebeian 
frogs." 

When  Slow-Poison  heard  this,  he  quivered  with  joy  in  every  member 
and  made  haste  to  say :  "Why,  that  is  a  part  of  the  curse  laid  on  me  by 
the  Brahman.  For  that  reason  I  am  greatly  pleased  at  your  command." 
So  he  ate  frogs  uninterruptedly,  and  in  a  very  few  days  he  grew  strong. 
And  with  delight  and  inner  laughter  he  said : 

The  trick  was  good.  All  sorts  of  frogs 

Within  my  power  have  passed. 
The  only  question  that  remains, 

Is:  How  long  will  they  last? 

Water-Foot,  for  his  part,  was  befooled  by  Slow-Poison's  plausibilitiesx 
and  did  not  notice  a  thing. 

THE  UNFORGIVING  MONKEY 

IN  A  CERTAIN  CITY  was  a  king  named  Moon,  who  had  a  pack  of  monkeys 
for  his  son's  amusement.  They  were  kept  in  prime  condition  by  daily 
provender  and  pabulum  in  great  variety. 

For  the  amusement  of  the  same  prince  there  was  a  herd  of  rams.  One 
of  them  had  an  itching  tongue,  so  he  went  into  the  kitchen  at  all  hours 
of  the  day  and  night  and  swallowed  everything  in  sight.  And  the  cooks 
would  beat  him  with  any  stick  or  other  object  within  reach. 

Now  when  the  chief  of  the  monkeys  observed  this,  he  reflected:  "Dear 
me!  This  quarrel  between  ram  and  cooks  will  mean  the  destruction  of 
the  monkeys.  For  the  ram  is  a  regular  guzzler,  and  when  the  cooks 
are  infuriated,  they  hit  him  witJi  anything  handy.  Suppose  some  time 


274  INDIAN    HUMOR 

they  find  nothing  else  and  beat  him  with  a  firebrand.  Then  that  broad, 
woolly  back  will  very  easily  catch  fire.  And  if  the  ram,  while  burning, 
plunges  into  the  stable  near  by,  it  will  blaze— for  it  is  mostly  thatch— 
and  the  horses  will  be  scorched.  Now  the  standard  work  on  veterinary 
science  prescribes  monkey-fat  to  relieve  burns  on  horses.  This  being  so, 
we  are  threatened  with  death.'* 
Having  reached  this  conclusion,  he  assembled  the  monkeys  and  said: 

"A  quarrel  of  the  ram  and  cooks 

Has  lately  come  about; 
It  threatens  every  monkey  life 
Without  a  shade  of  doubt. 

"Because,  if  senseless  quarrels  rend 

A  house  from  day  to  day, 
The  folk  who  wish  to  keep  alive 
Had  better  move  away. 

"Therefore  let  us  leave  the  house  and  take  to  the  woods  before  we  arc 
all  dead." 

But  the  conceited  monkeys  laughed  at  his  warning  and  said:  "Oho! 
You  are  old  and  your  mind  is  slipping.  Your  words  prove  it.  We  have 
no  intention  of  foregoing  the  heavenly  dainties  which  the  princes  give 
us  with  their  own  hands,  in  order  to  eat  fruits  peppery,  puckery,  bitter, 
and  sour  from  the  tree$  out  there  in  the  forest." 

Having  listened  to  this,  the  monkey  chief  made  a  wry  face  and  said: 
"Come,  come!  You  are  fools.  You  do  not  consider  the  outcome  of  this 
pleasant  life.  Just  at  present  it  is  sweet,  at  the  last  it  will  turn  to  poison. 
At  any  rate,  I  will  not  behold  the  death  of  my  household.  I  am  off  for 
that  very  forest." 

With  these  words  the  chief  left  them  all  behind,  and  went  to  the  forest. 

One  day  after  he  had  gone,  the  ram  entered  the  kitchen.  And  the 
cook,  finding  nothing  else,  picked  up  a  firebrand,  half-consumed  and 
still  blazing,  and  struck  him.  Whereat,  with  half  his  body  blazing,  he 
plunged  bleating  into  the  stable  near  by.  There  he  rolled  until  flames 
started  up  on  all  sides — for  the  stable  was  mostly  thatch — and  of  the 
horses  tethered  there  some  died,  their  eyes  popping,  while  some,  half- 
burned  to  death  and  whinnying  with  pain,  snapped  their  halters,  so  that 
nobody  knew  what  to  do. 

In  this  state  of  affairs,  the  saddened  king  assembled  the  veterinary 


THE    PANCHATANTRA  275 

surgeons  and  said :  "Prescribe  some  method  of  giving  these  horses  relief 
from  the  pain  of  their  burns."  And  they,  recalling  the  teachings  of  their 
science,  prescribed  for  this  emergency  the  remedy  of  applying  monkey- 
fat. 

When  the  king  heard  this,  he  ordered  the  slaughter  of  the  monkeys. 
And,  not  to  waste  words,  every  one  was  killed. 

Now  the  monkey  chief  did  not  with  his  own  eyes  see  this  outrage 
perpetrated  on  his  household.  But  he  heard  the  story  as  it  passed  from 
one  to  another,  and  did  not  take  it  tamely.  As  the  proverb  says: 

If  foes  commit  an  outrage  on 

A  house,  and  one  forgives — 
Be  it  from  fear  or  greed — he  is 

The  meanest  man  that  lives. 

Now  as  the  elderly  monkey  wandered  about  thirsty,  he  came  to  a  lake 
made  lovely  by  clusters  of  lotuses.  And  as  he  observed  it  narrowly,  he 
noticed  footprints  leading  into  the  lake,  but  none  coming  out.  There- 
upon he  reflected:  "There  must  be  some  vicious  beast  here  in  the  water. 
So  I  will  stay  at  a  safe  distance  and  drink  through  a  hollow  lotus-stalk." 

When  he  had  done  so,  there  issued  from  the  water  a  man-eating  fiend 
with  a  pearl  necklace  adorning  his  neck,  who  spoke  and  said:  "Sir,  1 
eat  everyone  who  enters  the  water.  So  there  is  none  shrewder  than  you, 
who  drink  in  this  fashion.  I  have  taken  a  liking  to  you.  Name  your 
heart's  desire." 

"Sir,"  said  the  monkey,  "how  many  can  you  eat?"  And  the  fiend 
replied:  "I  can  eat  hundreds,  thousands,  myriads,  yes,  hundreds  of 
thousands,  if  they  enter  the  water.  Outside,  a  jackal  can  overpower  me." 

"And  I,"  said  the  monkey,  "I  live  in  mortal  enmity  with  a  king.  If 
you  will  give  me  that  pearl  necklace,  I  will  awaken  his  greed  with  a 
plausible  narrative,  and  will  make  that  king  enter  the  lake  along  with 
his  retinue."  So  the  fiend  handed  over  the  pearl  necklace. 

Then  people  saw  the  monkey  roaming  over  trees  and  palace-roofs 
with  a  pearl  necklace  embellishing  his  throat,  and  they  asked  him: 
"Well,  chief,  where  have  you  spent  this  long  time?  Where  did  you  get 
a  pearl  necklace  like  that?  Its  dazzling  beauty  dims  the  very  sun." 

And  the  monkey  answered:  "In  a  spot  in  the  forest  is  a  shrewdly 
h'.dden  lake,  a  creation  of  the  god  of  wealth.  Through  his  grace,  if 
anyone  bathes  there  at  sunrise  on  Sunday,  he  comes  out  with  a  pearl 
necklace  like  this  embellishing  his  throat." 


276  INDIAN    HUMOR 

Now  the  king  heard  this  from  somebody,  summoned  the  monkey, 
and  asked:  "Is  this  true,  chief?"  "O  King,"  said  the  monkey,  "you  have 
visible  proof  in  the  pearl  necklace  on  my  throat.  If  you,  too,  could  find 
a  use  for  one,  send  somebody  with  me,  and  I  will  show  him." 

On  hearing  this,  the  king  said:  "In  view  of  the  facts,  I  will  come 
myself  with  my  retinue,  so  that  we  may  acquire  numbers  of  pearl  neck- 
laces." "O  King,"  said  the  monkey,  "your  idea  is  delicious." 

So  the  king  and  his  retinue  started,  greedy  for  pearl  necklaces.  And 
the  king  in  his  palanquin  clasped  the  monkey  to  his  bosom,  showing 
him  honor  as  they  traveled.  For  there  is  wisdom  in  the  saying: 

The  hair  grows  old  with  aging  years; 
The  teeth  grow  old,  the  eyes  and  ears. 
But  while  the  aging  seasons  speed, 
One  thing  is  young  forever — greed. 

At  dawn  they  reached  the  lake  and  the  monkey  said  to  the  king:  "O 
King,  fulfilment  comes  to  those  who  enter  at  sunrise.  Let  all  your 
attendants  be  told,  so  that  they  may  dash  in  with  one  fell  swoop.  You, 
however,  must  enter  with  me,  for  I  will  pick  the  place  I  found  before 
and  show  you  plenty  of  pearl  necklaces."  So  all  the  attendants  entered 
and  were  eaten  by  the  fiend. 

Then,  as  they  lingered,  the  king  said  to  monkey:  "Well,  chief,  why 
do  my  attendants  linger?"  And  the  monkey  hurriedly  climbed  a  tree 
before  saying  to  the  king:  "You  villainous  king,  your  attendants  are 
eaten  by  a  fiend  that  lives  in  the  water.  My  enmity  with  you,  arising 
from  the  death  of  my  household,  has  been  brought  to  a  happy  termina- 
tion. Now  go.  I  did  not  make  you  enter  there,  because  I  remembered 
that  you  were  the  king.  Thus  you  plotted  the  death  of  my  household, 
and  I  of  yours." 

When  the  king  heard  this,  he  hastened  home,  grief-stricken. 

THE  LION-MAKERS 

IN  A  CERTAIN  TOWN  were  four  Brahmans  who  lived  in  friendship.  Three 
of  them  had  reached  the  far  shore  of  all  scholarship,  but  lacked  sense. 
The  other  found  scholarship  distasteful;  he  had  nothing  but  sense. 

One  day  they  met  for  consultation.  "What  is  the  use  of  attainments," 
said  they,  "if  one  does  not  travel,  win  the  favor  of  kings,  and  acquire 
money?  Whatever  we  do,  let  us  all  travel." 


THE    PANCHATANTRA  277 

But  when  they  had  gone  a  little  way,  the  eldest  of  them  said :  "One  of 
us,  the  fourth,  is  a  dullard,  having  nothing  but  sense.  Now  nobody  gains 
the  favorable  attention  of  kings  by  simple  sense  without  scholarship. 
Therefore  we  will  not  share  our  earnings  with  him.  Let  him  turn  back 
and  go  home." 

Then  the  second  said:  "My  intelligent  friend,  you  lack  scholarship. 
Please  go  home."  But  the  third  said:  "No,  no.  This  is  no  way  to  behave. 
For  we  have  played  together  since  we  were  little  boys.  Come  along, 
my  noble  friend.  You  shall  have  a  share  of  the  money  we  earn." 

With  this  agreement  they  continued  their  journey,  and  in  a  forest 
they  found  the  bones  of  a  dead  lion.  Thereupon  one  of  them  said:  "A 
good  opportunity  to  test  the  ripeness  of  our  scholarship.  Here  lies  some 
kind  of  creature,  dead.  Let  us  bring  it  to  life  by  means  of  the  scholar- 
ship we  have  honestly  won." 

Then  the  first  said:  "I  know  how  to  assemble  the  skeleton."  The 
second  said:  "I  can  supply  skin,  flesh,  and  blood."  The  third  said:  "I 
can  give  it  life." 

So  the  first  assembled  the  skeleton,  the  second  provided  skin,  flesh, 
and  blood.  But  while  the  third  was  intent  on  giving  the  breath  of  life, 
the  man  of  sense  advised  against  it,  remarking:  "This  is  a  lion.  If  you 
bring  him  to  life,  he  will  kill  every  one  of  us." 

"You  simpleton!"  said  the  other,  "it  is  not  I  who  will  reduce  scholar- 
ship to  a  nullity."  "In  that  case,"  came  the  reply,  "wait  a  moment,  while 
I  climb  this  convenient  tree." 

When  this  had  been  done,  the  lion  was  brought  to  life,  rose  up,  and 
killed  all  three.  But  the  man  of  sense,  after  the  lion  had  gone  elsewhere, 
climbed  down  and  went  home. 

"And  that  is  why  I  say: 

Scholarship  is  less  than  sense; 
Therefore  seek  intelligence: 
Senseless  scholars  in  their  pride 
Made  a  lion;  then  they  died." 

MOUSE-MAID  MADE  MOUSE 

THE  BILLOWS  of  the  Ganges  were  dotted  with  pearly  foam  born  of  the 
leaping  of  fishes  frightened  at  hearing  the  roar  of  the  waters  that  broke 
on  the  rugged,  rocky  shore.  On  the  bank  was  a  hermitage  crowded  with 


278  INDIAN    HUMOR 

holy  men  devoting  their  time  to  the  performance  of  sacred  rites- 
chanting,  self-denial,  self-torture,  study,  fasting,  and  sacrifice.  They 
Would  take  purified  water  only,  and  that  in  measured  sips.  Their  bodies 
Wasted  under  a  diet  of  bulbs,  roots,  fruits,  and  moss.  A  loin-cloth  made 
of  bark  formed  their  scanty  raiment. 

The  father  of  the  hermitage  was  named  Yajnavalkya.  After  he  had 
bathed  in  the  sacred  stream  and  had  begun  to  rinse  his  mouth,  a  little 
female  mouse  dropped  from  a  hawk's  beak  and  fell  into  his  hand.  When 
he  saw  what  she  was,  he  laid  her  on  a  banyan  leaf,  repeated  his  bath  and 
mouth-rinsing,  and  performed  a  ceremony  of  purification.  Then  through 
the  magic  power  of  his  holiness,  he  changed  her  into  a  girl,  and  took  her 
with  him  to  his  hermitage. 

As  his  wife  was  childless,  he  said  to  her:  "Take  her,  my  dear  wife. 
She  has  come  into  life  as  your  daughter,  and  you  must  rear  her  care- 
fully." So  the  wife  reared  her  and  spoiled  her  with  petting.  As  soon  as 
the  girl  reached  the  age  of  twelve,  the  mother  saw  that  she  was  ready  for 
marriage,  and  said  to  her  husband:  "My  dear  husband,  how  can  you 
fail  to  see  that  the  time  is  passing  when  your  daughter  should  marry?" 

And  he  replied:  "You  are  quite  right,  my  dear.  The  saying  goes: 

For  if  she  bides  a  maiden  still, 
She  gives  herself  to  whom  she  will; 
Then  marry  her  in  tender  age: 
So  warns  the  heaven-begotten  sage. 

If  she,  unwed,  unpurified, 
Too  long  within  the  home  abide, 
She  may  no  longer  married  be: 
A  miserable  spinster,  she. 

A  father  then,  avoiding  sin, 
Weds  her,  the  appointed  time  within 
(Where'er  a  husband  may  be  had) 
To  good,  indifferent,  or  bad. 

Now  I  will  try  to  give  her  to  one  of  her  own  station.  You  know  the 
saying: 

Where  wealth  is  very  much  the  same, 
And  similar  the  family  fame, 
Marriage  (or  friendship)  is  secure; 
But  not  between  the  rich  and  poor. 


THE    PANCHATANTRA  279 

"But 

Get  money,  good  looks, 
And  knowledge  of  books, 
Good  family,  youth, 
Position,  and  truth. 

"So,  if  she  is  willing,  I  will  summon  the  blessed  sun,  and  give  her  to 
him."  "I  see  no  harm  in  that,"  said  his  wife.  "Let  it  be  done." 

The  holy  man  therefore  summoned  the  sun,  who  appeared  without 
delay,  and  said:  "Holy  sir,  why  am  I  summoned?"  The  father  said: 
"Here  is  a  daughter  of  mine.  Be  kind  enough  to  marry  her."  Then, 
turning  to  his  daughter,  he  said:  "Little  girl,  how  do  you  like  him,  this 
blessed  lamp  of  the  three  worlds?"  "No,  father,"  said  the  girl.  "He  is  too 
burning  hot.  I  could  not  like  him.  Please  summon  another  one,  more 
excellent  than  he  is." 

Upon  hearing  this,  the  holy  man  said  to  the  sun:  "Blessed  one,  is 
there  any  superior  to  you?"  And  the  sun  replied:  "Yes,  the  cloud  is 
superior  even  to  me.  When  he  covers  me,  I  disappear." 

So  the  holy  man  summoned  the  cloud  next,  and  said  to  the  maiden: 
"Little  girl,  I  will  give  you  to  him."  "No,"  said  she.  "This  one  is  black 
and  frigid.  Give  me  to  someone  finer  than  he." 

Then  the  holy  man  asked:  "O  cloud,  is  there  anyone  superior  to  you?" 
And  the  cloud  replied:  "The  wind  is  superior  even  to  me." 

So  he  summoned  the  wind,  and  said :  "Little  girl,  I  give  you  to  him." 
"Father,"  said  she,  "this  one  is  too  fidgety.  Please  invite  somebody  su- 
perior even  to  him."  So  the  holy  man  said:  "O  wind,  is  there  anyone 
superior  even  to  you?"  "Yes,"  said  the  wind.  "The  mountain  is  superior 
to  me." 

So  he  summoned  the  mountain  and  said  to  the  maiden:  "Little  girl, 
I  give  you  to  him."  "Oh,  father,"  said  she.  "He  is  rough  all  over,  and 
stiff.  Please  give  me  to  somebody  else." 

So  the  holy  man  asked:  "O  kingly  mountain,  is  there  anyone  superior 
even  to  you?"  "Yes,"  said  the  mountain.  "Mice  are  superior  to  me."  * 

Then  the  holy  man  summoned  a  mouse,  and  presented  him  to  the 
little  girl,  saying:  "Little  girl,  do  you  like  this  mouse?" 

The  moment  she  saw  him,  she  felt:  "My  own  kind,  my  own  kind," 
and  her  body  thrilled  and  quivered,  and  she  said:  "Father  dear,  turn 
me  into  a  mouse,  and  give  me  to  him.  Then  I  can  keep  house  as  my 
kind  of  people  ought  to  do." 

1  Because  mice  bore  holes  in  the  mountain  sides. 


280  INDIAN    HUMOR 

And  her  father,  through  the  magic  power  of  his  holiness,  turned  her 
into  a  mouse,  and  gave  her  to  him. 

"And  that  is  why  I  say: 

Though  mountain,  sun,  and  cloud,  and  wind 

Were  suitors  at  her  feet, 
The  mouse-maid  turned  a  mouse  again — 

Nature  is  hard  to  beat." 


THE  DUEL  BETWEEN  ELEPHANT  AND  SPARROW 

IN  A  DENSE  bit  of  jungle  lived  a  sparrow  and  his  wife,  who  had  built 
their  nest  on  the  branch  of  a  tamal  tree,  and  in  course  of  time  a  family 
appeared. 

Now  one  day  a  jungle  elephant  with  the  spring  fever  was  distressed  by 
the  heat,  and  came  beneath  that  tamal  tree  in  search  of  shade.  Blinded 
by  his  fever,  he  pulled  with  the  tip  of  his  trunk  at  the  branch  where  the 
sparrows  had  their  nest,  and  broke  it.  In  the  process  the  sparrows'  eggs 
were  crushed,  though  the  parent-birds — further  life  being  predestined 
— barely  escaped  death.  . 

Then  the  hen-sparrow  lamented,  desolate  with  grief  at  the  death  of 
her  chicks.  And  presently,  hearing  her  lamentation,  a  woodpecker  bird, 
a  great  friend  of  hers,  came  grieved  at  her  grief,  and  said:  "My  dear 
friend,  why  lament  in  vain?  For  the  Scripture  says: 

For  lost  and  dead  and  past 

The  wise  have  no  laments: 
Between  the  wise  and  fools 

Is  just  this  difference." 

"That  is  good  doctrine,"  said  the  hen-sparrow,  "but  what  of  it  ?  This 
elephant — curse  his  spring  fever! — killed  my  babies.  So  if  you  are  my 
friend,  think  of  some  plan  to  kill  this  big  elephant.  If  that  were  done,  I 
should  feel  less  grief  at  the  death  of  my  children." 

"Madam,"  said  the  woodpecker,  "your  remark  is  very  true.  For  the 
proverb  says: 

A  friend  in  need  is  a  friend  indeed, 

Although  of  different  caste; 
The  whole  world  is  your  eager  friend 
So  long  as  riches  last. 


THE    PANCHATANTRA  28l 

"Now  sec  what  my  wit  can  devise.  But  you  must  know  that  I,  too, 
have  a  friend,  a  gnat  called  Lute-Buzz.  I  will  return  with  her,  so  that 
this  villainous  beast  of  an  elephant  may  be  killed." 

So  he  went  with  the  hen-sparrow,  found  the  gnat,  and  said:  "Dear 
madam,  this  is  my  friend  the  hen-sparrow.  She  is  mourning  because  a 
villainous  elephant  smashed  her  eggs.  So  you  must  lend  your  assistance 
while  I  work  out  a  plan  for  killing  him." 

"My  good  friend,"  said  the  gnat,  "there  is  only  one  possible  answer.  But 
I  also  have  a  very  intimate  friend,  a  frog  named  Cloud-Messenger.  Let 
us  do  the  right  thing  by  calling  him  into  consultation." 

So  all  three  went  together  and  told  Cloud-Messenger  the  entire  story. 
And  the  frog  said:  "How  feeble  a  thing  is  that  wretched  elephant  when 
pitted  against  a  great  throng  enraged!  Gnat,  you  must  go  and  buzz  in 
his  fevered  car,  so  that  he  may  shut  his  eyes  in  delight  at  hearing  your 
music.  Then  the  woodpecker's  bill  will  peck  out  his  eyes.  After  that  I 
will  sit  on  the  edge  of  a  pit  and  croak.  And  he,  being  thirsty,  will  hear 
me,  and  will  approach  expecting  to  find  a  body  of  water.  When  he 
comes  to  the  pit,  he  will  fall  in  and  perish." 

When  they  carried  out  the  plan,  the  fevered  elephant  shut  his  eyes 
in  delight  at  the  song  of  the  gnat,  was  blinded  by  the  woodpecker, 
wandered  thirst-smitten  at  noonday,  followed  the  croak  of  a  frog,  came 
to  a  great  pit,  fell  in,  and  died. 

"And  that  is  why  I  say : 

Woodpecker  and  sparrow, 
With  froggy  and  gnat, 
Attacking  en  masse,  laid 
The  elephant  flat." 

THE  HERON  THAT  LIKED  CRABMEAT 

THERE  WAS  ONCE  a  heron  in  a  certain  place  on  the  edge  of  a  pond.  Being 
old,  he  sought  an  easy  way  of  catching  fish  on  which  to  live.  He  began 
by  lingering  at  the  edge  of  his  pond,  pretending  to  be  quite  irresolute, 
not  eating  even  the  fish  within  his  reach. 

Now  among  the  fish  lived  a  crab.  He  drew  near  and  said:  "Uncle, 
why  do  you  neglect  today  your  usual  meals  and  amusements?"  And 
the  heron  replied:  "So  long  as  I  kept  fat  and  flourishing  by  eating  fish, 
I  spent  my  time  pleasantly,  enjoying  the  taste  of  you.  But  a  great  dis- 


282  INDIAN    HUMOR 

aster  will  soon  befall  you.  And  as  I  am  old,  this  will  cut  short  the  pleasant 
course  of  my  life.  For  this  reason  I  feel  depressed." 

"Uncle,"  said  the  crab,  "of  what  nature  is  the  disaster?"  And  the 
heron  continued :  "Today  I  overheard  the  talk  of  a  number  of  fishermen 
as  they  passed  near  the  pond.  'This  is  a  big  pond,*  they  were  saying, 
'full  of  fish.  We  will  try  a  cast  of  the  net  tomorrow  or  the  day  after.  But 
today  we  will  go  to  the  lake  near  the  city.'  This  being  so,  you  are  lost, 
my  food  supply  is  cut  off,  I  too  am  lost,  and  in  grief  at  the  thought,  I 
am  indifferent  to  food  today." 

Now  when  the  water-dwellers  heard  the  trickster's  report,  they  all 
feared  for  their  lives  and  implored  the  heron,  saying:  "Uncle!  Father! 
Brother!  Friend!  Thinker!  Since  you  are  informed  of  the  calamity,  you 
also  know  the  remedy.  Pray  save  us  from  the  jaws  of  this  death." 

Then  the  heron  said:  "I  am  a  bird,  not  competent  to  contend  with 
men.  This,  however,  I  can  do.  I  can  transfer  you  from  this  pond  to 
another,  a  bottomless  one."  By  this  artful  speech  they  were  so  led  astray 
that  they  said:  "Uncle!  Friend!  Unselfish  kinsman!  Take  me  first!  Me 
first!  Did  you  never  hear  this? 

Stout  hearts  delight  to  pay  the  price 
Of  merciful  self-sacrifice, 
Count  life  as  nothing,  if  it  end 
In  gentle  service  to  a  friend." 

Then  the  old  rascal  laughed  in  his  heart,  and  took  counsel  with  his 
mind,  thus:  "My  shrewdness  has  brought  these  fishes  into  my  power. 
They  ought  to  be  eaten  very  comfortably."  Having  thus  thought  it 
through,  he  promised  what  the  thronging  fish  implored,  lifted  some  in 
his  bill,  carried  them  a  certain  distance  to  a  slab  of  stone,  and  ate  them 
there.  Day  after  day  he  made  the  trip  with  supreme  delight  and  satis- 
faction, and  meeting  the  fish,  kept  their  confidence  by  ever  new  inven- 
tions. 

One  day  the  crab,  disturbed  by  the  fear  of  death,  importuned  him 
with  the  words:  "Uncle,  pray  save  me,  too,  from  the  jaws  of  death." 
And  the  heron  reflected:  "I  am  quite  tired  of  this  unvarying  fish  diet. 
I  should  like  to  taste  him.  He  is  different,  and  choice."  So  he  picked 
up  the  crab  and  flew  through  the  air.  - 

But  since  he  avoided  all  bodies  of  water  and  seemed  planning  to 
alight  on  the  sun-scorched  rock,  the  crab  asked  him:  "Uncle,  where  is 
that  pond 'without  any  bottom?"  And  the  heron  laughed  and  said: 


THE    PANCHATANTRA  283 

"Do  you  see  that  broad,  sun-scorched  rock  ?  All  the  water-dwellers  have 
found  repose  there.  Your  turn  has  now  come  to  find  repose." 

Then  the  crab  looked  down  and  saw  a  great  rock  of  sacrifice,  made 
horrible  by  heaps  of  fish-skeletons.  And  he  thought:  "Ah  me! 

If  you  will,  with  serpents  play; 
Dwell  with  foemen  who  betray: 
Shun  your  false  and  foolish  friends, 
Fickle,  seeking  vicious  ends. 

Why,  he  has  already  eaten  these  fish  whose  skeletons  are  scattered  in 
heaps.  So  what  might  be  an  opportune  course  of  action  for  me?  Yet 
why  do  I  need  to  consider  ? 

Fear  fearful  things,  while  yet 

No  fearful  thing  appears; 
When  danger  must  be  met, 

Strike,  and  forget  your  fears. 

So,  before  he  drops  me  there,  I  will  catch  his  neck  with  all  four  claws." 
When  he  did  so,  the  heron  tried  to  escape,  but  being  a  fool,  he  found 
no  parry  to  the  grip  of  the  crab's  nippers,  and  had  his  head  cut  off. 

Then  the  crab  painfully  made  his  way  back  to  the  pond,  dragging  the 
heron's  neck  as  if  it  had  been  a  lotus-stalk.  And  when  he  came  among 
the  fish,  they  said:  "Brother,  why  come  back?"  Thereupon  he  showed 
the  head  as  his  credentials  and  said:  "He  enticed  the  water-dwellers 
from  every  quarter,  deceived  them  with  his  prevarications,  dropped 
them  on  a  slab  of  rock  not  far  away,  and  ate  them.  But  I — further  life 
being  predestined — perceived  that  he  destroyed  the  trustful,  and  I  have 
brought  back  his  neck.  Forget  your  worries.  All  the  water-dwellers 
shall  live  in  peace." 

THE  UNTEACHABLE  MONKEY 

IN  A  PART  of  a  forest  was  a  troop  of  monkeys  who  found  a  firefly  one 
winter  evening  when  they  were  dreadfully  depressed.  On  examining 
the  insect,  they  believed  it  to  be  fire,  so  lifted  it  with  care,  covered  it 
with  dry  grass  and  leaves,  thrust  forward  their  arms,  sides,  stomachs, 
and  chests,  scratched  themselves,  and  enjoyed  imagining  that  they 
were  warm.  One  of  the  arboreal  creatures  in  particular,  being  especially 
chilly,  blew  repeatedly  and  with  concentrated  attention  on  the  firefly. 


284  INDIAN    HUMOR 

Thereupon  a  bird  named  Needle-Face,  driven  by  hostile  fate  to  her 
own  destruction,  flew  down  from  her  tree  and  said  to  the  monkey: 
"My  dear  sir,  do  not  put  yourself  to  unnecessary  trouble.  This  is  not 
fire.  This  is  a  firefly."  He,  however,  did  not  heed  her  warning  but  blew 
again,  nor  did  he  stop  when  she  tried  more  than  once  to  check  him.  To 
cut  a  long  story  short,  when  she  vexed  him  by  coming  close  and  shouting 
in  his  ear,  he  seized  her  and  dashed  her  on  a  rock,  crushing  face,  eyes, 
head,  and  neck  so  that  she  died. 

"And  that  is  why  I  say : 

No  knife  prevails  against  a  stone; 

Nor  bends  the  unbending  tree; 
No  good  advice  from  Needle-Face 

Helped  indocihty." 


THE  BRAHMAN'S  GOAT 

IN  A  CERTAIN  TOWN  lived  a  Brahman  named  Friendly  who  had  under- 
taken the  labor  of  maintaining  the  sacred  fire.  One  day  in  the  month 
of  February,  when  a  gentle  breeze  was  blowing,  when  the  sky  was  veiled 
in  clouds  and  a  drizzling  rain  was  falling,  he  went  to  another  village 
to  beg  a  victim  for  the  sacrifice,  and  said  to  a  certain  man:  "O  sacnficer, 
I  wish  to  make  an  offering  on  the  approaching  day  of  the  new  moon. 
Pray  give  me  a  victim."  And  the  man  gave  him  a  plump  goat,  as  pre- 
scribed in  Scripture.  This  he  put  through  its  paces,  found  it  sound, 
placed  it  on  his  shoulder,  and  started  in  haste  for  his  own  city. 

Now  on  the  road  he  was  met  by  three  rogues  whose  throats  were 
pinched  with  hunger.  These,  spying  the  plump  creature  on  his  shoulder, 
whispered  together:  "Come  now!  If  we  could  eat  that  creature,  we 
should  have  the  laugh  on  this  sleety  weather.  Let  us  fool  him,  get  the 
goat,  and  ward  off  the  cold." 

So  the  first  of  them  changed  his  dress,  issued  from  a  by-path  to  meet 
the  Brahman,  and  thus  addressed  that  man  of  pious  life:  "O  pious 
Brahman,  why  are  you  doing  a  thing  so  unconventional  and  so  ridicu- 
lous ?  You  are  carrying  an  unclean  animal,  a  dog,  on  your  shoulder. 

At  that  the  Brahman  was  mastered  by  anger,  and  he  said:  "Are  you 
blind,  man,  that  you  impute  doghood  to  a  goat?"  "O  Brahman,"  said 
the  rogue,  "do  not  be  angry.  Go  whither  you  will." 


THE    PANCHATANTRA  285 

But  when  he  had  traveled  a  little  farther,  the  second  rogue  met  him 
and  said:  "Alas,  holy  sir,  alas!  Even  if  this  dead  calf  was  a  pet,  still  you 
should  not  put  it  on  your  shoulder." 

Then  the  Brahman  spoke  in  anger:  "Are  you  blind,  man?  You  call 
a  goat  a  calf."  And  the  rogue  said :  "Holy  sir,  do  not  be  angry.  I  spoke 
in  ignorance.  Do  as  you  will." 

But  when  he  had  walked  only  a  little  farther  through  the  forest,  the 
third  rogue,  changing  his  dress,  met  him  and  said:  "Sir,  this  is  most 
improper.  You  are  carrying  a  donkey  on  your  shoulder.  Pray  drop  this 
thing,  before  another  sees  you." 

So  the  Brahman  concluded  that  it  was  a  goblin  in  quadruped  form, 
threw  it  on  the  ground,  and  made  for  home,  terrified.  Meanwhile,  the 
three  rogues  met,  caught  the  goat,  and  carried  out  their  plan. 

"And  that  is  why  I  say: 

The  strong,  deft,  clever  rascals  note, 
Who  robbed  the  Brahman  of  his  goat." 

"Moreover,  there  is  sound  sense  in  this: 

Is  any  man  uncheated  by 

New  servants'  diligence, 
The  praise  of  guests,  the  maiden's  tears, 

And  roguish  eloquence ? 

Furthermore,  one  should  avoid  a  quarrel  with  a  crowd,  though  the  indi- 
viduals be  weak.  As  the  verse  puts  it: 

Beware  the  populace  enraged; 

A  crowd's  a  fearsome  thing: 
The  ants  devoured  the  giant  snake 

For  all  his  quivering." 


THE  SNAKE  IN  THE  PRINCE'S  BELLY 

IN  A  CERTAIN  CITY  DWELT  A  KING  whose  name  was  Godlike.  He  had  a 
son  who  wasted  daily  in  every  limb  because  of  a  snake  that  used  his 
belly  as  a  home  instead  of  an  ant-hill.  So  the  prince  became  dejected 
and  went  to  another  country.  In  a  city  of  that  country  he  begged  alms, 
spending  his  time  in  a  great  temole. 


286  INDIAN    HUMOR 

Now  in  that  city  was  a  king  named  Gift,  who  had  two  daughters  in 
early  womanhood.  One  of  these  bowed  daily  at  her  father's  feet  with 
the  greeting:  "Victory,  O  King,"  while  the  other  said:  "Your  deserts, 
O  King." 

At  this  the  king  grew  very  angry,  and  said:  "See,  counselors.  This 
young  lady  speaks  malevolently.  Give  her  to  some  foreigner.  Let  her 
have  her  own  deserts."  To  this  the  counselors  agreed,  and  gave  the 
princess,  with  very  few  maid-servants,  to  the  prince  who  made  his  home 
in  the  temple. 

And  she  was  delighted,  accepted  her  husband  like  a  god,  and  went 
with  him  to  a  far  country.  There  by  the  edge  of  a  tank  in  a  distant  city 
she  left  the  prince  to  look  after  the  house  while  she  went  with  her  maids 
to  buy  butter,  oil,  salt,  rice,  and  other  supplies.  When  her  shopping  was 
done,  she  returned  and  found  the  prince  with  his  head  resting  on  an 
ant-hill.  And  from  his  mouth  issued  the  head  of  a  hooded  snake,  taking 
the  air.  Likewise  another  snake  crawled  from  the  ant-hill,  also  to  take 
the  air. 

When  these  two  saw  each  other,  their  eyes  grew  red  with  anger,  and 
the  ant-hill  snake  said:  "You  villain!  How  can  you  torment  in  this  way 
a  prince  who  is  so  perfectly  handsome?"  And  the  snake  in  the  prince's 
mouth  said:  "Villain  yourself!  How  can  you  bemire  those  two  pots 
full  of  gold?"  In  this  fashion  each  laid  bare  the  other's  weakness. 

Then  the  ant-hill  snake  continued:  "You  villain!  Doesn't  anybody 
know  the  simple  remedy  of  drinking  black  mustard  and  so  destroying 
you?"  And  the  belly-snake  retorted:  "And  doesn't  anybody  know  the 
simple  way  to  destroy  you,  by  pouring  in  hot  water?" 

Now  the  princess,  hiding  behind  a  branch,  overheard  their  conversa- 
tion, and  did  just  as  they  suggested.  So  she  made  her  husband  sound 
and  well,  and  acquired  vast  wealth.  When  she  returned  to  her  own 
country,  she  was  highly  honored  by  father,  mother,  and  relatives,  and 
lived  happily.  For  she  had  her  deserts. 


"And  that  is  why  I  say: 


Be  quick  with  mutual  defense 
In  honest  give-and-take; 

Or  perish  like  the  ant-hill  beast 
And  like  the  belly-snake." 


THE    PANCHATANTRA  287 


THE  GULLIBLE  HUSBAND 

THERE  WAS  ONCE  A  CARPENTER  in  a  certain  village.  His  wife  was  a  whore, 
and  reputed  to  be  such.  So  he,  desiring  to  test  her,  thought:  "How  can 
I  put  her  to  the  test?  For  the  proverb  says: 

Fire  chills,  rogues  bless,  and  moonlight  burns 
Before  a  wife  to  virtue  turns. 

"Now  I  know  from  popular  gossip  that  she  is  unfaithfu*.  For  the 
saying  goes: 

All  things  that  are  not  seen  or  heard 
In  science  or  the  Sacred  Word, 
All  things  in  interstellar  space 
Are  known  among  the  populace." 

After  these  reflections,  he  said  to  his  wife:  "Tomorrow  morning,  my 
dear,  I  am  going  to  another  village,  where  I  shall  be  detained  several 
days.  Please  put  me  up  a  nice  lunch."  And  her  heart  quivered  when  she 
heard  this;  she  eagerly  dropped  everything  to  make  delicious  dishes, 
almost  pure  butter  and  sugar.  In  fact,  the  old  saw  was  justified: 

When  lowering  clouds 

Shut  in  the  day, 
When  streets  arc  mired 

With  sticky  clay, 
When  husband  lingers 

Far  away, 
The  flirt  becomes 

Supremely  gay. 

Now  at  dawn  the  carpenter  rose  and  left  his  house.  When  she  had 
made  sure  that  he  was  gone,  with  laughing  countenance  she  spent  the 
dragging  day  in  trying  on  all  her  best  things.  Then  she  called  on  an 
old  lover  and  said:  "My  husband  has  gone  to  another  village — the 
rascal!  Please  come  to  our  house  when  the  people  are  asleep."  And  he 
did  so. 

Now  the  carpenter  spent  the  day  in  the  forest,  stole  into  his  own 
house  at  twilight  by  a  side  entrance,  and  hid  under  the  bed.  At  this 
juncture  the  other  fellow  arrived  and  got  into  bed.  And  when  the  car- 


288  INDIAN    HUMOR 

penter  saw  him,  his  heart  was  stabbed  by  wrath,  and  he  thought:  "Shall 
I  rise  and  smite  him?  Or  shall  I  wait  until  they  are  asleep  and  kill  them 
both  without  effort?  Or  again,  shall  I  wait  to  see  how  she  behaves, 
listen  to  what  she  says  to  him?"  At  this  moment  she  softly  locked  the 
door  and  went  to  bed. 

But  as  she  did  so,  she  stubbed  her  toe  on  the  carpenter's  body.  And 
she  thought:  "It  must  be  that  carpenter — the  rascal! — who  is  testing  me. 
Well,  I  will  give  him  a  taste  of  woman's  tricks." 

While  she  was  thinking,  the  fellow  became  insistent.  But  she  clasped 
her  hands  and  said:  "Dear  and  honored  sir,  you  must  not  touch  me." 
And  he  said:  "Well,  well!  For  what  purpose  did  you  invite  me?" 

"Listen,"  said  she.  "I  went  this  morning  to  Gauri's  shrine  to  see  the 
goddess.  There  all  at  once  I  heard  a  voice  in  the  sky,  saying:  iWhat  am 
I  to  do,  my  daughter?  You  are  devoted  to  me,  yet  m  six  months'  time, 
by  the  decree  of  fate,  you  will  be  a  widow.'  Then  I  said :  'O  blessed  god- 
dess, since  you  are  aware  of  the  calamity,  you  also  know  the  remedy. 
Is  there  any  means  of  making  my  husband  live  a  hundred  years?'  And 
the  goddess  replied :  'Indeed  there  is — a  remedy  depending  on  you  alone.' 
Of  course  I  said:  'If  it  cost  my  life,  pray  tell  me,  and  I  will  do  it.'  Then 
the  goddess  said:  'If  you  go  to  bed  with  another  man,  and  embrace  him, 
then  the  untimely  death  that  threatens  your  husband  will  pass  to  him. 
And  your  husband  will  live  another  hundred  years.'  For  this  purpose 
I  invited  you.  Now  do  what  you  had  in  mind.  The  words  of  a  goddess 
must  not  be  falsified — so  much  is  certain."  Then  his  face  blossomed  with 
noiseless  laughter,  and  he  did  as  she  said. 

Now  the  carpenter,  fool  that  he  was,  felt  his  body  thrill  with  joy  on 
hearing  her  words,  and  he  issued  from  under  the  bed,  saying:  "Bravo, 
faithful  wife!  Bravo,  delight  of  the  family!  Because  my  heart  was 
troubled  by  the  gossip  of  evil  creatures,  I  pretended  a  trip  to  another 
village  in  order  to  test  you,  and  lay  hidden  under  the  bed.  Come  now, 
tmbrace  me!" 

With  these  words  he  embraced  her  and  lifted  her  to  his  shoulder,  then 
said  to  the  fellow:  "My  dear  and  honored  sir,  you  have  come  here 
because  my  good  deeds  earned  this  happiness.  Through  your  favor  I 
have  won  a  full  hundred  years  of  life.  You,  too,  must  mount  my 
shoulder." 

So  he  forced  the  fellow,  much  against  his  will,  to  mount  his  shoulder, 
and  then  went  dancing  about  to  the  doors  of  the  houses  of  all  his  rela- 
tives. 


THE    PANCHATANTRA  289 

"And  that  is  why  I  say: 

It  argues  utter  want  of  sense 

To  pardon  obvious  offense; 

The  carpenter  upon  his  head 

Took  wife  and  him  who  fouled  his  bed." 

THE  BUTTER-BLINDED  BRAHMAN 

THERE  WAS  ONCE  A  BRAHMAN  named  Theodore  in  a  certain  town.  His 
wife,  being  unchaste  and  a  pursuer  of  other  men,  was  forever  making 
cakes  with  sugar  and  butter  for  a  lover,  and  so  cheating  her  husband. 

Now  one  day  her  husband  saw  her  and  said:  "My  dear  wife,  what 
are  you  cooking?  And  where  are  you  forever  carrying  cakes?  Tell  the 
truth." 

But  her  impudence  was  equal  to  the  occasion,  and  she  lied  to  her 
husband:  "There  is  a  shrine  of  the  blessed  goddess  not  far  from  here. 
There  I  have  undertaken  a  fasting  ceremony,  and  I  take  an  offering, 
including  the  most  delicious  dishes.'.'  Then  she  took  the  cakes  before 
his  very  eyes  and  started  for  the  shrine  of  the  goddess,  imagining  that 
after  her  statement,  her  husband  would  believe  it  was  for  the  goddess 
that  his  wife  was  daily  providing  delicious  dishes.  Having  reached  the 
shrine,  she  went  down  to  the  river  to  perform  the  ceremonial  bath. 

Meanwhile  her  husband  arrived  by  another  road  and  hid  behind  the 
statue  of  the  goddess.  And  his  wife  entered  the  shrine  after  her  bath, 
performed  the  various  rites — laving,  anointing,  giving  incense,  making 
an  offering,  and  so  on — bowed  before  the  goddess,  and  prayed:  "O 
blessed  one,  how  may  my  husband  be  made  blind?" 

Then  the  Brahman  behind  the  goddess'  back  spoke,  disguising  his 
natural  tone:  "If  you  never  stop  giving  him  such  food  as  butter  and 
butter-cakes,  then  he  will  presently  go  blind." 

Now  that  loose  female,  deceived  by  the  plausible  revelation,  gave  the 
Brahman  just  that  kind  of  food  every  day.  One  day  the  Brahman  said: 
"My  dear,  I  don't  see  very  well."  And  she  thought:  "Thank  the  god- 
dess." 

Then  the  favored  lover  thought:  "The  Brahman  has  gone  blind. 
What  can  he  do  to  me?"  Whereupon  he  came  daily  to  the  house  with- 
out hesitation. 

But  at  last  the  Brahman  caught  him  as  he  entered,  seized  him  by  the 


290  INDIAN    HUMOR 

hair,  and  clubbed  and  kicked  him  to  such  effect  that  he  died.  He  also 
cut  off  his  wicked  wife's  nose,  and  dismissed  her. 

THE  BRAHMAN,  THE  THIEF,  AND  THE  GHOST 

THERE  WAS  ONCE  A  POOR  BRAHMAN  in  a  certain  place.  He  lived  on  presents, 
and  always  did  without  such  luxuries  as  fine  clothes  and  ointments  and 
perfumes  and  garlands  and  gems  and  betel-gum.  His  beard  and  his  nails 
were  long,  and  so  was  the  hair  that  covered  his  head  and  his  body.  Heat, 
cold,  rain,  and  the  like  had  dried  him  up. 

Then  someone  pitied  him  and  gave  him  two  calves.  And  the  Brahman 
began  when  they  were  little  and  fed  them  on  butter  and  oil  and  fodder 
and  other  things  that  he  begged.  So  he  made  them  very  plump. 

Then  a  thief  saw  them  and  the  idea  came  to  him  at  once:  "I  will  steal 
these  two  cows  from  this  Brahman."  So  he  took  a  rope  and  set  out  at 
night.  But  on  the  way  he  met  a  fellow  with  a  row  of  sharp  teeth  set  far 
apart,  with  a  high-bridged  nose  and  uneven  eyes,  with  limbs  covered 
with  knotty  muscles,  with  hollow  cheeks,  with  beard  and  body  as  yellow 
as  a  fire  with  much  butter  in  it. 

And  when  the  thief  saw  him,  he  started  with  acute  fear  and  said: 
"Who.are  you,  sir?" 

The  other  said:  "I  am  a  ghost  named  Truthful.  It  is  now  your  turn  to 
explain  yourself." 

The  thief  said:  "I  am  a  thief,  and  my  acts  are  cruel.  I  am  on  my  way 
to  steal  two  cows  from  a  poor  Brahman." 

Then  the  ghost  felt  relieved  and  said :  "My  dear  sir,  I  take  one  meal 
every  three  days.  So  I  will  just  eat  this  Brahman  today.  It  is  delightful 
that  you  and  I  are  on  the  same  errand." 

So  together  they  went  there  and  hid,  waiting  for  the  proper  moment. 
And  when  the  Brahman  went  to  sleep,  the  ghost  started  forward  to  eat 
him.  But  the  thief  saw  him  and  said:  "My  dear  sir,  this  is  not  right.  You 
are  not  to  eat  the  Brahman  until  I  have  stolen  his  two  cows." 

The  ghost  said:  "The  racket  would  most  likely  wake  the  Brahman.  In 
that  case  all  my  trouble  would  be  vain." 

"But,  on  the  other  hand,"  said  the  thief,  "if  any  hindrance  arises  when 
you  start  to  eat  him,  then  I  cannot  steal  the  two  cows  either.  First  I  will 
steal  the  two  cows,  then  you  may  eat  the  Brahman." 

So  they  disputed,  each  crying  "Me  first!  Me  first!"  And  when  they 
became  heated,  the  hubbub  waked  the  Brahman.  Then  the  thief  said: 


THE    PANCHATANTRA  2QI 

"Brahman,  this  is  a  ghost  who  wishes  to  eat  you."  And  the  ghost  said: 
"Brahman,  this  is  a  thief  who  wishes  to  steal  your  two  cows." 

When  the  Brahman  heard  this,  he  stood  up  and  took  a  good  look.  And 
by  remembering  a  prayer  to  his  favorite  god,  he  saved  his  life  from  the 
ghost,  then  lifted  a  club  and  saved  his  two  cows  from  the  thief. 

"And  that  is  why  I  say : 

From  enemies  expect  relief, 

If  discord  pierce  their  host; 
Thus,  life  was  given  by  the  thief 

And  cattle  by  the  ghost." 

THE  LOYAL  MUNGOOSE 

THERE  WAS  ONCE  A  BRAHMAN  named  Godly  in  a  certain  town.  His  wife 
mothered  a  single  son  and  a  mungoose.  And  as  she  loved  little  ones,  she 
cared  for  the  mungoose  also  like  a  son,  giving  him  milk  from  her  breast> 
and  salves,  and  baths,  and  so  on.  But  she  did  not  trust  him,  for  she 
thought:  "A  mungoose  is  a  nasty  kind  of  creature.  He  might  hurt  my 
boy." 

One  day  she  tucked  her  son  in  bed,  took  a  water-jar,  and  said  to  her 
husband :  "Now,  Professor,  I  am  going  for  water.  You  must  protect  the 
boy  from  the  mungoose."  But  when  she  was  gone,  the  Brahman  went 
off  somewhere  himself  to  beg  food,  leaving  the  house  empty. 

While  he  was  gone,  a  black  snake  issued  from  his  hole  and,  as  fate 
would  have  it,  crawled  toward  the  baby's  cradle.  But  the  mungoose,  feel- 
ing him  to  be  a  natural  enemy,  and  fearing  for  the  life  of  his  baby  brother, 
fell  upon  the  vicious  serpent  halfway,  joined  battle  with  him,  tore  him  to 
bits,  and  tossed  the  pieces  far  and  wide.  Then,  delighted  with  his  own 
heroism,  he  ran,  blood  trickling  from  his  mouth,  to  meet  the  mother; 
for  he  wished  to  show  what  he  had  done. 

But  when  the  mother  saw  him  coming,  saw  his  bloody  mouth  and  his 
excitement,  she  feared  that  the  villain  must  have  eaten  her  baby  boy, 
and  without  thinking  twice,  she  angrily  dropped  the  water-jar  upon  him, 
which  killed  him  the  moment  that  it  struck.  There  she  left  him  without 
a  second  thought,  and  hurried  home,  where  she  found  the  baby  safe  and 
sound,  and  near  the  cradle  a  great  black  snake,  torn  to  bits.  Then,  over- 
whelmed with  sorrow  because  she  had  thoughtlessly  killed  her  bene- 
factor, her  son,  she  beat  her  head  and  breast. 


292  INDIAN    HUMOR 

At  this  moment  the  Brahman  came  home  with  a  dish  of  rice  gruel 
which  he  had  got  from  someone  in  his  begging  tour,  and  saw  his  wife 
bitterly  lamenting  her  son,  the  mungoose.  "Greedy!  Greedy!"  she  cried. 
"Because  you  did  not  do  as  I  told  you,  you  must  now  taste  the  bitterness 
of  a  son's  death,  the  fruit  of  the  tree  of  your  own  wickedness.  Yes,  this  is 
what  happens  to  those  blinded  by  greed." 

THE  MICE  THAT  SET  ELEPHANTS  FREE 

THERE  WAS  ONCE  A  REGION  where  people,  houses,  and  temples  had  fallen 
into  decay.  So  the  mice,  who  were  old  settlers  there,  occupied  the  chinks 
in  the  floors  of  stately  dwellings  with  sons,  grandsons  (both  in  the  male 
and  female  line),  and  further  descendants  as  they  were  born,  until  their 
holes  formed  a  dense  tangle.  They  found  uncommon  happiness  in  a 
variety  of  festivals,  dramatic  performances  (with  plots  of  their  own  in- 
vention), wedding-feasts,  eating-parties,  drinking-bouts,  and  similar 
diversions.  And  so  the  time  passed. 

But  into  this  scene  burst  an  elephant-king,  whose  retinue  numbered 
thousands.  He,  with  his  herd,  had  started  for  the  lake  upon  information 
that  there  was  water  there.  As  he  marched  through  the  mouse  com- 
munity, he  crushed  faces,  eyes,  heads,  and  necks  of  such  mice  as  he 
encountered. 

Then  the  survivors  held  a  convention.  "We  are  being  killed,"  they 
said,  "by  these  lumbering  elephants — curse  them!  If  they  come  this  way 
again,  there  will  not  be  mice  enough  for  seed.  Therefore  let  us  devise  a 
remedy  effective  in  this  crisis." 

When  they  had  done  so,  a  certain  number  went  to  the  lake,  bowed 
before  the  elephant-king,  and  said  respectfully:  "O  King,  not  far  from 
here  is  our  community,  inherited  from  a  long  line  of  ancestors.  There 
we  have  prospered  through  a  long  succession  of  sons  and  grandsons. 
Now  you  gentlemen,  while  coming  here  to  water,  have  destroyed  us  by 
the  thousand.  Furthermore,  if  you  travel  that  way  again,  there  will  not 
be  enough  of  us  for  seed.  If  then  you  feel  compassion  toward  us,  pray 
travel  another  path.  Consider  the  fact  that  even  creatures  of  our  size  will 
some  day  prove  of  some  service." 

And  the  elephant-king  turned  over  in  his  mind  what  he  had  heard, 
decided  that  the  statement  of  the  mice  was  entirely  logical,  and  granted 
their  request. 

Now  in  the  course  of  time  a  certain  king  commanded  his  elephant- 


THE    PANCHATANTRA  293 

trappers  to  trap  elephants.  And  they  constructed  a  so-called  water-trap, 
caught  the  king  with  his  herd,  three  days  later  dragged  him  out  with  a 
great  tackle  made  of  ropes  and  things,  and  tied  him  to  stout  trees  in  that 
very  bit  of  forest. 

When  the  trappers  had  gone,  the  elephant-king  reflected  thus:  "In 
what  manner,  or  through  whose  assistance,  shall  I  be  delivered?"  Then 
it  occurred  to  him :  "We  have  no  means  of  deliverance  except  those  mice." 

So  the  king  sent  the  mice  an  exact  description  of  his  disastrous  position 
in  the  trap  through  one  of  his  personal  retinue,  an  elephant-cow  who  had 
not  ventured  into  the  trap,  and  who  had  previous  information  of  the 
mouse  community. 

When  the  mice  learned  the  matter,  they  gathered  by  the  thousand, 
eager  to  return  the  favor  shown  them,  and  visited  the  elephant  herd. 
And  seeing  king  and  herd  fettered,  they  gnawed  the  guy-ropes  where 
they  stood,  then  swarmed  up  the  branches,  and  by  cutting  the  ropes 
aloft,  set  their  friends  free. 

"And  that  is  why  I  say : 

Make  friends,  make  friends,  however  strong 

Or  weak  they  he: 
Recall  the  captive  elephants 

That  mice  set  free." 


THE  ASS  IN  THE  TIGER-SKIN 

THERE  w\s  ONCE  A  LUTNDRYMAN  named  Clean-Cloth  in  a  certain  town. 
He  had  a  single  donkey  who  had  grown  very  feeble  from  lack  of  fodder. 

As  the  laundry  man  wandered  in  the  forest,  he  saw  a  dead  tiger,  and 
he  thought:  "Ah,  this  is  lucky.  I  will  put  this  tiger-skin  on  the  donkey 
and  let  him  loose  in  the  barley  fields  at  night.  For  the  farmers  will  think 
him  a  tiger  and  will  not  drive  him  out." 

When  this  was  done,  the  donkey  ate  barley  to  his  heart's  content.  And 
at  dawn  the  laundryman  took  him  back  to  the  barn.  So  as  time  passed, 
he  grew  plump.  He  could  hardly  squeeze  into  the  stall. 

But  one  day  the  donkey  heard  the  bray  of  a  she-donkey  in  the  distance. 
At  the  mere  sound  he  himself  began  to  bray.  Then  the  farmers  perceived 
that  he  was  a  donkey  in  disguise,  and  killed  him  with  blows  from  clubs 
and  stones  and  arrows. 


2p4  INDIAN    HUMOR 

"And  that  is  why  I  say: 

However  skilful  in  disguise, 
However  frightful  to  the  eyes, 
Although  in  tiger-skin  arrayed, 
The  ass  was  killed — because  he  brayed." 

THE  FARMER'S  WIFE 

THERE  WAS  ONCE  A  FARMER  who  lived  with  his  wife  in  a  certain  place. 
And  because  the  husband  was  old,  the  wife  was  forever  thinking  of  lovers, 
and  could  not  possibly  be  contented  at  home.  Her  one  idea  was  strange 
men. 

Now  a  rogue  who  lived  by  pilfering,  noticed  her  and  said :  "You  lovely 
creature,  my  wife  is  dead,  and  I  am  smitten  with  love  at  the  sight  of  you. 
Pray  enrich  me  with  love's  perfect  treasure." 

And  she  said:  "You  beautiful  man,  if  you  feel  that  way,  my  husband 
has  a  great  deal  of  money,  and  he  is  so  old  that  he  cannot  stir.  I  will  bring 
it,  so  that  I  may  go  somewhere  with  you  and  enjoy  the  delights  of  love." 

"That  is  satisfactory  to  me,"  he  replied.  "Suppose  you  hasten  to  this 
spot  at  dawn,  so  that  we  may  go  together  to  some  fascinating  city  where 
life  may  bear  for  me  its  perfect  fruit."  "Very  well,"  she  agreed,  and  went 
home  with  laughing  countenance. 

Then  at  night,  while  her  husband  slept,  she  took  all  the  money,  and 
reached  the  rendezvous  at  dawn.  The  rogue,  for  his  part,  put  her  in  front, 
started  south,  and  traveled  two  leagues,  gaily  enjoying  the  delights  of 
conversation  with  her.  But  when  he  saw  a  river  ahead,  he  reflected: 
"What  am  I  to  do  with  this  middle-aged  female?  Besides,  someone  might 
perhaps  pursue  her.  I  will  just  take  her  money  and  be  off." 

So  he  said  to  her:  "My  dear,  this  is  a  great  river,  hard  to  cross.  I  will 
just  take  the  money  and  put  it  safe  on  the  far  bank,  then  return  to  carry 
you  alone  on  my  back,  and  so  transport  you  in  comfort."  "Do  soj  my 
beloved,"  said  she. 

So  he  took  the  money  to  the  last  penny,  and  then  he  said:  "Dearest, 
hand  me  your  dress  and  your  wrap,  too,  so  that  you  may  travel  through 
the  water  unembarrassed."  And  when  she  did  so,  the  rogue  took  the 
money  and  the  two  garments  and  went  to  the  place  he  had  in  mind. 

Then  the  farmer's  wife  sat  down  woebegone  on  the  river-bank,  digging 
her  two  hands  into  her  throat.  At  that  moment  a  she-jackal  came  to  the 
spot,  carrying  a  piece  of  meat.  As  she  came  up  and  peered  about,  a  great 


THE    PANCHATANTRA  295 

fish  leaped  from  the  water  and  was  stranded  on  the  bank.  On  spying 
him,  she  dropped  the  meat  and  darted  at  the  fish.  Whereupon  a  vulture 
swooped  from  the  sky  and  flew  off  with  the  meat.  And  the  fish,  perceiv- 
ing the  jackal,  struggled  into  the  river.  So  the  she-jackal  had  her  pains 
for  nothing,  and  as  she  gazed  after  the  vulture,  the  naked  woman  smiled 
and  said : 
"You  poor  she-jackal! 

The  vulture  has  your  meat; 

The  water  holds  your  fish: 
Of  fish  and  flesh  forlorn, 

What  further  do  you  wish?" 

And  the  she-jackal,  perceiving  that  the  woman  was  equally  forlorn, 
having  lost  her  husband's  money  and  her  lover,  said  with  a  sneer: 
"You  naked  thing! 

Your  cleverness  is  twice 

As  great  as  mine,  'twould  seem; 
Lover  and  husband  lost, 

You  sit  beside  the  stream." 

THE  BRAHMAN'S  DREAM 

IN  A  CERTAIN  TOWN  lived  a  Brahman  named  Seedy,  who  got  some  barley- 
meal  by  begging,  ate  a  portion,  and  filled  a  jar  with  the  remainder.  This 
jar  he  hung  on  a  peg  one  night,  placed  his  cot  beneath  it,  and  fixing  his 
gaze  on  the  jar,  fell  into  a  hypnotic  reverie. 

"Well,  here  is  a  jar  full  of  barley-meal,"  he  thought.  "Now  if  famine 
comes,  a  hundred  rupees  will  come  out  of  it.  With  that  sum  I  will  get 
two  she-goats.  Every  six  months  they  will  bear  two  more  she-goats.  After 
goats,  cows.  When  the  cows  calve,  I  will  sell  the  calves.  After  cows, 
buffaloes;  after  buffaloes,  mares.  From  the  mares  I  shall  get  plenty  of 
horses.  The  sale  of  these  will  mean  plenty  of  gold.  The  gold  will  buy  a 
great  house  with  an  inner  court.  Then  someone  will  come  to  my  house 
and  offer  his  lovely  daughter  with  a  dowry.  She  will  bear  a  son,  whom  I 
shall  name  Moon-Lord.  When  he  is  old  enough  to  ride  on  my  knee,  I 
will  take  a  book,  sit  on  the  stable  roof,  and  think.  Just  then  Moon-Lord 
will  see  me,  will  jump  from  his  mother's  lap  in  his  eagerness  to  ride  on 
my  knee,  and  will  go  too  near  the  horses.  Then  I  shall  get  angry  and 
tell  my  wife  to  take  the  boy.  But  she  will  be  busy  with  her  chores  and 


296  INDIAN    HUMOR 

will  not  pay  attention  to  what  I  say.  Then  I  will  get  up  and  kick  her." 

Being  sunk  in  his  hypnotic  dream,  he  let  fly  such  a  kick  that  he  smashed 

the  jar.  And  the  barley-meal  which  it  contained  turned  him  white  all  over. 

SHELL-NECK,  SLIM,  AND  GRIM 

IN  A  CERTAIN  LAKE  lived  a  turtle  named  Shell-Neck.  He  had  as  friends 
two  ganders  whose  names  were  Slim  and  Grim.  Now  in  the  vicissitudes 
of  time  there  came  a  twelve-year  drought,  which  begot  ideas  of  this 
nature  in  the  two  ganders:  "This  lake  has  gone  dry.  Let  us  seek  another 
body  of  water.  However,  we  must  first  say  farewell  to  Shell-Neck,  our 
dear  and  long-proved  friend." 

When  they  did  so,  the  turtle  said:  "Why  do  you  bid  me  farewell?  I  am 
a  water-dweller,  and  here  I  should  perish  very  quickly  from  the  scant 
supply  of  water  and  from  grief  at  loss  of  you.  Therefore,  if  you  feel  any 
affection  for  me,  please  rescue  me  from  the  jaws  of  this  death.  Besides, 
as  the  water  dries  in  this  lake,  you  two  suffer  nothing  beyond  a  restricted 
diet,  while  to  me  it  means  immediate  death.  Consider  which  is  more 
serious,  loss  of  food  or  loss  of  life." 

But  they  replied:  "We  are  unable  to  take  you  with  us  since  you  are  a 
water-creature  without  wings."  Yet  the  turtle  continued:  "There  is  a 
possible  device.  Bring  a  stick  of  wood."  This  they  did,  whereupon  the 
turtle  gripped  the  middle  of  the  stick  between  his  teeth,  and  said:  "Now 
take  firm  hold  with  your  bills,  one  on  each  side,  fly  up,  and  travel  with 
even  flight  through  the  sky,  until  we  discover  another  desirable  body 
of  water." 

But  they  objected:  "There  is  a  hitch  in  this  fine  plan.  If  you  happen 
to  indulge  in  the  smallest  conversation,  then  you  will  lose  your  hold  on 
the  stick,  will  fall  from  a  great  height,  and  will  be  dashed  to  bits." 

"Oh,"  said  the  turtle,  "from  this  moment  I  take  a  vow  of  silence,  to 
last  as  long  as  we  are  in  heaven."  So  they  carried  out  the  plan,  but  while 
the  two  ganders  were  painfully  carrying  the  turtle  over  a  neighboring 
city,  the  people  below  noticed  the  spectacle,  and  there  arose  a  confused 
buzz  of  talk  as  they  asked:  "What  is  this  cartlike  object  that  two  birds 
are  carrying  through  the  atmosphere?" 

Hearing  this,  the  doomed  turtle  was  heedless  enough  to  ask:  "What 
arc  these  people  chattering  about?"  The  moment  he  spoke,  the  poor 
simpleton  lost  his  grip  arid  fell  to  the  ground.  And  persons  who  wanted 
meat  cut  him  to  bits  in  a  moment  with  sharp  knives. 


The  Enchanted  Parrot 


INTRODUCTION 

THE  ENCHANTED  PARROT,  or  the  Sut(a  Saptatt,  "Seventy  Stories,"  told  by 
a  parrot  to  keep  her  mistress  from  going  out  with  her  lovers  for  sixty-nine 
successive  nights  when  her  husband  was  away,  is  a  charming  collection 
of  tales  of  feminine,  and  also  masculine,  infidelity,  with  a  predominant 
sense  of  the  comic,  happening  in  a  world  of  easy  make-believe  such  as  sug- 
gested by  the  Arabian  Nights.  The  tales  are  for  the  most  part  simple  and 
na'ive.  Like  the  Arabian  Nights  and  the  Panchatantra,  it  employs  a  fram- 
ing story;  like  the  Panchatantra  and  the  Hitopadesa,  it  employs,  but  to  a 
less  extent,  the  device  of  a  tale  within  a  tale  and  delights  in  insertions  of 
moral  maxims  for  the  edification  of  the  hearers;  and  like  the  Ocean  of 
Stories,1  it  rather  delights  in  comments  at  the  expense  of  women,  dull 
husbands  and  Brahman  monks,  and  in  stones  of  rogues.  Again  the 
author  is  unknown,  but  the  book  was  widely  circulated  and  was  certainly 
known  to  have  existed  before  the  eleventh  century.  These  stories  suggest 
Boccaccio. 

What  lifts  The  Enchanted  Parrot  from  the  rest  is  that  here  the  com- 
ments are  no  longer  broad  generalities  of  impersonal  proverbs,  but  have 
the  distinct  individual  charm  of  a  modern  cynic  and  woman-hater. 
Cynicism,  like  that  of  the  Ecclesiastes.  is  always  refreshing,  and  even 
modern  women  can  stand  a  few  jokes  at  their  expense. 

The  arts  of  women  are  these:  deceitful  speech;  craft;  oaths;  pretended 
emotions;  pretended  weeping;  pretended  laughter;  meaningless  pleasures  and 

1  Ocean  of  Stories,  a  giant  collection  of  Hindu  short  stones,  (Somadeva's  Kathd  Sarit 
Sagara),  translated  by  C.  H.  Tawny,  2  vols.,  Calcutta,  1880.  A  beautiful  edition,  in  10 
volumes,  was  privately  printed  for  subscribers  only  in  London. 

297 


298  INDIAN    HUMOR 

pain;  asking  questions  with  a  deferential  air;  indifference;  equanimity,  in 
prosperity  or  in  adversity;  making  no  difference  between  good  and  evil;  side- 
long-glances directed  toward  lovers — that  is  the  list  of  the  accomplishments 
practiced  by  the  ladies  of  the  town. 

At  any  rate,  no  woman  of  the  country  need  be  offended. 

But  the  author  is  usually  defter  and  less  explicit;  besides,  he  classifies 
women  with  kings  and  serpents,  all  three  of  whom  he  hates  heartily. 

Kings,  women  and  creepers  generally  lay  hold  of  what  is  near  to  them. 

Put  not  your  trust  in  rivers,  in  savage  beasts,  in  horned  cattle,  in  armed 
men,  in  women,  in  princes.  Kings  are  like  soldiers  clad  in  mail,  savage,  crooked 
in  their  ways  as  serpents  creep  on  you  for  evil.  A  king  slays  with  his  smile; 
he  may  pay  honor,  but  he  is  dangerous;  the  elephant  kills  with  a  touch,  the 
serpent  with  a  caress. 

His  comments  are  by  no  means  confined  to  the  subject  of  women: 

How  should  one  sleep  who  is  overwhelmed  with  debt,  who  has  a  disagree- 
able wife,  who  is  surrounded  by  enemies? 

It  is  the  speaker  of  unpleasant  but  wholesome  truths  who  cannot  find  a 
listener. 

Cleanliness  in  a  crow,  honesty  in  a  gambler,  mildness  in  a  serpent,  women 
satisfied  with  love,  vigor  in  a  eunuch,  truth  in  a  drunkard,  friendship  in  a 
king — who  ever  heard  of  these  things? 

A  stranger,  if  he  is  a  rich  man,  is  a  relation;  but  a  kinsman,  if  he  be  poor, 
is  an  outcast. 

And  there  is  something  delightfully  insinuating  in  the  following: 

Giving,  receiving,  imparting  secrets,  asking  questions,  eating  in  company — 
these  are  the  five  proofs  of  friendship. 

The  following  selection  is  taken  from  the  translation  by  the  Rev.  B. 
Hale  Wortham  (Luzac,  London,  1911),  with  its  rather  unusual  punctua- 
tion somewhat  revised.  In  the  words  of  the  translator: 

"The  Su\a  Saptati,  seventy  tales  of  a  parrot,  are  quite  characteristic  of 
Eastern  story.  The  peg  on  which  they  hang  is  a  certain  Prabhavatl.  This 
lady's  husband,  whose  name  is  Madana,  has  gone  on  a  long  journey. 
He  has,  however,  left  her  his  parrot,  a  bird  which  appears  to  be  under 
a  charm.  Prabhavatl,  after  her  husband  has  been  absent  some  little  time, 
begins  to  feel  rather  dull,  and  her  attehdants,  or  friends,  suggest  that 
she  had  better  look  out  for  some  admirer  to  console  her  during  his 
absence.  She  accordingly  is  preparing  to  start  on  this  errand,  when  the 


THE   ENCHANTED   PARROT  299 

parrot  suddenly  finds  his  voice,  and  remarks  very  strongly  on  Prabha- 
vatl's  disreputable  intentions.  PrabhavatI  makes  up  her  mind  to  have 
the  parrot's  neck  wrung,  but  before  actually  departing,  and  ordering 
the  bloodthirsty  deed  to  be  carried  out,  she  reflects  that  after  all  it  is  only 
a  bird  speaking,  and  tells  him  that  she  means  to  go  in  spite  of  his  well- 
meant  advice.  This  starts  the  parrot  off,  and  he  bids  her  go  by  all 
means,  if  she  is  as  clever  as  someone  whom  he  knows.  PrabhavatI  asks 
him  who  this  person  may  be,  and  wherein  his  cleverness  consists.  This 
leads  to  Story  I,  and  just  when  the  climax  arrives,  the  parrot  stops,  and 
asks  PrabhavatI  and  her  friends  how  they  think  the  story  ends.  Of  course 
they  don't  know,  and  the  parrot  keeps  them  on  tenterhooks  for  a  bit, 
and  finally  tells  them.  By  this  time  the  evening  is  tolerably  far  advanced, 
so  that  it  is  of  no  use  for  PrabhavatI  to  set  out  on  her  love-making 
expeditions,  and  she  goes  to  bed  with  her  attendants.  This  process  is 
repeated  for  sixty-nine  evenings,  and  finally  Prabhavati's  husband  re- 
turns. From  what  he  gathers,  he  does  not  altogether  approve  of  his 
wife's  goings  on  in  his  absence,  and  seems  as  if  he  meant  to  proceed  to 
extremities,  when  the  eloquent  parrot  calms  him  down  with  the  seven- 
tieth story,  after  which  Madana's  father  observes  a  great  festival  in 
honor  of  his  son  and  daughtcr-m-law,  and  the  parrot,  having  worked 
out  the  charm  (or  the  curse),  ascends  to  heaven  in  a  rain  of  flowers." 


The  Enchanted  Parrot 

Translated  by  the  Rev.  B.  Hale  Wortham 

YASODEVI  AND  HER  TRANSMIGRATIONS 

THE  NEXT  EVENING  PrabhavatI  began  to  think  over  her  pursuit  of  a  lover, 
and  asked  the  parrot  for  his  advice.  The  parrot  said :  "Go,  by  all  means, 
if  you  desire  to  go!  That  is  to  say,  if  you  are  as  clever  in  getting  out  of 
difficulties  as  YasodevI  was." 

"And  pray  who  was  YasodevI?'*  rejoinded  PrabhavatI. 

"If  I  tell  you,"  replied  the  parrot,  "and  keep  you  here,  perhaps  you 
will  carry  out  your  intention  of  wringing  my  neck." 

"Never  mind,"  answered  PrabhavatI,  "be  the  result  what  it  may,  I 
must  hear  the  story  of  YasodevI." 

So  the  parrot  began : 

"There  is  a  town  called  Nandana,  whose  prince  bore  the  same  name. 
He  had  a  son,  Rajasekhara,  and  Rajasekhara's  wife  was  called  Sasi- 
prabha. Now  a  certain  Dhanasena  came  across  her,  and  fell  violently  in 
love  with  her.  He  was  absolutely  consumed  with  the  flame  of  his  pas- 
sion, and  at  last  his  mother,  YasodevI,  asked  him  what  was  the  matter. 
With  many  sighs  and  tears  he  told  her.  He  must  have  the  prince's  wife. 
She  was  very  difficult  to  get  hold  of,  but  he  could  not  live  without  her. 
On  hearing  this,  YasodevI  bid  him  be  of  good  cheer,  and  said  she  would 
see  what  could  be  done.  So  she  abstained  from  all  food,  and  putting  on 
her  best  clothes  went  to  Sasiprabha,  taking  with  her  a  bitch.  She  as- 
sumed an  appearance  of  grief,  and  taking  Sasiprabha  aside,  said  to  her: 
'You  see  this  bitch;  well,  you  and  I  and  this  bitch  were  sisters  in  a  former 
existence.  As  for  me,  I  had  no  compunction  in  accepting  the  advances 
of  my  lovers;  you  received  their  addresses,  but  with  some  hesitation. 
But  this  was  not  the  case  with  our  sister.  She  would  not  have  anything 
to  do  with  men  at  any  price;  she  kept  them  at  a  distance,  and  now  you 

300 


THE   ENCHANTED  PARROT  $01 

sec  to  what  a  condition  she  is  reduced.  She  has  to  live  as  a  bitch,  all 
the  time  recollecting  what  she  was.  You,  through  your  reluctance,  may 
or  may  not  remember  your  former  state;  but  as  far  as  I  am  concerned, 
I  have  no  recollection  of  it  whatever,  for  I  thoroughly  enjoyed  myself. 
And  so  I  am  sorry  for  you,  and  I  come  to  warn  you  by  showing  you 
this  bitch,  and  telling  you  her  story.  If  you  have  got  a  lover  I  advise 
you  to  give  him  all  he  wants,  and  save  yourself  from  the  disagreeables 
of  a  future  state  like  this.  For  the  person  who  gives  liberally  will  him- 
self be  the  recipient  of  endless  favors.  It  is  said :  "Those  who  beg  from 
house  to  house,  merely  let  you  know  that  they  are  there;  they  do  not 
ask  for  anything,  for  the  liberal  always  give  alms  freely  according  to 
their  condition,  to  those  in  need  of  assistance."  ' 

"Sasiprabha  was  quite  overcome  by  this  address,  and  embracing  Yaso- 
devl  wept  over  her  and  entreated  her  assistance  in  escaping  from  the 
fate  which  seemed  to  impend.  So  Yasoclcvl  introduced  Sasiprabha  to  her 
own  son  and  Rajasekhara,  who  had  been  bribed  with  magnificent 
presents  of  gold  and  jewels,  was  quite  willing  to  let  her  go,  and  thought 
that  a  great  piece  of  good  luck  had  befallen  him. 

"So  Yasodevi  by  her  skill  and  cleverness  cheated  the  prince  of  the 
princess,  and  gained  her  own  ends.  If  you  are  as  clever  as  she  was,  go; 
if  not,  stay  at  home— go  to  bed,  and  don't  make  a  fool  of  yourself." 


THE  QUEEN  AND  THE  LAUGHING  FISH1 


THERE  is  A  CITY  called  Ujjayim,  and  the  king's  name  is  Vikramaditya. 
His  queen  was  Kamallna.  She  was  a  lady  of  very  noble  family,  and  was 
the  king's  favorite  wife.  One  day  the  king  was  dining  with  her  and  he 
gave  her  some  roast  fish.  She  looked  at  them  (the  men  present)  and 
said,  "Sir!  I  cannot  bear  to  look  at  these  men,  much  less  to  touch  them!" 
On  these  words  the  fish  burst  into  a  loud  laugh,  so  loud  that  it  was  heard 
by  all  the  people  in  the  town.  The  king  could  not  understand  this,  so 
he  asked  the  astrologers,  who  were  acquainted  with  the  language  of 
birds,  what  the  fish  meant  by  their  laughter.  None  of  them  could  tell 
him;  so  he  sent  for  his  private  chaplain,  who  was  the  head  of  the 
Brahmans  in  the  town,  and  said:  "If  you  don't  tell  me  what  those  fish 

1  This  is  another  example  of  enclosing  stones  within  a  story,  and  of  the  abundance  of 
wise-cracking  comments  in  a  Hindu  story. 


302  INDIAN    HUMOR 

meant  by  laughing  at  what  the  queen  said,  I  shall  send  you  and  all  the 
Brahmans  into  exile."  The  chaplain,  on  hearing  this,  was  a  good  deal 
upset,  and  was  quite  sure  that  he  and  the  rest  of  the  reverend  gentlemen 
would  have  to  go,  for  it  seemed  impossible  to  find  any  answer  to  the 
question.  His  daughter  observed  his  depressed  condition  and  said: 
"Father!  What's  the  matter?  Why  do  you  look  so  dismal?  Tell  me  the 
cause  of  the  trouble.  You  know  people  possessed  of  wisdom  should  not 
lose  their  self-possession  even  if  difficulties  arise.  For  it  has  been  said: 
'The  man  who  is  not  overjoyed  in  prosperity,  who  is  not  cast  down  in 
adversity,  who  is  steadfast  in  difficulties,  such  a  man  as  this  has  been 
born  for  an  everlasting  ornament  and  protection  to  the  world.' " 

So  the  Brahman  told  his  daughter  the  whole  story,  and  how  the  king 
had  threatened  to  banish  him;  since — 

%  "There  is  not  a  single  person  in  this  world  on  whose  friendship  or 
affection  one  can  rely:  how  much  less  on  that  of  a  king  who  walks  in 
the  ways  of  treachery." 

For  it  has  been  said — "Cleanliness  in  a  crow;  honesty  in  a  gambler; 
mildness  in  a  serpent;  women  satisfied  with  love;  vigor  in  a  eunuch; 
truth  in  a  drunkard;  friendship  in  a  king — who  ever  heard  of  these 
things?" 

Moreover — "Put  not  your  trust  in  rivers,  in  savage  beasts,  in  horned 
cattle,  in  armed  men,  in  women,  m  princes.  Kings  are  like  soldiers  clad 
in  mail,  savage,  crooked  in  their  ways  as  serpents  creep  on  you  for  evil. 
A  king  slays  with  his  smile;  he  may  pay  honor,  but  he  is  dangerous; 
the  elephant  kills  with  a  touch,  the  serpent  with  a  caress." 

"I  have  served  the  king,"  continued  the  Brahman,  "faithfully  all  these 
years,  yet  he  has  become  my  enemy,  and  will  send  me  and  my  fellow 
Brahmans  into  exile.  It  has  been  said — 

"  *A  man  may  give  up  something  for  the  sake  of  his  village;  he  may 
give  up  his  village  for  the  sake  of  his  country;  but  he  will  give  up  the 
whole  world  to  save  his  life.'  " 

When  the  Brahman's  daughter  heard  that,  she  said :  "This,  Father,  is 
all  very  true,  but  no  respect  will  be  paid  to  a  servant  that  has  been  sent 
adrift  by  his  master. 

"For  it  has  been  said— 'A  man  may  be  of  the  highest  character,  or  very 
commonplace.  If  he  devotes  himself  to  the  service  of  the  ruler,  which- 
ever he  may  be,  he  will  get  nothing  out  of  it.  The  king  will  take  the  first 
man  he  comes  across,  be  he  ignorant,  or  learned,  honorable  or  dishonor- 


THE   ENCHANTED   PARROT  303 

able,  into  his  service;  for  kings,  women,  and  creepers  generally  lay  hoW 
of  what  is  nearest  to  them.' 

"Besides  this — 'A  man  may  be  learned,  energetic,  skilful,  ambitious, 
well  versed  in  all  his  duties,  but  he  is  nothing  without  the  prince's  favor. 
A  man  may  be  nobly  born,  possessed  of  ability,  but  if  he  does  not  pay 
court  to  the  prince  he  may  just  as  well  spend  his  life  in  begging  or  per- 
petual penance.  One  who  falls  into  the  power  of  diseases,  crocodiles  or 
kings,  and  the  stupid  man  who  does  not  know  how  to  get  out  of  a 
difficulty,  will  never  keep  his  position  in  life/ 

"For  it  has  been  said — 'Kings  are  as  nothing  to  those  wise  and  skilful 
persons  who  by  their  power  bring  lions,  tigers,  serpents  and  elephants 
into  subjection.  But  men  who  are  wise  rely  on  the  king's  favor,  and 
so  attain  to  eminence.  The  sandal  grove  only  flourishes  on  Mount 
Malaya.' 

"All  the  insignia  of  rank — parasols,  elephants,  horses — are  given  by 
the  king  to  those  whom  he  delights  to  honor.  You  are  the  object  of  the 
king's  affection  and  honor,  therefore,  my  dear  father,  do  not  be  down- 
cast. The  chief  minister's  duty  is  to  clear  up,  from  time  to  time,  all  doubts 
which  beset  the  king's  mind.  Therefore  cheer  up!  I  will  find  out  for  you 
what  the  fish  meant  by  their  laughter." 

The  Brahman  at  this  advice  felt  somewhat  comforted,  and  went  and 
told  the  king  what  his  daughter  had  said.  The  king  was  delighted,  and 
immediately  sent  for  the  damsel.  She  came  and  made  an  elaborate 
obeisance  to  his  majesty  and  said,  "Sir!  pray  do  not  treat  these  Brahmans 
so  ill;  it  is  not  their  fault.  Pray  tell  me  what  kind  of  a  laugh  was  it  that 
you  heard  from  the  fish?  Still,  I  am  only  a  woman,  and  1  wonder  you 
arc  not  ashamed  to  ask  me  to  clear  the  matter  up.  For — 

"  'A  king  may  be  vile,  yet  he  is  even  then  not  as  another  man,  but  bears 
a  divine  form.'  You,  Vikramaditya,  as  your  name  tells  us,  are  the  bearei 
of  divine  power.  For  it  has  been  said — 'From  Indra  conies  might;  from 
fire  comes  heat;  from  Yama  wrath;  from  Kuvera  riches;  but  a  king  is 
formed  from  Ka  and  Vishnu  combined.' 

"The  person  you  ought  to  blame  is  yourself,  for  it  is  your  business  to 
remove  doubts  and  difficulties. 

"Hear,  then,  what  I  have  to  tell  you: 

"And  if  you  can't  find  out  the  answer  send  for  me.  At  any  rate  you  can- 
not possibly  doubt  the  queen's  fidelity,  seeing  that  she  never  goes  out  of 
doors." 

Neither  the  king  nor  his  wise  men  had  the  slightest  idea  what  these 


304  INDIAN    HUMOR 

verses  meant,  and  so  the  Brahman's  clever  daughter  went  away,  and  left 
them  in  their  bewilderment. 


The  king  spent  a  sleepless  night  trying  to  puzzle  out  the  meaning  of 
the  verses.  For,  as  it  has  been  said — 

"How  should  one  sleep  who  is  overwhelmed  with  debt,  who  has  a  dis- 
agreeable wife,  who  is  surrounded  by  enemies?" 

So  after  a  miserable  night  the  king  sent  again  for  the  wise  maiden  and 
said :  "I  cannot  make  out  what  the  fish  meant  by  their  laughter." 

"Your  majesty  had  better  not  ask  me,"  she  replied,  "or  perhaps  you 
may  repent  of  it  as  the  merchant's  wife  did  when  she  was  determined 
to  find  out  where  the  cakes  came  from."  The  king  said:  "And  what 
was  that?"  She  told  him  the  following  story: — 

"There  is  a  town  called  Jayanti,  and  a  merchant  whose  name  was 
Sunmata  lived  in  it.  His  wife  was  Padiminl.  He  was  unlucky  enough 
to  lose  all  his  money;  in  consequence  his  family  would  have  nothing 
more  to  do  with  him,  for  it  is  well  known  that  wealth  and  friendship 
go  together— 

"'He  who  has  money  has  friends;  he  who  has  money  has  relations; 
He  who  has  money  has  wisdom;  in  fact,  he  is  a  man  of  importance.' 

"It  is  said  in  the  Mahabharata — 'There  are  five  conditions  in  which 
a  man  though  living  may  be  regarded  as  dead :  Poverty,  disease,  stupidity, 
exile,  hopeless  slavery.'  Also — 'A  stranger,  if  he  is  a  rich  man,  is  a  rela- 
tion; but  a  kinsman,  if  he  be  poor,  is  an  outcast.' 

"So  this  merchant  used  to  take  straw  and  wood  into  the  market  for 
sale.  One  day  he  could  not  find  either,  but  he  came  across  an  image  of 
Ganesa,  made  of  wood.  He  thought  to  himself,  'This  will  suit  my  pur- 
pose very  well.' 

"For  it  has  been  said — 'There  is  nothing  that  a  hungry  man  will  not 
do  for  bread;  and  a  man  who  is  ruined  has  no  conscience.  Such  will  be 
guilty  of  any  crime;  what  a  respectable  man  would  not  dream  of  doing 
comes  natural  to  them." 

"So  he  made  up  his  mind  to  break  the  image  up  for  the  sake  of  the 
wood,  when  Ganesa  said  to  him:  'If  you  will  leave  my  image  alone,  I 
will  give  you  every  day  five  cakes  made  of  sugar  and  butter;  you  can 
come  here  for  them.  Only  you  must  not  tell  anyone  how  you  come  by 
them.  If  you  let  the  secret  out,  I  shall  be  clear  of  my  promise.' 

"He  gladly  consented,  and  Ganesa  gave  hirn  five  cakes  which' he  took 


THE    ENCHANTED   PARROT  305 

home  and  gave  to  his  wife.  With  some  of  them  she  supplied  the  wants 
of  her  own  house,  and  gave  what  was  left  over  to  a  friend.  The  friend 
asked  her  one  day  where  the  cakes  came  from;  Padmini  could  not  answer 
the  question,  and  the  friend  said,  If  you  don't  tell  me,  then  there  is  an  end 
of  our  friendship.'  For,  as  the  saying  is-— 

"  'Giving,  receiving,  imparting  secrets,  asking  questions,  eating  in  com- 
pany :  these  are  the  five  proofs  of  friendship/ 

"Padmini  replied:  'My  husband  knows,  but  he  says  it  is  a  secret  and 
will  not  tell  me;  even  if  I  were  to  ask  him  a  hundred  times,  I  should 
get  nothing  out  of  him.'  The  friend  replied:  'Then  all  I  have  to  say  is 
that  you  must  make  a  very  bad  use  of  your  youth  and  beauty,  if  you 
can't  find  this  out,' 

"So  Padmini  asked  her  husband  again,  'Where  do  those  cakes  come 
from?'  'By  the  favor  of  destiny,'  he  replied,  'for  it  has  been  said,  Fate,  if 
it  is  on  your  side  will  accomplish  your  wishes.  She  will  bring  you  what 
you  want,  even  from  a  distant  land,  from  the  ends  of  the  world,  from 
the  bottom  of  the  sea.  Once  upon  a  time  a  mouse,  making  a  hole  for 
itself,  fell  into  the  jaws  of  a  serpent.  The  serpent  could  not  find  any- 
thing to  eat  and  was  in  the  last  stage  of  starvation,  but  refreshed  by  the 
lucky  meal  he  went  on  his  way  rejoicing.  So  fate  is  the  cause  of  a  man's 
rise  or  fall.' 

"Padmini,  when  she  found  her  husband  would  not  tell  her,  refused 
to  eat.  He  was  put  in  a  difficulty  and  said :  'If  I  tell  you  what  you  want 
to  know  disaster  will  follow,  and  you  will  be  sorry  for  it.'  Padmini,  how- 
ever, took  no  heed  of  warnings,  but  continued  to  be  obstinate,  and  at 
last  her  husband  was  obliged  to  tell  her;  for  it  is  said,  'When  the  gods 
want  to  ruin  a  man,  they  first  take  away  his  senses,  so  that  he  does  not 
know  evil  from  good.' 

"Then,  your  majesty,"  continued  the  Brahman's  daughter,  "Sumati 
was  prevailed  on  by  his  foolish  wife  to  tell  her  the  secret.  For — 

"  'Even  Rama  failed  to  recognize  the  golden  deer;  Nahusha  harnessed 
the  Brahmans  to  his  chariot;  Arjuna  carried  off  both  cow  and  calf;  Yud- 
histhira  gambled  away  his  wife  and  four  brothers.  So  often  even  a  good 
man,  in  a  crisis,  becomes  the  victim  of  folly.' 

"Well!  Padmini  got  the  secret  out  of  her  husband,  and  went  and  told 
her  friend,  and  the  result  was  the  friend  sent  her  own  husband  to 
Ganesa,  who  gave  him  the  cakes.  Next  day  Padmini  went  with  Sumati 
to  Ganesa  for  the  daily  present,  and  he  told  them  plainly  that  it  was 
no  use  their  coming  any  more  to  him,  for  the  bargain  had  been  broken 


306  INDIAN    HUMOR 

and  the  cakes  had  been  given  to  someone  else.  So  Padminl's  husband 
gave  her  a  good  scolding,  and  they  went  home  very  sorry  for  what  they 
had  done.  In  the  same  way  your  majesty  should  not  ask  me  to  explain 
the  meaning  of  the  verses  to  you  lest  you  repent  of  your  knowledge. 
You  had  better  make  them  out  by  yourself,  without  my  help."  So  saying, 
she  got  up  and  went  home. 

3 

After  another  sleepless  night  the  king  not  being  able  to  find  out  the 
meaning  of  the  verses,  sent  for  the  Brahman's  daughter  again,  and  said, 
"Pray,  tell  me  the  meaning  of  the  verses  without  any  more  delay." 

She  answered :  "You  must  not  importune  the  gods  with  entreaties,  or 
repentance  will  follow,  as  was  the  case  with  the  Brahman  who  fell  in 
love  with  Sthagika.  There  is  a  town  somewhere  or  other — it  matters  not 
where — whose  king  is  Vlrabhya,  and  in  it  lived  a  Brahman  called 
Keshava.  One  day  the  thought  occurred  to  him:  'Why  should  I  not  in- 
crease the  wealth  my  father  has  left  me  ?'  For  it  has  been  said — 

"  'The  glory  that  you  gain  from  your  own  virtues  is  the  truest;  next 
best  is  that  which  you  gain  from  your  father;  but  that  which  comes  to 
you  from  a  remoter  source  is  worth  nothing.' 

"So  he  started  with  a  view  of  getting  more  money,  and  in  the  course 
of  his  wandering  passed  through  several  towns,  and  places  of  sacred 
pilgrimage.  At  last  he  reached  an  out-of-the-way  place  where  he  saw 
an  ascetic  sitting  cross-legged  in  meditation. 

"The  Brahman  came  up  to  him  and  made  a  respectful  obeisance.  The 
ascetic  ceased  meditating  for  a  moment,  and  seeing  the  Brahman  said: 
'To  whom  in  this  world  should  liberality  be  shown?  Who  should  be 
protected?  To  whom  should  be  granted  what  seems  almost  impossible 
of  acquirement?' 

"The  Brahman  rose  up  from  his  humble  posture  and  said,  'Sir,  to  me. 
I  am  the  pursuit  of  wealth.' 

"The  ascetic  knew  that  his  visitor  was  a  Brahman  and  was  quite 
shocked  to  hear  him  utter  such  an  unworthy  sentiment,  for  it  has  been 
said — 

"  'To  see  a  distinguished  person  begging,  in  a  state  of  poverty,  asking 
for  what  he  ought  not  to  want,  troubles  the  mind,  though  one  is  pre- 
pared to  give.  For  a  good  man,  though  he  may  be  himself  in  trouble,  per- 
forms his  duty  to  another.  The  sandal  tree  may  be  broken  in  a  thousand 
pieces,  but  it  still  keeps  its  cooling  power.' 


THE   ENCHANTED  PARROT  307 

"The  ascetic  therefore  gave  his  visitor  a  magic  cloak,  and  said:  'When- 
ever you  shake  this,  500  gold  pieces  will  fall  from  it;  but  you  must  not 
give  it  to  anyone,  or  say  where  the  money  comes  from.' 

"The  Brahman  thanked  the  ascetic  and  departed  with  his  cloak.  Next 
morning  he  shook  it,  and  immediately  became  the  possessor  of  500  gold 
pieces.  He  then  proceeded  on  his  travels  and  reached  a  town  called 
RatuavatI,  where  he  fell  violently  in  love  with  a  young  lady  called 
Sthagika.  She  could  not  make  out  where  all  the  money  came  from,  and 
her  mother  to  whom  she  confided  her  doubts  said:  'Well,  what  is  this 
Brahman's  business,  for  he  seems  to  have  plenty  of  money.  How  does  he 
come  by  it?'  So  she  asked  her  admirer  but  he  would  not  tell  her.  By 
dint  of  worrying,  however,  she  got  it  out  of  him,  and  he  let  out  all 
about  the  magic  cloak.  The  consequence  was  that  she  waited  till  he  was 
asleep  and  then  stole  the  cloak,  and  as  now  he  had  lost  all  his  money, 
the  girl's  mother  showed  him  the  door.  It  has  been  said — 

"  'There  is  not  much  cleverness  required  to  deceive  one  who  has  con- 
fidence in  us,  nor  is  much  courage  required  to  kill  one  who  is  asleep.* 

"The  Brahman,  when  he  woke  up,  could  not  find  his  cloak,  and  went 
and  laid  a  complaint  before  the  magistrates,  asserting  with  great 
vehemence  that  he  had  been  robbed.  The  case  was  therefore  tried,  and 
the  mother  and  daughter  were  charged  with  the  theft.  The  mother  said : 
'This  good-for-nothing  fellow  made  love  to  my  daughter.  He  has  in- 
vented this  story  about  his  cloak — no  sensible  person  could  believe  such 
nonsense.  The  whole  thing  is  a  fabrication  from  beginning  to  end.  He 
came  to  my  house,  and  my  servants  finding  that  he  was  a  foreigner 
turned  him  out  of  doors,  and  we  sent  the  cloak  back  to  the  holy  man  who 
gave  it  to  him.'  This  decided  the  case  against  the  Brahman,  and  he  lost 
both  Sthagika  and  his  cloak,  all  through  letting  out  the  secret,  and  this 
may  be  your  majesty's  fate  too,  if  you  persist  in  your  curiosity." 

With  these  words  the  damsel  got  up  and  went  home. 

4 

The  king  was  still  unable  to  fathom  the  meaning  of  the  verses,  so  the 
next  day  he  sent  for  the  Brahman's  daughter.  She  said:  "Your  majestyl 
You  should  not  be  so  importunate.  A  king  should  not  be  so  pertinacious, 
whether  the  objects  at  which  he  aims  be  good  or  bad.  Kings  are  as  the 
body,  and  their  subjects  are  only  their  limbs.  Still  if  I  obey  your  com- 
mands evil  will  befall  you,  as  it  befell  the  merchant  who  lost  his  home 
and  all  that  he  had."  "How  was  that?"  said  the  king.  The  Brahman's 


308  INDIAN    HUMOR 

daughter  answered:  "There  is  a  place  called  Tripura,  and  in  it  lived 
Prince  Vikrama.  A  merchant  inhabited  that  city  whose  wife's  name 
was  Sabhaga.  She  was  a  person  of  very  light  frivolous  disposition,  and 
do  what  he  would  he  could  not  keep  her  within  bounds.  One  day  when 
she  was  wandering  about  town  and  getting  into  mischief,  she  came 
across  a  merchant  who  lived  in  the  house  of  a  Yaksha.  She  promptly 
fell  in  love  with  him,  and  as  he  very  willingly  responded  to  her  advances, 
she  made  up  her  mind  to  run  away  with  him.  Before  going  she  called 
a  confidential  maid-servant  and  said:  'I  am  going  away  for  a  bit:  directly 
after  I  have  started  do  you  set  the  house  on  fire,  and  my  husband  will 
be  so  taken  up  trying  to  put  it  out  that  he  will  not  find  out  I  am  gone. 
I  shall  be  back  again  before  long.'  So  no  sooner  had  Sabhaga  started, 
than  her  confidante  set  the  place  on  fire,  and  her  husband  who  had  had 
his  suspicions  of  the  merchant,  left  keeping  guard  over  Yaksha's  house 
and  came  home  to  try  and  put  the  fire  out.  Meanwhile  her  plan  suc- 
ceeded perfectly,  while  the  house  was  burnt  down. 

"Thus  the  merchant  lost  house  and  everything,  and  that  will  be  your 
majesty's  fate  if  you  are  so  determined.  If,  however,  you  permit,  I  will 
tell  you  what  you  want  to  know  myself." 

So  saying,  she  departed. 

5 

Next  morning  the  king,  who  was  still  quite  unable  to  find  the  answer, 
tsent  for  the  Brahman's  daughter  and  said:  "You  promised  to  tell  me 
the  meaning  of  those  verses,  for  I  cannot  make  out  what  they  mean  my- 
self." The  girl  replied:  "If  you  cannot  find  out  the  meaning,  then  listen 
to  me.  You  have  among  your  soothsayers  and  wise  men,  one  called 
Pushpakara.  He  is  their  head.  I  believe  he  is  a  very  prudent  discreet 
person.  Tell  me,  why  is  he  called  Pushpakara?"  The  king  replied:  "He 
is  rightly  called  Pushpakara,  because  when  he  smiles  it  seems  as  if  a 
shower  of  blossoms  fell  from  his  countenance.  This  was  reported  to  be 
his  characteristic,  and  so  messengers  were  sent  to  fetch  him  to  prove 
the  truth  of  this  report  about  him.  When  he  came  he  neither  laughed 
nor  was  there  any  shower  of  blossoms  that  fell  from  him,  and  for  that 
reason  they  called  him  'The  bond  of  secrecy.'  "  The  Brahman's  daughter 
said:  "And  why  did  not  Pushpakara  laugh?  Do  you  know  the  reason?" 
"I  haven't  the  least  idea,"  replied  the  king.  "Then  you  should  make  him 
tell  you,"  rejoined  the  Brahman's  daughter.  "You  have  asked  me  what 
the  fish  meant  by  laughing.  You  ask  him  the  same  question.  Perhaps 


THE   ENCHANTED   PARROT  309 

he  will  answer  it  and  tell  you  at  the  same  time  why  he  did  not  laugh 
himself." 

So  the  king  sent  for  Pushpakara,  and  as  he  was  a  wise  man,  and  o£ 
some  importance,  he  made  him  valuable  presents  and  asked  him  why 
he  did  not  laugh,  and  why  the  fish  did.  He  replied:  "Family  scandals 
should  not  be  talked  about.  Loss  of  money,  sorrow  of  mind,  difficulties 
at  home,  fraud,  contempt — these  are  things  which  no  wise  man  ever 
publishes.  Still  the  command  of  the  king,  equal  to  that  of  Sudra,  has 
surpassing  power  on  the  earth;  the  very  name  of  a  righteous,  energetic 
king,  surpasses  the  sun  in  magnificence.  Therefore  I  will  answer  your 
majesty's  question.  I  found  out  that  my  wife  was  in  love  with  someone 
else,  and  therefore  grief  stopped  my  laughter." 

Then  the  king  put  his  own  difficulty  before  the  wise  man,  and  the 
latter  gave  no  answer  but  struck  the  queen  full  in  the  face.  The  queen 
pretended  to  faint,  and  Pushpakara  burst  into  a  fit  of  laughter.  The 
king  was  extremely  angry  and  looking  at  the  magician  and  the 
Brahman's  daughter,  said,  "What  is  there  to  laugh  at?  What  do  you 
mean  by  this?"  "Sir,"  replied  the  magician,  making  a  profound  bow, 
"the  queen  did  not  faint  the  other  night  because  she  was  struck  by  the 
young  men  in  whose  company  she  was.  Now  when  I  strike  her  she 
faints,  or  pretends  to  faint."  The  king  grew  still  more  angry  and  said, 
"What  is  this?  Do  you  know  it  of  your  own  knowledge?  The  magician 
answered,  "I  saw  it  with  my  own  eyes,  and  if  your  majesty  is  not  con- 
vinced I  will  prove  it  to  you."  The  king  went  into  the  matter  and  found 
out  everything.  The  magician  said,  "I  suppose  your  majesty  sees  now 
why  the  Brahman's  daughter  would  not  tell  you  the  reason  why  the 
fish  laughed  (when  they  heard  her  say  that  she  could  not  bear  to  look 
at  the  men)."  The  end  of  it  was  that  Pushpakara  and  the  Brahman's 
daughter  were  sent  home  in  a  considerable  state  of  trepidation,  while 
the  queen  and  her  lovers  were  sewn  up  in  a  sack  and  thrown  into  the 
river. 

THE  SON  OF  PROMISE 

NEXT  DAY  Prabhavatl's  friends  addressed  her  and  said :  "Go  where  the 
sandalwood  ointment  is  rubbed  off  by  the  sweat  which  falls.  Go  where 
the  sounds  of  love  are  manifold;  where  the  tinkle  of  the  anklets  is  silent: 
where  everything  incites  to  love.  Go  where  the  universal  law  of  love 
prevails.  For— 
"  health,  pleasure,  peace,  power,  lordship:  these  are  nothing  without 


310  INDIAN    HUMOR 

love.'  It  has  been  said — 'The  woman  with  long  half-closing  eyes,  looking 
at  their  own  forms  resplendent  with  beauty  in  the  curving  mirrors,  wait 
with  longing  for  the  lover's  approach.  It  is  through  their  attractiveness 
that  women  gain  the  fruit  of  love/  " 

The  parrot  answered:  Men  are  easily  won  over;  they  always  speak 
fair.  It  is  the  speaker  of  unpleasant  though  wholesome  truths  who  can- 
not find  a  listener.  But  why  say  more?  You  and  your  friends  are  de- 
termined on  evil  deeds. 

(The  parrot  continued:) 

There  is  a  town  called  Padmavati,  where  the  rays  of  the  sun  shine 
on  streets  paved  with  jewels,  as  though  the  glow  of  the  gems  on  the 
hood  of  the  serpent  king  had  come  down  to  earth.  When  the  sun 
scorches,  when  the  long  days  are  unbearable,  when  the  wind  is  the 
breath  of  a  furnace,  when  everything  is  dried  up  or  perishes  through 
the  heat,  sandalwood  ointment,  light  clothing,  refreshing  drink — these 
things  bringing  coolness  and  delight  in  conquering  the  heat.  The  heat  is 
but  a  slave  to  those  who  at  midday  anoint  themselves  with  the  sandal, 
who  bathe  at  evening,  whose  nights  are  tempered  by  the  wind  of  the 
fans. 

There  was  a  merchant  in  the  town  called  Chandana,  and  he  and  his 
wife  PrabhavatI  passed  the  hot  season  on  the  roof  of  their  house. 

Even  the  sun  supported  in  the  heaven  by  his  rays  descends  into  the 
ocean  when  his  day  is  done.  For  it  has  been  said — "When  fate  is  hostile 
it  is  useless  to  try  and  reach  greatness!" 

Even  the  thousand  rays  cannot  support  the  sun  when  his  time  for 
setting  is  come.  Then  the  sun,  sunk  low  in  the  heaven,  his  brilliancy 
departed,  shines  like  a  piece  of  coral;  and  presently  the  wide-eyed  moon 
comes  forward  and  takes  up  his  place,  rising  over  the  Eastern  moun- 
tain, accompanied  by  the  myriads  of  stars,  to  kill  the  darkness.  The 
moon  standing  with  her  head  above  the  Eastern  mountain  in  the  be- 
ginning of  the  night  shines  forth — a  torch  to  the  world  overwhelmed  by 
the  gloom.  The  moon  rising  from  behind  the  Eastern  mountain  shines 
resplendent  as  she  lies  in  the  lap  of  her  beloved  night,  or  as  she  stands 
gleaming  on  Krishna's  head. 

Such  were  the  days  and  nights  when  Chandana  and  his  wife  passed 
their  time  together.  They  had  a  son  whose  name  was  Rama,  and  to  him 
his  father  taught  the  mysteries  of  the  divine  wisdom. 

His  mother  prayed  to  Chandra  and  said:  "I  have  but  one  only  son- 
J  am  therefore  exceedingly  pained  with  anxiety."  Chandra  replied:  "It 


THE   ENCHANTED  PARROT  3!! 

is  best  for  you  that  you  should  have  but  one  son.  For  a  son  that  is  clever, 
gentle,  self-denying,  discreet,  the  abode  of  the  arts,  the  dwelling-place 
of  virtue;  one  only  son  such  as  this  is  all  sufficient.  Besides,  what  is  the 
good  of  more  sons  ?  They  may  produce  grief  and  care.  It  is  better  to  be 
satisfied  with  one  whose  nature,  whose  disposition  is  noble." 

But  Prabhavati  was  not  satisfied;  so  she  took  a  woman  called  Dhurta- 
maya  into  her  confidence,  and  said:  "If  you  will  train  a  son  for  me, 
able  to  resist  all  deceitful  arts  of  women,  I  will  give  you  100  pieces  of 
gold."  "I  will  give  you  a  son,"  replied  Dhurtamaya,  "and  if  he  falls 
a  victim  to  female  seduction,  I  will  forfeit  to  you  twice  as  many  pieces 
of  money."  So  the  bargain  was  concluded  and  signed  and  the  son  was 
placed  in  the  merchant's  house,  where  he  became  the  object  of  all  the 
wiles  that  women  could  devise. 

The  arts  of  women  are  these:  deceitful  speech;  craft;  oaths;  pretended 
emotions;  pretended  weeping;  pretended  laughter;  meaningless  expres- 
sions of  pleasure  and  pain;  asking  questions  with  a  deferential  air;  in- 
difference; equanimity,  in  prosperity  or  in  adversity;  making  no  differ- 
ence between  good  and  evil;  sidelong  glances  directed  toward  lovers — 
that  is  the  list  of  the  accomplishments  practiced  by  the  ladies  of  the 
town. 

So  the  son,  handed  over  according  to  the  agreement  with  Dhurta- 
maya, was  sent  by  his  father  to  the  island  of  Suvarna  to  acquire  wealth. 
In  that  island  lived  a  lady  called  Kalavati,  and  with  her  he  spent  a 
whole  year.  One  day  he  said  to  Kalavati:  "Pray  tell  me!  My  youngest 
sister  has  often  said  that,  although  she  was  skilled  in  all  the  arts  of 
attracting  men,  she  never  could  succeed  in  getting  anything  out  of  her 
admirers.  How  is  this  to  be  accomplished?"  Kalavati  repeated  this  to 
her  mother.  "My  dear,"  replied  the  old  lady,  "it  is  quite  clear  that  this 
admirer  of  yours  is  well  up  in  the  ways  of  women:  you  can't  catch 
him  like  this;  perhaps  flattery  might  succeed.  When  he  is  thinking  of 
going  back  home,  you  say  that  you  want  to  go  with  him,  and  that  if 
he  leaves  you,  you  will  drown  yourself— and  so  on.  I  daresay  he  would 
give  you  anything  you  liked  to  ask  for."  Kalavati  answered,  "My  dear 
mother,  don't  put  it  in  that  way:  I  care  nothing  for  his  money  without 
him,  and  it  has  been  said — 

u<Do  not  set  your  heart  on  riches  gained  by  wickedness,  or  from 
an  enemy  whom  you  have  humiliated.'  " 

Her  mother  answered:  "Not  at  all,  my  daughter;  riches  are  the  cause 
of  death  or  life.  It  has  been  said— 


312  INDIAN    HUMOR 

"  'A  man  who  acts  with  energy  is  sure  to  prosper;  for  energy  in  all 
matters  is  the  road  to  fortune.  TEose  who  have  not  revealed  secrets,  who 
have  done  no  evil,  who  have  not  slain  without  cause— they  attain  glory. 
Fate  is  the  cause  of  justice  and  injustice:  the  cause  of  honor  and  of  dis- 
honor. Fate  makes  a  man  both  a  giver  and  an  asker.' 

"You  do  as  I  have  told  you,"  continued  her  mother.  "I  will  manage 
all  the  rest.'*  So  she  listened  to  the  advice  her  mother  had  given,  and 
the  end  of  it  was,  that  the  merchant's  son  gave  her  all  his  money,  and 
after  she  had  got  hold  of  several  millions  which  had  belonged  to  him, 
he  was  turned  out  of  doors  and  sent  adrift. 

So  Kalavatl's  admirer  returned  home,  having  lost  both  money  and 
credit.  His  father,  seeing  him  in  this  condition,  was  much  distressed, 
and  asked  how  it  had  all  come  about.  He  did  not  like  to  tell  him,  but 
told  his  spiritual  father,  who  said:  "My  son,  do  not  be  cast  down!  Good 
luck  and  bad  luck  are  equally  the  lot  of  man.  Why  should  wise  men 
think  so  much  of  money?  If  it  goes,  grieve  not  after  it:  if  it  comes  back, 
care  not  for  it." 

When  his  father  heard  all  that  had  happened,  he  went  to  Dhurta- 
maya and  said:  "I  have  come  to  tell  you  that  a  great  misfortune  has 
happened.  My  son  has  fallen  a  victim  to  the  treachery  of  a  woman." 
"Who  has  not  been  ruined  by  women?"  replied  Dhurtamaya,  "for  it 
has  been  said,  'A  man  who  gains  wealth  becomes  proud;  he  who  falls 
into  calamities  loses  his  senses.  Who  can  be  the  friend  of  a  king  ?  Who 
has  not  come  into  the  power  of  death?  Who  does  not  respect  a  rich 
man?  Who  that  falls  into  the  net  of  the  evil  escapes  without  loss?' 
Therefore  if  you  will  take  a  passage  for  me  in  a  ship,  I  will  go  back 
with  your  son.  It  has  been  said,  'Damage  may  be  repaid  with  damage, 
injury  with  injury;  if  you  pull  out  my  feathers,  I  will  pull  out  your 
hair.' 

"I  agreed  that  if  your  son  were  cheated  by  a  woman  I  would  be  re- 
sponsible. For,  Though  the  earth,  supported  by  the  serpent  king,  the 
mighty  mountain,  the  tortoise,  the  elephant,  may  move,  that  which  has 
been  determined  by  the  wise  and  thoughtful  is  never  moved,  even  in 
the  course  of  ages/  " 

So  Dhurtamaya  and  Chandana's  son  went  back  to  Survana.  All  the 
inhabitants  including  Kalavati  welcomed  him,  but  he  did  not  recover 
his  money.  The  question  was  therefore,  what  could  Dhurtamaya  do? 
Well,  as  the  money  was  not  forthcoming,  she  put  on  the  disguise  of 
a  Chandala  and  went  about  trying  to  find  an  opportunity  of  getting 


THE   ENCHANTED   PARROT  313 

it  back.  In  the  course  of  her  wanderings  she  came  across  Chandana's 
son  in  the  company  of  Kalavatl.  He  saw  her  at  the  same  time,  and 
rushed  to  meet  her,  a  line  of  action  which  had  been  already  agreed 
upon  between  them.  Kalavatl  followed  him,  and  exclaimed,  "Pray 
who  is  this?"  He  replied,  "This  is  my  mother;  I  have  not  seen  her 
since  I  lost  all  my  money!"  Dhurtamaya  seizing  hold  of  his  hand 
greeted  him  affectionately,  and  said:  "My  son!  You  went  to  this  lady's 
house!  You  fell  a  victim  to  her  wiles,  but  after  a  time  you  escaped.  You 
know  all  the  money  you  took  away  belonged  to  me." 

This  she  kept  on  asserting  with  oaths  and  imprecations,  until  Kalavatl 
and  her  mother  took  the  woman  disguised  as  a  Chandala  into  the  house 
and  said:  "Madam!  tell  us,  where  do  you  come  from?  What  is  your 
name?  In  short,  who  are  you?"  "I,"  she  replied,  "am  one  of  Sundara- 
sana's  minstrels,  the  king  of  Padmavatl.  This  son  of  mine  took  away  all 
my  money,  and  you  stole  it  from  him."  Kalavatl  and  her  mother  were 
thoroughly  frightened  and  said,  "Here  is  the  money!  Pray  take  it!" 
"No,"  answered  Dhurtamaya,  "not  unless  the  king  of  this  country 
gives  me  permission." 

Then  they  fell  down  at  her  feet  and  said :  "We  pray  you  accept  it  and 
have  mercy  on  us!"  So  she  took  it,  and  having  been  treated  with  the 
greatest  respect  by  Kalavatl  and  her  mother,  went  back  with  Rama 
rejoicing  to  their  own  country. 

DEVI K A  AND  HER  FOOLISH  HUSBAND 

THERE  is  A  LARGE  VILLAGE  called  Kukhada;  in  it  dwelt  a  certain  Jarasa, 
who  was  a  great  fool.  His  wife's  name  was  Devika;  she  was  a  flighty, 
ill-conducted  person,  and  had  a  lover — a  Brahman — whom  she  used  to 
meet  under  a  Vibhltaka  tree,  some  way  from  the  village.  These  meet- 
ings were  a  great  subject  of  gossip  in  the  place,  and  in  the  course  of 
time  her  husband  heard  of  them.  So  he  made  up  his  mind  to  see  into 
the  matter  himself  and  went  and  climbed  into  the  tree.  What  he  saw 
from  his  hiding  place  fully  justified  all  the  gossip  and  he  called  out 
to  his  wife:  "You  good-for-nothing  hussy!  You  have  been  up  to  this 
game  for  some  time  past."  She  was  put  into  somewhat  of  a  difficulty 
and  said:  "I  don't  know  what  you  mean!"  "I  will  let  you  know  what 
I  mean,"  he  answered,  "if  you  will  just  wait  till  I  come  down."  So  she 
promised  to  wait  till  he  came  down  from  the  tree,  and  meanwhile  sent 
her  lover  away.  At  last  her  husband  reached  the  ground.  "It  is  of  no  use 


314  INDIAN    HUMOR 

your  making  excuses,"  he  said,  "you  have  been  caught  in  the  act.*' 
"My  dear  husband!"  she  replied.  "You  must  know  that  this  tree  has  very 
peculiar  properties:  any  one  who  climbs  up  into  it  can  see  at  once 
whether  his  or  her  spouse  has  been  faithful."  Her  husband  replied, 
"Well,  you  climb  up  and  see  if  it  is  so,"  which  she  did,  and  cried  out, 
"You  good-for-nothing  wretch!  You  have  been  running  after  other 
women  for  days  and  days."  As  this  was  perfectly  true,  the  fool  had 
nothing  to  say,  and  so  he  made  up  with  his  wife  and  they  went  home 
together. 

THE  LADY  AND  THE  TIGER 

IN  A  VILLAGE  CALLED  Devalakhya  lived  a  prince  whose  name  was  Raja- 
sinha.  His  wife  was  a  person  of  irreproachable  reputation,  but  very 
ill-tempered  and  quarrelsome.  One  day  she  had  a  violent  altercation 
with  her  husband,  and  in  consequence  left  home  and  started  off  with 
her  two  sons  to  her  father 's  house.  She  traveled  through  several  towns 
and  villages,  and  at  last  reached  a  large  wood  near  Malaya,  where  she 
saw  a  tiger.  The  tiger  saw  her  too,  and  came  toward  her  lashing  his 
tail  with  rage.  She  felt  somewhat  alarmed,  but  put  on  a  bold  front,  and 
administering  a  smart  slap  to  her  sons  she  said:  "What  do  you  mean 
by  quarreling  over  who  is  to  have  a  tiger  to  eat  ?  Can't  you  see  one  here 
close  by?  Eat  him  first  and  then  we  will  go  and  find  another."  The 
tiger  heard  all  this,  and  thinking  to  himself,  "Surely  this  lady  must 
be  indeed  a  formidable  person,"  took  to  his  heels  and  ran  away  in  terror. 
Presently  a  jackal  met  him.  He  burst  into  a  fit  of  laughter  and  said: 
"Hullo!  Here  is  a  tiger  running  away  from  something  in  a  fright." 
"Friend  jackal,"  replied  the  tiger,  "the  sooner  you  go  off  to  some  far 
distant  country  the  better,  for  there  is  a  most  terrible  person  hereabouts 
— a  regular  tiger-eater! — such  as  one  only  hears  of  in  fables.  She  has 
almost  been  the  death  of  me;  as  soon  as  I  saw  her,  I  ran  away  as  fast 
as  I  could."  "Well,  I  am  surprised,"  said  the  jackal.  "Do  you  mean  that 
you  are  afraid  of  what  after  all  is  only  a  piece  of  human  flesh?"  "I  was 
close  to  her,"  answered  the  tiger,  "and  what  she  did  and  said  was 
enough  to  frighten  any  one."  The  jackal  answered:  "Well,  I  think  I 
shall  go  by  myself  and  see  if  I  can  find  this  tiger-eating  lady.  You  had 
perhaps  better  not  come,  as  she  might  recognize  you  again."  "Whether 
you  go  with  me  or  without  me,"  replied  the  tiger,  "it  will  make  no 
difference;  you  are  certain  to  be  destroyed." 


THE   ENCHANTED   PARROT  315 

"Well,  then,"  .«n:d  the  jackal,  "let  me  mount  on  your  back,  and  we  will 
go  together."  So  the  jackal  was  t.ed  on  the  tiger's  back  and  off  they 
started,  and  very  soon  found  the  tiger-eater  with  her  two  sons.  She  felt 
a  little  nervous  at  first,  seeing  the  tiger  had  come  back  accompanied 
by  a  jackal,  but  reflecting  a  minute  she  cried  out:  "You  rascally  jackal! 
Once  upon  a  time  you  used  to  bnng  me  three  tigers  at  once;  what  do 
you  mean  by  coming  here  with  only  one?"  The  tiger  heard  this,  and 
was  so  frightened  that  he  turned  and  fled  with  the  jackal  on  his  back. 

The  tiger  continued  his  headlong  course,  while  the  jackal,  tied  on 
the  tiger's  back,  suffered  the  greatest  discomfort  and  inconvenience. 
The  question  for  h'm  was  how  to  get  out  of  this  unfortunate  position, 
for  the  tiger  in  deadly  fear,  tore  through  r.vers,  over  mountains,  through 
forests.  Suddenly  he  burst  into  a  loud  fit  of  laughter.  The  tiger  ex- 
claimed: "Well!  I  can't  see  what  there  is  to  laugh  at!"  "A  great  deal,  I 
think,"  replied  the  jackal.  "It  just  occurred  to  me  how  cleverly  we  have 
cheated  that  scoundrelly  tiger-eater.  Here  I  am  safe  and  sound  with 
your  help,  and  she  has  been  left  behind,  no  one  knows  where.  That  was 
why  I  laughed.  So,  my  dear  tiger,  do  let  me  get  down  and  see  where 
we  are."  The  tiger  felt  flattered  and  willingly  loosed  the  jackal  off  his 
back.  No  sooner  had  he  done  so  than  he  suddenly  fell  down  dead,  and 
the  jackal  went  off  rejoicing.  For  it  has  been  said — 

"Wisdom  is  better  than  pomp  and  display,  for  by  it  men  gain  place, 
riches,  and  honor;  but  he  who  is  devoid  of  wisdom  falls  into  dire  mis- 
fortune. The  strength  of  the  ignorant  is  used  to  carry  out  the  business 
of  another,  even  as  the  surpassing  might  of  an  elephant  is  made  subject 
to  man." 

THE  CONCLUDING  STORY 

AT  THE  CONCLUSION  of  these  stories,  Madana  returned  from  his  expedi- 
tion, and  was  received  by  Prabhavatl  with  every  demonstration  of 
affection. 

The  parrot  said,  very  slowly  and  solemnly — 

"Affection  in  woman  means  nothing;  pride  in  woman  means  nothing. 
All  the  time  that  you  have  been  absent,  she  has  been  my  friend  and  de- 
voted to  me." 

Madana  heard  what  the  parrot  said,  but  he  did  not  pay  much  atten- 
tion to  it.  The  parrot  smiled  and  continued:  "He  who  hears  good  advice 
and  follows  it  is  blessed  both  in  this  world  and  in  the  next."  Madana 


3l6  INDIAN    HUMOR 

therefore  was  induced  to  ask  the  parrot  what  he  meant.  Prabhavati  at 
this  felt  a  little  bit  anxious  as  to  what  might  come  out,  for  it  has  been 
said — "The  good  are  always  bold,  sustained  by  consciousness  of  the 
good.  The  wicked  are  always  afraid,  for  their  evil  conscience  makes 
cowards  of  them." 

So  Prabhavati  said  to  her  husband,  "Sir!  your  place  has  been  well 
supplied,  for  in  this  house  dwells  a  parrot,  who  seems  to  have  come 
direct  from  the  abode  of  the  gods,  and  who  speaks  words  of  wisdom. 
He  has  been  even  as  a  husband  and  son  to  me." 

The  parrot  at  these  words  felt  a  little  ashamed  of  himself,  for  it  did 
not  seem  to  him  that  he  had  merited  such  compliments.  So  Madana 
turned  to  Prabhavati  and  said:  "Pray,  what  were  the  words  of  wisdom 
with  which  the  parrot  consoled  you?" 

She  replied:  "My  lord,  a  speaker  of  truth  may  be  ftfund,  but  it  is  not 
so  easy  to  find  a  listener,  for  it  has  been  said — 'Men  who  say  what  is 
pleasant  are  always  welcome,  but  those  who  tell  unpalatable  truths,  will 
not  find  an  audience.1 

"Now,  my  husband,  hear  me.  After  your  departure,  for  a  time  I  kept 
you  in  remembrance,  though  there  was  separation  between  us.  Then 
evil  friends  came  by,  and  tried  to  lead  me  astray.  This  bird  prevented 
my  following  after  them,  and  held  me  back  seventy  nights,  by  means 
of  the  stories  which  he  told  me.  So  I  was  prevented  from  following  my 
desires,  and  my  designs  of  evil  were  not  fulfilled.  From  today — whether 
in  life  or  in  death— you,  my  husband,  shall  be  my  chief  object." 

At  the  conclusion  of  this  harangue,  Madana  turned  to  the  parrot 
and  asked  what  in  the  world  it  all  meant. 

The  parrot  answered:  "Speech  must  not  be  uttered  hastily  by  the 
wise;  those  who  know  what  is  right  and  proper  must  act  accordingly. 
Sir,  I  say  nothing  of  the  foolish,  drunkards,  women,  persons  afflicted 
with  disease,  those  in  love,  the  weak,  the  wrathful.  The  mad,  the  care- 
less, the  timid,  the  starving,  such  as  these  have  but  few  virtues.  There 
are  ten  who  know  not  the  way  of  righteousness — the  mad,  the  careless, 
the  drunkard,  the  feeble,  the  wrathful,  the  glutton,  the  hasty,  the  cow- 
ard, the  covetous,  the  lustful. 

"Pray  grant  Prabhavati  pardon  for  her  shortcomings.  Indeed  they 
were  not  her  fault,  but  the  fault  of  her  evil  companions.  For  it  is  said — 

"  'The  virtuous  fall  into  evil  ways  through  contact  with  the  depraved. 
Even  Bhishma  stole  a  cow  under  the  influence  of  Duryodhana.  The 


THE  ENCHANTED  PARROT  317 

king's  daughter  was  led  astray  by  a  Vidyadhara;  but,  though  her  fault 
was  plain,  she  was  forgiven  by  her  father.'  " 
The  parrot  then  told  Madana  the  following  story — 
"There  is  a  mountain  called  Malaya,  and  on  the  top  of  it  is  Manohara, 
a  city  of  the  Gandharvas.  In  it  lived  a  certain  Madana,  a  Gandharva, 
and  he  had  a  wife  whose  name  was  Ratnavall.  Their  daughter  was 
Madanamanjarl.  She  was  extremely  beautiful  and  fascinating,  and 
everyone  who  saw  her  absolutely  lost  his  senses,  whether  god  or  hero. 
It  was  quite  impossible  to  find  a  husband  for  her  sufficiently  good- 
looking.  It  so  happened  one  day  that  a  certain  Narada  came  by;  when 
he  saw  her  he  was  so  fascinated  by  her  charms  that  he  went  of?  his 
head.  After  a  time,  however,  Narada,  who  was  a  Rishi,  came  to  him- 
self. And  he  solemnly  cursed  her,  in  these  words:  'Suice  the  fire  of 
passion  has  been  kindled  in  me  at  the  sight  of  your  beauty,  you  shall 
be  the  victim  of  deceit/  Then  her  father,  hearing  the  curse,  bowed  to 
the  ground  before  the  Rishi,  and  said:  'Sir,  show  compassion  on  my 
daughter,  and  grant  her  forgiveness!'  Narada  replied:  'She  shall  indeed 
be  deceived,  but  she  shall  not  suffer  loss,  nor  shall  she  fail  in  gaining 
a  husband.  On  the  top  of  Mount  Mcru  is  a  city  called  Vipula,  and  in  it 
dwells  the  Gandharva,  Kanaprabha.  He  shall  be  your  daughter's  hus- 
band.' With  these  words  Narada  departed,  and  according  to  his  promise 
Madanamanjari  was  given  in  marriage  to  the  Gandharva. 

Soon  after  this,  her  husband  left  her,  and  went  on  a  journey  to 
Kailasa.  She  was  inconsolable  at  his  departure,  and  lay  full  length  on 
a  stone  slab  in  the  courtyard  of  her  home.  Here  she  was  seen  by  a 
Vidyadhara,  who  made  advances  of  love  to  her.  She  declined  them  with- 
out hesitation,  but  eventually,  putting  on  the  form  of  her  husband,  he 
accomplished  his  object.  Before  long  her  husband  returned,  but  it  ap- 
peared to  him  that  she  was  not  particularly  glad  to  see  him.  He  thought 
that  there  must  be  some  counter-attraction,  and  eventually  he  worked 
himself  up  to  such  a  state  of  jealousy  that  he  contemplated  putting  an 
end  to  his  wife's  existence.  So  Madanamanjari,  seeing  her  end  in  view, 
went  to  the  shrine  of  the  goddess  Durga,  and  made  loud  lamentation. 
The  goddess  heard  her  complaints  and  said  to  her  husband,  "Noble 
Gandharva!  Your  wife  is  guiltless;  she  was  deceived  by  a  Vidyadhara, 
who  put  on  your  form.  Since  she  was  ignorant  of  the  real  state  of  things, 
how  could  she  be  to  blame?  Besides,  the  cause  of  all  this  is  the  curse 
pronounced  on  her  by  the  Rishi  Narada.  Now  the  curse  is  worked  out, 
and  since  she  is  free  from  guilt  you  must  take  her  back.'  Hearing  the 


3l  INDIAN   HUMOR 

words  of  the  goddess,  Kanaprabha  took  his  wife  home,  and  they  lived 
happily  together. 

"So,  Madana,"  continued  the  parrot,  "if  you  have  any  confidence  in 
my  words,  receive  your  wife  kindly,  for  there  is  no  evil  in  her.*1 

Then  Madana,  obedient  to  the  parrot's  wish,  took  PrabhavatI  home, 
and  his  father  Haridatta,  rejoicing  at  his  son's  return,  made  a  great  feast. 
While  the  festival  was  proceeding,  a  rain  of  flowers  fell  from  heaven, 
and  the  parrot— the  adviser  and  confidant  of  PrabhavatI— freed  from 
the  curse  which  had  compelled  him  to  wear  a  parrot's  form,  ascended 
to  the  abode  of  the  gods,  and  Madana  and  PrabhavatI  passed  the  re- 
mainder of  their  lives  in  peace  and  happiness. 


DDHISM 


The  Dhammapada 


INTRODUCTION 

THE  DHAMMAPADA,  or  "Words  of  the  Doctrine,"  is  a  book  of  Buddhist 
aphorisms  in  423  verses,  but  to  say  this  is  to  mislead.  It  is  not  a  collection 
of  wise  sayings  m  haphazard  order,  but  a  continuous,  original,  rare  work 
of  literature,  unified  in  rhythm,  style,  themes  and  treatment,  and  infused 
with  a  high  moral  passion.  The  words  are  ascribed  to  Buddha  himself; 
while  scholars  disagree  on  the  subject,  as  scholars  must,  the  layman  stands 
on  the  sure  ground  that  the  thoughts  represent  correctly  and  truly 
Buddha's  own  teachings.  The  author  of  the  verses  is  unknown.  Whoever 
wrote  this  book  must  have  caught  the  fire  of  a  valiant  call  to  the  religious 
life  and  felt  the  spiritual  joy  that  we  associate  with  Thomas  a  Kempis. 
The  obvious  common-sense  conclusion  is  that  if  Buddha  himself  had 
not  spoken  with  this  valiant  voice,  he  could  not  have  communicated  it 
to  his  disciple,  the  unknown  author.  What  we  must  be  thankful  for  is 
that  the  voice  of  Buddha  can  still  be  distinctly  heard  through  his  work, 
which  must  be  read  continuously  from  the  beginning  to  the  end.  That 
the  sayings  are  often  sharp  and  witty  like  aphorisms  is  the  incidental 
literary  quality  of  this  work;  behind  them  all,  we  hear  the  voice  of 
someone  who  had  something  very  important  to  say.  It  is  a  convincing 
voice;  few  works  share  this  genuine  moral  passion. 

It  is,  in  short,  a  clear  call  to  rouse  oneself  from  the  life  of  sloth,  indo- 
lence and  thoughtlessness  of  the  common  man,  to  achieve  that  greatest 
of  all  conquests,  the  conquest  of  self,  to  escape  from  the  snares  of  evil 
passions,  lust,  hatred  and  anger,  and  to  attain  that  highest  human  free- 
dom, the  moral  freedom  of  one  who  has  overcome  himself.  But  this 
call  for  moral  effort  and  struggle  is  coupled  with  a  sense  of  urgency  of 
escape  and  gives  us  the  sensation  of  a  race,  as  with  St.  Paul: 

321 


322  BUDDHISM 

Earnest  among  the  thoughtless,  awake  among  the  sleepers,  the  wise  man 
advances  like  a  racer,  leaving  behind  the  hack. 

Again : 

He  whose  conquests  cannot  be  conquered  again,  into  whose  conquest  no 
one  in  this  world  enters,  by  what  track  can  you  lead  him,  the  Awakened, 
the  Omniscient,  the  trackless? 

He  whom  no  desire  with  its  snares  and  poisons  can  lead  astray,  by  what 
track  can  you  lead  him,  the  Awakened,  the  Omniscient,  the  trackless? 

And  why?  Because  all  of  us  know  that  the  body  is  transient,  and  all 
of  us  are  seeking  salvation : 

Long  is  the  night  to  him  who  is  awake;  long  is  the  mile  to  him  who  is 
tired;  long  is  life  to  the  foolish  who  do  not  know  the  true  law. 

Because: 

As  a  cow-herd  with  his  staff  drives  his  cows  into  the  stable,  so  do  Age  and 
Death  drive  the  life  of  men. 

But,  because  we  are  subject  to  the  temptations  of  this  illusory  world, 
the  foolish  keep  on  living  their  futile,  indolent,  weak  and  licentious  life, 
which  is  a  life  in  vain,  a  life  not  worth  having: 

And  he  who  lives  a  hundred  years,  ignorant  and  unrestrained,  a  life  of  one 
day  is  better  if  a  man  is  wise  and  reflecting. 

And  he  who  lives  a  hundred  years,  idle  and  weak,  a  life  of  one  day  is 
better  if  a  man  has  attained  firm  strength.  .  .  . 

And  he  who  lives  a  hundred  years,  not  seeing  the  highest  law,  a  life  of  one 
day  is  better  if  a  man  sees  the  highest  law. 

It  is  entirely  possible  for  one  to  grow  "old  in  vain": 

A  man  is  not  an  eider  because  his  head  is  gray;  his  age  may  be  ripe,  but  he 
is  called  "Old-in-Vain." 

For  there  is  such  a  thing  as  moral  growth: 

A  man  who  has  learnt  little,  grows  old  like  an  ox;  his  flesh  grows,  but  his 
knowledge  does  not  grow. 

Hence  we  hear  the  clarion  call  to  rouse  oneself  from  that  life  of  moral 
sloth  and  indolence  and  futile  mischief: 

Rouse  thyself!  Do  not  be  idle'  Follow  the  law  of  virtue! 
The  virtuous  rest  in  bliss  in  this  life  and  in  the  next. 

Come,  look  at  th.s  world,  glittering  like  a  royal  chariot; 
The  foolish  are  immersed  in  it,  but  the  wise  do  not  touch  it. 

The  first  and  last  step  is  the  conquest  of  self: 

Rouse  thyself  by  thyself,  examine  thyself  by  thyself;  thus  self-protected  and 
attentive  wilt  thou  live  happily,  O  Bikkshu! 

For  self  is  the  lord  of  self,  self  is  the  refuge  of  self;  therefore  curb  thyself 
as  the  merchant  curbs  a  noble  horse* 


THE   DHAMMAPADA  323 

Mules  arc  good,  if  tamed,  and  the  noble  Sindhu  horses,  and  elephants 
with  large  tusks;  but  he  who  tames  himself  is  better  still. 

For  with  these  animals  does  no  man  reach  the  untrodden  country  (Nirv- 
ana), where  a  tamed  man  goes  on  a  tamed  animal! — on  his  well-tamed  self. 

This  essential  thought  recurs  again  and  again,  like  a  theme  in  a 
symphony : 

If  one  man  conquer  in  battle  a  thousand  times  a  thousand  men,  and  if 
another  conquer  himself,  he  is  the  greatest  of  conquerors. 

The  process  of  salvation  must  come  from  within: 

By  one's  self  the  evil  is  done,  by  one's  self  one  suffers;  by  one's  self  evil 
is  left  undone,  by  one's  self  one  is  purified.  The  pure  and  the  impure  stand 
and  fall  by  themselves,  no  one  can  purify  another. 

Hence  Buddha's  call  for  constant  vigilance  and  individual  effort: 

You  yourself  must  make  an  effort.  The  Tathagatas  (Buddhas)  are  only 
preachers.  The  thoughtful  who  enter  the  way  are  freed  from  the  bondage 
of  Mara  .  .  . 

And  I  like  something  which  is  so  simple,  so  direct: 

If  anything  is  to  be  done,  let  a  man  do  it,  let  him  attack  it  vigorously!  A 
careless  pilgrim  only  scatters  the  dust  of  his  passion  more  widely. 

But  one  has  first  to  rid  oneself  of  the  illusions  of  the  false  life  and 
attain  a  moral  height,  from  which  he  can  see  a  different  world: 

When  the  learned  man  drives  away  vanity  by  earnestness,  he,  the  wise, 
climbing  the  terraced  heights  of  wisdom,  looks  down  upon  the  fools:  free 
from  sorrow  he  looks  upon  the  sorrowing  crowd,  as  one  that  stands  on  a 
mountain  looks  down  upon  them  that  stand  upon  the  plain. 

Curiously,  salvation  comes  from  knowledge: 

The  channels  run  everywhere,  the  creeper  of  passion  stands  sprouting;  if 
you  see  the  creeper  springing  up,  cut  its  root  by  means  of  knowledge. 

Or  again: 

Knowing  that  this  body  is  fragile  like  a  jar,  and  making  his  thought  firm 
like  a  fortress,  one  should  attack  Mara,  the  tempter,  with  the  weapon  of  tyowl- 
edge,  one  should  watch  him  when  conquered,  and  should  never  rest. 

Because  the  greatest  of  all  evils  is  the  evil  of  ignorance: 

But  there  is  a  taint  worse  than  all  taints — ignorance  is  the  greatest  taint.  O 
mendicants,  throw  off  that  taint,  and  become  taintless! 

The  evil  life  is  really  the  thoughtless  life: 

Earnestness  is  the  path  of  immortality  (Nirvana),  thoughtlessness  the  path 
of  death.  Those  who  are  in  earnest  do  not  die,  those  who  are  thoughtless  are 
as  if  dead  already. 

For  after  all,  evil  and  pain  are  identical;  it  is  those  unable  to  see  pain 
as  the  natural  result  of  doing  evil  that  continue  to  do  evil : 


324  BUDDHISM 

If  a  man  commits  a  sin,  let  him  not  do  it  again;  let  him  not  delight  in  sin: 
the  accumulation  of  evil  is  painful. 

And  good  and  happiness  are  identical  : 

If  a  man  does  what  is  good,  let  him  do  it  again,  let  him  delight  in  it:  the 
accumulation  of  good  is  delightful. 

For  the  virtuous  man  alone  is  happy,  for  he  has  that  happiness  which 
cannot  be  taken  away  from  him : 

The  virtuous  man  is  happy  in  this  world,  and  he  is  happy  in  the  next;  he 
is  happy  in  both.  He  is  happy  when  he  thinks  of  the  good  he  has  done;  he 
is  still  more  happy  when  going  on  the  good  path. 

Again: 

x  We  live  happily  indeed,  not  hating  those  who  hate  us  I  among  men  who 
hate  us  we  dwell  free  from  hatred! 

We  live  happily  indeed,  free  from  greed  among  the  greedy!  among  men 
who  are  greedy  let  us  dwell  free  from  greed ! 

We  live  happily  indeed,  though  we  call  nothing  our  own!  We  shall  be 
like  the  bright  gods,  feeding  on  happiness ! 

For  the  power  of  good  pervades : 

The  scent  of  flowers  does  not  travel  against  the  wind,  nor  that  of  sandal- 
wood,  or  of  Tagara  and  Mallika  flowers;  but  the  odor  of  good  people  travels 
even  against  the  wind;  a  good  man  pervades  every  place. 

Again : 

Good  people  are  seen  from  afar,  like  the  snowy  mountains;  bad  people  arc 
not  seen,  like  arrows  shot  by  night. 

The  good  man,  who  has  achieved  freedom  from  the  senses,  is  even 
worthy  of  the  envy  of  the  gods : 

The  gods  even  envy  him  whose  senses,  like  horses  well  broken  in  by  the 
driver,  have  been  subdued,  who  is  free  from  pride,  and  free  from  appetites; 
such  a  one  who  does  his  duty  is  tolerant  like  the  earth,  like  the  threshold;  he 
is  like  a  lake  without  mud;  no  new  births  are  in  store  for  him. 

And  there  we  reach  the  spiritual  joy  of  the  calm,  saintly  life,  strong 
above  the  trammels  of  passion  and  worldly  cares : 

The  gift  of  the  law  exceeds  all  gifts;  the  sweetness  of  the  law  exceeds  all 
sweetness;  the  delight  in  the  law  exceeds  all  delights;  the  extinction  of  thirst 
overcomes  all  pain. 

Again,  we  hear  the  note  of  inner  peace: 

A  Bikkshu  who  has  entered  his  empty  house,  and  whose  mind  is  tranquil, 
feels  more  than  a  human  delight  when  he  sees  the  law  clearly. 

That  is  why  one  must  allow  no  thoughts  of  hatred,  anger  and  lust  to 
enter  the  mind,  and  why  one  must  not  requite  evil  with  evil,  but  must 
overcome  evil  with  good: 


THE  DHAMMAPADA  325 

He  who  holds  back  rising  anger  like  a  rolling  chariot,  him  I  call  a  real 
driver;  other  people  are  but  holding  the  reins. 

Let  a  man  overcome  anger  by  love,  let  him  overcome  evil  by  good;  let  him 
overcome  the  greedy  by  liberality,  the  liar  by  truth! 

For  the  man  who  is  tainted  with  hatred  and  anger,  or  who  injures 
others  but  injures  himself: 

If  a  man  offend  a  harmless,  pure,  and  innocent  person,  the  evil  falls  back 
upon  that  fool,  like  light  dust  thrown  up  against  the  wind. 

What  the  world  calls  victory  is  not  victory,  because  it  breeds  more 
hatred : 

Victory  breeds  hatred,  for  the  conquered  is  unhappy.  He  who  has  given 
up  both  victory  and  defeat,  he,  the  contented,  is  happy. 

For  what  the  saint  prizes  and  values  is  moral  victory: 

Silently  I  endured  abuse  as  the  elephant  in  battle  endures  the  arrow  sent 
from  the  bow:  for  the  world  is  ill-natured. 

They  lead  a  tamed  elephant  to  battle,  the  king  mounts  a  tamed  elephant; 
the  tamed  is  the  best  among  men,  he  who  silently  endures  abuse. 

Here  we  reach  the  moral  heights  of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount.  And 
having  disabused  our  minds  of  the  common  passions  of  men,  we  arrive 
at  a  new  set  of  moral  values,  the  values  of  the  inner  life: 

A  man  is  not  learned  because  he  talks  much;  he  who  is  patient,  free  from 
hatred  and  fear,  he  is  called  learned. 

A  man  is  not  an  elect  (Anya)  because  he  injures  living  creatures;  because 
he  has  pity  on  all  living  creatures,  therefore  is  a  man  called  Anya. 

The  ordinary  conventional  values  of  society  do  not  hold  any  more: 

A  man  does  not  become  a  Brahmana  by  his  plaited  hair,  by  his  family,  or  by 
birth;  in  whom  there  is  truth  and  righteousness,  he  is  blessed,  he  is  a  Brahmana. 

I  do  not  call  a  man  a  Brahmana  because  of  his  origin  or  of  his  mother. 
He  is  indeed  arrogant,  and  he  is  wealthy;  but  the  poor  who  is  free  from 
attachments,  him  I  call  indeed  a  Brahmana. 

The  externals  of  the  religious  practice  are  no  substitutes  for  the  inner 
spiritual  life,  for  priests  also  go  to  hell: 

Many  men  whose  shoulders  are  covered  with  the  yellow  gown  are  ill- 
conditioned  and  unrestrained;  such  evil-doers  by  their  evil  deeds  go  to  hell. 

Better  it  would  be  to  swallow  a  heated  iron  ball,  like  flaring  fire,  than  that 
a  bad,  unrestrained  fellow  should  live  on  the  charity  of  the  land. 

Such  are  the  main  themes  that  occur  again  and  again  in  the  Dhamma- 
fada.  While  such  doctrines  afford  no  more  glimpse  into  Buddhist  philoso- 
phy than  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  affords  any  glimpse  of  Christian 
theology,  they  are  the  central  ethical  teachings  of  Buddhism.  Here  we 


326  BUDDHISM 

do  not  run  into  abstruse  metaphysics  (see  the  section,  The  Surangama 
Sutra),  but  see  on  the  other  hand,  the  clarity,  the  simplicity  and  great 
humanity  of  Buddha's  teachings,  a  humanity  that  is  easy  to  appreciate: 

If  the  occasion  rises,  friends  are  pleasant;  enjoyment  is  pleasant,  whatever 
be  the  cause;  a  good  work  is  pleasant  in  the  hour  of  death;  the  giving  up  of 
grief  is  pleasant. 

Pleasant  in  the  world  is  the  state  of  a  mother;  pleasant  the  state  of  a  father; 
pleasant  the  state  of  a  Samana  (ascetic);  pleasant  the  state  of  a  Brahmana. 

Pleasant  is  virtue  lasting  to  old  age;  pleasant  is  a  faith  firmly  rooted; 
pleasant  is  attainment  of  intelligence;  pleasant  is  avoiding  of  sin. 

The  following  translation  was  made  by  Max  Miiller  in  1870.  There 
have  been  a  number  of  succeeding  efforts  to  re-translate  the  Dhamma- 
pada, by  F.  L.  Woodward  (1921),  and  by  Wagiswara  and  Saunders 
(1920)  in  prose,  and  by  A.  L.  Edmunds  in  verse  (Hymns  of  the  Faith, 
1902),  for  this  unique  work  has  attracted  many  scholars.  The  late  Irving 
Babbitt's  translation  is  based  on  the  version  by  Max  Miiller.1  Some  trans- 
lators may  have  improved  upon  Max  Miiller  in  hteralness,  but  I  doubt 
very  much  in  aptness  of  expression  or  in  producing  the  smooth-flowing 
rhythm,  for  as  must  be  evident  to  the  reader,  the  great  translator  was 
concerned  not  only  with  the  words,  as  scholars  are,  but  had  a  pleasing 
acquaintance  with  the  sense  of  words.  The  Chinese  version  of  the 
Dhammapada  has  been  rendered  into  English  by  Samuel  Beal  (Texts 
from  the  Buddhist  Canon  kjiourn  as  Dhammapada,  London  and  Boston, 
1878).  Its  closeness  to  Confucian  and  Taoist  teachings  (e.g.,  advice  on 
good  friends,  distinction  between  the  wise  and  the  fools,  emphasis  on 
self-examination,  freedom  from  fear,  moral  strength  and  inner  repose) 
explains  why  Buddhism  is  so  readily  acceptable  to  the  Chinese  people. 

The  Dhammapada  is  a  great  spiritual  testimony,  one  of  the  very  few 
religious  masterpieces  in  the  world,  combining  genuineness  of  spiritual 
passion  with  a  happy  gift  of  literary  expression.  It  is  closer  to  the  modern 
man  than  the  Bhagavad-Gita;  the  latter,  with  all  its  lofty  moral  concep- 
tions, is  bound  to  strike  deeper  a  Hindu  than  a  non-Hindu  mind,  while 
the  Dhammapada  speaks  directly  on  common  ethical  terms,  such  as  many 
a  self-made  man  would  like  to  present  to  his  licentious-living  son,  but 
usually  has  not  the  courage  to  because  he  is  his  own  father.  The 
Dhammapada  therefore  belongs  to  the  world  and  to  all  time. 

1  Published  posthumously,  Oxford,  1936.  It  contains  a  valuable  essay  by  Babbitt  on  Buddha 
and  the  Occident.  What  interests  Babbitt  in  Buddhism  is  the  emphasis  on  the  principle 
of  the  "inner  check"  and  self-master;. 


The  Dhammapada 

Translated  by  F.  Max  Muller 

CHAPTER  I:  THE  TWIN-VERSES 

ALL  THAT  WE  ARE  is  the  result  of  what  we  have  thought:  it  is  founded  on 
our  thoughts,  it  is  made  up  of  our  thoughts.  If  a  man  speaks  or  acts  with 
an  evil  thought,  pain  follows  him,  as  the  wheel  follows  the  foot  of  the 
ox  that  draws  the  carnage. 

All  that  we  are  is  the  result  of  what  we  have  thought:  it  is  founded  on 
our  thoughts,  it  is  made  up  of  our  thoughts.  If  a  man  speaks  or  acts  with 
a  pure  thought,  happiness  follows  him,  like  a  shadow  that  never  leaves 
him. 

"He  abused  me,  he  beat  me,  he  defeated  me,  he  robbed  me" — in  those 
who  harbor  such  thoughts  hatred  will  never  cease. 

"He  abused  me,  he  beat  me,  he  defeated  me,  he  robbed  me" — in  those 
who  do  not  harbor  such  thoughts  hatred  will  cease. 

For  hatred  does  not  cease  by  hatred  at  any  time :  hatred  ceases  by  love — 
this  is  an  old  rule. 

The  world  does  not  know  that  we  must  all  come  to  an  end  here;  but 
those  who  know  it,  their  quarrels  cease  at  once. 

He  who  lives  looking  for  pleasures  only,  his  senses  uncontrolled,  im- 
moderate in  his  food,  idle,  and  weak,  Mara  (the  tempter)  will  certainly 
overthrow  him,  as  the  wind  throws  down  a  weak  tree. 

He  who  lives  without  looking  for  pleasures,  his  senses  well  controlled, 
moderate  in  his  food,  faithful  and  strong,  him  Mara  will  certainly  not 
overthrow,  any  more  than  the  wind  throws  down  a  rocky  mountain. 

He  who  wishes  to  put  on  the  yellow  dress  without  having  cleansed 
himself  from  sin,  who  disregards  also  temperance  and  truth,  is  unworthy 
of  the  yellow  dress, 

327 


328  BUDDHISM 

But  he  who  has  cleansed  himself  from  sin,  is  well  grounded  in  all 
virtues,  and  endowed  also  with  temperance  and  truth:  he  is  indeed 
worthy  of  the  yellow  dress. 

They  who  imagine  truth  in  untruth,  and  see  untruth  in  truth,  never 
arrive  at  truth,  but  follow  vain  desires. 

They  who  know  truth  in  truth,  and  untruth  in  untruth,  arrive  at 
truth,  and  follow  true  desires. 

As  rain  breaks  through  an  ill-thatched  house,  passion  will  break 
through  an  unreflecting  mind. 

As  rain  does  not  break  through  a  well-thatched  house,  passion  will 
not  break  through  a  well-reflecting  mind. 

The  evil-doer  mourns  in  this  world,  and  he  mourns  in  the  next;  he 
mourns  in  both.  He  mourns  and  suffers  when  he  sees  the  evil  result  of 
his  own  work. 

The  virtuous  man  delights  in  this  world,  and  he  delights  in  the  next; 
he  delights  in  both.  He  delights  and  rejoices,  when  he  sees  the  purity  of 
his  own  work. 

The  evil-doer  suffers  in  this  world,  and  he  suffers  in  the  next;  he 
suffers  in  both.  He  suffers  when  he  thinks  of  the  evil  he  has  done;  he 
suffers  more  when  going  on  the  evil  path. 

The  virtuous  man  is  happy  in  this  world,  and  he  is  happy  in  the  next; 
he  is  happy  in  both.  He  is  happy  when  he  thinks  of  the  good  he  has 
done;  he  is  still  more  happy  when  going  on  the  good  path. 

The  thoughtless  man,  even  if  he  can  recite  a  large  portion  of  the  law, 
but  is  not  a  doer  of  it,  has  no  share  in  the  priesthood,  but  is  like  a  cow- 
herd counting  .the  cows  of  others. 

The  follower  of  the  law,  even  if  he  can  recite  only  a  small  portion  of 
the  law,  but,  having  forsaken  passion  and  hatred  and  foolishness, 
possesses  true  knowledge  and  serenity  of  mind,  he,  caring  for  nothing 
in  this  world  or  that  to  come,  has  indeed  a  share  in  the  priesthood. 

CHAPTER  II:  ON  EARNESTNESS 

EARNESTNESS  is  the  path  of  immortality  (Nirvana),  thoughtlessness  the 
path  of  death.  Those  who  are  in  earnest  do  not  die,  those  who  are 
thoughtless  are  as  if  dead  already. 

Having  understood  this  clearly,  those  who  are  advanced  in  earnestness 
delight  in  earnestness,  and  rejoice  in  the  knowledge  of  the  elect. 


THE   DHAMMAPADA  329 

These  wise  people,  meditative,  steady,  always  possessed  of  strong 
powers,  attain  to  Nirvana,  the  highest  happiness. 

If  an  earnest  person  has  roused  himself,  if  he  is  not  forgetful,  if  his 
deeds  are  pure,  if  he  acts  with  consideration,  if  he  restrains  himself, 
and  lives  according  to  law— then  his  glory  will  increase. 

By  rousing  himself,  by  earnestness,  by  restraint  and  control,  the  wise 
man  may  make  for  himself  an  island  which  no  flood  can  overwhelm. 

Fools  follow  after  vanity.  The  wise  man  keeps  earnestness  as  his  best 
jewel. 

Follow  not  after  vanity,  nor  after  the  enjoyment  of  love  and  lust!  He 
who  is  earnest  and  meditative,  obtains  ample  joy. 

When  the  learned  man  drives  away  vanity  by  earnestness,  he,  the 
wise,  climbing  the  terraced  heights  of  wisdom,  looks  dov/n  upon  the 
fools:  free  from  sorrow  he  looks  upon  the  sorrowing  crowd,  as  one  that 
stands  on  a  mountain  looks  down  upon  them  that  stand  upon  the  plain. 

Earnest  among  the  thoughtless,  awake  among  the  sleepers,  the  wise 
man  advances  like  a  racer,  leaving  behind  the  hack. 

By  earnestness  did  Maghavan  (Indra)  rise  to  the  lordship  of  the 
gods.  People  praise  earnestness;  thoughtlessness  is  always  blamed. 

A  Bhikshu  (mendicant)  who  delights  in  earnestness,  who  looks  with 
fear  on  thoughtlessness,  moves  about  like  fire,  burning  all  his  fetters, 
small  or  large. 

A  Bhikshu  (mendicant)  who  delights  in  reflection,  who  looks  with 
fear  on  thoughtlessness,  cannot  fall  away  from  his  perfect  state — he  is 
close  upon  Nirvana. 

CHAPTER  III:  THOUGHT 

As  A  FLETCHER  makes  straight  his  arrow,  a  wise  man  makes  straight  his 
trembling  and  unsteady  thought,  which  is  difficult  to  guard,  difficult  to 
hold  back. 

As  a  fish  taken  from  his  watery  home  and  thrown  on  the  dry  ground, 
our  thought  trembles  all  over  in  order  to  escape  the  dominion  of  Mara, 
the  tempter. 

It  is  good  to  tame  the  mind,  which  is  difficult  to  hold  in  and  flighty, 
rushing  wherever  it  listeth;  a  tamed  mind  brings  happiness. 

Let  the  wise  man  guard  his  thoughts,  for  they  are  difficult  to  perceive, 
very  artful,  and  they  rush  wherever  they  list:  thoughts  well  guarded 
bring  happiness. 

Those  who  bridle  their  mind  which  travels  far,  moves  about  alone, 


330  BUDDHISM 

is  without  a,  body,  and  hides  in  the  chamber  of  the  heart,  will  be  free 
from  the  bonds  of  Mara,  the  tempter. 

If  a  man's  faith  is  unsteady,  if  he  does  not  know  the  true  law,  if  his 
peace  of  mind  is  troubled,  his  knowledge  will  never  be  perfect. 

If  a  man's  thoughts  are  not  dissipated,  if  his  mind  is  not  perplexed,  if 
he  has  ceased  to  think  of  good  or  evil,  then  there  is  no  fear  for  him  while 
he  is  watchful. 

Knowing  that  this  body  is  fragile  like  a  jar,  and  making  his  thought 
firm  like  a  fortress,  one  should  attack  Mara,  the  tempter,  with  the 
weapon  of  knowledge,  one  should  watch  him  when  conquered,  and 
should  never  rest. 

Before  long,  alas!  this  body  will  lie  on  the  earth,  despised,  without 
understanding,  like  a  useless  log. 

Whatever  a  hater  may  do  to  a  hater,  or  an  enemy  to  an  enemy,  a 
wrongly-directed  mind  will  do  him  greater  mischief. 

Not  a  mother,  not  a  father,  will  do  so  much,  nor  any  other  relatives; 
a  well-directed  mind  will  do  us  greater  service. 

CHAPTER  IV:  FLOWERS 

WHO  SHALL  OVERCOME  this  earth,  and  the  world  of  Yama,  the  lord  of  the 
departed,  and  the  world  of  the  gods?  Who  shall  find  out  the  plainly 
shown  path  of  virtue,  as  a  clever  man  finds  the  right  flower? 

The  disciple  will  overcome  the  earth,  and  the  world  of  Yama,  and 
the  world  of  the  gods.  The  disciple  will  find  out  the  plainly  shown  path 
of  virtue,  as  a  clever  man  finds  the  right  flower. 

He  who  knows  that  this  body  is  like  froth,  and  has  learnt  that  it  is  as 
unsubstantial  as  a  mirage,  will  break  the  flower-pointed  arrow  of  Mara, 
and  never  see  the  king  of  death. 

Death  carries  off  a  man  who  is  gathering  flowers,  and  whose  mind  is 
distracted,  as  a  flood  carries  off  a  sleeping  village. 

Death  subdues  a  man  who  is  gathering  flowers,  and  whose  mind  is 
distracted,  before  he  is  satiated  in  his  pleasures. 

As  the  bee  collects  nectar  and  departs  without  injuring  the  flower,  or 
its  color  or  scent,  so  let  a  sage  dwell  in  his  village. 

Not  the  perversities  of  others,  not  their  sins  of  commission  or  omission, 
but  his  own  misdeeds  and  negligences  should  a  sage  take  notice  of. 

Like  a  beautiful  flower,  full  of  color,  but  without  scent,  are-  the  fine 
but  fruitless  words  of  him  who  does  not  act  accordingly. 


THE  DHAMMAPADA  331 

But,  like  a  beautiful  flower,  full  of  color  and  full  of  scent,  are  the  fine 
and  fruitful  words  of  him  who  acts  accordingly. 

As  many  kinds  of  wreaths  can  be  made  from  a  heap  of  flowers,  so 
many  good  things  may  be  achieved  by  a  mortal  when  once  he  is  born. 

The  scent  of  flowers  does  not  travel  against  the  wind,  nor  that  of 
sandal-wood,  or  of  Tagara  and  Mallika  flowers;  but  the  odor  of  good 
people  travels  even  against  the  wind;  a  good  man  pervades  every  place. 

Sandal-wood  or  Tagara,  a  lotus-flower,  or  a  Vassikl,  among  these  sorts 
of  perfumes,  the  perfume  of  virtue  is  unsurpassed. 

Mean  is  the  scent  that  comes  from  Tagara  and  sandal-wood;  the 
perfume  of  those  who  possess  virtue  rises  up  to  the  gods  as  the  highest. 

Of  the  people  who  possess  these  virtues,  who  live  without  thoughtless- 
ness, and  who  are  emancipated  through  true  knowledge,  Mara,  the 
tempter,  never  finds  the  way. 

As  on  a  heap  of  rubbish  cast  upon  the  highway  the  lily  will  grow  full 
of  sweet  perfume  and  delight,  thus  among  those  who  are  mere  rubbish 
the  disciple  of  the  truly  enlightened  Buddha  shines  forth  by  his  knowl- 
edge above  the  blinded  worldling. 

CHAPTER  V:  THE  FOOL 

LONG  is  THE  NIGHT  to  him  who  is  awake;  long  is  a  mile  to  him  who  is 
tired;  long  is  life  to  the  foolish  who  do  not  know  the  true  law. 

If  a  traveller  does  not  meet  with  one  who  is  his  better,  or  his  equal, 
let  him  firmly  keep  to  his  solitary  journey;  there  is  no  companionship 
with  a  fool. 

"These  sons  belong  to  me,  and  this  wealth  belongs  to  me,"  with  such 
thoughts  a  fool  is  tormented.  He  himself  does  not  belong  to  himself;  how 
much  less  sons  and  wealth  ? 

The  fool  who  knows  his  foolishness,  is  wise  at  least  so  far.  But  a  fool 
who  thinks  himself  wise,  he  is  called  a  fool  indeed. 

If  a  fool  be  associated  with  a  wise  man  even  all  his  life,  he  will  perceive 
the  truth  as  little  as  a  spoon  perceives  the  taste  of  soup. 

If  an  intelligent  man  be  associated  for  one  minute  only  with  a  wise 
man,  he  will  soon  perceive  the  truth,  as  the  tongue  perceives  the  tast^ 
of  soup. 

Fools  of  poor  understanding  have  themselves  for  their  greatest  enemies 
for  they  do  evil  deeds  which  bear  bitter  fruits. 


332  BUDDHISM 

That  deed  is  not  well  ^one  of  which  a  man  must  repent,  and  the 
reward  of  which  he  receives  crying  and  with  a  tearful  face. 

No,  that  deed  is  well  done  of  which  a  man  does  not  repent,  and  the 
reward  of  which  he  receives  gladly  and  cheerfully. 

As  long  as  the  evil  deed  done  does  not  bear  fruit,  the  fool  thinks  it  is 
like  honey;  but  when  it  ripens,  then  the  fool  suffers  grief. 

Let  a  fool  month  after  month  eat  his  food  (like  an  ascetic)  with  the 
tip  of  a  blade  of  Kusa-grass,  yet  is  he  not  worth  the  sixteenth  particle  of 
those  who  have  well  weighed  the  law. 

An  evil  deed,  like  newly-drawn  milk,  does  not  turn  suddenly; 
smouldering,  like  fire  covered  by  ashes,  it  follows  the  fool. 

And  when  the  evil  deed,  after  it  has  become  known,  turns  to  sorrow 
for  the  fool,  then  it  destroys  his  bright  lot,  nay,  it  cleaves  his  head. 

Let  the  fool  wish  for  a  false  reputation,  for  precedence  among  the 
Bhikshus,  for  lordship  in  the  convents,  for  worship  among  other  people! 

"May  both  the  layman  and  he  who  has  left  the  world  think  that  this 
is  done  by  me;  may  they  be  subject  to  me  in  everything  which  is  to  be 
done  or  is  not  to  be  done,"  thus  is  the  mind  of  the  fool,  and  his  desire 
and  pride  increase. 

"One  is  the  road  that  leads  to  wealth,  another  the  road  that  leads  to 
Nirvana" — if  the  Bhikshu,  the  disciple  of  Buddha,  has  learnt  this,  he  will 
not  yearn  for  honor,  he  will  strive  after  separation  from  the  world. 

CHAPTER  VI:  THE  WISE  MAN 

IF  YOU  SEE  A  MAN  who  shows  you  what  is  to  be  avoided,  who  administers 
reproofs,  and  is  intelligent,  follow  that  wise  man  as  you  would  one  who 
tells  of  hidden  treasures;  it  will  be  better,  not  worse,  for  him  who  follows 
him. 

Let  him  admonish,  let  him  teach,  let  him  forbid  what  is  improper! — 
he  will  be  beloved  of  the  good,  by  the  bad  he  will  be  hated. 

Do  not  have  evil-doers  for  friends,  do  not  have  low  people  for  friends : 
have  virtuous  people  for  friends,  have  for  friends  the  best  of  men. 

He  who  drinks  in  the  law  lives  happily  with  a  serene  mind:  the  sage 
rejoices  always  in  the  law,  as  preached  by  the  elect. 

Well-makers  lead  the  water  wherever  they  like;  fletchers  bend  the 
arrow;  carpenters  bend  a  log  of  wood;  wise  people  fashion  themselves. 

As  a  solid  rock  is  not  shaken  by  the  wind,  wise  people  falter  not  amidst 
blame  and  praise. 


THE  DHAMMAPADA  333 

Wise  people,  after  they  have  listened  to  the  laws,  become  serene,  like 
a  deep,  smooth,  and  still  lake. 

Good  men  indeed  walk  warily  under  all  circumstances;  good  men 
speak  not  out  of  a  desire  for  sensual  gratification;  whether  touched  by 
happiness  or  sorrow  wise  people  never  appear  elated  or  depressed. 

If,  whether  for  his  own  sake,  or  for  the  sake  of  others,  a  man  wishes 
neither  for  a  son,  nor  for  wealth,  nor  for  lordship,  and  if  he  does  not 
wish  for  his  own  success  by  unfair  means,  then  he  is  good,  wise,  and 
virtuous. 

Few  are  there  among  men  who  arrive  at  the  other  shore  (become 
Arhats) ;  the  other  people  here  run  up  and  down  the  shore. 

But  those  who,  when  the  law  has  been  well  preached  to  them,  follow 
the  law,  will  pass  over  the  dominion  of  death,  however  difficult  to  cross. 

A  wise  man  should  leave  the  dark  state  of  ordinary  life,  and  follow 
the  bright  state  of  the  Bhikshu.  After  going  from  his  home  to  a  homeless 
state,  he  should  in  his  retirement  look  for  enjoyment  where  enjoyment 
seemed  difficult.  Leaving  all  pleasures  behind,  and  calling  nothing  his 
own,  the  wise  man  should  purge  himself  from  all  the  troubles  of  the 
mmd. 

Those  whose  mind  is  well  grounded  in  the  seven  elements  of  knowl- 
edge, who  without  clinging  to  anything,  rejoice  in  freedom  from  attach- 
ment, whose  appetites  have  been  conquered,  and  who  are  full  of  light, 
they  are  free  even  in  this  world. 

CHAPTER  VII:  THE  VENERABLE 

THERE  is  NO  SUFFERING  for  him  who  has  finished  his  journey,  and  aban- 
doned grief,  who  has  freed  himself  on  all  sides,  and  thrown  oft  all  fetters. 

They  exert  themselves  with  their  thoughts  well-collected,  they  do  not 
tarry  in  their  abode;  like  swans  who  have  left  their  lake,  they  leave  their 
house  and  home. 

Men  who  have  no  riches,  who  live  on  recognized  food,  who  have  per- 
ceived void  and  unconditioned  freedom  (Nirvana),  their  path  is  difficult 
to  understand,  like  that  of  birds  in  the  air. 

He  whose  appetites  are  stilled,  who  is  not  absorbed  in  enjoyment,  who 
has  perceived  void  and  unconditioned  freedom  (Nirvana),  his  path  is 
difficult  to  understand,  like  that  of  birds  in  the  air. 

The  gods  even  envy  him  whose  senses,  like  horses  well  broken  in  by 
the  driver,  have  been  subdued,  who  is  free  from  pride,  and  free  from 


334  BUDDHISM 

appetites;  such  a  one  who  does  his  duty  is  tolerant  like  the  earth,  or  like 
a  threshold;  he  is  like  a  lake  without  mud;  no  new  births  are  in  store 
for  him. 

His  thought  is  quiet,  quiet  are  his  word  and  deed,  when  he  has  obtained 
freedom  by  true  knowledge,  when  he  has  thus  become  a  quiet  man. 

The  man  who  is  free  from  credulity,  but  knows  the  uncreated,  who 
has  cut  all  ties,  removed  all  temptations,  renounced  all  desires,  he  is 
the  greatest  of  men. 

In  a  hamlet  or  in  a  forest,  on  sea  or  on  dry  land,  wherever  venerable 
persons  (Arahanta)  dwell,  that  place  is  delightful. 

Forests  are  delightful;  where  the  world  finds  no  delight,  there  the 
passionless  will  find  delight,  for  they  look  not  for  pleasures. 

CHAPTER  VIII:  THE  THOUSANDS 

EVEN  THOUGH  A  SPEECH  be  a  thousand  (of  words) ,  but  made  up  of  sense- 
less words,  one  word  of  sense  is  better,  which  if  a  man  hears,  he  becomes 
quiet. 

Even  though  a  Gatha  (poem)  be  a  thousand  (of  words),  but  made  up 
of  senseless  words,  one  word  of  a  Gatha  is  better,  which  if  a  man  hears, 
he  becomes  quiet. 

Though  a  man  recite  a  hundred  Gathas  made  up  of  senseless  words, 
one  word  of  the  law  is  better,  which  if  a  man  hears,  he  becomes  quiet. 

If  one  man  conquer  in  battle  a  thousand  times  a  thousand  men,  and  if 
another  conquer  himself,  he  is  the  greatest  of  conquerors. 

One's  own  self  conquered  is  better  than  all  other  people;  not  even  a 
god,  a  Gandharva,  not  Mara  (with  Brahman),  could  change  into  defeat 
the  victory  of  a  man  who  has  vanquished  himself,  and  always  lives 
under  restraint. 

If  a  man  for  a  hundred  years  sacrifice  month  by  month  with  a  thousand, 
and  if  he  but  for  one  moment  pay  homage  to  a  man  whose  soul  is 
grounded  in  true  knowledge,  better  is  that  homage  than  a  sacrifice  for 
a  hundred  years. 

If  a  man  for  a  hundred  years  worship  Agni  (fire)  in  the  forest,  and 
if  he  but  for  one  moment  pay  homage  to  a  man  whose  soul  is  grounded 
in  true  knowledge,  better  is  that  homage  than  sacrifice  for  a  hundred 
years. 

Whatever  a  man  sacrifice  in  this  world  as  an  offering  or  as  an  obla- 
tion for  a  whole  year  in  order  to  gain  merit,  the  whole  of  it  is  not 


THE  DHAMMAPADA  335 

worth  a  quarter  a  farthing;  reverence  shown  to  the  righteous  is  better. 

He  who  always  greets  and  constantly  reveres  the  aged,  four  things  will 
increase  to  him :  life,  beauty,  happiness,  power. 

But  he  who  lives  a  hundred  years,  vicious  and  unrestrained,  a  life  of 
one  day  is  better  if  a  man  is  virtuous  and  reflecting. 

And  he  who  lives  a  hundred  years,  ignorant  and  unrestrained,  a  life 
of  one  day  is  better  if  a  man  is  wise  and  reflecting. 

And  he  who  lives  a  hundred  years,  idle  and  weak,  a  life  of  one  day 
is  better  if  a  man  has  attained  firm  strength. 

And  he  who  lives  a  hundred  years,  not  seeing  beginning  and  end,  a 
life  of  one  day  is  better  if  a  man  sees  beginning  and  end. 

And  he  who  lives  a  hundred  years,  not  seeing  the  immortal  place,  a 
life  of  one  day  is  better  if  a  man  sees  the  immortal  place. 

And  he  who  lives  a  hundred  years,  not  seeing  the  highest  law,  a  life 
of  one  day  is  better  if  a  man  sees  the  highest  law. 

CHAPTER  IX:  EVIL 

A  MAN  should  hasten  towards  towards  the  good,  and  should  keep  his 
thought  away  from  evil;  if  a  man  does  what  is  good  slothfully,  his  mind 
delights  in  evil. 

If  a  man  commits  a  sin,  let  him  not  do  it  again;  let  him  not  delight  in 
sin:  the  accumulation  of  evil  is  painful. 

If  a  man  does  what  is  good,  let  him  do  it  again;  let  him  delight  in  it: 
the  accumulation  of  good  is  delightful. 

Even  an  evil-doer  sees  happiness  so  long  as  his  evil  deed  does  not  ripen; 
but  when  his  evil  deed  ripens,  then  does  the  evil-doer  see  evil. 

Even  a  good  man  sees  evil  days  so  long  as  his  good  deed  does  not 
ripen;  but  when  his  good  deed  ripens,  then  does  the  good  man  see  good 
things. 

Let  no  man  think  lightly  of  evil,  saying  in  his  heart,  It  will  not  come 
nigh  unto  me.  Even  by  the  falling  of  water-drops  a  water-pot  is  filled; 
the  fool  becomes  full  of  evil,  even  if  he  gather  it  little  by  little. 

Let  no  man  think  lightly  of  good,  saying  in  his  heart,  It  will  not  come 
nigh  unto  me.  Even  by  the  falling  of  water-drops  a  water-pot  is  filled; 
the  wise  man  becomes  full  of  good,  even  if  he  gather  it  little  by  little. 

Let  a  man  avoid  evil  deeds,  as  a  merchant,  if  he  has  few  companions 
and  carries  much  wealth,  avoids  a  dangerous  road;  as  a  man  who  loves 
life  avoids  poison. 


336  BUDDHISM 

He  who  has  no  wound  on  his  hand,  may  touch  poison  with  his  hand; 
poison  docs  not  affect  one  who  has  no  wound;  nor  is  there  evil  for  one 
who  does  not  commit  evil. 

If  a  man  offend  a  harmless,  pure,  and  innocent  person,  the  evil  falls 
back  upon  that  fool,  like  light  dust  thrown  up  against  the  wind. 

Some  people  are  born  again;  evil-doers  go  to  hell;  righteous  people 
go  to  heaven;  those  who  are  free  from  all  worldly  desires  attain  Nirvana. 

Not  in  the  sky,  not  in  the  midst  of  the  sea,  not  if  we  enter  into  the 
clefts  of  the  mountains,  is  there  known  a  spot  in  the  whole  world  where 
a  man  might  be  freed  from  an  evil  deed. 

Not  in  the  sky,  not  in  the  midst  of  the  sea,  not  if  we  enter  into  the  clefts 
of  the  mountains,  is  there  known  a  spot  in  the  whole  world  where  death 
could  not  overcome  the  mortal. 

CHAPTER  X:  PUNISHMENT 

ALL  MEN  tremble  at  punishment,  all  men  fear  death;  remember  that  you 
are  like  unto  them,  and  do  not  kill,  nor  cause  slaughter. 

All  men  tremble  at  punishment,  all  men  love  life;  remember  that  thou 
art  like  unto  them,  and  do  not  kill,  nor  cause  slaughter. 

He  who,  seeking  his  own  happiness,  punishes  or  kills  beings  who  also 
long  for  happiness,  will  not  find  happiness  after  death. 

He  who,  seeking  his  own  happiness,  does  not  punish  or  kill  beings  who 
also  long  for  happiness,  will  find  happiness  after  death. 

Do  not  speak  harshly  to  anyone;  those  who  are  spoken  to  will  answer 
thee  in  the  same  way.  Angry  speech  is  painful:  blows  for  blows  will 
touch  thee. 

If,  like  a  shattered  metal  plate  (gong),  thou  utter  nothing,  then  thou 
hast  reached  Nirvana;  anger  is  not  known  to  thee. 

As  a  cow-herd  with  his  staff  drives  his  cows  into  the  stable,  so  do  Age 
and  Death  drive  the  life  of  men. 

A  fool  does  not  know  when  he  commits  his  evil  deeds :  but  the  wicked 
man  burns  by  his  own  deeds,  as  if  burnt  by  fire. 

He  who  inflicts  pain  on  innocent  and  harmless  persons,  will  soon  come 
to  one  of  these  ten  states : — 

He  will  have  cruel  suffering,  loss,  injury  of  the  body,  heavy  affliction, 
or  loss  of  mind. 

A  misfortune  coming  from  the  king,  or  a  fearful  accusation,  or  loss 
of  relations,  or  destruction  of  treasures. 


THE   DHAMMAPADA  337 

Lightning-fire  will  burn  his  houses;  and  when  his  body  is  destroyed, 
the  fool  will  go  to  hell. 

Not  nakedness,  not  platted  hair,  not  dirt,  not  fasting,  or  lying  on  the 
earth,  not  rubbing  with  dust,  not  sitting  motionless,  can  purify  a  mortal 
who  has  not  overcome  desires. 

He  who,  though  dressed  in  fine  apparel,  exercises  tranquility,  is  quiet, 
subdued,  restrained,  chaste,  and  has  ceased  to  find  fault  with  all  other 
beings,  he  indeed  is  a  Brahmana,  an  ascetic  (sramana),  a  friar  (bhikshu). 

Is  there  in  this  world  any  man  so  restrained  by  shame  that  he  does  not 
provoke  reproof,  as  a  noble  horse  the  whip? 

Like  a  noble  horse  when  touched  by  the  whip,  be  ye  strenuous  and 
eager,  and  by  faith,  by  virtue,  by  energy,  by  meditation,  by  discernment 
of  the  law,  you  will  overcome  this  great  pain,  perfect  in  knowledge  and 
in  behavior,  and  never  forgetful. 

Well-makers  lead  the  water  wherever  they  like;  fletchers  bend  the 
arrow;  carpenters  bend  a  log  of  wood;  good  people  fashion  themselves. 

CHAPTER  XI:  OLD  AGE 

How  is  THERE  LAUGHTER,  how  is  there  joy,  as  this  world  is  always  burning  ? 
Do  you  not  seek  a  light,  ye  who  are  surrounded  by  darkness5 

Look  at  this  dressed-up  lump,  covered  with  wounds,  joined  together, 
sickly,  full  of  many  schemes,  but  which  has  no  strength,  no  hold! 

This  body  is  wasted,  full  of  sickness,  and  frail;  this  heap  of  corruption 
breaks  to  pieces,  life  indeed  ends  in  death. 

After  one  has  looked  at  those  gray  bones,  thrown  away  like  gourds  in 
the  autumn,  what  pleasure  is  there  left  in  life! 

After  a  stronghold  has  been  made  of  the  bones,  it  is  covered  with  flesh 
and  blood,  and  there  dwell  in  it  old  age  and  death,  pride  and  deceit. 

The  brilliant  chariots  of  kings  are  destroyed,  the  body  also  approaches 
destruction,  but  the  virtue  of  good  people  never  approaches  destruction — 
thus  do  the  good  say  to  the  good. 

A  man  who  has  learnt  little,  grows  old  like  an  ox;  his  flesh  grows,  but 
his  knowledge  does  not  grow. 

Looking  for  the  maker  of  this  tabernacle,  I  have  run  through  a  course 
of  many  births,  not  finding  him;  and  painful  is  birth  again  and  again. 
But  now,  maker  of  the  tabernacle,  thou  hast  been  seen;  thou  shah  not 
make  up  this  tabernacle  again.  All  thy  rafters  are  broken,  thy  ridge-pie 


338  BUDDHISM 

is  sundered;  the  mind,  approaching  the  Eternal  (visankhara,  nirvana), 
has  attained  to  the  extinction  of  all  desires. 

Men  who  have  not  observed  proper  discipline,  and  have  not  gained 
wealth  in  their  youth,  perish  like  old  herons  in  a  lake  without  fish. 

Men  who  have  not  observed  proper  discipline,  and  have  not  gained 
wealth  in  their  youth,  lie,  like  broken  bows,  sighing  after  the  past. 

CHAPTER  XII:  SELF 

IF  A  MAN  HOLD  HIMSELF  DEAR,  let  him  watch  himself  carefully;  during  one 
at  least  out  of  the  three  watches  a  wise  man  should  be  watchful. 

Let  each  man  direct  himself  first  to  what  is  proper,  then  let  him  teach 
others;  thus  a  wise  man  will  not  suffer. 

If  a  man  make  himself  as  he  teaches  others  to  be,  then,  being  himself 
well  subdued,  he  may  subdue  others;  for  one's  own  self  is  difficult  to 
subdue. 

Self  is  the  lord  of  self,  who  else  could  be  the  lord?  With  self  well 
subdued,  a  man  finds  a  lord  such  as  few  can  find. 

The  evil  done  by  one's  self,  self-forgotten,  self-bred,  crushes  the  foolish, 
as  a  diamond  breaks  even  a  precious  stone. 

He  whose  wickedness  is  very  great  brings  himself  down  to  that  state 
where  his  enemy  wishes  him  to  be,  as  a  creeper  does  with  the  tree  which 
it  surrounds. 

Bad  deeds,  and  deeds  hurtful  to  ourselves,  are  easy  to  do;  what  is  bene- 
ficial and  good,  that  is  very  difficult  to  do. 

The  foolish  man  who  scorns  the  rule  of  the  venerable  (Arhat),  of  the 
elect  (Ariya),  of  the  virtuous,  and  follows  a  false  doctrine,  he  bears  fruit 
to  his  own  destruction,  like  the  fruits  of  the  Katthaka  reed. 

By  one's  self  the  evil  is  done,  by  one's  self  one  suffers;  by  one's  self  evil 
is  left  undone,  by  one's  self  one  is  purified.  The  pure  and  the  impure 
stand  and  fall  by  themselves,  no  one  can  purify  another. 

Let  no  one  forget  his  own  duty  for  the  sake  of  another's,  however 
great;  let  a  man,  after  he  has  discerned  his  own  duty,  be  always  attentive 
to  his  duty. 

CHAPTER  XII:  THE  WORLD 

Do  NOT  FOLLOW  the  evil  law!  Do  not  live  on  in  thoughtlessness!  Do  not 
follow  false  doctrine!  Be  not  a  friend  of  the  world. 


THE   DHAMMAPADA  339 

Rouse  thyself!  do  not  be  idle!  Follow  the  law  of  virtue!  The  virtuous 
rest  in  bliss  in  this  world  and  in  the  next. 

Fellow  the  law  of  virtue;  do  not  follow  that  of  sin.  The  virtuous  rest 
in  bliss  in  this  world  and  in  the  next. 

Look  upon  the  world  as  you  would  on  a  bubble,  look  upon  it  as  you 
would  on  a  mirage :  the  king  of  death  does  not  see  him  who  thus  looks 
down  upon  the  world. 

Come,  look  at  this  world,  glittering  like  a  royal  chariot;  the  foolish 
are  immersed  in  it,  but  the  wise  do  not  touch  it. 

He  who  formerly  was  reckless  and  afterwards  became  sober,  brightens 
up  this  world,  like  the  moon  when  freed  from  clouds. 

He  whose  evil  deeds  are  covered  by  good  deeds,  brightens  up  this 
world,  like  the  moon  when  freed  from  clouds. 

This  world  is  dark,  few  only  can  see  here;  a  few  only  go  to  heaven, 
like  birds  escaped  from  the  net. 

The  swans  go  on  the  path  of  the  sun,  they  go  miraculously  through  the 
ether;  the  wise  are  led  out  of  this  world,  when  they  have  conquered 
Mara  and  his  train. 

If  a  man  has  transgressed  the  one  law,  and  speaks  lies,  and  scoffs  at 
another  world,  there  is  no  evil  he  will  not  do. 

The  uncharitable  do  not  go  to  the  world  of  the  gods;  fools  only  do  not 
prais.e  liberality;  a  wise  man  rejoices  m  liberality,  and  through  it  becomes 
blessed  in  the  other  world. 

Better  than  sovereignty  over  the  earth,  better  than  going  to  heaven, 
better  than  lordship  over  all  worlds,  is  the  reward  of  Sotapatti,  the  first 
step  in  holiness. 

CHAPTER  XIV: 
THE  BUDDHA-THE  AWAKENED 

HE  WHOSE  CONQUEST  cannot  be  conquered  again,  into  whose  conquest  no 
one  in  this  world  enters,  by  what  track  can  you  lead  him,  the  Awakened, 
the  Omniscient,  the  trackless  ? 

He  whom  no  desire  with  its  snares  and  poisons  can  lead  astray,  by 
what  track  can  you  lead  him,  the  Awakened,  the  Omniscient,  the 
trackless? 

Even  the  gods  envy  those  who  are  awakened  and  not  forgetful,  who 
are  given  to  meditation,  who  are  wise,  and  who  delight  in  the  repose  of 
retirement  from  the  world. 


340  BUDDHISM 

Difficult  to  obtain  is  the  conception  of  men,  difficult  is  the  life  of 
mortals,  difficult  is  the  hearing  of  the  True  Law,  difficult  is  the  birth  of 
the  Awakened  (the  attainment  of  Buddhahood). 

Not  to  commit  any  sin,  to  do  good,  and  to  purify  one's  mind,  that  is 
the  teaching  of  all  the  Awakened. 

The  Awakened  call  patience  the  highest  penance,  long-suffering  the 
highest  Nirvana;  for  he  is  not  an  anchorite  (pravragita)  who  strikes 
others,  he  is  not  an  ascetic  (sramana)  who  insults  others. 

Not  to  blame,  not  to  strike,  to  live  restrained  under  the  law,  to  be 
moderate  in  eating,  to  sleep  and  sit  alone,  and  to  dwell  on  the  highest 
thoughts — this  is  the  teaching  of  the  Awakened. 

There  is  no  satisfying  lusts,  even  by  a  shower  of  gold  pieces;  he  who 
knows  that  lusts  have  a  short  taste  and  cause  pain,  he  is  wise;  even  in 
heavenly  pleasures  he  finds  no  satisfaction,  the  disciple  who  is  fully 
awakened  delights  only  in  the  destruction  of  all  desires. 

Men,  driven  by  fear,  go  to  many  a  refuge,  to  mountains  and  forests,  to 
groves  and  sacred  trees. 

But  that  is  not  a  safe  refuge,  that  is  not  the  best  refuge;  a  man  is  not 
delivered  from  all  pains  after  having  gone  to  that  refuge. 

He  who  takes  refuge  with  Buddha,  the  Law,  and  the  Church;  he  who, 
with  clear  understanding,  sees  the  four  holy  truths :  pain,  the  origin  of 
pain,  the  destruction  of  pain,  and  the  eightfold  holy  way  that  leads  to 
the  quieting  of  pain; — that  is  the  safe  refuge,  that  is  the  best  refuge; 
having  gone  to  that  refuge,  a  man  is  delivered  from  all  pain. 

A  supernatural  person  (a  Buddha)  is  not  easily  found :  he  is  not  born 
everywhere.  Wherever  such  a  sage  is  born,  that  race  prospers. 

Happy  is  the  arising  of  the  Awakened,  happy  is  the  teaching  of  the 
True  Law,  happy  is  peace  in  the  church,  happy  is  the  devotion  of  those 
who  are  at  peace. 

He  who  pays  homage  to  those  who  deserve  homage,  whether  the 
awakened  (Buddha)  or  their  disciples,  those  who  have  overcome  the 
host  of  evils,  and  crossed  the  flood  of  sorrow,  he  who  pays  homage  to 
such  as  have  found  deliverance  and  know  no  fear,  his  merit  can  never 
be  measured  by  anyone. 

CHAPTER  XV:  HAPPINESS 

WE  LIVE  HAPPILY  INDEED,  not  hating  those  who  hate  us!  among  men 
who  hate  us  we  dwell  free  from  hatred!  We  live  happily  indeed,  free 


THE   DHAMMAPADA  34! 

from  ailments  among  the  ailing!  among  men  who  are  ailing  let  us  dwell 
free  from  ailments  1 

We  live  happily  indeed,  free  from  greed  among  the  greedy!  among 
men  who  are  greedy  let  us  dwell  free  from  greed! 

We  live  happily  indeed,  though  we  call  nothing  our  own!  We  shall 
be  like  the  bright  gods,  feeding  on  happiness! 

Victory  breeds  hatred,  for  the  conquered  is  unhappy.  He  who  has 
given  up  both  victory  and  defeat,  he,  the  contented,  is  happy. 

There  is  no  fire  like  passion;  there  is  no  losing  throw  like  hatred;  there 
is  no  pain  like  this  body;  there  is  no  happiness  higher  than  rest. 

Hunger  is  the  worst  of  diseases,  the  elements  of  the  body  the  greatest 
evil;  if  one  knows  this  truly,  that  is  Nirvana,  the  highest  happiness. 

Health  is  the  greatest  of  gifts,  contentedness  the  best  riches;  trust  is  the 
best  of  relationships,  Nirvana  the  highest  happiness. 

He  who  has  tasted  the  sweetness  of  solitude  and  tranquillity,  is  free 
from  fear  and  free  from  sin,  while  he  tastes  the  sweetness  of  drinking  in 
the  law. 

The  sight  of  the  elect  (Ariya)  is  good,  to  live  with  them  is  always 
happiness;  if  a  man  does  not  see  fools,  he  will  be  truly  happy. 

He  who  walks  in  the  company  of  fools  suffers  a  long  way;  company 
with  fools,  as  with  an  enemy,  is  always  painful;  company  with  the  wise 
is  pleasure,  like  meeting  with  kinsfolk. 

Therefore,  one  ought  to  follow  the  wise,  the  intelligent,  the  learned, 
the  much  enduring,  the  dutiful,  the  elect;  one  ought  to  follow  such  a 
good  and  wise  man,  as  the  moon  follows  the  path  of  the  stars. 

CHAPTER  XVI:  PLEASURE 

HE  WHO  GIVES  HIMSELF  TO  VANITY,  and  does  not  give  himself  to  medita- 
tion, forgetting  the  real  aim  of  life  and  grasping  at  pleasure,  will  in  time 
envy  him  who  has  exerted  himself  in  meditation. 

Let  no  man  ever  cling  to  what  is  pleasant,  or  to  what  is  unpleasant. 
Not  to  see  what  is  pleasant  is  pain,  and  it  is  pain  to  see  what  is  unpleasant. 

Let,  therefore,  no  man  love  anything;  loss  of  the  beloved  is  evil.  Those 
who  love  nothing,  and  hate  nothing,  have  no  fetters. 

From  pleasure  comes  grief,  from  pleasures  comes  fear;  he  who  is  free 
from  pleasure  knows  neither  grief  nor  fear. 

From  affection  comes  grief,  from  affection  comes  fear;  he  who  is  free 
from  affection  knows  neither  grief  nor  fear. 


342.  BUDDHISM 

From  lust  comes  grief,  from  lust  comes  fear;  he  who  is  free  from  lust 
knows  neither  grief  nor  fear. 

From  love  comes  grief,  from  love  comes  fear;  he  who  is  free  from  love 
knows  neither  grief  nor  fear. 

From  greed  comes  grief,  from  greed  comes  fear;  he  who  is  free  from 
greed  knows  neither  grief  nor  fear. 

He  who  possesses  virtue  and  intelligence,  who  is  just,  speaks  the  truth, 
and  does  what  is  his  own  business,  him  the  world  will  hold  dear. 

He  in  whom  a  desire  for  the  Ineffable  (Nirvana)  has  sprung  up,  who 
in  his  mind  is  satisfied,  and  whose  thoughts  are  not  bewildered  by  love, 
he  is  called  urdhvamsrotas  (carried  upwards  by  the  stream) . 

Kinsmen,  friends,  and  lovers  salute  a  man  who  has  been  long  away, 
and  returns  safe  from  afar. 

In  like  manner  his  good  works  receive  him  who  has  done  good,  and 
has  gone  from  this  world  to  the  other;— as  kinsmen  receive  a  friend  on 
his  return. 

CHAPTER  XVII:  ANGER 

LET  A  MAN  LEAVE  ANGER,  let  him  forsake  pride,  let  him  overcome  all  bond- 
age! No  sufferings  befall  the  man  who  is  not  attached  to  name  and  form, 
and  who  calls  nothing  his  own. 

He  who  holds  back  rising  anger  like  a  rolling  chariot,  him  I  call  a  real 
driver;  other  people  are  but  holding  the  reins. 

Let  a  man  overcome  anger  by  love,  let  him  overcome  evil  by  good;  let 
him  overcome  the  greedy  by  liberality,  the  liar  by  truth! 

Speak  the  truth,  do  not  yield  to  anger;  give,  if  thou  art  asked  for  little; 
by  these  three  steps  thou  wilt  go  near  the  gods. 

The  sages  who  injure  nobody,  and  who  always  control  their  body,  they 
will  go  to  the  unchangeable  place  (Nirvana),  where,  if  they  have  gone, 
they  will  suffer  no  more. 

Those  who  are  ever  watchful,  who  study  day  and  night,  and  who  strive 
after  Nirvana,  their  passions  will  come  to  an  end. 

This  is  an  old  saying,  O  Atula,  this  is  not  as  if  of  to-day:  "They  blame 
him  who  sits  silent,  they  blame  him  who  speaks  much,  they  also  blame 
him  who  says  little;  there  is  no  one  on  earth  who  is  not  blamed." 

There  never  was,  there  never  will  be,  nor  is  there  now,  a  man  who  is 
always  blamed,  or  a  man  who  is  always  praised. 

But  he' whom  those  who  discriminate  praise  continually  day  after  day, 


THE  DHAMMAPADA  343 

as  without  blemish,  wise,  rich  in  knowledge  and  virtue,  who  would  dare 
to  blame  him,  like  a  coin  made  of  gold  from  the  Gambu  river?  Even  the 
gods  praise  him,  he  is  praised  even  by  Brahman. 

Beware  of  bodily  anger,  and  control  thy  body!  Leave  the  sins  of  the 
body,  and  with  thy  body  practise  virtue! 

Beware  of  the  anger  of  the  tongue,  and  control  thy  tongue!  Leave  the 
sins  of  the  tongue,  and  practise  virtue  with  thy  tongue! 

Beware  of  the  anger  of  the  mind,  and  control  thy  mind!  Leave  the  sins 
of  the  mind,  and  practise  virtue  with  thy  mind! 

The  wise  who  control  their  body,  who  control  their  tongue,  the  wise 
who  control  their  mind,  are  indeed  well  controlled. 

CHAPTER  XVIII:  IMPURITY 

THOU  ART  NOW  like  a  sear  leaf,  the  messengers  of  death  (Yama)  have 
come  near  to  thee;  thou  standest  at  the  door  of  thy  departure,  and  thou 
hast  no  provision  for  thy  journey. 

Make  thyself  an  island,  work  hard,  be  wise!  When  thy  impurities  are 
blown  away,  and  thou  art  free  from  guilt,  thou  wilt  enter  into  the  heaven- 
ly world  of  the  elect  (Ariya). 

Thy  life  has  come  to  an  end,  thou  art  come  near  to  death  (Yama), 
there  is  no  resting-place  for  thee  on  the  road,  and  thou  hast  no  provision 
for  thy  journey. 

Make  thyself  an  island,  work  hard,  be  wise!  When  thy  impurities  arc 
blown  away,  and  thou  art  free  from  guilt,  thou  wilt  not  enter  again  into 
birth  and  decay. 

Let  a  wise  man  blow  off  the  impurities  of  himself,  as  a  smith  blows  off 
the  impurities  of  silver,  one  by  one,  little  by  little,  and  from  time  to  time. 

As  the  impurity  which  springs  from  the  iron,  when  it  springs  from  it, 
destroys  it;  thus  do  a  transgressor's  own  works  lead  him  to  the  evil  path. 

The  taint  of  prayers  is  non-repetition;  the  taint  of  houses,  non-repair; 
the  taint  of  complexion  is  sloth;  the  taint  of  a  watchman,  thoughtlessness. 

Bad  conduct  is  the  taint  of  woman,  niggardliness  the  taint  of  a  bene- 
factor; tainted  are  all  evil  ways,  in  this  world  and  in  the  next. 

But  there  is  a  taint  worse  than  all  taints — ignorance  is  the  greatest  taint. 
O  mendicants!  throw  off  that  taint,  and  become  taintless! 

Life  is  easy  to  live  for  a  man  who  is  without  shame:  a  crow  hero,  a 
mischief-maker,  an  insulting,  bold,  and  wretched  fellow. 


344  BUDDHISM 

But  life  is  hard  to  live  for  a  modest  man,  who  always  looks  for  what 
is  pure,  who  is  disinterested,  quiet,  spotless,  and  intelligent. 

He  who  destroys  life,  who  speaks  untruth,  who  in  the  world  takes 
what  is  not  given  him,  who  goes  to  another  man's  wife;  and  the  man 
who  gives  himself  to  drinking  intoxicating  liquors,  he,  even  in  this 
world,  digs  up  his  own  root. 

O  man,  know  this,  that  the  unrestrained  are  in  a  bad  state;  take  care 
that  greediness  and  vice  do  not  bring  thee  to  grief  for  a  long  time! 

The  world  gives  according  to  their  faith  or  according  to  their  pleasure: 
if  a  man  frets  about  the  food  and  the  drink  given  to  others,  he  will  find 
no  rest  either  by  day  or  by  night. 

He  in  whom  that  feeling  is  destroyed,  and  taken  out  with  the  very  root, 
finds  rest  by  day  and  by  night. 

There  is  no  fire  like  passion,  there  is  no  shark  like  hatred,  there  is  no 
snare  like  folly,  there  is  no  torrent  like  greed. 

The  fault  of  others  is  easily  perceived,  but  that  of  one's  self  is  difficult 
to  perceive;  a  man  winnows  his  neighbor's  faults  like  chaff,  but  his  own 
fault  he  hides,  as  a  cheat  hides  the  bad  die  from  the  player. 

If  a  man  looks  after  the  faults  of  others,  and  is  always  inclined  to  be 
offended,  his  own  passions  will  grow,  and  he  is  far  from  the  destruction 
of  passions. 

There  is  no  path  through  the  air,  a  man  is  not  a  Samana  outwardly. 
The  world  delights  in  vanity,  the  Tathagatas  (the  Buddhas)  are  free 
from  vanity. 

There  is  no  path  through  the  air,  a  man  is  not  a  Samana  outwardly. 
No  creatures  are  eternal;  but  the  awakened  (Buddha)  are  never  shaken. 

CHAPTER  XIX:  THE  JUST 

A  MAN  is  NOT  JUST  if  he  carries  a  matter  by  violence;  no,  he  who  distin- 
guishes both  right  and  wrong,  who  is  learned  and  guides  others,  not  by 
violence,  but  by  the  same  law,  being  a  guardian  of  the  law  and  intelli- 
gent, he  is  called  just. 

A  man  is  not  learned  because  he  talks  much;  he  who  is  patient,  free 
from  hatred  and  fear,  he  is  called  learned. 

A  man  is  not  a  supporter  of  the  law  because  he  talks  much;  even  if  a 
man  has  learnt  little,  but  sees  the  law  bodily,  he  is  a  supporter  of  the 
law,  a  man  who  never  neglects  the  law. 


THE   DHAMMAPADA  345 

A  man  is  not  an  elder  because  his  head  is  gray;  his  age  may  be  ripe,  but 
he  is  called  "Old-in-vain." 

He  in  whom  there  is  truth,  virtue,  pity,  restraint,  moderation,  he  who 
is  free  from  impurity  and  is  wise,  he  is  called  an  elder. 

An  envious,  stingy,  dishonest  man  does  not  become  respectable  by 
means  of  much  talking  only,  or  by  the  beauty  of  his  complexion. 

He  in  whom  all  this  is  destroyed,  and  taken  out  with  the  very  root,  he, 
when  freed  from  hatred,  is  called  respectable. 

Not  by  tonsure  does  an  undisciplined  man  who  speaks  falsehood 
become  a  Samana  *;  can  a  man  be  a  Samana  who  is  still  held  captive 
by  desire  and  greediness? 

He  who  always  quiets  the  evil,  whether  small  or  large,  he  is  called  a 
Samana  (a  quiet  man),  because  he  has  quieted  all  evil. 

A  man  is  not  a  mendicant  (Bhikshu)  simply  because  he  asks  others 
for  alms;  he  who  adopts  the  whole  law  is  a  Bhikshu,  not  he  who  only  begs. 

He  who  is  above  good  and  evil,  who  is  chaste,  who  with  care  passes 
through  the  world,  he  indeed  is  called  a  Bhikshu. 

A  man  is  not  a  Muni 3  because  he  observes  silence  if  he  is  foolish  and 
ignorant;  but  the  wise  who,  as  with  the  balance,  chooses  the  good  and 
avoids  evil,  he  is  a  Muni,  and  is  a  Mum  thereby;  he  who  in  this  world 
weighs  both  sides  is  called  a  Muni. 

A  man  is  not  an  elect  (Ariya)  because  he  injures  living  creatures; 
because  he  has  pity  on  all  living  creatures,  therefore  is  a  man  called 
Ariya. 

Not  only  by  discipline  and  vows,  not  only  by  much  learning,  not  by 
entering  into  a  trance,  not  by  sleeping  alone,  do  I  earn  the  happiness  of 
release  which  no  worldling  can  know.  O  Bhikshu,  he  who  has  obtained 
the  extinction  of  desires,  has  obtained  confidence. 

CHAPTER  XX:  THE  WAY 

THE  BEST  OF  WAYS  is  the  eightfold 8;  the  best  of  truths  the  four  words  *;  the 
best  of  virtues  passionlessness;  the  best  of  men  he  who  has  eyes  to  see. 

This  is  the  way,  there  is  no  other  that  leads  to  the  purifying  of  intelli- 
gence. Go  on  this  path!  This  is  the  confusion  of  Mara,  the  tempter. 

1Pali  form  of  Sanskrit  Sramana,  an  ascetic. 

8  A  holy  sage. 

"Right  Doctrine,  Right  Purpose,  Right  Discourse,  Right  Behavior,  Right  Purity,  Right 

Thought,   Right  Solitude,  Right  Rapture, 

*  Sec  Chap.  XIV, 


346  BUDDHISM 

If  you  go  on  this  way,  you  will  make  an  end  of  pain!  The  way  preached 
by  me,  when  I  had  understood  the  removal  of  the  thorns  in  the  flesh. 

You  yourself  must  make  an  effort.  The  Tathagatas  (Buddhas)  are 
only  preachers.  The  thoughtful  who  enter  the  way  are  freed  from  the 
bondage  of  Mara. 

"All  created  things  perish,"  he  who  knows  and  sees  this  becomes 
passive  in  pain;  this  is  the  way  to  purity. 

"All  created  things  are  grief  and  pain,"  he  who  knows  and  sees  this 
becomes  passive  in  pain;  this  is  the  way  that  leads  to  purity. 

"All  forms  are  unreal,"  he  who  knows  and  sees  this  becomes  passive 
in  pain;  this  is  the  way  that  leads  to  purity. 

He  who  does  not  rouse  himself  when  it  is  time  to  rise,  who,  though 
young  and  strong,  is  full  of  sloth,  whose  will  and  thought  are  weak,  that 
lazy  and  idle  man  never  finds  the  way  to  knowledge. 

Watching  his  speech,  well  restrained  in  mind,  let  a  man  never  commit 
any  wrong  with  his  body!  Let  a  man  but  keep  these  three  roads  of  action 
clear,  and  he  will  achieve  the  way  which  is  taught  by  the  wise. 

Through  zeal  knowledge  is  gained,  through  lack  of  zeal  knowledge  is 
lost;  let  a  man  who  knows  this  double  path  of  gain  and  loss  thus  place 
himself  that  knowledge  may  grow. 

Cut  down  the  whole  forest  of  desires,  not  a  tree  only!  Danger  comes 
out  of  the  forest  of  desires.  When  you  have  cut  down  both  the  forest  of 
desires  and  its  undergrowth,  then,  Bhikshus,  you  will  be  rid  of  the  forest 
and  of  desires! 

So  long  as  the  desire  of  man  towards  women,  even  the  smallest,  is  not 
destroyed,  so  long  is  his  mind  in  bondage,  as  the  calf  that  drinks  milk 
is  to  its  mother. 

Cut  out  the  love  of  self,  like  an  autumn  lotus,  with  thy  hand!  Cherish 
the  road  of  peace.  Nirvana  has  been  shown  by  Sugata  (Buddha). 

"Here  I  shall  dwell  in  the  rain,  here  in  winter  and  summer,"  thus  the 
fool  meditates,  and  does  not  think  of  death. 

Death  comes  and  carries  off  that  man,  honored  for  his  children  and 
flocks,  his  mind  distracted,  as  a  flood  carries  off  a  sleeping  village. 

Sons  are  no  help,  nor  a  father,  nor  relations;  there  is  no  help  from 
kinsfolk  for  one  whom  death  has  seized. 

A  wise  and  well-behaved  man  who  knows  the  meaning  of  this,  should 
quickly  clear  the  way  that  leads  to  Nirvana. 


THE  DHAMMAPADA  347 

CHAPTER  XXI:  MISCELLANEOUS 

IF  BY  LEAVING  A  SMALL  PLEASURE  one  sees  a  great  pleasure,  let  a  wise  man 
leave  the  small  pleasure,  and  look  to  the  great. 

He  who,  by  causing  pain  to  others,  wishes  to  obtain  pleasure  for  him- 
self, he,  entangled  in  the  bonds  of  hatred,  will  never  be  free  from  hatred. 

What  ought  to  be  done  is  neglected,  what  ought  not  to  be  done  is  done; 
the  desires  of  unruly,  thoughtless  people  are  always  increasing. 

But  they  whose  whole  watchfulness  is  always  directed  to  their  body, 
who  do  not  follow  what  ought  not  to  be  done,  and  who  steadfastly  do 
what  ought  to  be  done,  the  desires  of  such  watchful  and  wise  people  will 
come  to  an  end. 

A  true  Brahmana  goes  scathless,  though  he  have  killed  father  and 
mother,  and  two  valiant  kings,  though  he  has  destroyed  a  kingdom  with 
all  its  subjects. 

A  true  Brahmana  goes  scathless,  though  he  have  killed  father  and 
mother,  and  two  holy  kings,  and  an  eminent  man  besides. 

The  disciples  of  Gotama  (Buddha)  are  always  well  awake,  and  their 
thoughts  day  and  night  are  always  set  on  Buddha. 

The  disciples  of  Gotama  are  always  well  awake,  and  their  thoughts  day 
and  night  are  always  set  on  the  law. 

The  disciples  of  Gotama  are  always  well  awake,  and  their  thoughts  day 
and  night  are  always  set  on  the  church. 

The  disciples  of  Gotama  are  always  well  awake,  and  their  thoughts  day 
and  night  are  always  set  on  their  body. 

The  disciples  of  Gotama  are  always  well  awake,  and  their  mind  day 
and  night  always  delights  in  compassion. 

The  disciples  of  Gotama  are  always  well  awake,  and  their  mind  day 
and  night  always  delights  in  meditation. 

It  is  hard  to  leave  the  world  to  become  a  friar,  it  is  hard  to  enjoy  the 
world;  hard  is  the  monastery,  painful  are  the  houses;  painful  it  is  to 
dwell  with  equals  to  share  everything  in  common,  and  the  itinerant 
mendicant  is  beset  with  pain.  Therefore  let  no  man  be  an  itinerant 
mendicant,  and  he  will  not  be  beset  with  pain. 

A  man  full  of  faith,  if  endowed  with  virtue  and  glory,  is  respected, 
whatever  place  he  may  choose. 

Good  people  shine  from  afar,  like  the  snowy  mountains;  bad  people 
are  not  seen,  like  arrows  shot  by  night. 


348  BUDDHISM 

Sitting  alone,  lying  down  alone,  walking  alone  without  ceasing,  and 
alone  subduing  himself,  let  a  man  be  happy  near  the  edge  of  a  forest. 

CHAPTER  XXII:  THE  DOWNWARD  COURSE 

HE  WHO  SAYS  what  is  not,  goes  to  hell;  he  also  who,  having  done  a  thing, 
says  I  have  not  done  it.  After  death  both  are  equal:  they  are  men  with 
evil  deeds  in  the  next  world. 

Many  men  whose  shoulders  are  covered  with  the  yellow  gown  1  are 
ill-conditioned  and  unrestrained;  such  evil-doers  by  their  evil  deeds  go 
to  hell. 

Better  it  would  be  to  swallow  a  heated  iron  ball,  like  flaring  fire,  than 
that  a  bad  unrestrained  fellow  should  live  on  the  charity  of  the  land. 

Four  things  does  a  reckless  man  gain  who  covets  his  neighbor's  wife — 
demerit,  an  uncomfortable  bed,  thirdly,  punishment,  and  lastly,  hell. 

There  is  demerit,  and  the  evil  way  to  hell :  there  is  the  short  pleasure 
of  the  frightened  in  the  arms  of  the  frightened,  and  the  king  imposes 
heavy  punishment;  therefore  let  no  man  think  of  his  neighbor's  wife. 

As  a  grass-blade,  if  badly  grasped,  cuts  the  arm,  badly-practised  asceti- 
cism leads  to  hell. 

An  act  carelessly  performed,  a  broken  vow,  and  hesitating  obedience 
to  discipline  (Brahma-kariyam),  all  this  brings  no  great  reward. 

If  anything  is  to  be  done,  let  a  man  do  it,  let  him  attack  it  vigorously! 
A  careless  pilgrim  only  scatters  the  dust  of  his  passions  more  widely. 

An  evil  deed  is  better  left  undone,  for  a  man  repents  of  it  afterwards; 
a  good  deed  is  better  done,  for  having  done  it,  one  does  not  repent. 

Like  a  well-guarded  frontier  fort,  with  defences  within  and  without,  so 
let  a  man  guard  himself.  Not  a  moment  should  escape,  for  they  who 
allow  the  right  moment  to  pass,  suffer  pain  when  they  are  in  hell. 

They  who  are  ashamed  of  what  they  ought  not  to  be  ashamed  of,  and 
are  not  ashamed  of  what  they  ought  to  be  ashamed  of,  such  men,  em- 
bracing false  doctrines,  enter  the  evil  path. 

They  who  fear  when  they  ought  not  to  fear,  and  fear  not  when  they 
ought  to  fear,  such  men,  embracing  false  doctrines,  enter  the  evil  path. 

They  who  see  sin  where  there  is  no  sin,  and  see  no  sin  where  there  is 
sin,  such  men,  embracing  false  doctrines,  enter  the  evil  path. 

They  who  see  sin  where  there  is  sin,  and  no  sin  where  there  is  no  sin, 
such  men,  embracing  the  true  doctrine,  enter  the  good  path. 
1  Priests. 


THE   DHAMMAPADA  349 


CHAPTER  XXIII:  THE  ELEPHANT 

SILENTLY  I  endured  abuse  as  the  elephant  in  battle  endures  the  arrow  sent 
from  the  bow :  for  the  world  is  ill-natured. 

They  lead  a  tamed  elephant  to  battle,  the  king  mounts  a  tamed  ele- 
phant; the  tamed  is  the  best  among  men,  he  who  silently  endures  abuse. 

Mules  are  good,  if  tamed,  and  noble  Sindhu  horses,  and  elephants  with 
large  tusks;  but  he  who  tames  himself  is  better  still. 

For  with  these  animals  does  no  man  reach  the  untrodden  country 
(Nirvana),  where  a  tamed  man  goes  on  a  tamed  animal — on  his  own 
well-tamed  self. 

The  elephant  called  Dhanapalaka,  his  temples  running  with  pungent 
sap,  and  who  is  difficult  to  hold,  does  not  eat  a  morsel  when  bound;  the 
elephant  longs  for  the  elephant  grove. 

If  a  man  becomes  fat  and  a  great  eater,  if  he  is  sleepy  and  rolls  himself 
about,  that  fool,  like  a  hog  fed  on  grains,  is  born  again  and  again. 

This  mind  of  mine  went  formerly  wandering  about  as  it  liked,  as  it 
listed,  as  it  pleased;  but  I  shall  now  hold  it  in  thoroughly,  as  the  rider 
who  holds  the  hook  holds  in  the  furious  elephant. 

Be  not  thoughtless,  watch  your  thoughts!  Draw  yourself  out  of  the 
evil  way,  like  an  elephant  sunk  in  mud. 

If  a  man  find  a  prudent  companion  who  walks  with  him,  is  wise,  and 
lives  soberly,  he  may  walk  with  him,  overcoming  all  dangers,  happy, 
but  considerate. 

If  a  man  find  no  prudent  companion  who  walks  with  him,  is  wise, 
and  lives  soberly,  let  him  walk  alone,  like  a  king  who  has  left  his  con- 
quered country  behind — like  an  elephant  in  the  forest. 

It  is  better  to  live  alone:  there  is  no  companionship  with  a  fool;  let  a 
man  walk  alone,  let  him  commit  no  sin,  with  few  wishes,  like  an  elephant 
in  the  forest. 

If  the  occasion  arises,  friends  are  pleasant;  enjoyment  is  pleasant,  what- 
ever be  the  cause;  a  good  work  is  pleasant  in  the  hour  of  death;  the  giving 
up  of  all  grief  is  pleasant. 

Pleasant  in  the  world  is  the  state  of  a  mother,  pleasant  the  state  of  a 
father,  pleasant  the  state  of  a  Samana,  pleasant  the  state  of  a  Brahmana. 

Pleasant  is  virtue  lasting  to  old  age,  pleasant  is  a  faith  firmly  rooted; 
pleasant  is  attainment  of  intelligence,  pleasant  is  avoiding  of  sins. 


350  BUDDHISM 


CHAPTER  XXIV:  THIRST 

THE  THIRST  of  a  thoughtless  man  grows  like  a  creeper;  he  runs  from 
life  to  life,  like  a  monkey  seeking  fruit  in  the  forest. 

Whomsoever  this  fierce  poisonous  thirst  overcomes,  in  this  world,  his 
sufferings  increase  like  the  abounding  Blrana  grass. 

But  from  him  who  overcomes  this  fierce  thirst,  difficult  to  be  con- 
quered in  this  world,  sufferings  fall  off,  like  water-drops  from  a  lotus  leaf. 

This  salutary  word  I  tell  you,  "Do  ye,  as  many  as  are  here  assembled, 
dig  up  the  root  of  thirst,  as  he  who  wants  the  sweet-scented  Usira  root 
must  dig  up  the  Blrana  grass,  that  Mara,  the  tempter,  may  not  crush  you 
again  and  again,  as  the  stream  crushes  the  reeds." 

As  a  tree,  even  though  it  has  been  cut  down,  is  firm  so  long  as  its  root 
is  safe,  and  grows  again,  thus,  unless  the  feeders  of  thirst  are  destroyed, 
this  pain  of  life  will  return  again  and  again. 

He  whose  thirty-six  streams  are  strongly  flowing  in  the  channels  of 
pleasure,  the  waves — his  desires  which  are  set  on  passion — will  carry 
away  that  misguided  man. 

The  channels  run  everywhere,  the  creeper  of  passion  stands  sprouting; 
if  you  see  the  creeper  springing  up,  cut  its  root  by  means  of  knowledge. 

A  creature's  pleasures  are  extravagant  and  luxurious;  given  up  to 
pleasure  and  deriving  happiness,  men  undergo  again  and  again  birth 
and  decay. 

Beset  with  lust,  men  run  about  like  a  snared  hare;  held  in  fetters  and 
bonds,  they  undergo  pain  for  a  long  time,  again  and  again. 

Beset  with  lust,  men  run  about  like  a  snared  hare;  let  therefore  the 
mendicant  drive  out  thirst,  by  striving  after  passionlessness  for  himself. 

He  who,  having  got  rid  of  the  forest  of  lust  (after  having  reached 
Nirvana),  gives  himself  over  to  forest-life  (to  lust),  and  who,  when  free 
from  the  forest  (from  lust),  runs  to  the  forest  (to  lust),  look  at  that  man! 
though  free,  he  runs  into  bondage. 

Wise  people  do  not  call  that  a  strong  fetter  which  is  made  of  iron, 
wood,  or  hemp;  passionately  strong  is  the  care  for  precious  stones  and 
rings,  for  sons  and  a  wife. 

That  fetter  wise  people  call  strong  which  drags  down,  yields,  but  is 
difficult  to  undo;  after  having  cut  this  at  last,  people  leave  the  world,  free 
from  cares,  and  leaving  the  pleasures  of  love  behind. 

Those  who  are  slaves  to  passions,  run  down  the  stream  of  desires,  as 


THE  DHAMMAPADA  351 

a  spider  runs  down  the  web  which  he  has  made  himself;  when  they  have 
cut  this,  at  last,  wise  people  go  onwards,  free  from  cares,  leaving  all  pain 
behind. 

Give  up  what  is  before,  give  up  what  is  behind,  give  up  what  is  between, 
when  thou  goest  to  the  other  shore  of  existence;  if  thy  mind  is  altogether 
free,  thou  will  not  again  enter  into  birth  and  decay. 

If  a  man  is  tossed  about  by  doubts,  full  of  strong  passions,  and  yearning 
only  for  what  is  delightful,  his  thirst  will  grow  more  and  more,  and  he 
will  indeed  make  his  fetters  strong. 

If  a  man  delights  in  quieting  doubts,  and,  always  reflecting,  dwells  on 
what  is  not  delightful,  he  certainly  will  remove,  nay,  he  will  cut  the 
fetter  of  Mara. 

He  who  has  reached  the  consummation,  who  does  not  tremble,  who  is 
without  thirst  and  without  sin,  he  has  broken  all  the  thorns  of  life:  this 
will  be  his  last  body. 

He  who  is  without  thirst  and  without  affection,  who  understands  the 
words  and  their  interpretation,  who  knows  the  order  of  letters  (those 
which  are  before  and  which  are  after) ,  he  has  received  his  last  body,  he 
is  called  the  great  sage,  the  great  man. 

"I  have  conquered  all,  I  know  all,  in  all  conditions  of  life  I  am  free  from 
taint;  I  have  left  all,  and  through  the  destruction  of  thirst  I  am  free; 
having  learnt  myself,  whom  should  I  indicate  as  my  teacher?" 

The  gift  of  the  law  exceeds  all  gifts;  the  sweetness  of  the  law  exceeds  all 
sweetness;  the  delight  in  the  law  exceeds  all  delights;  the  extinction  of 
thirst  overcomes  all  pain. 

Riches  destroy  the  foolish,  if  they  look  not  for  the  other  shore;  the 
foolish  by  his  thirst  for  riches  destroys  himself,  as  if  he  were  destroying 
others. 

The  fields  are  damaged  by  weeds,  mankind  is  damaged  by  passion: 
therefore  a  gift  bestowed  on  the  passionless  brings  great  reward. 

The  fields  are  damaged  by  weeds,  mankind  is  damaged  by  hatred: 
therefore  a  gift  bestowed  on  those  who  do  not  hate  brings  great  reward. 

The  fields  are  damaged  by  weeds,  mankind  is  damaged  by  vanity: 
therefore  a  gift  bestowed  on  those  who  are  free  from  vanity  brings  great 
reward. 

The  fields  are  damaged  by  weeds,  mankind  is  damaged  by  lust:  there- 
fore a  gift  bestowed  on  those  who  are  free  from  lust  brings  great  reward. 


352  BUDDHISM 

CHAPTER  XXV:  THE  BHIKSHU1 

RESTRAINT  in  the  eye  is  good,  good  is  restraint  in  the  ear,  in  the  nose 
restraint  is  good,  good  is  restraint  in  the  tongue. 

In  the  body  restraint  is  good,  good  is  restraint  in  speech,  in  thought 
restraint  is  good,  good  is  restraint  in  all  things.  A  Bhikshu,  restrained  in 
all  things,  is  freed  from  all  pain. 

He  who  controls  his  hand,  he  who  controls  his  feet,  he  who  controls 
his  speech,  he  who  is  well  controlled,  he  who  delights  inwardly,  who  is 
collected,  who  is  solitary  and  content,  him  they  call  Bhikshu. 

The  Bhikshu  who  controls  his  mouth,  who  speaks  wisely  and  calmly, 
who  teaches  the  meaning  and  the  law,  his  word  is  sweet. 

He  who  dwells  in  the  law,  delights  in  the  law,  meditates  on  the  law, 
recollects  the  law :  that  Bhikshu  will  never  fall  away  from  the  true  law. 

Let  him  not  despise  what  he  has  received,  nor  ever  envy  others:  a 
mendicant  who  envies  others  does  not  obtain  peace  of  mind. 

A  Bhikshu  who,  though  he  receives  little,  does  not  despise  what  he 
has  received,  even  the  gods  will  praise  him,  if  his  life  is  pure,  and  if  he  is 
not  slothful. 

He  who  never  identifies  himself  with  name  and  form,  and  does  not 
grieve  over  what  is  no  more,  he  indeed  is  called  a  Bhikshu. 

The  Bhikshu  who  behaves  with  kindness,  who  is  happy  in  the  doctrine 
of  Buddha,  will  reach  the  quiet  place  (Nirvana),  happiness  arising  from 
the  cessation  of  natural  inclinations. 

O  Bhikshu,  empty  this  boat!  if  emptied,  it  will  go  quickly;  having  cut 
off  passion  and  hatred,  thou  wilt  go  to  Nirvana. 

Cut  off  the  five  fetters,  leave  the  five,  rise  above  the  five.  A  Bhikshu, 
who  has  escaped  from  the  five  fetters,  he  is  called  Oghatinna — "saved 
from  the  flood." 

Meditate,  O  Bhikshu,  and  be  not  heedless!  Do  not  direct  thy  thought 
to  what  gives  pleasure,  that  thou  mayest  not  for  thy  heedlessness  have  to 
swallow  the  iron  ball  in  hell,  and  that  thou  mayest  not  cry  out  when 
burning,  "This  is  pain." 

Without  knowledge  there  is  no  meditation,  without  meditation  there 
is  no  knowledge:  he  who  has  knowledge  and  meditation  is  near  unto 
Nirvana. 

!A  Bhikshu  who  has  entered  his  empty  house,  and  whose  mind  is  tran- 
lMonk,  mendicant,  a  religious  devotee. 


THE   DHAMMAPADA  353 

quil,  feels  a  more  than  human  delight  when  he  sees  the  law  clearly. 

As  soon  as  he  has  considered  the  origin  and  destruction  of  the  elements 
of  the  body,  he  finds  happiness  and  joy  which  belong  to  those  who  know 
the  immortal  (Nirvana) . 

And  this  is  the  beginning  here  for  a  wise  Bhikshu :  watchfulness  over 
the  senses,  contentedness,  restraint  under  the  law;  keep  noble  friends 
whose  life  is  pure,  and  who  are  not  slothful. 

Let  him  live  in  charity,  let  him  be  perfect  in  his  duties;  then  in  the 
fulness  of  delight  he  will  make  an  end  of  suffering. 

As  the  Vassika  plant  shed  its  withered  flowers,  men  should  shed  pas- 
sion and  hatred,  O  ye  Bhikshus! 

The  Bhikshu  whose  body  and  tongue  and  mind  are  quieted,  who  is 
collected,  and  has  rejected  the  baits  of  the  world,  he  is  called  quiet. 

Rouse  thyself  by  thyself,  examine  thyself  by  thyself,  thus  self-protected 
and  attentive  wilt  thou  live  happily,  O  Bhikshu! 

For  self  is  the  lord  of  self,  self  is  the  refuge  of  self;  therefore  curb  thy- 
self as  the  merchant  curbs  a  noble  horse. 

The  Bhikshu,  full  of  delight,  who  is  happy  in  the  doctrine  of  Buddha 
will  reach  the  quiet  place  (Nirvana),  happiness  consisting  in  the  cessation 
of  natural  inclinations. 

He  who,  even  as  a  young  Bhikshu,  applies  himself  to  the  doctrine  of 
Buddha,  brightens  up  this  world,  like  the  moon  when  free  from  clouds. 

CHAPTER  XXVI:  THE  BRAHMANA1 

STOP  THE  STREAM  VALIANTLY,  drive  a  way  the  desires,  O  Brahmana!  When 
you  have  understood  the  destruction  of  all  that  was  made,  you  will  under- 
stand that  which  was  not  made. 

If  the  Brahmana  has  reached  the  other  shore  in  both  laws,  in  restraint 
and  contemplation,  all  bonds  vanish  from  him  who  has  obtained 
knowledge. 

He  for  whom  there  is  neither  the  hither  nor  the  further  shore,  nor  both, 
him,  the  fearless  and  unshackled,  I  call  indeed  a  Brahmana. 

He  who  is  thoughtful,  blameless,  settled,  dutiful,  without  passions, 
and  who  has  attained  the  highest  end,  him  I  call  indeed  a  Brahmana. 

The  sun  is  bright  by  day,  the  moon  shines  by  night,  the  warrior  is 
bright  in  his  armor,  the  Brahmana  is  bright  in  his  meditation;  but 
Buddha,  the  Awakened,  is  bright  with  splendor  day  and  night. 

1  Usually  called  "Brahmin"  in  English. 


354  BUDDHISM 

Because  a  man  is  rid  of  evil,  therefore  he  is  called  Brahmana;  because 
he  walks  quietly,  therefore  he  is  called  Samana;  because  he  has  sent  away 
his  own  impurities,  therefore  he  is  called  Pravragita  (Pabbagita,1  a 
pilgrim). 

No  one  should  attack  a  Brahmana,  but  no  Brahmana,  if  attacked, 
should  let  himself  fly  at  his  aggressor!  Woe  to  him  who  strikes  a  Brah- 
mana, more  woe  to  him  who  flies  at  his  aggressor! 

It  advantages  a  Brahmana  not  a  little  if  he  holds  his  mind  back  from 
the  pleasures  of  life;  the  more  all  wish  to  injure  has  vanished,  the  more 
all  pain  will  cease. 

Him  I  call  indeed  a  Brahmana  who  does  not  offend  by  body,  word,  or 
thought,  and  is  controlled  on  these  three  points. 

He  from  whom  he  may  learn  the  law,  as  taught  by  the  Well-awakened 
(Buddha),  him  let  him  worship  assiduously,  as  the  Brahmana  worships 
the  sacrificial  fire. 

A  man  does  not  become  a  Brahmana  by  his  plaited  hair,  by  his  family, 
or  by  birth;  in  whom  there  is  truth  and  righteousness,  he  is  blessed,  he 
is  a  Brahmana. 

What  is  the  use  of  plaited  hair,  O  fool!  what  of  the  raiment  of  goat- 
skins? Within  thee  there  is  ravening,  but  the  outside  thou  makest  clean. 

The  man  who  wears  dirty  raiments,  who  is  emaciated  and  covered 
with  veins,  who  meditates  alone  in  the  forest,  him  I  call  indeed  a 
Brahmana. 

I  do  not  call  a  man  a  Brahmana  because  of  his  origin  or  of  his  mother. 
He  is  indeed  arrogant,  and  he  is  wealthy:  but  the  poor,  who  is  free 
from  all  attachments,  him  I  call  indeed  a  Brahmana. 

Him  I  call  indeed  a  Brahmana  who,  after  cutting  all  fetters,  never 
trembles,  is  free  from  bonds  and  unshackled. 

Him  I  call  indeed  a  Brahmana  who,  after  cutting  the  strap  and  the 
thong,  the  rope  with  all  that  pertains  to  it,  has  destroyed  all  obstacles, 
and  is  awakened. 

Him  I  call  indeed  a  Brahmana  who,  though  he  has  committed  no 
offence,  endures  reproach,  stripes,  and  bonds:  who  has  endurance  for 
his  force,  and  strength  for  his  army. 

Him  I  call  indeed  a  Brahmana  who  is  free  from  anger,  dutiful,  vir- 
tuous, without  appetites,  who  is  subdued,  and  has  received  his  last  body. 

Him  I  call  indeed  a  Brahmana  who,  does  not  cling  to  sensual  pleasures, 
like  water  on  a  lotus  leaf,  like  a  mustard  seed  on  the  point  of  a  needle. 
1  Pali  for  Sanskrit  Pravragita. 


THE   DHAMMAPADA  355 

Him  I  call  indeed  a  Brahmana  who,  even  here,  knows  the  end  of 
his  own  suffering,  has  put  down  his  burden,  and  is  unshackled. 

Him  I  call  indeed  a  Brahmana  whose  knowledge  is  deep,  who  pos- 
sesses wisdom,  who  knows  the  right  way  and  the  wrong,  and  has  at- 
tained the  highest  end. 

Him  I  call  indeed  a  Brahmana  who  keeps  aloof  both  from  laymen 
and  from  mendicants,  who  frequents  no  houses,  and  has  but  few  desires. 

Him  I  call  indeed  a  Brahmana  who  without  hurting  any  creatures, 
whether  feeble  or  strong,  does  not  kill  nor  cause  slaughter. 

Him  I  call  indeed  a  Brahmana  who  is  tolerant  with  the  intolerant, 
mild  with  the  violent,  and  free  from  greed  among  the  greedy. 

Him  I  call  indeed  a  Brahmana  from  whom  anger  and  hatred,  pride 
and  hypocrisy  have  dropped  like  a  mustard  seed  from  the  point  of  a 
needle. 

Him  I  call  indeed  a  Brahmana  who  utters  true  speech,  instructive 
and  free  from  harshness,  so  that  he  offend  no  one. 

Him  I  call  indeed  a  Brahmana  who  takes  nothing  in  the  world  that 
is  not  given  him,  be  it  long  or  short,  small  or  large,  good  or  bad. 

Him  I  call  indeed  a  Brahmana  who  fosters  no  desires  for  this  world 
or  for  the  next,  has  no  inclinations,  and  is  unshackled. 

Him  I  call  indeed  a  Brahmana  who  has  no  interests,  and  when  he 
has  understood  the  truth,  does  not  say  How,  how  ?  and  who  has  reached 
the  depth  of  the  Immortal. 

Him  I  call  indeed  a  Brahmana  who  in  this  world  has  risen  above  both 
ties,  good  and  evil,  who  is  free  from  grief,  from  sin,  and  from  impurity. 

Him  I  call  indeed  a  Brahmana  who  is  bright  like  the  moon,  pure, 
serene,  undisturbed,  and  in  whom  all  gayety  is  extinct. 

Him  I  call  indeed  a  Brahmana  who  has  traversed  this  miry  road,  the 
impassable  world,  difficult  to  pass,  and  its  vanity,  who  has  gone  through, 
and  reached  the  other  shore,  is  thoughtful,  steadfast,  free  from  doubts, 
free  from  attachment,  and  content. 

Him  I  call  indeed  a  Brahmana  who  in  this  world,  having  abandoned 
all  desires,  travels  about  without  a  home,  and  in  whom  all  concupiscence 
is  extinct. 

Him  I  call  indeed  a  Brahmana  who,  having  abandoned  all  longings, 
travels  about  without  a  home,  and  in  whom  all  covetousness  is  extinct. 

Him  I  call  indeed  a  Brahmana  who,  after  leaving  all  bondage  to  men, 
his  risen  above  all  bondage  to  the  gods,  and  is  free  from  all  and  every 
bondage. 


356  BUDDHISM 

Him  I  call  indeed  a  Brahmana  who  has  left  what  gives  pleasure  and 
what  gives  pain,  who  is  cold,  and  free  from  all  germs  of  renewed  life: 
the  hero  who  has  conquered  all  the  worlds. 

Him  I  call  indeed  a  Brahmana  who  knows  the  destruction  and  the 
return  of  beings  everywhere,  who  is  free  from  bondage,  welfaring 
(Sugata),  and  awakened  (Buddha). 

Him  I  call  indeed  a  Brahmana  whose  path  the  gods  do  not  know,  nor 
spirits  (Gandharvas),  nor  men,  whose  passions  are  extinct,  and  who  is 
an  Arhat. 

Him  I  call  indeed  a  Brahmana  who  calls  nothing  his  own,  whether  it 
be  before,  behind,  or  between;  who  is  poor,  and  free  from  the  love  of 
the  world. 

Him  I  call  indeed  a  Brahmana,  the  manly,  the  noble,  the  hero,  the  great 
sage,  the  conqueror,  the  indifferent,  the  accomplished,  the  awakened. 

Him  I  call  indeed  a  Brahmana  who  knows  his  former  abodes,  who  sees 
heaven  and  hell,  has  reached  the  end  of  births,  is  perfect  in  knowledge,  a 
sage,  and  whose  perfections  are  all  perfect. 


Three  Sermons  by  Buddha 


INTRODUCTION 

SOME  CHRISTIANS  may  feel  humiliated  to  find  that  the  Buddhist  teach- 
ings of  love  and  mercy  and  kindness  to  fellowmen  and  animals,  and 
particularly  of  not  requiting  evil  with  evil,  stand  on  the  same  ethical 
height  with  the  best  of  the  Christian  teachings.  It  may  be  a  shock  to 
learn  that  there  is  real  truth  even  in  revealed  truth,  and  that  that  truth 
can  be  arrived  at  by  independent  human  minds,  or  that  there  is  some- 
thing in  the  nature  of  human  relationships  and  of  this  universe  which 
calls  for  righteousness  and  mercy,  apart  from  any  special  revelation. 
Yet  it  is  undeniable  that  the  hold  of  Buddhism  upon  its  millions  of 
believers  rests  not  upon  the  desire  to  enter  Nirvana,  but  upon  the  preach- 
ing of  such  common  truths  as  gentleness  and  kindness,  and  that  the 
charm  of  Buddha's  personality  is  exactly  that  charm  of  gentleness  and 
kindness. 

To  this  day  I  cannot  find  out  the  differences  in  teachings  of  the 
Mormon  Church  from  the  non-Mormon  sects  except  the  claim  of  a 
special  Revelation  to  its  founder.  So  many  different  priestcrafts  are 
trying  to  -sell  their  particular  brands  of  religion  to  the  populace  that 
only  the  claim  to  some  "special  patented  process"  can  help  to  make  the 
sale  convincing.  And  so  we  come  upon  the  curious  phenomenon  in  re- 
ligion that  narrow-minded  sectarianism  is  always  a  prominent  feature 
of  any  religion  of  universal  love.  There  is  never  a  devout  saint  or  be- 
liever in  universal  love  who  is  not  a  "heretic"  to  some  other  believer, 
whether  Christian  or  Buddhist.  Tolstoi  says  somewhere  that  those  who 
believe  their  religion  is  greater  than  God  will  believe  that  their  sect  is 
greater  than  their  religion,  and  end  up  by  believing  that  they  are  greater 
than  their  sect. 

357 


358  BUDDHISM 

Consonant  with  my  bias  for  Chinese  sources,  I  have  selected  here 
the  famous  "Sermon  at  Benares"  from  The  Fo-Sho-Hing-Tsan~King, 
a  Life  of  Buddha  by  Asvaghosha,  translated  from  the  Sanskrit  into 
Chinese  by  Dharmaraksha  in  A.D.  420  and  from  Chinese  into  English 
by  Samuel  Beal.  This  emphasizes  the  Middle  Way,  between  extreme 
indulgence  and  extreme  asceticism,  with  some  sane  comment  on  the 
wholesome  mind  in  a  wholesome  body.  It  also  contains  a  summary  in  bare 
outline  of  the  basic  Buddhist  teachings  concerning  the  "eightfold  path," 
the  existence  of  suffering,  the  cause  of  suffering,  and  the  escape  from 
suffering.  The  "Sermon  on  Abuse,"  which  teaches  requiting  not  evil  with 
evil,1  is  taken  from  the  Sutra  of  Forty-two  Sections,  probably  the  earliest 
Buddhist  scripture  to  be  translated  into  Chinese,  soon  after  A.D.  67.  Both 
are  reproduced  as  edited  or  revised  by  Dr.  Paul  Carus.  Finally  I  include 
the  "Fire  Sermon,"  from  the  Mahd-Vagga  (translated  by  Henry  Clarke 
Warren),  referred  to  in  T.  S.  Eliot's  Wasteland,  because  it  breathes  some- 
t  thing  of  the  direct,  impetuous  fire  of  a  prophet.  But,  as  we  shall  sec  in  the 
"Fire  Sermon,"  there  is  one  thing  in  Buddhism  which  can  never  convince 
the  truly  modern  man,  and  that  is  the  doctrine  of  the  aversion  for  the 
body,  taught  in  this  Sermon,  as  well  as  elsewhere.  So  long  as  any  religion 
teaches  other-worldliness,  I  do  not  care  whether  it  teaches  a  Heaven  of 
Pearly  Gates  or  a  Nirvana.  The  body  is  not  bad,  that  is  all  there  is  to  it. 
The  body  is  transient,  but  it  is  not  bad.  It  goes  through  old  age  and 
death,  but  it  is  not  bad.  Our  passions  must  be  brought  under  control,  but 
they  are  not  bad  in  themselves.  Our  sense  impressions  are  mere  illusions, 
but  they  are  not  bad.  This  is  the  feeling  of  the  modern  man  about  the 
truth  of  the  body. 

1  Sec  also  the  parable  of  the  Patient  Elephant,  Gospel  of  Buddha,  p.  215,  and  the  Dhamma- 
pada. 


Three  Sermons  by  Buddha 


THE  SERMON  AT  BENARES 

ON  SEEING  THEIR  OLD  TEACHER  approach,  the  five  bhikkhus  agreed 
among  themselves  not  to  salute  him,  nor  to  address  him  as  a  master, 
but  by  his  name  only.  "For,"  so  they  said,  "he  has  broken  his  vow  and 
has  abandoned  holiness.  He  is  no  bhikkhu  but  Gotama,  and  Gotama  has 
become  a  man  who  lives  in  abundance  and  indulges  in  the  pleasures 
of  worldliness." 

But  when  the  Blessed  One  approached  in  a  dignified  manner,  they 
involuntarily  rose  from  their  seats  and  greeted  him  in  spite  of  their 
resolution.  Still  they  called  him  by  his  name  and  addressed  him  as 
"friend  Gotama." 

When  they  had  thus  received  the  Blessed  One,  he  said:  "Do  not  call 
the  Tathagata  by  his  name  nor  address  him  as  'friend,'  for  he  is  the 
Buddha,  the  Holy  One.  The  Buddha  looks  with  a  kind  heart  equally 
on  all  living  beings,  and  they  therefore  call  him  'Father.'  To  disrespect 
a  father  is  wrong;  to  despise  him,  is  wicked. 

"The  Tathagata,"  the  Buddha  continued,  "does  not  seek  salvation  in 
austerities,  but  neither  does  he  for  that  reason  indulge  in  worldly 
pleasures,  nor  live  in  abundance.  The  Tathagata  has  found  the  middle 
path. 

"There  arc  two  extremes,  O  bhikkhus,  which  the  man  who  has  given 
up  the  world  ought  not  to  follow — the  habitual  practice,  on  the  one 
hand,  of  self-indulgence  which  is  unworthy,  vain  and  fit  only  for  the 
worldly-minded— and  the  habitual  practice,  on  the  other  hand,  of  self- 
mortification,  which  is  painful,  useless  and  unprofitable. 

"Neither  abstinence  from  fish  or  flesh,  nor  going  naked,  nor  shaving 
the  head,  nor  wearing  matted  hair,  nor  dressing  in  a  rough  garment, 

359 


360  BUDDHISM 

nor  covering  oneself  with  dirt,  nor  sacrificing  to  Agni,  will  cleanse  a 
man  who  is  not  free  from  delusions. 

"Reading  the  Vedas,  making  offerings  to  priests,  or  sacrifices  to  the 
gods,  self-mortification  by  heat  or  cold,  and  many  such  penances  per- 
formed for  the  sake  of  immortality,  these  do  not  cleanse  the  man  who 
is  not  free  from  delusions. 

"Anger,  drunkenness,  obstinacy,  bigotry,  deception,  envy,  self-praise, 
disparaging  others,  superciliousness  and  evil  intentions  constitute  un- 
cleanness;  not  verily  the  eating  of  flesh. 

"A  middle  path,  O  bhikkhus,  avoiding  the  two  extremes,  has  been  dis- 
covered by  the  Tathagata — a  path  which  opens  the  eyes,  and  bestows 
understanding,  which  leads  to  peace  of  mind,  to  the  higher  wisdom,  to 
full  enlightenment,  to  Nirvana! 

"What  is  that  middle  path,  O  bhikkhus,  avoiding  these  two  extremes, 
discovered  by  the  Tathagata — that  path  which  opens  the  eyes,  and  be- 
stows understanding,  which  leads  to  peace  of  mind,  to  the  higher 
wisdom,  to  full  enlightenment,  to  Nirvana  ? 

"Let  me  teach  you,  O  bhikkhus,  the  middle  path,  which  keeps  aloof 
from  both  extremes.  By  suffering,  the  emaciated  devotee  produces  con- 
fusion and  sickly  thoughts  in  his  mind.  Mortification  is  not  conducive 
even  to  worldly  knowledge;  how  much  less  to  a  triumph  over  the  senses! 

"He  who  fills  his  lamp  with  water  will  not  dispel  the  darkness,  and 
he  who  tries  to  light  a  fire  with  rotten  wood  will  fail.  And  how  can 
any  one  be  free  from  self  by  leading  a  wretched  life,  if  he  does  not  suc- 
ceed in  quenching  the  fires  of  lust,  if  he  still  hankers  after  either  worldly 
or  heavenly  pleasures.  But  he  in  whom  self  has  become  extinct  is  free 
from  lust;  he  will  desire  neither  worldly  nor  heavenly  pleasures,  and 
the  satisfaction  of  his  natural  wants  will  not  defile  him.  However,  let 
him  be  moderate,  let  him  eat  and  drink  according  to  the  needs  of  the 
body. 

"Sensuality  is  enervating;  the  self-indulgent  man  is  a  slave  to  his 
passions,  and  pleasure-seeking  is  degrading  and  vulgar. 

"But  to  satisfy  the  necessities  of  life  is  not  evil.  To  keep  thc-body  in 
good  health  is  a  duty,  for  otherwise  we  shall  not  be  able  to  trim  the 
lamp  of  wisdom,  and  keep  our  mind  strong  and  clear.  Water  surrounds 
the  lotus-flower,  but  does  not  wet  its  petals. 

"This  is  the  middle  path,  O  bhikkhus,  that  keeps  aloof  from  both 
extremes." 

And  the  Blessed  One  spoke  kindly  to  his  disciples,  pitying  them  for 


THREE    SERMONS    BY    BUDDHA  361 

their  errors,  and  pointing  out  the  uselessness  of  their  endeavors,  and 
the  ice  of  ill-will  that  chilled  their  hearts  melted  away  under  the  gentle 
warmth  of  the  Master's  persuasion. 

Now  the  Blessed  One  set  the  wheel  of  the  most  excellent  law  rolling, 
and  he  began  to  preach  to  the  five  bhikkhus,  opening  to  them  the  gate 
of  immortality,  and  showing  them  the  bliss  of  Nirvana. 

The  Buddha  said: 

"The  spokes  of  the  wheel  are  the  rules  of  pure  conduct:  justice  i* 
the  uniformity  of  their  length;  wisdom  is  the  tire;  modesty  and  thought- 
fulness  are  the  hub  in  which  the  immovable  axle  of  truth  is  fixed. 

"He  who  recognizes  the  existence  of  suffering,  its  cause,  its  remedy, 
and  its  cessation  has  fathomed  the  four  noble  truths.  He  will  walk  in 
the  right  path. 

"Right  views  will  be  the  torch  to  light  his  way.  Right  aspirations  will 
be  his  guide.  Right  speech  will  be  his  dwelling-place  on  the  road.  His 
gait  will  be  straight,  for  it  is  right  behavior.  His  refreshments  will  be 
the  right  way  of  earning  his  livelihood.  Right  efforts  will  be  his  steps: 
right  thoughts  his  breath;  and  right  contemplation  will  give  him  the 
peace  that  follows  in  his  footprints. 

"Now,  this,  O  bhikkhus,  is  the  noble  truth  concerning  suffering: 

"Birth  is  attended  with  pain,  decay  is  painful,  disease  is  painful,  death 
is  painful.  Union  with  the  unpleasant  is  painful,  painful  is  separation 
from  the  pleasant;  and  any  craving  that  is  unsatisfied,  that  too  is  pain- 
ful. In  brief,  bodily  conditions  which  spring  from  attachment  are 
painful. 

"This,  then,  O  bhikkhus,  is  the  noble  truth  concerning  suffering. 

"Now  this,  O  bhikkhus,  is  the  noble  truth  concerning  the  origin  of 
suffering: 

"Verily,  it  is  that  craving  which  causes  the  renewal  of  existence,  ac- 
companied by  sensual  delight,  seeking  satisfaction  now  here,  now  there, 
the  craving  for  the  gratification  of  the  passions,  the  craving  for  a  future 
life,  and  the  craving  for  happiness  in  this  life. 

"This,  then,  O  bhikkhus,  is  the  noble  truth  concerning  the  origin  of 
suffering. 

"Now  this,  O  bhikkhus,  is  the  noble  truth  concerning  the  destruction 
of  suffering: 

"Verily,  it  is  the  destruction,  in  which  no  passion  remains,  of  this 
very  thirst;  it  is  the  laying  aside  of,  the  being  free  from,  the  dwelling  no 
longer  upon  this  thirst. 


362  BUDDHISM 

"This,  then,  O  bhikkhus,  is  the  noble  truth  concerning  the  destruc- 
tion of  suffering. 

"Now  this,  O  bhikkhus,  is  the  noble  truth  concerning  the  way  which 
leads  to  the  destruction  of  sorrow.  Verily!  it  is  this  noble  eightfold  path; 
that  is  to  say : 

"Right  views;  right  aspirations;  right  speech;  right  behavior;  right 
livelihood;  right  effort;  right  thoughts;  and  right  contemplation. 

"This,  then,  O  bhikkhus,  is  the  noble  truth  concerning  the  destruc- 
tion of  sorrow. 

"By  the  practice  of  lovingkindness  I  have  attained  liberation  of  heart, 
and  thus  I  am  assured  that  I  shall  never  return  in  renewed  births.  I  have 
even  now  attained  Nirvana." 

And  when  the  Blessed  One  had  thus  set  the  royal  chariot  wheel  of 
truth  rolling  onward,  a  rapture  thrilled  through  all  the  universes. 

The  devas  left  their  heavenly  abodes  to  listen  to  the  sweetness  of  the 
truth;  the  saints  that  had  parted  from  life  crowded  around  the  great 
teacher  to  receive  the  glad  tidings;  even  the  animals  of  the  earth  felt  the 
bliss  that  rested  upon  the  words  of  the  Tathagata :  and  all  the  creatures  of 
the  host  of  sentient  beings,  gods,  men,  and  beasts,  hearing  the  message 
of  deliverance,  received  and  understood  it  in  their  own  language. 

And  when  the  doctrine  was  propounded,  the  venerable  Kondanna, 
the  oldest  one  among  the  five  bhikkhus,  discerned  the  truth  with  his 
mental  eye,  and  he  said:  "Truly,  O  Buddha,  our  Lord,  thou  hast  found 
the  truth!"  Then  the  other  bhikkhus  too,  joined  him  and  exclaimed: 
"Truly,  thou  art  the  Buddha,  thou  hast  found  the  truth." 

And  the  devas  and  saints  and  all  the  good  spirits  of  the  departed  gen- 
erations that  had  listened  to  the  sermon  of  the  Tathagata,  joyfully  re- 
ceived the  doctrine  and  shouted:  "Truly,  the  Blessed  One  has  founded 
the  kingdom  of  righteousness.  The  Blessed  One  has  moved  the  earth; 
he  has  set  the  wheel  of  Truth  rolling,  which  by  no  one  in  the  universe, 
be  he  god  or  man,  can  ever  be  turned  back.  The  kingdom  of  Truth  will 
be  preached  upon  earth;  it  will  spread;  and  righteousness,  good-will,  and 
peace  will  reign  among  mankind." 

THE  SERMON  ON  ABUSE 

AND  THE  BLESSED  ONE  observed  the  ways  of  society  and  noticed  how 
much  misery  came  from  malignity  and  foolish  offences  done  only  to 
gratify  vanity  and  self-seeking  pride. 


THREE    SERMONS    BY    BUDDHA  363 

And  the  Buddha  said:  "If  a  man  foolishly  does  me  wrong,  I  will  re- 
turn to  him  the  protection  of  my  ungrudging  love;  the  more  evil  comes 
from  him,  the  more  good  shall  go  from  me;  the  fragrance  of  goodness 
always  comes  to  me,  and  the  harmful  air  of  evil  goes  to  him." 

A  foolish  man  learning  that  the  Buddha  observed  the  principle  of 
great  love  which  commends  the  return  of  good  for  evil,  came  and  abused 
him.  The  Buddha  was  silent,  pitying  his  folly. 

When  the  man  had  finished  his  abuse,  the  Buddha  asked  him,  say- 
ing: "Son,  if  a  man  declined  to  accept  a  present  made  to  him,  to  whom 
would  it  belong?"  And  he  answered:  "In  that  case  it  would  belong  to 
the  man  who  offered  it." 

"My  son,"  said  the  Buddha,  "thou  hast  railed  at  me,  but  I  decline  to 
accept  thy  abuse,  and  request  thee  to  keep  it  thyself.  Will  it  not  be  a 
source  of  misery  to  thee?  As  the  echo  belongs  to  the  sound,  and  the 
shadow  to  the  substance,  so  misery  will  overtake  the  evil-doer  without 
fail." 

The  abuser  made  no  reply,  and  Buddha  continued: 

"A  wicked  man  who  reproaches  a  virtuous  one  is  like  one  who  looks 
up  and  spits  at  heaven;  the  spittle  soils  not  the  heaven,  but  comes  back 
and  defiles  his  own  person. 

"The  slanderer  is  like  one  who  flings  dust  at  another  when  the  wind 
is  contrary;  the  dust  does  but  return  on  him  who  threw  it.  The  virtuous 
man  cannot  be  hurt  and  the  misery  that  the  other  would  inflict  comes 
back  on  himself." 

The  abuser  went  away  ashamed,  but  he  came  again  and  took  refuge 
in  the  Buddha,  the  Dharma,  and  the  Sangha.1 

THE  FIRE  SERMON 

THEN  THE  BLESSED  ONE,  having  dwelt  in  Uruvela  as  long  as  he  wished, 
proceeded  on  his  wanderings  in  the  direction  of  Gaya  Head,  accom- 
panied by  a  great  congregation  of  priests,  a  thousand  in  number,  who 
had  all  of  them  aforetime  been  monks  with  matted  hair.  And  there  in 
Gaya  Head,  the  Blessed  One  dwelt,  together  with  the  thousand  priests. 

And  there  the  Blessed  One  addressed  the  priests: 

"All  things,  O  priests,  are  on  fire.  And  what,  O  priests,  are  all  these 
things  which  are  on  fire  ? 

1  Dharma,  the  Law  of  the  Path  of  Buddhist  teachings;  Sangha,  the  Buddhist  Church.  These, 
with  Buddha,  constitute  the  "three  refuges." 


364  BUDDHISM 

"The  eye,  O  priests,  is  on  fire;  forms  are  on  fire;  eye-consciousness  is 
on  fire;  impressions  received  by  the  eye  are  on  fire;  and  whatever  sensa- 
tion, pleasant  or  unpleasant,  or  indifferent,  originates  in  dependence  on 
impressions  received  by  the  fire,  that  also  is  on  fire. 

"And  with  what  are  these  on  fire? 

"With  the  fire  of  passion,  say  I,  with  the  fire  of  hatred,  with  the  fire  of 
infatuation;  with  birth,  old  age,  death,  sorrow,  lamentation,  misery,  grief, 
and  despair  are  they  on  fire. 

"The  ear  is  on  fire;  sounds  are  on  fire;  .  .  .  the  nose  is  on  fire;  odors 
are  on  fire; . . .  the  tongue  is  on  fire;  tastes  are  on  fire;  . . .  the  body  is  on 
fire;  things  tangible  are  on  fire;  ...  the  mind  is  on  fire;  ideas  are  on 
fire; . . .  mind-consciousness  is  on  fire;  impressions  received  by  the  mind 
are  on  fire;  and  whatever  sensation,  pleasant  or  unpleasant,  or  indifferent, 
originates  in  dependence  on  impressions  received  by  the  mind,  that  also 
is  on  fire. 

"And  with  what  are  these  on  fire  ? 

"With  the  fire  of  passion,  say  I,  with  the  fire  of  hatred,  with  the  fire  of 
infatuation;  with  birth,  old  age,  death,  sorrow,  lamentation,  misery, 
grief,  and  despair  are  they  on  fire. 

"Perceiving  this,  O  priests,  the  learned  and  noble  disciple  conceives  an 
aversion  for  the  eye,  conceives  an  aversion  for  forms,  conceives  an  aver- 
sion for  eye-consciousness,  conceives  an  aversion  for  impressions  received 
by  the  eye;  and  whatever  sensation,  pleasant  or  unpleasant,  or  indifferent, 
originates  in  dependence  on  impressions  received  by  the  eye,  for  that  also 
he  conceives  an  aversion.  Conceives  an  aversion  for  the  ear,  conceives  an 
aversion  for  sounds  . . .  conceives  an  aversion  for  the  nose,  conceives  an 
aversion  for  odors  .  .  .  conceives  an  aversion  for  the  tongue,  conceives 
an  aversion  for  tastes  .  .  .  conceives  an  aversion  for  the  body,  conceives 
an  aversion  for  things  tangible  .  .  .  conceives  an  aversion  for  the  mind, 
conceives  an  aversion  for  ideas,  conceives  an  aversion  for  mind-conscious- 
ness, conceives  an  aversion  for  the  impressions  received  by  the  mind;  and 
whatever  sensation,  pleasant  or  unpleasant,  or  indifferent,  originates  in 
dependence  on  impressions  received  by  the  mind,  for  this  also  he  con- 
ceives an  aversion.  And  in  conceiving  this  aversion,  he  becomes  divested 
of  passion,  and  by  the  absence  of  passion  he  becomes  free,  and  when  he  is 
free,  he  becomes  aware  that  he  is  free;  and  he  knows  that  rebirth  is  ex- 
hausted, that  he  has  lived  the  holy  life,  that  he  has  done  what  behooved 
him  to  do,  and  that  he  is  no  more  for  this  world." 


Some  Buddhist  Parables  and 
Legends 


INTRODUCTION 

THAT  AESOP'S  FABLES  originated  from  India,1  is  proved  by  the  whole 
character  of  Hindu  literature,  in  which  the  instinct  for  the  fable  abounds. 
The  Panchatantra,  the  Hitopadesa,  the  Buddhist  Jdtal^a  (fables  and 
stories  of  Buddhist  previous  lives,  technically  called  "birth-stories,"  in 
which  Buddha  was  born  as  a  snake,  or  an  elephant,  etc.),  and  Buddha- 
ghosha's  Commentary  on  the  Dhammapada*  all  attest  to  this  truth.  In 
Buddhaghosha's  Commentary,  a  story,  or  sometimes  several  stories,  are 
told  to  illustrate  each  of  the  423  ethical  epigrams  of  the  Dhammapada, 
with  which  the  story  always  ends  in  Aesop  fashion. 

In  the  following  selections  may  be  found  one  of  the  best  wedding  ser- 
mons and  one  of  the  best  funeral  sermons  I  have  ever  come  across.  The 
story  of  Kisd  Gotaml,  which  tells  a  great  truth  in  a  simple  story,  is  one 
of  the  best  in  the  whole  Buddhist  literature,  and  its  introduction  trans- 
ports us  to  the  magic  world  of  the  Arabian  Ntghts.  Its  subject  is  none 
other  than  Death. 

The  Marriage  Feast  in  ]ambunada  illustrates  many  striking  parallels 
between  the  Buddhist  and  Christian  Gospels,  as  also  does  the  following 
story  of  Following  the  Master  over  the  Stream.  The  first  is  taken  from 
the  Chinese  Life  of  Buddha,  Fo  Pen  Hsing  Chi  Clung,  tr.  by  Samuel 
Beal,  while  the  second  is  taken  from  the  Chinese  Dhammapada,  Texts 

1  Sec  Introduction  to  Panchatantra. 

9  Translated  by  E.  W.  Burhngame,  "Buddhist  Legends,"  Harvard  Oriental  Series,  Vols.  28, 

29  &  30.  Also  Buddhaghosha's  Parables,  translated  by  T.  Rogers,  London,  1870. 

365 


366  BUDDHISM 

from  the  Buddhist  Canon,  tr.  by  Beal.  The  above  three  stories  are  repro- 
duced as  arranged  by  Dr.  Paul  Carus  in  The  Gospel  of  Buddha  (Open 
Court).  For  another  striking  parallel,  see  the  story  of  the  lost  son  who 
returned  to  his  father's  house  as  a  common  laborer,  in  Gospel  of  Buddha, 
by  Paul  Carus,  p.  182. 

The  Greedy  Mon\  from  the  Dhammapada  Commentary  illustrates 
the  same  technique  of  enclosing  a  tale  within  a  tale,  characteristic  of  the 
Panchatantra.  The  story  of  Ocean-of -Beauty,  from  the  same  collection, 
contains  some  remarks  about  womanhood  which  shows  the  New  York 
lady  in  an  apartment  flat  has  nothing  to  teach  the  Hindu  women  in 
methods  of  attracting  a  man.  The  translation  is  by  Eugene  Watson  Bur- 
Ungame. 


Some  Buddhist  Parables  and 
Legends 


KISA  GOTAMI 

THERE  WAS  A  RICH  MAN  who  found  his  gold  suddenly  transformed  into 
ashes;  and  he  took  to  his  bed  and  refused  all  food.  A  friend,  hearing  of  his 
sickness,  visited  the  rich  man  and  learned  the  cause  of  his  grief.  And  the 
friend  said:  "Thou  didst  not  make  good  use  of  thy  wealth.  When  thou 
didst  hoard  it  up  it  was  not  better  than  ashes.  Now  heed  my  advice. 
Spread  mats  in  the  bazaar ;  pile  up  these  ashes,  and  pretend  to  trade  with 
them." 

The  rich  man  did  as  his  friend  had  told  him,  and  when  his  neighbors 
asked  him,  "Why  sellest  thou  ashes?"  he  said:  "I  offer  my  goods  for 
sale." 

After  some  time  a  young  girl,  named  Kisa  Gotami,  an  orphan  and  very 
poor,  passed  by,  and  seeing  the  rich  man  in  the  bazaar,  said :  "My  lord, 
why  pilest  thou  thus  up  gold  and  silver  for  sale." 

And  the  rich  man  said:  "Wilt  thou  please  hand  me  that  gold  and 
silver?"  And  Kisa  Gotami  took  up  a  handful  of  ashes,  and  lo!  they 
changed  back  into  gold. 

Considering  that  Kisa  Gotami  had  the  mental  eye  of  spiritual  knowl- 
edge and  saw  the  real  worth  of  things,  the  rich  man  gave  her  in  marriage 
to  his  son,  and  he  said:  "With  many,  gold  is  no  better  than  ashes,  but 
with  Kisa  Gotami  ashes  become  pure  gold," 

And  Kisa  Gotami  had  an  only  son,  and  he  died.  In  her  grief  she  car- 
ried the  dead  child  to  all  her  neighbors,  asking  them  for  medicine,  and 
the  people  said:  "She  has  lost  her  senses.  The  boy  is  dead." 

367 


368  BUDDHISM 

At  length  Kisa  GotamI  met  a  man  who  replied  to  her  request :  "I  cannot 
give  thee  medicine  for  thy  child,  but  I  know  a  physician  who  can." 

And  the  girl  said:  "Pray  tell  me,  sir;  who  is  it?"  And  the  man  replied: 
"Go  to  Sakyamuni,  the  Buddha." 

Kisa  GotamI  repaired  to  the  Buddha  and  cried :  "Lord  and  Master,  give 
me  the  medicine  that  will  cure  my  boy." 

The  Buddha  answered :  "I  want  a  handful  of  mustard-seed."  And  when 
the  girl  in  her  joy  promised  to  procure  it,  the  Buddha  added:  "The  mus- 
tard-seed must  be  taken  from  a  house  where  no  one  has  lost  a  child,  hus- 
band, parent,  or  friend." 

Poor  Kisa  GotamI  now  went  from  house  to  house,  and  the  people 
pitied  her  atid  said:  "Here  is  mustard-seed;  take  it!"  But  when  she  asked, 
"Did  a  son  or  daughter,  a  father  or  mother,  die  in  your  family?"  they 
answered  her:  "Alas!  the  living  are  few,  but  the  dead  are  many.  Do  not 
remind  us  of  our  deepest  grief."  And  there  was  no  house  but  some  be- 
loved one  had  died  in  it. 

Kisa  GotamI  became  weary  and  hopeless,  and  sat  down  at  the  way- 
side, watching  the  lights  of  the  city,  as  they  flickered  up  and  were  ex- 
tinguished again.  At  last  the  darkness  of  the  night  reigned  everywhere. 
And  she  considered  the  fate  of  men,  that  their  lives  flicker  up  and  are  ex- 
tinguished. And  she  thought  to  herself:  "How  selfish  am  I  in  my  grief! 
Death  is  common  to  all;  yet  in  this  valley  of  desolation  there  is  a  path 
that  leads  him  to  immortality  who  has  surrendered  all  selfishness." 

Putting  away  the  selfishness  of  her  affection  for  her  child,  Kisa  GotamI 
had  the  dead  body  buried  in  the  forest.  Returning  to  the  Buddha,  she 
took  refuge  in  him  and  found  comfort  in  the  Dharma,  which  is  a  balm 
that  will  soothe  all  the  pains  of  our  troubled  hearts. 

The  Buddha  said: 

"The  life  of  mortals  in  this  world  is  troubled  and  brief  and  combined 
with  pain.  For  there  is  not  any  means  by  which  those  that  have  been 
born  can  avoid  dying;  after  reaching  old  age  there  is  death;  of  such  a 
nature  are  living  beings. 

"As  ripe  fruits  are  early  in  danger  of  falling,  so  mortals  when  born  are 
always  in  danger  of  death. 

"As  all  earthen  vessels  made  by  the  potter  end  in  being  broken,  so  is 
the  life  of  mortals. 

"Both  young  and  adult,  both  those  who  are  fools  and  those  who  arc 
wise,  all  fall  into  the  power  of  death;  all  are  subject  to  death, 


PARABLES  AND  LEGENDS  369 

"Of  those  who,  overcome  by  death,  depart  from  life,  a  father  cannot 
save  his  son,  nor  kinsmen  their  relations. 

"Mark!  while  relatives  are  looking  on  and  lamenting  deeply,  one  by 
one  mortals  are  carried  off,  like  an  ox  that  is  led  to  the  slaughter. 

"So  the  world  is  afflicted  with  death  and  decay,  therefore  the  wise  do 
not  grieve,  knowing  the  terms  of  the  world. 

"In  whatever  manner  people  think  a  thing  will  come  to  pass,  it  is  often 
different  when  it  happens,  and  great  is  the  disappointment;  see,  such  are 
the  terms  of  the  world. 

"Not  from  weeping  nor  from  grieving  will  any  one  obtain  peace  of 
mind;  on  the  contrary,  his  pain  will  be  the  greater  and  his  body  will 
suffer.  He  will  make  himself  sick  and  pale,  yet  the  dead  are  not  saved  by 
his  lamentation. 

"People  pass  away,  and  their  fate  after  death  will  be  according  to  their 
deeds. 

"If  a  man  live  a  hundred  years,  or  even  more,  he  will  at  last  be  separated 
from  the  company  of  his  relatives,  and  leave  the  life  of  this  world. 

"He  who  seeks  peace  should  draw  out  the  arrow  of  lamentation,  and 
complaint,  and  grief. 

"He  who  has  drawn  out  the  arrow  and  has  become  composed  will 
obtain  peace  of  mind;  he  who  has  overcome  all  sorrow  will  become  free 
from  sorrow,  and  be  blessed." 

THE  MARRIAGE-FEAST  IN  JAMBUNADA 

THERE  WAS  A  MAN  in  Jambunada  who  was  to  be  married  the  next  day,  and 
he  thought,  "Would  that  the  Buddha,  the  Blessed  One,  might  be  present 
at  the  wedding." 

And  the  Blessed  One  passed  by  his  house  and  met  him,  and  when  he 
read  the  silent  wish  in  the  heart  of  the  bridegroom,  he  consented  to 
enter. 

When  the  Holy  One  appeared  with  the  retinue  of  his  many  bhikkhus, 
the  host  whose  means  werclimited  received  them  as  best  he  could,  saying: 
"Eat,  my  Lord,  and  all  thy  congregation,  according  to  your  desire." 

While  the  holy  men  ate,  the  meats  and  drinks  remained  undiminished, 
and  the  host  thought  to  himself:  "How  wondrous  is  this!  I  should  have 
had  plenty  for  all  my  relatives  and  friends.  Would  that  I  had  invited 
them  all." 

When  this  thought  was  in  the  host's  mind,  all  his  relatives  and  friends 


370  BUDDHISM 

entered  the  house;  and  although  the  hall  in  the  house  was  small  there 
was  room  in  it  for  all  of  them.  They  sat  down  at  the  table  and  ate,  and 
there  was  more  than  enough  for  all  of  them. 

The  Blessed  One  was  pleased  to  see  so  many  guests  full  of  good  cheer 
and  he  quickened  them  and  gladdened  them  with  words  of  truth,  pro- 
claiming the  bliss  of  righteousness : 

"The  greatest  happiness  which  a  mortal  man  can  imagine  is  the  bond 
of  marriage  that  ties  together  two  loving  hearts.  But  there  is  a  greater 
happiness  still:  it  is  the  embrace  of  truth.  Death  will  separate  husband 
and  wife,  but  death  will  never  affect  him  who  has  espoused  the  truth. 

"Therefore  be  married  unto  the  truth  and  live  with  the  truth  in  holy 
wedlock.  The  husband  who  loves  his  wife  and  desires  for  a  union  that 
shall  be  everlasting  must  be  faithful  to  her  so  as  to  be  like  truth  itself,  and 
she  will  rely  upon  him  and  revere  him  and  minister  unto  him.  And  the 
wife  who  loves  her  husband  and  desires  a  union  that  shall  be  everlasting 
must  be  faithful  to  him  so  as  to  be  like  truth  itself;  and  he  will  place  his 
trust  in  her,  he  will  provide  for  her.  Verily,  I  say  unto  you,  their  children 
will  become  like  unto  their  parents  and  will  bear  witness  to  their  happi- 
ness. 

"Let  no  man  be  single,  let  every  one  be  wedded  in  holy  love  to  the 
truth.  And  when  Mara,  the  destroyer,  comes  to  separate  the  visible  forms 
of  your  being,  you  will  continue  to  live  in  the  truth,  and  you  will  partake 
of  the  life  everlasting,  for  the  truth  is  immortal." 

There  was  no  one  among  the  guests  but  was  strengthened  in  his 
spiritual  life,  and  recognized  the  sweetness  of  a  life  of  righteousness;  and 
they  took  refuge  in  the  Buddha,  the  Dharma,  and  the  Sangha. 

FOLLOWING  THE  MASTER  OVER  THE  STREAM 

SOUTH  OF  SAVATTHI  is  a  great  river,  on  the  banks  of  which  lay  a  hamlet  of 
five  hundred  houses.  Thinking  of  the  salvation  of  the  people,  the  World- 
honored  One  resolved  to  go  to  the  village  and  preach  the  doctrine.  Hav- 
ing come  to  the  riverside  he  sat  down  beneath  a  tree,  and  the  villagers  see- 
ing the  glory  of  his  appearance  approached  him  with  reverence;  but 
when  he  began  to  preach,  they  believed  him  not. 

When  the  world-honored  Buddha  had  left  Savatthi,  Sariputta  felt  a  de- 
sire to  see  the  Lord  and  to  hear  him  preach.  Coming  to  the  river  where 
the  water  was  deep  and  the  current  strong,  he  said  to  himself:  "This 
stream  shall  hot  prevent  me.  I  shall  go  and  see  the  Blessed  One,"  and  he 


PARABLES  AND  LEGENDS  371 

stepped  upon  the  water  which  was  as  firm  under  his  feet  as  a  slab  of 
granite. 

When  he  arrived  at  a  place  in  the  middle  of  the  stream  where  the  waves 
were  high,  Sariputta's  heart  gave  way,  and  he  began  to  sink.  But  rousing 
his  faith  and  renewing  his  mental  effort,  he  proceeded  as  before  and 
reached  the  other  bank. 

The  people  of  the  village  were  astonished  to  see  Sariputta,  and  they 
asked  how  he  could  cross  the  stream  where  there  was  neither  a  bridge  nor 
a  ferry. 

And  Sariputta  replied:  "I  lived  in  ignorance  until  I  heard  the  voice  of 
the  Buddha.  As  I  was  anxious  to  hear  the  doctrine  of  salvation,  I  crossed 
the  river  and  I  walked  over  its  troubled  waters  because  I  had  faith.  Faith, 
nothing  else,  enabled  me  to  do  so,  and  now  I  am  here  in  the  bliss  of  the 
Master's  presency." 

The  World-honored  One  added:  "Sariputta,  thou  hast  spoken  well. 
Faith  like  thine  alone  can  save  the  world  from  the  yawning  gulf  of  mi- 
gration and  enable  men  to  walk  dryshod  to  the  other  shore." 

And  the  Blessed  One  urged  to  the  villagers  the  necessity  of  ever  advanc- 
ing in  the  conquest  of  sorrow  and  of  casting  off  all  shackles  so  as  to  cross 
the  river  of  worldliness  and  attain  deliverance  from  death. 

Hearing  the  words  of  the  Tathagata,  the  villagers  were  filled  with  joy 
and  believing  in  the  doctrines  of  the  Blessed  One  embraced  the  five  rules 
and  took  refuge  in  his  name. 

THE  GREEDY  MONK 

THE  STORY  GOES  that  the  Elder,  who  was  skilled  to  teach  the  Law,  after 
listening  to  a  discourse  on  the  subject  of  being  satisfied  with  but  little, 
accepted  a  large  number  of  robes  with  which  several  monks  who  had 
taken  upon  themselves  the  Pure  Practices  honored  him,  and  besides  took 
all  the  utensils  which  they  had  left  and  carried  them  off  with  him.  As 
the  season  of  the  rains  was  near  at  hand,  he  went  off  into  the  country.  He 
stopped  at  a  certain  monastery  to  preach  the  Law,  and  the  novices  and 
probationers  liked  the  way  he  talked  so  well  that  they  said  to  him,  "Spend 
the  rainy  season  here,  Reverend  Sir."  "What  allowance  is  made  to  a 
monk  who  spends  the  season  of  rains  here?"  asked  the  Elder.  "A  single 
cloak,"  was  the  reply.  The  Elder  left  his  shoes  there  and  went  to  the  next 
monastery.  When  he  reached  the  second  monastery,  he  asked  the  same 
question,  "What  allowance  is  made  here?"  "Two  cloaks,"  was  the  reply. 


372  BUDDHISM 

There  he  left  his  walking  stick.  Then  he  went  to  the  third  monastery  and 
asked  the  same  question,  "What  is  the  allowance  made  here?"  "Three 
cloaks,"  was  the  reply.  There  he  left  his  water-pot. 

Then  he  went  to  the  fourth  monastery  and  asked  the  same  question, 
"What  is  the  allowance  made  here?"  "Four  cloaks,"  was  the  reply.  "Very 
good,"  said  the  Elder,  "I  will  take  my  residence  here";  and  there  he  went 
into  residence.  And  he  preached  the  Law  to  the  laymen  and  the  monks 
who  resided  there  so  well  that  they  honored  him  with  a  great  number  of 
garments  and  robes.  When  he  had  completed  residence,  he  sent  a  message 
to  all  the  other  monasteries,  saying,  "I  left  my  requisites  behind  me,  and 
must  have  whatever  is  required  for  residence;  pray  send  them  to  me." 
When  he  gathered  all  of  his  possessions  together,  he  put  them  in  a  cart 
and  continued  his  journey. 

Now  at  a  certain  monastery  two  young  monks  who  had  received  two 
cloaks  and  a  single  blanket  found  it  impossible  to  make  a  division  satis- 
factory to  both  of  them,  and  therefore  settled  themselves  beside  the  road 
and  began  to  quarrel,  saying,  "You  may  have  two  cloaks,  but  the  blanket 
belongs  to  me."  When  they  saw  the  Elder  approaching,  they  said,  "Rev- 
erend Sir,  you  make  a  fair  decision  and  give  us  what  you  think  fit."  "Will 
you  abide  by  my  decision?"  "Yes  indeed;  we  will  abide  by  your  de- 
cision." "Very  good,  then."  So  the  Elder  divided  the  two  cloaks  between 
the  two  monks;  then  he  said  to  them,  "This  blanket  should  be  worn  only 
by  us  who  preach  the  law";  and  when  he  had  thus  said,  he  shouldered 
the  costly  blanket  and  went  off  with  it. 

Disgusted  and  disappointed,  the  two  young  monks  went  to  the  Teacher 
and  reported  the  whole  occurrence  to  him.  Said  the  Teacher,  "This  is  not 
the  first  time  he  has  taken  what  belongs  to  you  and  left  you  disgusted  and 
disappointed;  he  did  the  same  thing  also  in  a  previous  state  of  existence." 
And  he  related  the  following: 

The  Otters  and  the  Jackal 

Once  upon  a  time,  long,  long  ago,  two  otters  named  Anutlracarl  and 
Gambhiracari,  caught  a  big  redfish  and  fell  to  quarreling  over  it,  saying, 
"The  head  belongs  to  me;  you  may  have  the  tail."  Unable  to  effect  a 
division  satisfactory  to  both  of  them,  catching  sight  of  a  certain  jackal, 
they  appealed  to  him  for  a  decision,  saying,  "Uncle,  you  make  such  a 
division  of  this  fish  as  you  think  proper  and  render  an  award."  Said  the 
jackal,  "I  have  been  appointed  judge  by  the  king,  and  am  obliged  to  sit 
in  court  for  hours  at  a  time;  I  came  out  here  merely  to  stretch  my  legs;  I 


PARABLES  AND  LEGENDS  373 

have  no  time  now  for  such  business."  "Uncle,  don't  say  that,  make  a 
division  and  render  an  award."  "Will  you  abide  by  my  decision?"  "Yes 
indeed,  uncle,  we  will  abide  by  your  decision."  "Very  good,  then,"  said 
the  jackal.  The  jackal  cut  the  head  and  laid  that  aside,  then  cut  off  the  tail 
and  laid  that  aside.  When  he  had  done  so,  he  said  to  them,  "Friends,  that 
one  of  you  who  runs  along  the  bank  (Anutiracari)  shall  have  the  tail, 
and  that  one  of  you  who  runs  in  deep  water  (Gambhiracarl)  shall  have 
the  head;  as  for  this  middle  portion,  however,  this  shall  be  mine,  inas- 
much as  I  am  justice."  And  to  make  them  see  the  matter  in  better  light, 
he  pronounced  the  following  Stanza, 

Anutiracari  shall  have  the  tail,  and  Gambhiracarl  shall  have  the  head; 
But  as  for  this  middle  portion,  it  shall  belong  to  the  justice. 

Having  pronounced  this  Stanza,  the  jackal  picked  up  the  middle  por- 
tion of  the  fish  and  went  off  with  it.  As  for  the  otters,  they  were  filled 
with  disgust  and  disappointment,  and  stood  and  eyed  the  jackal  as  he 
went  away. 

When  the  Teacher  finished  this  Story  of  the  Past,  he  said,  "And  thus 
it  was  that  in  times  long  past  this  Elder  filled  you  with  disgust  and  dis- 
appointment." Then  the  Teacher  consoled  these  monks  and  rebuked 
Upananda,  saying,  "Monks,  a  man  who  admonishes  others  should  first 
direct  himself  in  the  way  he  should  go."  And  when  he  had  thus  spoken, 
he  pronounced  the  following  Stanza, 

A  man  should  first  direct  himself  in  the  way  he  should  go. 
Only  then  should  he  instruct  others;  a  wise  man  will  do  so  and  not  grow 
weary.1 

A  COURTESAN  TEMPTS  THE  MONK  OCEAN-OF-BEAUTY 

AT  SAVATTHI,  we  are  told,  in  a  great  household  possessing  forty  crores a  of 
treasure,  was  reborn  a  certain  youth  of  station  named  Ocean-of-Beauty, 
Sundarasamudda  Kumara.  One  day  after  daybreak,  seeing  a  great  com- 
pany of  people  carrying  perfumes  and  garlands  in  their  hands,  going  to 
Jetavana  to  hear  the  Law,  he  asked,  "Where  are  you  going?"  "To  the 
teacher  to  hear  the  Law,"  they  replied.  "I  will  go  too,"  said  he,  and  accom- 
panying them,  sat  down  on  the  outer  circle  of  the  congregation.  The 

*This  verse  is  from  the  Dhammapada,  of  which  the  story  is  told  as  a  "commentary." 
*  Ten  millions. 


374  BUDDHISM 

Teacher,  knowing  the  thoughts  of  his  heart,  preached  the  Law  in  orderly 
•sequence.  Thought  Ocean-of-Beauty,  "It  is  impossible  to  live  the  life  of 
a  householder  and  at  the  same  time  live  the  Life  of  Holiness,  whereof  a 
polished  shell  is  the  image  and  likeness." 

The  Teacher's  discourse  made  him  eager  to  retire  from  the  world. 
Therefore,  as  the  congregation  departed,  he  asked  the  Teacher  to  admit 
him  to  the  order.  Said  the  Teacher,  "The  Tathagatas  admit  no  one  to  the 
Order  who  has  not  obtained  permission  of  his  mother  and  father."  So 
Ocean-of-Beauty  went  home,  and  so  like  youth  Ratthapala  and  others, 
by  dint  of  great  effort,  prevailed  upon  his  mother  and  father  to  give  him 
permission  to  enter  the  Order.  Having  obtained  their  permission,  he  re- 
tired from  the  world  and  was  admitted  to  the  Order  by  the  Teacher. 
Subsequently  he  made  his  full  profession  as  member  of  the  Order.  Then 
he  thought  to  himself,  "What  is  the  use  of  my  living  here?"  So  departing 
from  Jetavana,  he  went  to  Rajagaha  and  spent  his  time  going  his  rounds 
for  alms. 

Now  one  day  there  was  a  festival  at  Savatthi,  and  on  that  day  Ocean- 
of-Beauty's  mother  and  father  saw  their  son's  playfellows  diverting 
themselves  amid  great  splendor  and  magnificence.  Thereupon  they  began 
to  weep  and  lament,  saying,  "This  is  past  our  son's  getting  now."  At  that 
moment  a  certain  courtesan  came  to  the  house,  and  seeing  his  mother  as 
she  sat  weeping,  asked  her,  "Mother,  why  do  you  weep?"  "I  keep  think- 
ing of  my  son;  that  is  why  I  weep."  "But,  Mother,  where  is  he?"  "Among 
the  monks,  retired  from  the  world."  "Would  it  not  be  proper  to  make  him 
return  to  the  world?"  "Yes,  indeed;  but  he  doesn't  wish  to  do  that.  He 
has  left  Savatthi  and  gone  to  Rajagaha."  "Suppose  I  were  to  succeed  in 
making  him  return  to  the  world;  what  would  you  do  for  me?"  "We 
would  make  you  mistress  of  all  the  wealth  of  this  household."  "Very 
well,  give  me  my  expenses."  And  taking  the  amount  of  her  expenses,  she 
surrounded  herself  with  a  large  retinue  and  went  to  Rajagaha. 

Taking  note  of  the  street  in  which  the  Elder  was  accustomed  to  make 
his  rounds  for  alms,  she  obtained  a  house  in  this  street  and  took  her  abode 
therein.  And  early  in  the  morning  she  prepared  choice  food,  and  when 
the  Elder  entered  the  street  to  make  his  round  for  alms,  she  gave  him 
alms.  After  a  few  days  had  passed,  she  said  to  him,  "Reverend  Sir,  sit 
down  right  here  and  eat  your  meal."  So  saying,  she  offered  to  take  the 
bowl,  and  the  Elder  yielded  his  bowl  willingly.  Then  she  served  him 
with  choice  food,  and  having  so  done,  said  to  him,  "Reverend  Sir,  right 
here  is  the  most  delightful  spot  to  which  you  could  come  on  your  rounds 


PARABLES   AND  LEGENDS  375 

for  alms."  For  a  few  days  she  enticed  him  to  sit  on  the  veranda,  and  there 
provided  him  with  choice  food. 

Next  she  won  the  favor  of  some  small  boys  by  treating  them  with 
cakes,  and  said  to  them,  "See  here,  boys;  when  the  Elder  comes  to  the 
house,  you  come  too.  And  when  you  come,  kick  up  the  dust.  And  even  if 
I  tell  you  to  stop,  pay  no  attention  to  what  I  say."  So  on  the  following 
day,  while  the  Elder  was  eating  his  meal,  the  boys  came  to  the  house  and 
kicked  up  the  dust.  And  when  the  mistress  of  the  house  told  them  to  stop, 
they  paid  no  attention  to  what  she  said.  On  the  next  day  she  said  to  the 
Elder,  "Reverend  Sir,  these  boys  keep  coming  here  and  kicking  up  the 
dust,  and,  even  when  I  tell  them  to  stop,  pay  no  attention  to  what  I  say; 
sit  inside  of  the  house."  For  a  few  days  she  seated  him  inside  of  the  house 
and  there  provided  him  with  choice  food.  Then  she  treated  the  boys  again 
and  said  to  them,  "Boys,  while  the  Elder  is  eating  his  meal,  make  a  loud 
noise.  And  even  if  I  tell  you  to  stop,  pay  no  attention  to  what  I  say."  The 
boys  did  as  they  were  told. 

On  the  following  day  she  said  to  the  Elder,  "Reverend  Sir,  the  noise  in 
this  place  is  unbearable.  In  spite  of  all  I  do  to  stop  them,  these  boys  pay 
no  attention  to  what  I  say ;  sit  on  the  upper  floor  of  the  mansion."  The 
Elder  gave  his  consent.  She  then  climbed  to  the  top  of  the  mansion,  mak- 
ing the  Elder  precede  her,  and  closing  the  door  after  her.  Now  the  Elder 
had  taken  upon  himself  the  strict  obligation  to  receive  alms  only  by 
making  an  unbroken  round  from  door  to  door.  But  in  spite  of  this  fact, 
so  firmly  bound  was  he  by  the  bonds  of  the  craving  of  taste  that  he  com- 
plied with  her  suggestion  and  climbed  to  the  topmost  floor  of  the  seven- 
storied  mansion.  The  woman  provided  the  Elder  with  a  seat. 

In  forty  ways,  friend  Punnamukha,  does  a  woman  accost  a  man:  She 
yawns,  she  bows  down,  she  makes  amorous  gestures,  she  pretends  to  be 
abashed,  she  rubs  the  nails  of  one  hand  or  foot  with  the  nails  of  the  other 
hand  or  foot,  she  places  one  foot  on  another  foot,  she  scratches  on  the 
ground  with  a  stick.  She  causes  her  boy  to  leap  up,  she  causes  her  boy  to 
leap  down,  she  dallies  with  her  boy  and  makes  him  dally  with  her,  she 
kisses  him  and  makes  him  kiss  her,  she  eats  food  and  makes  him  eat  food, 
she  gives  and  begs  for  gifts,  she  imitates  whatever  he  does.  She  talks  in  a 
loud  tone,  she  talks  in  a  low  tone;  she  talks  as  in  public,  she  talks  as  in 
private.  While  dancing,  singing,  playing  musical  instruments,  weeping, 
making  amorous  gestures,  adorning  herself,  she  laughs  and  looks.  She 
sways  her  hips,  she  jiggles  her  waist-gear,  uncovers  her  thigh,  covers  her 
thigh,  displays  her  breast,  displays  her  armpit,  and  displays  her  navel. 


376  BUDDHISM 

She  buries  the  pupils  of  her  eyes,  lifts  her  eyebrows,  scratches  her  lips,  and 
dangles  her  tongue.  She  takes  off  her  loin-cloth,  puts  on  her  loin-cloth, 
takes  off  her  turban,  and  puts  on  her  turban. 

Thus  did  that  woman  employ  all  the  devices  of  a  woman,  all  the  graces 
of  a  woman.  And  standing  before  the  Elder,  she  recited  the  following 
Stanza, 

Dyed  in  lac  and  clad  in  slippers  are  the  feet  of  a  harlot. 

You  are  young  and  you  are  mine;  I  am  young  and  I  am  yours. 

We  will  both  retire  from  the  world  later  on,  and  lean  on  a  staff. 

Thought  the  Elder,  "Alas!  I  have  committed  a  grievous  sin!  I  did  not 
consider  what  I  was  doing."  And  he  was  deeply  moved.  At  that  moment 
the  Teacher,  although  seated  within  Jetavana,  forty-five  leagues  distant, 
saw  the  whole  affair  and  smiled.  Elder  Ananda  asked  him,  "Reverend 
Sir,  what  is  the  cause,  what  is  the  occasion  of  your  smiling?"  "Ananda,  in 
the  city  of  Rajagaha,  on  the  topmost  floor  of  a  seven-storied  palace,  there 
is  a  battle  on  between  the  monk  Ocean-of-Beauty  and  a  harlot."  "Who  is 
going  to  win,  Reverend  Sir,  and  who  is  going  to  lose?"  The  Teacher 
replied,  "Ananda,  Ocean-of-Beauty  is  going  to  win,  and  the  harlot  is 
going  to  lose."  Having  thus  proclaimed  that  the  Elder  would  win -the 
victory,  the  Teacher,  remaining  seated  where  he  was,  sent  forth  a  lumi- 
nous image  of  himself  and  said,  "Monk,  renounce  both  lusts  and  free 
yourself  from  desire."  So  saying,  he  pronounced  the  following  Stanza, 

Whoever  in  this  world  renounces  lusts,  whoever  abandons  the  house  life 

and  retires  from  the  world, 
Whoever  has  extinguished  the  essence  of  lust,  such  a  man  I  call  a  Brahman.1 

1  This  verse  is  in  the  Dhammapada,  of  which  the  story  is  told  as  a  "commentary." 


The  Light  of  Asia 

(LIFE    OF    BUDDHA) 


INTRODUCTION 

INDIA  PRODUCED  too  much  religion,  China  too  little.  A  dribble  of  this  re- 
ligious spirit  overflowed  from  India  and  innudated  the  whole  Eastern 
Asia.  One  cannot  help  being  curious  about  the  fact  that  the  Hindus  have 
rejected  Buddhism  as  the  Jews  have  rejected  Christianity.  One  should 
have  thought  that  a  nation  would  have  embraced  teachings  which  seem 
to  other  nations  their  most  important  contribution  to  the  world  and  the 
highest  manifestation  of  their  spirit.  Yet  this  is  not  the  case.  The  only 
clue  I  can  find  seems  to  lie  in  the  fact  that  Jesus  attacked  the  established 
priestcraft  of  His  time,  as  Buddha  rebelled  against  the  teachings  and  the 
sacerdotalism  of  the  Brahmans.  That  Buddhism  represents  a  revolt 
against  Brahmanism  is  especially  clear  in  his  conversation  with  the  two 
Brahmans.1  He  was  the  agnostic  and  the  doubter  regarding  the  Brahma 
and  the  Atman  (universal  and  individual  soul)  of  the  Upamshads.  It 
seems  that  the  established  priesthood  was  too  strong  for  the  revolutionary 
teachings,  and  the  Brahmans  felt  an  injured  pride  in  the  presence  of 
Buddha,  as  the  Pharisees  and  Sadducees  felt  an  injured  pride  in  the 
challenge  of  Jesus.  Yet  this  cannot  be  the  whole  explanation.  Why  should 
not  the  Jews  have  felt  the  charm,  beauty  and  the  greatness  of  Jesus's 
teachings,  and  why  should  not  the  Hindus  have  felt  the  charm,  beauty 
and  the  greatness  of  Buddha?  Probably  a  better  explanation  is  that 
Judaism  in  Judea  and  Brahmanism  in  India,  in  neither  case  to  be  de- 
spised as  religious  and  ethical  systems  and  both  being  still  very  vital  to- 

1  Sacred  Booths  of  the  East,  XI,  pp.  157-202.  Buddha  was  opposed  to  the  priestcraft  and 
preached  directly  to  the  people  in  their  spoken  tongue  instead  of  in  the  classical  Sanskrit 
of  the  Brahman. 

377 


378  BUDDHISM 

day,1  had  older,  truer  and  deeper  roots  in  their  racial  consciousness, 
and  that  Buddhism  and  Christianity  had  those  universal,  idealistic 
qualities  which  detracted  from  their  national  character.  If  this  is  so,  we 
may  learn  a  lesson  about  the  power  of  history  and  the  strength  of  national 
beliefs. 

Whatever  the  explanation,  the  strength  and  power  of  Buddhism  in 
Asia,  excepting  India,  clearly  lies  in  the  Mahayana  conception  of  Buddha 
as  Savior  of  the  world,  his  great  compassion  and  gentleness  and  kindness, 
and  his  message  of  saving  mankind  and  freeing  it  from  the  sorrows  and 
sufferings  of  this  world.  These  constitute  the  great  driving  power  of 
world  religions. 

In  the  study  of  Buddhism,  we  may  take  the  poetic  approach  or  the 
philosophic  approach,  through  moral  surrender  or  through  intellectual 
belief.  Sir  Edwin  Arnold's  famous  life  of  Buddha,  Light  of  Asia,  gives 
the  best  poetic  approach,  while  the  selection  from  the  Surangama,  which 
follows,  gives  the  best  philosophic  approach. 

There  is  a  reason  for  reprinting  the  Light  of  Asia  complete  in  this  vol- 
ume, although  it  was  written  by  an  Englishman.  This  long  poem  ran  to 
sixty  editions  in  England  and  eighty  editions  in  the  United  States  in  the 
course  of  a  few  years  whdn  it  was  published  about  a  century  ago,  and  sold 
hundreds  of  thousands  of  copies  at  a  time  when  there  were  neither  best- 
seller lists,  nor  the  Book-of-the-Month  Club.  More  curiously  still,  it  was 
a  greater  success  than  the  author's  later  volume,  Light  of  the  World,  de- 
picting the  life  of  Jesus.  Most  Western  readers  of  the  elderly  generation 
owe  their  impression  of  Buddha  to  this  poem.  This  is  easy  to  understand. 
While  it  raised  Buddha  to  cosmic  heights,  it  never  lost  the  human  interest 
of  its  story.  This  is  essentially  the  story  of  St.  Josaphat,  borrowed  from 
the  Buddhist  Lalitavistara,  who  in  the  romance  of  Barlaam  and  Josaphat, 
became  a  Christian  prince  who  was  touched  by  the  sorrows  of  this  world 
and  renounced  his  palatial  glories  to  become  an  ascetic.  Thus  Buddha 
became  actually  canonized  as  a  Christian  saint  in  the  sixteenth  century.1 
(For  instances  of  Christian  and  Buddhist  parallels  see  the  section  "Some 
Buddhist  Fables  and  Legends.")  The  influence  must  have  been  mutual, 
for  while  the  Christian  story  of  St.  Josaphat  was  written  in  the  eighth 
century  A.D.,  the  story  of  King  Solomon  dividing  the  child  between  two 

1  Witness  Gandhi,  Tagorc,  Ramakrishna  and  Vivckcnanda. 

s  Sec  H.  G  Rawlinson's  article  India  in  European  Thought  and  Literature,  in  The  Legacy 

of  India,  p.  26. 


THE   LIGHT  OF   ASIA  379 

mothers  certainly  antedated  a  similar  story  in  the  Buddhist  Jatakas.1 
While  the  poem  does  not  present  the  metaphysical  system  on  which 
Buddhism  is  based,  and  which  fascinated  the  Chinese  scholars,  it  gives 
a  true  popular  p.cture  of  Buddha  as  it  appears  to  the  average  believer. 
To  put  the  reader  into  the  state  of  moral  surrender,  with  all  its  miracles, 
the  author  chose  to  put  the  story  in  the  mouth  of  an  Indian  Buddhist,  and 
elaborated  a  full  tapestry  of  Indian  jungles  and  cities  with  great  artistic 
skill.  The  poem  has  one  of  the  noblest  themes  of  all  poetry,  the  theme  of 
human  sorrows.  The  full  title  of  the  pern  reads:  "The  Light  of  Asia,  or 
the  Great  Renunciation,  being  the  Life  and  Teaching  of  Gautama,  Prince 
of  India  and  Founder  of  Buddhism  (as  told  by  an  Indian  Buddhist),  by 
Edwin  Arnold,  Companion  of  the  Star  of  India,  Officer  of  the  Order  of 
the  Elephant  of  Siam,  Third  Class  of  the  Imperial  Order  of  the  Medjideh, 
etc."  Sir  Edwin  Arnold  ?lso  translated  one  story  Nala  and  Damayantl 
from  the  Mahdbhdrata  and  wrote  the  very  charming  Indian  Idylls  (Bos- 
ton, 1883). 

Sir  Edwin  Arnold's  poem  is  based  on  the  life  of  Buddha,  the  Buddha* 
Chanta?  written  by  Asvaghosha,  the  great  Mahayanist  teacher,  whom  I 
regard  as  the  St.  Paul  of  Buddhism.  He  lived  toward  the  end  of  the  first 
century  and  was  author  of  the  famous  Mahdydna  Sraddhotpdda,  or  "The 
Awakening  of  Faith,"  translated  into  Chinese  in  the  beginning  of  the 
fifth  century.  Roughly  Buddhism  was  introduced  into  China  at  the  be- 
ginning of  the  Christian  era,  and  Buddhist  texts  were  first  translated  in 
or  soon  after  A.D.  67,  while  contact  with  Buddhist  practices  through 
Chinese  Turkestan  must  have  taken  place  as  early  as  the  time  of  the 
great  Chinese  Emperor,  Han  Wuti  (140-85  B.C.),  when  several  references 
were  made  to  the  subject.  Concerning  the  important  division  into  Maha- 
yana  and  Hinayana  Buddhism,  see  the  introduction  to  the  selection, 
Surangama  Sutra. 

There  is  a  good  translation  of  the  life  of  Buddha  from  the  introduction 
to  the  Jdtafo  in  Chapter  One  of  Buddhism  in  Translations,  by  Henry 
Clarke  Warren  (in  Harvard  Oriental  Series,  vol.  3,  and  Harvard 
Classics)  . 


aRhys  Davids,  Buddhist  Birth-Stories,  I,  13,  44.  Sec  also  the  Chinese  version  of  the  "J 
ment  between  Two  Mothers"  in  the  section  "Chinese  Talcs." 

2  Sec  English  translation  from  the  Sanskrit  by  E.  B.  Cowcll,  Sacred  Boo^s  of  the  East, 
vol.  49.  For  the  Chinese  version,  sec  Fo  Sho  Hing  Tsan  King,  which  was  translated  by 
Dharmaraksha,  and  retranslated  into  English  by  Samuel  Bcal,  Sacred  Boo^s  of  the  East, 
vol.  19. 


The  Light  of  Asia 

by  Sir  Edwin  Arnold 


BOOK  THE  FIRST 

The  Scripture  of  the  Saviour  of  the  World, 
Lord  Buddha — Prince  Stdddrtha  styled  on  earth — 
In  Earth  and  Heavens  and  Hells  Incomparable, 
All-honoured,  Wisest,  Best,  most  Pitiful; 
The  Teacher  of  Nirvana  and  the  LAW. 

Thus  came  he  to  be  born  again  for  men. 

Below  the  highest  sphere  four  Regents  sit 
Who  rule  our  world;  and  under  them  are  zones 
Nearer,  but  high,  where  saintliest  spirits  dead 
Wait  thrice  ten  thousand  years,  then  live  again; 
And  on  Lord  Buddha,  waiting  in  that  sky, 
Came  for  our  sakes  the  five  sure  signs  of  birth, 
So  that  the  Devas 1  knew  the  signs,  and  said 
"Buddha  will  go  again  to  help  the  World." 
"Yea!"  spake  He,  "now  I  go  to  help  the  World 
This  last  of  many  times;  for  birth  and  death 
End  hence  for  me  and  those  who  learn  my  Law. 
I  will  go  down  among  the  Sakyas,* 
Under  the  southward  snows  of  Himalay, 
Where  pious  people  live  and  a  just  King." 

1  Celestial  spirits. 

*  Name  of  a  royal  race  in  the  northern  frontiers  of  Magadha,  hence  Buddha's  title  "Sakya- 

muni,"  or  the  Sakya  sage. 

380 


THE    LIGHT   OF    ASIA  381 

That  night  the  wife  of  King  Suddhodana, 
Maya  the  Queen,  asleep  beside  her  Lord, 
Dreamed  a  strange  dream;  dreamed  that  a  star  from  heaven — 
Splendid,  six-rayed,  in  colour  rosy-pearl, 
Whereof  the  token  was  an  Elephant 
Six-tusked,  and  white  as  milk  of  Kamadhuk — 
Shot  through  the  void;  and,  shining  into  her, 
Entered  her  womb  upon  the  right.  Awaked, 
Bliss  beyond  mortal  mother's  rilled  her  breast, 
And  over  half  the  earth  a  lovely  light 
Forewent  the  morn.  The  strong  hills  shook;  the  waves 
Sank  lulled;  all  flowers  that  blow  by  day  came  forth 
As  'twere  high  noon;  down  to  the  farthest  hells 
Passed  the  Queen's  joy,  as  when  warm  sunshine  thrills 
Wood-glooms  to  gold,  and  into  all  the  deeps 
A  tender  whisper  pierced.  "Oh  ye,"  it  said, 
"The  dead  that  are  to  live,  the  live  who  die, 
Uprise,  and  hear,  and  hope!  Buddha  is  come!" 
Whereat  in  Limbos  numberless  much  peace 
Spread,  and  the  world's  heart  throbbed,  and  a  wind  blew 
With  unknown  freshness  over  lands  and  seas. 
And  when  the  morning  dawned,  and  this  was  told, 
The  grey  dream-readers  said  "The  dream  is  good! 
The  Crab  is  in  conjunction  with  the  Sun; 
The  Queen  shall  bear  a  boy,  a  holy  child 
Of  wondrous  wisdom,  profiting  all  flesh, 
Who  shall  deliver  men  from  ignorance, 
Or  rule  the  world,  if  he  will  deign  to  rule.*' 

In  this  wise  was  the  holy  Buddha  born. 

Queen  Maya  stood  at  noon,  her  days  fulfilled, 

Under  a  Palsa  in  the  Palace-grounds, 

A  stately  trunk,  straight  as  a  temple-shaft, 

With  crown  of  glossy  leaves  and  fragrant  blooms; 

And,  knowing  the  time  come — for  all  things  knew — 

The  conscious  tree  bent  down  its  bows  to  make 

A  bower  about  Queen  Maya's  majesty; 

And  Earth  put  forth  a  thousand  sudden  flowers 


382  BUDDHISM 

To  spread  a  couch;  while,  ready  for  the  bath, 

The  rock  hard  by  gave  out  a  limpid  stream 

Of  crystal  flow.  So  brought  she  forth  her  child 

Pangless — he  having  on  his  perfect  form 

The  marks,  thirty  and  two,  of  blessed  birth; 

Of  which  the  great  news  to  the  Palace  came. 

But  when  they  brought  the  painted  palanquin 

To  fetch  him  home,  the  bearers  of  the  poles 

Were  the  four  Regents  of  the  Earth,  come  down 

From  Mount  Sumeru — they  who  write  men's  deeds 

On  brazen  plates — the  Angel  of  the  East, 

Whose  hosts  are  clad  in  silver  robes,  and  bear 

Targets  of  pearl :  the  Angel  of  the  South, 

Whose  horsemen,  the  Kumbhandas,  ride  blue  steeds, 

With  sapphire  shields :  the  Angel  of  the  West, 

By  Nagas  followed,  riding  steeds  blood-red, 

With  coral  shields:  the  Angel  of  the  North, 

Environed  by  his  Yakshas,  all  in  gold, 

On  yellow  horses,  bearing  shields  of  gold. 

These,  with  their  pomp  invisible,  came  down 

And  took  the  poles,  in  cast  and  outward  garb 

Like  bearers,  yet  most  mighty  gods;  and  gods 

Walked  free  with  men  that  day,  though  men  knew  not: 

For  Heaven  was  filled  with  gladness  for  Earth's  sake, 

Knowing  Lord  Buddha  thus  was  come  again. 

But  King  Suddhodana  wist  not  of  this; 
The  portents  troubled,  till  his  dream-readers 
Augured  a  Prince  of  earthly  dominance, 
A  Chakravartin,  such  as  rise  to  rule 
Once  in  each  thousand  years;  seven  gifts  he  has — 
The  Chakra-ratna,  disc  divine;  the  gem; 
The  horse,  the  Aswa-ratna,  that  proud  steed 
Which  tramps  the  clouds;  a  snow-white  elephant, 
The  Hasti-ratna,  born  to  bear  his  King; 
The  crafty  Minister,  the  General 
Unconquered,  and  the  wife  of  peerless  grace, 
The  Istrl-ratna,  lovelier  than  the  Dawn. 
For  which  gifts  looking  with  this  wondrous  boy, 


THE    LIGHT   OF   ASIA  383 

The  King  gave  order  that  his  town  should  keep 
High  festival;  therefore  the  ways  were  swept, 
Rose-odours  sprinkled  in  the  street,  the  trees 
Were  hung  with  lamps  and  flags,  while  merry  crowds 
Gaped  on  the  sword-players  and  posturers, 
The  jugglers,  charmers,  swingers,  rope-walkers, 
The  nautch-girls  in  their  spangled  skirts,  and  bells 
That  chime  light  laughter  round  their  restless  feet; 
The  masquers  wrapped  in  skins  of  bear  and  deer, 
The  tiger-tamers,  wrestlers,  quail-fighters, 
Beaters  of  drum  and  twanglers  of  the  wire, 
Who  made  the  people  happy  by  command. 
Moreover,  from  afar  came  merchant-men, 
Bringing,  on  tidings  of  this  birth,  rich  gifts 
In  golden  trays;  goat-shawls,  and  nard,  and  jade, 
Turkises,  "evening-sky"  tint,  woven  webs — 
So  fine  twelve  folds  hide  not  a  modest  face — 
Waist-cloths  sewn  thick  with  pearls,  and  sandal-wood; 
Homage  from  tribute  cities;  so  they  called 
Their  Prince  Savarthasiddh,  "All-Prospering," 
Briefer,  Siddartha.1 

'Mongst  the  strangers  came 
A  grey-haired  saint,  Asita,  one  whose  ears, 
Long  closed  to  earthly  things,  caught  heavenly  sounds, 
And  heard  at  prayer  beneath  his  pcepul-tree 
The  Devas  singing  songs  at  Buddha's  birth. 
Wondrous  in  lore  he  was  by  age  and  fasts; 
Him,  drawing  nigh,  seeming  so  reverend, 
The  King  saluted,  and  Queen  Maya  made 
To  lay  her  babe  before  such  holy  feet; 
But  when  he  saw  the  Prince  the  old  man  cried 
"Ah,  Queen,  not  so!"  and  thereupon  he  touched 
Eight  times  the  dust,  laid  his  waste  visage  there, 
Saying,  "O  Babe!  I  worship!  Thou  art  He! 
I  see  the  rosy  light,  the  foot-sole  marks, 
The  soft  curled  tendril  of  the  Swastika,* 

1  Buddha's  proper  name,  meaning  "He  who  has  reached  the  coal." 
8  A  Buddhist  emblem,  sdll  in  use  today. 


384  BUDDHISM 

The  sacred  primal  signs  thirty  and  two,1 
The  eighty  lesser  tokens.  Thou  art  Buddh, 
And  thou  wilt  preach  the  Law  and  save  all  flesh 
Who  learn  the  Law,  though  I  shall  never  hear, 
Dying  too  soon,  who  lately  longed  to  die; 
Howbeit  I  have  seen  Thee.  Know,  O  King  I 
This  is  that  Blossom  on  our  human  tree 
Which  opens  once  in  many  myriad  years — 
But  opened,  fills  the  world  with  Wisdom's  scent 
And  Love's  dropped  honey;  from  thy  royal  root 
A  Heavenly  Lotus  springs:  Ah,  happy  House! 
Yet  not  all-happy,  for  a  sword  must  pierce 
Thy  bowels  for  this  boy — whilst  thou,  sweet  Queenl 
Dear  to  all  gods  and  men  for  this  great  birth, 
Henceforth  art  grown  too  sacred  for  more  woe; 
And  life  is  woe,  therefore  in  seven  days 
Painless  thou  shalt  attain  the  close  of  pain." 

Which  fell:  for  on  the  seventh  evening 
Queen  Maya  smiling  slept,  and  waked  no  more, 
Passing  content  to  Trayastrinshas-Heaven, 
Where  countless  Devas  worship  her,  and  wait 
Attendant  on  that  radiant  Motherhead. 
But  for  the  Babe  they  found  a  foster-nurse, 
Princess  Mahaprajapati — her  breast 
Nourished  with  noble  milk  the  lips  of  Him 
Whose  lips  comfort  the  Worlds. 

When  th'  eighth  year  passed, 
The  careful  King  bethought  to  teach  his  son 
All  that  a  Prince  should  learn,  for  still  he  shunned 
The  too  vast  presage  of  those  miracles, 
The  glories  and  the  sufferings  of  a  Buddh. 
So,  in  full  council  of  his  Ministers, 
"Who  is  the  wisest  man,  great  sirs,"  he  asked, 
"To  teach  my  Prince  that  which  a  Prince  should  know?" 
Whereto  gave  answer  each  with  instant  voice : 
"King!  Viswamitra  is  the  wisest  one, 
The  farthest-seen  in  Scriptures,  and  the  best 

1  See  list,  Bible  of  the  World,  by  R.  O.  Ballou,  p.  242. 


THE    LIGHT    OF    ASIA  385 

In  learning,  and  the  manual  arts,  and  all." 

Thus  Viswamitra  came  and  heard  commands; 

And,  on  a  day  found  fortunate,  the  Prince 

Took  up  his  slate  of  ox-red  sandal-wood 

All-beautified  by  gems  around  the  rim, 

And  sprinkled  smooth  with  dust  of  emery, 

These  took  he,  and  his  writing-stick,  and  stood 

With  eyes  bent  down  before  the  Sage,  who  said, 

"Child,  write  this  Scripture,"  speaking  slow  the  verse 

"Gdyatri"  named,  which  only  High-born  hear. 

"Acharya,  I  write,"  meekly  replied 

The  Prince,  and  quickly  on  the  dust  he  drew — 

Not  in  one  script,  but  many  characters — 

The  sacred  verse;  Nagri  and  Dakshin,  NT, 

Mangal,  Parusha,  Yava,  Tirthi,  Uk, 

Darad,  Sikhyani,  Mana,  Madhyachar, 

The  pictured  writings  and  the  speech  of  signs 

Tokens  of  cave  men  and  the  sea-peoples, 

Of  those  who  worship  snakes  beneath  the  earth 

And  those  who  flame  adore  and  the  sun's  orb, 

The  Magians  and  the  dwellers  on  the  mounds; 

Of  all  the  nations  all  strange  scripts  he  traced 

One  after  other  with  his  writing-stick, 

Reading  the  master's  verse  in  every  tongue; 

And  Viswamitra  said,  "It  is  enough, 

Let  us  to  numbers. 

After  me  repeat 

Your  numeration  till  we  reach  the  Lakh,1 
One,  two,  three,  four,  to  ten,  and  then  by  tens 
To  hundreds,  thousands."  After  him  the  child 
Named  digits,  decads,  centuries;  nor  paused, 
The  round  lakh  reached,  but  softly  murmured  on, 
"Then  comes  the  koti,  nahut,  ninnahut, 
Khamba,  viskhamba,  abab,  attata, 
To  kumuds,  gundhikas,  and  utpalas, 
By  pundarikas  unto  padumas, 
Which  last  is  how  you  count  the  utmost  grains 
Of  Hastagiri  ground  to  finest  dust; 
1  Ten  thousand. 


386  BUDDHISM 

But  beyond  that  a  numeration  is, 

The  Katha,  used  to  note  the  stars  of  night; 

The  Koti-Katha,  for  the  ocean  drops; 

Ingga,  the  calculus  of  circulars; 

Safvanikchepa,  by  the  which  you  deal 

With  all  the  sands  of  Gunga,  till  we  come 

To  Antah-Kalpas,  where  the  un.t  is 

The  sands  of  ten  crore  Gungas.  If  one  seeks 

More  comprehensive  scale,  th'  anthmic  mounts 

By  the  Asankya,  which  is  the  tale 

Of  all  the  drops  that  in  ten  thousand  years 

Would  fall  on  all  the  worlds  by  daJy  rain; 

Thence  unto  Maha-Kalpas,  by  the  which 

The  Gods  compute  their  future  and  their  past." 

"  Tis  good,"  the  sage  rejoined.  "Most  noble  Prince, 
If  these  thou  know'st,  needs  it  that  I  should  teach 
The  mensuration  of  the  lineal?" 
Humbly  the  boy  replied,  "Acharya! 
Be  pleased  to  hear  me.  Paramanus  ten 
A  parasukshma  make;  ten  of  those  build 
The  trasarene,  and  seven  trasarenes 
One  mote's-length  floating  in  the  beam,  seven  motes 
The  whisker-point  of  mouse,  and  ten  of  these 
One  likhya;  likhyas  ten  a  yuka,  ten 
Yukas  a  heart  of  barley,  which  is  held 
Seven  times  a  wasp- waist;  so  unto  the  grain 
Of  mung  and  mustard  and  the  barley-corn, 
Whereof  ten  give  the  finger-joint,  twelve  joints 
The  span,  wherefrom  we  reach  the  cubit,  staff, 
Bow-length,  lance-length;  while  twenty  lengths  of  lance 
Mete  what  is  named  a  'breath,'  which  is  to  say 
Such  space  as  man  may  stride  with  lungs  once  filled, 
Whereof  a  gow  is  forty,  four  times  that 
A  yojana;  and,  Master!  if  it  please, 
I  shall  recite  how  many  sun-motes  lie 
From  end  to  end  within  a  yojana.'' 
Thereat,  with  instant  skill,  the  little  Prince 
Pronounced  the  total  of  the  atoms  true. 


THE    LIGHT   OF    ASIA  387 

But  Viswamitra  heard  it  on  his  face 

Prostrate  before  the  boy;  "For  thou,"  he  cried, 

"Art  Teacher  of  thy  teachers — thou,  not  I, 

Art  Guru.  Oh,  I  worship  thee,  sweet  Prince! 

That  comest  to  my  school  only  to  show 

Thou  knowest  all  without  the  books,  and  know'st 

Fair  reverence  besides." 

Which  reverence 

Lord  Buddha  kept  to  all  his  schoolmasters, 
Albeit  beyond  their  learning  taught;  in  speech 
Right  gentle,  yet  so  wise;  princely  of  mien, 
Yet  softly-mannered;  modest,  deferent, 
And  tender-hearted,  though  of  fearless  blood; 
No  bolder  horseman  in  the  youthful  band 
E'er  rode  in  gay  chase  of  the  shy  gazelles; 
No  keener  driver  of  the  chariot 
In  mimic  contest  scoured  the  Palace-courts; 
Yet  in  mid-play  the  boy  would  ofttimes  pause, 
Letting  the  deer  pass  free;  would  ofttimes  yield 
His  half-won  race  because  the  labouring  steeds 
Fetched  painful  breath;  or  if  his  princely  mates 
Saddened  to  lose,  or  if  some  wistful  dream 
Swept  o'er  his  thoughts.  And  ever  with  the  years 
Waxed  this  compassionateness  of  our  Lord, 
Even  as  a  great  tree  grows  from  two  soft  leaves 
To  spread  its  shade  afar;  but  hardly  yet 
Knew  the  young  child  of  sorrow,  pain,  or  tears, 
Save  as  strange  names  for  things  not  felt  by  kings, 
Nor  ever  to  be  felt.  Then  it  befell 
In  the  Royal  garden  on  a  day  of  spring, 
A  flock  of  wild  swans  passed,  voyaging  north 
To  their  nest-places  on  Himala's  breast. 
Calling  in  love-notes  down  their  snowy  line 
The  bright  birds  flew,  by  fond  love  piloted; 
And  Devadatta,  cousin  of  the  Prince, 
Pointed  his  bow,  and  loosed  a  wilful  shaft 
Which  found  the  wide  wing  of  the  foremost  swan 
Broad-spread  to  glide  upon  the  free  blue  road, 
So  that  it  fell,  the  bitter  arrow  fixed, 


300  BUDDHISM 

Bright  scarlet  blood-gouts  staining  the  pure  plumes. 
Which  seeing,  Prince  Siddartha  took  the  bird 
Tenderly  up,  rested  it  in  his  lap — 
Sitting  with  knees  crossed,  as  Lord  Buddha  sits — 
And,  soothing  with  a  touch  the  wild  thing's  fright, 
Composed  its  ruffled  vans,  calmed  its  quick  heart, 
Caressed  it  into  peace  with  light  kind  palms 
As  soft  as  plantain-leaves  an  hour  unrolled; 
And  while  the  left  hand  held,  the  right  hand  drew 
The  cruel  steel  forth  from  the  wound,  and  laid 
Cool  leaves  and  healing  honey  on  the  smart. 
Yet  all  so  little  knew  the  boy  of  pain 
That  curiously  into  his  wrist  he  pressed 
The  arrow's  barb,  and  winced  to  feel  it  sting, 
And  turned  with  tears  to  soothe  his  bird  again. 

Then  some  one  came  who  said,  "My  Prince  hath  shot 
A  swan,  which  fell  among  the  roses  here, 
He  bids  me  pray  you  send  it.  Will  you  send?" 
"Nay,"  quoth  Siddartha,  "it  the  bird  were  dead 
To  send  it  to  the  slayer  might  be  well, 
But  the  swan  lives;  my  cousin  hath  but  killed 
The  god-like  speed  which  throbbed  in  this  white  wing." 
And  Devadatta  answered,  "The  wild  thing, 
Living  or  dead,  is  his  who  fetched  it  down; 
'Twas  no  man's  in  the  clouds,  but  fall'n  'tis  mine, 
Give  me  my  prize,  fair  Cousin."  Then  our  Lord 
Laid  the  swan's  neck  beside  his  own  smooth  cheek 
And  gravely  spake,  "Say  no!  the  bird  is  mine, 
The  first  of  myriad  things  which  shall  be  mine 
By  right  of  mercy  and  love's  lordliness. 
For  now  I  know,  by  what  within  me  stirs, 
That  I  shall  teach  compassion  unto  men 
And  be  a  speechless  world's  interpreter, 
Abating  this  accursed  flood  of  woe, 
Not  man's  alone;  but,  if  the  Prince  disputes, 
Let  him  submit  his  matter  to  the  wise 
And  we  will  wait  their  word."  So  was  it  done; 
In  full  divan  the  business  had  debate, 


THE   LIGHT   OF   ASIA  389 

And  many  thought  this  thing  and  many  that; 

Till  there  arose  an  unknown  priest  who  said, 

"If  life  be  aught,  the  saviour  of  a  life 

Owns  more  the  living  thing  than  he  can  own 

Who  sought  to  slay — the  slayer  spoils  and  wastes, 

The  cherisher  sustains;  give  him  the  bird:" 

Which  judgment  all  found  just;  but  when  the  King 

Sought  out  the  sage  for  honour,  he  was  gone, 

And  some  one  saw  a  hooded  snake  glide  forth, — 

The  gods  come  ofttimes  thus!  So  our  Lord  Buddha 

Began  his  works  of  mercy. 

Yet  not  more 

Knew  he  as  yet  of  grief  than  that  one  bird's, 
Which,  being  healed,  went  joyous  to  its  kind. 
But  on  another  day  the  King  said,  "Come, 
Sweet  son!  and  see  the  pleasuance  of  the  spring, 
And  how  the  fruitful  earth  is  wooed  to  yield 
Its  riches  to  the  reaper;  how  my  realm — 
Which  shall  be  thine  when  the  pile  flames  for  me — 
Feeds  all  its  mouths  and  keeps  the  King's  chest  filled. 
Fair  is  the  season  with  new  leaves,  bright  blooms, 
Green  grass,  and  cries  of  plough-time."  So  they  rode 
Into  a  land  of  wells  and  gardens,  where, 
All  up  and  down  the  rich  red  loam,  the  steers 
Strained  their  strong  shoulders  in  the  creaking  yoke 
Dragging  the  ploughs;  the  fat  soil  rose  and  rolled 
In  smooth  long  waves  back  from  the  plough;  who  drove 
Planted  both  feet  upon  the  leaping  share 
To  make  the  furrow  deep;  among  the  palms 
The  tinkle  of  the  rippling  water  rang, 
And  where  it  ran  the  glad  earth  'broidered  it 
With  balsams  and  the  spears  of  lemon-grass. 
Elsewhere  were  sowers  who  went  forth  to  sow; 
And  all  the  jungle  laughed  with  nesting-songs, 
And  all  the  thickets  rustled  with  small  life 
Of  lizard,  bee,  beetle,  and  creeping  things 
Pleased  at  the  spring-time.  In  the  mango-sprays 
The  sun-birds  flashed;  alone  at  his  green  forge 
Toiled  the  loud  coppersmith;  bee-eaters  hawked 


390  BUDDHISM 

Chasing  the  purple  butterflies;  beneath, 

Striped  squirrels  raced,  the  mynas  perked  and  picked, 

The  seven  brown  sisters  chattered  in  the  thorn, 

The  pied  fish-tiger  hung  above  the  pool, 

The  egrets  stalked  among  the  buffaloes, 

The  kites  sailed  circles  in  the  golden  air; 

About  the  painted  temple  peacocks  flew, 

The  blue  doves  cooed  from  every  well,  far  off 

The  village  drums  beat  for  some  marriage-feast; 

All  things  spoke  peace  and  plenty,  and  the  Prince 

Saw  and  rejoiced.  But,  looking  deep,  he  saw 

The  thorns  which  grow  upon  this  rose  of  life: 

How  the  swart  peasant  sweated  for  his  wage, 

Toiling  for  leave  to  live;  and  how  he  urged 

The  great-eyed  oxen  through  the  flaming  hours, 

Goading  their  velvet  flanks:  then  marked  he,  too, 

How  lizard  fed  on  ant,  and  snake  on  him, 

And  kite  on  both;  and  how  the  fish-hawk  robbed 

The  fish-tiger  of  that  which  it  had  seized; 

The  shrike  chasing  the  bulbul,  which  did  hunt 

The  jewelled  butterflies;  till  everywhere 

Each  slew  a  slayer  and  in  turn  was  slain, 

Life  living  upon  death.  So  the  fair  show 

Veiled  one  vast,  savage,  grim  conspiracy 

Of  mutual  murder,  from  the  worm  to  man, 

Who  himself  kills  his  fellow;  seeing  which — 

The  hungry  ploughman  and  his  labouring  kine, 

Their  dewlaps  blistered  with  the  bitter  yoke, 

The  rage  to  live  which  makes  all  living  strife — 

The  Prince  Siddartha  sighed.  "Is  this,"  he  said, 

"That  happy  earth  they  brought  me  forth  to  see  ? 

How  salt  with  sweat  the  peasant's  bread!  how  hard 

The  oxen's  service!  in  the  brake  how  fierce 

The  war  of  weak  and  strong!  i'  th'  air  what  plots! 

No  refuge  e'en  in  water.  Go  aside 

A  space,  and  let  me  muse  on  what  ye  show." 

So  saying  the  good  Lord  Buddha  seated  him 
Under  a  jambu-tree,  with  ankles  crossed — 


THE   LIGHT   OF    ASIA  39! 

As  holy  statutes  sit — and  first  began 
To  meditate  this  deep  disease  of  life, 
What  its  far  source  and  whence  its  remedy. 
So  vast  a  pity  filled  him,  such  wide  love 
For  living  things,  such  passion  to  heal  pain, 
That  by  their  stress  his  princely  spirit  passed 
To  ecstasy,  and,  purged  from  mortal  taint 
Of  sense  and  self,  the  boy  attained  thereat 
Dhyana,1  first  step  of  "the  path/' 

There  flew 

High  overhead  that  hour  five  holy  ones, 
Whose  free  wings  faltered  as  they  passed  the  tree. 
"What  power  superior  draws  us  from  our  flight?" 
They  asked, — for  spirits  feel  all  force  divine, 
And  know  the  sacred  presence  of  the  pure. 
Then,  looking  downward,  they  beheld  the  Buddh 
Crowned  with  a  rose-hued  aureole,  intent 
On  thoughts  to  save;  while  from  the  grove  a  voice 
Cried,  "Rishisf  *  this  is  He  shall  help  the  world, 
Descend  and  worship."  So  the  Bright  Ones  came 
And  sang  a  song  of  praise,  folding  their  wings; 
Then  journeyed  on,  taking  good  news  to  Gods. 

But  certain  from  the  King  seeking  the  Prince 
Found  him  still  musing,  though  the  noon  was  past, 
And  the  sun  hastened  to  the  western  hills: 
Yet,  while  all  shadows  moved,  the  jambu-tree's 
Stayed  in  one  quarter,  overspreading  him, 
Lest  the  sloped  rays  should  strike  that  sacred  head; 
And  he  who  saw  this  sight  heard  a  voice  say, 
Amid  the  blossoms  of  the  rose-apple, 
"Let  be  the  King's  son!  till  the  shadow  goes 
Forth  from  his  heart  my  shadow  will  not  shift." 

BOOK  THE  SECOND 

Now,  WHEN  OUR  LORD  was  come  to  eighteen  years, 
The  King  commanded  that  there  should  be  built 
1  Meditation. 


392  BUDDHISM 

Three  stately  houses,  one  of  hewn  square  beams 

With  cedar  lining,  warm  for  winter  days; 

One  of  veined  marbles,  cool  for  summer  heat; 

And  one  of  burned  bricks,  with  blue  tiles  bedecked, 

Pleasant  at  seed-time,  when  the  champaks  bud — 

Subha,  Suramma,  Ramma,  were  their  names. 

Delicious  gardens  round  about  them  bloomed, 

Streams  wandered  wild,  and  musky  thickets  stretched, 

With  many  a  bright  pavilion  and  fair  lawn 

In  midst  of  which  Siddartha  strayed  at  will, 

Some  new  delight  provided  every  hour; 

And  happy  hours  he  knew,  for  life  was  rich, 

With  youthful  blood  at  quickest;  yet  still  came 

The  shadows  of  his  meditation  back, 

As  the  lake's  silver  dulls  with  driving  clouds. 

Which  the  King  marking,  called  his  Ministers: 
"Bethink  ye,  sirs!  how  the  old  Rishi  spake," 
He  said,  "and  what  my  dream-readers  foretold. 
This  boy,  more  dear  to  me  than  mine  heart's  blood, 
Shall  be  of  universal  dominance, 
Trampling  the  neck  of  all  his  enemies, 
A  King  of  kings — and  this  is  in  my  heart; — 
Or  he  shall  tread  the  sad  and  lowly  path 
Of  self-denial  and  of  pious  pains, 
Gaining  who  knows  what  good,  when  all  is  lost 
Worth  keeping;  and  to  this  his  wistful  eyes 
Do  still  incline  amid  my  palaces. 
But  ye  are  sage,  and  ye  will  counsel  me; 
How  may  his  feet  be  turned  to  that  proud  road 
Where  they  should  walk,  and  all  fair  signs  come  true 
Which  gave  him  Earth  to  rule,  if  he  would  rule?" 

The  eldest  answered,  "Maharaja!  *  love 
Will  cure  these  thin  distempers;  weave  the  spell 
Of  woman's  wiles  about  his  idle  heart. 
What  knows  this  noble  boy  of  beauty  yet, 
Eyes  that  make  heaven  forgot,  and  lips  of  balm? 

1  Great  king. 


THE    LIGHT   OF    ASIA  393 

Find  him  soft  wives  and  pretty  playfellows; 
The  thoughts  ye  cannot  stay  with  brazen  chains 
A  girl's  hair  lightly  binds." 

And  all  thought  good. 

But  the  King  answered,  "If  we  seek  him  wives, 
Love  chooseth  ofttimes  with  another  eye; 
And  if  we  bid  range  Beauty's  garden  round, 
To  pluck  what  blossom  pleases,  he  will  smile 
And  sweetly  shun  the  joy  he  knows  not  of." 
Then  said  another,  "Roams  the  barasingh  * 
Until  the  fated  arrow  flies;  for  him, 
As  for  less  lordly  spirits,  some  one  charms, 
Some  face  will  seem  a  Paradise,  some  form 
Fairer  than  pale  Dawn  when  she  wakes  the  world. 
This  do,  my  King!  Command  a  festival 
Where  the  realm's  maids  shall  be  competitors 
In  youth  and  grace,  and  sports  that  Sakyas  use. 
Let  the  Prince  give  the  prizes  to  the  fair, 
And,  when  the  lovely  victors  pass  his  seat, 
There  shall  be  those  who  mark  if  one  or  two 
Change  the  fixed  sadness  of  his  tender  cheek; 
So  we  may  choose  for  Love  with  Love's  own  eyes, 
And  cheat  his  Highness  into  happiness." 
This  thing  seemed  good;  wherefore,  upon  a  day, 
The  criers  bade  the  young  and  beautiful 
Pass  to  the  palace,  for  'twas  in  command 
To  hold  a  court  of  pleasure,  and  the  Prince 
Would  give  the  prizes,  something  rich  for  all, 
The  richest  for  the  fairest  judged.  Thus  flocked 
Kapilavastu's  maidens  to  the  gate, 
Each  with  her  dark  hair  newly  smoothed  and  bound, 
Eyelashes  lustred  with  the  soorma-stick, 
Fresh-bathed  and  scented;  all  in  shawls  and  cloths 
Of  gayest;  slender  hands  and  feet  new-stained 
With  crimson,  and  the  tilka-spots  *  stamped  bright. 
Fair  show  it  was  of  all  those  Indian  girls 
Slow-pacing  past  the  throne  with  large  black  eyes 
Fixed  on  the  ground;  for  when  they  saw  the  Prince 

1 A  s^g.  *Thc  beauty-spots  between  the  eyebrows  of  Hindu  women. 


394  BUDDHISM 

More  than  the  awe  of  Majesty  made  beat 
Their  fluttering  hearts,  he  sate  so  passionless, 
Gentle,  but  so  beyond  them.  Each  maid  took 
With  down-dropped  lids  her  gift,  afraid  to  gaze; 
And  if  the  people  hailed  some  lovelier  one 
Beyond  her  rivals  worthy  royal  smiles, 
She  stood  like  a  scared  antelope  to  touch 
The  gracious  hand,  then  fled  to  join  her  mates 
Trembling  at  favour,  so  divine  he  seemed, 
So  high  and  saint-like  and  above  her  world. 
Thus  filed  they,  one  bright  maid  after  another, 
The  city's  flowers,  and  all  this  beauteous  march 
Was  ending  and  the  prizes  spent,  when  last 
Came  young  Yasodhara,  and  they  that  stood 
Nearest  Siddartha  saw  the  princely  boy 
Start,  as  the  radiant  girl  approached.  A  form 
Of  heavenly  mould;  a  gait  like  Parvati's; 
Eyes  like  a  hind's  in  love-time;  face  so  fair 
Words  cannot  paint  its  spell;  and  she  alone 
Gazed  full — folding  her"  palms  across  her  breasts — 
On  the  boy's  gaze,  her  stately  neck  unbent. 
"Is  there  a  gift  for  me?"  she  asked,  and  smiled. 
"The  gifts  are  gone,"  the  Prince  replied,  "yet  take 
This  for  amends,  dear  sister,  of  whose  grace 
Our  happy  city  boasts;"  therewith  he  loosed 
The  emerald  necklet  from  his  throat,  and  clasped 
Its  green  beads  round  her  dark  and  silk-soft  waist; 
And  their  eyes  mixed,  and  from  the  look  sprang  love. 

Long  after — when  enlightenment  was  full — 
Lord  Buddha,  being  prayed  why  thus  his  heart 
Took  fire  at  first  glance  of  the  Sakya  girl, 
Answered,  "We  were  not  strangers,  as  to  us 
And  ail  it  seemed;  in  ages  long  gone  by 
A  hunter's  son,  playing  with  forest  girls 
By  Yamun's  springs,  where  Nandadevi  stands, 
Sate  umpire  while  they  raced  beneath  the  firs 
Like  hares  at  eve  that  run  their  playful  rings; 
One  with  flower-stars  he  crowned;  one  with  long  plumes 


THE    LIGHT   OF    ASIA  395 

Plucked  from  eyed  pheasant  and  the  jungle-cock; 

One  with  fir-apples;  but  who  ran  the  last 

Came  first  for  him,  and  unto  her  the  boy 

Gave  a  tame  fawn  and  his  heart's  love  beside. 

And  in  the  wood  they  lived  many  glad  years, 

And  in  the  wood  they  undivided  died. 

Lo!  as  hid  seed  shoots  after  rainless  years, 

So  good  and  evil,  pains  and  pleasures,  hates 

And  loves,  and  all  dead  deeds,  come  forth  again 

Bearing  bright  leaves  or  dark,  sweet  fruit  or  sour. 

Thus  I  was  he  and  she  Yasodhara; 

And  while  the  wheel  of  birth  and  death  turns  round 

That  which  hath  been  must  be  between  us  two." 

But  they  who  watched  the  Prince  at  prize-giving 
Saw  and  heard  all,  and  told  the  careful  King 
How  sate  Siddartha  heedless,  till  there  passed 
Great  Suprabuddha's  child,  Yasodhara; 
And  how — at  sudden  sight  of  her — he  changed, 
And  how  she  gazed  on  him  and  he  on  her, 
And  of  the  jewel-gift,  and  what  beside 
Passed  in  their  speaking  glance. 

The  fond  King  smiled: 

"Look!  we  have  found  a  lure;  take  counsel  now 
To  fetch  therewith  our  falcon  from  the  clouds. 
Let  messengers  be  sent  to  ask  the  maid 
In  marriage  for  my  son."  But  it  was  law 
With  Sakyas,  when  any  asked  a  maid 
Of  noble  house,  fair  and  desirable, 
He  must  make  good  his  skill  in  martial  arts 
Against  all  suitors  who  should  challenge  it; 
Nor  might  this  custom  break  itself  for  kings. 
Therefore  her  father  spake :  "Say  to  the  King, 
The  child  is  sought  by  princes  far  and  near; 
If  thy  most  gentle  son  can  bend  the  bow, 
Sway  sword,  and  back  a  horse  better  than  they, 
Best  would  he  be  in  all  and  best  to  us: 
But  how  shall  this  be,  with  his  cloistered  ways?" 


396  BUDDHISM 

Then  the  King's  heart  was  sore,  for  now  the  Prince 

Begged  sweet  Yasodhara  for  wife — in  vain, 

With  Devadatta  foremost  at  the  bow, 

Ardjuna  master  of  all  fiery  steeds, 

And  Nanda  chief  in  sword-play;  but  the  Prince 

Laughed  low  and  said,  "These  things,  too,  I  have  learned; 

Make  proclamation  that  they  son  will  meet 

All  comers  at  their  chosen  games.  I  think 

I  shall  not  lose  my  love  for  such  as  these." 

So  'twas  given  forth  that  on  the  seventh  day 

The  Prince  Siddartha  summoned  whoso  would 

To  match  with  him  in  feats  of  manliness, 

The  victor's  crown  to  be  Yasodhara. 

Therefore,  upon  the  seventh  day,  there  went 
The  Sakya  lords,  and  town  and  country  round, 
Unto  the  maidan; *  and  the  maid  went  too 
Amid  her  kinsfolk,  carried  as  a  bride, 
With  music,  and  with  litters  gaily  dight, 
And  gold-horned  oxen,  flower-caparisoned : 
Whom  Devadatta  claimed,  of  royal  line, 
And  Nanda  and  Ardjuna,  noble  both, 
The  flower  of  all  youths  there;  till  the  Prince  came 
Riding  his  white  horse  Kantaka,  which  neighed, 
Astonished  at  this  great  strange  world  without: 
Also  Siddartha  gazed  with  wondering  eyes 
On  all  those  people  born  beneath  the  throne, 
Otherwise  housed  than  kings,  otherwise  fed, 
And  yet  so  like — perchance — in  joys  and  griefs. 
But  when  the  Prince  saw  sweet  Yasodhara, 
Brightly  he  smiled,  and  drew  his  silken  rein, 
Leaped  to  the  earth  from  Kantaka's  broad  back, 
And  cried,  "He  is  not  worthy  of  this  pearl 
Who  is  not  worthiest;  let  my  rivals  prove 
If  I  have  dared  too  much  in  seeking  her." 
Then  Nanda  challenged  for  the  arrow-test 
And  set  a  brazen  drum  six  gows  away, 
Ardjuna  six  and  Devadatta  eight; 
1  Anglo-Indian  word,  "parade  ground." 


THE   LIGHT  OF   ASIA  397 

But  Prince  Siddartha  bade  them  set  his  drum 

Ten  gows  from  off  the  line,  until  it  seemed 

A  cowry-shell  for  target.  Then  they  loosed, 

And  Nanda  pierced  his  drum,  Ardjuna  his, 

And  Devadatta  drove  a  well-aimed  shaft 

Through  both  sides  of  his  mark,  so  that  the  crowd 

Marvelled  and  cried;  and  sweet  Yasodhara 

Dropped  the  gold  sari *  o'er  her  fearful  eyes, 

Lest  she  should  see  her  Prince's  arrow  fail. 

But  he,  taking  their  bow  of  lacquered  cane, 

With  sinews  bound,  and  strung  with  silver  wire, 

Which  none  but  stalwart  arms  could  draw  a  span, 

Thrummed  it — low  laughing — drew  the  twisted  string 

Till  the  horns  kissed,  and  the  thick  belly  snapped : 

"That  is  for  play,  not  love,"  he  said;  "hath  none 

A  bow  more  fit  for  Sakya  lords  to  use?" 

And  one  said,  "There  is  Sinhahanu's  bow, 

Kept  in  the  temple  since  we  know  not  when, 

Which  none  can  string,  nor  draw  if  it  be  strung." 

"Fetch  me,"  he  cried,  "that  weapon  of  a  man!" 

They  brought  the  ancient  bow,  wrought  of  black  steel, 

Laid  with  gold  tendrils  on  its  branching  curves 

Like  bison-horns;  and  twice  Siddartha  tried 

Its  strength  across  his  knee,  then  spake — "Shoot  now 

With  this,  my  cousins!"  but  they  could  not  bring 

The  stubborn  arms  a  hand's-breadth  nighcr  use; 

Then  the  Prince,  lightly  leaning,  bent  the  bow, 

Slipped  home  the  eye  upon  the  notch,  and  twanged 

Sharply  the  cord,  which,  like  an  eagle's  wing 

Thrilling  the  air,  sang  forth  so  clear  and  loud, 

That  feeble  folk  at  home  that  day  inquired 

"What  is  this  sound?"  and  people  answered  them, 

"It  is  the  sound  of  Sinhahanu's  bow, 

Which  the  King's  son  has  strung  and  goes  to  shoot." 

Then  fitting  fair  a  shaft,  he  drew  and  loosed, 

And  the  keen  arrow  clove  the  sky,  and  drave 

1  Garment  of  Hindu  women,  wound  round  the  body   with  one  end  thrown  over  the 
shoulder. 


398  BUDDHISM 

Right  through  that  farthest  drum,  nor  stayed  its  flight, 
But  skimmed  the  plain  beyond,  past  reach  of  eye. 

Next,  Devadatta  challenged  with  the  sword, 
And  clove  a  Talas-tree  six  ringers  thick; 
Ardjuna  seven;  and  Nanda  cut  through  nine; 
But  two  such  stems  together  grew,  and  both 
Siddartha's  blade  shred  at  one  flashing  stroke, 
Keen,  but  so  smooth  that  the  straight  trunks  upstood, 
And  Nanda  cried,  "His  edge  turned!"  and  the  maid 
Trembled  anew  seeing  the  trees  erect; 
Until  the  Devas  of  the  air,  who  watched, 
Blew  light  breaths  from  the  south,  and  both  green  crowns 
Crashed  in  the  sand,  clean-felled. 

Then  brought  they  steeds, 

High-mettled,  nobly-bred,  and  three  times  scoured 
Around  the  maidan,  but  white  Kantaka 
Left  even  the  fleetest  far  behind— so  swift, 
That  ere  the  foam  fell  from  his  mouth  to  earth 
Twenty  spear-lengths  he  flew;  but  Nanda  said, 
"We  too  might  win  with  such  as  Kantaka; 
Fetch  an  unbroken  horse,  and  let  men  see 
Who  best  can  back  him."  So  the  syces  *  brought 
A  stallion  dark  as  night,  led  by  three  chains, 
Fierce-eyed,  with  nostrils  wide  and  tossing  mane, 
Unshod,  unsaddled,  for  no  rider  yet 
Had  crossed  him.  Three  times  each  young  Sakya 
Sprang  to  his  mighty  back,  but  the  hot  steed 
Furiously  reared,  and  flung  them  to  the  plain 
In  dust  and  shame;  only  Ardjuna  held 
His  seat  awhile,  and,  bidding  loose  the  chains, 
Lashed  the  black  flank,  and  shook  the  bit,  and  held 
The  proud  jaws  fast  with  grasp  of  master-hand, 
So  that  in  storms  of  wrath  and  rage  and  fear 
The  savage  stallion  circled  once  the  plain 
Half -tamed;  but  sudden  turned  with  naked  teeth, 
Gripped  by  the  foot  Ardjuna,  tore  him  down, 

Groom  (Anglo-Indian  word). 


THE   LIGHT  OF    ASIA  399 

And  would  have  slain  him,  but  the  grooms  ran  in 

Fettering  the  maddened  beast.  Then  all  men  cried, 

"Let  not  Siddartha  meddle  with  this  Bhut, 

Whose  liver  is  a  tempest,  and  his  blood 

Red  flame;"  but  the  Prince  said,  "Let  go  the  chains, 

Give  me  his  forelock  only,"  which  he  held 

With  quiet  grasp,  and,  speaking  some  low  word, 

Laid  his  right  palm  across  the  stallion's  eyes, 

And  drew  it  gently  down  the  angry  face, 

And  all  along  the  neck  and  panting  flanks, 

Till  men  astonished  saw  the  night-black  horse 

Sink  his  fierce  crest  and  stand  subdued  and  meek, 

As  though  he  knew  our  Lord  and  worshipped  him. 

Nor  stirred  he  while  Siddartha  mounted;  then 

Went  soberly  to  touch  of  knee  and  rein 

Before  all  eyes,  so  that  the  people  said, 

"Strive  no  more,  for  Siddartha  is  the  best." 

And  all  the  suitors  answered  "He  is  best  I" 
And  Suprabuddha,  father  of  the  maid, 
Said,  "It  was  in  our  hearts  to  find  thee  best, 
Being  dearest,  yet  what  magic  taught  thee  more 
Of  manhood  'mid  thy  rose-bowers  and  thy  dreams 
Than  war  and  chase  and  world's  work  bring  to  these? 
But  wear,  fair  Prince,  the  treasure  thou  has  won." 
Then  at  a  word  the  lovely  Indian  girl 
Rose  from  her  place  above  the  throng,  and  took 
A  crown  of  mogra-flowers,  and  lightly  drew 
The  veil  of  black  and  gold  across  her  brow, 
Proud-pacing  past  the  youths,  until  she  came 
To  where  Siddartha  stood  in  grace  divine, 
New  lighted  from  the  night-dark  steed,  which  bent 
Its  strong  neck  meekly  underneath  his  arm. 
Before  the  Prince  lowly  she  bowed,  and  bared 
Her  face  celestial  beaming  with  glad  love; 
Then  on  his  neck  she  hung  the  fragrant  wreath, 
And  on  his  breast  she  laid  her  perfect  head, 
And  stooped  to  touch  his  feet  with  proud  glad  eyes, 
Saying,  "Dear  Prince,  behold  me,  who  am  thine!" 


400  BUDDHISM 

And  all  the  throng  rejoiced,  seeing  them  pass 
Hand  fast  in  hand,  and  heart  beating  with  heart, 
The  veil  of  black  and  gold  drawn  close  again. 

Long  after— when  enlightenment  was  come— 
They  prayed  Lord  Buddha  touching  all,  and  why 
She  wore  this  black  and  gold,  and  stepped  so  proud. 
And  the  World-honoured  answered,  "Unto  me 
This  was  unknown,  albeit  it  seemed  half  known; 
For  while  the  wheel  of  birth  and  death  turns  round, 
Past  things  and  thoughts,  and  buried  lives  come  back. 
I  now  remember,  myriad  rains  ago, 
What  time  I  roamed  Himala's  hanging  woods, 
A  tiger,  with  my  striped  and  hungry  kind; 
I,  who  am  Buddh,  couched  in  the  kusa  grass 
Gazing  with  green  blinked  eyes  upon  the  herds 
Which  pastured  near  and  nearer  to  their  death 
Round  my  day-lair;  or  underneath  the  stars 
I  roamed  for  prey,  savage,  insatiable, 
Sniffing  the  paths  for  track  of  man  and  deer. 
Amid  the  beasts  that  were  my  fellows  then, 
Met  in  deep  jungle  or  by  reedy  jheel,1 
A  tigress,  comeliest  of  the  forest,  set 
The  males  at  war;  her  hide  was  lit  with  gold, 
Black-broidered  like  the  veil  Yasodhara 
Wore  for  me;  hot  the  strife  waxed  in  that  wood 
With  tooth  and  claw,  while,  underneath  a  neem 
The  fair  beast  watched  us  bleed,  thus  fiercely  wooed. 
And  I  remember,  at  the  end  she  came, 
Snarling,  past  this  and  that  torn  forest-lord 
Whom  I  had  conquered,  and  with  fawning  jaws 
Licked  my  quick-heaving  flank,  and  with  me  went 
Into  the  wild  with  proud  steps,  amorously. 
The  wheel  of  birth  and  death  turns  low  and  high." 

Therefore  the  maid  was  given  unto  the  Prince 
A  willing  spoil;  and  when  the  stars  were  good— 
Mesha,  the  Red  Ram,  being  Lord  of  heaven— 
*  A  pool  or  lagoon  in  India  after  a  flood. 


THE   LIGHT  OF   ASIA  401 

The  marriage  feast  was  kept,  as  Sakyas  use, 
The  golden  gadi  *  set,  the  carpet  spread, 
The  wedding  garlands  hung,  the  arm-threads  tied, 
The  sweet  cake  broke,  the  rice  and  attar  thrown, 
The  two  straws  floated  on  the  reddened  milk, 
Which,  coming  close,  betokened  "love  till  death;" 
The  seven  steps  taken  thrice  around  the  fire, 
The  gifts  bestowed  on  holy  men,  the  alms 
And  temple-offerings  made,  the  mantras 2  sung, 
The  garments  of  the  bride  and  bridegroom  tied. 
Then  the  grey  father  spake:  "Worshipful  Prince, 
She  that  was  ours  henceforth  is  only  thine; 
Be  good  to  her,  who  hath  her  life  in  thee." 
Wherewith  they  brought  home  sweet  Yasodhara, 
With  songs  and  trumpets,  to  the  Prince's  arms, 
And  love  was  all  in  all. 

Yet  not  to  love 

Alone  trusted  the  King;  love's  prison-house 
Stately  and  beautiful  he  bade  them  build, 
So  that  in  all  the  earth  no  marvel  was 
Like  Vishramvan,  the  Prince's  pleasure-place. 
Midway  in  those  wide  palace-grounds  there  rose 
A  verdant  hill  whose  base  Rohmi  bathed, 
Murmuring  adown  from  Himalay's  broad  feet, 
To  bear  its  tribute  into  Gunga's  waves. 
Southward  a  growth  of  tamarind  trees  and  sal, 
Thick  set  with  pale  sky-coloured  ganthi  flowers, 
Shut  out  the  world,  save  if  the  city's  hum 
Came  on  the  wind  no  harsher  than  when  bees 
Buzz  out  of  sight  in  thickets.  Northwards  soared 
The  stainless  ramps  of  huge  Himala's  wall, 
Ranged  in  white  ranks  against  the  blue— untrod, 
Infinite,  wonderful — whose  uplands  vast, 
And  lifted  universe  of  crest  and  crag, 
Shoulder  and  shelf,  green  slope  and  icy  horn, 
Riven  ravine,  and  splintered  precipice 
Led  climbing  thought  higher  and  higher,  until 
It  seemed  to  stand  in  heaven  and  speak  with  gods. 

1Scat  cushion.  'Hymns,  or  metrical  passages  (prayers  or  formulas) 


402  BUDDHISM 

Beneath  the  snows  dark  forests  spread,  sharp-laced 
With  leaping  cataracts  and  veiled  with  clouds: 
Lower  grew  rose-oaks  and  the  great  fir  groves 
Where  echoed  pheasant's  call  and  panther's  cry, 
Clatter  of  wild  sheep  on  the  stones,  and  scream 
Of  circling  eagles:  under  these  the  plain 
Gleamed  like  a  praying-carpet  at  the  foot 
Of  those  divinest  altars.  Fronting  this 
The  builders  set  the  bright  pavilion  up, 
Fair-planted  on  the  terraced  hill,  with  towers 
On  either  flank  and  pillared  cloisters  round. 
Its  beams  were  carved  with  stories  of  old  time— 
Radha  and  Krishna  and  the  sylvan  girls — 
Sita  and  Hanuman  and  Draupadi; 
And  on  the  middle  porch  God  Ganesha, 
With  disc  and  hook — to  bring  wisdom  and  wealth- 
Propitious  sate,  wreathing  his  sidelong  trunk. 
By  winding  ways  of  garden  and  of  court 
The  inner  gate  was  reached,  of  marble  wrought, 
White,  with  pink  veins';  the  lintel  lazuli, 
The  threshold  alabaster,  and  the  doors 
Sandal- wood,  cut  in  pictured  panelling; 
Whereby  to  lofty  halls  and  shadowy  bowers 
Passed  the  delighted  foot,  on  stately  stairs, 
Through  latticed  galleries,  'neath  painted  roofs 
And  clustering  columns,  where  cool  fountains — fringed 
With  lotus  and  nelumbo— danced;  and  fish 
Gleamed  through  their  crystal,  scarlet,  gold,  and  blue. 
Great-eyed  gazelles  in  sunny  alcoves  browsed 
The  blown  red  roses;  birds  of  rainbow  wing 
Fluttered  among  the  palms;  doves,  green  and  grey, 
Built  their  safe  nests  on  gilded  cornices; 
Over  the  shining  pavements  peacocks  drew 
The  splendours  of  their  trains,  sedately  watched 
By  milk-white  herons  and  the  small  house-owls. 
The  plum-necked  parrots  swung  from  fruit  to  fruit; 
The  yellow  sunbirds  whirred  from  bloom  to  bloom, 
The  timid  lizards  on  the  lattice  basked 
Fearless*  the  squirrels  ran  to  feed  from  hand; 


THE   LIGHT   OP   ASIA  403 

For  all  was  peace :  the  shy  black  snake,  that  gives 
Fortune  to  households,  sunned  his  sleepy  coils 
Under  the  moon-flowers,  where  the  musk-deer  played, 
And  brown-eyed  monkeys  chattered  to  the  crows. 
And  all  this  House  of  love  was  peopled  fair 
With  sweet  attendance,  so  that  in  each  part 
With  lovely  sights  were  gentle  faces  found, 
Soft  speech  and  willing  service;  each  one  glad 
To  gladden,  pleased  at  pleasure,  proud  to  obey; 
Till  life  glided  beguiled,  like  a  smooth  stream 
Banked  by  perpetual  flow'rs,  Yasodhara 
Queen  of  the  enchanting  Court. 

But,  innermost, 

Beyond  the  richness  of  those  hundred  halls, 
A  secret  chamber  lurked,  where  skill  had  spent 
All  lovely  fantasies  to  lull  the  mind. 
The  entrance  of  it  was  a  cloistered  square — 
Roofed  by  the  sky,  and  in  the  midst  a  tank — 
Of  milky  marble  built,  and  laid  with  slabs 
Of  milk-white  marble;  bordered  round  the  tank 
And  on  the  steps,  and  all  along  the  frieze 
With  tender  inlaid  work  of  agate-stones. 
Cool  as  to  tread  in  summer-time  on  snows 
It  was  to  loiter  there;  the  sunbeams  dropped 
Their  gold,  and,  passing  into  porch  and  niche, 
Softened  to  shadows,  silvery,  pale,  and  dim, 
As  if  the  very  Day  paused  and  grew  Eve 
In  love  and  silence  at  that  bower's  gate; 
For  there  beyond  the  gate  the  chamber  was, 
Beautiful,  sweet;  a  wonder  of  the  worldl 
Soft  light  from  perfumed  lamps  through  windows  fell, 
Of  nakre  and  stained  stars  of  lucent  film, 
On  golden  cloths  outspread,  and  silken  beds, 
And  heavy  splendour  of  the  purdah's *  fringe, 
Lifted  to  take  only  the  loveliest  in. 
Here,  whether  it  was  night  or  day  none  knew, 
For  always  streamed  that  softened  light,  more  bright 
Than  sunrise,  but  as  tender  as  the  eve's; 

1  Curtain  with  which  Indian  women  are  screened  from  strangers. 


404  BUDDHISM 

And  always  breathed  sweet  airs,  more  joy-giving 

Than  morning's,  but  as  cool  as  midnight's  breath; 

And  night  and  day  lutes  sighed,  and  night  and  day 

Delicious  foods  were  spread,  and  dewy  fruits, 

Sherbets  new  chilled  with  snows  of  Himalay, 

And  sweetmeats  made  of  subtle  daintiness, 

With  sweet  tree-milk  in  its  own  ivory  cup. 

And  night  and  day  served  there  a  chosen  band 

Of  nautch  girls,1  cup-bearers,  and  cymballers, 

Delicate,  dark-browed  ministers  of  love, 

Who  fanned  the  sleeping  eyes  of  the  happy  Prince, 

And  when  he  waked,  led  back  his  thoughts  to  bliss 

With  music  whispering  through  the  blooms,  and  charm 

Of  amorous  songs  and  dreamy  dances,  linked 

By  chime  of  ankle-bells  and  wave  of  arms 

And  silver  vina-strings; 2  while  essences 

Of  musk  and  champak,  and  the  blue  haze  spread 

From  burning  spices,  soothed  his  soul  again 

To  drowse  by  sweet  Yasodhara;  and  thus 

Siddartha  lived  forgetting. 

Furthermore, 

The  King  commanded  that  within  those  walls 
No  mention  should  be  made  of  death  or  age, 
Sorrow,  or  pain,  or  sickness.  If  one  drooped 
In  the  lovely  Court — her  dark  glance  dim,  her  feet 
Faint  in  the  dance — the  guiltless  criminal 
Passed  forth  an  exile  from  that  Paradise, 
Lest  he  should  see  and  suffer  at  her  woe. 
Bright-eyed  intendants  watched  to  execute 
Sentence  on  such  as  spake  of  the  harsh  world 
Without,  where  aches  and  plagues  were,  tears  and  fears, 
And  wail  of  mourners,  and  grim  fume  of  pyres. 
'Twas  treason  if  a  thread  of  silver  strayed 
In  tress  of  singing-girl  or  nautch-dancer; 
And  every  dawn  the  dying  rose  was  plucked, 
The  dead  leaves  hid,  all  evil  sights  removed : 
For  said  the  King,  "If  he  shall  pass  his  youth 
Far  from  such  things  as  move  to  wistfulness, 

1  Indian  dancing  girls.  *  Hindu  musical  instrument  of  the  guitar  kind. 


THE    LIGHT   OF   ASIA  405 

And  brooding  on  the  empty  eggs  of  thought, 
The  shadow  of  this  fate,  too  vast  for  man, 
May  fade,  belike,  and  I  shall  see  him  grow 
To  that  great  stature  of  fair  sovereignty 
When  he  shall  rule  ail  lands — if  he  will  rule — 
The  King  of  kings  and  Glory  of  his  time." 

Wherefore,  around  that  pleasant  prison-house — 
Where  love  was  gaoler  and  delights  its  bars — 
But  far  removed  from  sight,  the  King  bade  build 
A  massive  wall,  and  m  the  wall  a  gate 
With  brazen  folding-doors,  which  but  to  roll 
Back  on  their  hinges  asked  a  hundred  arms; 
Also  the  noise  of  that  prodigious  gate 
Opening,  was  heard  full  half  a  yojana.1 
And  inside  this  another  gate  he  made, 
And  yet  within  another — through  the  three 
Must  one  pass  if  he  quit  that  Pleasure-house. 
Three  mighty  gates  there  were,  bolted  and  barred, 
And  over  each  was  set  a  faithful  watch; 
And  the  King's  order  said,  "Suffer  no  man 
To  pass  the  gates,  though  he  should  be  the  Prince: 
This  on  your  lives — even  though  it  be  my  son.'* 

BOOK  THE  THIRD 

In  which  calm  home  of  happy  life  and  love 
Ligged  our  Lord  Buddha,  knowing  not  of  woe, 
Nor  want,  nor  pain,  nor  plague,  nor  age,  nor  death, 
Save  as  when  sleepers  roam  dim  seas  in  dreams, 
And  land  awearied  on  the  shores  of  day, 
Bringing  strange  merchandise  from  that  black  voyage. 
Thus  ofttimes,  when  he  lay  with  gentle  head 
Lulled  on  the  dark  breasts  of  Yasodhara, 
Her  fond  hands  fanning  slow  his  sleeping  lids, 
He  would  start  up  and  cry,  "My  world!  Oh,  world! 
I  hear!  I  know!  I  come!"  And  she  would  ask, 
"What  ails  my  Lord?"  with  large  eyes  terror-struck; 
1  Yojana,  nine  English  miles. 


406  BUDDHISM 

For  at  such  times  the  pity  in  his  look 
Was  awful,  and  his  visage  like  a  god's. 
Then  would  he  smile  again  to  stay  her  tears, 
And  bid  the  vinas  sound;  but  once  they  set 
A  stringed  gourd  on  the  sill,  there  where  the  wind 
Could  linger  o'er  its  notes  and  play  at  will — 
Wild  music  makes  the  wind  on  silver  strings — 
And  those  who  lay  around  heard  only  that; 
But  Prince  Siddartha  heard  the  Devas  play, 
And  to  his  ears  they  sang  such  words  as  these: — 

We  are  the  voices  of  the  wandering  wind, 
Which  moan  for  rest,  and  rest  can  never  find; 
Lo!  as  the  wind  ist  so  is  mortal  life, 
A  moan,  a  sigh,  a  sob,  a  storm,  a  strife. 

Wherefore  and  whence  we  are  ye  cannot  tyiow, 
Nor  where  life  springs,  nor  whither  life  doth  go; 
We  are  as  ye  are,  ghosts  from  the  inane, 
What  pleasure  have  we  of  our  changeful  pain? 

What  pleasure  hast  thou  of  thy  changeless  bliss? 
Nay,  if  love  lasted,  there  were  joy  in  this; 
But  life's  way  is  the  wind's  way,  all  these  things 
Are  but  brief  voices  breathed  on  shifting  strings. 

0  Maya's  *  son  I  because  we  roam  the  earth 
Moan  we  upon  these  strings:  we  maf(c  no  mirth, 
So  many  woes  we  see  in  many  lands, 

So  many  streaming  eyes  and  wringing  hands. 

Yet  moc\  we  while  we  wail,  for,  could  they  k 
This  life  they  cling  to  is  but  empty  show; 
'Twere  all  as  well  to  bid  a  cloud  to  stand, 
Or  hold  a  running  river  with  the  hand. 

But  thou  that  art  to  save,  thine  hour  is  night 
The  sad  world  waiteth  in  its  misery, 

1  Buddha'*  mother's  name. 


THE   LIGHT  OF   ASIA  407 

The  blind  world  stumblcth  on  its  round  of  fain; 
Rise,  Maya's  child!  wa\c\  slumber  not  again! 

We  are  the  voices  of  the  wandering  wind: 
Wander  thou,  too,  O  Prince,  thy  rest  to  find; 
Leave  love  for  love  of  lovers,  for  woe's  sa\e 
Quit  state  for  sorrow,  and  deliverance  mal(e. 

So  sigh  wet  passing  o'er  the  silver  strings, 

To  thee  who  fyiow'st  not  yet  of  earthly  things; 

So  say  we;  mocking,  as  we  fass  away, 

These  lovely  shadows  wherewith  thou  dost  play. 

Thereafter  it  befell  he  sate  at  eve 
Amid  his  beauteous  Court,  holding  the  hand 
Of  sweet  Yasodhara,  and  some  maid  told — 
With  breaks  of  music  when  her  rich  voice  dropped— 
An  ancient  tale  to  speed  the  hour  of  dusk, 
Of  love,  and  of  a  magic  horse,  and  lands 
Wonderful,  distant,  where  pale  peoples  dwelled, 
And  where  the  sun  at  night  sank  into  seas. 
Then  spake  he,  sighing,  "Chitra  brings  me  back 
The  wind's  song  in  the  strings  with  that  fair  tale: 
Give  her,  Yasodhara,  thy  pearl  for  thanks. 
But  thou,  my  pearl!  is  there  so  wide  a  world? 
Is  there  a  land  which  sees  the  great  sun  roll 
Into  the  waves,  and  are  there  hearts  like  ours, 
Countless,  unknown,  not  happy — it  may  be — 
Whom  we  might  succour  if  we  knew  of  them? 
Ofttimes  I  marvel,  as  the  Lord  of  day 
Treads  from  the  east  his  kingly  road  of  gold, 
Who  first  on  the  world's  edge  hath  hailed  his  beam, 
The  children  of  the  morning;  oftentimes, 
Even  in  thine  arms  and  on  thy  breasts,  bright  wife, 
Sore  have  I  panted,  at  the  sun's  decline, 
To  pass  with  him  into  that  crimson  west 
And  see  the  peoples  of  the  evening. 
There  must  be  many  we  should  love— how  else? 
Now  have  I  in  this  hour  an  ache,  at  last. 


408  BUDDHISM 

Thy  soft  lips  cannot  kiss  away :  oh,  girl! 

0  Chitra!  you  that  know  of  fairyland! 
Where  tether  they  that  swift  steed  of  thy  tale? 
My  palace  for  one  day  upon  his  back, 

To  ride  and  ride  and  see  the  spread  of  the  earth; 
Nay,  if  I  had  yon  callow  vulture's  plumes — 
The  carrion  heir  of  wider  realms  than  mine — 
How  would  I  stretch  for  topmost  Himalay, 
Light  where  the  rose-gleam  lingers  on  those  snows, 
And  strain  my  gaze  with  searching  what  is  round  1 
Why  have  I  never  seen  and  never  sought  ? 
Tell  me  what  lies  beyond  our  brazen  gates." 

Then  one  replied,  "The  city  first,  fair  Prince! 
The  temples,  and  the  gardens,  and  the  groves, 
And  then  the  fields;  and  afterwards  fresh  fields, 
With  nullahs,1  maidans,  jungle,  koss  2  on  koss; 
And  next  King  Bimbasara's  realm,  and  then 
The  vast  flat  world,  with  crores  8  on  crores  of  folk." 
"Good,"  said  Siddartha;  "let  the  word  be  sent 
That  Channa  yoke  my  chariot — at  noon 
To-morrow  I  shall  ride  and  see  beyond." 

Whereof  they  told  the  King:  "Our  Lord,  thy  son, 
Wills  that  his  chariot  be  yoked  at  noon, 
That  he  may  ride  abroad  and  see  mankind." 

"Yea!"  spake  the  careful  King,  "  'tis  time  he  sees; 
But  let  the  criers  go  about  and  bid 
My  city  deck  itself,  so  there  be  met 
No  noisome  sight;  and  let  none  blind  or  maimed, 
None  that  is  sick,  or  stricken  deep  in  years, 
No  leper,  and  no  feeble  folk  come  forth." 
Therefore  the  stones  were  swept,  and  up  and  down 
The  water-carriers  sprinkled  all  the  streets 
From  spirting  skins,  the  housewives  scattered  fresh 
Red  powder  on  their  thresholds,  strung  new  wreaths, 
And  trimmed  the  tulsi-bush  before  their  doors. 

1  Ravines,  river-beds.      8  A  distance  of  over  two  English  miles.    'Millions  (Hindu  word). 


THE    LIGHT    OF    ASIA  409 

The  paintings  on  the  walls  were  heightened  up 

With  liberal  brush,  the  trees  set  thick  with  flags, 

The  idols  gilded ;  in  the  four-went  ways 

Suryadeva  and  the  great  gods  shone 

'Mid  shrines  of  leaves;  so  that  the  city  seemed 

A  capital  of  some  enchanted  land. 

Also  the  criers  passed,  with  drum  and  gong, 

Proclaiming  loudly,  "Ho!  all  citizens, 

The  King  commands  that  there  be  seen  to-day 

No  evil  sight:  let  no  one  blind  or  maimed, 

None  that  is  sick,  or  stricken  deep  in  years, 

No  leper,  and  no  feeble  folk  go  forth. 

Let  none,  too,  burn  his  dead  nor  bring  them  out 

'Till  nightfall.  Thus  Suddhodana  commands." 

So  all  was  comely  and  the  houses  trim 
Throughout  Kapilavastu,  while  the  Prince 
Came  forth  in  painted  car,  which  two  steers  drew, 
Snow-white,  with  swinging  dewlaps,  and  huge  humps 
Wrinkled  against  the  carved  and  lacquered  yoke. 
Goodly  it  was  to  mark  the  people's  joy 
Greeting  their  Prince;  and  glad  Siddartha  waxed 
At  sight  of  all  those  hcgc  and  friendly  folk 
Bright-clad  and  laughing  as  if  life  were  good. 
"Fair  is  the  world,"  he  said,  "it  likes  me  well! 
And  light  and  kind  these  men  that  are  not  kings, 
And  sweet  my  sisters  here,  who  toil  and  tend; 
What  have  I  done  for  these  to  make  them  thus'* 
Why,  if  I  love  them,  should  those  children  know? 
I  pray  take  up  yon  pretty  Sakya  boy 
Who  flung  us  flowers,  and  let  him  ride  with  me. 
How  good  it  is  to  reign  in  realms  like  this! 
How  simple  pleasure  is,  if  these  be  pleased 
Because  I  come  abroad!  How  many  things 
I  need  not  if  such  little  households  hold 
Enough  to  make  our  city  full  of  smiles! 
Drive,  Channa!  *  through  the  gates,  and  let  me  see 
More  of  this  gracious  world  I  have  not  known." 

*  Buddha's  driver. 


410  BUDDHISM 

So  passed  they  through  the  gates,  a  joyous  crowd 
Thronging  about  the  wheels,  whereof  some  ran 
Before  the  oxen,  throwing  wreaths;  some  stroked 
Their  silken  flanks;  some  brought  them  rice  and  cakes, 
All  crying,  "Jail  jail  for  our  noble  Prince!" 
Thus  all  the  path  was  kept  with  gladsome  looks 
And  filled  with  fair  sights — for  the  King's  word  was 
That  such  should  be — when  midway  in  the  road, 
Slow  tottering  from  the  hovel  where  he  hid, 
Crept  forth  a  wretch  in  rags,  haggard  and  foul, 
An  old,  pld  man,  whose  shrivelled  skin,  sun-tanned, 
Clung  like  a  beast's  hide  to  its  fleshless  bones. 
Bent  was  his  back  with  load  of  many  days, 
His  eyepits  red  with  rust  of  ancient  tears, 
His  dim  orbs  blear  with  rheum,  his  toothless  jaws 
Wagging  with  palsy  and  the  fright  to  see 
So  many  and  such  joy.  One  skinny  hand 
Clutched  a  worn  staff  to  prop  his  quavering  limbs, 
And  one  was  pressed  upon  the  ridge  of  ribs 
Whence  came  in  gasps  the  heavy  painful  breath. 
"Alms!"  moaned  he,  "give,  good  people!  for  I  die 
To-morrow  or  the  next  day!"  then  the  cough 
Choked  him,  but  still  he  stretched  his  palm,  and  stood 
Blinking,  and  groaning  'mid  his  spasms,  "Alms!" 
Then  those  around  had  wrenched  his  feeble  feet 
Aside,  and  thrust  him  from  the  road  again, 
Saying,  "The  Prince!  dost  see?  get  to  thy  lair!" 
But  that  Siddartha  cried,  "Let  be!  let  be! 
Channa!  what  thing  is  this  who  seems  a  man, 
Yet  surely  only  seems,  being  so  bowed, 
So  miserable,  so  horrible,  so  sad? 
Are  men  born  sometimes  thus  ?  What  meaneth  he 
Moaning  'to-morrow  or  next  day  I  die?' 
Finds  he  no  food  that  so  his  bones  jut  forth? 
What  woe  hath  happened  to  this  piteous  one?" 
Then  answer  made  the  charioteer,  "Sweet  Prince! 
This  is  no  other  than  an  aged  man; 
Some  fourscore  years  ago  his  back  was  straight, 
His  eye  bright,  and  his  body  goodly:  now 


THE   LIGHT   OF    ASIA  41* 

The  thievish  years  have  sucked  his  sap  away, 

Pillaged  his  strength  and  filched  his  will  and  wit; 

His  lamp  has  lost  its  oil,  the  wick  burns  black; 

What  life  he  keeps  is  one  poor  lingering  spark 

Which  flickers  for  the  finish:  such  is  age; 

Why  should  your  Highness  heed?'*  Then  spake  the  Prince: 

"But  shall  this  come  to  others,  or  to  all, 

Or  is  it  rare  that  one  should  be  as  he?" 

"Most  noble,"  answered  Channa,  "even  as  he, 

Will  all  these  grow  if  they  shall  live  so  long." 

"But,"  quoth  the  Prince,  "if  I  shall  live  as  long 

Shall  I  be  thus;  and  if  Yasodhara 

Live  fourscore  years,  is  this  old  age  for  her, 

Jallni,  little  Hasta,  Gautami, 

And  Gunga,  and  the  others?"  "Yea,  great  Sir!" 

The  charioteer  replied.  Then  spake  the  Prince: 

"Turn  back,  and  drive  me  to  my  house  again! 

I  have  seen  that  I  did  not  think  to  see." 

Which  pondering,  to  his  beauteous  Court  returned 
Wistful  Siddartha,  sad  of  mien  and  mood; 
Nor  tasted  he  the  white  cakes  nor  the  fruits 
Spread  for  the  evening  feast,  nor  once  looked  up 
While  the  best  palace-dancers  strove  to  charm : 
Nor  spake — save  one  sad  thing — when  wof  ully 
Yasddhara  sank  to  his  feet  and  wept, 
Sighing,  "Hath  not  my  Lord  comfort  in  me?" 
"Ah,  Sweet!"  he  said,  "such  comfort  that  my  soul 
Aches,  thinking  it  must  end,  for  it  will  end, 
And  we  shall  both  grow  old,  Yasodhara  1 
Loveless,  unlovely,  weak,  and  old,  and  bowed. 
Nay,- though  we  locked  up  love  and  life  with  lips 
So  close  that  night  and  day  our  breaths  grew  one, 
Time  would  thrust  in  between  to  filch  away 
My  passion  and  thy  grace,  as  black  Night  steals 
The  rose-gleams  from  yon  peak,  which  fade  to  grey 
And  are  not  seen  to  fade.  This  have  I  found, 
And  all  my  heart  is  darkened  with  its  dread, 
And  all  my  heart  is  fixed  to  think  how  Love 


412  BUDDHISM 

Might  save  its  sweetness  from  the  slayer,  Time, 
Who  makes  men  old."  So  through  that  night  he  sate 
Sleepless,  uncomforted. 

And  ail  that  night 

The  King  Suddhodana  dreamed  troublous  dreams. 
The  first  fear  of  his  vision  was  a  flag 
Broad,  glorious,  glistening  with  a  golden  sun, 
The  mark  of  Indra;  but  a  strong  wind  blew, 
Rending  its  folds  divine,  and  dashing  it 
Into  the  dust;  whereat  a  concourse  came 
Of  shadowy  Ones,  who  took  the  spoiled  silk  up 
And  bore  it  eastward  from  the  city  gates. 
The  second  fear  was  ten  huge  elephants, 
With  silver  tusks  and  feet  that  shook  the  earth, 
Trampling  the  southern  road  in  mighty  march; 
And  he  who  sate  upon  the  foremost  beast 
Was  the  King's  son — the  others  followed  him. 
The  third  fear  of  the  vision  was  a  car, 
Shining  with  blinding  light,  which  four  steeds  drew, 
Snorting  white  smoke  and  champing  fiery  foam; 
And  in  the  car  the  Prince  Siddartha  sate. 
The  fourth  fear  was  a  wheel  which  turned  and  turned, 
With  nave  of  burning  gold  and  jewelled  spokes, 
And  strange  things  written  on  the  binding  tire, 
Which  seemed  both  fire  and  music  as  it  whirled. 
The  fifth  fear  was  a  mighty  drum,  set  down 
Midway  between  the  city  and  the  hills, 
On  which  the  Prince  beat  with  an  iron  mace, 
So  that  the  sound  pealed  like  a  thunderstorm, 
Rolling  around  the  sky  and  far  away. 
The  sixth  fear  was  a  tower,  which  rose  and  rose 
High  o'er  the  city  till  its  stately  head 
Shone  crowned  with  clouds,  and  on  the  top  the  Prince 
Stood,  scattering  from  both  hands,  this  way  and  that, 
Gems  of  most  lovely  light,  as  if  it  rained 
Jacynths  and  rubies;  and  the  whole  world  came, 
Striving  to  seize  those  treasures  as  they  fell 
Towards  the  four  quarters.  But  the  seventh  fear  was 
A  noise  of  wailing,  and  behold  six  men 


THE    LIGHT   OF    ASIA  413 

Who  wept  and  gnashed  their  teeth,  and  laid  their  palms 
Upon  their  mouths,  walking  disconsolate. 

These  seven  fears  made  the  vision  of  his  sleep, 
But  none  of  all  his  wisest  dream-readers 
Could  tell  their  meaning.  Then  the  King  was  wroth, 
Saying,  "There  cometh  evil  to  my  house, 
And  none  of  ye  have  wit  to  help  me  know 
What  the  great  gods  portend  sending  me  this." 
So  in  the  city  men  went  sorrowful 
Because  the  King  had  dreamed  seven  signs  of  fear 
Which  none  could  read;  but  to  the  gate  there  came 
An  aged  man,  in  robe  of  deer-skin  clad, 
By  guise  a  hermit,  known  to  none;  he  cried, 
"Bring  me  before  the  King,  for  I  can  read 
The  vision  of  his  sleep;"  who,  when  he  heard 
The  sevenfold  mysteries  of  the  midnight  dream, 
Bowed  reverent  and  said,  "O  Maharaj ! 
I  hail  this  favoured  House,  whence  shall  arise 
A  wider-reaching  splendour  than  the  sun's! 
Lo!  all  these  seven  fears  are  seven  joys, 
Whereof  the  first,  where  thou  didst  see  a  flag — 
Broad,  glorious,  gilt  with  Indra's  badge — cast  down 
And  carried  out,  did  signify  the  end 
Of  old  faiths  and  beginning  of  the  new; 
For  there  is  change  with  gods  not  less  than  men, 
And  as  the  days  pass  kalpas  pass — at  length. 
The  ten  great  elephants  that  shook  the  earth 
The  ten  great  gifts  of  wisdom  signify, 
In  strength  whereof  the  Prince  shall  quit  his  state 
And  shake  the  world  with  passage  of  the  Truth. 
The  four  flame-breathing  horses  of  the  car 
Are  those  four  fearless  virtues  which  shall  bring 
Thy  son  from  doubt  and  gloom  to  gladsome  light; 
The  wheel  that  turned  with  nave  of  burning  gold 
Was  that  most  precious  Wheel  of  perfect  Law 
Which  he  shall  turn  in  sight  of  all  the  world. 
The  mighty  drum  whereon  the  Prince  did  beat, 
Till  the  sound  filled  all  lands,  doth  signify 


414  BUDDHISM 

The  thunder  of  the  preaching  of  the  Word 

Which  he  shall  preach;  the  tower  that  grew  to  heaven 

The  growing  of  the  Gospel  of  this  Buddh 

Sets  forth;  and  those  rare  jewels  scattered  thence 

The  untold  treasures  are  of  that  good  Law 

To  gods  and  men  dear  and  desirable. 

Such  is  the  interpretation  of  the  tower; 

But  for  those  six  men  weeping  with  shut  mouths, 

They  are  the  six  chief  teachers  whom  thy  son 

Shall,  with  bright  truth  and  speech  unanswerable, 

Convince  of  foolishness.  O  King!  rejoice; 

The  fortune  of  my  Lord  the  Prince  is  more 

Than  kingdoms,  and  his  hermit-rags  will  be 

Beyond  fine  cloths  of  gold.  This  was  thy  dream! 

And  in  seven  nights  and  days  these  things  shall  fall." 

So  spake  the  holy  man,  and  lowly  made 

The  eight  prostrations,  touching  thrice  the  ground; 

Then  turned  and  passed;  but  when  the  King  bade  send 

A  rich  gift  after  him,  the  messengers 

Brought  word,  "We  came  to  where  he  entered  in 

At  Chandra's  temple,  but  within  was  none 

Save  a  grey  owl  which  fluttered  from  the  shrine." 

The  gods  come  sometimes  thus. 

But  the  sad  King 

Marvelled,  and  gave  command  that  new  delights 
Be  compassed  to  enthral  Siddartha's  heart 
Amid  those  dancers  of  his  pleasure-house; 
Also  he  set  at  all  the  brazen  doors 
A  doubled  guard. 

Yet  who  shall  shut  out  Fate? 

For  once  again  the  spirit  of  the  Prince 
Was  moved  to  sec  this  world  beyond  his  gates 
This  life  of  man,  so  pleasant,  if  its  waves 
Ran  not  to  waste  and  woful  finishing 
In  Time's  dry  sands.  "I  pray  you  let  me  view 
Our  city  as  it  is,"  such  was  his  prayer 
To  King  Suddhodaita;  aYt>ur  Majesty 


THE   LIGHT  OF   ASIA  415 

In  tender  heed  hath  warned  the  folk  before 
To  put  away  ill  things  and  common  sights, 
And  make  their  faces  glad  to  gladden  me, 
And  all  the  causeways  gay;  yet  have  I  learned 
This  is  not  daily  life,  and  if  I  stand 
Nearest,  my  father,  to  the  realm  and  thee, 
Fain  would  I  know  the  people  and  the  streets, 
Their  simple  usual  ways,  and  workday  deeds, 
And  lives  which  those  men  live  who  are  not  kings. 
Give  me  good  leave,  dear  Lord!  to  pass  unknown 
Beyond  my  happy  gardens;  I  shall  come 
The  more  contented  to  their  peace  again, 
Or  wiser,  father,  if  not  well  content. 
Therefore,  I  pray  thee,  let  me  go  at  will 
To-morrow,  with  my  servants,  through  the  streets." 
And  the  King  said,  amidst  his  Ministers, 
"Belike  this  second  flight  may  mend  the  first. 
Note  how  the  falcon  starts  at  every  sight 
New  from  his  hood,  but  what  a  quiet  eye 
Cometh  of  freedom;  let  my  son  see  all, 
And  bid  them  bring  me  tidings  of  his  mind." 

Thus  on  the  morrow,  when  the  noon  was  come, 
The  Prince  and  Channa  passed  beyond  the  gates, 
Which  opened  to  the  signet  of  the  King; 
Yet  knew  not  they  who  rolled  the  great  doors  back 
It  was  the  King's  son  in  that  merchant's  robe, 
And  in  the  clerkly  dress  his  charioteer. 
Forth  fared  they  by  the  common  way  afoot, 
Mingling  with  all  the  Sakya  citizens, 
Seeing  the  glad  and  sad  things  of  the  town: 
The  painted  streets  alive  with  hum  of  noon, 
The  traders  cross-legged  'mid  their  spice  and  grain, 
The  buyers  with  their  money  in  the  cloth, 
The  war  of  words  to  cheapen  this  or  that, 
The  shout  to  clear  the  road,  the  huge  stone  wheels, 
The  strong  slow  oxen  and  their  rustling  loads, 
The  singing  bearers  with  the  palanquins, 
The  broad-necked  hamals  sweating  in  the  sun, 


416  BUDDHISM 

The  housewives  bearing  water  from  the  well 

With  balanced  chatties,  and  athwart  their  hips 

The  black-eyed  babes;  the  fly-swarmed  sweetmeat  shops, 

The  weaver  at  his  loom,  the  cotton-bow 

Twanging,  the  millstones  grinding  meal,  the  dogs 

Prowling  for  orts,  the  skilful  armourer 

With  tong  and  hammer  linking  shirts  of  mail, 

The  blacksmith  with  a  mattock  and  a  spear 

Reddening  together  in  his  coals,  the  school 

Where  round  their  Guru,1  in  a  grave  half-moon, 

The  Sakya  children  sang  the  mantras  through, 

And  learned  the  greater  and  the  lesser  gods; 

The  dyers  stretching  waistcloths  in  the  sun 

Wet  from  the  vats — orange,  and  rose,  and  green; 

The  soldiers  clanking  past  with  swords  and  shields, 

The  camel-drivers  rocking  on  the  humps, 

The  Brahman  proud,  the  martial  Kshatnya,2 

The  humble  toiling  Sudra; 8  here  a  throng 

Gathered  to  watch  some  chattering  snake-tamer 

Wind  round  his  wrist  the  living  jewellery 

Of  asp  and  nag,  or  charm  the  hooded  death 

To  angry  dance  with  drone  of  beaded  gourd; 

There  a  long  line  of  drums  and  horns,  which  went, 

With  steeds  gay  painted  and  silk  canopies, 

To  bring  the  young  bride  home;  and  here  a  wife 

Stealing  with  cakes  and  garlands  to  the  god 

To  pray  her  husband's  safe  return  from  trade, 

Or  beg  a  boy  next  birth;  hard  by  the  booths 

Where  the  swart  potters  beat  the  noisy  brass 

For  lamps  and  lotas;  *  thence,  by  temple  walls 

And  gateways,  to  the  river  and  the  bridge 

Under  the  city  walls. 

These  had  they  passed 

When  from  the  roadside  moaned  a  mournful  voice, 
"Help,  masters!  lift  me  to  my  feet;  oh,  help! 
Or  I  shall  die  before  I  reach  my  house!" 

1  Hindu  religious  teacher.  8  The  lowest,  fourth  caste,  the  scrv; 

8  The  second  caste  of  warriors.  4  Brass  pots. 


THE    LIGHT   OF    ASIA 

A  stricken  wretch  it  was,  whose  quivering  fram 
Caught  by  some  deadly  plague,  lay  in  the  dust 
Writhing,  with  fiery  purple  blotches  specked: 
The  chill  sweat  beaded  on  his  brow,  his  mouth 
Was  dragged  awry  with  twitchings  of  sore  pai 
The  wild  eyes  swam  with  inward  agony. 
Gasping,  he  clutched  the  grass  to  rise,  and  rose 
Half-way,  then  sank,  with  quaking  feeble  limbs 
And  scream  of  terror,  crying,  "Ah,  the  pain! 
Good  people,  help!"  whereon  Siddartha  ran, 
Lifted  the  woful  man  with  tender  hands, 
With  sweet  looks  laid  the  sick  head  on  his  knee, 
And,  while  his  soft  touch  comforted  the  wretch, 
Asked,  "Brother,  what  is  ill  with  thee?  what  harm 
Hath  fallen?  wherefore  can'st  thou  not  arise? 
Why  is  it,  Channa,  that  he  pants  and  moans, 
And  gasps  to  speak,  and  sighs  so  pitiful?" 
Then  spake  the  charioteer:  "Great  Prince!  this  man 
Is  smitten  with  some  pest;  his  elements 
Are  all  confounded;  in  his  veins  the  blood, 
Which  ran  a  wholesome  river,  leaps  and  boils 
A  fiery  flood;  his  heart,  which  kept  good  time, 
Beats  like  an  ill-played  drum-skin,  quick  and  slow; 
His  sinews  slacken  like  a  bowstring  slipped; 
The  strength  is  gone  from  ham,  and  loin,  and  neck, 
And  all  the  grace  and  joy  of  manhood  fled: 
This  is  a  sick  man  with  the  fit  upon  him. 
See  how  he  plucks  and  plucks  to  seize  his  grief, 
And  rolls  his  bloodshot  orbs,  and  grinds  his  teeth, 
And  draws  his  breath  as  if  'twere  choking  smoke! 
Lo!  now  he  would  be  dead;  but  shall  not  die 
Until  the  plague  hath  had  its  work  in  him, 
Killing  the  nerves  which  die  before  the  life; 
Then,  when  his  strings  have  cracked  with  agony 
And  all  his  bones  are  empty  of  the  sense 
To  ache,  the  plague  will  quit  and  light  elsewhere. 
Oh,  sir!  it  is  not  good  to  hold  him  so! 
The  harm  may  pass,  and  strike  thee,  even  thee.*' 
But  spake  the  Prince,  still  comforting  the  man, 


418  BUDDHISM 

"And  arc  there  others,  arc  there  many  thus? 

Or  might  it  be  to  me  as  now  with  him?" 

"Great  Lord!"  answered  the  charioteer,  "this  comes 

In  many  forms  to  all  men;  griefs  and  wounds, 

Sickness  and  tetters,  palsies,  leprosies, 

Hot  fevers,  watery  wastings,  issues,  blains 

Befall  all  flesh  and  enter  everywhere." 

"Come  such  ills  unobserved?"  the  Prince  inquired. 

And  Channa  said,  "Like  the  sly  snake  they  come 

That  stings  unseen;  like  the  striped  murderer, 

Who  waits  to  spring  from  the  Karunda  bush, 

Hiding  beside  the  jungle  path;  or  like 

The  lightning,  striking  these  and  sparing  those, 

As  chance  may  send." 

"Then  all  men  live  in  fear?" 
"So  live  they,  Prince!" 

"And  none  can  say,  'I  sleep 
Happy  and  whole  to-night,  and  so  shall  wake?'  " 

"None  say  it." 

"And  the  end  of  many  aches, 
Which  come  unseen,  and  will  come  when  they  come, 
Is  this,  a  broken  body  and  sad  mind, 
And  so  old  age?" 

"Yea,  if  men  last  as  long." 

"But  if  they  cannot  bear  their  agonies, 
Or  if  they  will  not  bear,  and  seek  a  term; 
Or  if  they  bear,  and  be,  as  this  man  is, 
Too  weak  except  for  groans,  and  so  still  live, 
And  growing  old,  grow  older,  then—what  end?" 

uThey  die,  Prince." 

"Die?" 

"Yra,  at  the  last  comes  Death 


THE   LIGHT  OF   ASIA  419 

In  whatsoever  way,  whatever  hour. 

Some  few  grow  old,  most  suffer  and  fall  sick, 

But  all  must  die — behold,  where  comes  the  Dead!" 

Then  did  Siddartha  raise  his  eyes,  and  see 
Fast  pacing  towards  the  river-brink  a  band 
Of  wailing  people;  foremost  one  who  swung 
An  earthen  bowl  with  lighted  coals;  behind 
The  kinsmen,  shorn,  with  mourning  marks,  ungirt, 
Crying  aloud,  "O  Rama,1  Rama,  hear! 
Call  upon  Rama,  brothers;"  next  the  bier, 
Knit  of  four  poles  with  bamboos  interlaced, 
Whereon  lay — stark  and  stiff,  feet  foremost,  lean, 
Chapfallen,  sightless,  hollow-flanked,  a-grin, 
Sprinkled  with  red  and  yellow  dust — the  Dead, 
Whom  at  the  four-went  ways  they  turned  head  first, 
And  crying  "Rama,  Rama!"  carried  on 
To  where  a  pile  was  reared  beside  the  stream: 
Thereon  they  laid  him,  building  fuel  up — 
Good  sleep  hath  one  that  slumbers  on  that  bed! 
He  shall  not  wake  for  cold,  albeit  he  lies 
Naked  to  all  the  airs — for  soon  they  set 
The  red  flame  to  the  corners  four,  which  crept, 
And  licked,  and  flickered,  finding  out  his  flesh 
And  feeding  on  it  with  swift  hissing  tongues, 
And  crackle  of  parched  skin,  and  snap  of  joint; 
Till  the  fat  smoke  thinned  and  the  ashes  sank 
Scarlet  and  grey,  with  here  and  there  a  bone 
White  midst  the  grey — the  total  of  the  man. 

Then  spake  the  Prince:  "Is  this  the  end  which  comes 
To  all  who  live?" 

"This  is  the  end  that  comes 
To  all,"  quoth  Channa;  "he  upon  the  pyre — 
Whose  remnants  arc  so  petty  that  the  crows 
Caw  hungrily,  then  quit  the  fruitless  feast — 
Ate,  drank,  laughed,  loved,  and  lived,  and  liked  life  well. 
Then  came — who  knows? — some  gust  of  jungle  wind, 

1  Hindu  god,  seventh  incarnation  of  Vishnu. 


420  BUDDHISM 

A  stumble  on  the  path,  a  taint  in  the  tank, 

A  snake's  nip,  half  a  span  of  angry  steel, 

A  chill,  a  fishbone,  or  a  falling  tile, 

And  life  was  over  and  the  man  is  dead. 

No  appetites,  no  pleasures,  and  no  pains 

Hath  such;  the  kiss  upon  his  lips  is  nought, 

The  fire-scorch  nought;  he  smelleth  not  his  flesh 

A-roast,  nor  yet  the  sandal  and  the  spice 

They  burn;  the  taste  is  emptied  from  his  mouth 

The  hearing  of  his  ears  is  clogged,  the  sight 

Is  blinded  in  his  eyes;  those  whom  he  loved 

Wail  desolate,  for  even  that  must  go, 

The  body  which  was  lamp  unto  the  life, 

Or  worms  will  have  a  horrid  feast  of  it. 

Here  is  the  common  destiny  of  flesh : 

The  high  and  low,  the  good  and  bad,  must  die, 

And  then,  'tis  taught,  begin  anew  and  live 

Somewhere,  somehow — who  knows? — and  so  again 

The  pangs,  the  parting,  and  the  lighted  pile: — 

Such  is  man's  round." 

But  lo!  Siddartha  turned 
Eyes  gleaming  with  divine  tears  to  the  sky, 
Eyes  lit  with  heavenly  pity  to  the  earth; 
From  sky  to  earth  he  looked,  from  earth  to  sky, 
As  if  his  spirit  sought  in  lonely  flight 
Some  far-off  vision,  linking  this  and  that, 
Lost — past — but  searchable,  but  seen,  but  known. 
Then  cried  he,  while  his  lifted  countenance 
Glowed  with  the  burning  passion  of  a  love 
Unspeakable,  the  ardour  of  a  hope 
Boundless,  insatiate:  "Oh!  suffering  world; 
Oh!  known  and  unknown  of  my  common  flesh, 
Caught  in  this  common  net  of  death  and  woe, 
And  life  which  binds  to  both!  I  see,  I  feel 
The  vastness  of  the  agony  of  earth, 
The  vainness  of  its  joys,  the  mockery 
Of  all  its  best,  the  anguish  of  its  worst; 
Since  pleasures  end  in  pain,  and  youth  in  age, 


THE    LIGHT   OF    ASIA  421 

And  love  in  loss,  and  life  in  hateful  death, 

And  death  in  unknown  lives,  which  will  but  yoke 

Men  to  their  wheel  again  to  whirl  the  round 

Of  false  delights  and  woes  that  are  not  false. 

Me  too  this  lure  hath  cheated,  so  it  seemed 

Lovely  to  live,  and  life  a  sunlit  stream 

For  ever  flowing  in  a  changeless  peace; 

Whereas  the  foolish  ripple  of  the  flood 

Dances  so  lightly  down  by  bloom  and  lawn 

Only  to  pour  its  crystal  quickher 

Into  the  foul  salt  sea.  The  veil  is  rent 

Which  blinded  me!  I  am  as  all  these  men 

Who  cry  upon  their  gods  and  are  not  heard, 

Or  are  not  heeded — yet  there  must  be  aid! 

For  them  and  me  and  all  there  must  be  help! 

Perchance  the  gods  have  need  of  help  themselves, 

Being  so  feeble  that  when  sad  lips  cry 

They  cannot  save!  I  would  not  let  one  cry 

Whom  I  could  save!  How  can  it  be  that  Brahm 

Would  make  a  world  and  keep  it  miserable, 

Since,  if,  all-powerful,  he  leaves  it  so, 

He  is  not  good,  and  if  not  powerful, 

He  is  not  God? — Channa!  lead  home  again! 

It  is  enough!  mine  eyes  have  seen  enough!" 

Which  when  the  King  heard,  at  the  gates  he  set 
A  triple  guard;  and  bade  no  man  should  pass 
By  day  or  night,  issuing  or  entering  in, 
Until  the  days  were  numbered  of  that  dream. 

BOOK  THE  FOURTH 

But,  when  the  days  were  numbered,  then  befell 
The  parting  of  our  Lord — which  was  to  be — 
Whereby  came  wailing  in  the  Golden  Home, 
Woe  to  the  King  and  sorrow  o'er  the  land, 
But  for  all  flesh  deliverance,  and  that  Law 
Which  whoso  hears— the  same  shall  make  him  free. 


422  BUDDHISM 

Softly  the  Indian  night  sinks  on  the  plains 
At  full  moon,  in  the  month  of  Chaitra  Shud,1 
When  mangoes  redden  and  the  asoka  buds 
Sweeten  the  breeze,  and  Rama's  birthday  comes, 
And  all  the  fields  are  glad  and  all  the  towns. 
Softly  that  night  fell  over  Vishramvan, 
Fragrant  with  blooms  and  jewelled  thick  with  stars, 
And  cool  with  mountain  airs  sighing  adown 
From  snow-flats  on  Himala  high  outspread; 
For  the  moon  swung  above  the  eastern  peaks, 
Climbing  the  spangled  vault,  and  lighting  clear 
Rohini's  ripples,  and  the  hills  and  vales, 
And  all  the  sleeping  land;  and  near  at  hand 
Silvering  those  roof-tops  of  the  pleasure-house, 
Where  nothing  stirred  nor  sign  of  watching  was, 
Save  at  the  outer  gates,  whose  warders  cried 
Mudra,  the  watchword,  and  the  countersign 
Angana,  and  the  watch-drums  beat  a  round; 
Whereat  the  earth  lay  still,  except  for  yelp 
Of  prowling  jackals,  and  the  ceaseless  trill 
Of  crickets  in  the  garden  grounds. 

Within- 

Where  the  moon  glittered  through  the  lace-worked  stone, 
Lighting  the  walls  of  pearl-shell  and  the  floors 
Paved  with  veined  marble — softly  fell  her  beams 
On  such  rare  company  of  Indian  girls, 
It  seemed  some  chamber  sweet  in  Paradise 
Where  Devls  rested.  All  the  chosen  ones 
Of  Prince  Siddartha's  pleasure-home  were  there, 
The  brightest  and  most  faithful  of  the  Court; 
Each  form  so  lovely  in  the  peace  of  sleep, 
That  you  had  said  "This  is  the  pearl  of  all!" 
Save  that  beside  her  or  beyond  her  lay 
Fairer  and  fairer,  till  the  pleasured  gaze 
Roamed  o'er  that  feast  of  beauty  as  it  roams 
From  gem  to  gem  in  some  great  goldsmith-work, 
Caught  by  each  colour  till  the  next  is  seen. 

1  March-April. 


THE   LIGHT   OF    ASIA  423 

With  careless  grace  they  lay,  their  soft  brown  limbs 
Part  hidden,  part  revealed;  their  glossy  hair 
Bound  back  with  gold  or  flowers,  or  flowing  loose 
In  black  waves  down  the  shapely  nape  and  neck. 
Lulled  into  pleasant  dreams  by  happy  toils, 
They  slept,  no  wearier  than  jewelled  birds 
Which  sing  and  love  all  day,  then  under  wing 
Fold  head,  till  morn  bids  sing  and  love  again. 
Lamps  of  chased  silver  swinging  from  the  roof 
In  silver  chains,  and  fed  with  perfumed  oils, 
Made  with  the  moonbeams  tender  lights  and  shades, 
Whereby  were  seen  the  perfect  lines  of  grace, 
The  bosom's  placid  heave,  the  soft  stained  palms 
Drooping  or  clasped,  the  faces  fair  and  dark, 
The  great  arched  brows,  the  parted  lips,  the  teeth 
Like  pearls  a  merchant  picks  to  make  a  string, 
The  satin-lidded  eyes,  with  lashes  dropped 
Sweeping  the  delicate  cheeks,  the  rounded  wrists, 
The  smooth  small  feet  with  bells  and  bangles  decked, 
Tinkling  low  music  where  some  sleeper  moved, 
Breaking  her  smiling  dream  of  some  new  dance 
Praised  by  the  Prince,  some  magic  ring  to  find, 
Some  fairy  love-gift.  Here  one  lay  full-length, 
Her  vina  by  her  check,  and  in  its  strings 
The  little  fingers  still  all  interlaced 
As  when  the  last  notes  of  her  light  song  played 
Those  radiant  eyes  to  sleep,  and  scaled  her  own. 
Another  slumbered  folding  in  her  arms 
A  desert-antelope,  its  slender  head 
Buried  with  black-sloped  horns  between  her  breasts, 
Soft  nestling;  it  was  eating — when  both  drowsed — 
Red  roses,  and  her  loosening  hand  still  held 
A  rose  half -mumbled,  while  a  rose-leaf  curled 
Between  the  deer's  lips.  Here  two  friends  had  dozed 
Together,  weaving  mogra-buds,  which  bound 
Their  sister-sweetness  in  a  starry  chain, 
Linking  them  limb  to  limb  and  heart  to  heart, 
One  pillowed  on  the  blossoms,  one  on  her. 
Another,  ere  she  slept,  was  stringing  stones 


424  BUDDHISM 

To  make  a  necklet — agate,  onyx,  sard, 

Coral,  and  moonstone — round  her  wrist  it  gleamed 

A  coil  of  splendid  colour,  while  she  held, 

Unthreaded  yet,  the  bead  to  close  it  up — 

Green  turkis,  carved  with  golden  gods  and  scripts. 

Lulled  by  the  cadence  of  the  garden  stream, 

Thus  lay  they  on  the  clustered  carpets,  each 

A  girlish  rose  with  shut  leaves,  waiting  dawn 

To  open  and  make  daylight  beautiful. 

This  was  the  ante-chamber  of  the  Prince; 

But  at  the  purdah's  fringe  the  sweetest  slept — 

Gunga  and  Gotami — chief  ministers 

In  that  still  House  of  love. 

The  purdah  hung, 

Crimson  and  blue,  with  broidered  threads  of  gold, 
Across  a  portal  carved  in  sandal- wood; 
Whence  by  three  steps  the  way  was  to  the  bower 
Of  inmost  splendour,  and  the  marriage-couch 
Set  on  a  dais  soft  with  silver  cloths, 
Where  the  foot  fell  as  though  it  trod  on  piles 
Of  neem-blooms.  All  the  walls  were  plates  of  pearl, 
Cut  shapely  from  the  shells  of  Lanka's  wave; 
And  o'er  the  alabaster  roof  there  ran 
Rich  inlayings  of  lotus  and  of  bird, 
Wrought  in  skilled  work  of  lazulite  and  jade, 
Jacynth  and  jasper;  woven  round  the  dome, 
And  down  the  sides,  and  all  about  the  frames 
Wherein  were  set  the  fretted  lattices, 

Through  which  there  breathed,  with  moonlight  and  cool  airs, 
Scents  from  the  shell-flowers  and  the  jasmine  sprays; 
Not  bringing  thither  grace  or  tenderness 
Sweeter  than  shed  from  those  fair  presences 
Within  the  place — the  beauteous  Sakya  Prince, 
And  hers,  the  stately,  bright  Yasodhara. 

Half  risen  from  her  soft  nest  at  his  side, 
The  chuddar *  fallen  to  her  waist,  her  brow 
Laid  in  both  palms,  the  lovely  Princess  leaned 
*A  kind  of  fine  plain-colored  shawl, 


THE    LIGHT   OF    ASIA  425 

With  heaving  bosom  and  fast-falling  tears. 

Thrice  with  her  lips  she  touched  Siddartha's  hand, 

And  at  the  third  kiss  moaned,  "Awake,  my  Lord! 

Give  me  the  comfort  of  thy  speech!"  Then  he: 

"What  is  it  with  thee,  O  my  life?"  but  still 

She  moaned  anew  before  the  words  would  come; 

Then  spake,  "Alas,  my  Prince!  I  sank  to  sleep 

Most  happy,  for  the  babe  I  bear  of  thee 

Quickened  this  eve,  and  at  my  heart  there  beat 

That  double  pulse  of  life  and  joy  and  love 

Whose  happy  music  lulled  me,  but — aho! — 

In  slumber  I  beheld  three  sights  of  dread, 

With  thought  whereof  my  heart  is  throbbing  yet. 

I  saw  a  white  bull  with  wide-branching  horns, 

A  lord  of  pastures,  pacing  through  the  streets, 

Bearing  upon  his  front  a  gem  which  shone 

As  if  some  star  had  dropped  to  glitter  there, 

Or  like  the  kantha-stone  the  great  Snake  keeps 

To  make  bright  daylight  underneath  the  earth. 

Slow  through  the  streets  towards  the  gates  he  paced, 

And  none  could  stay  him,  though  there  came  a  voice 

From  Indra's  temple,  'If  ye  stay  him  not, 

The  glory  of  the  city  goeth  forth.' 

Yet  none  could  stay  him.  Then  I  wept  aloud, 

And  locked  my  arms  about  his  neck,  and  strove, 

And  bade  them  bar  the  gates;  but  that  ox-kmg 

Bellowed,  and,  lightly  tossing  free  his  crest, 

Broke  from  my  clasp,  and  bursting  through  the  bars, 

Trampled  the  warders  down  and  passed  away. 

The  next  strange  dream  was  this:  Four  Presences 

Splendid,  with  shining  eyes,  so  beautiful 

They  seemed  the  Regents  of  the  Earth  who  dwell 

On  Mount  Sumeru,  lighting  from  the  sky 

With  retinue  of  countless  heavenly  ones, 

Swift  swept  unto  our  city,  where  I  saw 

The  golden  flag  of  Indra  on  the  gate 

Flutter  and  fall;  and  lo!  there  rose  instead 

A  glorious  banner,  all  the  folds  whereof 

tippled  with  flashing  fire  of  rubies  sewn 


426  BUDDHISM 

Thick  on  the  silver  threads,  the  rays  wherefrom 
Set  forth  new  words  and  weighty  sentences 
Whose  message  made  all  living  creatures  glad; 
And  from  the  east  the  wind  of  sunrise  blew 
With  tender  waft,  opening  those  jewelled  scrolls 
So  that  all  flesh  might  read;  and  wondrous  blooms- 
Plucked  in  what  clime  I  know  not — fell  in  showers, 
Coloured  as  none  are  coloured  in  our  groves." 

Then  spake  the  Prince:  "All  this,  my  Lotus-flower! 
Was  good  to  see." 

"Ay,  Lord,"  the  Princess  said, 
"Save  that  it  ended  with  a  voice  of  fear 
Crying,  The  time  is  nigh!  the  time  is  nigh!7 
Thereat  the  third  dream  came;  for  when  I  sought 
Thy  side,  sweet  Lord!  ah,  on  our  bed  there  lay 
An  unpressed  pillow  and  an  empty  robe — 
Nothing  of  thee  but  those!— nothing  of  thee, 
Who  art  my  life  and  light,  my  king,  my  world  I 
And,  sleeping  still,  I  rose,  and  sleeping  saw 
Thy  belt  of  pearls,  tied  here  below  my  breasts, 
Change  to  a  stinging  snake;  my  ankle-rings 
Fall  off,  my  golden  bangles  part  and  fall; 
The  jasmines  in  my  hair  wither  to  dust; 
While  this  our  bridal-couch  sank  to  the  ground, 
And  something  rent  the  crimson  purdah  down: 
Then  far  away  I  heard  the  white  bull  low, 
And  far  away  the  embroidered  banner  flap, 
And  once  again  that  cry,  'The  time  is  come!' 
But  with  that  cry — which  shakes  my  spirit  still — 
I  woke!  O  Prince!  what  may  such  visions  mean 
Except  I  die,  or — worse  than  any  death — 
Thou  shouldst  forsake  me,  or  be  taken?" 

Soft 

As  the  last  smile  of  sunset  was  the  look 
Siddartha  bent  upon  his  weeping  wife. 
"Comfort  thee,  dear!"  he  said,  "if  comfort  lives 
In  changeless  love!  for  though  thy  dreams  may  be 
Shadows  of  things  to  come,  and  though  the  gods 


THE    LIGHT   OF    ASIA  427 

Arc  shaken  in  their  seats,  and  though  the  world 

Stands  nigh,  perchance,  to  know  some  way  of  help, 

Yet,  whatsoever  fall  to  thee  and  me, 

Be  sure  I  loved  and  love  Yasodhara. 

Thou  knowest  how  I  muse  these  many  moons, 

Seeking  to  save  the  sad  earth  I  have  seen; 

And  when  the  time  comes,  that  which  will  be  will. 

But  if  my  soul  yearns  sore  for  souls  unknown, 

And  if  I  grieve  for  griefs  which  are  not  mine, 

Judge  how  my  high-winged  thoughts  must  hover  here 

O'er  all  these  lives  that  share  and  sweeten  mine — 

So  dear!  and  thine  the  dearest,  gentlest,  best, 

And  nearest.  Ah,  thou  mother  of  my  babe! 

Whose  body  mixed  with  mine  for  this  fair  hope, 

When  most  my  spirit  wanders,  ranging  round 

The  lands  and  seas — as  full  of  ruth  for  men 

As  the  far-flying  dove  is  full  of  ruth 

For  her  twin  nestlings — ever  it  has  come 

Home  with  glad  wing  and  passionate  plumes  to  thee, 

Who  art  the  sweetness  of  my  kind  best  seen, 

The  utmost  of  their  good,  the  tenderest 

Of  all  their  tenderness,  mine  most  of  all. 

Therefore,  whatever  after  this  betide, 

Bethink  thee  of  that  lordly  bull  which  lowed, 

That  jewelled  banner  in  thy  dream  which  waved 

Its  folds  departing,  and  of  this  be  sure, 

Always  I  loved  and  always  love  thee  well, 

And  what  I  sought  for  all  sought  most  for  thee. 

But  thou,  take  comfort;  and,  if  sorrow  falls, 

Take  comfort  still  in  deeming  there  may  be 

A  way  to  peace  on  earth  by  woes  of  ours; 

And  have  with  this  embrace  what  faithful  love 

Can  think  of  thanks  or  frame  for  benison — 

Too  little,  seeing  love's  strong  self  is  weak— 

Yet  kiss  me  on  the  mouth,  and  drink  these  words 

From  heart  to  heart  therewith,  that  thou  mayst  know — 

What  others  will  not— that  I  loved  thee  most 

Because  I  loved  so  well  all  living  souls. 

Now,  Princess!  rest;  for  I  will  rise  and  watch.'* 


428  BUDDHISM 

Then  in  her  tears  she  slept,  but  sleeping  sighed— 
As  if  that  vision  passed  again— "The  timel 
The  time  is  come!"  Whereat  Siddartha  turned, 
And,  lo!  the  moon  shone  by  the  Crab!  the  stars 
In  that  same  silver  order  long  foretold 
Stood  ranged  to  say,  "This  is  the  night! — choose  thou 
The  way  of  greatness  or  the  way  of  good: 
To  reign  a  King  of  kings,  or  wander  lone, 
Crownless  and  homeless,  that  the  world  be  helped." 
Moreover,  with  the  whispers  of  the  gloom, 
Came  to  his  ears  again  that  warning  song, 
As  when  the  Devas  spoke  upon  the  wind : 
And  surely  Gods  were  round  about  the  place 
Watching  our  Lord,  who  watched  the  shining  stars. 

"I  will  depart,"  he  spake;  "the  hour  is  come! 
Thy  tender  lips,  dear  Sleeper,  summon  me 
To  that  which  saves  the  earth  but  sunders  us; 
And  in  the  silence  of  yon  sky  I  read 
My  fated  message  flashing.  Unto  this 
Came  I,  and  unto  this  all  nights  and  days 
Have  led  me;  for  I  will  not  have  that  crown 
Which  may  be  mine:  I  lay  aside  those  realms 
Which  wait  the  gleaming  of  my  naked  sword : 
My  chariot  shall  not  roll  with  bloody  wheels 
From  victory  to  victory,  till  earth 
Wears  the  red  record  of  my  name.  I  choose 
To  tread  its  paths  with  patient,  stainless  feet, 
Making  its  dust  my  bed,  its  loneliest  wastes 
My  dwelling,  and  its  meanest  things  my  mates; 
Clad  in  no  prouder  garb  than  outcasts  wear, 
Fed  with  no  meats  save  what  the  charitable 
Give  of  their  will,  sheltered  by  no  more  pomp 
Than  the  dim  cave  lends  or  the  jungle-bush. 
This  will  I  do  because  the  woful  cry 
Of  life  and  all  flesh  living  cometh  up 
Into  my  ears,  and  all  my  soul  is  full 
Of  pity  for  the  sickness  of  this  world; 
Which  I  will  heal,  if  healing  may  be  found 


THE   LIGHT   OF   ASIA  429 

By  uttermost  renouncing  and  strong  strife. 

For  which  of  all  the  great  and  lesser  Gods 

Have  power  or  pity?  Who  hath  seen  them— who? 

What  have  they  wrought  to  help  their  worshippers? 

How  hath  it  steaded  man  to  pray,  and  pay 

Tithes  of  the  corn  and  oil,  to  chant  the  charms, 

To  slay  the  shrieking  sacrifice,  to  rear 

The  stately  fane,  to  feed  the  priests,  and  call 

On  Vishnu,  Shiva,  Surya,1  who  save 

None — not  the  worthiest — from  the  griefs  that  teach 

Those  litanies  of  flattery  and  fear 

Ascending  day  by  day,  like  wasted  smoke? 

Hath  any  of  my  brothers  'scaped  thereby 

The  aches  of  life,  the  stings  of  love  and  loss, 

The  fiery  fever  and  the  ague-shake, 

The  slow,  dull,  sinking  into  withered  age, 

The  horrible  dark  death — and  what  beyond 

Waits — till  the  whirling  wheel  comes  up  again, 

And  new  lives  bring  new  sorrows  to  be  borne, 

New  generations  for. the  new  desires 

Which  have  their  end  in  the  old  mockeries? 

Hath  any  of  my  tender  sisters  found 

Fruit  of  the  fast  or  harvest  of  the  hymn, 

Or  bought  one  pang  the  less  at  bearing-time 

For  white  curds  offered  and  trim  tulsi-leaves? 

Nay;  it  may  be  some  of  the  Gods  are  good 

And  evil  some,  but  all  in  action  weak; 

Both  pitiful  and  pitiless,  and  both — 

As  men  are — bound  upon  this  wheel  of  change, 

Knowing  the  former  and  the  after  lives. 

For  so  our  scriptures  truly  seem  to  teach, 

That—once,  and  wheresoe'er  and  whence  begun— 

Life  runs  its  rounds  of  living,  climbing  up 

From  mote,  and  gnat,  and  worm,  reptile,  and  fish, 

Bird  and  shagged  beast,  man,  demon,  deva,  God, 

1  Vishnu,  the  second  of  the  Hindu  Trinity,  who  takes  care  of  the  universe,  and  who  in- 
carnates as  avataras  to  help  mankind.  Shiva,  the  third  of  the  Trinity,  the  Destroyer;  some- 
times regarded  as  the  One  God.  (Brahma,  as  the  creator  Prajapati,  lord  of  all  creatures,  is 
the  other  member.)  Surya  is  the  Sun-God. 


43<>  BUDDHISM 

To  clod  and  mote  again;  so  are  we  kin 

To  all  that  is;  and  thus,  if  one  might  save 

Man  from  his  curse,  the  whole  wide  world  should  share 

The  lightened  horror  of  this  ignorance 

Whose  shadow  is  chill  fear,  and  cruelty 

Its  bitter  pastime.  Yea,  if  one  might  save! 

And  means  must  be!  There  must  be  refuge!  Men 

Perished  in  winter-winds  till  one  smote  fire 

From  flint-stones  coldly  hiding  what  they  held, 

The  red  spark  treasured  from  the  kindling  sun. 

They  gorged  on  flesh  like  wolves,  till  one  sowed  corn, 

Which  grew  a  weed,  yet  makes  the  life  of  man; 

They  mowed  and  babbled  till  some  tongue  struck  speech, 

And  patient  fingers  framed  the  lettered  sound. 

What  good  gift  have  my  brothers,  but  it  came 

From  search  and  strife  and  loving  sacrifice? 

If  one,  then,  being  great  and  fortunate, 

Rich,  dowered  with  health  and  ease,  from  birth  designed 

To  rule — if  he  would  rule — a  King  of  kings; 

If  one,  not  tired  with  life's  long  day  but  glad 

F  the  freshness  of  its  morning,  one  not  cloyed 

With  love's  delicious  feasts,  but  hungry  still; 

If  one  not  worn  and  wrinkled,  sadly  sage, 

But  joyous  in  the  glory  and  the  grace 

That  mix  with  evils  here,  and  free  to  choose 

Earth's  loveliest  at  his  will :  one  even  as  I, 

Who  ache  not,  lack  not,  grieve  not,  save  with  griefs 

Which  are  not  mine,  except  as  I  am  man; — 

If  such  a  one,  having  so  much  to  give, 

Gave  all,  laying  it  down  for  love  of  men, 

And  thenceforth  spent  himself  to  search  for  truth, 

Wringing  the  secret  of  deliverance  forth, 

Whether  it  lurk  in  hells  or  hide  in  heavens, 

Or  hover,  unrevealed,  nigh  unto  all: 

Surely  at  last,  far  off,  sometime,  somewhere, 

The  veil  would  lift  for  his  deep-searching  eyes, 

The  road  would  open  for  his  painful  feet, 

That  should  be  won  for  which  he  lost  the  world, 

And  Death  might  find  him  conqueror  of  death. 


THE    LIGHT   OF    ASIA  431 

This  will  I  do,  who  have  a  realm  to  lose, 

Because  I  love  my  realm,  because  my  heart 

Beats  with  each  throb  of  all  the  hearts  that  ache, 

Known  and  unknown,  these  that  are  mine  and  those 

Which  shall  be  mine,  a  thousand  million  more 

Saved  by  this  sacrifice  I  offer  now. 

Oh,  summoning  stars!  I  come!  Oh,  mournful  earth! 

For  thee  and  thine  I  lay  aside  my  youth, 

My  throne,  my  joys,  my  golden  days,  my  nights, 

My  happy  palace — and  thine  arms,  sweet  Queen! 

Harder  to  put  aside  than  all  the  rest! 

Yet  thee,  too,  I  shall  save,  saving  this  earth; 

And  that  which  stirs  within  thy  tender  womb, 

My  child,  the  hidden  blossom  of  our  loves, 

Whom  if  I  wait  to  bless  my  mind  will  fail. 

Wife!  child!  father!  and  people!  ye  must  share 

A  little  while  the  anguish  of  this  hour 

That  light  may  break  and  all  flesh  learn  the  Law. 

Now  am  I  fixed,  and  now  I  will  depart, 

Never  to  come  again,  till  what  I  seek 

Be  found — if  fervent  search  and  strife  avail.** 

So,  with  his  brow  he  touched  her  feet,  and  bent 
The  farewell  of  fond  eyes,  unutterable, 
Upon  her  sleeping  face,  still  wet  with  tears; 
And  thrice  around  the  bed  in  reverence, 
As  though  it  were  an  altar,  softly  stepped 
With  clasped  hands  laid  upon  his  beating  heart, 
"For  never,'*  spake  he,  "lie  I  there  again!" 
And  thrice  he  made  to  go,  but  thrice  came  back, 
So  strong  her  beauty  was,  so  large  his  love : 
Then,  o'er  his  head  drawing  his  cloth,  he  turned 
And  raised  the  purdah's  edge: 

There  drooped,  close-hushed, 
In  such  sealed  sleep  as  water-lilies  know, 
That  lovely  garden  of  his  Indian  girls; 
The  twin  dark-petalled  lotus-buds  of  all — 
Gunga  and  Gotami— on  either  side, 


432  BUDDHISM 

And  those,  their  silk-leaved  sisterhood,  beyond. 

"Pleasant  ye  are  to  me,  sweet  friends!"  he  said, 

"And  dear  to  leave;  yet,  if  I  leave  ye  not, 

What  else  will  come  to  all  of  us  save  eld 

Without  assuage  and  death  without  avail? 

Lo!  as  ye  lie  asleep  so  must  ye  lie 

A-dead;  and  when  the  rose  dies  where  are  gone 

Its  scent  and  splendour?  when  the  lamp  is  drained 

Whither  is  fled  the  flame?  Press  heavy,  Night! 

Upon  their  down-dropped  lids,  and  seal  their  lips, 

That  no  tear  stay  me  and  no  faithful  voice. 

For  all  the  brighter  that  these  made  my  life, 

The  bitterer  it  is  that  they  and  I, 

And  all,  should  live  as  trees  do — so  much  spring, 

Such  and  such  rains  and  frosts,  such  winter-times, 

And  then  dead  leaves,  with  maybe  spring  again, 

Or  axe-stroke  at  the  root.  This  will  not  I, 

Whose  life  here  was  a  God's! — this  would  not  I, 

Though  all  my  days  were  godlike,  while  men  moan 

Under  their  darkness.  Therefore  farewell,  friends! 

While  life  is  good  to  give,  I  give,  and  go 

To  seek  deliverance  and  that  unknown  Light!" 

Then,  lightly  treading  where  those  sleepers  lay, 
Into  the  night  Siddartha  passed:  its  eyes, 
The  watchful  stars,  looked  love  on  him:  its  breath, 
The  wandering  wind,  kissed  his  robe's  fluttered  fringe; 
The  garden-blossoms,  folded  for  the  dawn, 
Opened  their  velvet  hearts  to  waft  him  scents 
From  pink  and  purple  censers:  o'er  the  land, 
From  Himalay  unto  the  Indian  Sea, 
A  tremor  spread,  as  if  earth's  soul  beneath 
Stirred  with  an  unknown  hope;  and  holy  books — 
Which  tell  the  story  of  our  Lord — say,  too, 
That  rich  celestial  musics  thrilled  the  air 
From  hosts  on  hosts  of  shining  ones,  who  thronged 
Eastward  and  westward,  making  bright  the  night — 
Northward  and  southward,  making  glad  the  ground. 
Also  those  four  dread  Regents  of  the  Earth, 


THE    LIGHT   OF    ASIA  433 

Descending  at  the  doorway,  two  by  two, — 

With  their  bright  legions  of  Invisibles 

In  arms  of  sapphire,  silver,  gold,  and  pearl — 

Watched  with  joined  hands  the  Indian  Prince,  who  stood, 

His  tearful  eyes  raised  to  the  stars,  and  lips 

Close-set  with  purpose  of  prodigious  love. 

Then  strode  he  forth  into  the  gloom,  and  cried: 
"Channa,  awake!  and  bring  out  Kantaka!" 

"What  would  my  Lord?"  the  charioteer  replied — 
Slow-rising  from  his  place  beside  the  gate — 
"To  ride  at  night  when  all  the  ways  are  dark?" 

"Speak  low,"  Siddartha  said :  "and  bring  my  horse, 
For  now  the  hour  is  come  when  I  should  quit 
This  golden  prison,  where  my  heart  lives  caged, 
To  find  the  truth;  which  henceforth  I  will  seek, 
For  all  men's  sake,  until  the  truth  be  found." 

"Alas!  dear  Prince,"  answered  the  charioteer, 
"Spake  then  for  nought  those  wise  and  holy  men 
Who  cast  the  stars,  and  bade  us  wait  the  time 
When  King  Suddhodana's  great  son  should  rule 
Realms  upon  realms,  and  be  a  Lord  of  lords? 
Wilt  thou  ride  hence  and  let  the  rich  world  slip 
Out  of  thy  grasp,  to  hold  a  beggar's  bowl  ? 
Wilt  thou  go  forth  into  the  friendless  waste 
That  hast  this  Paradise  of  pleasures  here?" 

The  Prince  made  answer,  "Unto  this  I  came, 
And  not  for  thrones:  the  kingdom  that  I  crave 
Is  more  than  many  realms — and  all  things  pass 
To  change  and  death.  Bring  me  forth  Kantaka!" 

"Most  honoured,"  spake  again  the  charioteer, 
"Bethink  thee  of  my  Lord  thy  father's  grief! 
Bethink  thee  of  their  woe  whose  bliss  thou  art — 
How  shalt  thou  help  them,  first  undoing  them?" 
Siddartha  answered,  "Friend,  that  love  is  false 


434  BUDDHISM 

Which  clings  to  love  for  selfish  sweets  of  love; 
But  I,  who  love  these  more  than  joys  of  mine — 
Yea,  more  than  joy  of  theirs — depart  to  save 
Them  and  all  flesh,  if  utmost  love  avail : 
Go,  bring  me  Kantaka!" 

Then  Channa  said. 

"Master,  I  go!"  and  forthwith,  mournfully, 
Unto  the  stall  he  passed,  and  from  the  rack 
Took  down  the  silver  bit  and  bridle-chains, 
Breast-cord  and  curb,  and  knitted  fast  the  straps, 
And  linked  the  hooks,  and  led  out  Kantaka : 
Whom,  tethering  to  the  ring,  he  combed  and  dressed, 
Stroking  the  snowy  coat  to  silken  gloss; 
Next  on  the  steed  he  laid  the  numdah l  square, 
Fitted  the  saddle-cloth  across,  and  set 
The  saddle  fair,  drew  tight  the  jewelled  girths, 
Buckled  the  breech-bands  and  the  martingale, 
And  made  fall  both  the  stirrups  of  worked  gold. 
Then  over  all  he  cast  a  golden*net, 
With  tassels  of  seed-pearl  and  silken  strings, 
And  led  the  great  horse  to  the  palace  door, 
Where  stood  the  Prince;  but  when  he  saw  his  Lord, 
Right  glad  he  waxed  and  joyously  he  neighed, 
Spreading  his  scarlet  nostrils;  and  the  books 
Write,  "Surely  all  had  heard  Kantaka's  neigh, 
And  that  strong  trampling  of  his  iron  heels, 
Save  that  the  Devas  laid  soft  unseen  wings 
Over  their  cars,  and  kept  the  sleepers  deaf." 

Fondly  Siddartha  drew  the  proud  head  down, 
Patted  the  shining  neck,  and  said,  "Be  still, 
White  Kantaka!  be  still,  and  bear  me  now 
The  farthest  journey  ever  rider  rode; 
For  this  night  take  I  horse  to  find  the  truth, 
And  where  my  quest  will  end  yet  know  I  not, 
Save  that  it  shall  not  end  until  I  find. 
Therefore  to-night,  good  steed,  be  fierce  and  bold! 

1  Coarse  woolen  cloth  below  the  saddle. 


THE    LIGHT   OF    ASIA  435 

Let  nothing  stay  thee,  though  a  thousand  blades 
Deny  the  road!  let  neither  wall  nor  moat 
Forbid  our  flight!  Look!  if  I  touch  thy  flank 
And  cry,  'On,  Kantaka!'  let  whirlwinds  lag 
Behind  thy  course!  Be  fire  and  air,  my  horse! 
To  stead  thy  Lord;  so  shah  thou  share  with  him 
The  greatness  of  this  deed  which  helps  the  world; 
For  therefore  ride  I,  not  for  men  alone, 
But  for  all  things  which,  speechless,  share  our  pain 
And  have  no  hope,  nor  wit  to  ask  for  hope. 
Now,  therefore,  bear  thy  master  valorously!" 

Then  to  the  saddle  lightly  leaping,  he 
Touched  the  arched  crest,  and  Kantaka  sprang  forth 
With  armed  hoofs  sparkling  on  the  stones,  and  ring 
Of  champing  bit;  but  none  did  hear  that  sound, 
For  that  the  Suddha  Devas,  gathering  near, 
Plucked  the  red  mohra-flowers  and  strewed  them  thick 
Under  his  tread,  while  hands  invisible 
Muffled  the  ringing  bit  and  bridle-chains. 
Moreover,  it  is  written  when  they  came 
Upon  the  pavement  near  the  inner  gates, 
The  Yakshas  l  of  the  air  laid  magic  cloths 
Under  the  stallion's  feet,  so  that  he  went 
Softly  and  still. 

But  when  they  reached  the  gate 
Of  tripled  brass — which  hardly  fivescore  men 
Served  to  unbar  and  open — lo!  the  doors 
Rolled  back  all  silently,  though  one  might  hear 
In  daytime  two  koss  off  the  thunderous  roar 
Of  those  grim  hinges  and  unwieldy  plates. 

Also  the  middle  and  the  outer  gates 
Unfolded  each  their  monstrous  portals  thus 
In  silence,  as  Siddartha  and  his  steed 
Drew  near;  while  underneath  their  shadow  lay, 
Silent  as  dead  men,  all  those  chosen  guards — 
The  lance  and  sword  let  fall,  the  shields  unbraced, 
1  Goblins,  spirits. 


436  BUDDHISM 

Captains  and  soldiers — for  there  came  a  wind, 
Drowsier  than  blows  o'er  Malwa's  fields  of  sleep, 
Before  the  Prince's  path,  which,  being  breathed, 
Lulled  every  sense  aswoon :  and  so  he  passed 
Free  from  the  palace. 

When  the  morning  star 

Stood  half  a  spear's  length  from  the  eastern  rim, 
And  o'er  the  earth  the  breath  of  morning  sighed, 
Rippling  Anoma's  wave,  the  border-stream, 
Then  drew  he  rein,  and  leaped  to  earth,  and  kissed 
White  Kantaka  betwixt  the  ears,  and  spake 
Full  sweet  to  Channa:  "This  which  thou  hast  done 
Shall  bring  thee  good,  and  bring  all  creatures  good: 
Be  sure  I  love  thee  always  for  thy  love. 
Lead  back  my  horse,  and  take  my  crest-pearl  here, 
My  princely  robes,  which  henceforth  stead  me  not, 
My  jewelled  sword-belt  and  my  sword,  and  these 
The  long  locks  by  its  bright  edge  severed  thus 
From  off  my  brows.  Give  the  King  all,  and  say 
Siddartha  prays  forget  him  till  he  come 
Ten  times  a  Prince,  with  royal  wisdom  won 
From  lonely  searchings  and  the  strife  for  light; 
Where,  if  I  conquer,  lo!  all  earth  is  mine — 
Mine  by  chief  service! — tell  him — mine  by  love  I 
Since  there  is  hope  for  man  only  in  man, 
And  none  hath  sought  for  this  as  I  will  seek, 
Who  cast  away  my  world  to  save  my  world." 

BOOK  THE  FIFTH 

Round  Rajagriha  five  fair  hills  arose, 
Guarding  King  Bimbisara's  sylvan  town: 
Baibhara,  green  with  lemon-grass  and  palms; 
Bipulla,  at  whose  foot  thin  Sarsuti 
Steals  with  warm  ripple;  shadowy  Tapovan, 
Whose  steaming  pools  mirror  black  rocks,  which  ooze 
Sovereign  earth-butter  from  their  rugged  roofs; 
South-east  the  vulture-peak  Sailagiri; 
And  eastward  Ratnagiri,  hill  of  gems. 


THE    LIGHT   OF    ASIA  437 

A  winding  track,  paven  with  footworn  slabs, 

Leads  thee,  by  safflower  fields  and  bamboo  tufts, 

Under  dark  mangoes  and  the  jujube-trees, 

Past  milk-white  veins  of  rock  and  jasper  crags, 

Low  cliff  and  flats  of  jungle-flowers,  to  where 

The  shoulder  of  that  mountain,  sloping  west, 

O'erhangs  a  cave  with  wild  figs  canopied. 

Lo!  thou  who  comest  thither,  bare  thy  feet 

And  bow  thy  head!  for  all  this  spacious  earth 

Hath  not  a  spot  more  dear  and  hallowed.  Here 

Lord  Buddha  sate  the  scorching  summers  through, 

The  driving  rains,  the  chilly  dawns  and  eves; 

Wearing  for  all  men's  sakes  the  yellow  robe, 

Eating  in  beggar's  guise  the  scanty  meal 

Chance-gathered  from  the  charitable;  at  night 

Couched  on  the  grass,  homeless,  alone;  while  yelped 

The  sleepless  jackals  round  his  cave,  or  coughs 

Of  famished  tiger  from  the  thicket  broke. 

By  day  and  night  here  dwelt  the  World-honoured, 

Subduing  that  fair  body  born  for  bliss 

With  fast  and  frequent  watch  and  search  intense 

Of  silent  meditation,  so  prolonged 

That  ofttimes  while  he  mused — as  motionless 

As  the  fixed  rock  his  seat — the  squirrel  leaped 

Upon  his  knee,  the  timid  quail  led  forth 

Her  brood  between  his  feet,  and  blue  doves  pecked 

The  rice-grains  from  the  bowl  beside  his  hand. 

Thus  would  he  muse  from  noontide — when  the  land 
Shimmered  with  heat,  and  walls  and  temples  danced 
In  the  reeking  air—till  sunset,  noting  not 
The  blazing  globe  roll  down,  nor  evening  glide, 
Purple  and  swift,  across  the  softened  fields; 
Nor  the  still  coming  of  the  stars,  nor  throb 
Of  drum-skins  in  the  busy  town,  nor  screech 
Of  owl  and  night-jar;  wholly  wrapt  from  self 
In  keen  unravelling  of  the  threads  of  thought 
And  steadfast  pacing  of  life's  labyrinths. 
Thus  would  he  sit  till  midnight  hushed  the  world, 


438  BUDDHISM 

Save  where  the  beasts  of  darkness  in  the  brake 
Crept  and  cried  out,  as  fear  and  hatred  cry, 
As  lust  and  avarice  and  anger  creep 
In  the  black  jungles  of  man's  ignorance. 
Then  slept  he  for  what  space  the  fleet  moon  asks 
To  swim  a  tenth  part  of  her  cloudy  sea; 
But  rose  ere  the  False-dawn,  and  stood  again 
Wistful  on  some  dark  platform  of  his  hill, 
Watching  the  sleeping  earth  with  ardent  eyes 
And  thoughts  embracing  all  its  living  things; 
While  o'er  the  waving  fields  that  murmur  moved 
Which  is  the  kiss  of  Morn  waking  the  lands, 
And  in  the  east  that  miracle  of  Day 
Gathered  and  grew.  At  first  a  dusk  so  dim 
Night  seems  still  unaware  of  whispered  dawn, 
But  soon — before  the  jungle-cock  crows  twice — 
A  white  verge  clear,  a  widening,  brightening  white, 
High  as  the  herald-star,  which  fades  in  floods 
Of  silver,  warming  into  pale  gold,  caught 
By  topmost  clouds,  and  flaming  on  their  rims 
To  fervent  golden  glow,  flushed  from  the  brink 
With  saffron,  scarlet,  crimson,  amethyst; 
Whereat  the  sky  burns  splendid  to  the  blue, 
And,  robed  in  raiment  of  glad  light,  the  King 
Of  Life  and  Glory  cometh! 

Then  our  Lord, 

After  the  manner  of  a  Rishi,  hailed 
The  rising  orb,  and  went — ablutions  made — 
Down  by  the  winding  path  unto  the  town; 
And  in  the  fashion  of  a  Rishi  passed 
From  street  to  street,  with  begging-bowl  in  hand, 
Gathering  the  little  pittance  of  his  needs. 
Soon  was  it  filled,  for  all  the  townsmen  cried, 
"Take  of  our  store,  great  sir!"  and  "Take  of  ours!" 
Marking  his  godlike  face  and  eyes  enwrapt; 
And  mothers,  v/hen  they  saw  our  Lord  go  by, 
Would  bid  their  children  fall  to  kiss  his  feet, 
And  lift  his  robe's  hem  to  their  brows,  or  run 


THE   LIGHT   OF    ASIA  439 

To  fill  his  jar,  and  fetch  him  milk  and  cakes. 

And  ofttimes  as  he  paced,  gentle  and  slow, 

Radiant  with  heavenly  pity,  lost  in  care 

For  those  he  knew  not,  save  as  fellow-lives, 

The  dark  surprised  eyes  of  some  Indian  maid 

Would  dwell  in  sudden  love  and  worship  deep 

On  that  majestic  form,  as  if  she  saw 

Her  dreams  of  tenderest  thought  made  true,  and  grace 

Fairer  than  mortal  fire  her  breast.  But  he 

Passed  onward  with  the  bowl  and  yellow  robe, 

By  mild  speech  paying  all  those  gifts  of  hearts, 

Wending  his  way  back  to  the  solitudes 

To  sit  upon  his  hill  with  holy  men, 

And  hear  and  ask  of  wisdom  and  its  roads. 

Midway  on  Ratnagiri's  groves  of  calm, 
Beyond  the  city,  but  below  the  caves, 
Lodged  such  as  hold  the  body  foe  to  soul, 
And  flesh  a  beast  which  men  must  chain  and  tame 
With  bitter  pains,  till  sense  of  pain  is  killed, 
And  tortured  nerves  vex  torturer  no  more: 
Yogis  and  Brahmacharis,1  Bhikshus,2  all 
A  gaunt  and  mournful  band,  dwelling  apart. 
Some  day  and  night  had  stood  with  lifted  arms, 
Till — drained  of  blood  and  withered  by  disease — 
Their  slowly  wasting  joints  and  stiffened  limbs 
Jutted  from  sapless  shoulders  like  dead  forks 
From  forest  trunks.  Others  had  clenched  their  hands 
So  long  and  with  so  fierce  a  fortitude, 
The  claw-like  nails  grew  through  the  festered  palm. 
Some  walked  on  sandals  spiked;  some  with  sharp  flints 
Gashed  breast  and  brow  and  thigh,  scarred  these  with  fire, 
Threaded  their  flesh  with  jungle  thorns  and  spits, 
Besmeared  with  mud  and  ashes,  crouching  foul 
In  rags  of  dead  men  wrapped  about  their  loins. 
Certain  there  were  inhabited  the  spots 
Where  death-pyres  smouldered,  cowering  defiled 

1  Brahmana  students.  "Monks,  devotees. 


440  BUDDHISM 

With  corpses  for  their  company,  and  kites 

Screaming  around  them  o'er  the  funeral-spoils: 

Certain  who  cried  five  hundred  times  a  day 

The  names  of  Shiva,  knit  with  hissing  snakes 

About  their  sun-tanned  necks  and  hollow  flanks, 

One  palsied  foot  drawn  up  against  the  ham. 

So  gathered  they,  a  grievous  company; 

Crowns  blistered  by  the  blazing  heat,  eyes  bleared, 

Sinews  and  muscles  shrivelled,  visages 

Haggard  and  wan  as  slain  men's,  five  days  dead; 

Here  crouched  one  in  the  dust  who  noon  by  noon 

Meted  a  thousand  grains  of  millet  out, 

Ate  it  with  famished  patience,  seed  by  seed, 

And  so  starved  on;  there  one  who  bruised  his  pulse 

With  bitter  leaves  lest  palate  should  be  pleased; 

And  next,  a  miserable  saint  self-maimed, 

Eyeless  and  tongueless,  sexless,  crippled,  deaf; 

The  body  by  the  mind  being  thus  stripped 

For  glory  of  much  suffering,  and  the  bliss 

Which  they  shall  win — say  holy  books — whose  woe 

Shames  gods  that  send  us  woe,  and  makes  men  gods 

Stronger  to  suffer  than  Hell  is  to  harm. 

Whom  sadly  eyeing  spake  our  Lord  to  one, 
Chief  of  the  woe-begones:  "Much-suffering  sir! 
These  many  moons  I  dwell  upon  the  hill — 
Who  am  a  seeker  of  the  Truth — and  see 
My  brothers  here,  and  thee,  so  piteously 
Self-anguished;  wherefore  add  ye  ills  to  life 
Which  is  so  evil?" 

Answer  made  the  sage: 
"  'Tis  written  if  a  man  shall  mortify 
His  flesh,  till  pain  be  grown  the  life  he  lives 
And  death  voluptuous  rest,  such  woes  shall  purge 
Sin's  dross  away,  and  the  soul,  purified, 
Soar  from  the  furnace  of  its  sorrow,  winged 
For  glorious  spheres  and  splendour  past  all  thought." 


THE    LIGHT   OF    ASIA  44! 

"Yon  cloud  which  floats  in  heaven,"  the  Prince  replied, 
"Wreathed  like  gold  cloth  around  your  Indra's  throne, 
Rose  thither  from  the  tempest-driven  sea; 
But  it  must  fall  again  in  tearful  drops, 
Trickling  through  rough  and  painful  water-ways 
By  cleft  and  nullah  and  the  muddy  flood, 
To  Gunga  and  the  sea,  wherefrom  it  sprang. 
Know'st  thou,  my  brother,  if  it  be  not  thus, 
After  their  many  pains,  with  saints  in  bliss? 
Since  that  which  rises  falls,  and  that  which  buys 
Is  spent;  and  if  ye  buy  heav'n  with  your  blood 
In  hell's  hard  market,  when  the  bargain's  through 
The  toil  begins  again !" 

"It  may  begin," 

The  hermit  moaned.  "Alas!  we  know  not  this, 
Nor  surely  anything;  yet  after  night 
Day  comes,  and  after  turmoil  peace,  and  we 
Hate  this  accursed  flesh  which  clogs  the  soul 
That  fain  would  rise;  so,  for  the  sake  of  soul, 
We  stake  brief  agonies  in  game  with  Gods 
To  gain  the  larger  joys." 

"Yet  if  they  last 

A  myriad  years,"  he  said,  "they  fade  at  length, 
Those  joys;  or  if  not,  is  there  then  some  life 
Below,  above,  beyond,  so  unlike  life 
It  will  not  change?  Speak!  do  your  Gods  endure 
For  ever,  brothers?" 

"Nay,"  the  Yogis  said, 
"Only  great  Brahm  endures :  the  Gods  but  live." 

Then  spake  Lord  Buddha :  "Will  ye,  being  wise, 
As  ye  seem  holy  and  strong-hearted  ones, 
Throw  these  sore  dice,  which  are  your  groans  and  moans, 
For  gains  which  may  be  dreams,  and  must  have  end? 
Will  ye,  for  love  of  soul,  so  loathe  your  flesh, 
So  scourge  and  maim  it,  that  it  shall  not  serve 
To  bear  the  spirit  on,  searching  for  home, 


442  BUDDHISM 

But  founder  on  the  track  before  night-fall, 
Like  willing  steed  o'er-spurred  ?  Will  ye,  sad  sirsl 
Dismantle  and  dismember  this  fair  house, 
Where  we  have  come  to  dwell  by  painful  pasts; 
Whose  windows  give  us  light— the  little  light- 
Whereby  we  gaze  abroad  to  know  if  dawn 
Will  break,  and  whither  winds  the  better  road?" 

Then  cried  they,  "We  have  chosen  this  for  road 
And  tread  it,  Rajaputra! 1  till  the  close — 
Though  all  its  stones  were  fire — in  trust  of  death. 
Speak,  if  thou  know'st  a  way  more  excellent; 
If  not,  peace  go  with  thee!" 

Onward  he  passed, 
Exceeding  sorrowful,  seeing  how  men 
Fear  so  to  die  they  are  afraid  to  fear, 
Lust  so  to  live  they  dare  not  love  their  life, 
But  plague  it  with  fierce  penances,  belike 
To  please  the  Gods  who  grudge  pleasure  to  man; 
Belike  to  baulk  hell  by  self-kindled  hells; 
Belike  in  holy  madness,  hoping  soul 
May  break  the  better  through  their  wasted  flesh. 
"Oh,  flowerets  of  the  field!"  Siddartha  said, 
"Who  turn  your  tender  faces  to  the  sun — 
Glad  of  the  light,  and  grateful  with  sweet  breath 
Of  fragrance  and  these  robes  of  reverence  donned 
Silver  and  gold  and  purple — none  of  ye 
Miss  perfect  living,  none  of  ye  despoil 
Your  happy  beauty.  Oh,  ye  palms!  which  rise 
Eager  to  pierce  the  sky  and  drink  the  wind 
Blown  from  Malaya  and  the  cool  blue  seas, 
What  secret  know  ye  that  ye  grow  content, 
From  time  of  tender  shoot  to  time  of  fruit, 
Murmuring  such  sun-songs  from  your  feathered  crowns? 
Ye,  too,  who  dwell  so  merry  in  the  trees — 
Quick-darting  parrots,  bee-birds,  bulbuls,  doves — 
None  of  ye  hate  your  life,  none  of  ye  deem 

1  Son  of  a  king,  prince;  "putra"  means  son. 


THE   LIGHT   OF   ASIA  443 

To  strain  to  better  by  foregoing  needs! 
But  man,  who  slays  ye — being  lord — is  wise, 
And  wisdom,  nursed  on  blood,  cometh  thus  forth 
In  self-tormentings!" 

While  the  Master  spake 

Blew  down  the  mount  the  dust  of  pattering  feet, 
White  goats  and  black  sheep  winding  slow  their  way, 
With  many  a  lingering  nibble  at  the  tufts, 
And  wanderings  from  the  path,  where  water  gleamed 
Or  wild  figs  hung.  But  always  as  they  strayed 
The  herdsman  cried,  or  slung  his  sling,  and  kept 
The  silly  crowd  still  moving  to  the  plain. 
A  ewe  with  couplets  in  the  flock  there  was, 
Some  hurt  had  lamed  one  lamb,  which  toiled  behind 
Bleeding,  while  in  the  front  its  fellow  skipped, 
And  the  vexed  dam  hither  and  thither  ran, 
Fearful  to  lose  this  little  one  or  that; 
Which  when  our  Lord  did  mark,  full  tenderly 
He  took  the  limping  lamb  upon  his  neck, 
Saying,  "Poor  woolly  mother,  be  at  peace! 
Whither  thou  goest  I  will  bear  thy  care; 
'Twere  all  as  good  to  ease  one  beast  of  grief 
As  sit  and  watch  the  sorrows  of  the  world 
In  yonder  caverns  with  the  priests  who  pray." 

"But,"  spake  he  to  the  herdsmen,  "wherefore,  friends  1 
Drive  ye  the  flocks  adown  under  high  noon, 
Since  'tis  at  evening  that  men  fold  their  sheep?" 

And  answer  gave  the  peasants:  "We  are  sent 
To  fetch  a  sacrifice  of  goats  five-score, 
And  five-score  sheep,  the  which  our  Lord  the  King 
Slayeth  this  night  in  worship  of  his  gods." 
Then  said  the  Master:  "I  will  also  go!" 
So  paced  he  patiently,  bearing  the  lamb 
Beside  the  herdsmen  in  the  dust  and  sun, 
The  wistful  ewe  low  bleating  at  his  feet. 


444  BUDDHISM 

Whom,  when  they  came  unto  the  river-side 
A  woman — dove-eyed,  young,  with  tearful  face 
And  lifted  hands — saluted,  bending  low: 
"Lord!  thou  art  he,"  she  said,  "who  yesterday 
Had  pity  on  me  in  the  fig-grove  here, 
Where  I  live  lone  and  reared  my  child;  but  he 
Straying  amid  the  blossoms  found  a  snake, 
Which  twined  about  his  wrist,  whilst  he  did  laugh 
And  tease  the  quick-forked  tongue  and  opened  mouth 
Of  that  cold  playmate.  But,  alas!  ere  long 
He  turned  so  pale  and  still,  I  could  not  think 
Why  he  should  cease  to  play,  and  let  my  breast 
Fall  from  his  lips.  And  one  said,  'He  is  sick 
Of  poison';  and  another,  'He  will  die.' 
But  I,  who  could  not  lose  my  precious  boy, 
Prayed  of  them  physic,  which  might  bring  the  light 
Back  to  his  eyes;  it  was  so  very  small 
That  kiss-mark  of  the  serpent,  and  I  think 
It  could  not  hate  him,  gracious  as  he  was, 
Nor  hurt  him  in  his  sport.  And  some  one  said, 
'There  is  a  holy  man  upon  the  hill — 
Lo!  now  he  passeth  in  the  yellow  robe — 
Ask  of  the  Rishi  if  there  be  a  cure 
For  that  which  ails  thy  son.'  Whereon  I  came 
Trembling  to  thee,  whose  brow  is  like  a  god's, 
And  wept  and  drew  the  face-cloth  from  my  babe, 
Praying  thee  tell  what  simples  might  be  good. 
And  thou,  great  sir!  didst  spurn  me  not,  but  gaze 
With  gentle  eyes  and  touch  with  patient  hand; 
Then  draw  the  face-cloth  back,  saying  to  me, 
'Yea!  little  sister,  there  is  that  might  heal 
Thee  first,  and  him,  if  thou  couldst  fetch  the  thing; 
For  they  who  seek  physicians  bring  to  them 
What  is  ordained.  Therefore,  I  pray  thee,  find 
Black  mustard-seed,  a  tola;  only  mark 
Thou  take  it  not  from  any  hand  or  house 
Where  father,  mother,  child,  or  slave  hath  died: 
It  shall  be  well  if  thou  canst  find  such  seed.' 
Thus  didst  thou  speak,  my  Lord!" 


THE   LIGHT  OF   ASIA  445 

The  Master  smiled 

Exceeding  tenderly.  "Yea!  I  spake  thus, 
Dear  Kisagotami! x  But  didst  thou  find 
The  seed  ?" 

"I  went,  Lord,  clasping  to  my  breast 
The  babe,  grown  colder,  asking  at  each  hut — 
Here  in  the  jungle  and  towards  the  town— 
'I  pray  you,  give  me  mustard,  of  your  grace, 
A  tola— black';  and  each  who  had  it  gave, 
For  all  the  poor  are  piteous  to  the  poor; 
But  when  I  asked,  'In  my  friend's  household  here 
Hath  any  peradventure  ever  died — 
Husband,  or  wife,  or  child,  or  slave?'  they  said: 
*O  Sister!  what  is  this  you  ask?  the  dead 
Are  very  many,  and  the  living  few!' 
So  with  sad  thanks  I  gave  the  mustard  back, 
And  prayed  of  others;  but  the  others  said, 
'Here  is  the  seed,  but  we  have  lost  our  slave!1 
'Here  is  the  seed,  but  our  good  man  is  dead!' 
'Here  is  some  seed,  but  he  that  sowed  it  died 
Between  the  rain-time  and  the  harvesting!' 
Ah,  sir!  I  could  not  find  a  single  house 
Where  there  was  mustard-seed  and  none  had  died! 
Therefore  I  left  my  child — who  would  not  suck 
Nor  smile — beneath  the  wild-vines  by  the  stream, 
To  seek  thy  face  and  kiss  thy  feet,  and  pray 
Where  I  might  find  this  seed  and  find  no  death, 
If  now,  indeed,  my  baby  be  not  dead, 
As  I  do  fear,  and  as  they  said  to  me." 

"My  sister!  thou  hast  found,"  the  Master  said, 
"Searching  for  what  none  finds— that  bitter  balm 
I  had  to  give  thee.  He  thou  lovedst  slept 
Dead  on  thy  bosom  yesterday :  to-day 
Thou  know'st  the  whole  wide  world  weeps  with  thy  woe; 
The  grief  which  all  hearts  share  grows  less  for  one. 
Lo!  I  would  pour  my  blood  if  it  could  stay 
Thy  tears  and  win  the  secret  of  that  curse 

1  Sec  story  of  Kisa  Gotami,  in  the  section,  Some  Buddhist  Parables  and  Legends. 


446  BUDDHISM 

Which  makes  sweet  love  our  anguish,  and  which  drives— 

O'er  flowers  and  pastures  to  the  sacrifice — 

As  these  dumb  beasts  are  driven — men  their  lords. 

I  seek  that  secret:  bury  thou  thy  child!" 

So  entered  they  the  city  side  by  side, 
The  herdsmen  and  the  Prince,  what  time  the  sun 
Gilded  slow  Sona's  distant  stream,  and  threw 
Long  shadows  down  the  street  and  through  the  gate 
Where  the  King's  men  kept  watch.  But  when  these  saw 
Our  Lord  bearing  the  lamb,  the  guards  stood  back, 
The  market-people  drew  their  wains  aside, 
In  the  bazaar  buyers  and  sellers  stayed 
The  war  of  tongues  to  gaze  on  that  mild  face; 
The  smith,  with  lifted  hammer  in  his  hand, 
Forgot  to  strike;  the  weaver  left  his  web, 
The  scribe  his  scroll,  the  money-changer  lost 
His  count  of  cowries;  from  the  un watched  rice 
Shiva's  white  bull  fed  free;  the  wasted  milk 
Ran  o'er  the  lota  while  the  milkers  watched 
The  passage  of  our  Lord  moving  so  meek, 
With  yet  so  beautiful  a  majesty. 
But  most  the  women  gathering  in  the  doors 
Asked,  "Who  is  this  that  brings  the  sacrifice 
So  graceful  and  peace-giving  as  he  goes  ? 
What  is  his  caste?  whence  hath  he  eyes  so  sweet? 
Can  he  be  Sakra *  or  the  Devaraj 2  ?" 
And  others  said,  "It  is  the  holy  man 
Who  dwelleth  with  the  Rishis  on  the  hill." 
But  the  Lord  paced,  in  meditation  lost, 
Thinking,  "Alas!  for  all  my  sheep  which  have 
No  shepherd;  wandering  in  the  night  with  none 
To  guide  them;  bleating  blindly  towards  the  knife 
Of  Death,  as  these  dumb  beasts  which  are  their  kin." 

Then  some  one  told  the  King,  "There  cometh  here 
A  holy  hermit,  bringing  down  the  flock 
Which  thou  didst  bid  to  crown  thy  sacrifice." 
r  Another  name  for  Indra.  *  Dcvaraj,  ruler  or  the  got:;. 


THE    LIGHT   OF    ASIA  447 

The  King  stood  in  his  hall  of  offering, 
On  either  hand  the  white-robed  Brahmans  ranged 
Muttered  their  mantras,  feeding  still  the  fire 
Which  roared  upon  the  midmost  altar.  There 
From  scented  woods  flickered  bright  tongues  of  flame, 
Hissing  and  curling  as  they  licked  the  gifts 
Of  ghee  and  spices  and  the  Soma  juice, 
The  joy  of  Indra.  Round  about  the  pile 
A  slow,  thick,  scarlet  streamlet  smoked  and  ran, 
Sucked  by  the  sand,  but  ever  rolling  down, 
The  blood  of  bleating  victims.  One  such  lay, 
A  spotted  goat,  long-horned,  its  head  bound  back 
With  munja  grass;  at  its  stretched  throat  the  knife 
Pressed  by  a  priest,  who  murmured,  "This,  dread  gods, 
Of  many  yajnas1  cometh  as  the  crown 
From  Bimbisara:  take  ye  joy  to  see 
The  spirted  blood,  and  pleasure  in  the  scent 
Of  rich  flesh  roasting  'mid  the  fragrant  flames; 
Let  the  King's  sins  be  laid  upon  this  goat, 
And  let  the  fire  consume  them  burning  it, 
For  now  I  strike." 

But  Buddha  softly  said, 

"Let  him  not  strike,  great  K.ng!"  and  therewith  loosed 
The  victim's  bonds,  none  staying  him,  so  great 
His  presence  was.  Then,  craving  leave,  he  spake 
Of  life,  which  all  can  take  but  none  can  give, 
Life,  which  all  creatures  love  and  strive  to  keep, 
Wonderful,  dear,  and  pleasant  unto  each, 
Even  to  the  meanest;  yea,  a  boon  to  all 
Where  pity  is,  for  pity  makes  the  world 
Soft  to  the  weak  and  noble  for  the  strong. 
Unto  the  dumb  lips  of  his  flock  he  lent 
Sad  pleading  words,  showing  how  man,  who  prays 
For  mercy  to  the  gods,  is  merciless, 
Being  as  god  to  those;  albeit  all  life 
Is  linked  and  kin,  and  what  we  slay  have  given 
Meek  tribute  of  the  milk  and  wool,  and  set 

1  Sacrifices. 


448  BUDDHISM 

Fast  trust  upon  the  hands  which  murder  them. 
Also  he  spake  of  what  the  holy  books 
Do  surely  teach,  how  that  at  death  some  sink 
To  bird  and  beast;  and  these  rise  up  to  man 
In  wanderings  of  the  spark  which  grows  purged  flame. 
So  were  the  sacrifice  new  sin,  if  so 
The  fated  passage  of  a  soul  be  stayed. 
Nor,  spake  he,  shall  one  wash  his  spirit  clean 
By  blood;  nor  gladden  gods,  being  good,  with  blood; 
Nor  bribe  them,  being  evil;  nay,  nor  lay 
Upon  the  brow  of  innocent  bound  beasts 
One  hair's  weight  of  that  answer  all  must  give 
For  all  things  done  amiss  or  wrongfully, 
Alone,  each  for  himself,  reckoning  with  that 
The  fixed  arithmic  of  the  universe, 
Which  meteth  good  for  good  and  ill  for  ill, 
Measure  for  measure,  unto  deeds,  words,  thoughts; 
Watchful,  aware,  implacable,  unmoved; 
Making  all  futures  fruits  of  all  the  pasts. 
Thus  spake  he,  breathing  words  so  piteous, 
With  such  high  lordliness  of  ruth  and  right, 
The  priests  drew  down  their  garments  o'er  the  hands 
Crimsoned  with  slaughter,  and  the  King  came  near, 
Standing  with  clasped  palms  reverencing  Buddh; 
While  still  our  Lord  went  on,  teaching  how  fair 
This  earth  were  if  all  living  things  be  linked 
In  friendliness  and  common  use  of  foods, 
Bloodless  and  pure;  the  golden  grain,  bright  fruits, 
Sweet  herbs  which  grow  for  all,  the  waters  wan, 
Sufficient  drinks  and  meats.  Which  when  these  heard, 
The  might  of  gentleness  so  conquered  them, 
The  priests  themselves  scattered  their  altar-flames 
And  flung  away  the  steel  of  sacrifice; 
And  through  the  land  next  day  passed  a  decree 
Proclaimed  by  criers,  and  in  this  wise  graved 
On  rock  and  column:  "Thus  the  King's  will  is: — 
There  hath  been  slaughter  for  the  sacrifice 
And  slaying  for  the  meat,  but  henceforth  none 
Shall  spill  the  blood  of  life  nor  taste  of  flesh, 


THE    LIGHT   OF    ASIA  449 

Seeing  that  knowledge  grows,  and  life  is  one, 
And  mercy  cometh  to  the  merciful." 
So  ran  the  edict,  and  from  those  days  forth 
Sweet  peace  hath  spread  between  all  living  kind, 
Man  and  the  beasts  which  serve  him,  and  the  birds, 
On  all  those  banks  of  Gunga  where  our  Lord 
Taught  with  his  saintly  pity  and  soft  speech. 

For  aye  so  piteous  was  the  Master's  heart 
To  all  that  breathe  this  breath  of  fleeting  life, 
Yoked  in  one  fellowship  of  joys  and  pains, 
That  it  is  written  in  the  holy  books 
How,  in  an  ancient  age — when  Buddha  wore 
A  Brahman's  form,  dwelling  upon  the  rock 
Named  Munda,  by  the  village  of  Dalidd — 
Drought  withered  all  the  land:  the  young  rice  died 
Ere  it  could  hide  a  quail;  in  forest  glades 
A  fierce  sun  sucked  the  pools;  grasses  and  herbs 
Sickened,  and  all  the  woodland  creatures  fled 
Scattering  for  sustenance.  At  such  a  time, 
Between  the  hot  walls  of  a  nullah,  stretched 
On  naked  stones,  our  Lord  spied,  as  he  passed, 
A  starving  tigress.  Hunger  in  her  orbs 
Glared  with  green  flame;  her  dry  tongue  lolled  a  span 
Beyond  the  gasping  jaws  and  shrivelled  jowl: 
Her  painted  hide  hung  wrinkled  on  her  ribs, 
As  when  between  the  rafters  sinks  a  thatch 
Rotten  with  rains;  and  at  the  poor  lean  dugs 
Two  cubs,  whining  with  famine,  tugged  and  sucked, 
Mumbling  those  milkless  teats  which  rendered  nought; 
While  she,  their  gaunt  dam,  licked  full  motherly 
The  clamorous  twins,  and  gave  her  flank  to  them 
With  moaning  throat,  and  love  stronger  than  want, 
Softening  the  first  of  that  wild  cry  wherewith 
She  laid  her  famished  muzzle  to  the  sand 
And  roared  a  savage  thunder-peal  of  woe. 
Seeing  which  bitter  strait,  and  heeding  nought 
Save  the  immense  compassion  of  a  Buddh, 
Our  Lord  bethought:  "There  is  no  other  way 


45O  BUDDHISM 

To  help  this  murderess  of  the  woods  but  one. 

By  sunset  these  will  die,  having  no  meat: 

There  is  no  living  heart  will  pity  her, 

Bloody  with  ravin,  lean  for  lack  of  blood. 

Lo!  i£  I  feed  her,  who  shall  lose  but  I, 

And  how  can  love  lose  doing  of  its  kind 

Even  to  the  uttermost?"  So  saying,  Buddh 

Silently  laid  aside  sandals  and  staff, 

His  sacred  thread,  turban,  and  cloth,  and  came 

Forth  from  behind  the  milk-bush  on  the  sand, 

Saying,  "Ho!  mother,  here  is  meat  for  thee!" 

Whereat  the  perishing  beast  yelped  hoarse  and  shrill. 

Sprang  from  her  cubs,  and,  hurling  to  the  earth 

That  willing  victim,  had  her  feast  of  him 

With  all  the  crooked  daggers  of  her  claws 

Rending  his  flesh,  and  all  her  yellow  fangs 

Bathed  in  his  blood :  the  great  cat's  burning  breath 

Mixed  with  the  last  sigh  of  such  fearless  love. 

Thus  large  the  Master's  heart  was  long  ago, 
Not  only  now,  when  with  his  gracious  ruth 
He  bade  cease  cruel  worship  of  the  Gods.- 
And  much  King  Bimbisara  prayed  our  Lord — 
Learning  his  royal  birth  and  holy  search — 
To  tarry  in  that  city,  saying  oft, 
"Thy  princely  state  may  not  abide  such  fasts; 
Thy  hands  were  made  for  sceptres,  not  for  alms. 
Sojourn  with  me,  who  have  no  son  to  rule, 
And  teach  my  kingdom  wisdom,  till  I  die, 
Lodged  in  my  palace  with  a  beauteous  bride." 
But  ever  spake  Siddartha,  of  set  mind: 
"These  things  I  had,  most  noble  King,  and  left, 
Seeking  the  truth;  which  still  I  seek,  and  shall; 
Not  to  be  stayed  though  Sakra's  palace  ope'd 
Its  doors  of  pearl  and  Devls l  wooed  me  in. 
I  go  to  build  the  Kingdom  of  the  Law, 
Journeying  to  Gaya  and  the  forest  shades, 
Where,  as  I  think,  the  light  will  come  to  me; 
1  Feminine  celestial  spirits. 


THE    LIGHT   OF    ASIA  45! 

For  nowise  here  among  the  Rishis  comes 
That  light,  nor  from  the  Shasters,1  nor  from  fasts 
Borne  till  the  body  faints,  starved  by  the  soul. 
Yet  there  is  light  to  reach  and  truth  to  win; 
And  surely,  O  true  Friend,  if  I  attain 
I  will  return  and  quit  thy  love." 

Thereat 

Thrice  round  the  Prince  King  Bimbisara  paced, 
Reverently  bending  to  the  Master's  feet, 
And  bade  him  speed.  So  passed  our  Lord  away 
Towards  Uravilva,  not  yet  comforted, 
And  wan  of  face,  and  weak  with  six  years'  quest. 
But  they  upon  the  hill  and  in  the  grove — 
Alara,  Udra,  and  the  ascetics  five — 
Had  stayed  him,  saying  all  was  written  clear 
In  holy  Shasters,  and  that  none  might  win 
Higher  than  Srutt  *  and  than  Smriti s — nay, 
Not  the  chief  saints! — for  how  should  mortal  man 
Be  wiser  than  the  Jnana-Kand,*  which  tells 
That  Brahm  is  bodiless  and  actionless, 
Passionless,  calm,  unqualified,  unchanged, 
Pure  life,  pure  thought,  pure  joy?  Or  how  should  man 
Be  better  than  the  Karmma-Kand,5  which  shows 
How  he  may  strip  passion  and  action  off, 
Break  from  the  bond  of  self,  and  so,  unsphcred, 
Be  God,  and  melt  into  the  vast  divine; 
Flying  from  false  to  true,  from  wars  of  sense 
To  peace  eternal,  where  the  Silence  lives? 

But  the  Prince  heaid  them,  not  yet  comforted. 

BOOK  THE  SIXTH 

THOU,  who  wouldst  see  where  dawned  the  light  at  last, 
North-westwards  from  the  "Thousand  Gardens"  go 

1  Also  shastra,  sastra,  a  Hindu  sacred  book,  particularly  a  book  of  laws. 

2  The  Vedas,  orally  handed  down  and  considered  as  divine  revelation. 
8  Name  of  a  religious  scripture. 

1  The  knowledge  portion  of  the  Vedas. 
B  The  ritualistic  portion  of  the  Vedas. 


452  BUDDHISM 

By  Gunga's  valley  till  thy  steps  be  set  • 

O)  i  the  green  hills  where  those  twin  streamlets  spring, 

Nilajan  and  Mohana;  follow  them, 

Winding  beneath  broad-leaved  mahua-trees, 

'Mid  thickets  of  the  sansar  and  the  bir, 

Till  on  the  plain  the  shining  sisters  meet 

In  Phalgu's  bed,  flowing  by  rocky  banks 

To  Gaya  and  the  red  Barabar  hills. 

Hard  by  that  river  spreads  a  thorny  waste, 

Uruwelaya  named  in  ancient  days, 

With  sandhills  broken;  on  its  verge  a  wood 

Waves  sea-green  plumes  and  tassels  thwart  the  sky, 

With  undergrowth  wherethrough  a  still  flood  steals, 

Dappled  with  lotus-blossoms,  blue  and  white, 

And  peopled  with  quick  fish  and  tortoises. 

Near  it  the  village  of  Senani  reared 

Its  roofs  of  grass,  nestled  amid  the  palms, 

Peaceful  with  simple  folk  and  pastoral  toils. 

There  in  the  sylvan  solitudes  once  more 
Lord  Buddha  lived,  musing  the  woes  of  men, 
The  ways  of  fate,  the  doctrines  of  the  books, 
The  lessons  of  the  creatures  of  the  brake, 
The  secrets  of  the  silence  whence  all  come, 
The  secrets  of  the  gloom  whereto  all  go, 
The  life  which  lies  between,  like  that  arch  flung 
From  cloud  to  cloud  across  the  sky,  which  hath 
Mists  for  its  masonry  and  vapoury  piers, 
Melting  to  void  again  which  was  so  fair 
With  sapphire  hues,  garnet,  and  chrysoprase. 
Moon  after  moon  our  Lord  sate  in  the  wood, 
So  meditating  these  that  he  forgot 
Ofttimes  the  hour  of  food,  rising  from  thoughts 
Prolonged  beyond  the  sunrise  and  the  noon, 
To  see  his  bowl  unfilled,  and  eat  perforce 
Of  wild  fruit  fallen  from  the  boughs  o'erhead, 
Shaken  to  earth  by  chattering  ape  or  plucked 
By  purple  parakeet.  Therefore  his  grace 
Faded;  his  body,  worn  by  stress  of  soul, 


THE    LIGHT   OF    ASIA  453 

Lost  day  by  day  the  marks,  thirty  and  two, 
Which  testify  the  Buddha.  Scarce  that  leaf, 
Fluttering  so  dry  and  withered  to  his  feet 
From  off  the  sal-branch,  bore  less  likeliness 
Of  spring's  soft  greenery  than  he  of  him 
Who  was  the  princely  flower  of  all  his  land. 

And  once,  at  such  a  time*,  the  o'er  wrought  Prince 
Fell  to  the  earth  in  deadly  swoon,  all  spent, 
Even  as  one  slain,  who  hath  no  longer  breath 
Nor  any  stir  of  blood;  so  wan  he  was, 
So  motionless.  But  there  came  by  that  way 
A  shepherd-boy,  who  saw  Siddartha  lie 
With  lids  fast-closed,  and  lines  of  nameless  pain 
Fixed  on  his  lips — the  fiery  noonday  sun 
Beating  upon  his  head — who,  plucking  boughs 
From  wild  rose-apple  trees,  knitted  them  thick 
Into  a  bower  to  shade  the  sacred  face. 
Also  he  poured  upon  the  Master's  lips 
Drops  of  warm  milk,  pressed  from  his  she-goat's  bag, 
Lest,  being  low  caste,  he,  by  touching,  wrong  one 
So  high  and  holy  seeming.  But  the  books 
Tell  how  the  jambu-branches,  planted  thus, 
Shot  with  quick  life,  in  wealth  of  leaf  and  flower, 
And  glowing  fruitage  interlaced  and  close, 
So  that  the  bower  grew  like  a  tent  of  silk 
Pitched  for  a  king  at  hunting,  decked  with  studs 
Of  silver-work  and  bosses  of  red  gold. 
And  the  boy  worshipped,  deeming  him  some  God; 
But  our  Lord  gaining  breath,  arose  and  asked 
Milk  in  the  shepherd's  lota.  "Ah,  my  Lord, 
I  cannot  give  thee,"  quoth  the  lad;  "thou  seest 
I  am  a  Sudra,1  and  my  touch  defiles!" 
Then  the  World-honoured  spake:  "Pity  and  need 
Make  all  flesh  kin.  There  is  no  caste  in  blood, 
Which  runneth  of  one  hue,  nor  caste  in  tears, 
Which  trickle  salt  with  all;  neither  comes  man 
To  birth  with  tilka-mark  stamped  on  the  brow, 

1  The  lowest  caste. 


454  BUDDHISM 

Nor  sacred  thread  on  neck.  Who  doth  right  deed 
Is  twice-born,  and  who  doeth  ill  deeds  vile. 
Give  me  to  drink,  my  brother;  when  I  come 
Unto  my  quest  it  shall  be  good  for  thee." 
Thereat  the  peasant's  heart  was  glad,  and  gave. 

And  on  another  day  there  passed  that  road 
A  band  of  tinselled  girls,  the  nautch-dancers 
Of  Indra's  temple  in  the  town,  with  those 
Who  made  their  music—one  that  beat  a  drum 
Set  round  with  peacock-feathers,  one  that  blew 
The  piping  bansuli,  and  one  that  twitched 
A  three-string  sitar.  Lightly  tripped  they  down 
From  ledge  to  ledge  and  through  the  chequered  paths 
To  some  gay  festival,  the  silver  bells 
Chiming  soft  peals  about  the  small  brown  feet, 
Armlets  and  wrist-rings  tattling  answer  shrill; 
While  he  that  bore  the  sitar  thrummed  and  twanged 
His  threads  of  brass,  and  she  beside  him  sang — 

"Fair  goes  the  dancing  when  the  sitar' s  tuned; 
Tune  us  the  sitar  neither  low  nor  high, 
And  we  will  dance  away  the  hearts  of  men. 

The  string  o'er  stretched  breads,  and  the  music  flies; 
The  string  o'erslacf^  is  dumb,  and  music  dies; 
Tune  us  the  sitar  neither  low  nor  high" 

So  sang  the  nautch-girl  to  the  pipe  and  wires, 
Fluttering  like  some  vain,  painted  butterfly 
From  glade  to  glade  along  the  forest  path, 
Nor  dreamed  her  light  words  echoed  on  the  ear 
Of  him,  that  holy  man,  who  sate  so  rapt 
Under  the  fig-tree  by  the  path.  But  Buddh 
Lifted  his  great  brow  as  the  wantons  passed, 
And  spake:  "The  foolish  ofttimes  teach  the  wise; 
I  strain  too  much  this  string  of  life,  belike, 
Meaning  to  make  such  music  as  shall  save. 
Mine  eyes  are  dim  now  that  they  see  the  truth, 


THE   LIGHT   OF   ASIA  455 


My  strength  is  waned  now  that  my  need  is  most; 
Would  that  I  had  such  help  as  man  must  have, 
For  I  shall  die,  whose  life  was  all  men's  hope." 

Now,  by  that  river  dwelt  a  landholder 
Pious  and  rich,  master  of  many  herds, 
A  goodly  chief,  the  friend  of  all  the  poor; 
And  from  his  house  the  village  drew  its  name — 
"Senani."  Pleasant  and  in  peace  he  lived, 
Having  for  wife  Sujata,  loveliest 
Of  all  the  dark-eyed  daughters  of  the  plain; 
Gentle  and  true,  simple  and  kind  was  she, 
Noble  of  mien,  with  gracious  speech  to  all 
And  gladsome  looks — a  pearl  of  womanhood — 
Passing  calm  years  of  household  happiness 
Beside  her  lord  in  that  still  Indian  home, 
Save  that  no  male  child  blessed  their  wedded  love. 
Wherefore,  with  many  prayers  she  had  besought 
Lukshmi;  and  many  nights  at  full-moon  gone 
Round  the  great  Lingam,  nine  times  nine,  with  gifts 
Of  rice  and  jasmine  wreaths  and  sandal  oil 
Praying  a  boy;  also  Sujata  vowed — 
If  this  should  be — an  offering  of  food 
Unto  the  Wood-God,  plenteous,  delicate, 
Set  in  a  bowl  of  gold  under  his  tree, 
Such  as  the  lips  of  Devs  *  may  taste  and  take. 
And  this  had  been :  for  there  was  born  to  her 
A  beauteous  boy,  now  three  months  old,  who  lay 
Between  Sujata's  breasts,  while  she  did  pace 
With  grateful  footsteps  to  the  Wood-God's  shrine, 
One  arm  clasping  her  crimson  sari  close 
To  wrap  the  babe,  that  jewel  of  her  joys, 
The  other  lifted  high  in  comely  curve 
To  steady  on  her  head  the  bowl  and  dish 
Which  held  the  dainty  victuals  for  the  God. 

But  Radha,  sent  before  to  sweep  the  ground 
And  tie  the  scarlet  threads  around  the  tree, 

lDevas  (spirit:*. 


456  BUDDHISM 

Came  eager,  crying,  "Ah,  dear  Mistress!  look. 
There  is  the  Wood-God  sitting  in  his  place, 
Revealed,  with  folded  hands  upon  his  knees. 
See  how  the  light  shines  round  about  his  brow! 
How  mild  and  great  he  seems,  with  heavenly  eyes! 
Good  fortune  is  it  thus  to  meet  the  gods." 

So, — thinking  him  divine, — Sujata  drew 
Tremblingly  nigh,  and  kissed  the  earth  and  said, 
With  sweet  face  bent,  "Would  that  the  Holy  One 
Inhabiting  this  grove,  Giver  of  good, 
Merciful  unto  me  his  handmaiden, 
Vouchsafing  now  his  presence,  might  accept 
These  our  poor  gifts  of  snowy  curds,  fresh  made, 
With  milk  as  white  as  new-carved  ivory!" 

Therewith  into  the  golden  bowl  she  poured 
The  curds  and  milk,  and  on  the  hands  of  Buddh 
Dropped  attar  from  a  crystal  flask — distilled 
Out  of  the  hearts  of  roses :  and  he  ate, 
Speaking  no  word,  while  the  glad  mother  stood 
In  reverence  apart.  But  of  that  meal 
So  wondrous  was  the  virtue  that  our  Lord 
Felt  strength  and  life  return  as  though  the  nights 
Of  watching  and  the  days  of  fast  had  passed 
In  dream,  as  though  the  spirit  with  the  flesh 
Shared  that  fine  meat  and  plumed  its  wings  anew, 
Like  some  delighted  bird  at  sudden  streams 
Weary  with  flight  o'er  endless  wastes  of  sand, 
Which  laves  the  desert  dust  from  neck  and  crest. 
And  more  Sujata  worshipped,  seeing  our  Lord 
Grow  fairer  and  his  countenance  more  bright : 
14 Art  thou  indeed  the  God?"  she  lowly  asked, 
"*And  hath  my  gift  found  favour?" 

But  Buddh  said, 
"What  is  it  thou  dost  bring  me?" 

"Holy  One!" 

Answered  Sujata,  "from  our  droves  I  took 
Milk  of  a  hundred  mothers,  newly-calved, 


THE    LIGHT    OF    ASIA  457 

And  with  that  milk  I  fed  fifty  white  cows, 
And  with  their  milk  twenty-and-five,  and  then 
With  theirs  twelve  more,  and  yet  again  with  theirs 
The  six  noblest  and  best  of  all  our  herds. 
That  yield  I  boiled  with  sandal  and  fine  spice 
In  silver  lotas,  adding  rice,  well  grown 
From  chosen  seed,  set  in  new-broken  ground, 
So  picked  that  every  grain  was  like  a  pearl. 
This  did  I  of  true  heart,  because  I  vowed 
Under  thy  tree,  if  I  should  bear  a  boy 
I  would  make  offering  for  my  joy,  and  now 
I  have  my  son,  and  all  my  life  is  bliss!" 

Softly  our  Lord  drew  down  the  crimson  fold, 
And,  laying  on  the  little  head  those  hand* 
Which  help  the  worlds,  he  said,  "Long  be  thy  bliss! 
And  lightly  fall  on  him  the  load  of  life! 
For  thou  hast  holpen  me  who  am  no  God, 
But  one,  thy  Brother;  heretofore  a  Prince 
And  now  a  wanderer,  seeking  night  and  day 
These  six  hard  years  that  light  which  somewhere  shines 
To  lighten  all  men's  darkness,  if  they  knew! 
And  I  shall  find  the  light;  yea,  now  it  dawned 
Glorious  and  helpful,  when  my  weak  flesh  failed 
Which  this  pure  food,  fair  Sister,  hath  restored, 
Drawn  manifold  through  lives  to  quicken  life 
As  life  itself  passes  by  many  births 
To  happier  heights  and  purging  off  of  sins. 
Yet  dost  thou  truly  find  it  sweet  enough 
Only  to  live?  Can  life  and  love  suffice?'* 

Answered  Sujata,  "Worshipful!  my  heart 
Is  little,  and  a  little  rain  will  fill 
The  lily's  cup  which  hardly  moists  the  field. 
It  is  enough  for  me  to  feel  life's  sun 
Shine  in  my  Lord's  grace  and  my  baby's  smile, 
Making  the  loving  summer  of  our  home. 
Pleasant  my  days  pass  filled  with  household  cares 
From  sunrise  when  I  wake  to  praise  the  gods, 


458  BUDDHISM 

And  give  forth  grain,  and  trim  the  tulsi-plant, 
And  set  my  handmaids  to  their  tasks,  till  noon, 
When  my  Lord  lays  his  head  upon  my  lap 
Lulled  by  soft  songs  and  wavings  of  the  fan; 
And  so  to  supper-time  at  quiet  eve, 
When  by  his  side  I  stand  and  serve  the  cakes. 
Then  the  stars  light  their  silver  lamps  for  sleep, 
After  the  temple  and  the  talk  with  friends. 
How  should  I  not  be  happy,  blest  so  much, 
And  bearing  him  this  boy  whose  tiny  hand 
Shall  lead  his  soul  to  Swarga,1  if  it  need? 
For  holy  books  teach  when  a  man  shall  plant 
Trees  for  the  travellers'  shade,  and  dig  a  well 
For  the  folks'  comfort,  and  beget  a  son, 
It  shall  be  good  for  such  after  their  death; 
And  what  the  books  say  that  I  humbly  take, 
Being  not  wiser  than  those  great  of  old 
Who  spake  with  gods,  and  knew  the  hymns  and  charms, 
And  all  the  ways  of  virtue  and  of  peace. 
Also  I  think  that  good  must  come  of  good 
And  ill  of  evil — surely — unto  all — 
In  every  place  and  time — seeing  sweet  fruit 
Groweth  from  wholesome  roots,  and  bitter  things 
From  poison  stocks;  yea,  seeing,  too,  how  spite 
Breeds  hate,  and  kindness  friends,  and  patience  peace 
Even  while  we  live;  and  when  'tis  willed  we  die 
Shall  there  not  be  as  good  a  'Then'  as  'Now'? 
Haply  much  better!  since  one  grain  of  rice 
Shoots  a  green  feather  gemmed  with  fifty  pearls, 
And  all  the  starry  champak's  white  and  gold 
Lurks  in  those  little,  naked,  grey  spring-buds. 
Ah,  Sir!  I  know  there  might  be  woes  to  bear 
Would  lay  fond  Patience  with  her  face  in  dust. 
If  this  my  babe  pass  first  I  think  my  heart 
Would  break — almost  I  hope  my  heart  would  break; 
That  I  might  clasp  him  dead  and  wait  my  Lord- 
In  whatsoever  world  holds  faithful  wives- 
Duteous,  attending  till  his  hour  should  come. 
^Heaven. 


THE    LIGHT   OF    ASIA  459 

But  if  Death  called  Senani,  I  should  mount 

The  pile  and  lay  that  dear  head  in  my  lap, 

My  daily  way,  rejoicing  when  the  torch 

Lit  the  quick  flame  and  rolled  the  choking  smoke. 

For  it  is  written  if  an  Indian  wife 

Die  so,  her  love  shall  give  her  husband's  soul 

For  every  hair  upon  her  head  a  crore 

Of  years  in  Swarga.  Therefore  fear  I  not; 

And  therefore,  Holy  Sir!  my  life  is  glad, 

Nowise  forgetting  yet  those  other  lives 

Painful  and  poor,  wicked  and  miserable, 

Whereon  the  gods  grant  pity!  But  for  me, 

What  good  I  see  humbly  I  seek  to  do, 

And  live  obedient  to  the  law,  in  trust 

That  what  will  come,  and  must  come,  shall  come  well.'* 

Then  spake  our  Lord,  "Thou  teachest  them  who  teach, 
Wiser  than  wisdom  in  thy  simple  lore. 
Be  thou  content  to  know  not,  knowing  thus 
Thy  way  of  right  and  duty:  grow,  thou  flower! 
With  thy  sweet  kind  in  peaceful  shade — the  light 
Of  Truth's  high  noon  is  not  for  tender  leaves 
Which  must  spread  broad  in  other  suns,  and  lift 
In  later  lives  a  crowned  head  to  the  sky. 
Thou  who  hast  worshipped  me,  I  worship  thec! 
Excellent  heart!  learned  unknowingly, 
As  the  dove  is  which  flieth  home  by  love. 
In  thee  is  seen  why  there  is  hope  for  man 
And  where  we  hold  the  wheel  of  life  at  will. 
Peace  go  with  thee,  and  comfort  all  thy  days! 
As  thou  accomphshest,  may  I  achieve! 
He  whom  thou  thoughtest  God  bids  thee  wish  this." 

"Mayest  thou  achieve!'*  she  said,  with  earnest  eyes 
Bent  on  her  babe;  who  reached  its  tender  hands 
To  Buddh— knowing,  belike,  as  children  know, 
More  than  we  deem,  and  reverencing  our  Lord; 
But  he  arose — made  strong  with  that  pure  meat — 
And  bent  his  footsteps  where  a  great  Tree  grew. 


460  BUDDHISM 

The  Bodhi-tree l  (thenceforward  in  all  years 
Never  to  fade,  and  ever  to  be  kept 
In  homage  of  the  world),  beneath  whose  leaves 
It  was  ordained  the  Truth  should  come  to  Buddh: 
Which  now  the  Master  knew;  wherefore  he  went 
With  measured  pace,  steadfast,  majestical, 
Unto  the  Tree  of  Wisdom.  Oh,  ye  Worlds! 
Rejoice!  our  Lord  wended  unto  the  Tree! 

Whom — as  he  passed  into  its  ample  shade, 
Cloistered  with  columned  dropping  stems,  and  roofed 
With  vaults  of  glistering  green — the  conscious  earth 
Worshipped  with  waving  grass  and  sudden  flush 
Of  flowers  about  his  feet.  The  forest-boughs 
Bent  down  to  shade  him;  from  the  river  sighed 
Cool  wafts  of  wind  laden  with  lotus-scents 
Breathed  by  the  water-gods.  Large  wondering  eyes 
Of  woodland  creatures — panther,  boar,  and  deer — 
At  peace  that  eve,  gazed  on  his  face  benign 
From  cave  and  thicket.  From  its  cold  cleft  wound 
The  mottled  deadly  snake,  dancing  its  hood 
In  honour  of  our  Lord;  bright  butterflies 
Fluttered  their  vans,  azure  and  green  and  gold, 
To  be  his  fan-bearers;  the  fierce  kite  dropped 
Its  prey  and  screamed;  the  striped  palm-squirrel  raced 
From  stem  to  stem  to  see;  the  weaver  bird 
Chirped  from  her  swinging  nest;  the  lizard  ran; 
The  ko'il  sang  her  hymn;  the  doves  flocked  round; 
Even  the  creeping  things  were  'ware  and  glad. 
Voices  of  earth  and  air  joined  in  one  song, 
Which  unto  ears  that  hear  said,  "Lord  and  Friend! 
Lover  and  Saviour!  Thou  who  hast  subdued 
Angers  and  prides,  desires  and  fears  and  doubts, 
Thou  that  for  each  and  all  hast  given  thyself, 
Pass  to  the  Tree!  The  sad  world  blesseth  thee 
Who  art  the  Buddh  that  shall  assuage  her  woes. 
Pass,  Hailed  and  Honoured!  strive  thy  last  for  us, 
King  and  high  Conqueror!  thine  hour  is  come; 

1  The  Wisdom-Tree,  famous  in  Buddhist  scriptures;  bodki,  wisdom. 


THE    LIGHT   OF    ASIA  461 

This  is  the  Night  the  ages  waited  for!" 

Then  fell  the  night,  even  as  our  Master  sate 

Under  that  Tree.  But  he  who  is  the  Prince 

Of  Darkness,  Mara — knowing  this  was  Buddh 

Who  should  deliver  men,  and  now  the  hour 

When  he  should  find  the  Truth  and  save  the  worlds — 

Gave  unto  all  his  evil  powers  command. 

Wherefore  there  trooped  from  every  deepest  pit 

The  fiends  who  war  with  Wisdom  and  the  Light, 

Arati,  Trishna,  Raga,  and  their  crew 

Of  passions,  horrors,  ignorances,  lusts, 

The  brood  of  gloom  and  dread;  all  hating  Buddh, 

Seeking  to  shake  his  mind;  nor  knoweth  one, 

Not  even  the  wisest,  how  those  fiends  of  Hell 

Battled  that  night  to  keep  the  Truth  from  Buddh: 

Sometimes  with  terrors  of  the  tempest,  blasts 

Of  demon-armies  clouding  all  the  wind 

With  thunder,  and  with  blinding  lightning  flung 

In  jagged  javelins  of  purple  wrath 

From  splitting  skies;  sometimes  with  wiles  and  words 

Fair-sounding,  'mid  hushed  leaves  and  softened  airs 

From  shapes  of  witching  beauty;  wanton  songs, 

Whispers  of  love;  sometimes  with  royal  allures 

Of  proffered  rule;  sometimes  with  mocking  doubts, 

Making  truth  vain.  But  whether  these  befell 

Without  and  visible,  or  whether  Buddh 

Strove  with  fell  spirits  in  his  inmost  heart, 

Judge  ye: — I  write  what  ancient  books  have  writ. 

The  ten  chief  Sins  came— Mara's  mighty  ones, 
Angels  of  evil — Attavada  first, 
The  Sin  of  Self,  who  in  the  Universe 
As  in  a  mirror  sees  her  fond  face  shown, 
And,  crying  "I,"  would  have  the  world  say  "I," 
And  all  things  perish  so  if  she  endure. 
"If  thou  be'st  Buddh,"  she  said,  "let  others  grope 
Lightless;  it  is  enough  that  Thou  art  Thou 
Changelessly;  rise  and  take  the  bliss  of  gods 
Who  change  not,  heed  not,  strive  not."  But  Buddh  spake, 


462  BUDDHISM 

"The  right  in  thee  is  base,  the  wrong  a  curse; 

Cheat  such  as  love  themselves."  Then  came  wan  Doubt, 

He  that  denies — the  mocking  Sin — and  this 

Hissed  in  the  Master's  ear,  "All  things  are  shows, 

And  vain  the  knowledge  of  their  vanity; 

Thou  dost  but  chase  the  shadow  of  thyself; 

Rise  and  go  hence,  there  is  no  better  way 

Than  patient  scorn,  nor  any  help  for  man, 

Nor  any  staying  of  his  whirling  wheel." 

But  quoth  our  Lord,  "Thou  hast  no  part  with  me, 

False  Visikitcha!  subtlest  of  man's  foes." 

And  third  came  she  who  gives  dark  creeds  their  power 

Sllabbat-paramasa,  sorceress, 

Draped  fair  in  many  lands  as  lowly  Faith, 

But  ever  juggling  souls  with  rites  and  prayers; 

The  keeper  of  those  keys  which  lock  up  Hells 

And  open  Heavens.  "Wilt  thou  dare,"  she  said, 

"Put  by  our  sacred  books,  dethrone  our  gods, 

Unpeople  all  the  temples,  shaking  down 

That  law  which  feeds  the  priests  and  props  the  realms?" 

But  Buddha  answered,  "What  thou  bidd'st  me  keep 

Is  form  which  passes,  but  the  free  Truth  stands; 

Get  thee  unto  thy  darkness."  Next  there  drew 

Gallantly  nigh  a  braver  Tempter,  he, 

Kama,  the  King  of  passions,  who  hath  sway 

Over  the  gods  themselves,  Lord  of  all  loves, 

Ruler  of  Pleasure's  realm.  Laughing  he  came 

Unto  the  tree,  bearing  his  bow  of  gold 

Wreathed  with  red  blooms,  and  arrows  of  desire 

Pointed  with  five-tongued  delicate  flame,  which  stings 

The  heart  it  smites  sharper  than  poisoned  barb : 

And  round  him  came  into  that  lonely  place 

Bands  of  bright  shapes  with  heavenly  eyes  and  lips 

Singing  in  lovely  words  the  praise  of  Love 

To  music  of  invisible  sweet  chords, 

So  witching^  that  it  seemed  the  night  stood  still 

To  hear  them,  and  the  listening  stars  and  moon 

Paused  in  their  orbits  while  these  hymned  to  Buddh 

Of  lost  delights,  and  how  a  mortal  man 


THE    LIGHT   OF   ASIA  463 

Findeth  nought  dearer  in  the  Three  wide  worlds 

Than  are  the  yielded  loving  fragrant  breasts 

Of  Beauty  and  the  rosy  breast-blossoms, 

Love's  rubies;  nay,  and  toucheth  nought  more  high 

Than  is  that  dulcet  harmony  of  form 

Seen  in  the  lines  and  charms  of  loveliness, 

Unspeakable,  yet  speaking,  soul  to  soul, 

Owned  by  the  bounding  blood,  worshipped  by  will 

Which  leaps  to  seize  it,  knowing  this  is  best, 

This  the  true  heaven  where  mortals  are  like  gods, 

Makers  and  Masters,  this  the  gift  of  gifts 

Ever  renewed  and  worth  a  thousand  woes. 

For  who  hath  grieved  when  soft  arms  shut  him  safe, 

And  all  life  melted  to  a  happy  sigh, 

And  all  the  world  was  given  in  one  warm  kiss? 

So  sang  they  with  soft  float  of  beckoning  hands, 

Eyes  lighted  with  love-flames,  alluring  smiles; 

In  wanton  dance  their  supple  sides  and  limbs 

Revealing  and  concealing  like  burst  buds 

Which  tell  their  colour,  but  hide  yet  their  hearts. 

Never  so  matchless  grace  delighted  eye 

As  troop  by  troop  these  midnight-dancers  swept 

Nearer  the  Tree,  each  daintier  than  the  last, 

Murmuring  "O  great  Siddartha!  I  am  thine, 

Taste  of  my  mouth  and  see  if  youth  is  sweet!" 

Also,  when  nothing  moved  our  Master's  mind, 

Lol  Kama  waved  his  magic  bow,  and  lo! 

The  band  of  dancers  opened,  and  a  shape, 

Fairest  and  stateliest  of  the  throng,  came  forth 

Wearing  the  guise  of  sweet  Yasodhara. 

Tender  the  passion  of  those  dark  eyes  seemed 

Brimming  with  tears;  yearning  those  outspread  arms 

Opened  towards  him;  musical  that  moan 

Wherewith  the  beauteous  shadow  named  his  name, 

Sighing,  "My  Prince!  I  die  for  lack  of  thee! 

What  heaven  hast  thou  found  like  that  we  knew 

By  bright  Rohini  in  the  Pleasure-house, 

Where  all  these  weary  years  I  weep  for  thee? 

Return,  Siddarthal  ah!  return.  But  touch 


464  BUDDHISM 

My  lips  again,  but  let  me  to  thy  breast 

Once,  and  these  fruitless  dreams  will  end!  Oh,  look! 

Am  I  not  she  thou  lovedst?"  But  Buddh  said, 

"For  that  sweet  sake  of  her  thou  playest  thus, 

Fair  and  false  Shadow!  is  thy  playing  vain; 

I  curse  thee  not  who  wear'st  a  form  so  dear, 

Yet  as  thou  art  so  are  all  earthly  shows. 

Melt  to  thy  void  again!"  Thereat,  a  cry 

Thrilled  through  the  grove,  and  all  that  comely  rout 

Faded  with  flickering  wafts  of  flame,  and  trail 

Of  vaporous  robes. 

Next,  under  darkening  skies 
And  noise  of  rising  storm,  came  fiercer  Sins, 
The  rearmost  of  the  Ten;  Patigha — Hate — 
With  serpents  coiled  about  her  waist,  which  suck 
Poisonous  milk  from  both  her  hanging  dugs, 
And  with  her  curses  mix  their  angry  hiss. 
Little  wrought  she  upon  that  Holy  One 
Who  with  his  calm  eyes  dumbed  her  bitter  lips 
And  made  her  black  snakes  writhe  to  hide  their  fangs. 
Then  followed  Ruparaga — Lust  of  days — 
That  sensual  Sin  which  out  of  greed  for  life 
Forgets  to  live;  and  next  him  Lust  of  Fame, 
Nobler  Aruparaga,  she  whose  spell 
Beguiles  the  wise,  mother  of  daring  deeds, 
Battles  and  toils.  And  haughty  Mano  came, 
The  Field  of  Pride;  and  smooth  Self-Righteousness, 
Uddhachcha;  and — with  many  a  hideous  band 
Of  vile  and  formless  things,  which  crept  and  flapped 
Toad-like  and  bat-like— Ignorance,  the  Dam 
Of  Fear  and  Wrong,  Avidya,  hideous  hag, 
Whose  footsteps  left  the  midnight  darker,  while 
The  rooted  mountains  shook,  the  wild  winds  howled, 
The  broken  clouds  shed  from  their  caverns  streams 
Of  levin-lighted  rain;  stars  shot  from  heaven, 
The  solid  earth  shuddered  as  if  one  laid 
Flame  to  her  gaping  wounds;  the  torn  black  air 
Was  full  of  whistling  wings,  of  screams  and  yells, 
Of  evil  faces  peering,  of  vast  fronts 


THE    LIGHT   OF    ASIA  465 

Terrible  and  majestic,  Lords  of  Hell 

Who  from  a  thousand  Limbos  led  their  troops 

To  tempt  the  Master. 

But  Buddh  heeded  not, 
Sitting  serene,  with  perfect  virtue  walled 
As  is  a  stronghold  by  its  gates  and  ramps; 
Also  the  Sacred  Tree — the  Bodhi-tree — 
Amid  that  tumult  stirred  not,  but  each  leaf 
Glistened  as  still  as  when  on  moonlit  eves 
No  zephyr  spills  the  gathering  gems  of  dew; 
For  all  this  clamour  raged  outside  the  shade 
Spread  by  those  cloistered  stems: 

In  the  third  watch, — 

The  earth  being  still,  the  hellish  legions  fled, 
A  soft  air  breathing  from  the  sinking  moon — 
Our  Lord  attained  Sammd-sambuddh; l  he  saw, 
By  light  which  shines  beyond  our  mortal  ken, 
The  line  of  all  his  lives  in  all  the  worlds; 
Far  back,  and  farther  back,  and  farthest  yet, 
Five  hundred  lives  and  fifty.  Even  as  one, 
At  rest  upon  a  mountain-summit,  marks 
His  path  wind  up  by  precipice  and  crag, 
Past  thick-set  woods  shrunk  to  a  patch;  through  bogs 
Glittering  false-green;  down  hollows  where  he  toiled 
Breathless;  on  dizzy  ridges  where  his  feet 
Had  well-nigh  slipped;  beyond  the  sunny  lawns, 
The  cataract,  and  the  cavern,  and  the  pool, 
Backward  to  those  dim  flats  wherefrom  he  sprang 
To  reach  the  blue;  thus  Buddha  did  behold 
Life's  upward  steps  long-linked,  from  levels  low 
Where  breath  is  base,  to  higher  slopes  and  higher 
Whereon  the  ten  great  Virtues  wait  to  lead 
The  climber  skyward.  Also,  Buddha  saw 
How  new  life  reaps  what  the  old  life  did  sow; 
How  where  its  march  breaks  oft  its  march  begins; 
Holding  the  gain  and  answering  for  the  loss; 
And  how  in  each  life  good  begets  more  good, 

1  Highest  knowledge,   perfect   wisdom;   the   final   liberation   from    the   errors   of  mortal 
perceptions. 


466  BUDDHISM 

Evil  fresh  evil;  Death  but  casting  up 

Debit  or  credit,  whereupon  th'  account 

In  merits  or  dements  stamps  itself 

By  sure  arithmic — where  no  tittle  drops — 

Certain  and  just,  on  some  new-springing  life; 

Wherein  are  packed  and  scored  past  thoughts  and  deeds, 

Strivings  and  triumphs,  memories  and  marks 

Of  lives  foregone: 

And  in  the  middle  watch 
Our  Lord  attained  Abhidjna l — insight  vast 
Ranging  beyond  this  sphere  to  spheres  unnamed, 
System  on  system,  countless  worlds  and  suns 
Moving  in  splendid  measures,  band  by  band 
Linked  in  division,  one,  yet  separate, 
The  silver  islands  of  a  sapphire  sea 
Shoreless,  unfathomed,  undiminished,  stirred 
With  waves  which  roll  in  restless  tides  of  change. 
He  saw  those  Lords  of  Light  who  hold  their  worlds 
By  bonds  invisible,  how  they  themselves 
Circle  obedient  round  mightier  orbs 
Which  serve  profounder  splendours,  star  to  star 
Flashing  the  ceaseless  radiance  of  life 
From  centres  ever  shifting  unto  cirques 
Knowing  no  uttermost.  These  he  beheld 
With  unsealed  vision,  and  of  all  those  worlds, 
Cycle  on  epicycle,  all  their  tale 
Of  Kalpas,  Mahakalpas 2 — terms  of  time 
Which  no  man  grasps,  yea,  though  he  knew  to  count 
The  drops  in  Gunga  from  her  springs  to  the  sea, 
Measureless  unto  speech — whereby  these  wax 
And  wane;  whereby  each  of  this  heavenly  host 
Fulfils  its  shining  life,  and  darkling  dies. 
Sakwal  by  Sakwal,  depths  and  heights  he  passed 
Transported  through  the  blue  infinitudes, 
Marking — behind  all  modes,  above  all  spheres, 
Beyond  the  burning  impulse  of  each  orb- 
That  fixed  decree  at  silent  work  which  wills 
Evolve  the  dark  to  light,  the  dead  to  life, 

1  Supernatural  powers.  *  World  epochs  and  super-epochs. 


THE    LIGHT   OF    ASIA  467 

To  fulness  void,  to  form  the  yet  unformed, 

Good  unto  better,  better  unto  best, 

By  wordless  edict;  having  none  to  bid, 

None  to  forbid;  for  this  is  past  all  gods, 

Immutable,  unspeakable,  supreme; 

A  Power  which  builds,  unbuilds,  and  builds  again, 

Ruling  all  things  accordant  to  the  rule 

Of  virtue,  which  is  beauty,  truth,  and  use: 

So  that  all  things  do  well  which  serve  the  Power, 

And  ill  which  hinder;  nay,  the  worm  does  well 

Obedient  to  its  kind ;  the  hawk  does  well 

Which  carries  bleeding  quarries  to  its  young; 

The  dewdrop  and  the  star  shine  sisterly 

Globing  together  in  the  common  work; 

And  man  who  lives  to  die,  dies  to  live  well 

So  if  he  guide  his  ways  by  blamelessness 

And  earnest  will  to  hinder  not  but  help 

All  things  both  great  and  small  which  suffer  life. 

These  did  our  Lord  see  in  the  middle  watch. 

But,  when  the  fourth  watch  came,  the  secret  came 
Of  Sorrow,  which  with  evil  mars  the  law, 
As  damp  and  dross  hold  back  the  goldsmith's  fire. 
Then  was  the  Dukha-Satya  *  opened  him 
First  of  the  "Noble  Truths";  how  Sorrow  is 
Shadow  to  life,  moving  where  life  doth  move; 
Not  to  be  laid  aside  until  one  lays 
Living  aside,  with  all  its  changing  states, 
Birth,  growth,  decay,  love,  hatred,  pleasure,  pain, 
Being  and  doing.  How  that  none  strips  off 
These  sad  delights  and  pleasant  griefs  who  lacks 
Knowledge  to  know  them  snares;  but  he  who  knows 
Avidya— Delusion — sets  those  snares, 
Loves  life  no  longer,  but  ensues  escape. 
The  eyes  of  such  a  one  are  wide,  he  sees 
Delusion  breeds  Sankhara,  Tendency 
Perverse;  Tendency  Energy — Vidnnan — 
Whereby  comes  Namarupa,  local  Form 

1  The  truth  regarding  sorrows. 


468  BUDDHISM 

And  Name  and  Bodiment,  bringing  the  man 

With  senses  naked  to  the  sensible, 

A  helpless  mirror  of  all  shows  which  pass 

Across  his  heart;  and  so  Vedana  grows — 

'Sense-life' — false  in  its  gladness,  fell  in  sadness, 

But  sad  or  glad,  the  Mother  of  Desire, 

Trishna,  that  thirst  which  makes  the  living  drink 

Deeper  and  deeper  of  the  false  salt  waves 

Whereon  they  float,  pleasures,  ambitions,  wealth, 

Praise,  fame,  or  domination,  conquest,  love; 

Rich  meats  and  robes,  and  fair  abodes  and  pride 

Of  ancient  lines,  and  lust  of  days,  and  strife 

To  live,  and  sins  that  flow  from  strife,  some  sweet, 

Some  bitter.  Thus  Life's  thirst  quenches  itself 

With  draughts  which  double  thirst,  but  who  is  wise 

Tears  from  his  soul  this  Trishna,  feeds  his  sense 

No  longer  on  false  shows,  files  his  firm  mind 

To  seek  not,  strive  not,  wrong  not;  bearing  meek 

All  ills  which  flow  from  foregone  wrongfulness, 

And  so  constraining  passions  that  they  die 

Famished;  till  all  the  sum  of  ended  life — 

The  Karma 1 — all  that  total  of  a  soul 

Which  is  the  things  it  did,  the  thoughts  it  had, 

The  'Self  it  wove — with  woof  of  viewless  time, 

Crossed  on  the  warp  invisible  of  acts — 

The  outcome  of  him  on  the  Universe, 

Grows  pure  and  sinless;  either  never  more 

Needing  to  find  a  body  and  a  place, 

Or  so  informing  what  fresh  frame  it  takes 

In  new  existence  that  the  new  toils  prove 

Lighter  and  lighter  not  to  be  at  all, 

Thus  "finishing  the  Path";  free  from  Earth's  cheats; 

Released  from  all  the  Skandhas  of  the  flesh; 

Broken  from  ties — from  Upadanas — saved 

From  whirling  on  the  Wheel;  aroused  and  sane 

As  is  a  man  wakened  from  hateful  dreams. 

Until — greater  than  Kings,  than  Gods  more  glad! — 

The  aching  craze  to  live  ends,  and  life  glides — 

1  Action  or  life,  with  its  law  of  consequences  in  the  present  and  future  life. 


THE   LIGHT  OF  ASIA  469 

Lifeless — to  nameless  quiet,  nameless  joy, 
Blessed  NIRVANA — sinless,  stirless  rest — 
That  change  which  never  changes! 

LoJ  the  Dawn 

Sprang  with  Buddh's  victory!  lo!  in  the  East 
Flamed  the  first  fires  of  beauteous  day,  poured  forth 
Through  fleeting  folds  of  Night's  black  drapery. 
High  in  the  widening  blue  the  herald-star 
Faded  to  paler  silver  as  there  shot 
Brighter  and  brightest  bars  of  rosy  gleam 
Across  the  grey.  Far  off  the  shadowy  hills 
Saw  the  great  Sun,  before  the  world  was  'ware, 
And  donned  their  crowns  of  crimson;  flower  by  flower 
Felt  the  warm  breath  of  Morn  and  'gan  unfold 
Their  tender  lids.  Over  the  spangled  grass 
Swept  the  swift  footsteps  of  the  lovely  Light, 
Turning  the  tears  of  Night  to  joyous  gems, 
Decking  the  earth  with  radiance,  'broidering 
The  sinking  stornvclouds  with  a  golden  fringe, 
Gilding  the  feathers  of  the  palms,  which  waved 
Glad  salutation;  darting  beams  of  gold 
Into  the  glades;  touching  with  magic  wand 
The  stream  to  rippled  ruby;  in  the  brake 
Finding  the  mild  eyes  of  the  antelopes 
And  saying  "It  is  day!"  in  nested  sleep 
Touching  the  small  heads  under  many  a  wing 
And  whispering  "Children,  praise  the  light  of  day!" 
Whereat  there  piped  anthems  of  all  the  birds, 
The  Koil's  fluted  song,  the  Bulbul's  hymn, 
The  "morning,  morning"  of  the  painted  thrush, 
The  twitter  of  the  sunbirds  starting  forth 
To  find  the  honey  ere  the  bees  be  out, 
The  grey  crow's  caw,  the  parrot's  scream,  the  strokes 
Of  the  green  hammersmith,  the  myna's  chirp, 
The  never-finished  love-talk  of  the  doves: 
Yea!  and  so  holy  was  the  influence 
Of  that  high  Dawn  which  came  with  victory 
That,  far  and  near,  in  homes  of  men  there  spread 


470  BUDDHISM 

An  unknown  peace.  The  slayer  hid  his  knife; 
The  robber  laid  his  plunder  back;  the  shroff 
Counted  full  tale  of  coins;  all  evil  hearts 
Grew  gentle,  kind  hearts  gentler,  as  the  balm 
Of  that  divinest  Daybreak  lightened  Earth. 
Kings  at  fierce  war  called  truce;  the  sick  men  leaped 
Laughing  from  beds  of  pain;  the  dying  smiled 
As  though  they  knew  that  happy  Morn  was  sprung 
From  fountains  farther  than  the  utmost  East; 
And  o'er  the  heart  of  sad  Yasodhara, 
Sitting  forlorn  at  Prince  Siddartha's  bed, 
Came  sudden  bliss,  as  if  love  should  not  fail 
Nor  such  vast  sorrow  miss  to  end  in  joy. 
So  glad  the  World  was — though  it  wist  not  why — 
That  over  desolate  wastes  went  swooning  songs 
Of  mirth,  the  voice  of  bodiless  Prets  and  Bhuts 
Foreseeing  Buddh;  and  Devas  in  the  air 
Cried  "It  is  finished,  finished!"  and  the  priests 
Stood  with  the  wondering  people  in  the  streets 
Watching  those  golden  splendours  flood  the  sky, 
And  saying  "There  hath  happed  some  mighty  thing." 
Also  in  Ran  and  Jungle  grew  that  day 
Friendship  amongst  the  creatures;  spotted  deer 
Browsed  fearless  where  the  tigress  fed  her  cubs, 
And  cheetahs  lapped  the  pool  beside  the  bucks; 
Under  the  eagle's  rock  the  brown  hares  scoured 
While  his  fierce  beak  but  preened  an  idle  wing; 
The  snake  sunned  all  his  jewels  in  the  beam 
With  deadly  fangs  in  sheath;  the  shrike  let  pass 
The  nestling-finch;  the  emerald  halcyons 
Sate  dreaming  while  the  fishes  played  beneath, 
Nor  hawked  the  merops,  though  the  butterflies- 
Crimson  and  blue  and  amber — flitted  thick 
Around  his  perch;  the  Spirit  of  our  Lord 
Lay  potent  upon  man  and  bird  and  beast, 
Even  while  he  mused  under  that  Bodhi-trec, 
Glorified  with  the  Conquest  gained  for  all, 
And  lightened  by  a  Light  greater  than  Day's. 


THE    LIGHT   OF    ASIA  47! 

Then  he  arose — radiant,  rejoicing,  strong — 
Beneath  the  Tree,  and  lifting  high  his  voice 
Spake  this,  in  hearing  of  all  Times  and  Worlds: — 

MANY  A  HOUSE  OF  LIFE 

HATH  HELD  ME — SEEKING  EVER  HIM  WHO  WROUGHT 
THESE  PRISONS  OF  THE  SENSES,  SORROW-FRAUGHT; 

SORE  WAS  MY  CEASELESS  STRIFE! 

BUT  NOW, 

THOU  BUILDER  OF  THIS  TABERNACLE — THOU! 
I  KNOW  THEE!  NEVER  SHALT  THOU  BUILD  \GAIN 

THESE  WALLS  OF  PALV, 
NOR  RAISE  THE  ROOF-TREE  OF  DECEITS,  NOR  LAY 

FRESH  RAFTERS  ON  THE  CLAY; 
BROKEN  THY  HOUSE  is,  AND  THE  RIDGE-POLE  SPLIT! 

DELUSION  FASHIONED  IT! 
SAFE  PASS  I  THENCE — DELIVERANCE  TO  OBTAIN. 

BOOK  THE  SEVENTH 

SORROWFUL  dwelt  the  King  Suddhodana 
All  those  long  years  among  the  Sakya  Lords 
Lacking  the  speech  and  presence  of  his  Son; 
Sorrowful  sate  the  sweet  Yasodhara 
All  those  long  years,  knowing  no  joy  of  life, 
Widowed  of  iLm  her  living  Liege  and  Prince, 
And  ever,  on  the  news  of  some  recluse 
Seen  far  away  by  pasturing  camel-men 
Or  traders  threading  devious  paths  for  gain, 
Messengers  from  the  King  had  gone  and  come, 
Bringing  account  of  many  a  holy  sage 
Lonely  and  lost  to  home;  but  nought  of  him 
The  crown  of  white  Kapilavustu's  line, 
The  glory  of  her  monarch  and  his  hope, 
The  heart's  content  of  sweet  Yasodhara, 
Far-wandered  now,  forgetful,  changed,  or  dead. 

But  on  a  day  in  the  \Vasanta-ti me. 
When  silver  sprays  swing  on  the  mango-trees 


472  BUDDHISM 

And  all  the  earth  is  clad  with  garb  of  spring, 

The  Princess  sate  by  that  bright  garden-stream 

Whose  gliding  glass,  bordered  with  lotus-cups, 

Mirrored  so  often  in  the  bliss  gone  by 

Their  clinging  hands  and  meeting  lips.  Her  lids 

Were  wan  with  tears,  her  tender  cheeks  had  thinned; 

Her  lips'  delicious  curves  were  drawn  with  grief; 

The  lustrous  glory  of  her  hair  was  hid — 

Close-bound  as  widows  use;  no  ornament 

She  wore,  nor  any  jewel  clasped  the  cloth — 

Coarse,  and  of  mourning-white — crossed  on  her  breast. 

Slow  moved  and  painfully  those  small  fine  feet 

Which  had  the  roe's  gait  and  the  rose-leaf's  fall 

In  old  years  at  the  loving  voice  of  him. 

Her  eyes,  those  lamps  of  love, — which  were  as  if 

Sunlight  should  shine  from  out  the  deepest  dark, 

Illumining  Night's  peace  with  Daytime's  glow — 

Unlighted  now,  and  roving  aimlessly, 

Scarce  marked  the  clustering  signs  of  coming  Spring, 

So  the  silk  lashes  drooped  over  their  orbs. 

In  one  hand  was  a  girdle  thick  with  pearls, 

Siddartha's — treasured  since  that  night  he  fled — 

(Ah,  bitter  Night!  mother  of  weeping  days! 

When  was  fond  Love  so  pitiless  to  love, 

Save  that  this  scorned  to  limit  love  by  life?) 

The  other  led  her  little  son,  a  boy 

Divinely  fair,  the  pledge  Siddartha  left — 

Named  Rahula — now  seven  years  old,  who  tripped 

Gladsome  beside  his  mother,  light  of  heart 

To  see  the  spring-bosoms  burgeon  o'er  the  world. 

So,  while  they  lingered  by  the  lotus-pools, 
And,  lightly  laughing,  Rahula  flung  rice 
To  feed  the  blue  and  purple  fish;  and  she 
With  sad  eyes  watched  the  swiftly-flying  cranes, 
Sighing,  "Oh!  creatures  of  the  wandering  wing, 
If  ye  shall  light  where  my  dear  Lord  is  hid, 
Say  that  Yasodhara  lives  nigh  to  death 
Fox  one  word  of  his  mouth,  one  touch  of  him!"-— 


THE   LIGHT   OF   A«IA  473 

Thus,  as  they  played  and  sighed — mother  and  child — 
Came  some  among  the  damsels  of  the  Court 
Saying,  "Great  Princess!  there  have  entered  in 
At  the  south  gate  merchants  of  Hastinpur, 
Tripusha  called  and  Bhalluk,  men  of  worth, 
Long  travelled  from  the  loud  sea's  edge,  who  bring 
Marvellous  lovely  webs  pictured  with  gold, 
Waved  blades  of  gilded  steel,  wrought  bowls  in  brass, 
Cut  ivories,  spice,  simples,  and  unknown  birds, 
Treasures  of  far-off  peoples;  but  they  bring 
That  which  doth  beggar  these,  for  He  is  seen! 
Thy  Lord, — our  Lord, — the  hope  of  all  the  land — 
Siddartha!  they  have  seen  him  face  to  face, 
Yea,  and  have  worshipped  him  with  knees  and  brows, 
And  offered  offerings;  for  he  is  become 
All  which  was  shown,  a  Teacher  of  the  wise^ 
World-honoured,  holy,  wonderful;  a  Buddh 
Who  doth  deliver  men  and  save  all  flesh 
By  sweetest  speech  and  pity  vast  as  Heaven : 
And,  lo!  he  journeyeth  hither,  these  do  say." 

Then — while  the  glad  blood  bounded  in  her  veins 
As  Gunga  leaps  when  first  the  mountain  snows 
Melt  at  her  springs — uprose  Yasodhara 
And  clapped  her  palms,  and  laughed,  with  brimming  tears 
Beading  her  lashes.  "Oh!  call  quick,"  she  cried, 
"These  merchants  to  my  purdah,  for  mine  cars 
Thirst  like  parched  throats  to  drink  their  blessed  news. 
Go  bring  them  in, — but,  if  their  tale  be  true, 
Say  I  will  fill  their  girdles  with  much  gold, 
With  gems  that  Kings  shall  envy :  come  ye  too, 
My  girls,  for  ye  shall  have  guerdon  of  this 
If  there  be  gifts  to  speak  my  grateful  heart." 

So  went  those  merchants  to  the  Pleasure-House, 
Full  softly  pacing  through  its  golden  ways 
With  naked  feet,  amid  the  peering  maids, 
Much  wondering  at  the  glories  of  the  Court. 
Whom,  when  they  came  without  the  purdah's  folds, 


474  BUDDHISM 

A  voice,  tender  and  eager,  filled  and  charmed 
With  trembling  music,  saying,  "Yo  are  come 
From  far,  fair  Sirs!  and  ye  have  seen  my  Lord — 
Yea,  worshipped — for  he  is  become  a  Buddh, 
World-honoured,  holy,  and  delivers  men, 
And  journeyeth  hither.  Speak!  for,  if  this  be, 
Friends  are  ye  of  my  House,  welcome  and  dear." 

Then  answer  made  Tripusha,  "We  have  seen 
That  sacred  Master,  Princess!  we  have  bowed 
Before  his  feet;  for  who  was  lost  a  Prince 
Is  found  a  greater  than  the  King  of  kings. 
Under  the  Bodhi-tree  by  Phalgu's  bank 
That  which  shall  save  the  world  hath  late  been  wrought 
By  him, — the  Friend  of  all,  the  Prince  of  all — 
Thine  most,  High  Lady!  from  whose  tears  men  win 
The  comfort  of  this  Word  the  Master  speaks. 
Lo!  he  is  well,  as  one  beyond  all  ills, 
Uplifted  as  a  god  from  earthly  woes, 
Shining  with  risen  Truth,  golden  and  clear. 
Moreover  as  he  entereth  town  by  town, 
Preaching  those  noble  ways  which  lead  to  peace, 
The  hearts  of  men  follow  his  path  as  leaves 
Troop  to  the  wind  or  sheep  draw  after  one 
Who  knows  the  pastures.  We  ourselves  have  heard, 
By  Gaya  in  the  green  Tchlrnika  grove, 
Those  wondrous  lips  and  done  them  reverence: 
He  cometh  hither  ere  the  first  rains  fall." 

Thus  spake  he,  and  Yasodhara,  for  joy, 
Scarce  mastered  breath  to  answer,  "Be  it  well 
Now  and  at  all  times  with  ye,  worthy  friends! 
Who  brings  good  tidings;  but  of  this  great  thing 
Wist  ye  how  it  befell  ?" 

Then  Bhalluk  told 

Such  as  the  people  of  the  valleys  knew 
Of  that  dread  night  of  conflict,  when  the  air 
Darkened  with  fiendish  shadows,  and  the  earth 
Quaked,  and  the  waters  swelled  with  Mara's  wrath. 


THE   LIGHT   OF    ASIA  475 

Also  how  gloriously  that  morning  broke 

Radiant  with  rising  hopes  for  man,  and  how 

The  Lord  was  found  rejoicing  'neath  his  Tree. 

But  many  days  the  burden  of  release — 

To  be  escaped  beyond  all  storms  of  doubt, 

Safe  on  Truth's  shore — lay,  spake  he,  on  that  heart 

A  golden  load;  for  how  shall  men— Buddh  mused-— 

Who  love  their  sins  and  cleave  to  cheats  of  sense, 

And  drink  of  error  from  a  thousand  springs, 

Having  no  mind  to  see,  nor  strength  to  break 

The  fleshly  snare  which  binds  them — how  should  such 

Receive  the  Twelve  Nidanas *  and  the  Law 

Redeeming  all,  yet  strange  to  profit  by, 

As  the  caged  bird  oft  shuns  its  opened  door? 

So  had  we  missed  the  helpful  victory 

If,  in  this  earth  without  a  refuge,  Buddh, 

Winning  the  way,  had  deemed  it  all  too  hard 

For  mortal  feet  and  passed,  none  following  him. 

Yet  pondered  the  compassion  of  our  Lord; 

But  in  that  hour  there  rang  a  voice  as  sharp 

As  cry  of  travail,  so  as  if  the  earth 

Moaned  in  birth-throe,  "Nasyami  aham  bhu 

Nasyati  16 %a!"  SURELY  I  AM  LOST, 

I  AND  MY  CREATURES:  then  a  pause,  and  next 

A  pleading  sigh  borne  on  the  western  wind, 

"Sruyatdm  dharma,  Bhagwat!"  OH,  SUPREME! 

LET  THY  GREAT  LAW  BE  UTTERED!  Whereupon 

The  Master  cast  his  vision  forth  on  flesh, 
Saw  who  should  hear  and  who  must  wait  to  hear, 
As  the  keen  Sun  gilding  the  lotus-lakes 
Seeth  which  buds  will  open  to  his  beams 
And  which  are  not  yet  risen  from  their  roots; 
Then  spake,  divinely  smiling,  "Yea!  1  preach! 
Whoso  will  listen  let  him  learn  the  Law." 

Afterwards  passed  he,  said  they,  by  the  hills 
Unto  Benares,  where  he  taught  the  Five, 

1  Causes.  The  twelve  Nidanas  form  the  chain  of  causation  which  carries  on  the  misery  of 
the  world. 


476  BUDDHISM 

Showing  how  birth  and  death  should  be  destroyed, 
And  how  man  hath  no  fate  except  past  deeds, 
No  Hell  but  what  he  makes,  no  Heaven  too  high 
For  those  to  reach  whose  passions  sleep  subdued. 
This  was  the  fifteenth  day  of  Vaishya 
Mid-afternoon,  and  that  night  was  full  moon. 

But,  of  the  Rishis,  first  Kaundinya 
Owned  the  Four  Truths  and  entered  on  the  Paths; 
And  after  him  Bhadraka,  Asvajit, 
Basava,  Mahanama;  also  there 
Within  the  Deer-park,  at  the  feet  of  Buddh, 
Yasad  the  Prince  with  nobles  fifty-four, 
Hearing  the  blessed  word  our  Master  spake, 
Worshipped  and  followed ;  for  there  sprang  up  peace 
And  knowledge  of  a  new  time  come  for  men 
In  all  who  heard,  as  spring  the  flowers  and  grass 
When  water  sparkles  through  a  sandy  plain. 

These  sixty — said  they — did  our  Lord  send  forth, 
Made  perfect  in  restraint  and  passion-free, 
To  teach  the  Way;  but  the  World-honoured  turned 
South  from  the  Deer-park  and  Isipatan 
To  Yashti  and  King  Bimbisara's  realm, 
Where  many  days  he  taught;  and  after  these 
King  Bimbisara  and  his  folk  believed, 
Learning  the  law  of  love  and  ordered  life. 
Also  he  gave  the  Master,  of  free  gift, — 
Pouring  forth  water  on  the  hands  of  Buddh, — 
The  Bamboo-Garden,  named  Weluvana, 
Wherein  are  streams  and  caves  and  lovely  glades; 
And  the  King  set  a  stone  there,  carved  with  this: — 

"What  life's  course  and  cause  sustain 
These  Tathagato  made  plain; 
What  delivers  from  life's  woe 
That  our  Lord  hath  made  us  know." 

And,  in  that  Garden — said  they — there  was  held 
A  high  Assembly,  where  the  Teacher  spake 


THE    LIGHT    OF    ASIA  477 

Wisdom  and  power,  winning  all  souls  which  heard; 
So  that  nine  hundred  took  the  yellow  robe — 
Such  as  the  Master  wears, — and  spread  his  Law; 
And  this  the  gatha  *  was  wherewith  he  closed : — 

"Evil  swells  the  debts  to  pay, 
Good  delivers  and  acquits; 
Shun  evil,  follow  good;  hold  sway 
Over  thyself.  This  is  the  Way." 

Whom,  when  they  ended,  speaking  so  of  him, 
With  gifts,  and  thanks  which  made  the  jewels  dull, 
The  Princess  recompensed.  "But  by  what  road 
Wendeth  my  Lord?"  she  asked:  the  merchants  said, 
"Yojans  *  threescore  stretch  from  the  city-walls 
To  Rajagriha,  whence  the  easy  path 
Passeth  by  Sona  hither,  and  the  hills. 
Our  oxen,  treading  eight  slow  koss  a  day, 
Came  in  one  moon." 

Then  the  King,  hearing  word, 
Sent  nobles  of  the  Court — well-mounted  lords — 
Nine  separate  messengers,  each  embassy 
Bidden  to  say,  "The  King  Suddhodana — 
Nearer  the  pyre  by  seven  long  years  of  lack, 
Wherethrough  he  hath  not  ceased  to  seek  for  thee — 
Prays  of  his  son  to  come  unto  his  own, 
The  Throne  and  people  of  this  longing  Realm, 
Lest  he  shall  die  and  see  thy  face  no  more." 
Also  nine  horsemen  sent  Yasodhara 
Bidden  to  say,  "The  Princess  of  thy  House — 
Rahula's  mother — craves  to  see  thy  face 
As  the  night-blowing  moon-flower's  swelling  heart 
Pines  for  the  moon,  as  pale  asoka-buds 
Wait  for  a  woman's  foot :  if  thou  hast  found 
More  than  was  lost,  she  prays  her  part  in  this, 
Rahula's  part,  but  most  of  all  thyself." 
So  sped  the  Sakya  Lords,  but  it  befell 

1  A  short  religious  poem,  consisting  of  one  verse. 
*  Short  for  yd/anas,  each  nine  English  miles. 


478  BUDDHISM 

That  each  one,  with  the  message  in  his  mouth, 
Entered  the  Bamboo-Garden  in  that  hour 
When  Buddha  taught  his  Law;  and-— hearing— each 
Forgot  to  speak,  lost  thought  of  King  and  quest, 
Of  the  sad  Princess  even;  only  gazed 
Eye-rapt  upon  the  Master;  only  hung 
Heart-caught  upon  the  speech,  compassionate, 
Commanding,  perfect,  pure,  enlightening  all, 
Poured  from  those  sacred  lips.  Look!  like  a  bee 
Winged  for  the  hive,  who  sees  the  mogras  spread 
And  scents  their  utter  sweetness  on  the  air, 
If  he  be  honey-filled,  it  matters  not; 
If  night  be  nigh,  or  rain,  he  will  not  heed; 
Needs  must  he  light  on  those  delicious  blooms 
And  drain  their  nectar;  so  these  messengers 
One  with  another,  hearing  Buddha's  words, 
Let  go  the  purpose  of  their  speed,  and  mixed, 
Heedless  of  all,  amid  the  Master's  train. 
Wherefore  the  King  bade  that  Udayi  go — 
Chiefest  in  all  the  Court,  and  faithfullest, 
Siddartha's  playmate  in  the  happier  days — 
Who,  as  he  drew  anear  the  garden,  plucked 
Blown  tufts  of  tree-wool  from  the  grove  and  sealed 
The  entrance  of  his  hearing;  thus  he  came 
Safe  through  the  lofty  peril  of  the  place, 
And  told  the  message  of  the  King,  and  hers. 

Then  meekly  bowed  his  head  and  spake  our  Lord 
Before  the  people,  "Surely  I  shall  gol 
It  is  my  duty  as  it  was  my  will; 
Let  no  man  miss  to  render  reverence 
To  those  who  lend  him  life,  whereby  come  means 
To  live  and  die  no  more,  but  safe  attain 
Blissful  Nirvana,  if  ye  keep  the  Law, 
Purging  past  wrongs  and  adding  nought  thereto, 
Complete  in  love  and  lovely  charities. 
Let  the  King  know  and  let  the  Princess  hear 
I  take  the  way  forcwith."  This  told,  the  folk 
Of  white  Kapilavastu  and  its  fields 


THE    LIGHT   OF   ASIA  479 

Made  ready  for  the  entrance  of  their  Prince. 

At  the  south  gate  a  bright  pavilion  rose 

With  flower-wreathed  pillars,  and  the  walls  of  silk 

Wrought  on  their  red  and  green  with  woven  gold. 

Also  the  roads  were  laid  with  scented  boughs 

Of  neem  and  mango,  and  full  mussuks  shed 

Sandal  and  jasmine  on  the  dust;  and  flags 

Fluttered;  and  on  the  day  when  he  should  come 

It  was  ordained  how  many  elephants — 

With  silver  howdahs  *  and  their  tusks  gold-tipped — 

Should  wait  beyond  the  ford,  and  where  the  drums 

Should  boom  "Siddartha  cometh!"  where  the  lords 

Should  light  and  worship,  and  the  dancing  girls 

Where  they  should  strew  their  flowers,  with  dance  and  song, 

So  that  the  steed  he  rode  might  tramp  knee-deep 

In  rose  and  balsam,  and  the  ways  be  fair; 

While  the  town  rang  with  music  and  high  joy. 

This  was  ordained,  and  all  men's  ears  were  pricked 

Dawn  after  dawn  to  catch  the  first  drum's  beat 

Announcing,  "Now  he  cometh!" 

But  it  fell- 
Eager  to  be  before — Yasodhara 
Rode  in  her  litter  to  the  city-walls 
Where  soared  the  bright  pavilion.  All  around 
A  beauteous  garden  smiled — Nigrodha  named — 
Shaded  with  bel-treesand  the  green-plumed  dates, 
New-trimmed  and  gay  with  winding  walks  and  banks 
Of  fruits  and  flowers;  for  the  southern  road 
Skirted  its  lawns,  on  this  hand  leaf  and  bloom, 
On  that  the  suburb-huts  where  base-borns  dwelt 
Outside  the  gates,  a  patient  folk  and  poor, 
Whose  touch  for  Kshatriya  and  priest  of  Brahm 
Were  sort  defilement.  Yet  those,  too,  were  quick 
With  expectation,  rising  ere  the  dawn 
To  peer  along  the  road,  to  climb  the  trees 
At  far-off  trumpet  of  some  elephant, 
Or  stir  of  temple-drum;  and  when  none  came, 
Busied  with  lowly  chores  to  please  the  Prince; 

1  A  scat  with  a  canopy  and  railing  for  the  rider  on  elephant's  beck. 


BUDDHISM 

Sweeping  their  door-stones,  setting  forth  their  flags, 

Stringing  the  fluted  fig-leaves  into  chains, 

New  furbishing  the  Lingam,  decking  new 

Yesterday's  faded  arch  of  boughs,  but  aye 

Questioning  wayfarers  if  any  noise 

Be  on  the  road  of  great  Siddartha.  These 

The  Princess  marked  with  lovely  languid  eyes, 

Watching,  as  they,  the  southward  plain,  and  bent 

Like  them  to  listen  if  the  passers  gave 

News  of  the  path.  So  fell  it  she  beheld 

One  slow  approaching  with  his  head  close  shorn, 

A  yellow  cloth  over  his  shoulder  cast, 

Girt  as  the  hermits  are,  and  in  his  hand 

An  earthen  bowl,  shaped  melonwise,  the  which 

Meekly  at  each  hut-door  he  held  a  space, 

Taking  the  granted  dole  with  gentle  thanks 

And  all  as  gently  passing  where  none  gave. 

Two  followed  him  wearing  the  yellow  robe, 

But  he  who  bore  the  bowl  so  lordly  seemed, 

So  reverend,  and  with  such  a  passage  moved, 

With  so  commanding  presence  filled  the  air, 

With  such  sweet  eyes  of  holiness  smote  all, 

That,  as  they  reached  him  alms  the  givers  gazed 

Awestruck  upon  his  face,  and  some  bent  down 

In  worship,  and  some  ran  to  fetch  fresh  gifts 

Grieved  to  be  poor;  till  slowly,  group  by  group, 

Children  and  men  and  women  drew  behind 

Into  his  steps,  whispering  with  covered  lips, 

"Who  is  he?  who?  when  looked  a  Rishi  thus?" 

But  as  he  came  with  quiet  footfall  on 

Nigh  the  pavilion,  lo!  the  silken  door 

Lifted,  and,  all  unveiled,  Yasodhara 

Stood  in  his  path  crying,  "Siddartha!  Lord!" 

With  wide  eyes  streaming  and  with  close-clasped  hands, 

Then  sobbing  fell  upon  his  feet,  and  lay. 

Afterwards,  when  this  weeping  lady  passed 
Into  the  Noble  Paths,  and  one  had  prayed 
Answer  from  Buddha  wherefore — being  vowed 


THE    LIGHT   OF    ASIA  481 

Quit  of  all  mortal  passion  and  the  touch, 

Flower-soft  and  conquering,  of  a  woman's  hands — 

He  suffered  such  embrace,  the  Master  said : 

"The  greater  beareth  with  the  lesser  love 

So  it  may  raise  it  unto  easier  heights. 

Take  heed  that  no  man,  being  'scaped  from  bonds, 

Vexeth  bound  souls  with  boasts  of  liberty. 

Free  are  ye  rather  that  your  freedom  spread 

By  patient  winning  and  sweet  wisdom's  skill. 

Three  eras  of  long  toil  bring  Bodhisats * — 

Who  will  be  guides  and  help  this  darkling  world — 

Unto  deliverance,  and  the  first  is  named 

Of  deep  'Resolve,'  the  second  of  'Attempt/ 

The  third  of  'Nomination.'  Lo!  I  lived 

In  era  of  Resolve,  desiring  good, 

Searching  for  wisdom,  but  mine  eyes  were  sealed. 

Count  the  grey  seeds  on  yonder  castor-clump, 

So  many  rams  it  is  since  I  was  Ram, 

A  merchant  of  the  coast  which  looketh  south 

To  Lanka  and  the  hiding-place  of  pearls. 

Also  in  that  far  time  Yasodhara 

Dwelt  with  me  in  our  village  by  the  sea, 

Tender  as  now,  and  Lukshmi  was  her  name. 

And  1  remember  how  I  journeyed  thence 

Seeking  our  gam,  for  poor  the  household  was 

And  lowly.  Not  the  less  with  wistful  tears 

She  prayed  me  that  I  should  not  part,  nor  tempt 

Perils  by  land  and  water.  'How  could  love 

Leave  what  it  loved?'  she  wailed;  yet,  venturing, I 

Passed  to  the  Straits,  and  after  storm  and  toil 

And  deadly  strife  with  creatures  of  the  deep, 

And  woes  beneath  the  midnight  and  the  noon, 

Searching  the  wave  I  won  therefrom  a  pearl 

Moonlike  and  glorious,  such  as  Kings  might  buy 

Emptying  their  treasury.  Then  came  I  glad 

Unto  mine  hills,  but  over  all  that  land 

Famine  spread  sore;  ill  was  I  stead  to  live 

In  journey  home,  and  hardly  reached  my  door — 

1  Bodhisattvas. 


402  BUDDHISM 

Aching  for  food — with  that  white  wealth  of  the  sea 

Tied  in  my  girdle.  Yet  no  food  was  there; 

And  on  the  threshold  she  for  whom  I  toiled — 

More  than  myself — lay  with  her  speechless  lips 

Nigh  unto  death  for  one  small  gift  of  grain. 

Then  cried  I,  'If  there  be  who  hath  of  grain, 

Here  is  a  kingdom's  ransom  for  one  life; 

Give  Lukshmi  bread  and  take  my  moonlight  pearl.' 

Whereat  one  brought  the  last  of  all  his  hoard, 

Millet — three  seers — and  clutched  the  beauteous  thing. 

But  Lukshmi  lived,  and  sighed  with  gathered  life, 

'Lo!  thou  didst  love  indeed!'  I  spent  my  pearl 

Well  in  that  life  to  comfort  heart  and  mind 

Else  quite  uncomforted;  but  these  pure  pearls, 

My  last  great  gain,  won  from  a  deeper  wave — 

The  Twelve  Nidanas  and  the  Law  of  Good — 

Cannot  be  spent,  nor  dimmed,  and  most  fulfil 

Their  perfect  beauty  being  freeliest  given. 

For  like  as  is  to  Meru  yonder  hill 

Heaped  by  the  little  ants,  and  like  as  dew 

Dropped  in  the  footmark  of  a  bounding  roe 

Unto  the  shoreless  seas,  so  was  that  gift 

Unto  my  present  giving;  and  so  love — 

Vaster  in  being  free  from  toils  of  sense — 

Was  wisest  stooping  to  the  weaker  heart; 

And  so  the  feet  of  sweet  Yasodhara 

Passed  into  peace  and  bliss,  being  softly  led." 

But  when  the  King  heard  how  Siddartha  came 
Shorn,  with  the  mendicant's  sad-coloured  cloth, 
And  stretching  out  a  bowl  to  gather  orts 
From  base-borns'  leavings,  wrathful  sorrow  drave 
Love  from  his  heart.  Thrice  on  the  ground  he  spat, 
Plucked  at  his  silvered  beard,  and  strode  straight  forth 
Lackeyed  by  trembling  lords.  Frowning  he  clomb 
Upon  his  war-horse,  drove  the  spurs,  and  dashed, 
Angered,  through  wondering  streets  and  lanes  of  folk 
Scarce  finding  breath  to  say,  "The  King!  bow  down!" 
Ere  the  loud  cavalcade  had  clattered  by: 


THE   LIGHT  OF   ASIA  483 

Which — at  the  turning  by  the  Temple-wall, 

Where  the  south  gate  was  seen — encountered  full 

A  mighty  crowd;  to  every  edge  of  it 

Poured  fast  more  people,  till  the  roads  were  lost, 

Blotted  by  that  huge  company  which  thronged 

And  grew,  close  following  him  whose  look  serene 

Met  the  old  King's.  Nor  lived  the  father's  wrath 

Longer  than  while  the  gentle  eyes  of  Buddh 

Lingered  in  worship  on  his  troubled  brows, 

Then  downcast  sank,  with  his  true  knee,  to  earth 

In  proud  humility.  So  dear  it  seemed 

To  see  the  Prince,  to  know  him  whole,  to  mark 

That  glory  greater  than  of  earthly  state 

Crowning  his  head,  that  majesty  which  brought 

All  men,  so  awed  and  silent,  in  his  steps. 

Nathless,  the  King  broke  forth,  "Ends  it  in  this 

That  great  Siddartha  steals  into  his  realm, 

Wrapped  in  a  clout,  short,  sandalled,  craving  food 

Of  low-borns,  he  whose  life  was  as  a  God's? 

My  son!  heir  of  this  spacious  power,  and  heir 

Of  Kings  who  did  but  clap  their  palms  to  have 

What  earth  could  give  or  eager  service  bring? 

Thou  should'st  have  come  apparelled  in  thy  rank, 

With  shining  spears,  and  tramp  of  horse  and  foot. 

Lo!  all  my  soldiers  camped  upon  the  road, 

And  all  my  city  waited  at  the  gates; 

Where  hast  thou  sojourned  through  these  evil  years 

Whilst  thy  crowned  father  mourned?  and  she,  too,  there 

Lived  as  the  widows  use,  foregoing  joys; 

Never  once  hearing  sound  of  song  or  string, 

Nor  wearing  once  the  festal  robe,  till  now 

When  in  her  cloth  of  geld  she  welcomes  home 

A  beggar-spouse  in  yellow  remnants  clad. 

Son!  why  is  this?" 

"My  Father!"  came  reply, 
"It  is  the  custom  of  my  race." 

"Thy  race," 

Answered  the  King,  "counteth  a  hundred  thrones 
From  Maha  Sammat,  but  no  deed  like  this." 


484  BUDDHISM 

"Not  of  a  mortal  line,"  the  Master  said, 
"I  spake,  but  of  descent  invisible, 
The  Buddhas  who  have  been  and  who  shall  be 
Of  these  am  I,  and  what  they  did  I  do, 
And  this,  which  now  befalls,  so  fell  before, 
That  at  his  gate  a  King  in  warrior-mail 
Should  meet  his  son,  a  Prince  in  hermit- weeds; 
And  that,  by  love  and  self-control,  being  more 
Than  mightiest  Kings  in  all  their  puissance, 
The  appointed  helper  of  the  Worlds  should  bow — 
As  now  do  I — and  with  all  lowly  love 
Proffer,  where  it  is  owed  for  tender  debts, 
The  first-fruits  of  the  treasure  he  hath  brought; 
Which  now  I  proffer." 

Then  the  King  amazed 

Inquired  "What  treasure?"  and  the  Teacher  took 
Meekly  the  royal  palm,  and  while  they  paced 
Through  worshipping  streets—the  Princess  and  the  King 
On  either  side — he  told  the  things  which  make 
For  peace  and  pureness,  those  Four  noble  Truths l 
Which  hold  all  wisdom  as  shores  shut  the  seas, 
Those  eight  right  Rules  whereby  who  will  may  walk — 
Monarch  or  slave — upon  the  perfect  Path 
That  hath  its  Stages  Four  and  Precepts  Eight, 
Whereby  whoso  will  live— mighty  or  mean, 
Wise  or  unlearned,  man,  woman,  young  or  old — 
Shall,  soon  or  late,  break  from  the  wheels  of  life, 
Attaining  blest  Nirvana.  So  they  came 
Into  the  Palace-porch,  Suddhodana 
With  brows  unknit  drinking  the  mighty  words, 
And  in  his  own  hand  carrying  Buddha's  bowl, 
Whilst  a  new  light  brightened  the  lovely  eyes 
Of  sweet  Yasodhara  and  sunned  her  tears; 
And  that  night  entered  they  the  Way  of  Peace. 

The  Four  Truths  and  Eightfold  Path — sec  the  summary  of  Buddha's  teachings  in  the 
'Sermon  at  Benares"  (Section  "Three  Sermons  by  Buddha"). 


THE   LIGHT   OF   ASIA  485 

BOOK  THE  EIGHTH 

A  BROAD  mead  spreads  by  swift  Kohana's  bank 

At  Nagara;  five  days  shall  bring  a  man 

In  ox-wain  thither  from  Benares'  shrines 

Eastward  and  northward  journeying.  The  horns 

Of  white  Himala  look  upon  the  place, 

Which  all  the  year  is  glad  with  blooms,  and  girt 

By  groves  made  green  from  that  bright  streamlet's  wave. 

Soft  are  its  slopes  and  cool  its  fragrant  shades, 

And  holy  all  the  spirit  of  the  spot 

Unto  this  time :  the  breath  of  eve  comes  hushed 

Over  the  tangled  thickets,  and  high  heaps 

Of  carved  red  stones  cloven  by  root  and  stem 

Of  creeping  fig,  and  clad  with  waving  veil 

Of  leaf  and  grass.  The  still  snake  glistens  forth 

From  crumbled  work  of  lac  and  cedar-beams 

To  coil  his  folds  there  on  deep-graven  slabs; 

The  lizard  dwells  and  darts  o'er  painted  floors 

Where  Kings  have  paced;  the  grey  fox  litters  safe 

Under  the  broken  thrones;  only  the  peaks, 

And  stream,  and  sloping  lawns,  and  gentle  airs 

Abide  unchanged.  All  else,  like  all  fair  shows 

Of  life,  are  fled — for  this  is  where  it  stood 

The  city  of  Suddhodana,  the  hill 

Whereon,  upon  an  eve  of  gold  and  blue, 

At  sinking  sun  Lord  Buddha  set  himself 

To  teach  the  Law  in  hearing  of  his  own. 

Lo!  ye  shall  read  it  in  the  Sacred  Books 
How,  being  met  in  that  glad  pleasaunce-place — 
A  garden  in  old  days  with  hanging  walks, 
Fountains,  and  tanks,  and  rose-banked  terraces 
Girdled  by  gay  pavilions  and  the  sweep 
Of  stately  palace-fronts— the  Master  sate 
Eminent,  worshipped,  all  the  earnest  throng 
Watching  the  opening  of  his  lips  to  learn 
That  wisdom  which  hath  made  our  Asia  mild; 


486  BUDDHISM 

Whereto  four  thousand  lakhs  of  living  souls 

Witness  this  day.  Upon  the  King's  right  hand 

He  sate,  and  round  where  ranged  the  Sakya  Lords 

Ananda,  Devadatta— all  the  Court: 

Behind  stood  Seriyut  and  Mugallan,  chiefs 

Of  the  calm  brethren  in  the  yellow  garb, 

A  goodly  company.  Between  his  knees 

Rahula  smiled,  with  wondering  childish  eyes 

Bent  on  the  awful  face,  while  at  his  feet 

Sate  sweet  Yasodhara,  her  heartaches  gone, 

Foreseeing  that  fair  love  which  doth  not  feed 

On  fleeting  sense,  that  life  which  knows  no  age, 

That  blessed  last  of  deaths  when  Death  is  dead, 

His  victory  and  hers.  Wherefore  she  laid 

Her  hand  upon  his  hands,  folding  around 

Her  silver  shoulder-cloth  his  yellow  robe, 

Nearest  in  all  the  world  to  him  whose  words 

The  Three  Worlds  waited  for.  I  cannot  tell 

A  small  part  of  the  splendid  lore  which  broke 

From  Buddha's  lips :  I  am  a  late-come  scribe 

Who  love  the  Master  and  his  love  of  men, 

And  tell  this  legend,  knowing  he  was  wise, 

But  have  not  wit  to  speak  beyond  the  books; 

And  time  hath  blurred  their  script  and  ancient  sense, 

Which  once  was  new  and  mighty,  moving  all. 

A  little  of  that  large  discourse  I  know 

Which  Buddha  spake  on  the  soft  Indian  eve; 

So,  too,  I  know  it  writ  that  they  who  heard 

Were  more — lakhs  more — crores  more — than  could  be  seen, 

For  all  the  Devas  and  the  Dead  thronged  there, 

Till  Heaven  was  emptied  to  the  seventh  zone 

A.nd  uttermost  dark  Hells  opened  their  bars; 

Also  the  daylight  lingered  past  its  time 

In  rose-leaf  radiance  on  the  watching  peaks, 

So  that  it  seemed  Night  listened  in  the  glens 

And  Noon  upon  the  mountains;  yea!  they  write, 

The  Evening  stood  between  them  like  some  maid 

Celestial,  love-struck,  rapt;  the  smooth-rolled  clouds 

Her  braided  hair;  the  studded  stars  the  pearls 


THE   LIGHT   OF    ASIA  487 

And  diamonds  of  her  coronal;  the  moon 

Her  forehead-jewel,  and  the  deepening  dark 

Her  woven  garments.  Twas  her  close-held  breath 

Which  came  in  scented  sighs  across  the  lawns 

While  our  Lord  taught,  and,  while  he  taught,  who  heard— 

Though  he  were  stranger  in  the  land,  or  slave, 

High  caste  or  low,  come  of  the  Aryan  blood, 

Or  Mlech  or  Jungle-dweller—seemed  to  hear 

What  tongue  his  fellows  talked.  Nay,  outside  those 

Who  crowded  by  the  river,  great  and  small, 

The  birds  and  beasts  creeping  things — 'tis  writ — 

Had  sense  of  Buddha's  vast  embracing  love 

And  took  the  promise  of  his  piteous  speech; 

So  that  their  lives—prisoned  in  shape  of  ape, 

Tiger,  or  deer,  shagged  bear,  jackal,  or  wolf, 

Foul-feeding  kite,  pearled  dove,  or  peacock  gemmed, 

Squat  toad,  or  speckled  serpent,  lizard,  bat; 

Yea,  or  of  fish  fanning  the  river-waves — 

Touched  meekly  at  the  skirts  of  brotherhood 

With  man  who  hath  less  innocence  than  these, 

And  in  mute  gladness  knew  their  bondage  broke 

Whilst  Buddha  spake  these  things  before  the  King: 

[The  following  presentation  of  Buddha's  teachings  is  omitted.  This 
material  is  better  presented  in  the  sections  "Dhammapada"  "Three  Ser- 
mons by  Buddha"  "Some  Buddhist  Parables  and  Legends"  and  the 
"Surangama" — Ed.] 

These  words  the  Master  spake  of  duties  due 
To  father,  mother,  children,  fellows,  friends; 
Teaching  how  such  as  may  not  swiftly  break 
The  clinging  chains  of  sense—whose  feet  are  weak 
To  tread  the  higher  road—should  order  so 
This  life  of  flesh  that  all  their  hither  days 
Pass  blameless  in  discharge  of  charities 
And  first  true  footfalls  in  the  Eightfold  Path; 
Living  pure,  reverent,  patient,  pitiful; 
Loving  all  things  which  live  even  as  themselves; 
Because  what  falls  for  ill  is  fruit  of  ill 
Wrought  in  the  past,  and  what  falls  well  of  good; 


400  BUDDHISM 

And  that  by  howsomuch  the  householder 

Purgeth  himself  of  self  and  helps  the  world, 

By  so  much  happier  comes  he  to  next  stage, 

In  so  much  bettered  being.  This  he  spake; 

As  also  long  before,  when  our  Lord  walked 

By  Rajagriha  in  the  bamboo-grove: 

For  on  a  dawn  he  walked  there  and  beheld 

The  householder  Singala,  newly  bathed, 

Bowing  himself  with  bare  head  to  the  earth, 

To  Heaven,  and  all  four  quarters;  while  he  threw 

Rice,  red  and  white,  from  both  hands.  "Wherefore  thus 

Bowest  thou,  Brother?"  said  the  Lord;  and  he, 

"It  is  the  way,  Great  Sir!  our  fathers  taught 

At  every  dawn,  before  the  toil  begins, 

To  hold  off  evil  from  the  sky  above 

And  earth  beneath,  and  all  the  winds  which  blow." 

Then  the  World-honoured  spake :  "Scatter  not  rice, 

But  offer  loving  thoughts  and  acts  to  all : 

To  parents  as  the  East,  where  rises  light; 

To  teachers  as  the  South,  whence  rich  gifts  come; 

To  wife  and  children  as  the  West,  where  gleam 

Colours  of  love  and  calm,  and  all  days  end; 

To  friends  and  kinsmen  and  all  men  as  North; 

To  humblest  living  things  beneath,  to  Saints 

And  Angels  and  the  blessed  Dead  above : 

So  shall  all  evil  be  shut  off,  and  so 

The  six  main  quarters  will  be  safely  kept." 

But  to  his  Own,  Them  of  the  yellow  robe — 
Those  who,  as  wakened  eagles,  soar  with  scorn 
From  life's  low  vale,  and  wing  towards  the  Sun — 
To  these  he  taught  the  Ten  Observances 
The  Dasa-Sll)  and  how  a  mendicant 
Must  know  the  Three  Doors  and  the  Triple  Thoughts; 
The  Sixfold  States  of  Mind;  the  Fivefold  Powers; 
The  Eight  High  Gates  of  Purity;  the  Modes 
Of  Understanding;  Iddhi  V  Upefehd a; 

1  Dominion  of  spirit  over  matter,  also  certain  major  powers  (Sanskrit:  riddhi). 
1  The  discipline  of  ignoring  non-essentials. 


THE    LIGHT   OF    ASIA  489 

The  Five  Great  Meditations,  which  are  food 

Sweeter  than  Amrit *  for  the  holy  soul; 

The  Jhdnas a  and  the  Three  Chief  Refuges.9 

Also  he  taught  his  Own  how  they  should  dwell; 

How  live,  free  from  the  snares  of  love  and  wealth; 

What  eat  and  drink  and  carry — three  plain  cloths, — 

Yellow,  of  stitched  stuff,  worn  with  shoulder  bare — 

A  girdle,  almsbowl,  strainer.  Thus  he  laid 

The  great  foundations  of  our  Sangha  well, 

That  noble  Order  of  the  Yellow  Robe 

Which  to  this  day  standeth  to  help  the  World. 

So  all  that  night  he  spake,  teaching  the  Law; 
And  on  no  eyes  fell  sleep — for  they  who  heard 
Rejoiced  with  tireless  joy.  Also  the  King, 
When  this  was  finished,  rose  upon  his  throne 
And  with  bared  feet  bowed  low  before  his  Son 
Kissing  his  hem;  and  said,  "Take  me,  O  Son! 
Lowest  and  least  of  all  thy  Company." 
And  sweet  Yasodhara,  all  happy  now, — 
Cried  "Give  to  Rahula — thou  Blessed  One! 
The  Treasure  of  the  Kingdom  of  thy  Word 
For  his  inheritance."  Thus  passed  these  Three 
Into  the  Path. 

Here  endeth  what  I  write 
Who  love  the  Master  for  his  love  of  us. 
A  little  knowing,  little  have  I  told 
Touching  the  Teacher  and  the  Ways  of  Peace. 
Forty-five  rains  thereafter  showed  he  those 
In  many  lands  and  many  tongues,  and  gave 
Our  Asia  Light,  that  still  is  beautiful, 
Conquering  the  world  with  spirit  of  strong  grace: 
All  which  is  written  in  the  holy  Books, 
And  where  he  passed,  and  what  proud  Emperors 
Carved  his  sweet  words  upon  the  rocks  and  caves: 

1  Nectar,  or  the  immortal  drink  of  the  Vcchc  gods. 

8  Pah  for  Sanskrit  dyana,  meditation,  beatific  vision. 

*  The  Buddha,  the  Doctrine,  and  the  Order  (or  Church). 


490  BUDDHISM 

And  how—in  fulness  of  the  times— it  fell 
The  Buddha  died,  the  great  Tathagato, 
Even  as  a  man  'mongst  men,  fulfilling  all: 
And  how  a  thousand  thousand  lakhs  since  then 
Have  trod  the  Path  which  leads  whither  he  went 
Unto  NIRVANA,  where  the  Silence  lives. 

Ah!  Blessed  Lord!  Oh,  High  Delivererl 
Forgive  this  feeble  script,  which  doth  thee  wrong. 
Measuring  with  little  wit  thy  lofty  Love. 
Ah!  Lover!  Brother!  Guide!  Lamp  of  the  Law! 
I  ta\e  my  refuge  in  thy  name  and  thee! 
I  tal(e  my  refuge  in  thy  Law  of  Good! 
I  tafe  my  refuge  in  thy  Order!  OM! 
The  Dew  is  on  the  lotus!— Rise,  Great  Sun! 
And  lift  my  leaf  and  mix  me  with  the  wave. 
Om  mani  padme  hum,  the  Sunrise  comes! 
The  Dewdrop  slips  into  the  shining  Seal 


The  Surangama  Sutra 


INTRODUCTION 

IN  SPITE  OF  the  tremendous  labors  of  Western  scholars,  I  do  not  think 
there  is  a  presentation  which  gives,  in  one  short,  consecutive  discourse 
from  original  sources,  the  philosophic  basis  of  Buddhist  thought.  There 
are  able  compilations  by  eminent  scholars,  notably  The  Gospel  of 
Buddha  (compiled  from  ancient  records),  by  Dr.  Paul  Carus  (Open 
Court,  Chicago,  1894)  and  Buddhism  in  Translations,  by  Henry  Clarke 
Warren  (Harvard  Oriental  Series,  Vol.  3,  Harvard  University  Press, 
1896,  also  available  in  the  Harvard  Classics).  Dr.  Carus's  justly  famous 
Gospel  of  Buddha,  first  published  in  1894  and  translated  into  seven  or 
eight  languages,  seems  to  be  the  best  compilation  and  the  ideal  book 
for  the  average  reader.  It  is  written  in  simple  English  and  draws  its 
sources  from  both  Mahayana  and  Hinayana  texts,  while  Warren's  book 
confines  itself  to  the  latter  sources  (very  largely  from  the  Visuddi- 
magga).  What  is  difficult  to  find  is  one  single,  consecutive  exposition  of 
the  Buddhist  philosophy  from  the  original  sources  which  should  give  a 
fair  idea  of  the  Buddhist  argument  and  its  method  and  manner  of  ap- 
proach and  which  can  fit  into  the  compass  of  the  present  volume. 

The  present  selection  from  the  Surangama  Sutra  gives,  I  believe,  the 
best  approach  to  the  philosophic  basis  of  Buddhist  belief,  for  it  must 
never  be  forgotten  that  Buddhism  is  a  philosophy — it  is  a  form  of  re- 
ligious enlightenment  built  on  a  metaphysical  basis.  There  is  no  other 
reason  for  the  high  prestige  Buddhism  has  always  enjoyed  among  the 
Chinese  scholars.  The  present  selection  is  a  kind  of  Essay  on  Human 
Understanding  and  the  Gospel  of  St.  John  combined,  with  the  intel- 
lectual force  of  the  one  and  the  religious  spirit  of  the  other.  We  go 
through  a  process  of  intellectual  inquiry  that  upsets  all  values,  as  we 

491 


492  BUDDHISM 

listen  to  the  questions  and  answers  between  the  Buddha  and  Ananda, 
his  favorite  young  disciple;  as  the  real  meaning  of  the  ultimate  reality 
taught  by  Buddha,  similar  to  the  basis  of  Kantian  idealism,  seemed 
forever  to  be  confused  by  our  habitual  notions  of  the  physical  world,  the 
junior  disciples  were  constantly  thrown  into  perplexity  and  discourage- 
ment. Toward  the  end,  before  the  final  meaning  was  made  plain, 
Ananda  himself  "broke  into  sobs"  through  utter  bewilderment. 

The  style  is  familiar  and  challenges  comparison  with  the  Gospel  of 
St.  John.  It  shows  Buddha's  love  for  young  Ananda  (St.  John),  his  com- 
passion and  pity  for  those  slow  of  understanding,  and  his  humor  (in  the 
remark  to  the  King),  and  represents  Buddha  as  several  times  chiding 
them  all  for  their  "easy  forgetfulness"  of  the  truth.  In  aptness  and 
clarity  of  exposition,  it  has  the  marks  of  a  philosophic  masterpiece,  which 
is  the  reason  why  I  have  chosen  it  rather  than  the  Lankdvatdra,  although 
the  latter  gives  a  more  succinct  outline  of  the  Buddhist  tenets  with 
greater  completeness.  The  translation  is  by  Wei-tao  and  Dwight  God- 
dard.  The  chief  figures,  besides  Buddha,  are  Manjusri  and  Ananda, 
who  in  Chinese  Buddhist  temples  are  always  worshipped  on  the  right 
and  left  of  Buddha. 

Apart  from  its-  intrinsic  merit,  I  have  chosen  the  Surangama 
(Japanese  for  the  Chinese  name  of  the  classic,  Shou  ling  yen)  rather 
than  any  of  the  texts  from  the  Pali,  because  it  represents  Mahayana 
philosophy,  a  neglected  branch  of  Western  studies  of  Buddhism. 
Scholars  have  occupied  themselves  with  the  Buddhist  Tripitafo  ("Three 
Baskets")  canons  of  the  Hinayana  School  written  in  Pali.1  The  latter 
is  called  the  "Lesser  Vehicle"  (hsiao-ch 'eng  in  Chinese)  of  the  so-called 
school  of  "Southern  Buddhism,"  prevailing  in  Ceylon,  Siam  and  Burma; 
while  Mahayana  is  known  as  the  "Greater  Vehicle"  (tfrch'engm  Chinese) 
of  "Northern  Buddhism,"  prevailing  in  Thibet,  China,  Korea  and  Japan. 
The  study  of  the  Mahayana  texts  is  making  a  proper  beginning  only 
in  the  last  decade,  and  up  to  now  only  a  few  important  Chinese  Maha- 
yana texts  are  available  in  English  translations.  The  best  known  in  the 
West,  the  Lotus  Sutra  (Saddarma  Pundari{a,  tr.  by  H.  Kern,  in  the 
Sacred  Booths  of  the  East,  and  The  Lotus  of  the  Wonderful  Law,  tr.  by 
W.  E.  Soothill,  Oxford,  1930)  is  only  a  popular  text,  and  is  not  represen- 
tative of  the  best  in  Mahayana  literature. 

*Scc  list  of  these  important  Buddhist  canons  in  Buddhist  Scriptures  by  E.  J.  Thomas 
(Wisdom  of  the  East  Series)  pp.  17-19,  or  for  a  more  complete  analytical  list,  see  History 
of  Buddhist  Thought,  by  E.  J.  Thomas  (Knopf),  pp.  265-276. 


THE   SURANGAMA   SUTRA  493 

Owing  to  the  existence  of  the  Pali  Hinayana  texts  in  better  order  and 
condition  for  the  study  of  Western  students,  and  owing  to  the  influence 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  T.  W.  Rhys  Davids,  Mahayana  Buddhism  has  not  only 
been  neglected,  but  has  been  even  spoken  of  with  contempt.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Rhys  Davids  were  not  to  blame  when  they  spoke  thus  of  Mahayana 
Buddhism,  not  only  with  a  partisan,  but  also  with  what  amounts  to 
a  sectarian  hatred,  regarding  Mahayana  Buddhism  as  "heterodox"  and 
Hinayana  as  "orthodox";  this  is  entirely  understandable  for  they  de- 
voted their  lifetime  to  the  study  of  the  Pali  texts.  Perhaps  I  am  speaking 
also  with  some  bias  as  a  Chinese,  with  Chinese  associations.  The  word 
"bodhisattva,"  the  most  important  doctrine  of  Mahayana  religion,  is 
such  a  common  Chinese  word  that  we  use  it  in  speaking  of  a  sweet 
child  (like  the  word  "cherub")  and  of  a  clay  doll.  This  is  not  the  place 
to  go  into  arguments.  Suffice  it  to  point  out  that  the  epithet  "heretic" 
was  not  only  hurled  at  each  other  by  the  Mahayana  and  Hinayana 
Buddhists,  but  also  by  the  Hinayana  Buddhists  among  themselves,  of 
which  there  were  eighteen  divergent  schools,  that  authenticity  of  ma- 
terial regarding  Buddha's  words  can  be  as  little  claimed  for  the  Pali 
texts  as  for  the  Sanskrit  texts  translated  into  Chinese,  and  that  if  .the 
Mahayana  texts  were  written  down  probably  four  or  five  centuries 
after  the  death  of  Buddha,  so  were  the  texts  of  Ceylon.  Who  can  tell 
whether  Xenophon  or  Plato  gives  us  the  real  Socrates?  Anyway, 
Mahayana  philosophy  stemmed  out  of  Buddhism  as  naturally  as  Pauline 
theology  stemmed  out  of  Christ's  teachings.  The  greatest  of  the  Maha- 
yana teachers  was  Asvaghosha,  who  was  born  in  Oudh  and  lived  toward 
the  end  of  the  first  century.  Like  Paul,  he  was  a  haughty  and  learned 
scholar  converted  to  Buddhism.  Like  Paul's  stand  on  circumcision,  he 
wrote  the  famous  attack  on  the  caste  system,  the  Vajrasuchu.  Unlike  Paul, 
he  wrote  dramas,  epics  and  lyrics.  There  is  no  question  that  here  was 
truly  a  great  mind.  "There  was  no  question  he  did  not  solve,  no  opponent 
he  did  not  confound."  Out  of  this  great  mind,  the  Mahayana  religion 
grew.  All  questions  of  "heterodoxy"  are  inconsequential.  Moreover, 
Mahayana  religion  rose  when  Brahmanism  had  come  back  to  its  own 
and  the  Hinayana  Buddhists  were  losing  their  hold  on  the  Hindu  people. 

What  is  far  more  important  to  point  out  here  is  that  the  Mahayana 
philosophy  not  only  represents  an  important  and  natural  development 
of  Buddha's  doctrines,  but  also  shows  a  great  advance,  which  accounts 
for  its  far  greater  prestige  and  popularity  in  China  and  Japan.  First, 
it  represents  dissatisfaction  with  the  doctrine  of  Nirvana  as  extinction. 


494  BUDDHISM 

Secondly,  it  represents  dissatisfaction  with  the  selfish  salvation  of  the 
few  Pratyekas  and  Arhats,  and  stands  for  the  salvation  of  all,  through 
the  doctrine  of  the  Bodhisattvas,  beings  who,  having  reached  Nirvana, 
voluntarily  abstain  from  that  state  by  submitting  to  the  cycle  of  re- 
births in  order  to  save  the  world.  Not  until  all  mankind  is  delivered 
can  the  Buddhas  be  at  peace.  Thirdly,  it  represents  the  all-important 
principle  of  prayer  and  devotion  (bhal^ti)^  and  teaches  salvation  by 
faith  rather  than  by  works.  And  fourthly,  it  elevates  the  Buddha  into 
a  personal  god.  (Cf.  the  elevation  of  Krishna  into  a  personal  god  by 
the  Brahmans  in  the  Bhagavad-Gita.)  It  is  difficult  to  see  how  such 
developments  could  be  prevented,  or  how  they  could  be  regarded  as  a 
"degeneration."  Mere  "historicity,"  which  is  an  elusive  hope,  has, 
however,  concerned  the  research  scholars  rather  than  the  larger  aspects 
of  human  wisdom. 

The  author  of  the  Sutra  is  unknown.  It  was  written  in  Sanskrit  about 
the  first  century  and  known  to  the  Chinese  as  Shou-leng-ycn  Ching.  It 
was  carried  to  China  by  a  Hindu  Master  Paramartha  who  went  by  sea 
to  South  China,  and  was  translated  by  him  with  the  help  of  a  Chinese 
scholar  in  A.D.  705  at  Canton.  It  is  a  favorite  work  of  Chinese  scholar 
Buddhists,  and  the  fact  of  its  popularity  may  be  attested  by  the  fact 
that  fifty-six  commentaries  and  various  elucidations  have  been  known 
to  exist  in  Chinese. 

Students  who  are  interested  should  read  the  Mahayana  texts  in  The 
Buddhist  Bible,  by  Dwight  Goddard  (published  by  Goddard,  Thet- 
ford,  Vt.).  The  works  of  Dr.  D.  T.  Suzuki,  dealing  especially  with 
one  Mahayana  school,  the  Zen  in  Japanese  or  Ch'an  in  Chinese:  Manual 
of  Zen  Buddhism,  An  Introduction  to  Zen  Buddhism,  and  his  various 
Essays,  are  also  extremely  useful.  The  excellent  works  of  Alan  W. 
Watts,  The  Spirit  of  Zen  (Wisdom  of  the  East  Series)  and  The  Legacy 
of  Asia  and  Western  Man  (University  of  Chicago)  should  be  very 
useful  in  giving  insight  to  the  Oriental  outlook. 

Selections  on  Southern  Buddhism  are  available.  Besides  the  standard 
works  of  Carus  and  Warren  mentioned  above,  there  is  an  excellent 
small  volume  by  E.  J.  Thomas,  Buddhist  Scriptures  (Wisdom  of  the 
East  Series,  Murray).  The  Bible  of  the  World,  edited  by  Robert  O. 
Ballou,  also  contains  good  material. 

In  particular,  readers  may  be  interested  in  the  following  Buddhist 
works.  Buddhist  Legends  (Harvard  Oriental  Series,  vols.  28,  29,  30), 
by  E.  W.  Burlingame,  is  a  complete  translation,  with  good  synopses, 


THE   SURAwuAMA  5U1KA  495 

of  the  famous  Commentary  on  the  Dhammapada,  giving  a  wealth  of 
Buddhist  parables  to  illustrate  each  of  the  423  aphorisms  of  the  Dham- 
mapada.  The  Dialogues  of  the  Buddha  (Digha-ni^aya)  has  been  trans- 
lated by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rhys  Davids  in  3  vols.  (Oxford).  The  Vissudhi 
Magga,  by  Buddhaghosa,  which  is  a  very  able  piece  of  work,  has  been 
translated  by  P.  M.  Tin  (The  Path  of  Purity,  Pali  Text  Society,  Trans' 
lation  Series,  n,  17,  21). 

I  have  supplied  the  section  titles  to  make  the  development  of  thought 
easier  to  follow  for  the  reader. 


The  Surangama  Sutra 

Translated  by  Wei-Tao  and  D wight  Goddard 


INTRODUCTION 

THUS  HAVE  i  HEARD.  Upon  a  memorable  occasion,  the  Lord  Buddha 
while  staying  at  the  Jetavana  Meditation  Hall  in  the  city  of  Sravasti 
delivered  a  discourse  to  twelve  hundred  Great  Disciples  who  were  all 
great  Arhats  and  free  from  all  intoxicants,  that  is,  they  were  all  per- 
fectly emancipated  from  sensual  attachments  and  defilements.  They 
were  true  heirs  of  their  Lord  Buddha  and  worthy  to  share  their  Lord's 
responsibility  for  the  ever-continuing  preaching  of  the  Lord's  Dharma. 
They  had  all  transcended  phenomenal  existence  and  could  manifest 
their  gracious  presence  by  a  Buddhist  influence  wherever  they  so- 
journed. They  were  so  highly  advanced  in  their  transcendental  attain- 
ments that  they  were  perfectly  qualified  to  receive  the  Dharma  from 
their  Lord  and  Master  and  had  so  greatly  profited  from  the  Lord's 
teaching  that  they  knew  well  how,  with  the  Lord  Buddha,  to  them- 
selves turn  the  mysterious  wheel  of  the  true  Dharma.  They  had  kept 
the  Precepts  with  such  strict  observance  and  perfect  purity  as  to  be 
qualified  as  perfect  models  for  this  triple  world.  They  could  assume 
innumerable  appearance-bodies  in  response  to  the  earnest  prayer  of  any 
sentient  being  to  rescue  them  and  to  perfect  their  emancipation.  They 
were  also  willing  to  extend  their  helping  hands  into  the  future,  so  that 
all  sentient  beings  in  the  future  might  become  emancipated  and  free 
from  all  their  fetters  of  earthly  defilement. 

Among  the  Great  Bhikshus  *  present,  acting  as  leaders,  were  the  wise 
Sariputra,  the  Great  Maudgalyayana,  the  Great  Kaustila,  Purna  Meta- 
1  Monks. 

406 


THE   SURANGAMA   SUTRA  497 

luniputra,  Subhuti,  Upanishada,  and  many  others  equally  well  known 
and  highly  regarded.  In  addition  there  were  present  many  Pratyaka- 
Buddhas,1  who  had  mastered  the  teachings  and  perfected  the  practices, 
together  with  innumerable  novice  disciples.  They  all  came  to  pay  hom- 
age to  Lord  Buddha  and  also  to  associate  themselves  with  all  the  great 
Bhikshus  and  their  disciples  in  this  great  Dharma  Assembly  which  had 
gathered  for  the  "Summer  Devotion"  where  they  could  make  public 
confession  and  practice  Dhyana  together. 

Besides  the  great  company  of  Bhikshus  and  Disciples  that  had  gath- 
ered from  far  and  near,  there  were  present  Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas " 
from  all  the  ten  quarters  of  the  Universe  who  had  come  to  pay  their 
highest  respect  to  the  Lord  Shakyamuni  Buddha  as  though  it  was  an 
offering  to  a  loving  parent.  Moreover,  they  came  to  entreat  the  Lord 
Buddha  for  some  high  teaching  that  would  solve  their  mental  puzzles 
and  help  them  to  get  rid  of  the  troublesome  doubts  which  they  occa- 
sionally experienced  in  their  meditations. 

Then  the  Lord  Buddha  ascended  the  Honorable  Throne  of  Dharma 
and  immediately  became  absorbed  in  profound  contemplation  with 
such  noble  solemnity  and  tranquillity  that  the  whole  company  were 
spellbound  by  its  profound  silence  and  mystery.  At  the  same  time  all 
the  Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas,  as  numerous  as  the  particles  of  sand  in 
the  river  Ganges,  with  Manjusri  the  Great  Bodhisattva  at  their  head, 
gathered  about  the  Lord  Buddha  and  merged  their  deep  meditation 
with  the  Lord  Buddha's  perfect  Samadhi.  Seldom,  indeed,  had  any  of 
them  ever  before  experienced  such  serenity  and  quietness  as  then  per- 
vaded this  Great  Dharma  Assembly.  Wonderful  music  like  the  songs 
of  the  Kalavinka  and  Jiva-jiva  birds  seem  to  come  from  the  Lord 
Buddha's  perfect  Samadhi  and  to  fill  the  air  with  its  heavenly  music,  and 
floating  away  to  pervade  the  ten  quarters  of  the  Universe. 

Upon  this  occasion,  Prasenajit  the  King  of  Sravasti  in  celebration  of 
the  anniversary  of  his  father's  death,  prepared  a  special  feast  of  choice 
vegetables  and  dainties,  and  came  personally  to  call  upon  the  Lord 
Buddha  and  to  invite  him  and  all  the  Great  Bodhisattvas-Mahasattvas 
to  attend  a  reception  at  the  royal  palace.  At  the  same  time  the  elders 

1  Masters. 

a  Bodhisattvas,  incarnations  or  rebirths  of  the  Buddha,  for  the  purpose  of  converting  man 
kind— a  peculiar  doctrine  of  Mahayana  Buddhism.  Here,  unlike  the  Pali  texts  of  Hinayana 
Buddhism,  saints  and  gods  of  all  degrees  were  described  as  present  at  Buddha's  discourse. 


49^  BUDDHISM 

and  wealthy  laymen  o£  the  city  added  to  the  King's  celebration  by  pre- 
paring jointly  another  feast  and  invited  all  the  Disciples  of  the  Lord 
Buddha  to  attend  while  the  Lord  and  the  Great  Disciples  were  with 
the  King.  The  Lord  Buddha,  knowing  all  about  it,  bade  his  Great 
Disciple  Manjusri  to  first  lead  part  of  the  Bodhisattvas-Mahasattva  and 
Arhats  l  to  attend  the  Laymen's  homes  and  to  receive  their  offerings. 

Ananda  was  the  only  one  of  the  Great  Disciples  who  was  noticeably 
absent.  Owing  to  a  previous  engagement  in  a  distant  district,  he  had 
not  yet  returned.  He  was  quite  alone  and  when  he  reached  the  Medita- 
tion Hall  upon  his  return,  he  found  it  deserted,  not  a  single  disciple 
about,  nor  were  there  any  offerings  from  their  patrons  in  sight.  Then 
Ananda,  thoughtful  as  ever,  took  his  alms  bowl  and  entered  into  the 
city  begging  food  from  house  to  house  in  regular  order,  his  only 
thought  being  to  receive  the  offerings  from  all  alike  even  to  the  last 
danapati.  It  mattered  nothing  to  Ananda  whether  the  offering  was  small 
or  generous,  attractive  or  repulsive,  whether  the  giver  was  of  the 
Kshatriya a  caste  or  the  Candra  *  caste,  to  him  the  all  important  thing 
was  to  practice  kindness  and  compassion  on  all  alike  with  no  discrimi- 
nation whatever.  He  sought  only  to  attain  the  inestimable  merit  of 
delivering  all  sentient  beings,  treating  them  all  alike. 

Ananda  had  heard  that  the  Lord  on  one  occasion  had  rebuked 
Subhuti  and  Mahakatyayana  for  showing  discrimination  toward?  Ara- 
hats  in  their  practice  of  begging.  He  greatly  admired  the  Lord's  liberal 
mind  and  determined  that  he  would  not  commit  the  same  fault  himself. 
He  was  proud  of  his  good  name  and  did  not  wish  to  give  cause  for 
people  having  suspicions  or  for  slandering  about  himself,  so  he  quietly 
crossed  the  dried  moat  that  surrounded  the  city,  entered  the  city-gate 
with  solemn  gravity.  He  was  a  noticeable  figure  in  his  neat  attire  and 
solemn  manner  as  if  he  was  on  a  special  mission  to  receive  some  cere- 
monial offering. 

While  Ananda  was  begging  in  orderly  succession,  he  came  to  the 
house  of  a  prostitute-  named  Maudenka  who  had  a  beautiful  daughter 
named  Pchiti.  This  young  maiden  was  attracted  by  Ananda's  youthful 
and  attractive  person  and  pleaded  earnestly  with  her  mother  to  conjure 
the  young  monk  by  the  magic  spell  of  " ' bramanyiJ^a."  This  the  mother 
did  and  Ananda  coming  under  the  spell  of  its  magic  became  fascinated 
by  the  charm  of  the  young  maiden  and  entered  the  house  and  her  room. 
1  Saints.  *  Warrior  (second)  caste.  8  Chandala,  an  outcast. 


THE   SURANGAMA   SUTRA  499 

As  soon  as  the  feast  was  ended,  the  Lord  Tathagata  *  returned  to  the 
Meditation  Hall  in  the  Jeta  Grove.  King  Prasenajit  and  his  royal  min- 
isters and  many  of  the  prominent  elder's  and  wealthy  laymen  of  the 
city  returned  with  the  Lord  to  listen  further  to  his  wonderful  and 
precious  teaching,  the  like  of  which  they  had  never  before  heard.  The 
Lord  as  usual  first  sitting  quietly  became  absorbed  in  Samadhi,2  radiat- 
ing from  the  crown  of  his  head  rays  of  soft  and  tender  brightness,  like 
lotus  petals  surrounded  by  innumerable  leaves.  In  the  center  of  the 
Lotus  petals  there  was  a  vision  of  the  Nirmanakaya  Buddha8  sitting 
with  feet  crossed  intuiting  and  radiating  the  intrinsic  Dharani. 

The  Lord  Buddha  had  known  all  along  what  was  happening  to 
Ananda  and  now  called  Manjusri  and  bade  him  repeat  the  Great 
Dharani  at  the  place  where  Ananda  was  yielding  to  temptation.  As 
soon  as  Manjusri  reached  the  house,  the  magic  spell  lost  its  power  and 
Ananda  returned  to  self-control.  Manjusri  encouraged  Ananda  and 
Pchiti  and  they  returned  with  him  to  meet  the  Lord  Buddha. 

CHAPTER  ONE 

THE  MANY  MANIFESTATIONS  of  the  Wonderful  Essence-Mind,  and  of 

the  Perfect  Principle  of  the  Three  Excellencies  within  the  All-Inclusive 

Unity  of  the  Womb  of  Tathagata. 

i.  THE  CONUNDRUM  OF  THE  PERCEIVING  MIND  AND 

ITS  LOCATION:  FALSENESS  OF  THE 

MECHANICAL  APPROACH 

When  Ananda  came  into  the  presence  of  the  Lord  Buddha,  he  bowed 
down  to  the  ground  in  great  humanity,  blaming  himself  that  he  had 
not  yet  fully  developed  the  potentialities  of  Enlightenment,  because 
from  the  beginning  of  his  previous  lives,  he  had  too  much  devoted  him- 
self to  study  and  learning.  He  earnestly  pleaded  with  the  Lord  Buddha 
and  with  all  the  other  Tathagatas  from  the  ten  quarters  of  the  Universe, 

1  Title  of  the  Buddha,  "such-come"  in  Chinese,  generally  used  to  denote  both  the  Buddha 

and  the  state  of  perfect  godhead  in  wisdom   ("Tathagataship")  attainable  by  any  man. 

It  should  be  understood  that  there  is  no  "God"  in  Buddhism,  and  that  anybody  can  become 

a  Buddha. 

'  A  state  of  superconsciousness  following  meditation. 

*  "Transformation  body,"  one  of  the  three  bodies  of  Buddha.  The  other  two  are  "Dhar- 

makaya"  (body  of  the  Law)  and  "Sambhogakaya"  (the  body  of  Bliss). 


500  BUDDHISM 

to  support  him  in  attaining  perfect  Enlightenment,  that  is,  to  support 
him  in  his  practice  of  the  Three  Excellencies  of  Dhyana,  Samadhi  and 
Samapatti,1  by  some  most  fundamental  and  expedient  means. 

At  the  same  time,  all  of  the  Bodhisattvas-Mahasattva,  as  numerous  as 
the  sands  of  the  river  Ganges,  together  with  all  the  Arhats,  Pratyaka- 
Buddhas,  from  all  the  ten  quarters,  with  one  accord  and  with  gladness 
of  heart,  prepared  to  listen  to  the  instruction  to  be  given  to  Ananda 
by  the  Lord  Buddha.  With  one  accord  they  paid  homage  to  the  Lord 
and  then  resuming  their  seats,  waited  in  perfect  quietness  and  patience 
to  receive  the  sacred  teaching. 

Then  the  Lord  Buddha  spoke  to  Ananda,  saying: — Ananda,  you 
and  I  are  from  the  same  ancestral  blood  and  we  have  always  cherished 
a  fraternal  affection  for  each  other.  Let  me  ask  you  a  few  questions 
and  you  answer  me  spontaneously  and  freely.  When  you  first  began 
to  be  interested  in  Buddhism  what  was  it  that  impressed  you  in  our 
Buddhist  way  of  life  and  most  influenced  you  to  forsake  all  worldly 
pleasures  and  enabled  you  to  cut  asunder  your  youthful  sexual  cravings? 

Ananda  replied: — Oh,  my  Lord!  The  first  thing  that  impressed  me 
were  the  thirty-two  marks  of  excellency  m  my  Lord's  personality/  They 
appeared  to  me  so  fine,  as  tender  and  brilliant,  and  transparent  as  a 
crystal. 

From  that  time  I  have  constantly  thought  about  them  and  have  been 
more  and  more  convinced  that  these  marks  of  excellence  would  be  im- 
possible for  anyone  who  was  not  free  from  all  sexual  passion  and  desire. 
And  why?  Because  when  anyone  becomes  inflamed  by  sexual  passion, 
his  mind  becomes  disturbed  and  confused,  he  loses  self-control  and  be- 
comes reckless  and  crude.  Besides,  in  sexual  intercourse,  the  blood 
becomes  inflamed  and  impure  and  adulterated  with  impure  secretions. 
Naturally  from  such  a  source,  there  can  never  originate  an  aureole  of 
such  transcendently  pure  and  golden  brightness  as  I  have  seen  emanat- 
ing from  the  person  of  my  Lord.  It  was  because  of  this  that  I  admired 
my  Lord  and  it  was  this  that  influenced  me  to  become  one  of  thy  true 
followers. 

The  Lord  Buddha  then  said: — Very  good,  Ananda!  All  of  you  in  this 
Great  Dharma  Assembly  ought  to  know  and  appreciate  that  the  reason 
why  sentient  beings  by  their  previous  lives  since  beginningless  time 

1  Dhyana,  meditation;  Samadhi,  a  state  of  superconsciousness;  Samapatti,  a  further  state  o£ 

heightened  exaltation  and  spiritual  powers. 

*  Sec  The  Bible  of  the  World,  by  R.  O.  Ballou,  p.  242. 


THE    SURANGAMA   SUTRA  501 

have  formed  a  succession  of  deaths  and  rebirths,  life  after  life,  is  because 
they  have  never  realized  the  true  Essence  of  Mind  and  its  self -purifying 
brightness.  On  the  contrary  they  have  been  absorbed  all  the  time  busying 
themselves  with  their  deluding  and  transient  thoughts  which  are 
nothing  but  falsity  and  vanity.  Hence  they  have  prepared  for  themselves 
the  conditions  for  this  ever  returning  cycle  of  deaths  and  rebirths. 

Ananda,  if  you  are  now  desirous  of  more  perfectly  understanding 
Supreme  Enlightenment  and  the  enlightening  nature  of  pure  Mind- 
Essence,  you  must  learn  to  answer  questions  spontaneously  with  no 
recourse  to  discriminating  thinking.  For  the  Tathagatas  in  the  ten 
quarters  of  the  universes  have  been  delivered  from  the  ever  returning 
cycle  of  deaths  and  rebirths  by  this  same  single  way,  namely,  by  reliance 
upon  their  intuitive  minds. 

It  is  because  of  the  straight-forwardness  of  their  minds  and  the 
spontaneity  of  their  mentations  that  the  Tathagatas  have  ever  remained, 
from  begmningless  time  to  endless  time,  of  one  pure  Suchness,  undis- 
turbed by  any  complexity  within  their  minds  nor  any  rising  thoughts  of 
discrimination. 

Then  the  Lord  Buddha  said: — Ananda,  I  want  to  question  you; 
please  listen  carefully.  You  have  just  said  that  at  the  time  your  faith  in 
me  was  awakened,  that  it  was  due  to  seeing  the  thirty-two  marks  of 
excellence.  Let  me  ask  you:  What  was  it  that  gave  you  the  sensation 
of  seeing?  What  was  it  that  experienced  the  sensation?  And  who  was 
it  that  experienced  the  feeling  of  being  pleased? 

Ananda  replied: — My  Lord!  At  the  time  I  experienced  the  sensation 
of  being  pleased,  it  was  both  through  my  eyes  and  my  mind.  When  my 
eyes  saw  my  Lord's  excellencies,  my  mind  immediately  experienced  a 
feeling  of  being  pleased.  It  was  then  that  I  made  up  my  mind  to  become 
thy  disciple  so  that  I  might  be  delivered  from  the  cycle  of  deaths  and 
rebirths. 

The  Lord  said: — From  what  you  have  just  said,  Ananda,  your  feeling 
of  being  pleased  originated  in  your  eyes  and  mind.  But  if  you  do  not 
know  where  lies  the  perception  of  sight  and  where  the  activities  of  the 
mind  originate,  you  will  never  be  able  to  subjugate  your  worldly  at- 
tachments and  contaminations.  It  is  like  a  king  whose  city  was  pestered 
by  robbers  and  who  tried  to  put  an  end  to  the  thieving  but  was  unsuc- 
cessful because  he  could  not  locate  the  secret  hiding  place  of  the  robbers. 
So  it  is  in  the  lives  of  human  beings  who  are  always  being  troubled  by 
worldly  attachments  and  contaminations,  causing  their  perception  of 


502  BUDDHISM 

sight  to  become  inverted  and  unreliable  and  seducing  their  thoughts 
and  causing  them  to  wander  about  ignorantly  and  uncontrolled. 
Ananda,  let  me  ask  you  ?  Referring  to  your  eyes  and  mind,  do  you  know 
their  secret  hiding  place  ? 

Ananda  replied: — Noble  Lord!  In  all  the  ten  different  orders  of  life, 
the  eyes  are  in  the  front  of  the  face,  as  are  my  Lord's  clear  lotus  eyes, 
and  mine  also.  The  same  is  true  of  the  other  sense  organs,  they  are  on 
the  surface  of  the  body,  but  the  mind  is  hidden  within  the  body. 

The  Lord  Buddha  interrupted : — Ananda,  you  are  now  sitting  in  the 
lecture  hall,  are  you  not?  And  when  you  are  looking  out  to  the 
Jetavana  Grove,  can  you  tell  me  where  the  hall  and  the  grove  are 
situated  ? 

Certainly,  my  Lord.  This  quiet  and  splendid  lecture  hall  and  the 
Jetavana  Grove  are  both  situated  in  Anathapindika's  beautiful  park. 

Now,  Ananda,  what  do  you  see  first,  the  people  in  this  hall  or  the 
park  outside? 

I  first  see  my  Lord,  then  I  see  the  noble  audience,  and  other  things 
in  turn,  and  only  afterward  do  I  see  the  grove  and  the  lovely  park  out- 
side. 

True,  Ananda!  Now  tell  me,  while  you  are  looking  outside  at  the 
grove  and  park,  what  is  it  that  enables  you  to  distinguish  the  different 
views  that  your  eyes  see? 

Noble  Lord!  It  is  because  the  windows  and  doors  of  the  lecture  hall 
are  open  wide.  That  is  why  I  can  see  the  distant  views  from  inside  the 
hall. 

Then  the  Blessed  Lord,  in  view  of  the  great  audience,  reached  out 
his  golden  hand  and  softly  stroked  Ananda's  head,  at  the  same  time 
speaking  to  both  him  and  the  great  assembly,  saying: — 

There  is  a  particular  Samadhi  called,  The  Highest  Samadhi,  which 
was  the  Lord  Buddha's  Crowning  Experience,  and  by  it  he  attained  a 
perfect  realization  of  all  manifestations  and  transformations.  It  was  a 
wonderful  door  that  opened  to  the  mysterious  Path  that  all  the  Tatha- 
gatas  of  all  the  ten  quarters  of  all  the  universes  have  followed.  It  is  of 
this  Highest  Samadhi  that  I  am  going  to  speak.  Listen  very  carefully. 

Then  Ananda  and  the  great  audience  bowed  to  the  ground  in  deep 
adoration  and  then  resumed  their  seats  and  waited  humbly  for  the 
Master's  solemn  teaching. 

The  Lord  Buddha  then  addressed  Ananda  and  the  great  assembly, 
saying:— 


THE    SURANGAMA    SUTRA  503 

Ananda,  you  have  just  said  that  from  the  inside  of  the  lecture  hall 
you  can  look  out  to  the  grove  and  the  distant  park  because  the  windows 
and  doors  are  open  wide.  It  is  possible  that  there  are  some  within  this 
very  audience  that  only  see  these  outside  things  and  who  are  unable 
to  see  the  Lord  Tathagata  within.1 

Ananda  interrupted :— But  my  Lord,  how  can  it  be  that  anyone  in 
this  hall  who  can  see  the  grove  and  streams  without  can  fail  to  see  the 
Lord  within? 

It  does  seem  absurd,  Ananda,  but  it  is  just  that  way  with  you.  You 
say  that  your  mind  exists  within  your  body  and  that  it  is  quite  clear 
of  all  obstructions,  but  if  this  clear  mind  really  exists  within  your  body, 
then  you  ought  to  see  the  inside  of  your  body  first  of  all.  But  there  are 
no  sentient  beings  who  can  do  this,  that  is,  see  both  the  inside  and 
outside  of  their  bodies.  Though  they  may  not  see  all  the  inside  things — 
such  as  the  heart,  stomach,  liver,  kidneys,  etc. — but  at  least  they  ought  to 
see  the  growth  of  the  finger-nails,  the  lengthening  of  the  hair,  the  knot- 
ting of  the  sinews,  the  throbbing  of  the  pulse.  If  the  mind  is  within  the 
body,  why  does  it  not  see  these  things ?  But  if  the  mind  is  within  the 
body  and  can  not  see  the  things  within,  how  can  it  see  the  things  without 
the  body?  So  you  must  see  that  what  you  have  said  about  the  per- 
ceiving mind,  abiding  within  the  body,  is  untrue. 

With  a  respectful  bow,  Ananda  said  to  the  Lord: — Listening  to  the 
words  of  my  Lord,  I  begin  to  realize  that  my  mind,  after  all,  may  be 
outside  my  body.  It  may  be  like  a  lamp.  If  the  lamp  is  within  the 
room,  it  will  certainly  illumine  the  room  first  and  then  shining  through 
the  open  door  and  windows  will  illumine  the  yard  outside.  If  it  was 
like  that,  why  is  it  that  one  seeing  only  outside  objects  does  not  see 
the  things  within?  It  must  be  that  the  mind  is  like  a  lamp  placed 
outside  of  a  room,  for  then  it  would  be  dark  within.  If  one  can  clearly 
understand  what  his  mind  is,  he  would  no  longer  be  puzzled,  but  would 
have  the  same  intelligence  and  understanding  that  the  Buddhas  have. 
Would  it  not  be  so,  my  Lord  ? 

The  Lord  replied: — Ananda,  this  morning  all  of  the  Bhikshus  fol- 
lowed me  to  the  city  of  Sravasti  begging  for  food  in  regular  order  and 
afterwards  all  returned  to  this  Grove.  I  was  fasting  at  the  time,  but  the 
others  ate  the  food.  What  think  you,  Ananda?  If  only  one  of  the  Bhik- 
shus ate  the  food,  would  the  others  be  satisfied  of  their  hunger? 

1  Here  it  is  particularly  clear  that  "Buddha"  is  not  a  particular  god,  but  is  that  indefinable 
entity  or  state  of  perfect  wisdom  achieved  by  the  godly. 


504  BUDDHISM 

Ananda  replied: — No,  my  Lord,  and  why?  Because,  although  all 
of  these  Bhikshus  are  Arahats,  yet  their  physical  bodies  are  individually 
separated.  How  could  it  be,  that  one  Bhikshu  eating,  could  satisfy  the 
hunger  of  all? 

The  Lord  Buddha  replied: — Ananda  if  your  perceiving,  understand- 
ing mind  is  really  outside  your  body,  then  what  the  mind  perceives 
could  not  be  felt  by  the  body,  and  what  the  body  feels  could  not  be 
perceived  by  the  mind.  Look  at  my  hand,  Ananda.  When  your  eyes  are 
looking  at  it,  does  your  mind  make  any  discriminations  about  it? 

Yes,  my  Lord,  it  makes  discriminations. 

The  Lord  continued: — But  if  your  mind  and  body  are  in  mutual 
correspondence,  how  can  it  possibly  be  said,  that  the  mind  exists  out- 
side the  body?  Therefore,  Ananda,  you  ought  to  know  that  what  you 
have  just  said  about  the  mind  existing  outside  the  body  is  impossible. 

Then  Ananda  said: — According  to  what  my  Lord  says,  the  per- 
ceiving mind  does  not  exist  within  the  body  because  it  does  not  see  the 
tilings  within,  neither  does  it  exist  outside  the  body,  because  the  mind 
and  body  are  in  mutual  correspondence  and  therefore  cannot  be  isolated 
from  each  other.  Yet  it  seems  to  be  that  the  perceiving  mind  must  be 
in  some  locality. 

Then  the  Lord  Buddha  questioned  Ananda  further: — But  Ananda, 
where  is  its  abiding  place? 

Ananda  replied: — My  Lord,  since  this  perceiving  mind  cannot  know 
the  inside  of  its  own  body,  but  can  see  outside  objects,  it  seems  to  me 
now,  that  it  must  be  concealed  in  the  sense  organ  itself.  It  may  be  like 
a  man  covering  his  eyes  with  a  crystal  bowl;  though  his  eyes  are  covered 
yet  there  is  no  hindrance  to  his  sight — the  eye  can  still  see  clearly  and 
make  distinctions  as  usual.  The  reason  that  it  does  not  see  the  inside 
of  the  body  is  because  it  is  a  part  of  the  organ  of  the  eye,  and  the  reason 
it  can  see  outside  objects  clearly  is  because  it -is  hidden  in  the  organ  of 
the  eye. 

But,  Ananda,  you  have  just  said  that  this  perceiving  mind  concealed 
within  the  organ  of  the  eye  is  like  a  crystal  bowl  covering  the  eyes. 
Now  suppose  a  man  has  covered  his  eyes  with  a  crystal  bowl,  but  is 
still  able  to  see  outer  objects  such  as  mountains,  rivers,  etc.,  tell  me, 
does  he  see  the  crystal  bowl,  also? 

Yes,  my  Lord,  while  the  man  is  covering  his  eyes  with  the  crystal 
bowl,  he  sees  the  crystal  bowl,  also. 

The  Lord  said: — Ananda,  if  your  mind  is  just  the  same  as  the  crystal 


THE    SURANGAMA    SUTRA  505 

bowl  covering  the  eyes,  why  does  your  mind,  while  seeing  the  outside 
mountains  and  rivers,  not  see  your  own  eyes,  too?  Or,  supposing  your 
mind  does  see  your  eyes,  then  your  eyes  will  be  regarded  as  any  other 
objective  thing  and  they  will  no  longer  regarded  as  a  dependent  organ. 
Or,  if  the  mind  cannot  see  everything,  then  how  can  it  be  said  of  the 
perceiving  mind,  that  it  is  concealed  within  the  organ  of  the  eyes  in 
the  resemblance  of  a  crystal  bowl  covering  the  eyes?  Therefore,  Ananda, 
what  you  have  asserted,  that  this  perceiving  mind  is  concealed  within 
the  organ  of  the  eyes  like  a  crystal  bowl  covering  the  eyes,  is  impossible 
also. 

Then  Ananda  said  to  the  Lord  Buddha: — Honored  of  the  worlds!  It 
may  be  like  this: — As  all  sentient  beings  have  their  intestines  inside  the 
body  and  the  opening  outside  the  body,  the  intestines  are  hidden  to 
their  sight  but  the  opening  is  visible.  While  I  am  standing  before  you 
and  open  my  eyes,  I  see  your  brightness — this  means  to  see  the  outside. 
When  my  eyes  are  closed,  I  see  the  hiddenness — this  means  to  see  the 
inside. 

The  Lord  interrupted: — Ananda,  when  you  close  your  eyes,  you  say 
you  see  the  hiddenness,  but  this  hidden  condition,  is  it  in  an  opposing 
direction  to  your  eyes,  or  is  it  not?  If  it  is  directly  opposed  to  your 
eyes,  then  the  hiddenness  must  be  in  front  of  your  eyes  and  then  it 
cannot  be  thought  of  as  a  part  of  your  inside.  Or  suppose  it  is  meant  as 
part  of  your  inside,  then  when  in  any  dark  room,  without  the  light  of 
any  such  thing  as  sun,  moon,  or  lamp,  the  whole  dark  space  of  the 
room  might  be  regarded  as  your  intestines  or  your  heart.  Or,  if  it  is 
in  a  direction  not  opposite  to  your  eyes,  then  how  does  it  happen  that 
the  sight  of  your  eyes  is  being  affected  at  alP 

Or,  if  you  put  aside  this  outside  perception  of  sight  and  say  that  it  is 
to  be  regarded  as  being  in  an  inside  opposite  direction  to  your  eyes,  so 
that  when  you  shut  your  eyes,  you  see  darkness  only,  which  would 
mean  to  see  your  inside  body.  But  when  you  open  your  eyes  and  see 
the  brightness,  why  do  you  not  see  your  own  face,  also?  If  you  do  not 
see  your  own  face,  it  would  mean  that  the  face  is  not  in  an  inside 
opposite  direction  to  your  eyes.  Or,  supposing  you  can  see  your  own 
face,  then  both  this  perceiving  mind  and  the  organ  of  sight  must  be 
in  the  open  space,  or  they  can  no  longer  be  thought  of  as  being  in  an 
inside  opposite  direction. 

If  your  perceptive  mind  is  supposed  to  be  in  the  open  space,  naturally 
it  cannot  belong  to  the  body,  and  then,  when  the  Lord  Tathagata  is 


506  BUDDHISM 

in  sight  of  your  face  which  would  mean  that  he  is  a  part  of  your  body, 
your  eyes  will,  of  course,  get  the  perception,  but  the  others  parts  of 
your  body  could  not  get  into  consciousness  at  the  same  time. 

Or,  if  you  persistently  claim  that  the  body  and  the  eyes  have  each  a 
separate  consciousness,  then  there  would  be  two  perceiving  minds, 
which  would  mean  that  your  single  personality  would  see  two  Bud- 
dhas.  Therefore  you  should  understand  that  it  is  utterly  absurd  for 
you  to  say  that  to  see  into  the  dimness  of  the  eyes  is  the  same  as  seeing 
into  the  inside  of  the  body. 

Then  Ananda  said  to  the  Lord  Buddha: — I  have  constantly  learned 
from  the  instruction  of  my  Lord  and  from  the  teaching  of  all  four 
classes  of  Thy  disciples  that  all  the  existences  of  phenomena  are  sim- 
ply the  manifestation  of  the  mind  itself  and  vice  versa  that  all  the 
existences  of  mind  are  the  manifestation  of  phenomena.  Now  it  seems 
to  me  that  this  thinking  mind. is  really  the  essence  of  my  mind,  and 
that  wherever  it  happens  to  meet  outer  objects,  there  is  a  manifestation 
of  mind.  That  is,  the  perceiving  mind  is  neither  inside,  nor  outside, 
nor  between  the  body. 

The  Lord  interrupted,  saying: — What  you  are  just  saying — that  all 
the  manifestations  of  thought  are  simply  meant  as  all  the  existences  of 
phenomena  and  that  wherever  the  mind  happens  to  meet  outer  objects, 
there  is  its  manifestations.  But  if  your  mind  has  no  substantiality  of 
its  own,  how  can  it  meet  any  outer  objects?  Or,  if  it  should  be  that  in 
spite  of  the  mind  having  no  substantiality  of  its  own,  it  might  happen 
to  meet  outer  objects,  then  there  would  be  another  newly  assumed 
datum  of  nineteen  spheres  of  mentation,  namely,  the  six  objects,  the  six 
sense  organs,  the  six  perceptions,  plus  this  newly  assumed  normality 
of  thought  considered  as  a  "thing  in  itself."  And  then  there  must  be 
assumed  a  new  datum  of  seven  objects, — the  object  of  sight,  the  object 
of  hearing,  of  smelling,  of  tasting,  of  touching,  of  the  unified  object  of 
thought,  plus  this  outer  "thing  of  itself."  No,  your  suggestion  is  by  no 
means  the  right  interpretation. 

Ananda,  your  interpretation  that  the  perceiving  mind  has  a  substan- 
tiality of  its  own  at  the  point  where  the  object  and  thought  meet,  would 
put  fetters  to  your  mind,  like  putting  fetters  to  your  hands  and  feet.  Let 
me  ask  you  in  this  way:  does  your  mental  consciousness  arise  within 
or  without  your  body?  If  it  arises  within,  you  should  be  able  to  know 
the  inside  of  your  body;  if  it  comes  from  outside  your  body,  you  should 
be  able  to  first  see  your  own  face, 


THE   SURANGAMA   SUTRA  507 

Ananda  replied:— My  Lord!  I  see  with  my  eyes  and  I  perceive  with 
my  mind.  That  does  not  mean  that  they  are  interchangeable. 

The  Lord  Buddha  continued:— Ananda,  if  your  eyes  can  see  by  them- 
selves, then  supposing  you  are  within  a  room,  can  the  door  share  the 
perception  of  seeing?  If  the  door  shares  with  the  eyes  this  perception 
of  seeing,  then  all  dead  bodies  that  still  have  eye  organs  intact,  should 
continue  to  sec  things.  If  they  can  still  perceive,  how  can  it  be  said  that 
they  are  dead  bodies. 

Ananda,  if  we  grant  that  your  perceiving  mind  has  some  kind  of 
substantially,  is  it  one  body  or  many  bodies?  Is  it  located  in  one  place 
in  your  body  or  is  it  distributed  all  over  the  body?  If  it  is«one  body,  then 
if  you  bind  one  limb  the  others  will  feel  bound.  If  they  all  feel  bound, 
then  there  can  be  no  sure  knowledge  of  the  exact  place  of  the  binding. 
Or,  if  the  perception  of  being  bound  is  located  in  one  place,  then  the 
perceiving  mind  cannot  be  considered  as  one  localized  body.  Or  if  the 
perceiving  mind  is  considered  to  be  many  bodies  or  involved  in  many 
bodies,  it  would  mean  that  there  must  be  as  many  personalities,  and  the 
question  would  arise,  which  of  these  localized  perceiving  minds  rightly 
belongs  to  you.  Or  if  your  mind  is  considered  as  being  uniformally 
distributed  over  all  parts  of  your  body,  then  if  your  limb  was  tightly 
bound,  then  the  whole  body  would  feel  the  suffering.  Or  if  not  uni- 
formally distributed,  but  only  on  some  parts  of  the  body,  then  if  you 
touch  your  head  and  at  the  same  touch  your  feet,  one  would  know  it 
and  the  other  would  not.  We  know  that  this  is  not  so.  Therefore, 
Ananda,  you  must  see  that  your  suggestion  that  wherever  the  mind 
happens  to  meet  outer  objects,  there  is  localized  a  manifestation  of 
mind  is  unreasonable. 

Then  Ananda  said  to  the  Lord  Buddha:— Now  I  recall  hearing  my 
Lord  Buddha  say,  at  a  time  when  he  was  teaching  Brother  Manjusri 
and  other  princes  of  the  Dharma,  that  the  mind  neither  abides  inside 
nor  outside  the  body.  It  seems  to  me,  if  it  is  inside  and  we  cannot  see 
the  inside,  and  if  it  was  outside  we  ought  not  to  feel  the  outside.  We 
know  that  we  cannot  see  the  inside  of  the  body,  so  it  must  mean  that 
the  mind  is  not  abiding  inside  the  body;  it  must  mean  that  in  some 
way  our  mind  and  body  are  in  mutural  correspondence  with  each  other 
through  the  faculty  of  perception,  and  that  would  mean  that  it  is  not 
abiding  outside  the  body.  Now,  My  Lord,  I  see  that  since  our  mind 
and  body  are  in  mutual  correspondence  and  yet  we  cannot  *ee  the 


508  BUDDHISM 

inside  of  our  body,  it  must  be  that  the  perceiving  understanding  mind 
must  be  abiding  between  these  things. 

The  Lord  Buddha  resumed : — Ananda,  now  you  think  that  the  mind 
must  be  abiding  between  somethings.  Let  us  consider  it.  If  it  is  abiding 
between  somethings,  there  must  be  some  particular  place  where  it  is 
abiding.  We  can  not  conceive  of  an  indefinite  abiding  place.  Now 
Ananda,  supposing  you  guess  between  what  things  it  is  located.  Is  it 
located  between  outside  things  and  our  bodies?  Then  it  would  be  on 
the  surface  of  the  body  and  could  not  mean  any  place  within  the  body. 
If  it  is  located  between  parts  of  our  body,  then  it  would  be  within  the 
body.  Or,  if  it  is  between  external  things,  what  is  its  standard  of  direc- 
tion? Suppose  we  take  the  case  of  a  man:  if  he  is  standing  between 
things  looking  toward  the  east,  he  must  be  standing  in  the  west;  or  if 
he  is  looking  toward  the  west,  he  must  be  standing  in  the  east;  or 
if  he  is  looking  toward  the  south,  he  must  be  standing  in  the  north.  If  the 
mind  is  between  things  but  has  no  standard  of  direction,  it  is  the  same 
as  saying  that  it  has  no  existence;  or  even  if  it  has  some  standard  of 
direction,  there  can  be  no  certainty  about  it  (if  by  just  turning  he  can 
be  either  in  east  or  west  or  north  or  south).  If  the  standard  is  uncertain, 
the  mind  will  be  confused  naturally. 

Ananda  replied: — What  I  said  of  the  mind  being  "between  some- 
things," is  not  meant  in  that  sense.  On  one  occasion  my  Lord  has  said : 
— "As  causal  conditions,  eyes  and  sights  are  mutually  attracted,"  but 
there  must  be  something  that  is  manifested  in  the  consciousness  that 
is  dependent  upon  the  eyes.  That  is  what  I  meant  by  the  mind  being 
"between  somethings."  The  eyes  note  discriminations  while  objects  and 
sights  are  insensible  things.  As  consciousness  develops  between  them, 
the  conceiving  mind  must  be  localized  between  them. 

The  Lord  Buddha  interrupted,  saying:— Ananda,  if  it  is  stated  that 
the  mind  is  existing  between  the  sense  organ  and  the  object,  then,  let  me 
ask,  is  the  essence  of  mind  separated  into  two  parts  or  not?  If  it  is,  the 
object  and  essential  mind  will  be  confusingly  mingled,  and  as  the  object 
can  not  be  exactly  the  same  as  essential  mind  which  possesses  the  con- 
sciousness, they  must  be  opposite  to  each  other.  How  then  can  you  say, 
that  the  mind  exists  between  them? 

If  the  statement  that  the  mind  is  separated  into  two  parts  has  no  ground, 
then  the  statement  that  the  insensible  object  is  imperceptive,  means  just 
the  same  as  saying  that  it  has  no  essence  itself  and  must  be,  therefore, 
imperceptible.  So  the  expression  "between  somethings,"  has  no  meaning. 


THE    SURANGAMA   SUTRA  509 

Therefore,  Ananda,  you  must  admit  that  the  statement  that  the  mind 
exists  between  somethings,  is  an  absurd  statement  that  is  incapable  of 
interpretation. 

Ananda  then  addressed  the  Lord  Buddha,  saying :— Noble  Lord!  Some 
time  ago  when  my  Lord  was  discussing  the  intrinsic  Dharma  with  the 
four  great  Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas,  Maudgalyayana,  Subhuti,  Purna, 
and  Sariputra,  I  overheard  my  Lord  to  say,  that  the  essence  of  the  dis- 
cerning, perceiving,  conscious  mind  existed  neither  inside  nor  outside, 
nor  between,  in  fact,  that  it  had  no  location  of  existence.  Since  my  Lord 
has  interpreted  this  in  his  teachings  just  now,  I  have  ceased  to  grasp  any 
arbitrary  conception  as  to  the  location  of  mind,  but  if  this  is  true,  and  it 
is  something  intangible,  in  what  sense  can  it  be  thought  of  as  "my  mind." 

The  Lord  Buddha  replied: — Ananda,  as  to  what  you  have  just  said 
that  the  essence  of  the  discerning,  perceptive,  conscious  mind  has  no 
definite  location  anywhere,  the  meaning  is  clear;  it  is  neither  in  this 
world,  in  the  vast  open  spaces,  neither  in  water,  nor  on  land,  neither 
flying  with  wings,  nor  walking,  nor  is  it  anywhere.  But  when  you  say 
that  your  mind  no  longer  grasps  any  arbitrary  conception  of  the  existence 
of  the  phenomena  of  mind,  what  do  you  mean  by  it  ?  Do  you  mean  that 
the  phenomena  have  no  true  existence,  or  that  they  have  no  tangible 
existence ?  If  you  mean  that  they  have  no  true  existence,  that  would  mean 
that  they  are  like  hair  on  a  tortoise,  or  like  horns  on  a  rabbit.  But  so  long 
as  you  retain  this  notion  of  not  grasping,  you  cannot  mean  perfect  non- 
existence.  But  what  do  you  mean?  Of  course  if  your  mind  is  perfectly 
blank,  it  must  mean,  as  far  as  you  are  concerned,  absolute  non-existence, 
but  if  you  are  still  cherishing  some  arbitrary  conception  of  phenomena, 
you  must  mean  some  kind  of  existence.  How  is  it  then,  that  so  long  as  the 
notion  of  not-grasping  of  anything,  as  for  instance,  the  notion  of  "my 
mind,"  that  you  mean  its  non-existence?  Therefore,  Ananda,  you  ought 
to  see  that  what  you  have  just  said  concerning  the  non-existence  of  any- 
thing just  because  you  no  longer  cherish  a  conception  of  it  within  your 
mind,  and  that  would  mean  the  non-existence  of  a  discerning,  perceptive, 
conscious  mind,  would  be  quite  absurd,  would  it  not? 

Thereupon,  Ananda  rose  from  his  place  in  the  midst  of  the  assembly, 
adjusted  his  ceremonial  scarf,  knelt  upon  his  right  knee,  placed  the  palms 
of  his  hands  together,  and  respectfully  addressed  the  Lord  Buddha, 
saying: — 

My  Noble  Lord!  I  have  the  honor  of  being  thy  youngest  relative  and 
thou  hast  always  treated  me  with  affectionate  kindness.  Although  I  am 


510  BUDDHISM 

now  only  one  of  your  many  converts,  thou  dost  still  continue  to  show 
thy  affection  for  me.  But  in  spite  of  all  I  have  gained  mentally,  I  have 
not  become  liberated  from  contaminations  and  attachments  and  conse- 
quently I  could  not  overcome  the  magic  spell  at  the  home  of  a  harlot. 
My  mind  became  confused  and  I  was  at  the  point  of  drowning  in  its 
defilement.  I  can  see  now  that  it  was  wholly  due  to  my  ignorance  as  to 
the  right  realization  of  what  is  true  and  essential  Mind.  I  pray  thee, 
Oh  my  Lord,  to  have  pity  and  mercy  upon  me  and  show  me  the  right 
Path  to  the  spiritual  graces  of  the  Samapatti  so  that  I  may  attain  to  self- 
mastery  and  become  emancipated  from  the  lure  of  evil  myself,  and  be 
able  to  free  all  heretics  from  the  bonds  of  their  false  ideas  and  craft. 

2.    THE  TRUE  NATURE  OF  MIND 

WHEN  ANANDA  had  finished  his  plea,  he  bowed  humbly  before  the  Lord 
Buddha,  with  hands  and  forehead  touching  the  ground,  and  the  whole 
audience,  awed  into  intense  excitement,  waited  with  earnest  and  reveren- 
tial hearts  for  the  response  of  the  Blessed  One. 

Suddenly  in  the  Meditation  Hall,  filled  with  its  awed  and  expectant 
throng,  there  appeared  a  most  marvelous  sight  that  transcended  every- 
thing that  had  ever  been  seen  before.  The  Hall  was  filled  with  a  radiant 
splendor  that  emanated  from  the  moon-life  face  of  the  Blessed  One,  like 
hundreds  of  thousands  of  sunbeams  scintillating  everywhere,  and  wher- 
ever the  rays  reached  immediately  there  were  seen  celestial  Buddha- 
lands.  Moreover,  the  person  of  the  Lord  Buddha  was  vibrant  with  the 
six  transcendental  motions  simultaneously  manifesting  and  embracing 
all  the  Buddha-lands  of  the  ten  quarters  of  all  the  universes,  as  numerous 
as  the  finest  particles  of  dust  in  the  sunlight.  And  this  all-embracing, 
blessed  and  transcendent  glory  united  all  these  innumerable  Buddha- 
lands  into  one  single  whole,  and  all  the  great  Bodhisattvas  of  all  these 
innumerable  Buddha-lands  were  seen  to  be  each  in  his  own  place  with 
hands  raised  and  pressed  together  expectantly  waiting  for  the  words  of 
the  Blessed  One. 

Then  the  Lord  Buddha  addressed  the  assembly,  saying: — Ananda, 
from  beginningless  time,  from  life  to  life,  all  sentient  beings  have  had 
their  disturbing  illusions  that  have  been  manifested  in  their  natural 
development  each  under  the  conditioning  power  of  his  own  individual 
karma,  such  as  the  seed-pod  of  the  okra  which  when  opening  always 
drop*  three  seeds  in  each  group.  The  reason  why  all  devoted  disciples 


THE   SURANGAMA   SUTRA  511 

do  not  at  once  attain  to  supreme  enlightenment  is  because  they  do  not 
realize  two  primary  principles  and  because  of  it  some  attain  only  to 
Arhatship,  or  to  Pratyakaship,  and  some  to  even  lower  attainments,  to 
the  state  of  devas  and  heretics,  and  some  to  Mara  kings  and  their  depend- 
ents. The  reason  for  these  great  differences  is  because,  not  knowing  these 
two  basic  principles,  they  become  confused  in  mind  and  fall  into  wrong 
practices.  It  is  as  if  they  were  trying  to  cook  fine  delicacies  by  boiling 
stones  or  sand,  which  of  course  they  could  never  do  if  they  tried  for 
countless  kalpas. 

What  are  these  two  fundamental  principles,  Ananda?  The  First 
Fundamental  Principle  is  the  primary  cause  of  the  succession  of  deaths 
and  rebirths  from  beginningless  time.  [It  is  the  Principle  of  Ignorance, 
the  outgoing  principle  of  individuation,  manifestation,  transformation, 
succession  and  discrimination.]  From  the  working  out  of  this  Principle 
there  has  resulted  the  various  differentiation  of  minds  of  all  sentient 
beings,  and  all  the  time  they  have  been  taking  these  limited  and  perturbed 
and  contaminated  minds  to  be  their  true  and  natural  Essence  of  Mind. 

The  Second  Fundamental  Principle  is  the  primary  cause  of  the  pure 
unity  of  Enlightenment  and  Nirvana  that  has  existed  from  beginningless 
time.  [It  is  the  Principle  of  integrating  compassion,  the  in-drawing, 
unifying  principle  of  purity,  harmony,  likeness,  rhythm,  permanency  and 
peace.]  By  the  in-drawing  of  this  Principle  within  the  brightness  of  your 
own  nature,  its  unifying  spirit  can  be  discovered  and  developed  and 
realized  under^all  varieties  of  conditions.  The  reason  why  this  unifying 
spirit  is  so  quickly  lost  amongst  the  conditions  is  because  you  so  quickly 
forget  the  brightness  and  purity  of  your  own  essential  nature,  and  amid 
the  activities  of  the  day,  you  cease  to  realize  its  existence.  That  is  why, 
Ananda,  you  and  all  sentient  beings  have  fallen  through  ignorance  into 
misfortune  and  into  different  realms  of  existence. 

Now,  Ananda,  you  wish  to  know  the  right  road  to  Samapatti,  so  as  to 
escape  from  the  cycle  of  deaths  and  rebirths.  Is  it  not  SOH Ananda  ?  Then 
let  me  ask  you  some  more  questions.  The  Lord  Tathagata  raised  one  of 
his  arms  with  hand  and  fingers  clenched,  saying: — Ananda,  do  you 
see  this  ? 

Yes,  I  see  it,  my  Lord. 

What  do  you  see,  Ananda? 

I  see  my  Lord  raising  one  of  his  arms  with  hand  clenched  and  its 
brightness  blinds  my  eyes  and  warms  my  heart. 

With  what  do  you  see  it,  Ananda  ? 


512  BUDDHISM 

I  see  it  with  my  eyes,  of  course. 

Then  the  Lord  Buddha  said: — Ananda,  you  have  just  answered  me 
by  saying  that  when  the  Tathagata  by  clenching  his  fingers  made  a 
shining  fist,  that  its  brightness  shone  into  your  eyes  and  warmed  your 
heart.  Very  good.  Now  I  will  ask  you : — While  my  fist  is  shining  brightly 
and  while  you  are  looking  at  it  closely,  what  is  it  that  reveals  the  existence 
of  your  mind  ? 

Ananda  replied: — You  are  now  asking  me  about  the  existence  of  my 
mind.  To  answer  that  question  I  must  use  my  thinking  and  reasoning 
faculty  to  search  and  find  an  answer.  Yes,  now  I  understand.  This  think- 
ing and  reasoning  being  is  what  is  meant  as  "my  mind." 

The  Lord  Buddha  rebuked  Ananda  sharply  and  said: — Surely  that  is 
nonsense,  to  assert  that  your  being  is  your  mind. 

Ananda  stood  up  with  hands  pressed  together  and  said  with  astonish- 
ment:— Why,  my  Lord,  if  my  being  is  not  my  mind,  what  else  can  be 
my  mind? 

The  Lord  Buddha  replied : — The  notion  that  your  being  is  your  mind, 
is  simply  one  of  the  false  conceptions  that  arises  from  reflecting  about 
the  relations  of  yourself  and  outside  objects,  and  which  obscures  your 
true  and  essential  Mind.  It  is  because,  since  from  beginningless  time 
down  to  the  present  life,  you  have  been  constantly  misunderstanding 
your  true  and  essential  Mind.  It  is  like  treating  a  petty  thief  as  your  own 
son.  By  so  doing  you  have  lost  consciousness  of  your  original  and  perma- 
nant  Mind  and  because  of  it  have  been  forced  to  undergo  the  sufferings 
of  successive  deaths  and  rebirths. 

Ananda,  in  dismay  and  confusion,  said  to  the  Lord: — I  am  your  be- 
loved cousin  and  owing  to  my  appreciation  of  your  marks  of  excellence, 
you  have  permitted  me  to  become  your  disciple.  So,  in  regard  to  my 
mind,  it  is  not  simply  that  my  mind  has  offered  adoration  to  my  Lord 
Tathagata,  but  it  has  also  offered  praise  to  all  the  Buddhas  and  learned 
Masters  of  all  the  innumerable  Buddha-lands.  More  than  that,  it  is  my 
mind  that  has  been  attempting  all  manner  of  difficult  practices  with 
great  resolution  and  courage.  These  are  all  activities  of  my  mind  as  well 
as  of  myself.  How  can  they  be  separated?  Even  my  evil  acts  of  slander- 
ing the  Dharma,  neglecting  good  practices,  these  also  are  activities  of 
my  mind  as  well  as  of  myself.  Myself  is  my  mind.  If  these  acts  can  be 
shown  to  be  not  the  activities  of  my  mind,  then  I  would  be  mindless, 
just  like  any  other  image  made  from  a  log  or  from  earth.  Oh,  if  I  should 
give  up  my  perceptions  and  consciousness,  there  would  be  nothing  left 


THE    SURANGAMA   SUTRA  513 

that  could  be  regarded  as  my  self  or  as  my  mind.  What  do  you  mean, 
my  Lord,  when  you  say  that  my  being  is  not  my  mind  ?  As  you  can  see, 
I  am  astonished  and  confused.  And  this  audience,  they  are  also  in  doubt. 
Pray  have  mercy  upon  us  all  and  explain  yourself  clearly  for  we  are  only 
ignorant  disciples. 

Thereupon  the  Blessed  Lord  laid  his  hand  affectionately  upon  the 
head  of  Ananda  and  proceeded  to  explain  the  true  and  Essence  nature 
of  Mind,  desiring  to  awaken  in  them  a  consciousness  of  that  which 
transcended  phenomena.  He  explained  to  them  how  necessary  it  was  to 
keep  the  mind  free  from  all  discriminating  thoughts  of  self  and  not-self 
if  they  were  to  correctly  understand  it. 

He  continued: — Ananda  and  all  my  Disciples!  I  have  always  taught 
you  that  all  phenomena  and  their  developments  are  simply  manifesta- 
tions of  mind.  All  causes  and  effects,  from  great  universes  to  the  fine 
dust  only  seen  in  the  sunlight  come  into  apparent  existence  only  by 
means  of  the  discriminating  mind.  If  we  examine  the  origin  of  anything 
in  all  the  universe,  we  find  that  it  is  but  a  manifestation  of  some  primal 
essence.  Even  the  tiny  leaves  of  herbs,  knots  of  thread,  everything,  if  we 
examine  them  carefully  we  find  that  there  is  some  essence  in  its  orig- 
inality. Even  open  space  is  not  nothingness.  How  can  it  be  then  that  the 
wonderful,  pure,  tranquil  and  enlightened  Mind,  which  is  the  source  of 
all  conceptions  of  manifested  phenomena,  should  have  no  essence  of  itself. 

If  you  must  niggardly  grasp  this  perceptive  mind  of  discriminating 
consciousness  that  is  dependent  upon  the  different  sense  organs  as  being 
the  same  as  Essential  Mind,  then  the  discriminative  mind  would  have 
to  forsake  all  those  activities  responding  to  any  kind  of  form,  sight,  sound, 
odor,  taste,  touch,  and  seek  for  another  and  more  perfect  self-nature. 
You  are  now  listening  to  my  teaching  and  your  minds  are  making  dis- 
criminations by  means  of  the  sounds  rising  from  my  speaking,  but  when 
the  sounds  cease  and  all  the  perceptions  arising  from  the  sounds  come  to 
an  end,  still  the  mind  goes  on  discriminating  the  memory  of  those  sounds 
and  you  find  it  difficult  to  keep  your  mind  in  emptiness  and  tranquillity. 
This  does  not  mean  that  I  am  instructing  you  not  to  grasp  at  these  follow- 
ing activities,  but  I  am  instructing  you  to  study  their  nature  more  closely. 
If  your  mind,  after  the  object  is  removed  from  sight,  still  has  its  dis- 
criminating nature,  does  it  necessarily  mean  that  your  discriminating 
mind  has  lost  its  substantiality?  Does  it  not  rather  mean  that  you  are 
now  discriminating  merely  the  shadows  and  reflections  of  unreal  things 
which  had  their  origin  in  objects  in  the  presence  of  your  sight?  Objects 


514  BUDDHISM 

certainly  are  not  permanent;  as  they  vanish,  does  your  mind  vanish, 
also,  and  become  like  hair  on  a  tortoise,  or  a  horn  on  a  rabbit  ?  If  mind 
vanishes,  then  the  Dharmakaya  would  be  exterminated  and  who  would 
be  devoted  to  the  practice  of  attaining  perseverence  in  getting  rid  of  the 
developments  arising  from  the  conceptions  of  phenomena?  At  this, 
Ananda  and  the  great  audience  became  more  confused  and  speechless. 
The  Lord  Buddha  continued: — Ananda,  if  in  this  world  disciples 
practiced  meditation  assiduously,  though  they  attained  all  the  nine  stages 
of  calmness  in  Dhyana,  yet  do  not  accomplish  the  attainment  of  Arhats 
free  from  the  intoxicants  arising  from  worldly  contaminations  and  attach- 
ments, it  is  wholly  due  to  their  grasping  this  deceiving  conception  of 
discriminative  thinking  that  is  based  on  unrealities  and  mistaking  the 
delusion  as  being  a  reality.  Ananda,  although  you  have  learned  a  great 
deal,  you  are  not  yet  ready  for  the  maturity  of  Buddhahood. 

3.    THE  MIND  IS  UNCHANGING;  ONLY  ITS 
REFLECTIONS  CHANGE 

WHEN  ANANDA  HEARD  this  solemn  teaching,  he  became  very  sorrowful 
and  with  tears  falling,  with  forehead,  hands  and  feet  touching  the  ground, 
he  paid  homage  to  the  Lord.  Then  kneeling,  he  said : — 

Noble  Lord!  Since  I  determined  to  follow  thee  and  become  thy  disciple, 
I  have  always  thought  that  I  could  rely  upon  thy  supernormal  strength 
and  that  it  would  not  be  difficult  to  put  thy  teachings  into  practice.  I 
expected  that  the  Lord  would  favor  me  with  an  experience  of  Samadhi 
in  this  body;  I  did  not  appreciate  that  the  body  and  mind  were  different 
and  could  not  be  substituted  for  each  other,  so  I  have  likely  lost  my  own 
mind.  Although  I  have  become  a  disciple  of  Buddha,  my  heart  is  not  yet 
absorbed  in  Enlightenment.  I  am  like  a  prodigal  son  who  has  forsaken 
his  father.  I  now  see  that  in  spite  of  my  learning,  if  I  am  not  able  to  put 
it  into  practice,  I  am  no  better  than  an  unlearned  man.  It  is  like  a  man 
talking  about  food,  but  never  eating  and  becoming  satisfied.  We  are  all 
entangled  in  these  two  hindrances:  knowledge  and  learning,  and  vexa- 
tion and  suffering.  I  can  now  see  that  it  is  all  due  to  our  ignorance  of 
the  eternal  and  tranquil  nature  of  true  Mind.  Pray,  my  Lord  Tathagata, 
have  mercy  upon  us  all;  show  us  clearly  the  mysterious,  enlightening 
Mind,  and  open  our  true  eye  of  Enlightenment. 

Suddenly  from  the  holy  symbol  on  the  breast  of  the  Lord  Tathagata, 
there  shown  forth  a  glorious,  blazing  brightness,  which  radiated  forth 


THE    SURANGAMA   SUTRA  515 

brilliantly  into  hundreds  and  thousands  of  colored  rays  reaching  to  the 
ten  quarters  of  the  universes,  which  were  instantly  turned  into  innumer- 
able Buddha-lands,  and  glorified  all  the  holy  shrines  of  the  Tathagata,  in 
all  the  ten  quarters  of  the  universes.  And,  finally,  the  scintillating  splen- 
dor returned  to  rest  on  the  crown  of  Ananda  and  upon  the  crown  of 
each  one  in  the  assembly. 

Then  the  Lord  Buddha  addressed  Ananda,  saying: — For  the  sake  of 
all  I  will  lift  the  luminous  beacon  of  the  Dharma  so  that  by  its  light  all 
sentient  beings  may  realize  the  wonderful,  mysterious  nature  of  the  pure 
enlightening  Mind  and  acquire  its  true  intrinsic  Eye. 

First,  let  me  question  you,  Ananda.  You  saw  my  fist  and  it  seemed 
bright  to  you.  By  what  means  did  its  brightness  manifest  itself?  By  what 
means  was  it  seen,  and  by  what  means  was  the  thought  of  brightness 
conceived  ? 

Ananda  replied: — My  Lord,  the  brightness  comes  from  the  whole 
luminous  body  of  my  Lord  which  is  as  brightly  shining  as  a  valley  filled 
with  rubies.  Your  holy  body,  shining  as  it  does,  could  not  have  originated 
except  from  Purity  itself.  Your  hand  being  clenched  was  in  the  form  of 
a  fist.  I  saw  it  with  my  eyes,  my  mind  conceived  its  brightness. 

The  Buddha  said : — You  say  that  it  takes  the  movement  of  my  fingers 
and  the  seeing  of  your  eyes  to  give  you  the  conception  of  a  fist.  Does  that 
mean  that  the  nature  of  the  movement  of  the  fingers  and  the  seeing  of 
the  eyes  and  the  thinking  of  the  mind  are  all  alike? 

Ananda  replied: — Yes,  my  Lord.  If  you  had  no  hand,  or  I  had  no  eyes, 
there  could  be  no  conception  of  a  fist.  There  must  be  the  meeting  of  the 
two  conditions. 

The  Lord  Buddha  interrupted : — You  state  that  the  movement  of  the 
hand  and  the  seeing  of  the  eyes  being  in  agreement,  the  mind  conceives 
a  fist.  Is  that  wholly  true?  If  a  man  loses  his  hand  he  loses  it  forever,  but 
if  a  man  loses  his  eyes,  he  does  not  wholly  lose  the  sense  of  sight,  nor  does 
he  lose  the  conception  of  a  fist.  Suppose  you  meet  a  blind  man  on  the 
road  and  you  ask  him,  "In  your  blindness,  what  do  you  see?"  He  will 
give  you  some  such  answer  as  this: — "I  can  only  see  darkness,  nothing 
else."  This  means  that  the  objects  within  the  range  of  his  former  sight 
have  become  darkened ;  there  is  no  loss  of  his  conception  of  sight  but  the 
conception  is  of  darkness. 

Ananda  asked : — My  Lord,  if  the  blind  man  can  only  perceive  darkness, 
how  can  it  mean  that  he  still  possesses  the  perception  of  sight  ? 

The  Buddha  replied :— Ananda,  this  blind  man  of  no  eyes  simply  sees 


516  BUDDHISM 

darkness  just  as  any  seeing  man  who  is  shut  up  in  a  dark  room  sees  dark- 
ness. Close  your  eyes,  Ananda,  what  do  you  perceive  but  darkness  ? 

Ananda  had  to  admit  that  as  far  as  perceiving  darkness  was  concerned 
there  was  no  difference  between  the  blind  man,  the  man  in  a  dark  room 
and  himself  with  his  eyes  closed. 

The  Buddha  resumed: — If  the  blind  man  seeing  only  darkness  sud- 
denly recovers  his  sight  and  again  sees  objects,  we  say  that  he  sees  them 
by  means  of  his  eyes.  A  lamp  is  suddenly  brought  into  the  dark  room  and 
we  say  that  the  man  again  sees  objects  by  means  of  the  lamp.  That  is  not 
strictly  true  for  while  the  lamp  does  reveal  objects,  it  is  the  eyes  that  per- 
ceive them.  If  it  were  otherwise  and  the  seeing  belonged  to  the  lamp  then 
it  would  no  longer  be  a  lamp  and  the  seeing  would  have  no  relation  to 
him.  In  a  true  sense,  however,  it  is  neither  the  lamp  nor  the  eyes  that 
perceives  objects. 

Although  this  was  the  second  instruction  that  Ananda  had  had  on 
this  subject,  he  did  not  yet  understand  it  and  sat  dazed  hoping  for  a 
clearer  interpretation  of  it  in  the  kind  and  gentle  tones  of  the  Master  and 
he  waited  with  a  pure  and  expectant  heart  for  the  Blessed  One's  further 
explanation. 

The  Lord  Buddha,  in  great  kindness,  let  his  hand  rest  kindly  on  the 
head  of  Ananda  and  said  to  him: — Ananda,  at  the  beginning  of  my  per- 
fect Enlightenment  I  went  to  the  Deer  Forest  at  Sarnath  where  Kaun- 
dinya  and  his  four  disciples  were  staying  and  gave  them  my  first  teach- 
ing. The  teaching  was  this: — The  reason  why  all  sentient  beings  fail  to 
attain  enlightenment  and  Arhatship  is  because  they  have  been  led  astray 
by  false  conceptions  regarding  phenomena  and  objects,  which  defiled 
their  minds.  Since  that  time  they  have  understood  the  import  of  that 
teaching  and  have  become  enlightened. 

Then  Kaundinya  rose  from  his  seat  and  addressed  the  Lord,  saying: — 
Blessed  Lord!  I  am  now  the  oldest  in  this  assembly  and  am  credited  with 
having  the  best  understanding  of  the  Dharma.  I  attained  Arhatship  by 
realizing  the  significance  of  objective  things.  I  was  like  a  traveler  seeking 
lodgings  where  I  could  satisfy  my  hunger  and  take  my  rest,  but,  like  a 
traveler  after  he  had  satisfied  his  hunger  and  taken  his  rest,  he  could  no 
longer  stay  there  for  a  comfortable  rest  but  must  set  out  on  another  day's 
journey.  If  he  was  the  inn-keeper  he  could  do  so,  but  the  traveler  is  the 
symbol  of  impermanency.  We  may  also  draw  a  lesson  from  the  sky.  After 
a  rain  it  is  fresh  and  clear  and  the  sun's  rays  penetrating  the  clouds  light 
up  the  dust  particles  moving  about  in  the  air.  We  think  of  open  space  as  a 


THE    SURANGAMA   SUTRA  517 

symbol  of  motionlessness  and  permanency,  while  we  think  of  dust  par- 
ticles as  symbols  of  motion  and  impermanency. 

The  Lord  Buddha  was  much  pleased  by  the  words  of  Kaundinya  and 
said:— So  it  is,  it  is,  Kaundinya!  Then  raising  his  hand,  he  opened  his 
fingers  and  then  closed  them,  saying: — What  do  you  see,  Ananda? 

Ananda  replied: — I  see  my  Lord  standing  before  the  assembly  open- 
ing and  closing  his  beautiful  fingers. 

The  Lord  resumed: — As  you  watch  the  fingers  of  my  hand  opening 
and  closing,  does  the  perception  of  motion  belong  to  my  hand  or  to 
your  eyes? 

Ananda  replied: — My  Lord,  while  thy  precious  hand  is  opening  and 
closing  I  recognize  the  motion  as  belonging  to  thy  hand  and  not  to 
my  eyes. 

The  Lord  enquired: — Ananda,  what  is  in  motion  and  what  is  still? 

Ananda  replied: — My  Lord,  it  is  thy  fingers  that  are  in  motion,  but  as 
to  the  perception  of  my  eyes,  while  it  can  not  be  said  that  it  possesses  the 
nature  of  absolute  stillness,  it  can  hardly  be  said  that  it  is  in  motion. 

The  Lord  Buddha  was  pleased  with  this  reply  and  said:  So  it  is, 
Ananda.  Then  the  Lord  Buddha  caused  a  bright  beam  of  light  to  dart 
from  his  hand  and  fall  on  Ananda's  right  side.  Ananda  quickly  turned 
his  head  to  look  at  it.  Then  the  Lord  caused  another  beam  of  light  to  fall 
on  Ananda's  left,  and  Ananda  quickly  turned  his  head  to  look  at  that. 
Then  the  Lord  Buddha  questioned  Ananda,  saying: — Ananda,  what 
caused  you  to  turn  your  heard  about? 

My  Lord,  it  was  because  I  saw  a  shining  beam  of  light  springing  from 
my  Lord's  hand  and  darting  first  to  my  right  and  then  to  my  left,  and  I 
turned  my  head  to  look  at  it. 

Ananda,  you  say  that  when  your  eyes  followed  the  light,  you  turned 
your  head  from  right  to  left.  Tell  me  was  it  your  head  or  the  perception 
of  your  sight  that  moved'3 

My  Lord,  it  was  my  head  that  moved.  As  to  the  perception  of  sight, 
while  it  can  not  be  said  that  it  has  the  nature  of  motionlessness,  neither 
can  it  be  said  that  it  has  no  motion. 

The  Lord  was  pleased  with  this  reply  and  said: — So  it  is,  Ananda. 
When  I  was  looking  at  you  as  sentient  beings  do,  it  was  your  head  that 
was  moving  about  but  my  perception  of  sight  did  not  move,  and  when 
you  were  looking  at  me,  it  was  my  hand  opening  and  closing,  not  your 
"seeing"  that  moved.  Ananda,  can  you  not  see  the  difference  in  nature 
in  that  which  moves  and  changes,  and  that  which  is  motionless  and 


518  BUDDHISM 

unchanging?  It  is  body  which  moves  and  changes,  not  Mind.  Why  do 
you  so  persistently  look  upon  motion  as  appertaining  to  both  body  and 
mind?  Why  do  you  permit  your  thoughts  to  rise  and  fall,  letting  the 
body  rule  the  mind,  instead  of  Mind  ruling  the  body?  Why  do  you  let 
your  senses  deceive  you  as  to  the  true  unchanging  nature  of  Mind  and 
then  to  do  things  in  a  reversed  order  which  leads  to  motion  and  con- 
fusion and  suffering?  As  one  forgets  the  true  nature  of  Mind,  so  he  mis- 
takes the  reflections  of  objects  as  being  his  own  mind,  thus  binding  him 
to  the  endless  movements  and  changes  and  suffering  of  the  recurring 
cycles  of  deaths  and  rebirths  that  are  of  his  own  causing.  You  should 
regard  all  that  changes  as  "dust-particles"  and  that  which  is  unchanging 
as  being  your  own  true  Nature  of  Mind. 

Then  Ananda  and  all  the  assembly  realized  that  from  beginningless 
time,  they  had  forgotten  and  ignored  their  own  true  nature,  had  misin- 
terpreted conditional  objects,  and  had  confused  their  minds  by  false  dis- 
criminations and  illusive  reflections.  They  felt  like  a  little  baby  that  had 
found  its  mother's  breast,  and  became  calm  and  peaceful  in  spirit.  In  this 
spirit  they  pressed  their  hands  together  and  made  devout  obeisance  to 
the  Blessed  One.  They  besought  the  Lord  Tathagata  to  teach  them  how 
to  make  distinctions  between  body  and  mind,  between  the  real  and  the 
unreal,  between  that  which  is  true  and  that  which  is  false,  between  the 
manifested  natures  of  deaths  and  rebirths  on  the  one  hand,  and  the  in- 
trinsic nature  of  that  which  is  un-born  and  never  dies  on  the  other  hand; 
the  one  appearing  and  disappearing,  the  other  forever  abiding  within  the 
essence  of  their  own  mind. 

4.    ASSURANCE  OF  IMMORTALITY  OF  THE  MIND; 
THE  BODY  IS  DESTRUCTIBLE,  NOT  THE  MIND 

His  HIGHNESS  KING  PRASENAJIT  who  was  in  the  assembly,  stood  up  and 
addressed  the  Lord  Buddha,  saying: — Honorable  Lord,  formerly  before 
I  had  been  under  the  instruction  of  my  Lord,  I  visited  Katyayana  and 
Vairotiputra  (two  heretic  teachers).  They  both  taught  that  after  one's 
death,  the  destruction  of  body  and  mind  meant  Nirvana.  Afterwards,  I 
have  been  occasionally  with  thy  Lord,  I  have  had  doubts  within  my 
mind  and  even  now  the  matter  is  not  clear.  How  can  I  clearly  understand 
and  realize  this  state  of  non-death  and  non-rebirth.  I  think  that  all  the 
disciples  present  who  have  not  yet  attained  Arhatship,  are  equally  desir- 


THE   SURANGAMA   SUTRA  519 

ous  of  more  perfectly  understanding  this  profound  teaching  from  my 
Lord  Buddha. 

The  Lord  addressed  the  King,  saying:— Your  Majesty!  May  I  have 
the  honor  of  asking  you  some  questions  about  your  present  body.  Is 
your  Majesty's  body  as  permanent  and  enduring  as  gold  and  steel,  or  is 
it  impermanent  and  destructible? 

Oh,  my  Lord,  my  present  body  of  flesh  will  soon  come  to  destruction. 

Your  Majesty!  While  your  body  has  not  yet  come  to  destruction,  how 
do  you  know  that  it  ever  will? 

My  Lord,  it  is  true  that  this  body  has  not  yet  come  to  total  destruction, 
but  as  I  have  watched  it  and  reflected  about  it,  I  have  seen  it  constantly 
changing  and  needing  constant  renewal.  It  seems  as  though  it  was  slowly 
being  changed  into  ashes,  gradually  decreasing  and  fading  away.  From 
this  I  am  convinced  that  it  will  ultimately  come  to  destruction. 

Yes,  your  Majesty,  it  is  all  too  true.  You  are  growing  old  and  your 
health  is  becoming  imperfect.  Tell  me  a  little  about  your  present  appear- 
ance as  compared  with  your  boyhood. 

Your  Lordship!  When  I  was  a  boy,  my  skin  was  tender  and  smooth* 
in  young  manhood  my  blood  and  energy  were  in  full  supply,  now  as  I 
am  getting  old,  my  strength  is  failing,  my  appearance  is  languid  and  dull, 
my  brain  is  dull  and  uncertain,  my  hair  has  become  grey  and  white,  my 
face  wrinkled.  All  these  changes  certainly  show  that  I  can  not  live  much 
longer.  How  can  I  compare  my  present  with  my  youth? 

The  Lord  Buddha  replied  kindly: — Your  Majesty,  do  not  be  dis- 
couraged, your  appearance  will  not  become  decrepit  as  quickly  as  all 
that. 

Your  Lordship!  It  is  true  that  these  changes  have  been  going  on  so 
secretly  that  I  have  hardly  felt  them,  but  as  winters  and  summers  pass 
I  know  that  I  have  been  gradually  changing  into  my  present  condition. 
At  twenty  I  was  young  for  my  age  but  my  appearance  was  very  different 
than  at  ten;  at  thirty  I  was  older;  at  forty,  still  older;  and  now  after  twenty 
years  I  am  sixty  and  am  what  I  am.  I  recollect  that  at  fifty  years  of  age  I 
felt  comparatively  young  and  strong.  Your  Lordship!  I  am  conscious 
that  these  processes  and  changes  are  still  going  on  secretly  and  that  in  a 
brief  time,  perhaps  ten  limited  years,  the  end  will  come. 

Moreover,  your  Lordship,  as  I  think  about  these  changes,  I  see  that 
it  is  not  a  matter  of  changes  in  one  or  two  decades,  the  process  is  going 
on  yearly.  And  not  only  yearly,  but  month  by  month,  yes,  day  by  day. 
Now  I  think  of  it,  the  changes  are  going  on  faster  than  that  even,  breath 


520  BUDDHISM 

by  breath,  changes  incessantly  going  on  faster  than  thoughts.  In  the  end 
my  body  will  be  given  over  to  destruction. 

The  Lord  Buddha  said : — Your  Majesty  from  watching  this  process  of 
change  going  on  you  have  become  convinced  that  ultimately  your  body 
will  be  given  over  to  destruction.  At  the  time  of  the  destruction  of  your 
body,  do  you  think  there  is  anything  within  your  body  that  is  not  de- 
structible ? 

The  King  Prasenajit  pressed  his  hands  together  and  replied  soberly: — 
Certainly,  your  Lordship,  I  do  not  know.  I  wish  I  did. 

The  Lord  Buddha  said:  Your  Majesty!  I  will  now  show  you  the  nature 
of  no-dying  and  no-rebirth.  At  the  time  you  first  saw  the  river  Ganges, 
your  Majesty,  how  old  were  you? 

The  King  replied: — I  can  remember  when  my  mother  brought  me 
there  to  worship  the  Deva  god.  I  was  then  just  three  years  old.  I  can 
remember  when  we  crossed  the  river;  I  can  remember  hearing  it  called 
the  Ganges. 

The  Lord  Buddha  said: — Your  Majesty!  You  were  three  years  old  at 
that  time.  As  you  have  said,  when  ten  years  had  passed,  you  were  older, 
and  down  to  the  age  of  sixty  the  processes  of  change  have  been  going  on 
year  after  year,  month  after  month,  day  after  day  and  thought  after 
thought.  Your  Majesty,  you  said  that  when  you  first  saw  the  river  Ganges, 
you  were  three  years  of  age.  Tell  me,  when  you  were  thirteen  years  o£ 
age  and  saw  the  Ganges,  how  did  it  appear  to  you  ?  Was  the  sight  of  it, 
your  mind's  perception  of  the  sight,  any  different? 

The  King  replied: — My  sight  of  it  was  just  the  same  as  when  I  was 
three  years  of  age.  And  now  at  my  present  age  of  sixty-two,  while  the 
sight  of  my  eyes  is  not  as  good,  my  perception  of  the  sight  is  just  the 
same  as  ever. 

The  Lord  Buddha  continued: — Your  Majesty!  You  have  been  sad- 
dened by  the  changes  in  your  personal  appearance  since  your  youth — 
your  greying  hair  and  wrinkled  face — but  you  say  that  your  perception 
of  sight  compared  with  it  when  you  were  a  youth,  shows  no  change. 
Tell  me,  Your  Majesty,  is  there  any  youth  and  old  age  in  the  perception 
of  sight? 

Not  at  all,  your  Lordship. 

The  Lord  Buddha  continued: — Your  Majesty!  Though  your  face  has 
become  wrinkled,  in  the  perception  of  your  eyes,  there  are  no  signs  of 
age,  no  wrinkles.  Then,  wrinkles  are  the  symbol  of  change,  and  the 
un-wrinkled  is  the  symbol  of  the  un-changing.  That  which  is  changing 


THE    SURANGAMA   SUTRA  521 

must  suffer  destruction,  of  course,  but  the  un-changing  is  naturally  free 
from  deaths  and  re-births.  How  is  it,  Your  Majesty,  that  the  un-changing 
perception  of  Mind  still  suffers  the  illusion  of  deaths  and  rebirths  and 
you  are  still  clinging  to  the  teaching  of  the  heretic,  who  claimed  that 
after  the  death  of  the  body,  everyone  was  completely  destroyed  ? 

After  listening  to  this  wonderful  instruction  that  implied  that  after 
one's  death  something  survived  to  reappear  in  a  new  body,  the  King 
and  the  whole  assembly  were  much  cheered  and  filled  with  joy.  It  was  a 
most  interesting  occasion. 

5.    THE  CONFUSING  CONCEPTION  OF  THE 
PHENOMENAL  WORLD 

THEN  ANANDA,  after  paying  the  usual  reverence  to  the  Lord  Buddha, 
rose  in  his  place  and  addressed  the  Lord,  saying: — 

Noble  Lord!  If  the  perception  of  the  eyes  and  ears  is  free  from  death 
and  re-birth,  why  did  my  Lord  say  that  we  had  forgotten  our  true  nature 
of  mind  and  acted  in  a  state  of  "reversed  confusion"  ?  Pray,  my  Lord, 
have  pity  on  us  all  and  purify  our  contaminated  minds  and  clear  away 
our  attachments  to  them. 

Immediately  the  Lord  Buddha  stretched  out  his  arm  with  fingers 
pointing  downward  in  some  mystic  "mitdra."  He  said  to  Ananda: — As 
you  are  looking  at  my  fingers,  are  they  in  an  upright  position  or  in  a 
reversed  position? 

Ananda  replied: — My  Lord!  Most  people  in  this  world  would  say  that 
they  were  in  a  reversed  position,  but  because  the  fingers  are  arranged  in 
some  mystic  mudra,  I  do  not  know  which  is  the  upright  position  and 
which  is  the  reverse. 

The  Lord  replied: — Ananda,  if  human  beings  regard  this  as  in  a  re- 
versed position,  what  would  they  regard  as  an  upright  position? 

Ananda  replied: — My  Lord,  if  you  were  to  turn  the  hand  so  that  the 
fingers  were  pointing  up,  that  they  would  call  an  upright  position. 

The  Lord  Buddha  suddenly  turned  his  hand  and  said  to  Ananda:— If 
this  interpretation  of  positions,  reversed  or  upright,  is  simply  made  by 
turning  the  hand  so  that  the  fingers  are  pointing  either  up  or  down  with- 
out any  change  in  the  location  of  the  hand,  that  is,  as  viewed  by  beings 
in  this  world,  then  you  should  know  that  the  essence  of  the  Lord  Tath- 
agata's  true  body,  the  pure  Dharmakaya,  may  be  interpreted  differently 
by  viewing  it  from  different  viewpoints  of  attainment,  as  being  either 


522  BUDDHISM 

the  Lord  Tathagata's  "True  Omniscience"  (upright  position),  or  as  the 
body  of  one's  own  mind,  the  "reversed  position." 

Now,  Ananda,  concentrate  your  mind  on  this  and  explain  it  to  me : — 
When  you  say  that  your  mind  is  in  the  reversed  position,  in  what  posi- 
tion is  your  body  to  be  regarded  ?  Is  the  body,  also,  in  a  reversed  position  ? 

At  this  question,  Ananda  and  the  whole  assembly  were  confused  and 
stared  up  at  him  with  open  mouths.  What  did  he  mean  by  a  reversed 
position  of  both  their  body  and  mind? 

In  great  compassion  of  heart,  the  Lord  Buddha  pitied  Ananda  and 
the  great  assembly.  He  spoke  to  them  reassuringly,  and  his  voice  was  like 
the  subdued  sound  of  the  ocean's  billows: — My  good,  faithful  disciples! 
Have  I  not  been  constantly  teaching  you  that  all  of  the  causes  and  con- 
ditions that  characterize  changing  phenomena  and  the  modes  of  the 
mind,  and  of  the  different  attributes  of  the  mind,  and  the  independently 
developed  conditions  of  the  mind,  are  all  simply  manifestations  of  the 
mind;  and  all  of  your  body  and  mind  are  but  manifestations  of  the  won- 
derful, enlightening,  and  true  nature  of  the  all-embracing  and  mysterious 
Essence  of  Mind. 

My  good,  faithful  disciples!  Why  do  you  so  easily  forget  this  natural, 
wonderful,  and  enlightening  Mind  of  perfect  Purity — this  mysterious 
Mind  of  radiant  Brightness?  And  why  are  you  still  bewildered  in  your 
realizing  consciousness?  Open  space  is  nothing  but  invisible  dimness; 
the  invisible  dimness  of  space  is  mingled  with  darkness  to  look  like 
forms;  sensations  of  form  are  mingled  into  illusive  and  arbitrary  con- 
ceptions of  phenomena;  and  from  these  false  conceptions  of  phenomena, 
is  developed  the  consciousness  of  body.  So,  within  the  mind,  these 
jumblings  of  causes  and  conditions,  segregating  into  groups  and  coming 
into  contact  with  the  world's  external  objects,  there  is  awakened  desire 
or  fear  which  divide  the  mind  and  causes  it  to  sink  into  either  indulgence 
or  anger.  All  of  you  have  been  accepting  this  confusing  conception  of 
phenomena  as  being  your  own  nature  of  mind.  As  soon  as  you  accepted 
it  as  your  true  mind,  is  it  any  wonder  that  you  became  bewildered  and 
supposed  it  to  be  localized  in  your  physical  body,  and  that  all  the  external 
things,  mountains,  rivers,  the  great  open  spaces,  and  the  whole  world, 
were  outside  the  body.  Is  it  any  wonder  that  you  failed  to  realize  that 
everything  you  have  so  falsely  conceived  has  its  only  existence  within 
your  own  wonderful,  enlightening  Mind  of  True  Essence. 

In  likeness  you  have  abandoned  all  the  great,  pure,  calm  oceans  of 
water,  and  clung  to  one  bubble  which  you  not  onry  accept  but  which  you 


THE   SURANGAMA   SUTRA  523 

regard  as  the  whole  body  of  water  in  all  the  hundreds  of  thousands  of 
seas.  In  such  bewilderment,  you  reveal  yourselves  as  fools  among  fools, 
Though  I  move  my  fingers  up  or  down,  there  is  no  change  in  the  hand 
itself,  but  the  world  makes  a  distinction,  and  says  that  now  it  is  upright, 
now  it  is  reversed.  Those  who  do  this  are  greatly  to  be  pitied. 

6.   THE  PERCEIVING  MIND  AND  THE  "ESSENCE" 

OF  MIND  ARE  ONE;  PERMANENCE  OF 

THE  ENLIGHTENING  MIND 

ANANDA  WAS  profoundly  moved  by  this  teaching  and  through  the 
kindness  of  the  Lord  Buddha  was  delivered  from  his  foolish  bewilder- 
ment. He  sincerely  repented  and  pressing  his  hands  together  reverenced 
the  Lord  Buddha,  saying: — My  Noble  Lord!  Though  I  have  been  listen- 
ing to  the  Lord's  wonderful  teaching  and  have  realized  that  this  wonder- 
ful Enlightening  Mind  is  by  nature  perfect  in  itself  and  is  the  permanent 
ground  of  my  changing  mind,  but,  as  I  have  been  listening  to  this  Teach- 
ing of  the  Dharma,  I  think  of  my  concentrating  mind.  I  know  that  it  is 
of  a  higher  order  than  my  conditional  mind,  but  I  dare  not  recognize 
it  as  being  the  pure,  original  ground  of  my  mind.  Pray,  my  Lord,  have 
pity  upon  us  all  and  kindly  declare  to  us  the  complete  teaching  and 
remove  this  root  of  suspicion  and  doubt,  so  that  we  may  attain  to  supreme 
Enlightenment. 

The  Lord  Buddha  replied  to  Ananda,  saying: — Ananda,  from  what 
you  have  just  said.  I  can  see  that  you  have  been  listening  to  my  teaching 
with  your  conditional  mind,  and  so  my  teachings  have  become  condi- 
tional, also.  It  shows  that  you  have  not  yet  fully  realized  the  pure  Essence 
of  your  mind.  It  is  like  a  man  calling  the  attention  of  another  man  to  the 
moon  by  pointing  his  finger  toward  it.  The  other  man  ought  to  look  at 
the  moon,  but  instead  he  looks  at  the  finger  and  by  so  doing,  not  only 
misses  the  moon  but  misses  the  finger,  also.  And  why?  Because  he  has 
taken  the  finger  to  be  the  moon.  Not  only  that,  he  has  failed  to  notice 
the  difference  between  darkness  and  brightness.  And  why?  Because  he 
takes  the  dark  finger  to  be  the  moon's  brightness.  That  is  why  he  does 
not  know  the  difference  between  darkness  and  brightness.  Ananda,  you 
are  just  as  foolish  as  that  man. 

The  Lord  Buddha  continued:-— Ananda,  if  you  take  that  which  dis 
criminates  my  teaching  as  your  mind,  then  when  it  lays  aside  its  coi> 


524  BUDDHISM 

ceptions  of  the  discriminated  teaching,  the  mind  should  still  retain  its 
own  discriminating  nature,  which  it  does  not.  It  is  like  a  traveller  seek- 
ing an  inn  where  he  may  rest  for  a  short  time  but  not  permanently.  But 
the  inn-keeper  lives  there  permanently,  he  does  not  go  away.  It  is  the 
same  with  this  difficulty.  If  the  discriminating  mind  is  your  true  Mind, 
it  should  never  change.  How  can  it  be  your  true  Mind  when,  as  soon  as 
the  sound  of  my  voice  ceases,  it  has  no  discriminating  nature? 

Ananda,  this  is  true  not  only  as  regards  discriminations  of  sound,  but 
also  of  sight  and  all  other  sensations,  and  if  the  mind  is  free  from  all 
conceptions  of  phenomena,  inherently  it  must  be  free  from  discrimina- 
tions in  its  own  nature.  And  even  if  there  is  no  discriminated  object 
before  it,  the  mind  is  neither  vacuity  nor  phenomena.  If  it  can  be,  that 
when  you  leave  off  all  the  conditions  of  phenomena,  there  shall  remain 
no  discriminating  nature  of  mind,  then  both  your  mind  and  its  Essence 
will  have  one  individual  and  original  nature,  which  would  be  their  own 
and  true  reality. 

Ananda  said  to  the  Lord  Buddha: — Noble  Lord,  if  both  my  mind 
and  its  Essence  have  one  originality,  why  does  the  wonderful,  enlighten- 
ing original  Mind,  which  has  just  been  proclaimed  by  the  Lord  Buddha 
as  being  one  with  my  discriminating  mind,  not  return  to  its  original 
state?  Have  pity  upon  us,  my  Lord,  and  explain  it  more  clearly. 

The  Lord  Buddha  replied,  saying: — Ananda,  as  you  look  at  me  with 
this  enlightening  Essence  of  sight,  its  perception  of  sight  is  the  same 
thing  and  yet  is  not  the  same  as  the  Enlightening  Mind  of  the  wonderful 
Essence.  It  is  just  like  a  reproduction  of  the  true  moon — that  is,  it  is  not 
merely  a  shadow  of  the  moon.  Now,  Ananda,  listen  and  I  will  show  you 
^he  originality  that  has  no  need  of  returning  at  all. 

Let  us  consider  this  great  Lecture  Hall  which  opens  toward  the  east : 
when  the  crimson  sun  rises,  it  is  filled  with  a  glorious  brightness;  but 
when  it  is  mid-night  and  no  moonlight,  and  the  sky  overcast  by  clouds 
and  mist,  then  there  is  dense  darkness.  Again,  because  it  has  doors  and 
windows,  the  interior  is  visible,  but  if  there  were  no  doors  or  windows, 
the  perception  of  sight  would  be  hindered.  Where  there  is  only  space, 
then  there  is  only  a  common  emptiness,  but  when  discriminations  are 
made,  they  straight  away  condition  the  sight.  When  the  air  is  shut  in 
by  walls,  it  soon  becomes  close  and  gloomy  and  permeated  with  dust; 
when  clear  fresh  air  comes  in,  the  dust  soon  disappears  and  the  rocm 
becomes  clear  and  refreshing  to  the  eyes. 

Ananda,  during  your  life  you  have  experienced  many  changes;  I  am 


THE    SURANGAMA   SUTRA  525 

now  going  to  return  these  changes  to  their  respective  originalities.  Whav 
do  I  mean  by  their  respective  originalities,  Ananda?  I  will  explain.  In 
this  Lecture  Hall,  first  let  us  return  the  brightness  to  the  crimson  sun. 
Why?  Because  if  there  were  no  sun,  there  would  be  no  brightness.  That 
is,  the  origin  of  the  brightness  is  in  the  sun,  so  let  us  return  the  brightness 
to  the  sun.  Let  us  do  the  same  with  the  other  conditions;  darkness  returns 
to  the  dim  moon,  passage  of  light  returns  to  the  doors  and  windows,  hin- 
drance to  light  returns  to  the  dense  walls  of  the  house,  conditions  return 
to  discriminations,  space  returns  to  emptiness,  closeness  and  gloominess 
return  to  dust  and  clearness  and  freshness  return  to  the  purifying  air. 
Thus  all  the  existencies  in  the  world  may  be  included  in  these  eight 
kinds  of  phenomena. 

Now,  Ananda,  let  us  consider  the  perceiving  mind  which  distinguishes 
these  eight  kinds  of  phenomena  and  which  we  have  already  found  has 
its  ground  in  the  enlightening  nature  of  the  Essence  of  Mind;  to  which 
one  of  these  eight  phenomena  shall  it  be  returned?  If  you  return  the 
faculty  of  perceiving  to  brightness,  then  when  there  is  no  brightness, 
there  will  be  no  perception  of  darkness.  Though  there  may  be  all  degrees 
of  illumination  between  brightness  and  darkness,  perception  in  its  self- 
nature  possesses  no  differentials.  [Therefore,  we  can  not  return  perceiv- 
ing, which  belongs  to  our  Essence  of  Mind  to  the  phenomena  of  bright- 
ness or  any  other  of  the  eight  classes  of  phenomena  noted  above.]  Thus 
we  see  that  those  things  which  can  be  returned  to  their  originalities  do  not 
belong  to  your  own  true  nature;  and  that  which  we  can  not  return  to  its 
originality,  is  the  only  thing  which  truly  belongs  to  us.  This  shows  that 
your  mind  has  its  own  mysterious  nature  of  brightness  and  purity,  and 
when  you  try  to  refer  your  mind  to  the  various  classes  of  phenomena, 
you  simply  deceive  and  bewilder  yourself,  and,  by  so  doing,  you  have 
lost  your  own  true  nature  and  have  suffered  endless  mis-fortunes,  like  a 
vagrant  adrift  on  the  ocean  of  deaths  and  rebirths.  That  is  why,  I  look 
upon  you  as  being  most  pitiable. 

7.    THE  PERCEPTION  OF  SIGHT  IS  INFINITE,  UNIVERSAL 

AND  IS  ITSELF  NOT  AN  OBJECT  —THE  BASIS 

OF  BUDDHIST  IDEALISM 

ANANDA  WAS  still  in  doubt  as  to  the  true  nature  of  his  mind,  and  begged 
the  Lord  Buddha  for  further  elucidation,  saying:— My  Lord,  though  1 
now  can  see  that  the  nature  of  the  mind's  perceiving  is  constant  and  does 


526  BUDDHISM 

not  need  to  be  referred  to  any  originality  in  phenomena,  but  how  can  I 
fully  realize  that  it  is  my  true  and  essential  nature  ? 

The  Lord  Buddha  replied :— Ananda,  you  have  not  yet  attained  to  the 
pure  state  of  freedom  from  the  intoxicants,  but  you  have,  with  the  aid 
of  my  Transcendental  Power,  advanced  to  the  first  attainment  of  Dhyana 
and  thus  acquired  the  state  of  Perfect  Intelligence.  In  the  state  of  Free- 
dom from  Intoxicants,  Anuruddha  looking  upon  the  countries  of  this 
world,  sees  them  as  clearly  as  he  sees  an  amala  fruit  lying  in  the  palm  of 
his  hand.  In  that  state  the  Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas,  looking  beyond  this 
world,  have  seen  with  like  clearness,  all  the  worlds,  even  hundreds  of 
thousands  of  worlds.  It  is  the  same  with  the  Tathagatas  of  the  ten  quar- 
ters of  all  the  universes.  Their  sight  reaches  everywhere;  they  see  clearly 
all  the  Buddha-lands  of  Purity,  greater  in  number  than  the  fine  particles 
of  dust.  But  the  perception  of  the  eyes  belonging  to  ordinary  sentient 
beings  cannot  pierce  through  the  thickness  of  a  tenth  of  an  inch. 

Let  us  consider  the  palaces  of  the  Four  Heavenly  Kings!  How  great 
the  distances.  How  different  the  conditions  of  water  and  earth  and  air. 
In  those  Heavenly  Realms  there  may  be  seen  similarities  to  light  and 
darkness,  and  all  other  phenomena  of  this  world,  but  that  is  because  of 
the  lingering  memory  of  objects  seen  in  this  world.  Under  those  Heavenly 
conditions,  you  would  still  have  to  continue  making  distinctions  between 
yourself  and  objects.  But,  Ananda,  I  challenge  you,  by  the  perception  of 
your  sight,  to  detect  which  is  my  True  Essence  and  which  manifestation. 

Ananda,  let  us  go  to  the  extreme  limit  of  our  sight — to  the  palaces  of 
the  sun  and  moon — do  you  see  anything  there  that  belongs  to  our  nature  ? 
Coming  nearer  to  the  Seven  Golden  Mountains  that  surround  Mt. 
Sumaru,  look  carefully,  what  do  you  see  ?  We  see  all  sorts  of  brightness 
and  glory,  but  nothing  that  belongs  to  our  nature.  Moving  nearer,  we 
come  to  the  massing  clouds,  the  flying  birds,  the  hurrying  winds,  the 
rising  of  dust,  the  mountains,  the  familiar  woods,  trees,  rivers,  herbs, 
vegetables,  animals,  none  of  which  belongs  to  our  nature. 

Ananda,  regarding  all  these  things,  far  or  near,  as  perceived  by  the 
pure  Essence  of  your  perceiving  eyes,  they  have  different  characteristics, 
but  the  perception  of  our  eyes  is  always  the  same.  Does  this  not  mean, 
that  this  wonderful  perception  of  sight  is  the  true  nature  of  our  minds? 

Ananda,  if  the  perception  of  sight  is  not  your  own  nature,  but  is  to  be 
regarded  as  an  object,  then  since  it  is  to  be  regarded  as  an  object,  my  per- 
ception of  sight  is  to  be  regarded  as  an  object  also,  and  you  should  be 
able  to  see  my  perception  of  sight.  Moreover,  if  when  you  see  the  same 


THE   SURANGAMA   SUTRA  527 

thing  that  I  do,  you  regard  it  as  seeing  my  perception  of  sight,  then  since 
you  have  seen  the  sphere  of  my  seeing,  you  should  also  see  the  sphere  of 
my  not  seeing.  Why  can  you  not  do  so?  Furthermore,  if  you  falsely  say 
that  you  see  the  sphere  of  my  not  seeing,  it  is  then  simply  your  own 
sphere  of  not  seeing  and  it  can  not  be  the  phenomena  of  my  not  seeing. 
And  if  not,  how  can  it  be  that  the  phenomena  of  your  not  seeing  is  to  be 
regarded  as  mine?  Therefore,  if  you  really  do  not  see  the  sphere  of  my 
not  seeing,  then  the  self  ness  of  this  perception  of  sight  can  not  be  an  object 
that  can  be  seen  with  the  eyes  and  touched  with  che  hands.  And  if  it  is 
not  an  object,  then  why  is  it  not  your  own  true  nature?  If  you  still  falsely 
regard  your  perception  of  sight  as  an  object,  the  object  should  be  able  to 
see  you,  too.  If  you  try  to  explain  it  in  this  way,  the  substantiality  of  an 
object  and  the  self  ness  of  the  perception  of  sight  of  the  object  would  be 
hopelessly  jumbled  together.  No  one  would  be  able  to  tell  which  is  sub- 
ject and  which  object.. 

8.   HOW  THE  PERCEPTION  OF  SIGHT,  THOUGH  BECOM* 

ING  FINITE,  STILL  REMAINS  UNCHANGEABLE 

AND  TRANSCENDENTAL,  WITHOUT 

ANALOGUE  IN  THE  UNIVERSE 

ANANDA,  AS  THE  NATURE  of  the  perception  of  sight  is  universal,  how  can 
it  be  regarded  as  otherwise  than  your  own  true  nature?  What  does  it 
mean,  Ananda,  that  you  do  not  recognize  the  true  nature  that  naturally 
belongs  to  you,  and  on  the  contrary,  you  are  asking  me  to  show  you  an- 
other reality? 

Ananda  said  to  the  Blessed  One:— Noble  Lord!  If  the  nature  of  the 
perception  of  my  sight  is  my  true  nature  and  not  any  different,  then 
when  my  Lord  and  I  (in  a  Samapatti  state)  were  visiting  the  transcen- 
dental, mystical,  and  magnificent  palaces  of  the  Four  Heavenly  Kings, 
and  were  sojourneying  in  the  palaces  of  the  sun  and  moon,  the  percep- 
tion of  our  sight  was  then  perfect  and  universal,  reaching  and  including 
every  part  of  the  Saha  world.  But  when  we  returned  to  this  Jetavena 
Grove,  we  see  only  this  Hall— a  still,  quiet  place  with  doors  and  win- 
dows— and  when  we  look  out  from  within,  we  are  able  to  see  only  the 
veranda  and  eaves.  Now  I  learn  from  my  Lord,  that  the  essence  of  the 
perception  of  sight  naturally  permeates  the  whole  universe.  If  that  is 
so,  why  is  it  that  now  our  perception  of  sight  only  embraces  this  little 
hall  and  nothing  more  ?  What  does  it  mean,  my  Lord  ?  Does  it  mean  that 


528  '       BUDDHISM 

the  perception  of  sight  is  reduced  from  universality  to  the  finiteness  of 
mortal  mind?  Or  is  it  that  the  perception  of  sight  is  partitioned  off  by 
walls  and  houses  ?  I  do  not  see  where  the  point  of  your  explanation  lies. 
Please  explain  it  more  clearly,  for  we  are  very  ignorant  and  stupid. 

The  Lord  Buddha  replied : — As  all  things  in  the  universe,  either  great 
or  small,  external  or  internal,  are  objects  in  the  presence  of  our  sight,  so 
it  would  not  be  right  to  say  that  our  perception  of  sight  has  the  poten- 
tiality of  enlarging  and  reducing.  For  instance,  take  an  empty  square 
vessel.  When  you  consider  the  space  in  the  square  vessel,  is  that  square 
space  fixed  or  changeable  ?  If  it  is  fixed,  then  if  you  put  a  round  vessel 
inside  of  it,  the  square  space  would  not  permit  the  admission  of  the 
round  vessel;  or  if  it  is  changeable,  then  the  space  in  the  square  vessel 
would  no  longer  appear  square.  You  said  that  you  did  not  see  where  the 
point  lies.  Well  here  is  the  point :  it  is  the  nature  of  space  to  be  neither 
fixed  nor  changeable  [and  the  same  is  true  of  the  mind's  perception],  as 
I  have  stated  before,  so  it  is  absurd  for  you  to  repeat  your  question. 

Or,  Ananda  [if  you  are  still  unconvinced],  suppose  you  fill  the  square 
vessel  with  objects  and  then  remove  the  vessel's  squareness;  are  you  still 
troubled  as  to  the  existence  of  shape  in  open  space?  Supposing  that  it  is 
true  that  when  we  re-entered  the  Hall,  the  perception  of  our  sight  became 
limited,  and  when  we  look  at  the  sun,  it  appears  to  lengthen  to  reach  the 
surface  of  the  sun.  Or  when  we  build  a  wall  or  a  house,  it  appears  to  set 
apart  or  limit  the  perception  of  our  sight,  but  when  we  make  a  hole  in 
the  wall,  is  the  perception  of  our  sight  unable  to  look  through  and  be- 
yond? The  point  of  my  explanation  is  that  changeableness  is  not  an 
attribute  of  our  perception  of  sight. 

The  Lord  Buddha  continued: — Ananda!  Since  beginningless  time 
sentient  beings  have  been  led  astray  by  mistaking  the  nature  of  their 
mind  to  be  the  same  as  the  nature  of  any  other  object.  As  they  thus  lose 
their  true  and  essential  Mind  their  minds  become  bewildered  by  outer 
objects  and  the  perception  of  their  sight  becomes  changeable  to  conform 
to  the  dimensions  of  its  visual  field  and  to  become  limited  strictly  accord- 
ing to  outer  conditions.  But  if  you  can  learn  to  see  things  by  your  true 
and  essential  Mind,  right  away  you  will  become  equal  to  all  the  Tath- 
agatas — both  your  mind  and  your  body  will  become  perfectly  enlightened 
and  you  will  be  in  the  same  state  of  tranquillity  and  stillness  as  though 
you  were  sitting  under  the  Bodhi  tree.  So  perfectly  univeralized  will 
your  mind  have  become  that  even  at  the  point  of  a  single  hair  all  the 
kingdoms  of  the  ten  quarters  of  the  universe  will  be  seen. 


THE    SURANGAMA    SUTRA  529 

9.    WHAT  BECOMES  THEN  OF  THE  BODY? 

ANANDA  SAID: — Noble  Lord,  if  the  Essence  of  the  perception  of  sight 
is  my  wonderful,  enlightening  Mind,  then  this  wonderful  Mind  must 
be  something  which  we  can  consider,  and  if  the  perception  of  sight  is 
my  true  Essence,  then  what  becomes  of  my  present  body  and  mind? 
I  feel  that  both  my  body  and  mind  have  their  separate  existence,  and  yet 
this  Essential  perception  of  sight,  even  in  its  concentrated  state  of  stillness, 
appears  to  make  no  discrimination  of  my  body.  If  this  Essential  Nature 
of  my  perception  of  sight  is  truly  my  Mind  then  it  should  be  able  to  show 
me  in  the  presence  of  my  sight,  that  it  is  my  true  self,  but  if  it  does,  what 
becomes  of  my  body,  does  it  belong  to  me  or  not  ?  Thu»  would  seem  to 
be  contrary  to  what  my  Lord  has  previously  said,  that  the  object  could 
not  see  the  mind.  We  beg,  my  Lord  to  have  pity  upon  us  and  enlighten 
our  ignorant  minds. 

The  Lord  Buddha  said: — Ananda,  what  you  have  just  questioned,  as 
to  whether  the  perception  of  sight  is  something  that  can  be  considered  as 
standing  in  your  presence,  is  not  true.  If  it  was  really  present  before  your 
sight  and  you  could  really  see  it,  then  as  the  Essence  of  the  perception  of 
sight  has  a  location,  it  will  no  longer  be  without  a  point  of  direction. 

Suppose  we  were  sitting  in  the  Jetavana  grove  and  our  sight  reached 
everywhere  in  the  grove — to  the  streams,  to  the  Royal  Palace  and  its 
mansions,  up  to  the  sun  and  the  moon  and  down  to  the  River  Ganges. 
All  of  these  different  phenomena,  which  we  are  supposing  you  are  indi- 
cating with  your  hand  as  being  within  the  purview  of  our  sight,  each  has 
its  distinctive  characteristic;  the  grove  is  shady,  the  sun  is  bright,  the  wall 
is  an  obstacle  to  light,  the  opening  in  the  wall  is  a  passage  for  the  light, 
and  the  same  is  true  even  of  the  smaller  things,  the  trees,  herbs,  fine 
grasses,  etc.  Though  in  dimensions  they  all  differ  from  one  another,  so 
long  as  it  has  appearance,  there  is  nothing  that  is  beyond  the  range  of  our 
sight  or  description.  If  the  perception  of  sight  is  present  before  your  sight, 
you  should  be  able  to  point  to  me,  which  is  your  perception  of  sight  and 
describe  it  to  me. 

If  it  is  space  that  is  the  perception  of  sight,  you  ought  to  know,  and  if 
we  were  to  remove  perception  of  sight,  what  would  you  substitute  for 
space?  If  one  of  the  many  objects  is  the  perception  of  sight  and  has  now 
become  the  perception  of  sight,  what  other  object  will  you  substitute 


530  BUDDHISM 

for  the  first?  Suppose  you  look  closely,  analyze  all  the  phenomena  before 
you,  pick  out  the  essential  and  enlightening,  pure  and  wonderful  nature 
of  the  perception  of  sight,  and  show  it  to  me  just  as  describable  and 
tangible  as  the  other  things. 

Ananda  said  to  the  Lord:— My  Lord!  Standing  in  the  Lecture  Hall 
of  this  imposing  building  and  looking  out  into  the  far  distances,  to  the 
vista  of  the  Ganges,  up  to  the  sun  and  the  moon,  looking  everywhere 
my  hand  can  point  and  my  sight  can  reach,  there  is  nothing  in  sight  but 
objects,  and  I  see  nothing  that  is  analogous  to  my  perception  of  sight.  It 
is  just  as  my  Lord  has  taught  us.  I  am  simply  a  junior  Arhat  not  yet  free 
from  the  intoxicants,  but  it  is  the  same  with  the  Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas, 
we  are  all  alike  unable  to  detect  the  presence  of  anything  to  be  called  the 
perception  of  sight  among  all  the  appearances  of  phenomena,  nor  are 
we  able  to  point  out  an  analogous  something  that  transcends  all  objects. 

The  Lord  Buddha  was  greatly  pleased  with  this  reply  and  said : — So  it 
is,  Ananda,  so  it  is!  There  is  neither  the  Essence  of  the  perception  of  sight, 
nor  any  other  essential  nature  transcending  all  objects.  There  is  no  such 
"thing"  as  the  perception  of  sight.  Now  let  me  ask  you  some  more 
questions. 

10.   ALL  PHENOMENA  ARE  ILLUSION;  PHENOMENA 

AND  SPACE  "BELONG  TO"  THE 

PERCEPTION  OF  SIGHT 

SUPPOSE  ANANDA,  that  you  and  I  are  again  sitting  in  the  Jeta  grove,  look- 
ing over  the  gardens,  even  to  the  sun  and  moon,  and  seeing  all  the  multi- 
tudinous objects,  and  no  such  thing  as  perception  of  sight  can  be  pointed 
out  to  us.  But,  Ananda,  among  all  these  multitudinous  phenomena,  can 
you  show  me  anything  which  does  not  belong  to  the  perception  of  sight  ? 
Ananda  replied : — Noble  Lord!  True,  I  see  every  part  of  the  Jeta  grove, 
but  see  nothing  which  does  not  belong  to  perception  of  sight.  And  why  ? 
Because  if  the  trees  in  the  grove  do  not  belong  to  the  perception  of  sight, 
we  could  not  call  them  trees.  But  if  the  trees  belong  to  the  perception  of 
sight,  why  do  we  still  call  them  trees  ?  It  is  the  same  with  space.  If  it  does 
not  belong  to  the  perception  of  sight,  we  could  not  see  space,  and  if  it 
does  belong  to  the  perception  of  sight,  why  should  we  still  call  it  space? 
I  am  convinced  now  that  all  objects  whatsoever,  be  they  little  or  big, 
wherever  there  are  manifestations  and  appearances,  all  belong  to  the 
perception  of  sight. 


THE   SURANGAMA   SUTRA 


Again,  the  Lord  Buddha  expressed  agreement,  saying:— -So  it  is, 
Ananda,  so  it  is! 

Then  all  the  junior  disciples,  except  the  older  ones  among  them  who 
had  finished  the  practice  of  meditation,  having  listened  to  the  discussion 
and  not  understanding  the  significance  of  the  conclusion,  became  con- 
fused  and  frightened  and  lost  control  of  themselves. 

The  Lord  Tathagata,  recognizing  that  the  junior  disciples  were  thrown 
into  perplexity  and  discouragement  by  the  teaching,  took  pity  upon  them 
and  consoled  them,  saying  to  Ananda  and  to  all  of  them : — 

My  good,  pious  disciples!  Do  not  be  disturbed  by  what  has  been  taught. 
All  that  the  supreme  Teacher  of  the  Dharrna  has  taught  are  true  and 
sincere  words,  they  are  neither  extravagant  nor  chimerical.  They  are 
not  to  be  compared  with  the  puzzling  paradoxes  given  by  the  famous 
heretic  teachers.  Do  not  be  disturbed  by  what  has  been  taught,  but  pon- 
der upon  its  seriously  and  never  give  yourself  up  either  to  sadness  or 
delight. 

Thereupon  the  great  disciple  Manjusri,  regarded  by  all  as  a  Prince  of 
the  Lord's  Dharma,  took  pity  upon  the  confused  ones  among  the  Brothers, 
rose  in  his  place  and  bowing  with  great  reverence  at  the  feet  of  the  Lord 
Buddha,  said  to  him :— Blessed  Lord!  There  are  some  among  the  Brothers 
in  this  Assembly  who  have  not  yet  fully  realized  the  significance  of  these 
two  seemingly  ambiguous  interpretations  relating  to  whether  phenomena 
and  space  belong  to  perception  of  sight,  which  have  been  presented  by 
my  Lord  Tathagata. 

Blessed  Lord!  If  the  conditioning  causes  in  the  presence  of  our  sight, 
such  as  phenomenal  objects,  space  etc.,  are  meant  as  belonging  to  the 
perception  of  sight,  they  should  have  relations  to  be  pointed  out;  or, 
if  they  are  not  meant  as  belonging  to  the  perception  of  sight,  they 
should  not  be  seen  by  our  sight.  The  Brothers  do  not  see  the  point  of 
the  teaching  and,  therefore,  have  become  confused  and  frightened.  It 
does  not  mean  that  the  roots  of  the  Brothers'  goodness  in  previous  lives 
are  too  weak  for  such  profound  teaching,  but  for  them  the  explanation 
needs  to  be  very  plain.  I  pray  the  Blessed  Lord  to  be  kind  enough  to 
bring  out  the  Truth  more  simply  as  to  what  relations  there  are  lying 
between  the  phenomenal  objects  and  the  Essence  of  the  perception  of 
sight.  What  are  their  origins,  and  how  is  the  ambiguity  as  to  whether 
they  belong  or  do  not  belong,  to  be  gotten  rid  of. 

Then  the  Lord  Buddha  replied:— Manjusri  and  all  my  good  pious 
Disciples!  The  Tathagatas  in  the  ten  quarters  of  the  universe,  together 


532  BUDDHISM 

with  all  the  great  Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas,  as  they  are  intrinsically 
abiding  in  Samadhi,  regard  all  of  the  perceptions  of  sight,  their  causes 
and  conditions,  and  of  all  conceptions  of  phenomena,  as  being  visionary 
flowers  in  the  air,  having  no  true  nature  of  existence  within  themselves. 
But  they  regard  the  perceiving  of  sight  as  belonging  to  the  Essence  of 
the  wonderful,  pure,  enlightening  Mind  (Bodht).  Why  should  there 
be  any  ambiguity  as  to  belonging  or  not  belonging,  between  the  per- 
ception of  sight  and  the  perceiving  of  objects? 

Manjusri,  let  me  ask  you,  supposing  there  is  another  Manjusri,  just 
such  as  you  are.  What  do  you  think?  Is  there  truly  another  Manjusri? 
Or  is  it  an  impossible  supposition. 

Blessed  Lord,  it  is  just  as  you  say,  it  is  impossible.  I  am  the  true 
Manjusri;  it  is  impossible  to  have  another  of  me.  And  why?  Because  if 
it  was  possible  to  have  another  in  perfect  likeness,  there  would  be  two 
Manjusris,  but  I  would  still  be  the  one  and  true  Manjusri.  There  is  no 
ambiguity  of  one  or  two. 

The  Lord  Buddha  was  pleased  with  this  reply  and  continued: — It  is 
just  the  same  with  this  wonderful,  enlightening  perception  of  sight,  the 
seeing  of  objects,  as  well  as  objects  themselves,  they  all  intrinsically 
belong  to  the  pure,  perfect,  Essential  Mind  of  the  wonderful,  enlight- 
ening, Supreme  Bodhi.  But  they  have  been  discriminated  as  phenomena 
of  sight,  space,  the  perception  of  seeing,  hearing,  etc.  It  is  just  like  a 
man  with  defective  eyes  seeing  two  moons  at  the  same  time.  Who  can 
tell  which  is  the  true  moon?  Manjusri,  there  is  only  one  true  moon; 
there  can  be  no  ambiguity  of  one  being  true  and  the  other  untrue. 
Therefore,  when  one  is  looking  upon  these  manifestations  arising 
from  the  senses  in  contact  with  objects,  he  must  remember  that  they  are 
all  illusion  and  then  there  will  be  no  ambiguity.  But  if  the  feeling  still 
persists  that  there  is  some  ambiguity  as  to  whether  the  essence  of  the 
perceiving  mind  is  the  wonderful,  enlightening  Mind  of  the  True 
Essence  or  not,  the  wonderful  enlightening  Mind  itself  can  free  you 
from  the  ambiguity  as  to  whether  it  is  the  True  Mind  or  not. 

11.  "PERCEPTION"  IS  PURE  REALITY  AND 
IS  NOT  DEPENDENT  ON  CAUSES  AND  CONDITIONS 

ANANDA  SAID: — Noble  Lord!  My  Lord  Dharma  has  said  that  the  per- 
ceptions and  their  causes  are  universally  permeating  the  ten  quarters, 
that  by  nature  they  are  tranquil  and  permanent,  and  that  their  nature 


THE    SURANGAMA    SUTRA  533 

is  devoid  of  deaths  and  rebirths.  If  this  is  so,  then  what  is  the  difference 
between  it  and  the  heretical  teachings,  such  as  the  doctrine  of  "empti- 
ness," the  doctrine  of  "naturalism,"  and  similar  teaching,  all  of  which 
teach  that  there  is  a  "True  Ego"  universally  permeating  the  ten  quarters? 
My  Lord  has  also  given  teachings  to  the  wise  Saraputra,  our  Brother, 
and  to  many  others,  on  Mount  Lankara,  in  which  he  explained  to  them 
that,  while  the  heretics  were  always  talking  about  "naturalism,"  my 
Lord  taught  the  principle  of  "causes  and  conditions,"  which  was  fun- 
damentally different  from  the  teachings  of  the  heretical  philosophers. 
Now  when  I  learn  from  my  Lord's  teaching  that  this  nature  of  per- 
ception of  sight  is  also  natural  in  its  origin,  is  devoid  of  death  and  re- 
birth, and  is  perfectly  free  from  all  sorts  of  illusive  reversions,  it  does 
not  seem  to  belong  to  your  principle  of  "causes  and  conditions.'*  How 
can  it  be  distinguished  from  the  "naturalism"  taught  by  the  heretics? 
Pray  explain  this  to  us,  so  that  we  do  not  fall  into  their  heresy,  and  so 
that  we  may  realize  the  wonderful,  enlightening,  and  intelligent  nature 
of  our  True  Mind. 

The  Lord  Buddha  replied,  saying: — Ananda,  I  have  already  explained 
it  to  you  and  shown  you  the  Truth,  but  you  have  not  realized  it.  On  the 
contrary  your  mind  is  bewildered  and  you  have  mistaken  my  teaching 
of  Mind-essence,  as  being  "naturalism."  Ananda,  if  your  perception  of 
sight  belonged  to  "naturalism,"  then  we  should  examine  into  the  es- 
sence of  its  nature.  Let  us  do  so.  In  this  wonderful,  enlightening  per- 
ception of  sight,  what  would  you  take  as  belonging  to  itself?  Does  your 
perception  of  sight  take  its  brightness  from  its  own  nature ?  Does  it 
take  its  darkness  from  its  own  nature?  Does  it  take  its  limitlessness 
from  its  own  nature3  Or  its  being  limited  by  impenetrable  objects  as 
belonging  to  its  own  nature  ? 

Amanda,  if  brightness  belongs  to  it  by  nature,  then  it  should  not  see 
darkness.  If  its  ability  to  see  everywhere  in  space  belongs  to  it,  then  it 
should  not  be  hindered  by  impenetrable  objects.  The  opposite  of  this  is 
true  also.  If  darkness  belongs  to  its  nature,  then  there  should  be  no 
brightness  in  the  perception  of  sight.  How  then  could  it  see  the  phe- 
nomena of  brightness? 

Then  Ananda  said  to  the  Lord  Buddha :— Noble  Lord!  If  this  won- 
derful perception  of  sight  can  not  be  explained  as  belonging  to  the  prin- 
ciple of  "naturalism,"  then  how  can  it  be  explained  as  belonging  to 
the  principle  of  "cause  and  condition"?  When  I  come  to  study  the 


534  BUDDHISM 

question  of  how  the  perception  of  sight  can  arise  from  causes  and 
conditions,  my  mind  is  still  confused.  I  beg  my  Lord  to  explain  it  for 
us  once  more. 

The  Lord  Buddha  replied: — Ananda,  as  to  what  you  have  just  asked 
me  about  the  nature  of  cause  and  condition,  I  would  rather  ask  you  a 
few  questions  first.  Supposing  the  nature  of  your  perception  of  sight 
was  before  us  now  for  our  examination.  How  could  it  be  manifested 
to  us?  Would  it  be  because  of  its  brightness?  Or  its  darkness?  Or 
because  of  the  clearness  of  space?  Or  because  of  the  impenetrability  of 
objects? 

If  the  perception  of  sight  is  manifested  by  reason  of  its  brightness, 
then  we  could  not  see  darkness,  or  vice  versa.  And  the  same  would  be 
true  if  our  perception  of  sight  was  manifested  by  the  clearness  of  space, 
or  the  impenetrability  of  objects.  Again,  Ananda.  Is  the  perception  of 
sight  manifested  by  the  condition  of  brightness?  Or  the  condition  of 
darkness?  Or  the  condition  of  the  clearness  of  space?  Or  under  the 
condition  of  impenetrable  objects?  If  it  is  manifested  under  the  condi- 
tion of  brightness,  then  it  could  not  see  darkness.  And  the  same  would 
be  true  of  the  opposite,  or  of  open  space  and  its  opposite,  impenetrable 
objects. 

Ananda,  you  ought  to  realize  that  the  nature  of  this  essentially  won- 
derful, intelligent,  enlightening,  perception  of  sight  belongs  to  neither 
cause  nor  condition,  to  neither  nature  nor  phenomena,  to  neither  the 
ambiguities  of  being  or  not  being,  or  of  nothingness  or  not  nothingness. 
Neither  does  the  conception  of  sight  belong  to  any  conception  of  phe- 
nomena, and  yet  it  embraces  all  phenomena. 

Now,  Ananda,  after  all  these  arguments,  how  can  you  discriminate 
within  your  mind,  and  how  can  you  make  distinctions  and  give  them 
all  those  worldly  fictitious  names  ?  You  might  as  well  try  to  take  a  pinch 
of  space,  or  rub  space  with  your  hand.  You  would  use  up  your  strength 
and  the  air  in  the  space  would  remain  undisturbed.  How  would  it  be 
possible  for  you  to  catch  and  hold 'even  a  tiny  bit  of  space?  The  same 
is  true  of  your  perception  of  sight. 

Then  Ananda  said  to  the  Lord  Buddha :— - Noble  Lord!  If  this  won- 
derful, enlightening  nature  of  perception  of  sight,  belongs  neither  to 
its  own  nature,  nor  to  causes  and  conditions,  then  why  did  my  Lord 
once  explain  to  the  Bhikshus  that  the  nature  of  perception  of  sight  is 
under  four  kinds  of  conditions,  namely,  space,  brightness,  mind  and 
eyes?  What  did  you  mean  by  that  explanation? 


THE    SURANCAMA   SUTRA  535    - 

The  Lord  Buddha  replied,  saying: — Ananda!  What  I  said  about  the 
causes  and  conditions  in  this  phenomenal  world,  was  not  my  supreme, 
intrinsic  Teaching.  Let  me  ask  you  again,  Ananda: — When  the  people 
of  this  world  say  they  can  see  this  and  that,  what  do  they  mean  by  it, 
Ananda  ? 

My  Lord,  they  mean  that  by  the  light  of  the  sun  or  the  moon  or  a 
lamp,  they  are  able  to  see,  and  when  devoid  of  the  light  of  sun,  moon 
or  lamp,  they  are  unable  to  see. 

Suppose,  Ananda,  there  is  no  light  and  they  are  unable  to  see  things, 
does  that  mean  that  they  cannot  see  the  darkness  ?  If  it  is  possible  to  see 
darkness  when  it  is  too  dark  to  see  things,  it  simply  means  there  is  no 
light;  it  does  not  mean  they  can  not  see.  Supposing,  Ananda,  they  were 
in  the  light  and  could  not  see  the  darkness;  does  that  mean,  also,  that 
they  can  not  see?  Here  are  two  kinds  of  phenomena,  light  and  dark- 
ness, and  of  both  you  say,  'he  can  not  see.'  If  these  two  kinds  of  phe- 
nomena are  mutually  exclusive,  then  he  can  not  see  at  all  and  that 
would  mean,  as  far  as  the  perception  of  sight  is  concerned,  a  temporary 
discontinuance  of  existence.  But  the  fact  is  not  so.  Therefore,  it  is  quite 
clear  that  you  must  mean  that  he  can  not  see  at  all.  I  am  puzzled  to 
know  just  what  you  do  mean,  when  you  say,  "he  can  not  see  in  the 
darkness." 

Listen,  now  Ananda,  to  what  I  am  going  to  teach  you.  When  you 
are  seeing  light,  it  does  not  mean  that  the  perception  of  sight  belongs 
to  light,  and  when  you  are  seeing  darkness,  it  does  not  mean  that  the 
perception  of  sight  belongs  to  darkness.  It  is  just  the  same  when  you 
see  through  clear  space,  or  cannot  see  through  impenetrable  objects. 
Ananda,  you  should  understand  the  significance  of  those  four  things, 
for  when  you  are  speaking  of  the  perception  of  sight  you  are  not  refer- 
ring to  the  phenomena  of  seeing  with  the  eyes,  but  to  the  intrinsic  per- 
ception of  sight  that  transcends  the  experiential  sight  of  the  eyes,  and  is 
beyond  its  reach.  Then  how  can  you  interpret  this  transcendental  per- 
ception of  sight  as  being  dependent  upon  causes  and  conditions,  or 
nature,  or  a  synthesis  of  all  of  them.  Ananda,  are  you  of  all  the  Arahats  so 
limited  in  understanding  that  you  cannot  comprehend  that  this  Per- 
ception of  Sight  is  pure  Reality  itself?  This  is  a  profound  teaching  and 
I  want  all  of  you  to  ponder  upon  it  seriously.  Do  not  become  tired  of  it, 
nor  indolent  in  realizing  it.  While  it  is  the  most  profound  of  all  teach- 
ings, it  is  the  surest  way  to  Enlightenment. 


536  BUDDHISM 


12.    THE  MYSTIC,  INTUITIVE  PERCEPTION  OF  REALITY; 

PARTICULARITIES  DUE  TO  IMAGININGS 

OF  THE  SICK  MIND 

STILL  ANANDA  WAS  NOT  SATISFIED  and  said  to  the  Lord  Buddha : — Noble 
Lord!  Although  my  Lord  has  explained  to  us  the  principles  of  causes 
and  conditions,  of  naturalism,  and  all  the  phenomena  of  conformity  and 
non-conformity,  yet  we  do  not  fully  realize  any  of  them,  and  now  as 
we  listen  to  the  teachings  of  our  Lord  about  Perception  of  Sight,  we 
become  more  puzzled  than  ever.  We  do  not  understand  what  you  mean 
when  you  say  that  our  mental  perception  of  sight  is  not  our  intrinsic 
Perception  of  Sight.  Pray,  my  Lord,  have  mercy  upon  us;  give  us  the 
true  eye  of  Transcendental  Intelligence  and  reveal  to  us  more  clearly 
our  Intuitive  Mind  of  Brightest  Purity.  At  this  Ananda  was  so  far 
overcome  that  he  broke  into  sobs  and  bowed  down  to  the  ground 
waiting  for  the  Lord's  further  instruction. 

Thereupon  the  Blessed  One  had  pity  for  Ananda  and  for  all  the 
younger  members  of  the  Assembly,  and  solemnly  recited  the  Great 
Dharam  which  is  the  mystic  way  to  the  full  attainment  of  Samadhi. 

Then  he  said: — Ananda!  Though  you  have  an  excellent  memory,  it 
seems  to  serve  only  to  increase  your  knowledge.  You  are  still  a  long 
way  from  the  mysterious  insight  and  reflection  that  accompany  the 
attainment  of  Samapatti.  Now,  Ananda,  listen  carefully  to  me  and  I 
will  teach  you  more  particularly,  not  for  your  sake  alone,  but  for  the 
sake  of  all  true  disciples  in  the  future,  so  that  all  alike  may  reap  the 
fruit  of  Enlightenment. 

The  reason  why  all  sentient  beings  in  this  world  have  ever  been 
bound  to  the  cycle  of  deaths  and  rebirths  is  because  of  two  reverse, 
discriminative  and  false  perceptions  of  the  eyes  which  spring  up  every- 
where to  bind  us  to  this  present  life  and  keep  us  turning  about  in  the 
cycle  of  deaths  and  rebirths  by  every  wind  of  karma.  What  are  these 
two  reverse  perceptions  of  the  eyes?  One  is  the  false  perception  of  the 
eyes  that  is  caused  by  individual  and  particular  karma  of  any  single  sen- 
tient being.  The  other  is  the  false  perception  of  eyes  that  is  caused  by 
the  general  karma  of  many  sentient  beings. 

Ananda,  what  is  meant  by  the  false  perceptive  karma  that  is  caused 
by  the  individual  and  particular  karma  of  single  sentient  beings? 
Supposing:  in  this  wojJ&JJMfk  was  someone  who  was  suffering  from 


THE    SURANGAMA    SUTRA  537 

inflammation  of  the  eyes,  so  that  when  he  looked  at  the  light  of  a 
lamp  in  the  night  time,  he  would  see  a  strange  halo  of  different  color*-, 
surrounding  the  light.  What  do  you  think,  Ananda?  Is  this  strange 
bright  halo  caused  by  the  lamp,  or  does  it  belong  to  the  perception  of 
the  eyes?  If  it  belongs  to  the  lamp,  then  why  do  others  with  healthy 
eyes  not  perceive  it?  If  it  belongs  to  the  perception  of  the  eyes,  then 
why  does  not  every  one  see  it  ?  What  is  the  strange  sight  only  perceived 
by  the  single  individual  with  the  inflamed  eyes? 

Again,  Ananda.  If  this  halo  that  surrounds  the  light,  exists  inde- 
pendently of  the  lamp,  then  other  objects  near  by  should  have  like  halos 
about  them,  screen,  curtain,  desk,  table,  etc.  If  it  exists  independently  of 
the  perception  of  the  eyes,  then  it  ought  not  to  be  seen  by  the  eyes  at 
all.  How  is  it,  that  only  the  inflamed  eyes  see  it? 

Ananda,  you  should  know  that  the  sight  really  belongs  to  the  lamp, 
but  the  halo  is  caused  by  the  inflammation  of  the  particular  eyes,  for 
the  halo  and  the  perception  are  both  under  the  condition  of  the  inflam- 
mation, but  the  nature  that  perceives  the  cfTect  of  the  inflammation  of 
the  eyes  is  not  sick  itself.  So,  in  conclusion,  it  should  not  be  said  that 
the  halo  belongs  exclusively  cither  to  the  lamp  or  to  the  perception  of 
the  eyes,  nor  should  it  be  said  that  it  belongs  neither  to  the  lamp  nor 
to  the  perception  of  the  eyes.  It  is  just  the  same  as  the  reflection  of  the 
moon  in  still  water:  it  is  neither  the  real  moon  nor  its  double.  And 
why?  Because  the  reproduction  of  any  sight  is  always  accounted  for  by 
causes  and  conditions,  so  that  the  learned  and  intelligent  do  not  say  that 
the  origin  of  any  sight  that  can  be  accounted  for  by  causes  and  condi- 
tions, belongs  to  the  object,  nor  does  not  belong  to  the  object.  It  is  the 
same  with  the  sight  caused  by  the  inflamed  eyes,  which  should  not  be 
said  to  be  either  independent  of  the  perception  of  the  eyes  nor  not  inde- 
pendent of  the  perception  of  the  eyes.  Would  it  not  be  absurd  to  try  and 
distinguish  what  part  of  the  sight  belongs  to  the  eyes  and  what  part 
belongs  to  the  lamp?  Would  it  not  be  more  absurd  to  try  and  distin- 
guish which  part  of  the  sight  does  not  belong  to  the  lamp  and 
which  part  does  not  belong  to  the  inflamed  eyes? 

Ananda!  Now  let  us  consider,  what  is  meant  by  false  perception  of 
eyes  that  is  caused  by  the  general  karma  of  many  sentient  beings.  In 
this  world  there  are  many  thousands  of  kingdoms,  great  and  small. 
Supposing  we  think  that  in  one  of  the  smallest  of  these  kingdoms,  all 
of  the  people  are  under  the  influence  of  a  common  bad  condition  of 
mind,  that  is,  they  all  see  many  sorts  of  unpropitious  signs  that  are  not 


538  BUDDHISM 

seen  by  any  other  people— two  suns,  two  moons,  or  different  eclipses 
of  the  sun  or  moon,  or  halos  about  the  sun  or  moon,  or  comets,  with  or 
without  tails,  or  flying  meteors  seen  only  for  an  instant,  or  gloomy 
shadows  like  a  great  ear  near  the  sun  or  moon,  or  sometimes  rainbows 
seen  early  or  late.  Supposing  that  all  these  strange  phenomena  of  evil 
omen  are  seen  only  by  this  small  kingdom,  and  have  never  been  seen 
or  heard  of  by  any  other  people.  Now,  Amanda,  we  will  consider  these 
two  examples  together.  First  let  us  refer  to  the  individual  and  particular 
false  perception  of  eyes  as  seen  by  a  single  individual  in  the  strange 
halo  about  the  night  lamp.  Though  it  appeared  to  belong  to  the  condi- 
tions in  the  presence  of  sight  yet,  after  all,  it  belonged  to  the  perception  of 
the  inflamed  eyes.  The  imaginary  halo  meant  only  the  sickness  of  the 
perception  of  eyes;  it  had  nothing  whatever  to  do  with  sight  in  itself. 
That  is,  the  nature  of  the  perception  of  the  eyes  that  sees  an  imaginary 
halo  is  not  responsible  for  the  viewing  mistakes.  For  instance,  Ananda, 
when  you  are  viewing  the  whole  appearance  of  a  country,  seeing  its 
mountains,  rivers,  kingdoms,  people  etc.,  they  seem  to  be  discriminated 
particulars  of  fact,  but  in  truth,  they  are  all  made  up  by  the  original, 
beginningless,  sickness  of  perceiving  eyes.  To  both  the  visual  condition 
of  the  eyes  and  the  perception  of  the  eyes  these  particular  sights  seem 
manifested  in  our  presence,  but  to  our  intuitive,  enlightened  nature  it  is 
seen  to  be,  what  it  truly  is,  a  morbid  sight  indicative  of  sick  eyes.  So 
any  and  all  perceptions  of  enlightened  nature,  for  instance,  even  the 
particular  perception  of  eyes  itself,  are  seen  to  be  simply  an  obscuring 
mist.  But  our  fundamental,  intuitive,  enlightening  Mind  that  perceives 
this  perception  of  eyes  and  its  visual  conditions  can  by  no  means  be 
regarded  as  something  imaginary  and  morbidly  sick.  Therefore,  we 
must  be  careful  not  to  plunge  this  intuitive  nature  that  perceives  this 
morbid  mist  that  is  discriminated  by  the  perception  of  inflamed  eyes 
into  the  same  morbid  mist.  We  must  be  careful  to  distinguish  between 
the  perception  of  our  eyes  and  the  intrinsic  Perception  of  Sight  by  our 
enlightened  Mind  that  is  conscious  of  the  fallible  perception  of  the  eyes. 
Since  this  intrinsic  Sight  is  not  identical  with  the  perception  of  the 
sight  as  perceived  by  the  eyes,  how  can  the  perceptions  of  morbid  sight, 
such  as  your  common  seeing,  hearing,  perceiving  and  discriminating, 
how  can  you  continue  to  call  it  your  True  Mind,  Ananda  ?  Thus  when 
you  are  regarding  yourself,  or  me,  or  any  of  the  ten  species  of  sentient 
beings  in  this  world,  you  are  simply  regarding  the  morbid  mist  of  the 


THE   SURANGAMA   SUTRA  539 

perception  of  the  eyes;  it  is  not  the  true,  unconditioned  Sight.  The  nature 
of  this  intrinsic  Sight  naturally  manifests  no  morbid  mist  in  its  trans- 
cendental Perceiving  and,  accordingly,  your  intrinsic  Mind  is  not  the 
same  as  your  perceiving,  experiential  mind. 

Ananda!  Let  us  now  regard  those  sentient  beings  with  their  general, 
common  and  false  perception  of  eyes  and  compare  them  with  this  one 
person  who  is  suffering  under  his  individual  and  particular  karma  of 
false  perception  of  eyes.  This  inflamed-eye  individual  who  perceived 
an  imaginary  halo  about  the  light,  caused  by  the  morbid  mist  in  his  per- 
ceiving mind,  is  perfectly  typical  of  all  the  people  in  that  little  kingdom 
who  saw  the  imaginary  unpropitious  signs  in  the  heavens  caused  by  the 
general  and  common  karma  ot  false  perceptions  of  eyes.  They  are  alike 
developments  of  a  false  perception  of  sight  since  beginningless  time. 
For  instance,  in  this  great  world  with  its  continents  and  oceans,  in  the 
social  world  with  all  its  races  of  people  and  kingdoms,  all  of  these  sen- 
tient beings  and  all  the  natural  phenomena  all  have  their  origin  in  the 
intuitive,  enlightening,  non-intoxicating,  mysterious,  intrinsic  Mind,  but 
they  arc  all  manifestations  of  the  false,  morbid  conditions  that  belong 
respectfully  to  the  perceptions  of  the  eyes,  ears,  nose,  tongue,  touch,  dis- 
crimination, emotion,  thinking.  All  these  sentient  beings  are  ever  subject 
to  the  sufferings  of  an  unceasing  cycle  of  deaths  and  rebirths  according  to 
the  general  principle  of  causes  and  conditions. 

Ananda!  If  you  can  remain  perfectly  independent  of  these  false  per- 
ceptions and  of  all  conformity  and  non-conformity  to  them,  then  you 
will  have  exterminated  all  the  causes  leading  to  deaths  and  rebirths  and, 
besides,  you  will  have  attained  a  perfectly  matured  enlightenment  that 
is  of  the  nature  of  non-death  and  non-rebirth.  This  is  the  pure  Intrinsic 
Mind,  the  ever  abiding  Intuitive  Essence. 

[  This  covers  roughly  half  of  the  First  Chapter.  There  follow  discus- 
sions of  the  questions  on  the  sole  reality  of  the  "Essence  of  Mind,"  with 
further  developments  on  the  falsity  of  the  perception  of  the  other  senses  of 
hearing,  tasting  and  smelling,  the  twelve  locations  of  contact  between 
consciousness  and  objects,  the  eighteen  spheres  of  mentation  (sense- 
organs,  sense-minds  and  sense  perceptions)  and  their  relations  to  the  jour 
elements  (earth,  fire,  wind  and  water) ;  these  jour  elements  with  our  per- 
ceptions and  the  notion  of  space  constitute  the  "six  elements''  of  the  phe- 
nomenal world. 


54<>  BUDDHISM 

[Chapter  Two  discusses  the  positive  side  of  the  intuitive  perception, 
the  untying  of  the  "knots"  of  sense-perceptions  and  the  acquiring  of 
"transcendental  sense-organs"  corresponding  to  the  six  physical  senses, 
with  special  emphasis  on  the  transcendental  sense  of  hearing  as  Best  suit- 
able to  the  realization  of  the  ultimate  reality,  which  is  easy  to  understand 
because  a  sound  lingers  in  our  ears  after  it  ceases,  being  without  shape 
and  therefore  "spiritual"  in  character. 

[For  a  fair  estimate  of  Buddhist  thinking,  however,  it  is  always  im- 
portant to  get  bac\  to  the  practical  outcome  of  its  religious  spirit,  or  the 
Buddhist  way  of  life.  The  following  selection  from  the  Second  Chapter 
is  intended  to  supplement  the  above  philosophical  exposition. — Ed.] 

Thereupon  the  Blessed  Lord,  sitting  upon  his  throne  in  the  midst  of  the 
Tathagatas  and  highest  Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas  from  all  the  Buddha- 
lands,  manifested  his  Transcendent  Glory  surpassing  them  all.  From 
his  hands  and  feet  and  body  radiated  supernal  beams  of  light  that  rested 
upon  the  crowns  of  each  Tathagata,  Bodhisattva-Mahasattva,  and  Prince 
of  the  Dharma,  in  all  the  ten  quarters  of  all  the  universes,  in  number 
more  numerous  than  the  finest  particles  of  dust.  Moreover,  from  the 
hands  and  feet  and  bodies  of  all  the  Tathagatas,  Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas 
and  Princes  of  the  Lord's  Dharma,  in  all  the  ten  quarters  of  the  universes, 
went  forth  rays  of  glorious  brightness  that  converged  upon  the  crown 
of  the  Lord  Buddha  and  upon  the  crowns  of  all  the  Tathagatas,  Bod- 
hisattva-Mahasattvas and  Arhats  present  in  the  assembly.  At  the  same 
time  all  the  trees  of  the  Jeta  Park,  and  all  the  waves  lapping  on  the  shores 
of  its  lakes,  were  singing  the  music  of  the  Dharma,  and  all  the  inter- 
secting rays  of  brightness  were  like  a  net  of  splendor  set  with  jewels  and 
overarching  them  all.  Such  a  marvelous  sight  had  never  been  imagined 
and  held  them  all  in  silence  and  awe.  Unwittingly  they  passed  into  the 
blissful  peace  of  the  Diamond  Samadhi  and  upon  them  all  there  fell  like 
a  gentle  rain  the  soft  petals  of  many  different  colored  lotus  blossoms — 
blue  and  crimson,  yellow  and  white — all  blending  together  and  being 
reflected  into  the  open  space  of  heaven  in  all  the  tints  of  the  spectrum. 
Moreover,  all  the  differentiations  of  mountains  and  seas  and  rivers  and 
forests  of  the  Saha  World  blended  into  one  another  and  faded  away 
leaving  only  the  flower-adorned  unity  of  the  Primal  Cosmos,  not  dead 
and  inert  but  alive  with  rhythmic  life  and  light,  vibrant  with  trans- 
cendental sounds  of  songs  and  rhymes,  melodiously  rising  and  falling 
and  merging  and  then  fading  away  into  silence. 


THE    SURANGAMA    SUTRA  54! 

THE  BUDDHIST  WAY  OF  LIFE 

"No  teaching  that  is  unwind  can  be  the  true  teaching  of  Buddha!' 

THEN  ANANDA  and  all  the  great  assembly  were  purified  in  body  and 
mind.  They  acquired  a  profound  understanding  and  a  clear  insight  into 
the  nature  of  the  Lord  Buddha's  Enlightenment  and  experience  of 
highest  Samadhi.  They  had  confidence  like  a  man  who  was  about  to  set 
forth  pn  a  most  important  business  to  a  far-off  country,  because  they 
knew  the  route  to  go  and  to  return.  All  the  disciples  in  this  great  as- 
sembly realized  their  own  Essence  of  Mind  and  purposed,  henceforth,  to 
live  remote  from  all  worldly  entanglements  and  taints,  and  to  live  con- 
tinuously in  the  pure  brightness  of  the  Eye  of  Dharma. 

Then  Ananda,  rising  in  the  midst  of  the  assembly,  straightened  his 
robe,  with  the  palms  of  his  hands  pressed  together,  knelt  before  the  Lord 
Buddha.  In  the  depths  of  his  nature  he  was  already  enlightened  and  his 
heart  was  filled  with  happiness  and  compassion  for  all  sentient  beings 
and,  especially,  did  he  desire  to  benefit  them  by  his  newly  acquired  wis- 
dom. He  addressed  the  Lord  Buddha,  saying: — Oh  my  Lord  of  Great 
Mercy!  I  have  now  realized  the  True  Door  of  Dharma  for  the  attain- 
ment of  Enlightenment,  and  have  no  more  doubt  about  its  being  the  only 
Door  to  Perfect  Enlightenment.  My  Lord  has  taught  us  that  those  who 
are  only  starting  the  practice  of  Bodhisattvaship  and  have  not  yet  de- 
livered themselves,  but  who  already  wish  to  deliver  others,  that  this  is 
a  sign  of  Bodhisattvaship.  And  when  those  who  have  attained  Enlighten- 
ment have  a  deep  purpose  to  enlighten  others,  that  this  is  a  sign  of  the 
Lord  Tathagata's  descent  from  the  Pure  Land  for  the  deliverance  of  all 
the  world.  Although  I  have  not  yet  delivered  myself,  I  already  wish  to 
deliver  all  sentient  beings  of  this  present  kalpa.  Noble  Lord!  Sentient 
beings  of  this  age  and  world  are  gradually  becoming  more  and  more 
alienated  from  my  Lord's  favor,  and  the  propagation  of  heretical  teach- 
ings, deceiving  people  and  leading  them  astray,  more  and  more  flourishes. 
I  want  to  persuade  them  to  concentrate  their  minds  in  dhyana  for  the 
attainment  of  Samadhi.  What  can  I  do  to  help  them  arrange  a  True 
Altar  to  Enlightenment  within  their  minds  so  that  they  may  be  kept 
far  away  from  all  deceiving  temptations  and  in  whose  progress  there  shall 
be  no  retrogression  or  discouragement  in  the  attainment  of  Enlighten- 
ment? 

In  response  to  this  appeal,  the  Blessed  One  addressed  the  assembly:— 


542  BUDDHISM 

Ananda  has  just  requested  me  to  teach  how  to  arrange  a  True  Altar  of 
Enlightenment  to  which  sentient  beings  of  this  last  kalpa  may  come  for 
deliverance  and  protection.  Listen  carefully  as  I  explain  it  to  you. 

Ananda  and  all  in  this  assembly!  In  explaining  to  you  the  rules  of  the 
Vinaya,1 1  have  frequently  emphasized  three  good  lessons,  namely,  (i) 
the  only  way  to  keep  the  Precepts  is  first  to  be  able  to  concentrate  the 
mind;  (2)  by  keeping  the  Precepts  you  will  be  able  to  attain  Samadhi; 
(3)  by  means  of  Samadhi  one  develops  intelligence  and  wisdom.  Having 
learned  these  three  good  lessons,  one  has  gained  freedom  from  the  in- 
toxicants and  hindrances. 

Ananda,  why  is  concentration  of  mind  necessary  before  one  can  keep 
the  Precepts?  And  why  is  it  necessary  to  keep  the  Precepts  before  one 
can  rightly  practice  dhyana  and  attain  Samadhi  ?  And  why  is  the  attain- 
ment of  Samadhi  necessary  before  one  may  attain  true  intelligence  and 
wisdom?  Let  me  explain  this  to  you.  All  sentient  beings  in  all  the  six 
realms  of  existence  are  susceptible  to  temptations  and  allurements.  As 
they  yield  to  these  temptations  and  allurements,  they  fall  into  and  be- 
come fast  bound  to  the  recurring  cycles  of  deaths  and  rebirths.  Being 
prone  to  yield  to  these  temptations  and  allurements,  one  must,  in  order 
to  free  himself  from  their  bondage  and  their  intoxication,  concentrate 
his  whole  mind  in  a  resolution  to  resist  them  to  the  uttermost.  The  most 
important  of  these  allurements  are  the  temptations  to  yield  to  sexual 
thoughts,  desires  and  indulgence,  with  all  their  following  waste  and 
bondage  and  suffering.  Unless  one  can  free  himself  from  this  bondage 
and  these  contaminations  and  exterminate  these  sexual  lusts,  there  will 
be  no  escape  from  the  following  suffering,  nor  hope  of  advancement  to 
enlightenment  and  peacefulness.  No  matter  how  keen  you  may  be  men- 
tally, no  matter  how  much  you  may  be  able  to  practice  dhyana,  no  matter 
to  how  high  a  degree  of  apparent  Samadhi  you  may  attain,  unless  you 
have  wholly  annihilated  all  sexual  lusts,  you  will  ultimately  fall  into  the 
lower  realms  of  existence.  In  these  lower  Mara  realms  of  existence  there 
are  three  ranks  of  evil  ones: — the  Mara  king,  evil  demons,  and  female 
fiends,  and  all  of  them  have  each  his  and  her  own  double  who  disguise 
themselves  as  "angels  of  light"  who  have  attained  supreme  Enlighten- 
ment. 

After  my  Parinirvana,8  in  the  last  kalpa  *  of  this  world,  there  will  be 
plenty  of  all  these  kinds  of  evil  spirits  everywhere.  Some  of  them  will 
beset  you  openly  with  avarice  and  concupiscence  and  others  of  them  will 

1  Religious  discipline.  *  Near-Nirvana.  '  Age,  or  Cycle, 


THE   SURANGAMA   SUTRA  543 

pose  as  holy  and  learned  masters.  No  one  will  escape  their  machinations 
to  lure  them  into  the  swamps  of  defilement  and  thus  to  lose  the  Path  to 
Enlightenment.  Therefore,  Ananda,  and  all  of  you,  should  persistently 
teach  the  people  of  this  world  to  attain  perfect  concentration  of  mind,  so 
that  they  may  be  enabled  to  keep  the  Precept  of  purity  and  thus  be  able 
to  practice  dhyana  successfully  and  attain  Samadhi.  This  is  the  clear 
teaching  of  all  the  Blessed  Buddhas  of  the  past,  and  it  is  my  instruction 
at  the  present  and  it  will  be  the  instruction  of  all  Tathagatas  of  the  future. 

Therefore,  Ananda,  a  man  who  tries  to  practice  dhyana  without  first 
attaining  control  of  his  mind  is  like  a  man  trying  to  bake  bread  out  of 
a  dough  made  of  sand;  bake  it  as  long  as  he  will,  it  will  only  be  sand 
made  a  little  hot.  It  is  the  same  with  sentient  beings,  Ananda.  They  can 
not  hope  to  attain  Buddahood  by  means  of  an  indecent  body.  How  can 
they  hope  to  attain  the  wonderful  experience  of  Samadhi  out  of  bawdi- 
ness?  If  the  source  is  indecent,  the  outcome  will  be  indecent;  there  will 
ever  be  a  return  to  the  never-ending  recurrence  of  deaths  and  rebirths. 
Sexual  lust  leads  to  multiplicity;  control  of  mind  and  Samadhi  leads  to 
enlightenment  and  the  unitive  life  of  Buddahood.  Multiplicity  leads  to 
strife  and  suffering;  control  of  mind  and  dhyana  leads  to  the  blissful 
peace  of  Samadhi  and  Buddahood. 

Inhibition  of  sexual  thoughts  and  annihilation  of  sexual  lusts  is  the 
path  to  Samadhi,  and  even  the  conception  of  inhibiting  and  annihilating 
must  be  discarded  and  forgotten.  When  the  mind  is  under  perfect  control 
and  all  indecent  thoughts  excluded,  then  there  may  be  a  reasonable  ex- 
pectation for  the  Enlightenment  of  the  Buddhas.  Any  other  teaching 
than  this  is  but  the  teaching  of  the  evil  Maras.  This  is  my  first  admonition 
as  to  keeping  the  Precepts. 

The  next  important  hindrance  and  allurement  is  the  tendency  of  all 
sentient  beings  of  all  the  six  realms  of  existence  to  gratify  their  pride  of 
egoism.  To  gain  this  one  is  prone  to  be  unkind,  to  be  unjust  and  cruel, 
to  other  sentient  beings.  This  tendency  lures  them  into  the  bondage  of 
deaths  and  rebirth,  but  if  this  tendency  can  be  controlled  they  will  no 
longer  be  lured  into  this  bondage  for  right  control  of  mind  will  enable 
them  to  keep  the  Precept  of  kindness  to  all  animate  life.  The  reason  for 
practicing  dhyana  and  seeking  to  attain  Samadhi  is  to  escape  from  the 
suffering  of  life,  but  in  seeking  to  escape  from  suffering  ourselves,  why 
should  we  inflict  it  upon  others?  Unless  you  can  so  control  your  minds 
that  even  the  thought  of  brutal  unkmdness  and  killing  is  abhorrent,  you 
will  never  be  able  to  escape  from  the  bondage  of  the  world's  life.  No 


544  BUDDHISM 

matter  how  Keen  you  may  be  mentally,  no  matter  how  much  you  may 
be  able  to  practice  dhyana,  no  matter  to  how  high  a  degree  of  Samadhi 
you  may  attain,  unless  you  have  wholly  annihilated  all  tendency  to  un- 
kindness  toward  others,  you  will  ultimately  fall  into  the  realms  of  exis- 
tence where  the  evil  ghosts  dwell. 

There  are  three  ranks  of  these  ghosts: — the  nighest  are  the  mighty 
ghosts,  the  next  are  the  Yaksha  ghosts  who  fly  in  the  air,  and  the  lowest 
are  the  Raksha  ghosts  that  live  under  the  earth.  Each  of  these  ghosts 
has  his  double  that  disguises  itself  as  having  attained  enlightenment. 
After  my  Parinirvana  in  the  last  kalpa  these  different  kinds  of  ghosts  will 
be  encountered  everywhere  deceiving  people  and  teaching  them  that 
they  can  eat  meat  and  still  attain  enlightenment.  But  how  can  any  faith- 
ful follower  of  the  Lord  Tathagata  kill  sentient  life  and  eat  the  flesh  ? 

You  of  this  great  Assembly  ought  to  appreciate  that  those  human  beings 
who  might  become  enlightened  and  attain  Samadhi,  because  of  eating 
meat,  can  only  hope  to  attain  the  rank  of  a  great  Raksha  and  until  the 
end  of  their  enjoyment  of  it  must  sink  into  the  never  ceasing  round  of 
deaths  and  rebirths.  They  are  not  true  disciples  of  Buddha.  If  they  kill 
sentient  beings  and  eat  the  flesh,  they  will  not  be  able  to  escape  from 
this  triple  world.  Therefore,  Ananda,  next  to  teaching  the  people  of  the 
last  kalpa  to  put  away  all  sexual  lust,  you  must  teach  them  to  put  an 
end  to  all  killing  and  brutal  cruelty. 

If  one  is  trying  to  practice  dhyana  and  is  still  eating  meat,  he  would 
be  like  a  man  closing  his  ears  and  shouting  loudly  and  then  asserting  that 
he  heard  nothing.  The  more  one  conceals  things,  the  more  apparent  they 
become.  Pure  and  earnest  bhikshus  and  Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas,  when 
walking  a  narrow  path,  will  never  so  much  as  tread  on  the  growing  grass 
beside  the  path.  How  can  a  bhikshu,  who  hopes  to  become  a  deliverer  of 
others,  himself  be  living  on  the  flesh  of  other  sentient  beings? 

Pure  and  earnest  bhikshus,  if  they  are  true  and  sincere,  will  never  wear 
clothing  made  of  silk,  nor  wear  boots  made  of  leather  because  it  involves 
the  taking  of  life.  Neither  will  they  indulge  in  eating  milk  or  cheese  be- 
cause thereby  they  are  depriving  the  young  animals  of  that  which  rightly 
belongs  to  them.  It  is  only  such  true  and  sincere  bhikshus  who  have 
repaid  their  karmic  debts  of  previous  lives,  who  will  attain  true  emanci- 
pation, and  who  will  no  more  be  bound  to  wander  to  this  triple  world.  To 
wear  anything,  or  partake  of  anything  for  self-comfort,  deceiving  one's 
self  as  to  the  suffering  it  causes  others  or  other  sentient  life,  is  to  set  up 
an  affinity  with  that  lower  Irfe  which  will  draw  them  toward  it.  So  all 


THE   SURANGAMA   SUTRA  545 

bhikshus  must  be  very  careful  to  live  in  all  sincerity,  refraining  from 
even  the  appearance  of  unkindness  to  other  life.  It  is  such  true  hearted 
bhikshus  who  will  attain  a  true  emancipation.  Even  in  one's  speech  and 
especially  in  one's  teaching,  one  must  practice  kindness  for  no  teaching 
that  is  unkind  can  be  the  true  teaching  of  Buddha.  Unkindness  is  the 
murderer  of  the  life  of  Wisdom.  This  is  the  second  admonition  of  the 
Lord  Buddha  as  to  the  keeping  of  the  Precepts. 

Then  there  is  the  Precept  of  not  taking  anything  that  does  not  right- 
fully belong  to  one,  not  coveting  it  or  even  admiring  it.  One  must  learn 
to  keep  this  Precept  in  all  sincerity  if  he  is  to  hope  for  escape  from  the 
chain  of  deaths  and  rebirths.  The  purpose  of  your  practice  of  dhyana  is 
to  escape  from  the  suffering  of  this  mortal  life.  No  matter  how  keen  you 
may  be  mentally,  no  matter  how  much  you  may  be  able  to  practice 
dhyana,  no  matter  to  how  high  a  degree  of  apparent  Samadhi  you  may 
attain,  unless  you  refrain  from  covetousness  and  stealing,  you  will  fall 
into  the  realm  of  heretics. 

There  are  three  grades  of  these  heretics: — the  first  grade  are  the 
spiritual  heretics  tempting  one  to  rank  and  privilege  and  power  and 
egoistic  pride.  The  second  grade  are  mental  goblins  tempting  one  to  false 
ideas  that  will  enhance  one's  knowledge  and  erudition.  The  third  grade 
are  the  common  heretics  of  this  world  who  teach  among  human  beings 
what  is  not  true  Dharma.  You  will  be  beset  by  these  heretics  on  every 
hand,  within  and  without.  And  each  one  of  these  heretic  goblins  will 
have  his  double  who  disguises  himself  as  one  who  has  attained  supreme 
enlightenment  and  who  sets  himself  up  as  a  teacher  of  highest  truth. 
After  my  Panmrvana,  in  the  last  kalpa  of  this  world,  there  will  be  plenty 
of  these  goblin-heretics  about,  hiding  themselves  within  the  very  per- 
sonalities of  the  saints,  the  better  to  carry  out  their  deceiving  tricks.  Some- 
times they  gain  control  of  some  great  and  good  Master  and  teach  under 
the  prestige  of  his  name.  They  often  assert  that  they  have  received  their 
Dharma  from  some  notable  Master,  deceiving  ignorant  people,  discour- 
aging them  and  even  causing  them  to  go  insane.  In  such  deceptive  ways 
do  they  spread  their  false  and  destructive  heresies. 

For  all  these  various  reasons,  I  teach  my  bhikshu-brothers  not  to  covet 
comforts  and  privileges,  but  to  beg  their  food,  not  here  and  there,  or 
now  and  then,  but  to  make  it  a  regular  habit  so  that  they  will  be  better 
able  to  overcome  the  greediness  and  covetousness  that  hinders  their 
progress  toward  enlightenment.  I  teach  them  not  to  cook  their  own  food 
even,  but  to  be  dependent  upon  others  for  even  the  poorest  living  so 


546  BUDDHISM 

that  they  will  realize  their  oneness  with  all  sentient  life  and  are  but 
sojourners  in  this  triple  world.  Under  these  conditions,  how  can  bad 
men  be  tempted  to  put  on  our  Buddhist  garments  and  to  offer  the 
Dharma  of  all  the  Tathagatas  as  goods  for  sale?  To  do  this  is  to  accu- 
mulate all  kinds  of  evil  karma.  Nevertheless,  these  heretics  insist  that 
their  selfish  and  acquisitive  acts  are  in  conformity  with  Buddha's  teach- 
ing and  that  Buddhism  allows  them  to  teach  and  act  in  these  acquisitive 
ways.  By  so  doing  they  defame  the  true  Buddhist  Bhikshus  who  have 
been  tested  and  tried  in  some  formal  religious  ceremony.  On  the  con- 
trary, they  only  reveal  themselves  as  belonging  to  some  heretical  sect  but, 
meanwhile,  they  have  deluded  and  bewildered  and  turned  astray  or 
hindered  many  sentient  beings  so  that  they  fall  into  the  hells  of  suffering. 

If  after  my  Parinirvana  there  shall  be  bhikshus  who  undertake  to  prac- 
tice dhyana  and  to  attain  Samadhi  and  who  prove  their  sincerity  and 
earnestness  by  some  sacrifice  before  an  image  of  the  Tathagata,  such  as 
cutting  off  a  part  of  their  body,  or  burning  a  finger,  or  even  burning  one 
spot  on  their  head  with  incense,  such  disciples  immediately  pay  all  their 
karmaic  debts  accumulated  from  beginningless  time,  and  they  will  be 
immediately  emancipated  from  the  bondage  of  this  triple  world.  Al- 
though such  disciples  will  not  at  once  attain  Supreme  Enlightenment, 
yet  they  reveal  their  right  resolution  and  are  on  the  right  Path  by  the 
practice  of  dhyana. 

But  if  they  are  not  enough  in  earnest  to  sacrifice  even  the  slightest 
comfort,  even  if  they  attain  a  measure  of  tranquillity,  they  will  have  to 
be  reborn  in  a  human  body  for  the  payment  of  the  debts  of  previous  lives. 
Thus  I,  myself,  suffered  for  about  three  months  to  eat  the  rye  in  horse's 
fodder,  so  hungry  was  I,  in  recompense  of  the  debt  of  an  earlier  life. 
Thus  you  must  teach  the  people  of  this  world  who  are  practicing  dhyana 
in  the  hope  of  attaining  Samadhi,  that  they  must  abstain  from  stealing 
and  covetousness. 

Therefore,  Ananda,  if  any  of  my  disciples  who  are  trying  to  practice 
dhyana,  do  not  abstain  from  stealing  and  covetousness,  their  efforts  will 
be  like  trying  to  fill  a  leaking  pot  with  water;  no  matter  how  long  they 
try,  they  will  never  succeed.  So  all  of  you,  my  bhikshu  disciples,  with 
the  exception  of  your  poor  garments  and  your  begging  bowls  should 
have  nothing  more  in  possession.  Even  the  food  that  is  left  over  from 
your  begging  after  you  have  eaten  should  be  given  to  hungry  sentient 
beings  and  should  not  be  kept  for  the  next  meal.  Moreover,  you  should 
look  upon  your  own  body,  its  flesh,  blood  and  bone,  as  not  being  your 


THE   SURANGAMA   SUTRA  547 

own  but  as  being  one  with  the  bodies  of  all  other  sentient  beings  and  so 
be  ever  ready  to  sacrifice  it  for  the  common  need.  Even  when  men  beat 
you  and  scold  you,  you  must  accept  it  patiently  and  with  hands  pressed 
together  bow  to  them  humbly.  Furthermore,  you  should  not  accept  one 
teaching,  or  one  principle,  that  is  easy  and  agreeable,  and  reject  the  rest 
of  the  Dharma;  you  should  accept  all  with  equitable  mind  lest  you  mis- 
interpret the  Dharma  to  the  new  converts.  Thus  living,  the  Lord  Buddha 
will  confirm  your  attainment  as  one  who  has  acquired  the  true  Samadhi. 
As  you  teach  the  Dharma  to  others,  be  sure  that  your  teaching  is  in  agree- 
ment with  the  above  so  that  it  may  be  regarded  as  a  true  teaching  of 
Buddha,  othe  "wise  it  would  be  as  heretical  as  the  deceptive  words  of  the 
goblin-heretics  who  are  murderers  of  the  hie  of  Wisdom.  This  is  the 
third  admonition  of  the  Lord  Buddha  as  it  relates  to  the  Precepts. 

Then  there  is  the  Precept  of  not  deceiving  nor  telling  lies.  If  the  sentient 
beings  of  the  six  realms  of  existence  should  refrain  from  killing,  stealing 
and  adultery,  and  should  refrain  from  even  thinking  about  them,  but 
should  fail  to  keep  the  Precept  of  truthfulness  and  not  be  sincere  in  their 
practice  of  dhyana  and  their  attainment  of  Samadhi,  there  would  be  no 
emancipation  for  them;  they  would  fall  into  the  ranks  of  the  Maras  who 
are  satisfied  with  any  slight  attainment  and  who  boast  of  it,  or  they 
would  fall  into  the  ranks  of  Maras  who  become  prejudiced  and  ego- 
istically  assertive,  and  what  is  of  more  importance  they  would  lose 
their  seed  of  Buddhahood. 

Such  disciples  presumptuously  assume  an  attainment  before  they  have 
attained  it;  they  assume  realization  before  they  have  realized  it;  they 
affect  to  be  the  most  respected  and  competent  masters,  and  speak  to  the 
people  loftily,  boasting: — "I  have  attained  to  the  degree  of  Crotapanna, 
or  to  the  degree  of  Sakradagamm,  or  to  the  degree  of  Anagamm,  or  to 
the  degree  of  Arhat,  or  to  the  degree  of  Pratyaka-Buddha."  They  claim 
to  have  attained  to  the  Ten  Gradual  Grounds  of  Tranquillity,  or  to  the 
degree  of  those  Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas  who  have  attained  to  the  stage 
of  No  Recension.  Moreover,  they  covet  the  respect  of  people,  they  like  to 
see  them  humble  in  their  presence,  they  greedily  watch  for  offerings  from 
the  people.  Such  disciples  are  to  be  regarded  as  no  better  than  un-behevers, 
no  better  than  hardened  Icchantikas.  They  not  only  lose  their  own  seed 
of  Buddahood,  they  destroy  the  seed  of  Buddahood  in  others.  Such 
disciples  progressively  lose  their  nature  of  kindness  and  gradually  lose 
the  measure  of  understanding  that  they  had  attained  and  shall  at  last 
sink  into  the  Sea  of  the  Three  Kinds  of  Suffering,  namely,  (i)  the 


548  BUDDHISM 

suffering  of  pain,  (2)  the  loss  of  enjoyment,  (3)  the  suffering  of  decay. 
They  will  not  attain  to  Samadhi  for  a  long,  long  time  in  after  lives. 

Nevertheless,  Ananda,  in  the  time  after  my  Parinirvana,  I  urge  all  of 
you  Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas  and  Arhats  to  choose  to  be  reborn  in 
the  last  kalpas  wholly  for  the  sake  of  delivering  all  sentient  beings.1  You 
should  make  use  of  all  manner  of  transformations,  such  as  disciples,  lay- 
men, kings,  lords,  ministers,  virgins,  boy-ennuchs,  and  even  as  harlots, 
widows,  adulterers,  thieves,  butchers,  pedlers,  etc.,  so  as  to  be  able  to 
mingle  with  all  kinds  of  people  and  to  make  known  the  true  emanci- 
pation of  Buddhism  and  the  following  peace  of  Samadhi.  You  must 
never  speak  of  your  own  true  rank  of  Bodhisattva-Mahasattva  and  Arhat, 
you  must  never  reveal  the  Lord  Buddha's  Secret  Cause  of  Attainment, 
nor  speak  without  discretion  before  those  who  are  not  practicing  medi- 
tation. Except  toward  the  end  of  your  mortal  life,  you  may  disclose  to 
your  most  worthy  disciples  the  secret  teachings  and  instruction,  lest  the 
evil  heretics  disturb  and  lure  them  away  by  their  lies.  To  teach  the  world 
to  observe  the  Precept  of  truthful  sincerity,  to  practice  dhyana  with  sin- 
cerity and  to  attain  a  true  Samadhi,  this  is  the  clear  and  true  instruction 
of  the  Lord  Buddha. 

Therefore,  Ananda,  if  any  disciple  does  not  abstain  from  deceit,  he  is 
like  a  man  moulding  human  dung  instead  of  carving  sweet-smelling 
sandalwood.  I  have  always  taught  my  bhikshu  Brothers  to  keep  their 
intuitive  minds  in  straightforward  sincerity  as  their  true  Altar  of  En- 
lightenment, and  at  all  times,  whether  walking,  standing,  sitting  or  lying 
down,  there  should  be  no  falsehood  in  your  life.  How  disgraceful  is  it 
for  heretics  whose  lives  are  filled  with  deceit  to  present  themselves  as 
having  attained  supreme  enlightenment.  They  are  like  poverty  stricken 
people  who  pretend  to  be  kings  or  wealthy  merchants,  only  to  shame 
and  destroy  their  own  lives.  For  any  such  disciple  who  dares  to  represent 
himself  as  a  Prince  of  the  Dharma,  there  will  be  a  terrible  retribution. 

It  has  always  been  a  truism  that  any  disease  in  a  seed  will  reveal  itself 
in  diseased  and  abortive  fruit.  Such  a  disciple,  seeking  to  attain  the  Lord 
Buddha's  Enlightenment  can  be  likened  to  a  man  trying  to  bite  his 
own  navel.  How  impossible  for  them  to  attain  true  Enlightenment.  But 
bhikshus  whose  lives  are  as  straight  as  the  chord  of  a  bow  will  certainly 
attain  Samadhi.  They  need  never  fear  the  wiles  of  the  Maras.  They  are 

aThe  doctrine  of  "bodhisattvaship,"  voluntarily  abstaining  from  Nirvana  and  continuing 
in  the  cycle  of  rebirths  until  the  world  is  saved,  is  an  essential  tenet  of  Mahayana  Bud- 
dhism. A  "bodhisattva"  therefore  corresponds  somewhat  to  the  Christian  idea  of  "Saviour." 


THE    SURANGAMA    SUTRA  549 

the  bhikshus  who  are  certain  to  attain  the  Boclhisattva-Mahasattva's  su- 
preme understanding  and  insight.  Any  lesson  or  instruction  that  is  in 
agreement  with  the  foregoing  can  be  relied  upon  as  being  a  true  teaching 
of  the  Lord  Buddha.  Differing  from  it,  it  is  simply  a  false  teaching  of 
the  heretics  who  have  always  been  murderers  of  the  Life  of  Wisdom.  This 
is  the  fourth  admonition  of  the  Lord  Buddha. 

Ananda!  As  you  have  asked  me  as  to  the  best  method  for  concentrating 
the  mind  of  those  who  have  difficulty  in  following  the  common  methods, 
I  will  now  reveal  to  you  the  Lord  Buddha's  Secret  Method  for  the  at- 
tainment of  Bodhisattva-Mahasattvahood.  But  you  must  remember  that 
it  is  of  first  importance  to  fully  observe  the  Four  Precepts  as  explained 
above.  To  become  a  Bodhisattva-Mahasattva,  one  must  have  a  nature  as 
pure  and  clear  and  repellent  as  frost  and  ice,  so  that  no  false  growths  of 
leaves  and  branches  shall  sprout  out  from  the  true  Mind,  such  as  the 
three  poisons  of  lust,  hatred  and  infatuation;  or  the  four  wickednesses  of 
the  mouth :  falsehood,  slander,  obscene  words,  and  flattery. 

Ananda!  If  any  of  the  disciples  in  the  last  kalpa  should  be  unable  to 
overcome  their  old  habits,  you  may  teach  them  to  recite  this  Dharani 
of  mine.  It  is  called,  The  Supreme  Dharani  of  the  Radiating  Brightness 
of  the  Lord  Buddha's  Crowning  Experience.  It  is  the  invisible  trans- 
cendental power  that  rays  out  from  the  Tathagata's  Wisdom  Eye  mani- 
festing the  unconditioned  Essential  Mind  of  the  Lord  Buddha.  It  is  the 
transcendental  radio-activity  of  Power  and  Glory  that  was  revealed  in 
me  at  the  time  of  my  Highest  Samadhi,  at  the  hour  of  my  Perfect  En- 
lightenment, as  I  sat  amid  the  Lotus  Blossoms  under  the  Bodhi-tree. 

Listen,  Ananda!  At  the  time  you  were  helpless  under  the  magic 
charm  of  the  maiden  Pchiti,  what  was  it  that  released  you  and  restored 
your  control  of  mind?  Your  coming  under  her  control  was  not  a  chance 
happening  of  this  life,  or  of  this  kalpa  alone:  you  had  been  in  affinity 
with  her  for  many  a  kalpa.  Suddenly,  when  Manjusn  repeated  this 
Dharani,  the  bonds  that  bound  you  to  her  were  destroyed,  her  passion 
for  you  was  ended,  and  by  once  listening  to  my  teaching  she  became  en- 
lightened. Although  she  was  a  prostitute  and  apparently  had  no  interest 
in  the  Dharma,  by  the  invisible  power  of  my  transcendental  Dharani 
she  immediately  attained  to  the  perfection  of  all  dhyana  practice.  What 
this  Dharani  did  for  her  and  for  you,  it  can  do  for  all  others.  Rest  assured 
all  my  Bhikshu  Brothers  in  this  great  assembly,  you  who  are  earnestly 
seeking  Supreme  Attainment,  rest  assured  that,  by  the  power  of  this 
Great  Dharani,  you  will  attain  Buddahood. 


What  Is  Nirvana? 


INTRODUCTION 

EVERY  STUDENT  OF  BUDDHISM  must  be  interested  in  a  correct  notion  of 
Nirvana,  the  goal  of  this  religious  effort.  Naturally  this  has  puzzled 
many  serious  minds.  Sir  Edwin  Arnold,  in  his  Preface  to  "The  Light  of 
Asia"  expresses  the  "firm  conviction  that  a  third  of  mankind  would  never 
have  been  brought  to  believe  in  blank  abstractions,  or  in  Nothingness  as 
the  issue  and  crown  of  Being."  Yet  what  is  it  ? 

The  foregoing  philosophical  exposition  in  the  Surangama  Sutra  must 
have  prepared  the  reader  to  expect  a  philosophic  and  at  the  same  time 
mystic  outcome  of  such  speculations.  The  process  of  religious  enlighten- 
ment is  a  process  of  divesting  oneself  of  the  illusions  of  the  sensory  world 
and  constantly  rising  to  a  higher  conception  of  an  ideal  world,  such  as 
arrived  at  by  Kantian  idealism.  It  is  a  steady  process  of  dropping  off  of 
errors  arising  from  the  finite  "discriminating  mind,"  such  as  the  habitual 
and  ingrained  notion  of  the  ego  and  the  individuality  of  things.  From 
this,  the  reader  can  already  deduce  what  the  final  outcome  must  be.  It 
is  the  reaching  of  that  unconditioned,  infinite  world.  But  then  the 
mechanism  of  our  thinking  and  language  fails,  because  our  words  must 
fail  to  describe  an  unconditioned  existence.  To  call  it  "destruction"  is  to 
assume  that  there  is  something  to  destroy,  and  to  call  it  "emptiness"  is 
to  assume  the  contrast  of  a  substantial  world.  When  we  read  that  Nirvana 
is  "neither  being,  nor  non-being,"  we  realize  that  the  words  "being"  and 
"non-being"  are  no  longer  adequate.  If  we  could  think  of  a  world  with- 
out our  pet  notions  of  space  and  time,  that  is,  an  unconditioned  world, 
we  would  have  a  fair  notion  of  what  Nirvana  means.  The  doggedly 
logical,  finite  mind  can  never  rise  to  this  conception,  and  therefore  it  is 
hard  for  western  scholars  to  grasp  its  significance. 

550 


WHAT  IS   NIRVANA?  551 

The  following  disquisition  gives,  in  my  opinion,  the  best  description 
of  the  Mahayana  conception  of  the  Nirvana,  found  in  the  end  of  Lan* 
\dvatara  Sutra.  The  Lan^avatdra  Sutra  is  very  popular  with  the  Chinese 
Buddhist  students,  there  being  four  Chinese  translations  of  it,  in  A J>.  420, 
443,  513,  and  700,  of  which  the  first  one  was  lost.  It  gives  a  clear  and 
well-reasoned  outline  of  Buddhist  metaphysics  in  a  shorter,  better-ordered 
and  more  complete  scheme  than  the  Surangama.  Readers  who  are  in- 
terested in  such  a  clear  summary  are  referred  to  "The  Buddhist  Bible," 
edited  by  Dwight  Goddard  (published  by  Goddard,  Thetford,  Vt.). 
But  I  have  chosen  the  Surangama,  rather  than  the  Lan1(dvatdra,  because 
the  latter  is  like  a  well-written  history  of  philosophy,  while  the  former 
is  like  an  original  masterpiece  in  philosophy.  Both  employ  the  Bud- 
dhaesque  method  of  dialogue,  but  anyone  who  examines  both  can 
have  no  doubt  as  to  the  superior  aptness  and  freshness  of  Buddha's  illus- 
trations and  the  flesh-and-blood  quality  of  the  Surangama. 


"What  Is  Nirvana? 


Then  said  Mahamati  to  the  Blessed  One  *:  Pray  tell  us  about  Nirvana  ? 

The  Blessed  One  replied:  The  term,  Nirvana,  is  used  with  many  dif- 
ferent meanings,  by  different  people,  but  these  people  may  be  divided 
into  four  groups:  There  are  people  who  are  suffering,  or  who  are  afraid 
of  suffering,  and  who  think  of  Nirvana;  there  are  the  philosophers  who 
try  to  discriminate  Nirvana;  there  are  the  class  of  disciples  who  think 
•of  Nirvana  in  relation  to  themselves;  and,  finally  there  is  the  Nirvana  of 
the  Buddhas. 

Those  who  are  suffering  or  who  fear  suffering,  think  of  Nirvana  as 
an  escape  and  a  recompense.  They  imagine  that  Nirvana  consists  in 
the  future  annihilation  of  the  senses  and  the  sense-minds;  they  are  not 
aware  that  Universal  Mind  and  Nirvana  are  One,  and  that  this  life- 
and-death  world  and  Nirvana  are  not  to  be  separated.  These  ignorant 
ones,  instead  of  meditating  on  the  imagelessness  of  Nirvana,  talk  of 
different  ways  of  emancipation.  Being  ignorant  of,  or  not  understanding, 
the  teachings  of  the  Tathagatas,  they  cling  to  the  notion  of  Nirvana  that 
is  outside  what  is  seen  of  the  mind  and,  thus,  go  on  rolling  themselves 
along  with  the  wheel  of  life  and  death. 

As  to  Nirvanas  discriminated  by  the  philosophers:  there  really  are 
none.  Some  philosophers  conceive  Nirvana  to  be  found  where  the  mind- 
system  no  more  operates  owing  to  the  cessation  of  the  elements  that 
make  up  personality  and  its  world;  or.is  found  where  there  is  utter  in- 
difference to  the  objective  world  and  its  impermanency.  Some  conceive 
Nirvana  to  be  a  state  where  there  is  no  recollection  of  the  past  or  present, 
just  as  when  a  lamp  is  extinguished,  or  when  a  seed  is  burnt,  or  when 
a  fire  goes  out;  because  then  there  is  the  cessation  of  all  the  substrate, 
1  Buddha. 

553 


WHAT   IS    NIRVANA?  553 

which  is  explained  by  the  philosophers  as  the  non-rising  of  discrimina- 
tion. But  this  is  not  Nirvana,  because  Nirvana  does  not  consist  in  simple 
annihilation  and  vacuity. 

Again,  some  philosophers  explain  deliverance  as  though  it  was  the 
mere  stopping  of  discrimination,  as  when  the  wind  stops  blowing,  or  as 
when  one  by  self-effort  gets  rid  of  the  duahstic  view  of  knower  and 
known,  or  gets  rid  of  the  notions  of  permanency  and  impermanency;  or 
gets  rid  of  the  notions  of  good  and  evil;  or  overcomes  passion  by  means 
of  knowledge; — to  them  Nirvana  is  deliverance.  Some,  seeing  in  "form" 
the  bearer  of  pain,  are  alarmed  by  the  notion  of  "form"  and  look  for 
happiness  in  a  world  of  "no-form."  Some  conceive  that  in  consideration 
of  individuality  and  generality  recognizable  in  all  things  inner  and  outer, 
that  there  is  no  destruction  and  that  all  beings  maintain  their  being  for 
ever  and,  in  this  etcrnahty,  see  Nirvxina.  Others  see  the  eternality  of  things 
in  the  conception  of  Nirvana  as  the  absorption  of  the  finite-soul  in  Su- 
preme Atman  ';  or  who  see  all  things  as  a  manifestation  of  the  vital-force 
of  some  Supreme  Spirit  to  which  all  return;  and  some,  who  are  especially 
silly,  declare  that  there  are  two  primary  things,  a  primary  substance  and 
a  primary  soul,  that  react  differently  upon  each  other  and  thus  produce 
all  things  from  the  transformations  of  qualities;  some  think  that  the 
world  is  born  of  action  and  interaction  and  that  no  other  cause  is  neces- 
sary; others  think  that  Ishvara  is  the  free  creator  of  all  things;  clinging 
to  these  foolish  notions,  there  is  no  awakening,  and  they  consider  Nirvana 
to  consist  in  the  fact  that  there  is  no  awakening. 

Some  imagine  that  Nirvana  is  where  self-nature  exists  in  its  own  right, 
unhampered  by  other  self-natures,  as  the  varigated  feathers  of  a  peacock, 
or  various  precious  crystals,  or  the  pointedness  of  a  thorn.  Some  conceive 
being  to  be  Nirvana,  some  non-being,  while  others  conceive  that  all  things 
and  Nirvana  are  not  to  be  distinguished  from  one  another.  Some,  think- 
ing that  time  is  the  creator  and  that  as  the  rise  of  the  world  depends  on 
time,  they  conceive  that  Nirvana  consists  in  the  recognition  of  time  as 
Nirvana.  Some  think  that  there  will  be  Nirvana  when  the  "twenty-five" 
truths  are  generally  accepted,  or  when  the  king  observes  the  six  virtues, 
and  some  religionists  think  that  Nirvana  is  the  attainment  of  paradise. 

These  views  severally  advanced  by  the  philosophers  with  their  various 
reasonings  are  not  in  accord  with  logic  nor  are  they  acceptable  to  the 

1  Here  we  sec  the  Buddhistic  rebellion  against  Brahmamsm.  In  this  section,  we  see  the 
variety  of  schools  o£  philosophy  prc\  ailing  in  the  few  centuries  before  Christ  and  the  back- 
ground against  which  developments  of  Buddhistic  thought  naturally  arose 


554  BUDDHISM 

wise.  They  all  conceive  Nirvana  dualistically  and  in  some  causal  con- 
nection; by  these  discriminations  philosophers  imagine  Nirvana,  but 
where  there  is  no  rising  and  no  disappearing,  how  can  there  be  discrimi- 
nation? Each  philosopher  relying  on  his  own  textbook  from  which  he 
draws  his  understanding,  sins  against  the  truth,  because  truth  is  not  where 
he  imagines  it  to  be.  The  only  result  is  that  it  sets  his  mind  to  wandering 
about  and  becoming  more  confused  as  Nirvana  is  not  to  be  found  by 
mental  searching,  and  the  more  his  mind  becomes  confused  the  more 
he  confuses  other  people. 

As  to  the  notion  of  Nirvana  as  held  by  disciples  and  masters  who  still 
cling  to  the  notion  of  an  ego-self,  and  who  try  to  find  it  by  going  off  by 
themselves  into  solitude:  their  notion  of  Nirvana  is  an  eternity  of  bliss 
like  the  bliss  of  the  Samadhis — for  themselves.  They  recognise  that  the 
world  is  only  a  manifestation  of  mind  and  that  all  discriminations  are  of 
the  mind,  and  so  they  forsake  social  relations  and  practise  various  spiritual 
disciplines  and  in  solitude  seek  self-realisation  of  Noble  Wisdom  by  self- 
effort.  They  follow  the  stages  to  the  sixth  and  attain  the  bliss  of  the 
Samadhis,  but  as  they  are  still  clinging  to  egoism  they  do  not  attain  the 
"turning-about"  at  the  deepest  seat  of  consciousness  and,  therefore,  they 
are  not  free  from  the  thinking-mind  and  the  accumulation  of  its  habit- 
energy.  Clinging  to  the  bliss  of  the  Samadhis,  they  pass  to  their  Nirvana, 
but  it  is  not  the  Nirvana  of  the  Tathagatas.  They  are  of  those  who  have 
"entered  the  stream";  they  must  return  to  this  world  of  life  and  death. 

Then  said  Mahamati  to  the  Blessed  One:  When  the  Bodhisattvas  yield 
up  their  stock  of  merit  for  the  emancipation  of  all  beings,  they  become 
spiritually  one  with  all  animate  life;  they  themselves  may  be  purified,  but 
in  others  there  yet  remain  unexhausted  evil  and  unmatured  karma.  Pray 
tell  us,  Blessed  One,  how  the  Bodhisattvas  are  given  assurance  of  Nir- 
vana? and  what  is  the  Nirvana  of  the  Bodhisattvas? 

The  Blessed  One  replied :  Mahamati,  this  assurance  is  not  an  assurance 
of  numbers  nor  logic;  it  is  not  the  mind  that  is  to  be  assured  but  the 
heart.  The  Bodhisattva's  assurance  comes  with  the  unfolding  insight 
that  follows  passion  hindrances  cleared  away,  knowledge  hindrance 
purified,  and  egolessness  clearly  perceived  and  patiently  accepted.  As  the 
mortal-mind  ceases  to  discriminate,  there  is  no  more  thirst  for  life,  no 
more  sex-lust,  no  more  thirst  for  learning,  no  more  thirst  for  eternal  life; 
with  the  disappearance  of  these  fourfold  thirsts,  there  is  no  more  accumu- 
lation of  habit-energy;  with  no  more  accumulation  of  habit-energy  the 


WHAT    IS    NIRVANA?  555 

defilements  on  the  face  of  Universal  Mind  clear  away,  and  the  Bod- 
hisattva  attains  self-realisation  of  Noble  Wisdom  that  is  the  heart's  as- 
surance of  Nirvana. 

There  are  Bodhisattvas  here  and  in  other  Buddha-lands,  who  are  sin- 
cerely devoted  to  the  Bodhisattva's  mission  and  yet  who  cannot  wholly 
forget  the  bliss  of  the  Samadhis  and  the  peace  of  Nirvana — for  them- 
selves. The  teaching  of  Nirvana  in  which  there  is  no  substrate  left  be- 
hind, is  revealed  according  to  a  hidden  meaning  for  the  sake  of  these 
disciples  who  still  cling  to  thoughts  of  Nirvana  for  themselves,  that 
they  may  be  inspired  to  exert  themselves  in  the  Bodhisattva's  mission  of 
emancipation  for  all  beings.  The  Transformation-Buddhas  teach  a  doc- 
trine of  Nirvana  to  meet  conditions  as  they  find  them,  and  to  give  en- 
couragement to  the  timid  and  selfish.  In  order  to  turn  their  thoughts 
away  from  themselves  and  to  encourage  them  to  a  deeper  compassion 
and  more  earnest  zeal  for  others,  they  are  given  assurance  as  to  the  future 
by  the  sustaining  power  of  the  Buddhas  of  Transformation,  but  not  by 
the  Dharmata-Buddha. 

The  Dharma  which  establishes  the  Truth  of  Noble  Wisdom  belongs 
to  the  realm  of  the  Dharmata-Buddha.  To  the  Bodhisattvas  of  the  seventh 
and  eighth  stages,  Transcendental  Intelligence  is  revealed  by  the  Dhar- 
mata-Buddha and  the  Path  is  pointed  out  to  them  which  they  are  to 
follow.  In  the  perfect  self-realisation  of  Noble  Wisdom  that  follows  the 
inconceivable  transformation  death  of  the  Bodhisattva's  individualised 
will-control,  he  no  longer  lives  unto  himself,  but  the  life  that  he  lives 
thereafter  is  the  Tathagata's  universalised  life  as  manifested  in  its  trans- 
formations. In  this  perfect  self-realisation  of  Noble  Wisdom  the  Bod- 
hisattva  realises  that  for  Buddhas  there  is  no  Nirvana. 

The  death  of  a  Buddha,  the  great  Parinirvana,  is  neither  destruction 
nor  death,  else  would  it  be  birth  and  continuation.  If  it  were  destruction, 
it  would  be  an  effect-producing  deed,  which  it  is  not.  Neither  is  it  a 
vanishing  nor  an  abandonoment,  neither  is  it  attainment,  nor  is  it  of  no 
attainment;  neither  is  it  of  one  significance  nor  of  no  significance,  for 
there  is  no  Nirvana  for  the  Buddhas. 

The  Tathagata's  Nirvana  is  where  it  is  recognised  that  there  is  nothing 
but  what  is  seen  of  the  mind  itself;  is  where,  recognising  the  nature  of 
the  self -mind,  one  no  longer  cherishes  the  dualisms  of  discrimination; 
is  where  there  is  no  more  thirst  nor  grasping;  is  where  there  is  no  more 
attachment  to  external  things.  Nirvana  is  where  the  thinking-mind  with 
all  its  discriminations,  attachments,  aversions  and  egoism  is  forever  put 


556  BUDDHISM 

away;  is  where  logical  measures,  as  they  arc  seen  to  be  inert,  are  no  longer 
seized  upon;  is  where  even  the  notion  of  truth  is  treated  with  indifference 
because  of  its  causing  bewilderment;  is  where,  getting  rid  of  the  four 
propositions,  there  is  insight  into  the  abode  of  Reality.  Nirvana  is  where 
the  twofold  passions  have  subsided  and  the  twofold  hindrances  are 
cleared  away  and  the  twofold  egolessness  is  patiently  accepted;  is  where, 
by  the  attainment  of  the  "turning-about"  in  the  deepest  seat  of  conscious- 
ness, self-realisation  of  Noble  Wisdom  is  fully  entered  into — that  is  the 
Nirvana  of  the  Tathagatas. 

Nirvana  is  where  the  Bodhisattva  stages  are  passed  one  after  another; 
is  where  the  sustaining  power  of  the  Buddhas  upholds  the  Bodhisattvas 
in  the  bliss  of  the  Samadhis;  is  where  compassion  for  others  transcends 
all  thoughts  of  self;  is  where  the  Tathagata  stage  is  finally  realised. 

Nirvana  is  the  realm  of  Dharmata-Buddha;  it  is  where  the  manifesta- 
tion of  Noble  Wisdom  that  is  Buddhahood  expresses  itself  in  Perfect 
Love  for  all;  it  is  where  the  manifestation  of  Perfect  Love  that  is  Tatha- 
gatahood  expresses  itself  in  Noble  Wisdom  for  the  enlightenment  of 
all; — there,  indeed,  is  Nirvana! 

There  are  two  classes  of  those  who  may  not  enter  the  Nirvana  of  the 
Tathagatas :  there  are  those  who  have  abandoned  the  Bodhisattva  ideals, 
saying,  they  are  not  in  conformity  with  the  sutras,  the  codes  of  morality, 
nor  with  emancipation.  Then  there  are  the  true  Bodhisattvas  who,  on 
account  of  their  original  vows  made  for  the  sake  of  all  beings,  saying, 
"So  long  as  they  do  not  attain  Nirvana,  I  will  not  attain  it  myself,"  vol- 
untarily keep  themselves  out  of  Nirvana.  But  no  beings  are  left  outside 
by  the  will  of  the  Tathagatas;  some  day  each  and  every  one  will  be 
influenced  by  the  wisdom  and  love  of  the  Tathagatas  of  Transformation 
to  lay  up  a  stock  of  merit  and  ascend  the  stages.  But,  if  they  only  realised 
it,  they  are  already  in  the  Tathagata's  Nirvana  for,  in  Noble  Wisdom, 
all  things  are  in  Nirvana  fom  the  beginning. 


Glossary  of  Hindu  Words 


PRONUNCIATION 

The  pronounciation  of  Sanskrit  and  Pali  words  in  the  transcription 
used  in  this  hook  is  simple.  All  vowels  are  pronounced  as  in  Italian, 
except  that  the  short  a,  has  the  sound  of  ti  in  but.  The  consonant  com- 
hinations,  dh,  th,  \h,  etc.  are  pronounced  as  aspirated  stops,  as  in  "bird- 
house,"  "hothouse,"  "blocl{  house."  G  is  always  hard,  and  c  is  always 
pronounced  as  ch,  as  in  church.  The  difference  between  dental  and 
lingual  d,  t,  between  lingual  and  palatal  sh,  and  between  the  different 
w's  has  been  ignored  for  the  convenience  of  the  lay  reader.  Where  the 
long  marks  are  used  over  vowels,  the  long  vowel  is  almost  always 
accented. 

VARIATIONS  OF  SPELLING  AND  NAMES 

The  editor  has  tried  to  achieve  uniformity  of  spelling  in  the  selec- 
tions from  different  translators  as  far  as  possible.  These  selections  use 
transcriptions  with  different  degrees  of  exactness.  Absolute  uniformity 
is  not  possible  without  too  much  violence  to  the  texts  made  by  different 
translators.  In  the  case  of  better-known  Anglicized  words,  it  is  a  question 
whether  the  retention  of  the  accents  is  desirable.  Moreover,  in  the  gen- 
eral reading  of  books  on  Indian  literature,  such  variations  will  be  encoun- 
tered again  and  again.  It  is  well  to  know  when  such  variations  refer  to 
the  same  word. 

1.  The  palatal  sh  is  variously  rendered  as  f,  s,  /  and  sh.  Thus  the 
Hindu  god  may  be  spelled  as  Qva,  Siva  or  Shiva,  and  the  word  for 
"scripture"  may  be  spelled  as  fastra,  sastra  or  shastra. 

2.  English  usage  has  established*certain  inconsistencies  which  are  now 

557 


558  GLOSSARY 

adopted.  Thus  the  stem  form  is  kept  in  Nirvana  and  atman,  while 
Brahma  and  \arma  stand  for  Brahman  and  Barman.  Furthermore,  the 
word  Brahmana  becomes  Brahman,  and  is  further  Anglicized  as  Brah- 
min. Also  the  unaccented  final  a  in  Hindu  words  is  almost  silent  in  prac- 
tice and  we  often  find  this  letter  abbreviated,  especially  in  verse,  as  Arjun 
for  Arjuna.  There  are  also  some  minor  variations  in  English  and  Amer- 
ican spelling  in  the  various  texts. 

3.  There  are  differences  between  Sanskrit  and  Pali  for  the  same  words. 
The  Sanskrit  is  the  classic  language  of  Hindu  scriptures,  the  great  epics 
and  the  Buddhist  Mahayana  texts  translated  into  Chinese.  Pali  is  a  later 
form  of  the  Sanskrit  language,  containing  many  simplifications,  chiefly 
known  as  the  language  of  the  Buddhist  Tripitaka  (Hinayana  "Pali 
Canons") .  Thus  the  Sanskrit  word  tripita\a  ("three  baskets")  becomes 
tifita\a  in  Pali.  A  few  examples  will  show  the  simplification. 

(SANSKRIT)  (PALI) 

Nirvana  Nibbana 

Sutra  Sutta 

Bhi^shu  Bi^hu 

Dhyana  Jhana 

Arahant  Arahat 

Prajna  Panna 

A  great  part  of  this  glossary  is  based  on  that  by  Swami  Vivekananda  in 
"Raja  Yoga"  (Brentano). 

Aditi.    "The  earliest  name  invented  to  express  the  infinite,"  Max  Muller. 

Adityas.    The  sons  of  Aditi,  especially  Varuna  and  the  sun. 

Agni.    The  god  of  fire  and  light,  an  important  Vedic  god. 

A^asa.  The  all-pervading  material  of  the  universe. 

Amitabha.    Boundless  light,  later  personified  as  Amitabha  Buddha,  or 

Amita,  very  popular  in  Chinese  Buddhism. 
Ananda.    Bliss.  Name  of  Buddha's  cousin  and  favorite  disciple. 
Annutara  Samya\  Sambodhi.    Most  perfect  knowledge,  the  highest  state 

of  Buddha  knowledge. 
Arahat  (skt.  Arahant) .    An  enlightened  one,  a  Buddhist  saint  (tr.  into 

Chinese  as  Lohari). 

Asana.    Position  of  the  body  during  meditation  in  yoga  practice. 
Asrama.    Hermitage. 


GLOSSARY  559 

Asura.    A  high  divine  being  in  the  Vedas;  later  a  demon. 

Atman.  The  eternal  self,  as  distinguished  from  the  false  self;  the  uni- 
versal principle  m  man. 

Avidya.  Ignorance;  the  active  principle  of  ignorance  which  prevents  us 
from  seeing  the  truth. 

Bhagavad.    Blessed;  also  used  as  a  title  of  Buddha. 

Bha\ti.    Intense  love  of  God ;  devotion  or  devotional  practice  of  religion. 

BhikJ(hu  (skt.  Bhil(shu) .  A  monk,  mendicant,  friar,  or  religious  devotee 
(tr.  as  pich'iu  in  Chinese). 

Bhi1(]f(huni  (skt.  Bhil^shunt) .    A  nun  (tr.  as  ptch'iuni  in  Chinese) . 

Bodhi.  Wisdom.  Bodhi-tree,  or  Bo-tree,  the  tree  at  Buddha-Gaya  where 
Buddha  attained  enlightenment. 

Bodhisatta  (skt.  Bodhisattva) .  "Essence  of  wisdom,"  one  who  is  on 
his  way  to  become  a  Buddha;  in  Mahayana  Buddhism,  one  who  has 
already  attained  Nirvana  but  voluntarily  renounces  it  to  save  mankind. 

Brahma.  Anglicized  form  of  skt.  stem-form  Brahman  (nom.  s. 
Brahma).  The  world-soul  personified,  the  chief  god  of  Brahmanism. 

Brahman,  (i)  Anglicized  form  of  skt.  Brahmana.  A  member  of  the 
Brahman  caste,  highest  caste  in  India,  from  whom  priests  are  chosen, 
but  not  necessarily  a  priest.  A  Brahmin.  (2)  Hindu  word  Brahman, 
(neuter)  signifying  the  supreme  essence,  or  world  soul;  when  personi- 
fied, it  is  Brahma  (masculine). 

Brahmacharin.    A  Brahman  student  who  has  taken  the  religious  vows. 

Buddha.  "The  Enlightened."  Name  of  Sakyamuni,  the  founder  of 
Buddhism,  but  also  may  be  anyone  who  has  attained  the  state  of 
godhead. 

Chaitya.    A  shrine  or  temple. 

Chandala.    An  outcast,  son  of  a  Sudra  father  and  a  Brahman  mother. 

Chandan.    Sandal-tree;  the  fragrant  sandal  paste. 

Channa.    Name  of  Buddha's  driver. 

Chitta.    The  "mind-stuff"  in  the  yoga  doctrine. 

Chowri.    (Properly  Chamari)  the  Indian  yak,  whose  tail  is  used  as  a  fan. 

Dcvas.    Gods,  celestial  beings. 

Dhamma  (skt.  Dharma).  An  important  Buddhist  word  with  many 
meanings,  the  natural  condition  of  things  or  beings,  the  law  of  their 


560  GLOSSARY 

existence,  trutri,  religious  truth,  the  Buddhist  Doctrine,  the  law  (Law), 
the  ethical  code  of  righteousness. 

Dharana.    Fixing  the  mind  on  one  object  in  yoga  practice. 

Dharma  (seeDhamma). 

Dharma^aya.  The  body  of  the  Law;  one  of  the  three  bodies  of  Buddha 
(see  Nirmanafaya  and  Sambhoga%aya). 

Jhyana  (Pali  Jhana).  Meditation  as  a  form  of  religious  practice  aiming 
at  attaining  a  mystic  vision.  Tr.  into  Chinese  as  Ch'an  and  into  Japa- 
nese as  Zen.  Name  of  an  important  Buddhist  sect  in  China  and  Japan. 

landhara.    Name  of  a  country  famous  for  its  horses. 

^andharva.    A  celestial  musician. 

jdtha.    A  short  verse,  with  a  religious  meaning. 

Gautama  (see  Gotama). 

jayatri.    An  especially  sacred  verse  of  the  Rigveda. 

jhee.    Clarified  butter. 

jita.    Song. 

jotami.    A  female  member  of  the  Gotama  clan. 

jotama  (skt.  Gautama).  Buddha's  family  name.  (See  also  Stddhartha 
and  SaJ^yamunt) . 

juna.  A  quality  or  attribute,  but  more  specifically  the  three  Gttnas 
refer  to  the  three  mystic  elements  or  principles  out  of  which  all  things 
and  beings  in  this  world  are  made:  these  are,  Sattva,  light  or  illumina- 
tion principle,  Rajas,  activity  or  passion  principle,  and  Tamas,  dullness, 
heaviness  or  inertia  principle. 

juru.    A  spiritual  teacher  or  preceptor. 

'-iansa.    Swan  or  goose. 

-I art.    The  Lord,  usually  designating  Vishnu. 

'iinayana.    "The  Lesser  Vehicle,"  name  of  the  "Southern  School"  of 

Buddhism  with  its  center  in  Ceylon,  given  by  its  opponents  of  the 

Mahayana  School. 

ddhi  (skt.  Riddhi).    Control  of  mind  over  matter,  including  powers  of 

levitation  and  assuming  any  shape  at  will. 
ndra.    Important  Vedic  god  of  the  firmament. 
si.    Pali  word  for  skt.  Rishi,  which  see. 
svara  (also  Iswara).    The  Supreme  Ruler,  but  always  used  to  represent 

a  personal  and  transcendent  God, 


GLOSSARY  561 

Jain.  Modernized  form  of  skt.  Jaina;  an  adherent  of  the  Jain  sect,  or 
Jainism,  emphasizing  asceticism  and  self-mortification,  criticized  b -> 
Buddha. 

fata{a.  A  Buddhist  birth-story,  i.e.,  a  story  telling  about  one  of  Buddha's 
previous  lives  as  a  human  being  or  as  an  animal. 

Jhana.    Pali  for  skt.  Dhyana,  which  see. 

Kaivalya.    The  state  of  isolation  or  complete  independence  of  the  soul 

from  the  phenomenal  world  attained  by  yoga  practice. 
Kalfa.    A  world  cycle. 
Karma.    Important  Buddhist  term,  meaning  work  or  deeds,  with  their 

necessary  and  natural  consequences  in  this  and  future  life. 
Kisa  Gotami  (skt.  Kris  ha  Gautamt),  the  slim  or  thin  Gotami,  name  of 

the  heroine  in  one  of  the  Buddhist  parables. 
Krishna.    The  eighth  incarnation  of  Vishnu;  the  personal  god  in 

Ehagavad-Gita. 

Knyu-Yoga.    Preliminary  yoga,  aiming  at  cleansing  the  mind. 
Kshatriya.    Member  of  the  second,  warrior,  caste. 

Magga  (skt.  Mar  go).  The  path;  especially  referring  to  the  eightfold 
path  of  Buddhism,  consisting  of:  right  views,  high  aims,  right  speech, 
upright  conduct,  a  harmless  livelihood,  perseverance  in  good,  intellec- 
tual activity  and  earnest  thought. 

Mahayana.  "The  Greater  Vehicle,"  name  given  themselves  by  followers 
of  the  "Northern  School"  of  Buddhism  now  prevailing  in  Thibet, 
China,  Korea  and  Japan.  (See  introduction  to  the  selection,  Surangarna 
Stttra). 

Manas.    The  deliberate  faculty  of  the  mind. 

Mantra.  Any  prayer,  holy  verse,  sacred  or  mystic  word  recited  or  con- 
templated during  worship. 

Mara.    The  Evil  One,  the  tempter,  the  destroyer,  the  god  of  lust  and  sin. 

Maya.  Illusion;  also  name  of  Buddha's  mother,  with  a  curious  simi- 
larity in  sound  to  Maria. 

Mntyu.    Death;  another  name  for  the  king  of  death,  Yama. 

Muni.    A  sage. 

Ntbbana.    Pali  word  for  Nirvana,  which  see. 

NirmanaJ^aya.    The  body  of  the  transformation  (see  DharmaJ(aya). 


562  GLOSSARY 

Nirvana.    Freedom;  extinction  of  "the  illusions."  Condition  of  emanci- 
pation from  the  finite  world. 

Om.    The  sacred  mystic  word  said  at  the  beginning  of  prayers,  meaning 
the  "Supreme  Being,"  the  "Bliss  Absolute." 

Paratnita.    Perfection  or  virtue. 

Paul\asa.    An  outcast,  son  of  a  Sudra  father  and  a  Kshatriya  mother. 

Pita\a.  "Basket."  Tripitafy  is  the  name  of  the  "Three  Baskets,"  or  three 

bodies  of  Buddhist  Canons. 

Prajapati.    The  creator  of  the  universe  and  lord  of  the  creatures. 
Prajna.    Highest  knowledge  which  leads  to  the  realization  of  the  Deity. 
Praf(riti.    Nature. 
Prana.    Breath. 

Pranayama.    Control  of  breathing  in  yoga  practice. 
Pratye^abuddha.    A  Buddha  who  works  out  his  individual  salvation 

only. 
Purusha.    The  soul  behind  the  mind-consciousness,  the  Seer,  the  eternal 

in  man. 

Raja.    "To  shine";  royal. 

Rajas.    One  of  the  three  Gunas,  which  see. 

Raja  Yoga.    "Royal  Yoga,"  the  science  of  conquering  the  inner  nature. 

Ra^shas.    A  class  of  demons  ranging  at  night  and  capable  of  assuming 

different  forms. 

Rasa.    The  mythical  river  in  the  firmament. 
Rishi.    A  saint,  an  anchorite,  a  seer. 

Sadhyas.    Celestial  beings. 

Satya.    Name  of  Buddha's  race,  a  royal  race  in  the  northern  frontiers  of 

Magadha. 

Satyamuni.    "The  Sage  of  the  Sakyas,"  name  of  Buddha. 
Samadhi.    The  state  of  spiritual  ecstasy,  achieved  through  meditation; 

the  highest  state  attained  through  yoga. 
SambhogaJ^aya.    The  body  of  Bliss  (see  Dharmakayd). 
Samyama.    "Control";  in  yoga  practice,  the  perfect  control  of  the  mind. 
Sangha.    The  Buddhist  church  or  brotherhood. 

Santyya.    The  name  of  the  school  of  philosophy,  founded  by  Kapila. 
Sastra.    Holy  Scripture. 
Sattva.    See  Guna 


GLOSSARY  563 

Satyam.    Truthfulness. 

Siddhartha.    Buddha's  proper  name. 

Siddhas.    Yogas  who  have  attained  supernatural  powers. 

Sid  d  his.    The  supernatural  powers  which  come  through  yoga. 

Siva.    The  destroyer  of  the  Hindu  Trinity.  (See  Brahma  and  Vishnu). 

SloJ(a.    The  common  verse  form  of  sixteen-syllable  lines,  used  in  the 

Hindu  epics. 
Soma.    Name  of  a  plant  and  its  juice,  an  intoxicating  drink  used  in 

Vedic  rituals;  also' personified  as  a  god  and  identified  with  the  moon. 
Sudra.    The  fourth  and  lowest  caste  of  servants  and  laborers.  (See  also 

Brahman,  Kshatriya  and  Vaisyas.) 
Surya.    The  Sun-god. 

Sutra.    "Thread,"  any  essay  or  guide  of  a  religious  character. 
Sutta.    Pali  for  skt.  Sutra. 

Swami.    A  title  meaning  "master"  or  "spiritual  teacher." 
Swayamvara.    A  form  of  bridal,  the  bride  selecting  her  husband  from 

among  suitors. 

Tamas.    See  under  Guna. 

Tathagatha.  A  word  denoting  the  highest  religious  enlightenment, 
used  of  Buddha  and  by  Buddha  of  himself,  generally  explained  as  "the 
Perfect  One";  translated  into  Chinese  as  "Thus  Come,"  or  Julai. 

Udgitha.    Ritual  chant. 
Urmya.    An  epithet  of  night. 

Vaisyas.    The  third  caste  of  merchants  (see  Brahman,  Kshatriya,  and 

Sudra). 

Varuna.    The  old  Vedic  god  of  the  sky. 
Vayu.    The  wind. 
Vedas.    The  Hindu  Scriptures  consisting  of  the  Rigvcda,  the  Yajurveda, 

the  Samaveda,  the  Arthavavedas;  also  the  Brahmanas  and  the  Upani- 

shads. 
Vedanta.    "The  end  of  the  Vedas,"  the  final  philosophy  of  the  Vedas  as 

expressed  in  the  Vpanishads. 
Vishnu.    The  "Preserver"  of  the  Hindu  Trinity  (see  Siva),  who  takes 

care  of  the  universe  and  incarnates  from  time  to  time  to  save  mankind. 
Visvakarman.    The  Creator  of  the  universe. 


564  GLOSSARY 

Ya%shas.    A  class  of  supernatural  beings. 

Yajna.    Sacrifice. 

Yama.    Death;  the  King  of:  Death. 

Yasodhara.    Wife  of  Buddha,  who  became  one  of  the  first  Buddhist  nuns. 

Yoga.    "Yoking,"  or  joining  the  lower  self  to  the  higher  self  by  means 

of  mental  control. 

Yogi,  or  Yogin.    One  who  practices  yoga. 
Yojana.    The  distance  of  about  nine  English  miles. 


THE 
WISDOM 

OF 
CHINA 


Introduction 


TODAY  THE  EAST  AND  WEST  MUST  MEET.  It  frightens  one  to  read  in  the 
morning  papers  that  Wendell  Willkie  was  in  Chungking  one  Friday 
and  back  in  America  the  following  Monday,  over  the  week-end,  as  it 
were.  It  was  almost  like  magic.  No  matter  what  will  be  the  type  of  world 
cooperation  after  the  war,  we  are  sure  that  the  East  and  the  West  will  be 
living  closely  together,  and  dependent  on  each  other.  Somehow  after  the 
breakmg-up  of  the  nineteenth-century  political  world,  a  new  world  must 
be  forged  out  of  the  elements  of  Anglo-Saxon,  Russian  and  Oriental 
cultures.  The  "Wisdom  of  China"  is  an  effort  to  unravel  some  of  the 
mysteries  of  the  Oriental,  and  specifically  the  Chinese  point  of  view — 
some  of  the  basic  ways  of  looking  at  things  as  revealed  in  native  Chinese 
literature  and  philosophy. 

When  we  come  to  Chinese  civilization,  the  general  impression  is  that 
it  is  a  human,  rationalistic,  and  easily  understandable  type  of  culture.  The 
Chinese  temper  is,  on  the  whole,  humanistic,  non-religious  and  non- 
mystical.  That  is  true  only  to  a  certain  extent.  I  agree  entirely  on  its  being 
humanistic;  I  disagree  on  its  being  non-mystical,  for  any  culture  which 
has  a  broad  and  deep  spiritual  basis  must  be  in  a  sense  mystical.  If  by 
"non-mystical"  is  meant  the  modern  servile  and  shallow  worship  of 
mechanistic  and  materialistic  facts,  accurately  observed  and  well-tabu- 
lated, seemingly  sufficient  unto  themselves,  which  is  the  prevalent  type  of 
thinking  today,  then  I  must  repudiate  that  Chinese  civilization  ever  fell 
so  low.  The  fact  is,  any  branch  of  knowledge,  whether  it  be  the  study  of 
rocks  and  minerals,  or  the  study  of  cosmic  rays,  strikes  mysticism  as  soon 
as  it  reaches  any  depth.  Witness  Dr.  Alexis  Carrel  and  A.  S.  Eddington. 
The  nineteenth-century  shallow  rationalism  naively  believed  that  the 
question  "What  is  a  blade  of  grass?"  could  be  answered  adequately  by 

567 


568  THE   WISDOM   OF    CHINA 

considering  the  blade  of  grass  as  a  purely  mechanical  phenomenon.  The 
contemporary  scientific  attitude  is  that  it  cannot.  Since  Walt  Whitman 
asked  that  question  with  his  profound  mysticism,  no  one  has  been  able 
to  answer  it  and  no  scientist  will  presume  to  answer  it  today.  And  let  us 
remember,  in  that  mysticism  and  distrust  of  the  mechanistic  view  of  the 
universe,  Walt  Whitman  is  Chinese.  It  is  my  conviction  that  the  progress 
of  contemporary  science  is  forcing  modern  thought  to  develop  in  the 
direction  of  depth,  and  of  a  new  synthesis  of  the  mechanical  and  the 
spiritual,  of  matter  and  spirit. 

In  reviewing  Chinese  thought  one  is  struck  by  the  vast  differences  from 
the  West  both  in  style  and  method  and  in  values  and  objectives.  For 
what  is  the  Chinese  philosophy,  and  does  China  have  a  philosophy,  say, 
like  that  of  Descartes  or  Kant,  a  logically  built  and  cogently  reasoned 
philosophy  of  knowledge  or  of  reality  or  of  the  universe  ?  The  answer 
is  proudly  "No."  That  is  the  whole  point.  So  far  as  any  systematic 
epistemology  or  metaphysics  is  concerned,  China  had  to  import  it  from 
India.  The  temperament  for  systematic  philosophy  simply  wasn't  there, 
and  will  not  be  there  so  long  as  the  Chinese  remain  Chinese.  They  have 
too  much  sense  for  that.  The  sea  of  human  life  forever  laps  upon  the 
shores  of  Chinese  thought,  and  the  arrogance  and  absurdities  of  the 
logician,  the  assumption  that  "I  am  exclusively  right  and  you  are  exclu- 
sively wrong,"  are  not  Chinese  faults,  whatever  other  faults  they  may 
have.  The  very  language  of  the  Chinese  philosophers  is  the  market  slang 
of  the  plebeians.  China  simply  lacks  the  academic  jargon  which  the  Amer- 
ican sociologists  and  psychologists  love  and  which  is  so  necessary  for  the 
construction  of  any  air-tight  academic  theory.  The  fortress  of  academic 
aloofness  from  human  life  that  Western  scientists  build  around  them- 
selves by  that  jargon  is  one  of  the  most  amazing  intellectual  phenomena 
of  the  modern  age.  I  notice  that  the  scientists  who  popularize  science 
and  who  write  in  the  language  that  the  common  man  can  understand 
have  a  tendency  to  fall  out  of  favor  with  the  Royal  Academies.  In  China, 
no  college  professor  can  call  a  "black-out"  the  "termination  of  illumina- 
tion," and  it  is  evident  that  we  cannot  build  a  systematic  philosophy  with- 
out this  academic  jargon.  The  Chinese  scholar  at  once  slips  back  into 
words  like  "black-out"  and  proverbs  and  analogies,  like  Emerson.  The 
Chinese  philosopher  is  like  a  swimmer  who  dives  but  must  soon  come 
up  to  the  surface  again;  the  Western  philosopher  is  like  a  swimmer  who 
dives  into  the  water  and  is  proud  that  he  never  comes  up  to  the  surface 
again  and  is  happy  in  his  profundity. 


INTRODUCTION  569 

Generally,  the  reader  will  find  reading  Chinese  philosophers  like  read- 
ing Emerson.  Egon  Friedell's  characterization  of  Emerson's  method  and 
style  may  serve  as  a  perfect  description  of  all  Chinese  philosophers.  "His 
propositions  are  there,  unprepared,  indisputable,  like  sailors'  signals  com- 
ing out  of  a  misty  deep."  "He  is  an  absolute  Impressionist,  in  his  style,  his 
composition  and  his  thought.  He  never  propounds  his  ideas  in  a  definite 
logical  or  artistic  form,  but  always  in  a  natural  and  often  accidental 
order  which  they  have  in  his  head.  He  knows  only  provisional  opinions, 
momentary  truths.  He  never  sacrifices  even  a  single  word,  sentence,  or 
idea  to  the  architecture  of  the  whole.  Things  like  'order  of  content,'  intro- 
duction,' 'transitions'  do  not  exist  for  him.  He  begins  to  develop  this  or 
that  view,  and  we  think  he  is  going  to  weave  it  systematically,  elucidate 
it  from  all  sides  and  entrench  it  against  all  possible  attack.  But  then,  sud- 
denly, some  alien  picture  or  simile,  epigram  or  aper$ u  strikes  him,  full  in 
the  middle  of  his  chain  of  thought,  and  the  theme  thenceforward  re- 
volves on  a  quite  new  axis.  He  calls  his  essays,  'Considerations  by  the 
Way,'  but  everything  that  he  wrote  might  equally  be  so  entitled." 

China's  peculiar  contribution  to  philosophy  is  therefore  the  distrust 
of  systematic  philosophy.  I  confess  this  must  distress  many  college  sopho^ 
mores  who  are  so  anxious  to  have  systems  that  have  no  loopholes  in  them 
and  are  strongly  entrenched  against  all  possible  attacks.  They  want  to 
be  able  to  say,  either  that  criminals  are  born  and  not  made,  or  else  that 
criminals  are  made  and  not  born,  and  they  want  to  prove  it.  The  Chinese 
reply  is  that  there  is  no  such  air-tight  system  on  earth,  and  has  never 
been  any.  Such  systems  do  not  exist  except  in  the  minds  of  the  deluded, 
logical  dunderheads. 

Furthermore,  the  Chinese  can  ask  a  counter-question,  "Does  the 
West  have  a  philosophy ?"  The  answer  is  also  clearly  "No."  We  need  a 
philosophy  of  living  and  we  clearly  haven't  got  it.  The  Western  man 
has  tons  of  philosophy  written  by  French,  German,  English,  and  Amer- 
ican professors,  but  still  he  hasn't  got  a  philosophy  when  he  wants  it. 
In  fact,  he  seldom  wants  it.  There  are  professors  of  philosophy,  but 
there  are  no  philosophers.  When  one  asks  about  contemporary  philosophy 
in  America,  one  thinks  of  Professor  Whitehead.  But  what  has  the 
philosophy  of  Professor  Whitehead  got  to  do  with  the  common  man? 
The  fact  is,  the  vast  scientific  knowledge  of  the  modern  age  is  disinte- 
grating and  falling  by  its  own  weight,  so  that  philosophy  itself  has  be- 
come a  branch  of  physics  or  biology  or  mathematics.  And  when  one  reads 
the  heavy  volume  of  papers  read  before  the  Conference  of  Science, 


570  THE   WISDOM   OF   CHINA 

Philosophy  and  Religion,  trying  to  reunify  modern  knowledge,  but 
comes  upon  such  words  as  "objectives,"  "instrumentalities,"  and  "pro- 
cedures," and  "determinant  factors,"  and  "processes,"  one  has  an  instinc- 
tive distrust  that  science,  philosophy  and  religion  shall  ever  be  reunited 
again. 

Our  international  world  is  rapidly  coming  to  the  end  of  an  era.  So  is 
our  modern  intellectual  world.  The  world  of  ideas  is  definitely  going  to 
pieces,  because  our  traditional  values  are  gone.  That  brings  us  to  the 
second  difference  between  Oriental  and  Occidental  philosophy;  the  dif- 
ference in  approach  and  values.  It  does  look  as  if  accurately  observed 
and  carefully  tabulated  facts  are  all  that  we  have  today;  our  moral  values 
have  disappeared,  and  they  have  disappeared  in  a  curious  manner  that 
I  shall  try  to  explain.  There  is  a  definite  difference  in  approach  between 
Chinese  and  Western  philosophy,  the  approach  of  values  and  the  ap- 
proach of  facts.  This  difference  is  curiously  brought  out  by  the  contact 
of  the  East  and  the  West.  It  strikes  the  Western  tourists  as  curious  that 
the  Chinese  have  no  sense  of  accuracy,  particularly  of  facts  and  figures.  It 
is  hopeless  to  get  two  Chinese  to  agree  on  the  mileage  between  two  neigh- 
boring towns  or  the  population  of  either.  And  the  Chinese  equally  can- 
not understand  why  a  rough  idea  is  not  sufficient.  On  the  other  hand, 
it  strikes  the  Chinese  as  equally  curious  that  a  Western  writer  cannot 
submit  a  magazine  article  and  have  it  accepted  without  discoursing  elo- 
quently on  the  percentage  of  import  of  egg  or  butter  into  England,  or 
the  millimeters  of  Abyssinian  cotton  fibre,  or  a  tabulation  of  so  many 
million  work-hours  lost.  A  still  more  damning  evidence  is  the  popular 
assumption  by  politicians  that  a  question  like  the  second  front  could 
be,settled  by  the  "military"  leaders  who  have  "all  the  facts,"  and  no  sense 
of  judgment  whatsoever  on  moral,  psychological  and  political  issues. 
If  the  Chinese  nation  ever  suffered  from  this  statistical  delusion,  they 
would  never  have  dared  to  take  up  arms  against  Japan's  Army.  As  show- 
ing the  Chinese  ignorance  of  facts,  there  was  a  Chinese  scholar  who  wrote 
in  all  seriousness  that  the  human  heart  was  on  the  right  side  of  the  chest; 
his  technique  was  execrable — he  could  not  possibly  have  felt  his  heart 
with  his  own  hand.  On  the  other  hand,  the  Chinese  can  come  back  and 
reply,  "What  difference  does  it  make  whether  the  heart  is  on  the  right 
or  on  the  left?  If  you  cut  it  up,  you  are  bound  to  see  it  anyway,  and  if 
you  don't  cut  it  up,  you  can't  do  anything  with  it.  Generally  you  can't 
do  anything  with  it,  either,  even  if  you  do  cut  it  up."  The  West  will 
reply,  "Ah  yes,  but  we  want  to  be  scientific  and  exact  and  find  out  where 


INTRODUCTION  571 

the  heart  is."  And  the  Chinese  will  reply  again,  "It  doesn't  matter  where 
you  find  the  heart  is;  it  is  much  more  important  to  phce  your  heart 
in  the  right  place."  That  represents  briefly  the  difference  between  the 
approach  of  facts  and  the  approach  of  values.  H.  G.  Wells  is  suffering 
from  the  modern  scientific  Fact-Cult  when  he  believes  that  we  can  reunify 
knowledge  by  his  plan  of  a  "world  encyclopaedia."  He  seems  to  think 
that  the  gathering  and  systematic  presentation  of  data  confer  upon  the 
scientist  a  Godlike  wisdom,  that  facts  are  like  cold  figures,  and  the  human 
mind  is  like  an  adding  machine,  and  that  if  you  put  all  the  facts  into 
the  machine,  you  automatically  draw  out  the  correct,  infallible  answer 
and  the  world  will  then  be  saved.  The  folly  of  this  conception  is  beyond 
belief.  We  are  suffering  not  from  lack  of  facts,  but  rather  from  too  many 
and  from  lack  of  judgment. 

Chinese  humanism,  or  Confucianism,  concentrates  on  certain  human 
values.  Until  we  realize  the  vastness  of  the  difference  of  approach, 
it  will  be  found  disappointing  by  Western  readers.  Confucianism 
excludes  both  physics  and  metaphysics,  and  concentrates  on  the  values 
of  human  relationships.  There  are  not  so  many  things  that  we  can  dis- 
cover about  human  relationships,  and  it  seems  so  little.  But  Confucianism 
says  there  is  the  knowledge  of  essentials  and  the  knowledge  of  externals; 
the  knowledge  of  externals  is  the  world  of  facts,  and  the  knowledge  of 
essentials  is  the  world  of  human  relationships  and  human  behavior. 
Confucius  says,  Be  a  good  son,  a  good  brother  and  a  good  friend,  and 
"if  you  have  any  energy  left  after  attending  to  conduct,  then  study 
books."  From  the  Confucian  point  of  view,  the  little  may  be  so  much, 
and  the  much  may  be  so  little.  For  Chinese  Humanism  in  its  essence 
is  the  study  of  human  relations  (jenlun)  through  a  correct  appreciation 
of  human  values  by  the  psychology  of  human  motives  to  the  end  that 
we  may  behave  as  reasonable  human  beings  (tsuo  jen).  That  is  all:  but 
it  may  mean  a  great  deal.  The  Confucian  point  of  view  is  that  politics 
must  be  subordinated  to  morals,  that  government  is  a  makeshift  of 
temporization,  law  a  superficial  instrument  of  order,  and  police  force 
a  foolish  invention  for  morally  immature  individuals.  "In  presiding  over 
law-suits,  I  am  as  good  as  anybody;  the  thing  is  so  to  aim  that  there 
shall  be  no  lawsuits,"  says  Confucius.  And  morally  mature  individuals 
behaving  with  dignity  and  self-respect  can  be  brought  about  only  by 
education  and  culture  and  by  a  sense  of  moral  order  through  the  cultiva- 
tion of  rituals  and  music.  The  conception  of  the  means  of  achieving 
social  and  political  order  is  poles  apart  from  that  of  western  economists 


572  THE   WISDOM   OF   CHINA 

and  students  of  political  science.  "Guide  the  people  with  governmental 
measures  and  control  or  regulate  them  by  the  threat  of  punishment,  and 
the  people  will  try  to  keep  out  of  gaol,  but  will  have  no  sense  of  honor. 
Guide  the  people  by  morals  and  regulate  them  by  li  (the  principle  of 
social  relationships),  and  the  people  will  have  a  sense  of  honor  and  re- 
spect." At  once  an  antipodal  point  is  set  up  against  the  whole  fabric  of 
western  social  and  political  philosophy.  The  Confucian  final  test  for  any 
civilization  is  whether  it  produces  good  sons,  good  brothers,  good  hus- 
bands, good  friends  and  good  individuals  who  have  a  delicate  sensibility 
and  are  most  anxious  to  avoid  hurting  others'  feelings.  Perhaps  that  may 
be  the  final  end  of  civilization;  perhaps  not — how  can  we  know? 
Perhaps  to  the  people  of  the  twenty-fifth  century,  our  social  behavior  as 
individuals  and  nations  today  may  seem  extremely  uncouth.  Perhaps 
some  of  the  so-called  world  leaders  today  may  seem  to  the  man  of  the 
twenty-fifth  century  no  more  than  barbarians  with  a  tribalistic  mind, 
as  we  today  think  of  Hannibal.  Meanwhile,  the  self-deception  must 
continue. 

But  if  we  said  to  ourselves  that  the  present  disintegration  of  knowledge 
and  collapse  of  values  call  for  a  restoration  of  certain  human  values,  we 
would  not  know  how  to  begin.  The  approach,  the  technique,  the  philo- 
sophical basis  for  the  study  of  any  kind  of  human  values  aren't  there. 
So  long  as  the  mechanistic  technique  and  materialistic  method  continue 
to  dominate  the  thinking  of  our  college  professors,  it  is  patent  that  such 
values  cannot  be  rediscovered.  And  by  "materialism"  I  do  not  mean  the 
occupation  with  material  progress,  which  is  a  popular  charge  against  the 
Western  world.  I  am  all  for  material  progress.  I  mean,  rather,  scientific 
materialism  as  a  method  and  a  technique  and  a  point  of  view  which  has 
hopelessly  paralyzed  the  European  humanities  and  thrown  it  into  utter 
rout  and  confusion. 

It  would  be  interesting  to  study  how  the  professors  of  the  humanities 
started  the  rout  from  their  moral  fortress  and  fled  in  fear  of  any  distinc- 
tion of  good  and  evil  or  even  moral  emotions  of  any  kind,  how  they 
came  to  live  in  mortal  terror  of  taking  sides  and  trained  their  minds  to 
see  all  things  objectively  as  mechanical  phenomena,  to  be  analyzed  and 
explained  and  compared,  how  they  ultimately  came  to  be  moral  bats, 
disclaiming  all  judgments  of  morals  and  fearing  moral  platitudes  like 
poison,  and  eventually  had  an  abhorrence  of  the  human  free  will  and 
successfully  eliminated  conscience  from  their  scholarship.  The  Dean  of 
the  Union  Theological  Seminary  wrote  an  article  in  Fortune,  telling  of 


INTRODUCTION  573 

an  incident  which  is  typical  and  significant.  He  invited  a  scientific  col- 
league  to  give  a  talk  at  the  morning  prayers  to  the  students.  The  scientist 
declined  on  the  ground  that  his  realm  was  exact  knowledge.  Since  ques- 
tions of  good  and  evil  cannot  in  their  nature  be  classified  under  exact 
knowledge  and  God  himself  shows  very  little  possibility  of  being  re- 
duced to  a  mathematical  formula,  good  and  evil  are  out  of  bounds  for 
the  professor.  What  are  we  to  do  about  a  situation  like  this  ?  Since  God 
and  Satan  are  eternal  verities',  in  whatever  sense  you  take  it,  but  since 
there  is  no  way  of  tackling  the  problems  of  good  and  evil  by  either  per- 
centages or  statistical  charts,  the  problem  must  remain  unsolved  and 
ignored. 

It  would  be  interesting  to  make  a  study  of  the  invasion  of  the  humani- 
ties by  scientific  materialism  and  of  the  betrayal  of  the  humanities 
through  the  false  instinct  of  their  professors  to  ape  the  technique  and 
paraphernalia  of  the  natural  sciences.  There  can  be  no  conscience  in  the 
objective  study  of  rocks  and  minerals  or  even  of  our  animal  friends, 
because  the  natural  sciences  call  only  for  objectivity  and  an  amoral  aca- 
demic attitude.  When  that  scientific  method  is  stolen  and  applied  to  the 
humanities,  in  the  naive  belief  that  we  are  beginning  to  make  the 
humanities  true  sciences,  that  amoral,  objective  method  is  carried  over 
with  it.  It  happens,  however,  that  disinterestedness  which  is  a  virtue  in 
the  natural  sciences  is,  and  must  be,  a  crime  in  the  human  sciences. 
Humanities  built  upon  this  basis  must  be  both  untrue  and  inadequate 
on  account  of  the  different  nature  of  the  object  and  data  of  study.  All 
human  sciences  are  false  sciences,  and  can  be  called  sciences  only  in  a 
figurative  sense.  I  understand  there  are  not  only  intelligence  tests,  dealing 
with  highly  subjective  matter  like  "social  consciousness"  and  "personal 
charm"  and  "masculinity"  and  "femininity"  and  "force  of  character," 
but  there  is  in  a  certain  institution  even  a  machine  which  gives  you  the 
correct  percentage  of  a  man's  intelligence  by  just  slipping  the  person's 
answers  into  the  machine.  The  machine  does  everything.  This  is  no  more 
than  a  hoodlum  trick  practised  by  the  professors  on  the  well-meaning 
cndowers  of  the  instkution. 

Owing  to  the  rapid  rise  of  prestige  of  the  natural  sciences,  about  the 
middle  of  the  nineteenth  century,  all  branches  of  human  studies  were 
beginning  to  call  themselves  "sciences."  The  words  "organism,"  "natural 
law,"  "origins"  and  "evolution"  were  applied  to  literary  and  historical 
studies.  Auguste  Comte  had  started  the  fashion  by  calling  his  new 
sociology  "social  physics"  and  society  "an  organism."  What  he  does 


574  THE   WISDOM   OF    CHINA 

mean  when  he  says,  "Society  is  an  organism"  no  one  will  be  able  to  make 
out.  There  was  a  veritable  orgy  of  "fundamental  laws"  even  in  literary 
and  social  studies.  Taine  applied  them  to  literary  history,  Marx  applied 
them  to  economics,  Zola  applied  them  to  the  novel,  and  even  Sainte- 
Beuve  called  his  literary  and  biographical  studies  "the  science  of  souls."  * 
But  there  is  no  need  to  go  back  to  history;  there  are  plenty  of  modern 
instances.  Dr.  J.  B.  Watson  one  day  made  the  astounding  discovery  of 
the  possibility  of  studying  the  human  mirfd  without  reference  to  think- 
ing and  feeling,  and  thought  he  was  on  the  point  of  making  psychology 
a  true  science  by  eliminating  such  medieval  terms  as  "consciousness," 
"will,"  "emotion,"  "memory"  and  "perception"  and  confining  it  to  the 
measurements  of  mechanical  impulses  and  response.  His  inspiration 
clearly  came  from  his  study  of  animal  psychology.  And  as  a  result  of  the 
century  of  development,  one  need  only  think  of  Theodore  Dreiser's 
view  of  man  as  a  chemical  compound,  a  trapped  animal  moving  in  the 
gigantic  chaos  of  blind  chance,  blind  urges  and  drives  and  moral 
irresponsibility.  We  have  come  to  the  end  of  the  road. 

It  can  be  proved  that  the  world  has  gone  to  pieces  as  a  direct  result  of 
scientific  materialism  invading  our  literature  and  thought.  The  professors 
of  the  humanities  are  reduced  to  the  position  of  finding  mechanistic  laws 
governing  human  activities,  and  the  more  rigorous  the  "natural  laws" 
can  be  proved  to  be,  and  the  more  freedom  of  the  will  is  proved  to  be  a 
chimera,  the  greater  is  the  professor's  intellectual  delight.  Hence  the 
economic  interpretation  of  history,  conceiving  history  as  a  determinist 
cage  and  man  as  a  trapped  biped  animal  moving  in  the  direction  of  the 
supply  for  food.  And  Marx  of  course  was  proud  of  his  "materialism" 
and  his  mechanistic  view  of  history.  For  scientific  materialism  must  spell 
determinism  and  determinism  must  spell  despair.  It  is  therefore  not  an 
accident  that  the  most  admired  spirits  of  our  times,  not  the  greatest  but 
the  most  in  vogue,  are  pessimists.  Our  international  chaos  is  founded 
upon  our  philosophic  despair:  the  despair  of  Baudelaire,  the  despair  of 
Huysmans,  the  despair  of  Hardy,  the  despair  of  Dreiser,  the  despair  of 
T.  S.  Eliot,  the  eternal  regret  of  Proust,  the  mild  pessimism  of  Samuel 
Butler  and  Dean  Inge  and  Aldous  Huxley,  and  the  violent  despair  of 
Picasso  and  the  cubists  and  surrealists,  Freudians,  psychopaths  and  hypcr- 

1  Taine  said  in  his  Preface  to  the  History  of  English  Literature,  "Virtue  and  vice  are 
products  hke  vitriol  and  sugar."  Zola  derived  his  inspiration  for  "the  experimental  novel" 
from  Claude  Bernard's  Introduction  to  the  Study  of  Experimental  Medicine  and  started 
the  autopsy  school  of  literature,  practically  regarding  human  society  as  a  morgue. 


INTRODUCTION  575 

esthetes.  Only  a  robust  mind  like  that  of  Walt  Whitman  who  was  not 
afflicted  with  the  scientific  spirit  and  who  was  in  close  touch  with  life 
itself  and  with  the  great  humanity  could  retain  that  enormous  love  and 
enormous  faith  in  the  common  man.  It  is  interesting  to  point  out  that 
the  flowers  of  New  England  culture  were  so  close  to  the  Chinese :  Whit- 
man in  his  mysticism  and  his  love  for  this  flesh-and-blood  humanity, 
Thoreau  in  his  pacifism  and  his  rural  ideal,  and  Emerson  in  his  insight 
and  epigrammatic  wisdom.  That  flower  can  blossom  no  more  because 
the  spirit  of  industrialism  has  crushed  it. 

But  such  pseudo-scientific  naturalism  in  the  humanities  must  for  ever 
remain  inadequate  and  pathetic,  because  of  the  discrepancy  between 
method  and  material.  The  tracing  of  mother  love  to  ovary  secretions  must, 
in  the  nature  of  human  life,  be  inadequate,  and  is  in  fact  one  of  the 
wickedest  lies  of  such  pseudo-science.  Old  mother  rats  do  recover  a  spell 
of  mother  love  when  they  get  an  injection  of  ovary  secretions;  human 
mothers,  apart  from  the  comparatively  short  period  of  nursing,  must 
depend  upon  something  else — the  daily  associations  and  perhaps  com- 
mon struggles  in  poverty  and  stores  of  memories  and  habits  of  speech 
or  some  incorrigible  foibles  that  endear  the  mother  to  the  son  and  the 
son  to  the  mother.  The  mother-and-son  relationship  of  rats  does  not 
have  that  period.  And  what  about  the  father  who  hasn't  got  ovary  glands  ? 
How  does  he  come  to  love  his  children?  Science  must  for  ever  abjure 
the  possibility  of  ever  demonstrating  that  the  father  has  any  special 
secretions  of  any  kind,  when  his  wife  conceives  or  has  given  birth  to 
a  baby.  In  the  same  way,  our  value  of  love  between  man  and  woman  has 
been  destroyed  by  this  kind  of  science,  which  began  by  confusing  love 
with  sex  and  ended  by  interpreting  love  only  in  terms  of  sex.  Love  has 
been  dethroned  from  its  pedestal.  For  this  we  have  the  Freudians  to 
thank : 

No  more  privacy 

Of  mind  and  body;  these  students  of  mental  history 
Have  stripped  the  fig-leaves,  dispelled  all  mystery, 
Have  sent  the  naked,  shivering  soul  to  the  scullery, 
And  turned  the  toilet  into  a  public  gallery; 
They've  dulled  the  glamor  of  love,  soured  the  wine  of  romance, 
Plucked  the  feathers  of  pride,  exposed  to  naked  glance 
The  Inner  Sanctum  of  sovereign  mind,  dethroned  from  its  dais, 
And  crowned  the  rank-smelling  Libido  in  its  place. 


576  THE    WISDOM   OF    CHINA 

Our  conception  of  the  nature  of  man  has  been  falsified,  debased. 
The  bottom  has  been  knocked  out  of  our  human  universe;  the  structure 
cannot  hold;  something  must  break.  Out  of  the  shattered  fragments  of 
modern  knowledge  a  new  world  must  be  built,  and  the  East  and  West 
must  build  it  together. 

Of  the  different  selections  in  the  China  part,  I  shall  speak  in  the 
separate  Introductions.  Both  Taoism  and  Confucianism  are  well  repre- 
sented here.  I  will  say  here  only  that,  for  the  immediate  problems  of 
this  contentious  modern  world,  it  is  more  important  to  read  Laotse  than 
to  read  Confucius.  I  have  been  compelled  to  make  many  new  transla- 
tions of  my  own,  including  the  translation  of  Laotse's  Boo^  of  Tao. 
A  knowledge  of  the  Boo\  of  History  and  Mencius  is  necessary  for  the 
understanding  of  Chinese  democratic  ideas,  of  which  so  little  is  known 
to  the  West.  But  it  may  be  equally  enlightening  to  find  the  true  spirit 
of  Chinese  culture  in  the  family  letters  and  proverbs,  and  particularly  in 
the  Six  Chapters  of  a  Floating  Life.  For  the  answer  to  the  question 
"What  is  the  spirit  of  Chinese  civilization?"  is  to  be  found  in  the  Six 
Chapters,  in  the  picture  of  Chinese  life,  not  as  Chinese  thinkers  thought 
life  ought  to  be  lived  but  as  the  actual  common  people  have  lived  it. 
The  Six  Chapters,  as  well  as  the  Family  Letters  of  a  Chinese  Poet,  gives 
us  some  intimate  glance  into  Chinese  life,  valuable  because  it  was  auto- 
biography and  not  fiction,  and  was  written  by  a  Chinese  for  Chinese 
readers.  The  beauty  and  ugliness  of  Chinese  family  life  are  there,  and 
there  are  both  good  and  bad  characters  in  it.  But  the  fundamental  temper 
of  the  Chinese  spirit,  its  struggles,  its  longings,  its  resignations,  and  its 
casual  glances  along  the  wayside  of  life,  are  all  there,  written  down 
sincerely  by  a  common  medium-educated  Chinaman  who  made  not  too 
great  a  success  either  with  his  paintings  or  with  his  small  trade  as  a  com- 
mercial traveller. 


CHINESE 
MYSTICISM 


CONTENTS 


Book  One:  The  Principles  of  Tao 


1  On  the  Absolute  Tao 

2  The  Rise  of  Relative  Opposites 

3  Action  without  Deeds 

4  The  Character  of  Tao 

5  Nature 

6  The  Spirit  of  the  Valley 

7  Living  for  Others 

8  Water 

9  The  Danger  of  Overweening  Success 

10  Embracing  the  One 

11  The  Utility  of  Not-being 

12  The  Senses 

13  Praise  and  Blame 

14  Prehistoric  Origins 

15  The  Wise  Ones  of  Old 

1 6  Knowing  the  Eternal  Law 

17  Rulers 

18  The  Decline  of  Tao 

19  Realize  the  Simple  Self 


20  The  World  and  I 

21  Manifestations  of  Tao 

22  Futility  of  Contention 

23  Identification  with  Tao 

24  The  Dregs  and  Tumors  of  Virtue 

25  The  Four  Eternal  Models 

26  Heaviness  and  Lightness 

27  On  Stealing  the  Light 

28  Keeping  to  the  Female 

29  Warning  against  Interference 

30  Warning  against  the  Use  of  Force 

31  Weapons  of  Evil 

32  Tao  Is  Like  the  Sea 

33  Knowing  Oneself 

34  The  Great  Tao  Flows  Everywhere 

35  The  Peace  of  Tao 

36  The  Rhythm  of  Life 

37  World  Peace 


Book  Two :  The  Application  of  Tao 


38  Degeneration 

39  Unity  through  Complements 

40  The  Principle  of  Reversion 

41  Qualities  of  the  Taoist 

42  The  Violent  Man 

43  The  Softest  Substance 

44  Be  Content 

45  Calm  Quietude 

46  Racing  Horses 

47  Pursuit  of  Knowledge 

48  Conquering  the  World  by  Inaction 

49  The  People's  Hearts 

50  The  Preserving  of  Life 

51  The  Mystic  Virtue 

52  Stealing  the  Absolute 

53  Brigandage 

54  The  Individual  and  the  State 

55  The  Virtues  of  the  Child 

56  Beyond  Honor  and  Disgrace 

57  The  Art  of  Government 

58  Lazy  Government 

59  Be  Sparing 


60  Ruling  a  Big  Country 

6 1  Big  and  Small  Countries 

62  The  Good  Man's  Treasure 

63  Difficult  and  Easy 

64  Beginning  and  End 

65  The  Grand  Harmony 

66  The  Lords  of  the  Ravines 

67  The  Three  Treasures 

68  The  Virtue  of  Not  Contending 

69  Camouflage 

70  They  Know  Me  Not 

71  Sick-mindcdness 

72  On  Punishment  (I) 

73  On  Punishment  (II) 

74  On  Punishment  (III) 

75  On  Punishment  (IV) 

76  Hard  and  Soft 

77  Bending  the  Bow 

78  Nothing  Weaker  than  Water 

79  Peace  Settlements 

80  The  Small  Utopia 

8 1  The  Way  of  Heaven 


Laotse,  the  Book  of  Tao 

(The  Tao  Teh  Ching) 


INTRODUCTION 

IF  THERE  is  ONE  BOOK  in  the  whole  of  Oriental  literature  which  one  should 
read  above  all  the  others,  it  is,  in  my  opinion,  Laotse's  BooJ^  of  Tao.  If 
there  is  one  book  that  can  claim  to  interpret  for  us  the  spirit  of  the  Orient, 
or  that  is  necessary  to  the  understanding  of  characteristic  Chinese  be- 
havior, including  literally  "the  ways  that  are  dark,"  it  is  the  BooJ^  of  Tao. 
For  Laotse's  book  contains  the  first  enunciated  philosophy  of  camouflage 
in  the  world;  it  teaches  the  wisdom  of  appearing  foolish,  the  success  of 
appearing  to  fail,  the  strength  of  weakness  and  the  advantage  of  lying 
low,  the  benefit  of  yielding  to  your  adversary  and  the  futility  of  conten- 
tion for  power.  It  accounts  in  fact  for  any  mellowness  that  may  be  seen 
in  Chinese  social  and  individual  behavior.  If  one  reads  enough  of  this 
Book,  one  automatically  acquires  the  habits  and  ways  of  the  Chinese.  I 
would  go  further  and  say  that  if  I  were  asked  what  antidote  could  be 
found  in  Oriental  literature  and  philosophy  to  cure  this  contentious 
modern  world  of  its  inveterate  belief  in  force  and  struggle  for  power,  I 
would  name  this  book  of  "5,000  words"  written  some  2,400  years  ago. 
For  Laotse  (born  about  B.C.  570)  has  the  knack  of  making  Hitler  and 
other  dreamers  of  world  mastery  appear  foolish  and  ridiculous.  The 
chaos  of  the  modern  world,  I  believe,  is  due  to  the  total  lack  of  a  philos- 
ophy of  the  rhythm  of  life  such  as  we  find  in  Laotse  and  his  brilliant 
disciple  Chuangtse,  or  anything  remotely  resembling  it.  And  further- 
more, if  there  is  one  book  advising  against  the  multifarious  activities  and 
futile  busy-ness  of  the  modern  man,  I  would  again  say  it  is  Laotse's  Bool{ 
of  Tao.  It  is  one  of  the  profoundcst  books  in  the  world's  philosophy. 

579 


580  CHINESE    MYSTICISM 

The  message  of  the  book  is  simple  and  its  dozen  ideas  are  repeated  in 
epigrammatic  form  again  and  again.  Briefly  the  ideas  are :  the  rhythm  of 
life,  the  unity  of  all  world  and  human  phenomena,  the  importance  of 
keeping  the  original  simplicity  of  human  nature,  the  danger  of  over- 
government  and  interference  with  the  simple  life  of  the  people,  the 
doctrine  of  wu-wei  or  "inaction,"  which  is  better  interpreted  as  "non- 
interference" and  is  the  exact  equivalent  of  laissez-faire,  the  pervading 
influence  of  the  spirit,  the  lessons  of  humility,  quietude  and  calm,  and 
the  folly  of  force,  of  pride,  and  of  self-assertion.  All  these  will  be  under- 
stood if  one  understands  the  rhythm  of  life.  It  is  profound  and  clear, 
mystic  and  practical. 

Some  of  the  greatest  paradoxes  in  this  book  are:  "Never  be  the  first 
in  the  world  (LXVII)."  "The  greatest  cleverness  appears  like  stupidity; 
the  greatest  eloquence  seems  like  stuttering  (XLV) ."  "The  farther  one 
pursues  knowledge,  the  less  one  knows  (XLVII)."  "When  two  equally 
matched  armies  meet,  it  is  the  man  of  sorrow  who  wins  (LXIX)."  "Even 
in  victory,  there  is  no  beauty,  and  he  who  calls  it  beautiful  delights  in 
slaughter  (XXXI)."  "A  victory  should  be  celebrated  with  the  Funeral 
Rite  (XXXI)."  "For  love  is  victorious  in  attack  and  invulnerable  in  de- 
fense. Heaven  arms  with  love  those  it  would  not  see  destroyed  (LXVII) ." 
"He  gives  to  other  people,  and  has  greater  abundance  (LXXXI)." 
"Requite  hatred  with  virtue  (LXIII)."  "The  honest  ones  I  believe;  the 
liars  I  also  believe  (XLVIII)."  "He  who  knows  does  not  speak,  and 
he  who  speaks  does  not  know  (LVI)."  (On  laissez-faire) :  "Rule  a  big 
country  as  you  would  fry  small  fish  (LX) ."  In  fact,  the  whole  book  con- 
sists of  such  paradoxes. 

The  Book  has  been  traditionally  divided  into  two  parts,  since  Hoshang 
Kung  in  the  second  century,  B.C.  Actually,  the  original  collection  con- 
sists of  various  epigrams,  and  if  one  reads  the  developments  and  connec- 
tions between  the  different  chapters,  one  sees  even  the  chapter  divisions 
were  not  original.  (Some  late  editions  of  this  Book  have  appeared  with- 
out chapter  divisions.)  On  the  whole,  one  can  make  some  rough  divisions. 
Ch.  I-X  describe  the  general  character  of  the  doctrine.  Ch.  XI-XX  develop 
the  doctrine  of  inaction.  Ch.  XXI-XXVIII  speak  of  the  "models  of  Tao," 
and  are  more  mystic.  Ch.  XXIX-XXXI  contain  forceful  warnings  against 
the  use  of  force.  Ch.  XXXII-XXXVII  speak  of  the  rhythm  of  life.  In 
Book  Two,  Ch.  XXXVIII-XLIX  again  emphasize  the  use  of  gentleness, 
simplicity  and  quietude.  Ch.  L-LVI  have  to  do  with  the  preservation  of 
life.  From  Ch.  LVII  on.  the  themes  become  more  concrete.  Ch.  LVH- 


LAOTSE,    THE    BOOK    OF    TAO  581 

LXVII  give  definite  advice  on  government  and  management  of  human 
affairs.  Ch.  LXVIII-LXIX  again  touch  upon  war  and  camouflage.  Ch. 
LXXII-LXXV  contain  Laotse's  great  sayings  on  crime  and  punishment. 
The  last  six  chapters,  LXXVI-LXXXI  again  give  some  general  advice 
on  the  strength  of  weakness,  with  some  very  appropriate  advice  on  peace 
settlements  in  Ch.  LXX1X.  In  fact,  if  the  chapters  on  war  and  peace 
could  be  made  required  reading  for  delegates  to  the  Peace  Conference, 
we  would  have  a  totally  different  world.  "The  virtuous  man  is  for  patch- 
ing up,  the  vicious  for  fixing  guilt,  etc."  The  advice  for  big  and  small 
countries  (Ch.  LXI)  also  seems  perfect. 

Generally  a  chapter  opens  with  some  paradox  and  develops  it  with 
some  parallel  remarks,  introduced  with  the  word  "Therefore."  An  ex- 
planation on  the  use  of  this  word  is  important,  for  it  will  frequently  be 
taken  by  the  Western  reader  as  misplaced  and  showing  no  real  logical 
sequence.  One  should  clearly  understand,  however,  that  Chinese  logic 
is  both  indeterminate  and  synchronous,  instead  of  determinate,  exclusive 
and  sequential  as  in  Western  logic.  Hence  cause  may  be  an  effect,  and  an 
effect  may  be  part  of  the  cause,  which  is  often  nearer  the  truth.  Cause 
and  effect  in  Chinese  are  not  sequential,  but  are  parallel  aspects  of  the 
same  truth.  In  Chinese,  "therefore"  is  almost  indistinguishable  from 
"for."  This  is  true  of  Laotse,  Chuangtse  and  many  Chinese  writers.  Isn't 
our  distinction  of  cause  and  effect  somewhat  childish?  Try  to  find  out 
what  is  the  cause  of  the  present  war,  and  one  will  discover  many  things 
about  this  logic  of  causality. 

There  have  been  many  useful  criticisms  and  emendations  of  the  text 
of  Laotse,  especially  the  textual  restorations  of  Yu  Yiieh,  Wang  Niensun 
and  others.  On  the  other  hand,  there  has  been  much  useless  contention 
over  the  shifting  of  phrases  and  passages  and  redivision  of  chapters  by 
contemporary  Chinese  authors.  These  corrections  and  substitutions  seem 
to  derive  from  the  schoolmaster's  art  of  correcting  pupils'  compositions, 
cancelling  a  repetition  here  and  shifting  a  sentence  there  where  it  seems 
to  belong  for  better  stylistic  effect.  It  seems  parallel  construction  must  be 
put  together  in  one  paragraph  and  must  never  be  allowed  to  appear  in 
another  place  of  the  book.  Any  good  writer  can  confirm  the  fact  that  a 
good  essay  never  follows  the  schoolmaster's  outline,  and  that  where  the 
essay  has  a  fundamental  unity  of  thought,  any  editor  can  transpose  any 
sentence  and  fit  it  to  another  passage  to  the  editor's  own  satisfaction.  Cor- 
rections of  this  kind  have  no  place  in  textual  restorations  of  ancient 
authors.  I  am  a  "conservative"  in  this  respect. 


582  CHINESE   MYSTICISM 

I  have  therefore  followed  the  conservative  division  into  eighty-one 
chapters,  recognizing  that  the  division  was  not  original.  Another  inter- 
esting fault  of  these  critics  is  to  assume  that  the  divisions  were  original 
and  then  complain  that  the  chapters  lack  "unity  of  composition.*'  The 
text  of  Laotse  exists  today  in  a  fairly  satisfactory  form,  making  such  trans- 
positions and  redivisions  unnecessary.  I  have  not  unhesitatingly  followed 
even  the  most  famous  restoration  of  Wang  Niensun,  because  it  does 
not  improve  upon  the  paradox,  but  rather  takes  away  from  it.  Where 
the  traditional  text  reads  "Fine  weapons  are  instruments  of  evil,"  Wang 
fairly  well  proved  that  the  word  "Fine"  was  a  mistake  for  another  word, 
like  the  English  adverbial  conjunction  "now."  But  to  ask  how  Laotse, 
the  master  of  paradox,  could  say  that  "fine  weapons  are  instruments  of 
evil?  because  what  is  "fine"  is  not  "evil,"  is  sheer  stupidity. 

Laotse  is  the  most  translated  of  all  the  Chinese  books  because  of  its 
small  volume.  I  have  seen  nine  translations  in  German,  including  the 
good  one  by  Alexander  Ular  (Inselverlag).  There  are  the  twelve  English 
translations  by  E.  H.  Parker,  John  Chalmers,  M.  E.  Reynolds,  Paul  Carus, 
Dwight  Goddard  and  Wei-Tao,  Lionel  Giles,  Isabella  Mears,  Hu  Tse-lin, 
"editors"  of  the  Shrine  of  Wisdom,  Walter  Corn  Old,  Ch'u  Ta-Kao, 
John  C.  H.  Wu  and  Arthur  Waley,  of  which  the  last  two  mentioned 
are  the  best.  I  have  profited  most  from  the  translations  by  Waley  and 
Mears  in  my  rendering  into  English.  I  have,  however,  found  it  neces- 
sary to  make  a  new  translation.  Laotse's  style  is  epigrammatic  and  his 
language  is  terse  and  vigorous,  and  I  have  tried  to  preserve  its  terse,  epi- 
grammatic quality  and  its  sentence  rhythm,  but  I  have  not  tried  to 
reproduce  the  rhyme  in  its  many  passages.  Translation  is  an  art  of  seek- 
ing the  exact  word,  and  when  the  exact  word  is  found,  circumlocutions 
can  be  avoided,  and  the  style  preserved.  Translation  also  requires  a 
certain  stupidity,  and  the  best  translation  is  the  stupid  one  which  does 
not  go  out  of  its  way  for  "brilliant"  interpretations.  Laotse's  advice  to 
"be  aware  of  the  Male,  but  keep  to  the  Female"  has  been  my  principle. 
For  only  the  stupid  man  has  fidelity.  Many  translators  betray  that  undue 
and  incorrect  stress  on  individual  words  in  regard  to  their  etymology  as 
beginners  in  a  foreign  language  place  undue  stress  on  individual 
syllables,  the  one  arising  from  lack  of  familiarity,  the  other  from  lack  of 
fluency.  I  have  given  footnotes  for  the  sole  purpose  of  making  the  mean- 
ing of  the  text  more  exact  and  clearer,  and  have  avoided  all  comments 
of  opinion.  The  chapter  titles  are  not  original,  but  are  supplied  by  myself 
for  the  convenience  of  the  readers. 


Laotse,  the  Book  of  Tao 

Translated  by  Lin  Yutang 
BOOK  I.  THE  PRINCIPLES  OF  TAO 

I.  ON  THE  ABSOLUTE  TAO 

The  Tao  that  can  be  told  of 

Is  not  the  Absolute  Tao; 
The  Names  that  can  be  given 

Are  not  Absolute  Names. 

The  Nameless  is  the  origin  of  Heaven  and  Earth; 
The  Named  is.the  Mother  of  All  Things. 

Therefore : 

Oftentimes,  one  strips  oneself  of  passion 

In  order  to  see  the  Secret  of  Life; 
Oftentimes,  one  regards  life  with  passion, 

In  order  to  see  its  manifest  results. 

These  two  (the  Secret  and  its  manifestations) 

Are  (in  their  nature)  the  same; 
They  are  given  different  names 

When  they  become  manifest. 

They  may  both  be  called  the  Cosmic  Mystery : x 
Reaching  from  the  Mystery  into  the  Deeper  Mystery 
Is  the  Gate  to  the  Secret s  of  All  Life. 

vHsudn — This  word  is  the  equivalent  of:  "mystic"  and  "rrnMicism."  Taoism  is  also  known 
as  the  Hsuanchiao,  or  "Mystic  Religion." 

"Afiflo  may  also  be  translated  as  "Essence";  it  means  "the  wonderful,"  the  "ultimate," 
the  "logically  unknowable,"  the  "quintessence,"  or  "esoteric  truth." 

583 


584  CHINESE   MYSTICISM 

II.  THE  RISE  OF  RELATIVE  OPPOSITES 

When  the  people  of  the  Earth  all  know  beauty  as  beauty, 

There  arises  (the  recognition  of)  ugliness. 
When  the  people  of  the  Earth  all  know  the  good  as  good, 

There  arises  (the  recognition  of)  evil. 

Therefore : 

Being  and  non-being  interdepend  in  growth; 
Difficult  and  easy  interdepend  in  completion; 
Long  and  short  interdepend  in  contrast; 
High  and  low  interdepend  in  position; 
Tones  and  voice  interdepend  in  harmony; 
Front  and  behind  interdepend  in  company. 

Therefore  the  Sage : 

Manages  the  affairs  without  action; 

Preaches  the  doctrine  without  words; 

All  things  take  their  rise,  but  he  does  not  turn  away  from  them; 
He  gives  them  life,  but  does  not  take  possession  of  them; 
He  acts,  but  does  not  appropriate; 
Accomplishes,  but  claims  no  credit. 

It  is  because  he  lays  claim  to  no  credit 

That  the  credit  cannot  be  taken  away  from  him. 

III.  ACTION  WITHOUT  DEEDS 

Exalt  not  the  wise,8 

So  that  the  people  shall  not  scheme  and  contend; 
Prize  not  rare  objects, 

So  that  the  people  shall  not  steal; 
Shut  out  from  sight  the  things  of  desire, 

So  that  the  people's  hearts  shall  not  be  disturbed. 

Therefore  in  the  government  of  the  Sage : 
He  keeps  empty  their  hearts 4 
Makes  full  their  bellies, 

8  Exalting  the  wise  in  government  is  a  typically  Confucianist  idea. 

*  "Empty-heart"  in  the  Chinese  language  means  "open-mindcdncss,"  or  "humility,"  a 
sign  of  the  cultured  gentleman.  Throughout  this  book,  "empty"  and  "full"  arc  used  as 
meaning  "humility"  and  "pride"  respectively. 


LAOTSE,    THE    BOOK    OF    TAO  585 

Discourages  their  ambitions, 

Strengthens  their  frame:; 

So  that  the  people  may  be  purified  of  their  thoughts  and  desires. 
And  the  cunning  ones  shall  not  presume  to  interfere.5 

By  action  without  deeds 

May  all  live  in  peace. 

IV.  THE  CHARACTER  OF  TAO 

Tao  is  all-pervading,0 

And  its  use  is  inexhaustible! 
Fathomless! 

Like  the  fountain  head  of  all  things. 

Its  sharp  edges  rounded  off, 

Its  tangles  untied, 

Its  light  tempered, 

Its  turmoil  submerged, 
Yet  crystal  clear  like  still  water  it  seems  to  remain. 

I  do  not  know  whose  Son  it  is, 

An  image  of  what  existed  before  God. 

V.   NATURE 

Nature  is  unkind: 

lf  treats  the  creation  like  sacrificial  straw-dogs. 
The  Sage  is  unkind: 

He  treats  the  people  like  sacrificial  straw-dogs.7 

How  the  universe  is  like  a  bellows! 

Empty,  yet  it  gives  a  supply  that  never  fails; 

The  more  it  is  worked,  the  more  it  brings  forth. 
By  many  words  is  wit  exhausted. 
Rather,  therefore,  hold  to  the  core.8 

,B  Wfi,  "to  act,"  frequently  used  in  this  book  to  denote  "interfere.**  \Vu-wcl,  or  "inaction" 
practically  means  non-interference,  for  it  is  die  exact  equivalent  of  "laissez-faire." 

*  Ch'ung,  "empty,"  "mild,"  "formless,"  "filling  all  space."  Another  reading,  chung,  "Tao 
is  an  empty  vessel." 

'The  doctrine  of  naturalism,  the  Sage  reaching  the  impartiality  and  often  the  stolid 
indifference  of  Nature. 

*  Center,  the  original  nature  of  man,  "Hold  to  the  core"  is  an  important  Taoist  tenet. 


586  CHINESE  MYSTICISM 

VI.  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  VALLEY 

The  Spirit  of  the  Valley  °  never  dies. 
It  is  called  the  Mystic  Female.10 

The  Door  of  the  Mystic  Female 

Is  the  root  of  Heaven  and  Earth. 

Continuously,  continuously, 
It  seems  to  remain. 
Draw  upon  it 
And  it  serves  you  with  ease.11 

VII.  LIVING  FOR  OTHERS 

The  universe  is  everlasting. 

The  reason  the  universe  is  everlasting 

Is  that  it  does  not  live  for  Self.13 
Therefore  it  can  long  endure. 

Therefore  the  Sage  puts  himself  last, 
And  finds  himself  m  the  foremost  place; 

Regards  his  body  as  accidental, 
And  his  body  is  thereby  preserved. 

Is  it  not  because  he  does  not  live  for  Self 

That  his  Self  achieves  perfection  ? 

VIII.  WATER 

The  best  of  men  is  like  water; 
Water  benefits  all  things 
And  does  not  compete  with  them. 

It  dwells  in  (the  lowly)  places  that  all  disdain, — 
Wherein  it  comes  near  to  the  Tao. 

In  his  dwelling,  (the  Sage)  loves  the  (lowly)  earth; 
In  his  heart,  he  loves  what  is  profound; 

*  The  Valley,  like  the  bellows,  is  a  symbol  of  Taoistic  "emptiness." 

10  The  principle  of  yin  the  negative,  the  receptive,  the  quiescent. 

u  He  who  makes  use  of  nature's  laws  accomplishes  results  "without  labor." 

**  Gives  life  to  others  through  its  transformations. 


LAOTSE,    THE    BOOK    OF    TAO  587 

In  his  relations  with  others,  he  loves  kindness; 

In  his  words,  he  loves  sincerity; 

In  government,  he  loves  peace; 

In  business  affairs,  he  loves  ability; 

In  his  actions,  he  loves  choosing  the  right  time. 

It  is  because  he  does  not  contend 

That  he  is  without  reproach. 

IX.  THE  DANGER  OF  OVERWEENING  SUCCESS 

Stretch  (a  bow)  1S  to  the  very  full, 

And  you  will  wish  you  had  stopped  in  time. 
Temper  a  (sword-edge)  to  its  very  sharpest, 

And  the  edge  will  not  last  long. 
When  gold  and  jade  fill  your  hall, 

You  will  not  be  able  to  keep  them  safe. 
To  be  proud  with  wealth  and  honor 

Is  to  sow  the  seeds  of  one's  own  downfall. 
Retire  when  your  work  is  done, 

Such  is  Heaven's  way.14 

X.  EMBRACING  THE  ONE 

In  embracing  the  One  18  with  your  soul, 

Can  you  never  forsake  the  Tao  ? 
In  controlling  your  vital  force  to  achieve  gentleness, 

Can  you  become  like  the  new-born  child?10 
In  cleansing  and  purifying  your  Mystic  vision, 

Can  you  strive  after  perfection  ? 
In  loving  the  people  and  governing  the  kingdom, 

Can  you  rule  without  interference  ? 

18  Throughout  Laotsc,  the  idea  of  ying,  "fullness"  or  "filled  to  the  brim,"  associated  with 
pride,  is  condemned  as  the  opposite  of  "emptiness"  or  "humility,"  because  success  contains 
the  seeds  of  downfall. 
14  The  whole  chapter  is  rhymed. 
"Important  phrase  in  Taoism. 

*Thc  babe  as  symbol  of  innocence,  a  common  imagery  found  also  in  Chuangtse;  some- 
times the  imagery  of  the  "new-born  calf"  is  used. 


500  CHINESE    MYSTICISM 

In  opening  and  shutting  the  Gates  of  Heaven, 

Can  you  play  the  part  of  the  Female?17 
In  comprehending  all  knowledge, 

Can  you  renounce  the  mind?18 

To  give  birth,  to  nourish, 

To  give  birth  without  taking  possession, 

To  act  without  appropriation, 

To  be  chief  among  men  without  managing  them — 

This  is  the  Mystic  Virtue. 

XL  THE  UTILITY  OF  NOT-BEING 

Thirty  spokes  unite  around  the  nave; 

From  their  not-being  (losing  of  their  individuality) 

Arises  the  utility  of  the  wheel. 
Mould  clay  into  a  vessel; 

From  its  not-being  (in  the  vessel's  hollow) 

Arises  the  utility  of  the  vessel. 
Cut  out  doors  and  windows  in  the  house  (-wall), 

From  their  not-being  (empty  space)  arises  the  utility  of  the  house. 
Therefore  by  the  existence  of  things  we  profit. 
And  by  the  non-existence  of  things  we  are  served. 

XII.   THE  SENSES 

The  five  colors  blind  the  eyes  of  man; 

The  five  musical  notes  deafen  the  ears  of  man; 

The  five  flavors  dull  the  taste  of  man; 

Horse-racing,  hunting  and  chasing  madojen  the  minds  of  man; 

Rare,  valuable  goods  keep  their  owners  awake  at  night.10 

Therefore  the  Sage  : 

Provides  for  the  belly  and  not  for  the  eye.20 
Hence,  he  rejects  the  one  and  accepts  the  other. 

"The  Y/»,  the  receptive,  the  passive,  the  quiet. 

18  This  section  is  rhymed  throughout. 

19  Lit.*  "Keep  one  on  one's  guard." 

80  "Belly"  here  refers  to  the  inner  self,  the  unconscious,  the  instinctive;  the  "eye"  refers 
to  the  external  self  or  the  sensuous  world. 


LAOTSE,    THE    BOOK    OF    TAO  589 

XIII.  PRAISE  AND  BLAME 

"Favor  and  disgrace  cause  one  dismay; 

What  we  value  and  what  we  fear  are  as  if  within  our  Self." 

What  does  this  mean: 

"Favor  and  disgrace  cause  one  dismay?" 

Those  who  receive  a  favor  from  above 

Are  dismayed  when  they  receive  it, 

And  dismayed  when  they  lose  it. 

What  does  this  mean : 

"What  we  value  and  what  we  fear  21  are  as  if  within  our  Self?** 

We  have  fears  because  we  have  a  self.2* 

When  we  do  not  regard  that  self  as  self, 

What  have  we  to  fear? 

Therefore  he  who  values  the  world  as  his  self 
May  then  be  entrusted  with  the  government  of  the  world; 

And  he  who  loves  the  world  as  his  self — 
The  world  may  then  be  entrusted  to  his  care. 

XIV.   PREHISTORIC  ORIGINS 

Looked  at,  but  cannot  be  seen — 

That  is  called  the  Invisible  (yi). 
Listened  to,  but  cannot  be  heard — 

That  is  called  the  Inaudible  (hsi). 
Grasped  at,  but  cannot  be  touched — 

That  is  called  the  Intangible  (wei)? 
These  three  elude  all  our  inquiries 
And  hence  blend  and  become  One. 

Not  by  its  rising,  is  there  light, 
Nor  by  its  sinking,  is  there  darkness. 

Unceasing,  continuous, 

It  cannot  be  defined, 
And  reverts  again  to  the  realm  of  nothingness. 

81  Interpreted  as  life  and  death.  The  text  ot  Chuangt.se  confirms  this  interpretation. 
"Lit.  "body." 

88  Jesuit  scholars  consider  these  three  words  (in  ancient  Chinese  pronounced  nearly  like 
i-hi-vci)  an  interesting  coincidence  with  the  Hebrew  word,  "Jahvc" 


590  CHINESE   MYSTICISM 

That  is  why  it  is  called  the  Form  of  the  Formless, 

The  Image  of  Nothingness. 

That  is  why  it  is  called  the  Elusive: 

Meet  it  and  you  do  not  see  its  face; 

Follow  it  and  you  do  not  see  its  back. 

He  who  holds  fast  to  the  Tao  of  old 

In  order  to  manage  the  affairs  of  Now 
Is  able  to  know  the  Primeval  Beginnings 

Which  are  the  continuity24  of  Tao. 

XV.  THE  WISE  ONES  OF  OLD 

The  wise  ones25  of  old  had  subtle  wisdom  and  depth  of  understanding, 
So  profound  that  they  could  not  be  understood. 
And  because  they  could  not  be  understood, 
Perforce  must  they  be  so  described: 

Cautious,  like  crossing  a  wintry  stream, 

Irresolute,  like  one  fearing  danger  all  around, 

Grave,  like  one  acting  as  guest, 

Self-effacing,  like  ice  beginning  to  melt, 

Genuine,26  like  a  piece  of  undressed  wood,*7 

Open-minded,  like  a  valley, 

And  mixing  freely,28  like  murky  water. 

Who  can  find  repose  in  a  muddy  world? 

By  lying  still,  it  becomes  clear. 
Who  can  maintain  his  calm  for  long? 

By  activity,  it  comes  back  to  life. 

He  who  embraces  this  Tao 

Guards  against  being  over-full. 
Because  he  guards  against  being  over-full," 

He  is  beyond  wearing  out  and  renewal. 

84  Chit  a  word  meaning  "mam  body  of  tradition,"  "system"  and  also  "discipline." 

86  Another  ancient  text,  the  "rulers." 

MTun,  "thickness,"  like  solid  furniture,  associated  with  the  original  simplicity  of  man, 
in  opposition  to  "thinness,"  associated  with  cunning,  over-refinement  and  sophistication. 

87  P'u,  important  Taoist  idea,  the  uncarved,  the  uncmbelhshcd,  the  natural  goodness  and 
honesty  of  man.  Generally  used  to  mean  simplicity,  plainness  of  heart  and  living. 

*  Hun,  "muddled,"  "mixing  freely,"  therefore  "easygoing,"  "not  particular."  Taoist  wis- 
dom: a  wise  man  should  appear  like  a  fool.  "  Self-satisfaction,  conceit. 


LAOTSE,    THE    BOOK    OF    TAO  591 

XVI.   KNOWING  THE  ETERNAL  LAW 

Attain  the  utmost  in  Humility;  " 
Hold  firm  to  the  basis  of  Quietude. 

The  myriad  things  take  shape  and  rise  to  activity, 

But  I  watch  them  fall  back  to  their  repose. 
Like  vegetation  that  luxuriantly  grows 

But  returns  to  the  root  (soil)  from  which  it  springs. 

To  return  to  the  root  is  Repose; 

It  is  called  going  back  to  one's  Destiny. 
Going  back  to  one's  Destiny  is  to  find  the  Eternal  Law.81 

To  know  the  Eternal  Law  is  Enlightenment. 
And  not  to  know  the  Eternal  Law 

Is  to  court  disaster. 

He  who  knows  the  Eternal  Law  is  tolerant; 

Being  tolerant,  he  is  impartial; 

Being  impartial,  he  is  kingly;  M 

Being  kingly,  he  is  in  accord  with  Nature;  M 

Being  in  accord  with  Nature,  he  is  in  accord  with  Tao; 

Being  in  accord  with  Tao,  he  is  eternal, 

And  his  whole  life  is  preserved  from  harm. 

XVII.  RULERS 

Of  the  best  rulers 

The  people  (only)  know  **  that  they  exist; 
The  next  best  they  love  and  praise; 
The  next  they  fear; 
And  the  next  they  revile. 

90  Hsu:  emptiness,  void.  But  in  actual  usage,  this  "emptiness"  has  no  other  meaning  than 

"humility."  Both  "humility"  and  "quietude"  arc  central  Taoist  ideas. 

w  Ch'ang,   the   "constant,"   the   law  of  growth   and   decay,   of   necessary   alternation   of 

oppositcs,  can  be  interpreted  as  the  "universal  law  of  nature,"  or  the  "inner  law  of  man," 

the  true  self  (hstngmtng  chih  ch'ang),  the  two  being  identical  in  their  nature. 

n  Wang;  a  possible  translation  is  "cosmopolitan,"  i.e.  regarding  the  world  as  one. 

M  T'icn,  heaven  or  nature.  Both  "t'icn"  here  and  Tao  in  the  next  line  arc  clearly  used  as 

adjectives;  hence  the  translation  "in  accord  with."  Tien  very  commonly  means  "nature," 

or  "natural." 

34  Some  texts  read:  "The  people  do  not  know." 


592  CHINESE   MYSTICISM 

When  they  do  not  command  the  people's  faith, 

Some  will  lose  faith  in  them, 

And  then  they  resort  to  oaths!. 

But  (of  the  best)  when  their  task  is  accomplished,  their  work  done, 
The  people  all  remark,  "We  have  done  it  ourselves." 

XVIII.  THE  DECLINE  OF  TAO 

On  the  decline  of  the  great  Tao, 

The  doctrines  of  "love"  and  "justice"35  arose. 
When  knowledge  and  cleverness  appeared, 

Great  hypocrisy  followed  in  its  wake. 

When  the  six  relationships  no  longer  lived  at  peace, 
There  was  (praise  of)  "kind  parents"  and  "filial  sons." 

When  a  country  fell  into  chaos  and  misrule, 
There  was  (praise  of)  "loyal  ministers." 

XIX.  REALIZE  THE  SIMPLE  SELF 

Banish  wisdom,  discard  knowledge, 

And  the  people  shall  profit  a  hundredfold; 
Banish  "love,"  discard  "justice," 

And  the  people  shall  recover  love  of  their  kin; 
Banish  cunning,  discard  "utility," 

And  the  thieves  and  brigands  shall  disappear.80 
As  these  three  touch  the  externals  and  are  inadequate; 
The  people  have  need  of  what  they  can  depend  upon: 
Reveal  thy  Simple  Self,87 
Embrace  thy  Original  Nature, 
Check  thy  selfishness, 
Curtail  thy  desires.38 

"*  Essential  Confucian  doctrines,  usually  translated  (badly)  as  "benevolence"  and  "right- 
eousness." 

88  The  ideas  of  Chapters  18  and  19  are  fully  developed  by  Chuangtse  (Ch.  X,  "Opening 
Trunks"). 

**  Su,  the  unadorned,  uncultured,  the  innate  quality,  simple  self;  originally  "plain  silk 
background"   as  opposed   to  superimposed   colored   drawings;   hence   the  expression   to 
"reveal,"  "realize"  su. 
88  The  eight  characters  in  these  four  lines  sum  up  practical  Taoist  teachings. 


LAOTSE,    THE    BOOK    OF    TAO  593 

XX.  THE  WORLD  AND  I 

Banish  learning,  and  vexations  end. 

Between  "Ah!"  and  "Ough!"89 

How  much  difference  is  there? 
Between  "good"  and  "evil" 

How  much  difference  is  there? 
That  which  men  fear 

Is  indeed  to  be  feared; 
But,  alas,  distant  yet  is  the  dawn  (of  awakening) ! 

The  people  of  the  world  are  merry-making, 

As  if  eating  of  the  sacrificial  offerings, 

As  if  mounting  the  terrace  in  spring; 
I  alone  am  mild,  like  one  unemployed, 

Like  a  new-born  babe  that  cannot  yet  smile, 

Unattached,  like  one  without  a  home. 

The  people  of  the  world  have  enough  and  to  spare, 
But  I  am  like  one  left  out, 

My  heart  must  be  that  of  a  fool, 

Being  muddled,  nebulous! 

The  vulgar  arc  knowing,  luminous; 

I  alone  am  dull>  confused. 
The  vulgar  are  clever,  self-assured; 

I  alone,  depressed. 
Patient  as  the  sea, 

Adrift,  seemingly  aimless. 

The  people  of  the  world  all  have  a  purpose; 

I  alone  appear  stubborn  and  uncouth. 
I  alone  differ  from  the  other  people, 

And  value  drawing  sustenance  from  the  Mother.40 

89  Wei  and  o.  "O"  an  utterance  of  disapproval. 

40  Imagery  of  the  sucking  child,  symbolizing  drawing  power  from  Mother  Nature. 


594  CHINESE    MYSTICISM 

XXI.  MANIFESTATIONS  OF  TAO 

The  marks  of  great  Virtue  tt 
Follow  alone  from  the  Tao. 

The  thing  that  is  called  Tao 

Is  elusive,  evasive. 
Evasive,  elusive, 

Yet  latent  in  it  are  forms. 
Elusive,  evasive, 

Yet  latent  in  it  are  objects. 
Dark  and  dim, 

Yet  latent  in  it  is  the  life-force. 
The  life-force  being  very  true, 

Latent  in  it  are  evidences. 

From  the  days  of  old  till  now 
Its  Named  (manifested  forms)  have  never  ceased, 
By  which  we  may  view  the  Father  of  All  Things. 
How  do  I  know  the  shape  of  Father  of  All  Things  ? 
Through  These!  " 

XXII.  FUTILITY  OF  CONTENTION 

To  yield  is  to  be  preserved  whole. 
To  be  bent  is  to  become  straight. 
To  be  hollow  is  to  be  filled. 
To  be  tattered  is  to  be  renewed. 
To  be  in  want  is  to  possess. 
To  have  plenty  is  to  be  confused. 

Therefore  the  Sage  embraces  the  One/* 
And  becomes  the  model  of  the  world. 

11  Teh  as  manifestation  of  Tao,  the  active  aspect  of  Tao,  the  moral  principle,  tr.  by  Walcy 

is  "power." 

44  Manifested  forms. 

"^The  Absolute,  to  which  transient  attributes  revert. 


LAOTSE,    THE    BOOK    OF    TAO  595 

He  does  not  reveal  himself, 

And  is  therefore  luminous." 
He  does  not  justify  himself, 

And  is  therefore  far-famed. 
He  does  not  boast  of  himself, 

And  therefore  people  give  him  credit. 
He  does  not  pride  himself, 

And  is  therefore  the  ruler  among  men. 

It  is  because  he  does  not  contend 

That  no  one  in  the  world  can  contend  against  him. 

Is  it  not  indeed  true,  as  the  ancients  say, 
"To  yield  is  to  be  preserved  whole?"45 
Thus  he  is  preserved  and  the  world  does  him  homage. 

XXIII.  IDENTIFICATION  WITH  TAO 

Nature  says  few  words: 

Hence  it  is  that  a  squall  lasts  not  a  whole  morning. 
A  rainstorm  continues  not  a  whole  day. 
Where  do  they  come  from ? 
From  Nature. 

Even  Nature  does  not  last  long  (in  its  utterances), 
How  much  less  should  human  beings? 

Therefore  it  is  that: 

He  who  follows  the  Tao  is  identified  with  the  Tao. 

He  who  follows  Virtue  (Teh)  is  identified  with  Virtue. 

He  who  abandons  (Tao)  is  identified  with  abandonment  (of  Tao). 
He  who  is  identified  with  Tao — 

Tao  is  also  glad  to  welcome  him. 
He  who  is  identified  with  Virtue — 

Virtue  is  also  glad  to  welcome  him. 

"Ming  with  two  meanings,  "clear"   (bright,  sterling)  and  "clear-sighted"   (wise,  dis 

cerning). 

"Another  Chinese  proverb:  "Yield  your  land  boundaries  all  your  life  and  you  never  lose 

half;  yield  your  way  to  fellow  passengers  all  your  life  and  you  never  lose  a  step." 


596  CHINESE    MYSTICISM 

He  who  is  identified  with  abandonment — 
Abandonment  is  also  glad  to  welcome  him. 

He  who  has  not  enough  faith 
Will  not  be  able  to  command  faith  from  others. 

XXIV.  THE  DREGS  AND  TUMORS  OF  VIRTUE 

He  who  stands  on  tiptoe  does  not  stand  (firm) ; 
He  who  strains  his  strides  M  does  not  walk  (well) ; 
He  who  reveals  himself  is  not  luminous; 
He  who  justifies  himself  is  not  far-famed; 
He  who  boasts  of  himself  is  not  given  credit; 
He  who  prides  himself  is  not  chief  among  men. 

These  in  the  eyes  of  Tao 

Are  called  "the  dregs  and  tumors  of  Virtue," 

Which  are  things  of  disgust. 
Therefore  the  man  of  Tao  spurns  them. 

XXV.  THE  FOUR  ETERNAL  MODELS 

Before  the  Heaven  and  Earth  existed 
There  was  something  nebulous : 

Silent,  isolated, 

Standing  alone,  changing  not, 

Eternally  revolving  without  fail, 

Worthy  to  be  the  Mother  of  All  Things. 
I  do  not  know  its  name 

And  address  it  as  Tao. 

If  forced  to  give  it  a  name,  I  shall  call  it  "Great." 
Being  great  implies  reaching  out  in  space, 
Reaching  out  in  space  implies  far-reaching 
Far-reaching  implies  reversion  to  the  original  point. 

Therefore :  Tao  is  Great, 

The  Heaven  is  great, 
The  Earth  is  great, 
The  King  is  also  great. 
'Hurrying,  striving,  ambitious. 


LAOTSE,    THE    BOOK    OF    TAO  597 

These  are  the  Great  Four  in  the  universe, 
And  the  King  is  one  of  them. 

Man  models  himself  after  the  Earth; 
The  Earth  models  itself  after  Heaven; 
The  Heaven  models  itself  after  Tao; 
Tao  models  itself  after  Nature/7 


XXVI.  HEAVINESS  AND  LIGHTNESS 

The  Solid  "  is  the  root  of  the  light; 

The  Quiescent  is  the  master  of  the  Hasty. 

Therefore  the  Sage  travels  all  day. 

Yet  never  leaves  his  provision-cart/9 
In  the  midst  of  honor  and  glory, 

He  lives  leisurely,  undisturbed. 
How  can  the  ruler  of  a  great  country 
Make  light  of  his  body  in  the  empire?  *° 
In  light  frivolity,  the  Center  is  lost; 
In  hasty  action,  self-mastery  is  lost. 


XXVII.  ON  STEALING  THE  LIGHT 

A  good  runner  leaves  no  track. 
A  good  speech  leaves  no  flaws  for  attack. 
A  good  reckoner  makes  use  of  no  counters. 
A  well  shut  door  makes  use  of  no  bolts, 

And  yet  cannot  be  opened. 
A  well-tied  knot  makes  use  of  no  rope, 

And  yet  cannot  be  untied. 

47  Tsf-jan,  lit.  "self-so,"  "self-formed,"  "that  which  is  so  by  itself." 

48  Literally  "heavy,"  with  the  Earth  as  model.  In  Chinese,  "heaviness"  or  "thickness"  of 
character,  meaning  "honesty,"  "generosity,"  is  associated  with  the  idea  of  stable  luck  and 
endurance,  whereas  "thinness"  or  "lightness"  of  character,  meaning  "frivolity"  or  "sharp- 
ness," is  associated  with  lack  of  stable  luck. 

49  A  pun  on  the  phrase,  containing  the  word  "heavy." 

50  By  rushing  about. 


598  CHINESE   MYSTICISM 

Therefore  the  Sage  is  good  at  helping  men; 

For  that  reason  there  is  no  rejected  (useless)  person. 
He  is  good  at  saving  things; 

For  that  reason  there  is  nothing  rejected.61 

— This  is  called  stealing  M  the  Light. 

Therefore  the  good  man  is  the  Teacher  of  the  bad. 
And  the  bad  man  is  the  lesson  M  of  the  good. 

He  who  neither  values  his  teacher 

Nor  loves  the  lesson 
Is  one  gone  far  astray, 

Though  he  be  learned. 

— Such  is  the  subtle  secret. 


XXVIII.  KEEPING  TO  THE  FEMALE 

He  who  is  aware  of  the  Male 

But  keeps  to  the  Female 
Becomes  the  ravine5*  of  the  world. 

Being  the  ravine  of  the  world, 
He  has  the  eternal  power  M  which  never  fails, 
And  returns  again  to  the  (innocence  of)  the  babe. 

He  who  is  conscious  of  the  white  (bright) 

But  keeps  to  the  black  (dark) 
Becomes  the  model  for  the  world. 

Being  the  model  for  the  world, 
He  has  the  eternal  power  which  never  errs, 
And  returns  again  to  the  Primordial  Nothingness. 

81  The  Sage  uses  each  according  to  his  talent. 

83  Hsi,  to  enter  or  secure  by  devious  means  such  as  invasion,  attack  at  night,  penetration, 
etc.  The  idea  is  cunningly  to  make  use  of  knowledge  of  nature's  law  to  obtain  the  best 
results.  See  full  development  by  Chuangtsc,  especially  in  his  parable  of  Prince  Hui's  cook. 
Ch.  III. 

68  Tse,  raw-material,  resources,  help,  something  to  draw  upon  for  profit,  such  as  a  lesson. 

84  See  Ch.  VI.  The  valley,  or  ravine  is  symbol  of  the  Female  Principle,  the  receptive,  the 
passive. 

*Teh. 


LAOTSE,    THE    BOOK    OF    TAO  599 

He  who  is  familiar  with  honor  and  glory 
But  keeps  to  obscurity 

Becomes  the  valley  of  the  world. 
Being  the  valley  of  the  world, 

He  has  an  eternal  power  which  always  suffices, 

And  returns  again  to  pristine  simplicity. 

Break  up  this  pristine  simplicity  M 

And  it  is  shaped  into  tools. 
In  the  hands  of  the  Sage, 

They  become  the  officials  and  magistrates. 

Therefore  the  great  ruler  does  not  cut  up. 

XXIX.  WARNING  AGAINST  INTERFERENCE 

There  are  those  who  will  conquer  the  world 
And  make  of  it  (what  they  conceive  or  desire). 

I  see  that  they  will  not  succeed. 
(For)  the  world  is  God's  own  Vessel 
It  cannot  be  made  (by  human  interference). 

He  who  makes  it  spoils  it. 

He  who  holds  it  loses  it. 
For:  Some  things  go  forward, 

Some  things  follow  behind; 

Some  blow  hot, 

And  some  blow  cold ; w 

Some  are  strong, 

And  some  are  weak; 

Some  may  break, 

And  some  may  fall. 
Hence  the  Sage  eschews  excess, 

eschews  extravagance, 
eschews  pride. 

XXX.  WARNING  AGAINST  THE  USE  OF  FORCE 

He  who  by  Tao  purposes  to  help  the  ruler  of  men 
Will  oppose  all  conquest  by  force  of  arms.58 

56  P'u,  a  piece  o£  unhewn  wood,  symbol  of  unspoiled  Nature. 

87  Lit.  "blow  out,"  "blow  in."  I  follow  Waley's  rendering,  which  conveys  the  meaning 

perfectly. 

"The  Chinese  character  for  "military"  is  composed  of  two  parts:  "stop"  and  "arms/1 


600  CHINESE   MYSTICISM 

For  such  things  are  wont  to  rebound. 
Where  armies  are,  thorns  and  brambles  grow. 
The  raising  of  a  great  host 
Is  followed  by  a  year  of  dearth.68 

Therefore  a  good  general  effects  his  purpose  and  stops. 

He  dares  not  rely  upon  the  strength  of  arms; 
Effects  his  purpose  and  does  not  glory  in  it; 
Effects  his  purpose  and  does  not  boast  of  it; 
Effects  his  purpose  and  does  not  take  pride  in  it; 

Effects  his  purpose  as  a  regrettable  necessity; 

Effects  his  purpose  but  does  not  love  violence. 
(For)  things  age  after  reaching  their  prime. 
That  (violence)  would  be  against  the  Tao. 
And  he  who  is  against  the  Tao  perishes  young. 

XXXI.  WEAPONS  OF  EVIL 

Of  all  things,  soldiers  M  are  instruments  of  evil, 

Hated  by  men. 

Therefore  the  religious  man  (possessed  of  Tao)  avoids  them. 
The  gentleman  favors  the  left  in  civilian  life, 
But  on  military  occasions  favors  the  right.01 

Soldiers  are  weapons  of  evil. 

They  are  not  the  weapons  of  the  gentleman. 
When  the  use  of  soldiers  cannot  be  helped, 

The  best  policy  is  calm  restraint. 

Even  in  victory,  there  is  no  beauty,62 
And  who  calls  it  beautiful 
Is  one  who  delights  in  slaughter. 

Chinese  pacifists  interpret   this   as   meaning  disapproval   of  arms    ("stop   armament"), 

whereas  it  may  just  as  well  mean  to  stop  the  enemy  by  force.  Etymologically,  however,  the 

word  for  "stop"  is  a  picture  of  a  footprint,  so  the  whole  is  a  picture  of  a  "spear"  over 

"footprints." 

BB  These  six  lines  are  by  Walcy,  for  they  cannot  be  improved  upon. 

w  Another  reading,  "fine  weapons."  Ping  can  mean  both  "soldiers"  and  "weapons.1* 

01  These  are  ceremonial  arrangements.  The  left  is  symbol  of  good  omen,  the  creative;  the 

right  is  symbol  of  bad  omen,  the  destructive. 

fla  Another  equally  good  reading,  "no  boasting,"  "and  who  boasts  of  victory." 


LAOTSE,    THE    BOOK    OF    TAO  6oi 

He  who  delights  in  slaughter 
Will  not  succeed  in  his  ambition  to  rule  the  world. 

[The  things  of  good  omen  favor  the  left. 

The  things  of  ill  omen  favor  the  right. 

The  lieutenant-general  stands  on  the  left, 

The  general  stands  on  the  right. 

That  is  to  say,  it  is  celebrated  as  a  Funeral  Rite.] 

The  slaying  of  multitudes  should  be  mourned  with  sorrow. 

A  victory  should  be  celebrated  with  the  Funeral  Rite.85 


XXXII.  TAO  IS  LIKE  THE  SEA 

Tao  is  absolute  and  has  no  name. 
Though  the  uncarved  wood  is  small, 

It  cannot  be  employed  (used  as  vessel)  by  anyone. 
If  kings  and  barons  can  keep  (this  unspoiled  nature), 

The  whole  world  shall  yield  them  lordship  of  their  own  accord. 

The  Heaven  and  Earth  join, 

And  the  sweet  rain  falls, 
Beyond  the  command  of  men, 

Yet  evenly  upon  all. 

Then  human  civilization  arose  and  there  were  names." 
Since  names  there  were, 

It  were  well  one  knew  where  to  stop  for  repose. 
He  who  knows  where  to  stop  for  repose 

May  from  danger  be  exempt. 
Tao  in  the  world 

May  be  compared 
To  rivers  that  run  into  the  sea.** 

MOnc  of  the  five  Cardinal  Rites  of  Chou-h.  The  last  five  lines  but  two  read  like  a  com- 
mentary, interpolated  in  the  text  by  mistake.  The  evidence  is  conclusive:  (i)  The  terms 
"lieutenant  general"  and  "general"  arc  the  only  ones  in  the  whole  text  that  arc  anachro- 
nisms, for  these  terms  did  not  exist  till  Han  times.  (2)  The  commentary  by  Wang  Pi  is 
missing  in  this  chapter,  so  it  must  have  slipped  into  the  text  by  a  copyist's  mistake.  Sec 
also  Ch.  69.  Cf.  Mencms,  "The  best  fighter  should  receive  the  supreme  punishment"; 
again  "Only  he  who  does  not  love  slaughter  can  unify  the  empire." 
•*  Names  imply  differentiation  of  things  and  loss  of  original  state  of  Tao. 
45  Really  to  be  compared  to  the  sea,  or  to  the  rivers  seeking  repose  in  the  sea. 


602  CHINESE    MYSTICISM 

XXXIII.  KNOWING  ONESELF 

He  who  knows  others  is  learned; 

He  who  knows  himself  is  wise. 
He  who  conquers  others  has  power  of  muscles; 

He  who  conquers  himself  is  strong. 
He  who  is  contented  is  rich. 

He  who  is  determined  has  strength  of  will. 
He  who  does  not  lose  his  center  endures, 
He  who  dies  yet  (his  power)  remains  has  long  life. 

XXXIV.  THE  GREAT  TAO  FLOWS  EVERYWHERE 

The  Great  Tao  flows  everywhere, 

(Like  a  flood)  it  may  go  left  or  right. 
The  myriad  things  derive  their  life  from  it, 

And  it  does  not  deny  them. 
When  its  work  is  accomplished, 

It  does  not  take  possession. 
It  clothes  and  feeds  the  myriad  things, 

Yet  does  not  claim  them  as  its  own. 
Often  (regarded)  without  mind  or  passion, 

It  may  be  considered  small. 
Being  the  home  °°  of  all  things,  yet  claiming  not, 

It  may  be  considered  great. 
Because  to  the  end  it  does  not  claim  greatness, 

Its  greatness  is  achieved. 

XXXV.  THE  PEACE  OF  TAO 

Hold  the  Great  Symbol  °7 
And  all  the  world  follows, 
Follows  without  meeting  harm, 
(And  lives  in)  health,  peace,  commonwealth. 

*  Lit.  "rendezvous." 

wThc  symbol  of  Nature,  Heaven  or  Earth.  This  chapter  consists  of  rhymed  three-wort! 

lines. 


LAOTSE,    THE    BOOK    OF    TAO  603 

Offer  good  things  to  eat 
And  the  wayfarer  stays. 

But  Tao  is  mild  to  the  taste. 

Looked  at,  it  cannot  be  seen; 

Listened  to,  it  cannot  be  heard; 

Applied,  its  supply  never  fails. 

XXXVI.    THE  RHYTHM  OF  LIFE 

He  who  is  to  be  made  to  dwindle  (in  power) 

Must  first  be  caused  to  expand. 
He  who  is  to  be  weakened 

Must  first  be  made  strong, 
He  who  is  to  be  laid  low 

Must  first  be  exalted  to  power. 
He  who  is  to  be  taken  away  from 

Must  first  be  given, 

— This  is  the  Subtle  Light. 

Gentleness  overcomes  strength: 
Fish  should  be  left  in  the  deep  pool, 
And  sharp  weapons  of  the  state  should  be  left 
Where  none  can  see  them. 

XXXVII.  WORLD  PEACE 

The  Tao  never  does, 

Yet  through  it  everything  is  done. 
If  kings  and  barons  can  keep  the  Tao, 

The  world  will  of  its  own  accord  be  reformed. 
When  reformed  and  rising  to  action, 

Let  it  be  restrained  by  the  Nameless  pristine  simplicity. 
The  Nameless  pristine  simplicity 

Is  stripped  of  desire  (for  contention). 
By  stripping  of  desire  quiescence  is  achieved, 
And  the  world  arrives  at  peace  of  its  own  accord. 


604  CHINESE    MYSTICISM 

BOOK  II:  THE  APPLICATION  OF  TAO" 

XXXVIII.  DEGENERATION 

The  man  of  superior  virtue  is  not  (conscious  of  his)  virtue, 

Hence  he  is  virtuous. 
The  man  of  inferior  virtue  (is  intent  on)  not  losing  virtue, 

Hence  he  is  devoid  of  virtue. 
The  man  of  superior  virtue  never  acts, 

Nor  ever  (does  so)  with  an  ulterior  motive. 
The  man  of  inferior  virtue  acts, 

And  (does  so)  with  an  ulterior  motive. 
The  man  of  superior  kindness  acts, 

But  (does  so)  without  an  ulterior  motive. 
The  man  of  superior  justice  acts, 

And  (does  so)  with  an  ulterior  motive. 
(But  when)  the  man  of  superior  //  °°  acts  and  finds  no  response, 

He  rolls  up  his  sleeves  to  force  it  on  others. 

Therefore  : 

After  Tao  is  lost,  then  (arises  the  doctrine  of)  kindness, 

After  kindness  is  lost,  then  (arises  the  doctrine  of)  justice. 

After  justice  is  lost,  then  (arises  the  doctrine  of)  //. 

Now  //  is  the  thinning  out  of  loyalty  and  honesty  of  heart. 

And  the  beginning  of  chaos. 
The  prophets  are  the  flowering  of  Tao 

And  the  origin  of  folly. 
Therefore  the  noble  man  dwells  in  the  heavy  (base), 

And  not  in  the  thinning  (end). 
He  dwells  in  the  fruit, 

And  not  in  the  flowering  (expression). 
Therefore  he  rejects  the  one  and  accepts  the  other. 

8  The  name,  the  "Book  of  Teh"  (virtue)  was  given  to  the  Second  Section  by  Hoshang  Kung 
n  the  reign  of  Han  Wcnti  (B.C.  179-157). 

*  Li,  Confucian  doctrine  of  social  order  and  control,  characterized  by  rituals;  also  cour- 
esy,  good  manners. 


LAOTSE,    THE    BOOK    OF    TAO  605 

XXXIX.  UNITY  THROUGH  COMPLEMENTS 

There  were  those  in  ancient  times  possessed  of  the  One: 
Through  possession  of  the  One,  the  Heaven  was  clarified, 
Through  possession  of  the  One,  the  Earth  was  stabilized, 
Through  possession  of  the  One,  the  gods  were  spiritualized, 
Through  possession  of  the  One,  the  valleys  were  made  full, 
Through  possession  of  the  One,  all  things  lived  and  grew, 
Through  possession  of  the  One,  the  princes  and  dukes  became  tl. 

ennobled  of  the  people. 
— That  was  how  each  became  so. 

Without  clarity,  the  Heavens  might  shake, 
Without  stability,  the  Earth  might  quake, 
Without  .spiritual  power,  the  gods  might  crumble, 
Without  being  filling,  the  valleys  might  crack, 
Without  the  life-giving  power,  all  things  might  perish. 
Without  the  ennobling  power,  the  kings  and  barons  might  stumble  and 
fall. 

Therefore  the  nobility  depend  upon  the  common  man  for  support, 
And  the  exalted  ones  depend  upon  the  lowly  for  their  base. 

That  is  why  the  princes  and  dukes  call  themselves  "the  orphaned,1*  "the 

lonely  one,"  "the  unworthy." 

Is  it  not  true  then  that  they  depend  upon  the  common  man  for  support : 
Truly,  take  down  the  parts  of  a  chariot, 

And  there  is  no  chariot  (left).'0 
Rather  than  )ingle  like  the  jade, 

Rumble  like  the  rocks. 

XL.  THE  PRINCIPLE  OF  REVERSION 

Reversion  is  the  action  of  Tao. 

Gentleness  is  the  function  of  Tao. 
The  things  of  this  world  come  from  Being, 

And  Being  (comes)  from  Non-being. 

70  Another  commonly  accepted  reading  through  word -substitution  in  the  text:  "Truly,  the 
highest  prestige  requires  no  praise."  Apart  from  the  forced  substitution  of  words,  this  read- 
ing makes  no  sr ntc  in  OK  context, 


606  CHINESE   MYSTICISM 

XLI.  QUALITIES  OF  THE  TAOIST 

When  the  highest  type  of  men  hear  the  Tao  (truth), 

They  practice  it  diligently. 
When  the  mediocre  type  hear  the  Tao, 

They  seem  to  be  aware  and  yet  unaware  of  it. 
When  the  lowest  type  hear  the  Tao, 

They  break  into  loud  laughter, — 

If  it  were  not  laughed  at,  it  would  not  be  Tao. 

Therefore  there  is  the  established  saying: 
"Who  understands  Tao  seems  dull  of  comprehension; 
Who  is  advanced  in  Tao  seems  to  slip  backwards; 
Who  moves  on  the  even  Tao  (Path)  seems  to  go  up  and  down." 

Superior  virtue  appears  like  a  hollow  (valley) ; 
Sheer  white  appears  like  tarnished; 
Great  character  appears  like  insufficient; 
Solid  character  appears  like  infirm; 
Pure  worth  appears  like  contaminated. 

Great  space  has  no  corners; 

Great  talent  takes  long  to  mature; 

Great  music  is  faintly  heard; 

Great  Form  has  no  contour; 

And  Tao  is  hidden  without  a  name. 
It  is  this  Tao  that  is  adept  at  lending  (its  power)  and  bringing  fulfilment. 

XLII.  THE  VIOLENT  MAN 

Out  of  Tao,  One  is  born; 

Out  of  One,  Two; 

Out  of  Two,  Three; 

Out  of  Three,  the  created  universe. 

The  created  universe  carries  the  yin  at  its  back  and  the  yang  in  front; 

Through  the  union  of  the  pervading  principles  it  reaches  harmony. 

To  be  "orphaned,"  "lonely"  and  "unworthy"  is  what  men  hate  most. 

Yet  the  kings  and  dukes  call  themselves  by  such  names. 
For  sometimes  things  are  benefited  by  being  taken  away  from, 

And  suffer  by  being  added  to. 


LAOTSE,    THE    BOOK    OF    TAO  607 

Others  have  taught  this  maxim, 

Which  I  shall  teach  also: 

"The  violent  man  shall  die  a  violent  death." 

This  I  shall  regard  as  my  spiritual  teacher. 

XLIII.  THE  SOFTEST  SUBSTANCE 

The  softest  substance  of  the  world 
Goes  through  the  hardest. 

That-which-is-without-form  penetrates  that-which-has-no-crevice; 
Through  this  I  know  the  benefit  of  taking  no  action.71 
The  teaching  without  words 
And  the  benefit  of  taking  no  action 
Are  without  compare  in  the  universe. 

XLIV.  BE  CONTENT 

Fame  or  one's  own  self,  which  does  one  love  more  ? 
One's  own  self  or  material  goods,  which  has  more  worth? 
Loss  (of  self)  or  possession  (of  goods),  which  is  the  greater  evil? 

Therefore:  he  who  loves  most  spends  most, 

He  who  hoards  much  loses  much. 
The  contented  man  meets  no  disgrace; 
Who  knows  when  to  stop  runs  into  no  danger — 
He  can  long  endure. 

XLV.  CALM  QUIETUDE 

The  highest  perfection  is  like  imperfection,7* 

And  its  use  is  never  impaired. 
The  greatest  abundance  seems  meagre, 

And  its  use  will  never  fail. 
What  is  most  straight  appears  devious; 

n  Pervading  influence  of  the  spirit  reaches  everywhere,  in  contrast  with  superficial  activities 
which  create  obstacles  of  their  own.  "That-which-is-without-form,"  etc.  is  further  developed 
by  Chuangtsc  (Ch.  HI). 
n  Because  it  assumes  fluid  form  according  to  circumstances. 


608  CHINESE   MYSTICISM 

The  greatest  Cleverness  appears  like  stupidity; 

The  greatest  eloquence  seems  like  stuttering. 

Movement  overcomes  cold, 

(But)  keeping  still  overcomes  heat. 

Who  is  calm  and  quiet  becomes  the  guide  for  the  universe. 

XLVI.  RACING  HORSES 

When  the  world  lives  in  accord  with  Tao, 
Racing  horses  are  turned  back  to  haul  refuse  carts. 
When  the  world  lives  not  in  accord  with  Tao, 
Cavalry  abounds  in  the  countryside. 

There  is  no  greater  curse  than  the  lack  of  contentment. 

No  greater  sin  than  the  desire  for  possession. 

Therefore  he  who  is  contented  with  contentment  shall  be  always  content. 

XLVII.  PURSUIT  OF  KNOWLEDGE 

Without  stepping  outside  one's  doors, 

One  can  know  what  is  happening  in  the  world, 
Without  looking  out  of  one's  windows, 

One  can  see  the  Tao  of  Heaven. 

The  farther  one  pursues  knowledge, 

The  less  one  knows. 
Therefore  the  Sage  knows  without  running  about, 

Understands  without  seeing, 

Accomplishes  without  doing. 

XLVIII.  CONQUERING  THE  WORLD  BY  INACTION 

The  student  of  knowledge  (aims  at)  learning  day  by  day; 
The  student  of  Tao  (aims  at)  losing  day  by  day. 

By  continual  losing 

One  reaches  doing  nothing  (laissez-faire). 

By  doing  nothing  everything  is  done. 
He  who  conquers  the  world  often  does  so  by  doing  nothing.7* 
When  one  is  compelled  to  do  something,74 
The  world  is  already  beyond  his  conquering. 

78  By  moral  influence.  74  By  ordering  people  about. 


LAOTSE,    THE    BOOK    OF    TAO  609 

XLIX.  THE  PEOPLE'S  HEARTS 

The  Sage  has  no  decided  opinions  and  feelings,7* 

But  regards  the  people's  opinions  and  feelings  as  his  own. 

The  good  ones  I  declare  good; 
The  bad  ones  I  also  declare  good. 

That  is  the  goodness  of  Virtue. 
The  honest  ones  I  believe; 
The  liars  I  also  believe; 

That  is  the  faith  of  Virtue. 

The  Sage  dwells  in  the  world  peacefully,  harmoniously. 

The  people  of  the  world  are  brought  into  a  community  of  heart, 

And  the  Sage  regards  them  all  as  his  own  children. 

L.  THE  PRESERVING  OF  LIFE 

Out  of  life,  death  enters. 

The  organs  of  life  are  thirteen; 7" 

The  organs  of  death  are  (also)  thirteen. 

What  send  man  to  death  in  this  life  are  also  (these)  thirteen. 

How  is  it  so? 
Because  of  the  intense  activity  of  multiplying  life. 

It  has  been  said  that  he  who  is  a  good  preserver  of  his  life 
Meets  no  tigers  or  wild  buffaloes  on  land, 
Is  not  vulnerable  to  weapons  in  the  field  of  battle. 

The  horns  of  the  wild  buffalo  are  powerless  against  him; 

The  paws  of  the  tiger  are  useless  against  him; 

The  weapons  of  the  soldier  cannot  avail  against  him. 
How  is  it  so? 

Because  he  is  beyond  death.77 

n  Hsin,  Lit.  "heart."  Both  thinking  and  feeling  arc 'denoted  by  this  word.  It  is  impossible 
to  say  a  "decided  heart." 

**  According  to  Han  Fci,  the  four  limbs  and  nine  external  cavities.  Another  orthodox  read- 
ing is  "three-tenths,"  but  this  makes  less  sense. 
TT  Lit.  "deathless." 


6lO  CHINESE   MYSTICISM 

LI.  THE  MYSTIC  VIRTUE 

Tao  gives  them  birth, 
Teh  (virtue)  fosters  them. 
The  material  world  gives  them  form. 
The  circumstances  of  the  moment  complete  them. 
Therefore  all  things  of  the  universe  worship  Tao  and  exalt  Teh. 
Tao  is  worshipped  and  Teh  is  exalted 
Without  anyone's  order  and  is  so  of  its  own  accord. 

Therefore  Tao  gives  them  birth, 

Teh  fosters  them, 

Makes  them  grow,  develops  them, 

Gives  them  a  harbor,  a  place  to  dwell  in  peace, 

Feeds  them  and  shelters  them. 

It  gives  them  birth  and  does  not  own  them, 

Acts  (helps)  and  does  not  appropriate  them, 

Is  superior,  and  does  not  control  them. 

— This  is  the  Mystic  Virtue. 

LII.  STEALING  THE  ABSOLUTE 

There  was  a  beginning  of  the  universe 
Which  may  be  regarded  as  the  Mother  of  Universe. 

From  the  Mother,  we  may  know  her  sons. 
After  knowing  the  sons,  keep  to  the  Mother. 
Thus  one's  whole  life  may  be  preserved  from  harm. 

Stop  its  apertures, 

Close  its  doors, 

And  one's  whole  life  is  without  toil. 

Open  its  apertures, 

Be  busy  about  its  affairs, 

And  one's  whole  life  is  beyond  redemption. 

He  who  can  see  the  small  is  clear-sighted; 
He  who  stays  by  gentility  is  strong. 

Use  the  light, 

And  return  to  clear-sightedness — 
Thus  cause  not  yourself  later  distress. 
— This  is  to  steal  the  Absolute. 


LAOTSE,    THE    BOOK    OF   TAO  6ll 

LIIL  BRIGANDAGE 

If  I  were  possessed  of  Austere  Knowledge, 
Walking  on  the  Main  Path  (Tao), 
I  would  avoid  the  by-paths. 

The  Main  Path  is  easy  to  walk  on, 

Yet  people  love  the  small  by-paths. 

The  (official)  courts  are  spic  and  span, 
(While)  the  fields  go  unfilled, 
And  the  granaries  are  very  low. 
(Yet)  clad  in  embroidered  gowns, 
And  carrying  fine  swords, 
Surfeit  with  good  food  and  drinks, 
(They  are)  splitting  with  wealth  and  possessions. 
— This  is  to  lead  the  world  toward  brigandage. 
Is  it  not  the  corruption  of  Tao? 

LIX.  THE  INDIVIDUAL  AND  THE  STATE 

Who  is  firmly  established  is  not  easily  shaken. 
Who  has  a  firm  grasp  does  not  easily  let  go. 
From  generation  to  generation  his  ancestral  sacrifices 
Shall  be  continued  without  fail. 

Cultivated  in  the  individual,  Virtue  will  become  genuine; 
Cultivated  in  the  family,  Virtue  will  become  abundant; 
Cultivated  in  the  village,  Virtue  will  multiply; 
Cultivated  in  the  state,  Virtue  will  prosper; 
Cultivated  in  the  world,  Virtue  will  become  universal. 

Therefore : 

According  to  (the  virtue  of)  the  individual,  judge  the  individual; 
According  to  (the  virtue  of)  the  family,  judge  the  family; 
According  to  (the  virtue  of)  the  village,  judge  the  village; 
According  to  (the  virtue  of)  the  state,  judge  the  state; 
According  to  (the  virtue  of)  the  world,  judge  the  world. 
How  do  I  know  the  world  is  so. 
By  this.7* 

"From  within  myself;  or  the  meaning  could  be  very  well  developed  in  the  following 
chapter,  since  the  chapter  division  is  not  original. 


6l2  CHINESE   MYSTICISM 

LV.  THE  VIRTUES  OF  THE  CHILD 

Who  is  rich  n  in  virtue 
Is  like  a  child. 

No  poisonous  insects  sting  him, 

No  wild  beasts  attack  him, 

And  no  birds  of  prey  pounce  upon  him. 
His  bones  are  soft,  his  sinews  tender,  yet  his  grip  is  strong. 
Not  knowing  the  union  of  male  and  female,  yet  his  organs  are  complete, 

Which  means  his  vigor  is  unspoiled. 
Crying  the  whole  day,  yet  his  voice  never  runs  hoarse, 

Which  means  his  (natural)  harmony  is  perfect. 
To  know  harmony  is  to  be  in  accord  with  the  eternal, 
(And)  to  know  eternity  is  called  discerning. 
(But)  to  improve  upon  life  is  called  an  ill-omen; 
To  let  go  the  emotions  through  impulse  *°  is  called  assertiveness. 
(For)  things  age  after  reaching  their  prime; 
That  (assertiveness)  would  be  against  Tao. 
And  he  who  is  against  Tao  perishes  young. 

LVI.  BEYOND  HONOR  AND  DISGRACE 

He  who  knows  does  not  speak; 
He  who  speaks  does  not  know. 

Fill  up  its  apertures, 

Close  its  doors, 

Dull  its  edges, 

Untie  its  tangles, 

Soften  its  light, 

Submerge  its  turmoil, 

— This  is  the  Mystic  Unity." 

Then  love  and  hatred  cannot  touch  him. 

Profit  and  loss  cannot  reach  him. 

Honor  and  disgrace  cannot  affect  him. 

Therefore  is  he  always  the  honored  one  of  the  world. 

n  Lit.  "thick,"  "heavy."  n  All  submerged  in  the  One. 

80  Hfin,  lit.  "mind,"  or  "heart." 


LAOTSE,    THE    BOOK    OF    TAO  613 

LVII.  THE  ART  OF  GOVERNMENT 

Rule  a  kingdom  by  the  Normal. 

Fight  a  battle  by  (abnormal)  tactics  of  surprise.8* 

Win  the  world  by  doing  nothing. 

How  do  I  know  it  is  so? 

Through  this:— 

The  more  prohibitions  there  are,  the  poorer  the  people  become. 
The  more  sharp  weapons  there  are, 

The  more  prevailing  chaos  there  is  in  the  state. 
The  more  skills  of  technique, 

The  more  cunning  M  things  are  produced. 
The  greater  the  number  of  statutes, 

The  greater  the  number  of  thieves  and  brigands. 

Therefore  the  Sage  says : 

I  do  nothing  and  the  people  are  reformed  M  of  themselves. 
I  love  quietude  and  the  people  are  righteous  of  themselves. 
I  deal  in  no  business  and  the  people  grow  rich  by  themselves. 
I  have  no  desires  and  the  people  are  simple  and  honest  by  themselves. 

LVIII.  LAZY  GOVERNMENT 

When  the  government  is  lazy  and  dull, 

Its  people  are  unspoiled; 
When  the  government  is  efficient  and  smart, 

Its  people  are  discontented. 

Disaster  is  the  avenue  of  fortune, 

(And)  fortune  is  the  concealment  for  disaster. 

Who  would  be  able  to  know  its  ultimate  results? 
(As  it  is),  there  would  never  be  the  normal, 

n  Cheng,  the  normal,  the  straight,  the  righteous;  ch't,  the  abnormal,  the  deceitful,  the 

surprising. 

*  Ch'i,  same  word  as  that  used  for  "surprise  tactics",  with  implied  disapproval  as  being  not 

proper  for  ruling  a  kingdom. 

"Hua,  touched,  transformed,  "civilized"  by  moral  influence.  The  best  explanation  of 

"doing  nothing." 


614  CHINESE    MYSTICISM 

But  the  normal  would  (immediately)  revert  to  the  deceitful,* 
And  the  good  revert  to  the  sinister. 
Thus  long  has  mankind  gone  astray  I 

Therefore  the  Sage  is  square  (has  firm  principles),  but  not  cutting 

(sharp-cornered) , 

Has  integrity  but  does  not  hurt  (others),88 
Is  straight,  but  not  high-handed, 
Bright,  but  not  dazzling. 

LIX.  BE  SPARING 

In  managing  human  affairs,  there  is  no  better  rule  than  to  be  sparing,87 

To  be  sparing  is  to  forestall; 

To  forestall  is  to  be  prepared  and  strengthened; 

To  be  prepared  and  strengthened  is  to  be  ever-victorious; 

To  be  ever-victorious  is  to  have  infinite  capacity; 

He  who  has  infinite  capacity  is  fit  to  rule  a  country, 

And  the  Mother  (principle)  of  a  ruling  country  can  long  endure. 

This  is  to  be  firmly  rooted,  to  have  deep  strength, 

The  road  to  immortality  and  enduring  vision. 

LX.  RULING  A  BIG  COUNTRY 
Rule  a  big  country  as  you  would  fry  small  fish.88 

Who  rules  the  world  in  accord  with  Tao 

Would  find  that  the  spirits  lose  their  power. 
It  is  not  that  the  spirits  lose  their  power, 

But  that  they  cease  to  do  people  harm. 
It  is  not  (only)  that  they  cease  to  do  people  harm, 

The  Sage  (himself)  also  does  no  harm  to  the  people. 
When  both  do  not  do  each  other  harm, 

Virtue  (power)  flows  towards  them. 

*  See  Note  82. 

88  In  removing  corruption  by  artificial  laws  and  statutes  and  punishments. 

17  Never  do  too  much. 

M  Let  alone,  or  the  fish  will  become  paste  by  constant  turning  about. 


tAOTSE,    THE    BOOK    OF    TAO  615 

LXL  BIG  AND  SMALL  COUNTRIES 

A  big  country  (must  be  like)  the  delta  low-regions, 

Being  the  concourse  of  the  world, 

(And)  the  Female  of  the  world. 
The  Female  overcomes  the  Male  by  quietude, 
And  achieves  the  lowly  position  by  quietude. 

Therefore  if  a  big  country  places  itself  below  a  small  country, 

It  absorbs  *  the  small  country; 
(And)  if  a  small  country  places  itself  below  a  big  country, 

It  absorbs  the  big  country. 

Therefore  some  place  themselves  low  to  absorb  (others), 
Some  are  (naturally)  low  and  absorb  (others). 

What  a  big  country  wants  is  but  to  shelter  others, 

And  what  a  small  country  wants  is  but  to  be  able  to  come  in  and  be 

sheltered. 
Thus  (considering)  that  both  may  have  what  they  want, 

A  big  country  ought  to  place  itself  low. 

LXII.  THE  GOOD  MAN'S  TREASURE 

Tao  is  the  mysterious  secret  of  the  universe, 
The  good  man's  treasure, 
And  the  bad  man's  refuge. 

Beautiful  sayings  can  be  sold  at  the  market, 

Noble  conduct  can  be  presented  as  a  gift. 
Though  there  be  bad  people, 
Why  reject  them? 

Therefore  on  the  crowning  of  an  emperor, 

On  the  appointment  of  the  Three  Ministers, 

Rather  than  send  tributes  of  jade  and  teams  of  four  horses, 

Send  in  the  tribute  of  this  Tao. 
Wherein  did  the  Ancients  prize  this  Tao? 
Did  they  not  say,  "to  search  for  the  guilty  ones  and  pardon  them?" 

Therefore  is  (Tao)  the  treasure  of  the  world. 

*  Ch'ii,  takes,  conquers,  overcomes,  wins  over. 


6l6  CHINESE   MYSTICISM 

LXIII.    DIFFICULT  AND  EASY 

Accomplish  do-nothing. 

Attend  to  no-affairs. 

Taste  the  flavorless. 

Whether  it  is  big  or  small,  many  or  few, 
Requite  hatred  with  Virtue. 

Deal  with  the  difficult  while  yet  it  is  easy; 

Deal  with  the  big  while  yet  it  is  small. 
The  difficult  (problems)  of  the  world 

Must  be  dealt  with  while  they  are  yet  easy; 
The  great  (problems)  of  the  world 

Must  be  dealt  with  while  they  arc  yet  small. 
Therefore  the  Sage  by  never  dealing  with  great  (problems) 

Accomplish  greatness. 

He  who  lightly  makes  a  promise 

Will  find  it  often  hard  to  keep  his  faith. 
He  who  makes  light  of  many  things 

Will  encounter  many  difficulties. 
Hence  even  the  Sage  regards  things  as  difficult, 

And  for  that  reason  never  meets  with  difficulties. 


LXIV.  BEGINNING  AND  END 

That  which  lies  still  is  easy  to  hold; 

That  which  is  not  yet  manifest  is  easy  to  forestall; 
That  which  is  brittle  (like  ice)  is  easy  to  melt; 

That  which  is  minute  is  easy  to  scatter. 
Deal  with  a  thing  before  it  is  there; 
Check  disorder  before  it  is  rife. 

A  tree  with  a  full  span's  girth  begins  from  a  tiny  sprout; 

A  nine-storied  terrace  begins  with  a  clod  of  earth. 

A  journey  of  a  thousand  ti  begins  at  one's  feet. 

He  who  acts,  spoils; 

He  who  grasps,  lets  slip. 

Because  the  Sage  does  not  act,  he  docs  not  spoil, 


LAOTSE,    THE    BOOK    OF    TAO  617 

Because  he  does  not  grasp,  he  docs  not  let  slip. 
The  affairs  of  men  are  often  spoiled  within  an  ace  of  completion, 
By  being  careful  at  the  end  as  at  the  beginning 
Failure  is  averted. 

Therefore  the  Sage  desires  to  have  no  desire, 

And  values  not  objects  difficult  to  obtain. 
Learns  that  which  is  unlearned, 

And  restores  what  the  multitude  have  lost. 
That  he  may  assist  in  the  course  of  Nature 

And  not  presume  to  interfere. 

LXV.  THE  GRAND  HARMONY 

The  Ancients  who  knew  how  to  follow  the  Tao 

Aimed  not  to  enlighten  the  people, 

But  to  keep  them  ignorant. 
The  reason  it  is  difficult  for  the  people  to  live  in  peace 

Is  because  of  too  much  knowledge. 
Those  who  seek  to  rule  a  country  by  knowledge 

Are  the  nation's  curse. 
Those  who  seek  not  to  rule  a  country  by  knowledge 

Are  the  nation's  blessing. 
Those  who  know  these  two  (principles) 

Also  know  the  Ancient  Standard, 
And  to  know  always  the  Ancient  Standard 

Is  called  the  Mystic  Virtue. 
When  the  Mystic  Virtue  becomes  clear,  far-reaching, 

And  things  revert  back  (to  their  source), 

Then  and  then  only  emerges  the  Grand  Harmony. 

LXVI.  THE  LORDS  OF  THE  RAVINES 

How  did  the  great  rivers  and  seas  become  the  Lords  of  the  Ravines? 

By  being  good  at  keeping  low. 

That  was  how  they  became  the  Lords  of  the  Ravines.90 

*  See  Chapter  6. 


6l8  CHiINESE   MYSTICISM 

Therefore  in  order  to  be  the  chief  among  the  people, 

One  must  speak  like  their  inferiors. 
In  order  to  be  foremost  among  the  people, 

One  must  walk  behind  them. 
Thus  it  is  that  the  Sage  stays  above, 

And  the  people  do  not  feel  his  weight; 
Walks  in  front, 

And  the  people  do  not  wish  him  harm. 
Then  the  people  of  the  world  are  glad  to  uphold  him  forever. 
Because  he  does  not  contend, 
No  one  in  the  world  can  contend  against  him. 

LXVII.  THE  THREE  TREASURES 

All  the  world  says:  my  teaching  (Tao)  greatly  resembles  folly. 

Because  it  is  great;  therefore  it  resembles  folly. 
If  it  did  not  resemble  folly, 

It  would  have  long  ago  become  petty  indeed  1 

I  have  Three  Treasures; 

Guard  them  and  keep  them  safe: 

The  first  is  Love.'1 

The  second  is,  Never  too  much.98 

The  third  is,  Never  be  the  first  in  the  world. 
Through  Love,  one  has  no  fear; 

Through  not  doing  too  much,  one  has  amplitude  (of  reserve  power) ; 
Through  not  presuming  to  be  the  first  in  the  world, 

One  can  develop  one's  talent  and  let  it  mature. 

If  one  forsakes  love  and  fearlessness, 

forsakes  restraint  and  reserve  power, 
forsakes  following  behind  and  rushes  in  front, 

He  is  dead! 

For  love  is  victorious  in  attack, 

And  invulnerable  in  defense."8 
Heaven  arms  with  love 

Those  it  would  not  see  destroyed. 

n  TSc,  tender  love  (associated  with  the  mother) . 

**  Chicn,  lit.  "frugality,"  "be  sparing;"  sec  Chapter  59. 

"Sec  Chapters  31,  69. 


LAOTSE,    THE    BOOK    OF    TAO  619 

LXVIII.  THE  VIRTUE  OF  NOT-CONTENDING 

The  brave  soldier  is  not  violent; 

The  good  fighter  does  not  lose  his  temper; 

The  great  conqueror  does  not  fight  (on  small  issues) ; 

The  good  user  of  men  places  himself  below  others. 

— This  is  the  Virtue  of  not  contending, 

Is  called  the  capacity  to  use  men, 

Is  reaching  to  the  height  of  being 
Mated  to  Heaven,  to  what  was  of  old. 

LXIX.  CAMOUFLAGE 

There  is  the  maxim  of  military  strategists; 

I  dare  not  be  the  first  to  invade,  but  rather  be  the  invaded.** 

Dare  not  press  forward  an  inch,  but  rather  retreat  a  foot. 
That  is,  to  march  without  formations, 

To  roll  not  up  the  sleeves, 

To  charge  not  in  frontal  attacks, 

To  arm  without  weapons.* 

There  is  no  greater  catastrophe  than  to  underestimate  the  enemy. 
To  underestimate  the  enemy  might  entail  the  loss  of  my  treasures.*0 

Therefore  when  two  equally  matched  armies  meet, 
It  is  the  man  of  sorrow  *7  who  wins. 

LXX.  THEY  KNOW  ME  NOT 

My  teachings  are  very  easy  to  understand  and  very  easy  to  practise, 
But  no  one  can  understand  them  and  no  one  can  practise  them. 

In  my  words  there  is  a  principle. 

In  the  affairs  of  men  there  is  a  system. 

M  Invader  and  invaded,  lit.  "host"  and  "guest."  It  is  possible  to  read  it  differently  by  supply- 
ing the  often  dropped  when:  "When  I  dare  not  be  the  invader,  then  I  will  be  the  de- 
fender." 

*  Or  to  feel  like  being  in  this  condition,  i.e.,  the  subjective  condition  of  humility.  This  is 
entirely  consistent  with  Laotsc's  philosophy  of  camouflage,   the  earliest  in   the  world 
Cf.  "great  eloquence  is  like  stuttering"  etc.,  Ch.  45. 

*  Possibly  the  "three  Treasures"  in  Ch.  67. 

87  Who  hates  killing.  Sec  Ch.  31.  The  corrected  text  of  Yu  Yueh  would  make  this  read,  "The 
man  who  yields  wins." 


620  CHINESE   MYSTICISM 

Because  they  know  not  these, 
They  also  know  me  not. 

Since  there  are  few  that  know  me, 

Therefore  I  am  distinguished. 
Therefore  the  Sage  wears  a  coarse  cloth  on  top 

And  carries  jade  within  his  bosom. 


LXXI.  SICK-MINDEDNESS 

Who  knows  that  he  does  not  know  is  the  highest; 
Who  (pretends  to)  know  what  he  does  not  know  is  sick-minded. 
And  who  recognizes  sick-mmdedness  as  sick-mmdedness  is  not  sick- 
minded. 

The  Sage  is  not  sick-minded. 

Because  he  recognizes  sick-mindedness  as  sick-mmdedness, 

Therefore  he  is  not  sick-minded. 


LXXII.  ON  PUNISHMENT  (i)M 

When  people  have  no  fear  of  force,89 
Then  (as  is  the  common  practice)  great  force  descends  upon  them. 

Despise  not  their  dwellings, 
Dislike  not  their  progeny. 

Because  you  do  not  dislike  them, 

You  will  not  be  disliked  yourself. 
Therefore  the  Sage  knows  himself,  but  does  not  show  himself, 

Loves  himself,  but  does  not  exalt  himself. 
Therefore  he  rejects  the  one  (force)  and  accepts  the  other  (gentility). 

LXXIII.  ON  PUNISHMENT  (2) 

Who  is  brave  in  daring  (you)  kill, 

Who  is  brave  in  not  daring  (you)  let  live. 

M  Chapters  72,  73,  74  and  75  arc  closely  related  in  thought  and  similar  in  construction. 
*  Wet,  military  force  or  authority;  sometimes  also  used  in  connection  with  "God's  anger." 
Another  interpretation,  "when  the  people  have  no  fear  of  God,  then  God's  anger  descends 
upon  them."  But  this  fits  in  not  so  well  with  the  context.  See  next  two  chapters  on  the 
futility  of  punishment,  especially  the  first  two  lines,  Ch  74. 


LAOTSE,    THE    BOOK    OF   TAO  621 

In  these  two, 

There  is  some  advantage  and  some  disadvantage. 

(Even  if)  Heaven  dislikes  certain  people, 

Who  would  know  (who  are  to  be  killed  and)  why? 
Therefore  even  the  Sage  regards  it  as  a  difficult  question. 

Heaven's  Way  (Tao)  is  good  at  conquest  without  strife, 

Rewarding  (vice  and  virtue)  without  words, 

Making  its  appearance  without  call, 

Achieving  results  without  obvious  design. 
The  Heaven's  Net  is  broad  and  wide,100 
With  big  meshes,  yet  letting  nothing  slip  through. 

LXIV.  ON  PUNISHMENT  (3) 

The  people  are  not  afraid  of  death; 
Why  threaten  them  with  death  ? 

Supposing  that  the  people  arc  afraid  of  death, 

And  we  can  seize  and  kill  the  unruly, 

Who  would  dare  to  do  so?  101 
Often  it  happens  that  the  executioner  is  killed. 
And  to  take  the  place  of  the  executioner 

Is  like  handling  the  hatchet  for  the  master  carpenter. 
He  who  handles  the  hatchet  for  the  master  carpenter 

Seldom  escapes  injury  to  his  hands. 

LXXV.  ON  PUNISHMENT  (4) 

When  people  are  hungry, 

It  is  because  their  rulers  eat  too  much  tax-grain. 

Therefore  the  unrulmess  of  hungry  people 

Is  due  to  the  interference  of  their  rulers. 

That  is  why  they  are  unruly. 
The  people  are  not  afraid  of  death, 
Because  they  are  anxious  to  make  a  living. 
That  is  why  they  are  not  afraid  of  death. 

It  is  those  who  interfere  not  with  their  living 

That  are  wise  in  exalting  life. 

100  This  has  now  become  a  Chinese  proverb  for  "virtue  always  rewarded,  vice  always 
punished." 

101  Notice  the  similarity  of  construction  with  the  first  five  lines  of  Chapter  73. 


622  CHINESE   MYSTICISM 

LXXVI.  HARD  AND  SOFT 

When  man  is  born,  he  is  tender  and  weak; 
At  death,  he  is  hard  and  stiff. 

When  the  things  and  plants  are  alive,  they  are  soft  and  supple; 

When  they  are  dead,  they  are  brittle  and  dry. 
Therefore  hardness  and  stiffness  are  the  companions  of  death, 
And  softness  and  gentleness  are  the  companions  of  life. 

Therefore  when  an  army  is  headstrong,102  it  will  lose  in  battle. 
When  a  tree  is  hard,  it  will  be  cut  down. 

The  big  and  strong  belong  underneath. 

The  gentle  and  weak  belong  at  the  top.108 

LXXVII.  BENDING  THE  BOW 

The  Tao  (way)  of  Heaven, 

Is  it  not  like  the  bending  of  a  bow  ? 

The  top  comes  down  and  the  bottom-end  goes  up, 

The  extra  (length)  is  shortened,  the  insufficient  (width)  is  expanded. 
It  is  the  Way  of  Heaven  to  take  away  from  those  that  have  too  much 
And  give  to  those  that  have  not  enough. 
Not  so  with  man's  way : 

He  takes  away  from  those  that  have  not 

And  gives  it  as  tribute  to  those  that  have  too  much. 
Who  can  have  enough  and  to  spare  to  give  to  the  entire  world? 
Only  the  man  of  Tao. 
Therefore  the  Sage  acts,  but  does  not  possess, 

Accomplishes  but  lays  claim  to  no  credit, 

Because  he  has  no  wish  to  seem  superior. 

LXXVIII.  NOTHING  WEAKER  THAN  WATER 

There  is  nothing  weaker  than  water 

But  none  is  superior  to  it  in  overcoming  the  hard, 

For  which  there  is  no  substitute. 

"*  Ch'iang  means  "stiff,"  "strong,"  and  "headstrong." 
108  As  with  twigs  and  trunks. 


LAOTSE,    THE    BOOK    OF    TAO  623 

That  weakness  overcomes  strength 
And  gentleness  overcomes  rigidity, 
No  one  does  not  know; 
No  one  can  put  into  practice. 

Therefore  the  Sage  says: 
"Who  receives  unto  himself  the  calumny  of  the  world 

Is  the  preserver  of  the  state. 

Who  bears  himself  the  sins  of  the  world 

Is  the  king  of  the  world." 
Straight  words  seem  crooked. 

LXXIX.  PEACE  SETTLEMENTS 

Patching  up  a  great  hatred  is  sure  to  leave  some  hatred  behind. 

How  can  this  be  regarded  as  satisfactory  ? 

Therefore  the  Sage  holds  the  left  tally,104 

And  does  not  put  the  guilt  on  the  other  party. 

The  virtuous  man  is  for  patching  up; 

The  vicious  is  for  fixing  guilt.108 

But  "the  way  of  Heaven  is  impartial 

It  sides  only  with  the  good  man." 10* 

LXXX.  THE  SMALL  UTOPIA 

(Let  there  be)  a  small  country  with  a  small  population, 

Where  the  supply  of  goods  are  tenfold  or  hundredfold,  more  than  they 

can  use. 

Let  the  people  value  their  lives 107  and  not  migrate  far. 
Though  there  be  boats  and  carriages, 

None  be  there  to  ride  them. 
Though  there  be  armor  and  weapons, 
No  occasion  to  display  them. 

104  Sign  of  inferiority  in  an  agreement. 
108  Wang  Pi's  commentary:  "for  pointing  out  faults." 
10*  An  ancient  quotation  appearing  in  many  ancient  texts. 
w  Lit.  "death." 


624  CHINESE    MYSTICISM 

Let  the  people  again  tie  ropes  for  reckoning, 

Let  them  enjoy  their  food, 

Beautify  their  clothing, 

Be  satisfied  with  their  homes, 

Delight  in  their  customs. 

The  neighboring  settlements  overlook  one  another 
So  that  they  can  hear  the  barking  of  dogs  and  crowing  of  cocks  of  their 

neighbors, 

And  the  people  till  the  end  of  their  days  shall  never  have  been  outside 
their  country. 


LXXI.  THE  WAY  OF  HEAVEN 

True  words  are  not  fine-sounding; 

Fine-sounding  words  are  not  true. 
A  good  man  does  not  argue; 

He  who  argues  is  not  a  good  man. 
The  wise  one  does  not  know  many  things; 

He  who  knows  many  things  is  not  wise. 
The  Sage  does  not  accumulate  (for  himself) : 

He  lives  for  other  people, 

And  grows  richer  himself; 

He  gives  to  other  people, 

And  has  greater  abundance. 
The  Tao  of  Heaven 

Blesses,  but  does  not  harm. 
The  Way  of  the  Sage 

Accomplishes,  but  docs  not  contend. 


Chuangtse,  Mystic  and 
Humorist 


INTRODUCTION 

JESUS  WAS  FOLLOWED  BY  ST.  P\UL,  Socrates  by  Plato,  Confucius  by 
Mencius,  and  Laotse  by  Chuangtse.  In  all  four  cases,  the  first  was  the  real 
teacher  and  either  wrote  no  books  or  wrote  very  little,  and  the  second 
began  to  develop  the  doctrines  and  wrote  long  and  profound  discourses. 
Chuangtse,  who  died  about  B.C.  275,  was  separated  from  Laotse's  death 
by  not  quite  two  hundred  years,  and  was  strictly  a  contemporary  of  Men- 
cius. Yet  the  most  curious  thing  is  that  although  both  these  writers  men- 
tioned the  other  philosophers  of  the  time,  neither  was  mentioned  by  the 
other  in  his  works. 

On  the  whole,  Chuangtse  must  be  considered  the  greatest  prose  writer 
of  the  Chou  Dynasty,  as  Ch'u  Yuan  must  be  considered  the  greatest  poet. 
His  claim  to  this  position  rests  both  upon  the  brilliance  of  his  style  and 
the  depth  of  his  thought.  That  explains  the  fact  that  although  he  was 
probably  the  greatest  slanderer  of  Confucius,  and  with  Motse,  the  greatest 
antagonist  of  Confucian  ideas,  no  Confucian  scholar  has  not  openly  or 
secretly  admired  him.  People  who  would  not  openly  agree  with  his  ideas 
would  nevertheless  read  him  as  literature. 

Nor  can  it  be  said  truly  that  a  pure-blooded  Chinese  could  ever  quite 
disagree  with  Chuangtse's  ideas.  Taoism  is  not  a  school  of  thought  in 
China,  it  is  a  deep,  fundamental  trait  of  Chinese  thinking,  and  of  the 
Chinese  attitude  toward  life  and  toward  society.  It  has  depth,  while 
Confucianism  has  only  a  practical  sense  of  proportions;  it  enriches 
Chinese  poetry  and  imagination  in  an  immeasurable  manner,  and  it  gives 
a  philosophic  sanction  to  whatever  is  in  the  idle,  freedom-loving,  poetic, 

625 


626  CHINESE   MYSTICISM 

vagabond  Chinese  soul.  It  provides  the  only  safe,  romantic  release  from 
the  severe  Confucian  classic  restraint,  and  humanizes  the  very  humanists 
themselves.  Therefore  when  a  Chinese  succeeds,  he  is  always  a  Con- 
fucianist,  and  when  he  fails,  he  is  always  a  Taoist.  As  more  people  fail 
than  succeed  in  this  world,  and  as  all  who  succeed  know  that  they  suc- 
ceed but  in  a  lame  and  halting  manner  when  they  examine  themselves 
in  the  dark  hours  of  the  night,  I  believe  Taoist  ideas  are  more  often  at 
work  than  Confucianism.  Even  a  Confucianist  succeeds  only  when  he 
knows  he  never  really  succeeds,  that  is,  by  following  Taoist  wisdom. 
Tseng  Kuofan,  the  great  Confucian  general  who  suppressed  the  Taiping 
Rebellion,  had  failed  in  his  early  campaign  and  began  to  succeed  only 
one  morning  when  he  realized  with  true  Taoist  humility  that  he  was 
"no  good,"  and  gave  power  to  his  assistant  generals. 

Chuangtse  is  therefore  important  as  the  first  one  who  fully  developed 
the  Taoistic  thesis  of  the  rhythm  of  life,  contained  in  the  epigrams  of 
Laotse.  Unlike  other  Chinese  philosophers  principally  occupied  with 
practical  questions  of  government  and  personal  morality,  he  gives  the 
only  metaphysics  existing  in  Chinese  literature  before  the  coming  of 
Buddhism.  I  am  sure  his  mysticism  will  charm  some  readers  and  repel 
others.  Certain  traits  in  it,  like  weeding  out  the  idea  of  the  ego  and  quiet 
contemplation  and  "seeing  the  Solitary"  explain  how  these  native  Chinese 
ideas  were  back  of  the  development  of  the  Ch'an  (Japanese  Zen) 
Buddhism.  Any  branch  of  human  knowledge,  even  the  study  of  the  rocks 
of  the  earth  and  the  cosmic  rays  of  heaven,  strikes  mysticism  when  it 
reaches  any  depth  at  all,  and  it  seems  Chinese  Taoism  skipped  the  scien- 
tific study  of  nature  to  reach  the  same  intuitive  conclusion  by  insight 
alone.  Therefore  it  is  not  surprising  that  Albert  Einstein  and  Chuangtse 
agree,  as  agree  they  must,  on  the  relativity  of  all  standards.  The  only 
difference  is  that  Einstein  takes  on  the  more  difficult  and,  to  a  Chinese, 
more  stupid  work  of  mathematical  proof,  while  Chuangtse  furnishes  the 
philosophic  import  of  this  theory  of  relativity,  which  must  be  sooner  or 
later  developed  by  Western  philosophers  in  the  next  decades. 

A  word  must  be  added  about  Chuangtse's  attitude  toward  Confucius. 
It  will  be  evident  to  any  reader  that  he  was  one  of  the  greatest  roman- 
ticizers  of  history,  and  that  any  of  the  anecdotes  he  tells  about  Confucius, 
or  Laotse  or  the  Yellow  Emperor  must  be  accepted  on  a  par  with  those 
anecdotes  he  tells  about  the  conversation  of  General  Clouds  and  Great 
Nebulous,  or  between  the  Spirit  of  the  River  and  the  Spirit  of  the  Ocean. 
It  must  be  also  plainly  understood  that  he  was  a  humorist  with  a  wild 


CHUANGTSE,   MYSTIC   AND    HUMORIST          627 

and  rather  luxuriant  fantasy,  with  an  American  love  for  exaggeration 
and  for  the  big.  One  should  therefore  read  him  as  one  would  a  humorist 
writer,  knowing  that  he  is  frivolous  when  he  is  profound  and  profound 
when  he  is  frivolous. 

The  extant  text  of  Chuangtse  consists  of  thirty-three  chapters,  all  of 
them  a  mixture  of  philosophic  disquisition  and  anecdotes  or  parables. 
The  chapters  containing  the  most  virulent  attacks  on  Confucianism  (not 
included  here)  have  been  considered  forgery,  and  a  few  Chinese  "textual 
critics"  have  even  considered  all  of  them  forgery  except  the  first  seven 
chapters.  This  is  easy  to  understand  because  it  is  the  modern  Chinese 
fashion  to  talk  of  forgery.  One  can  rest  assured  that  these  "textual  critics" 
are  unscientific  because  very  little  of  it  is  philological  criticism,  but  con- 
sists of  opinions  as  to  style  and  whether  Chuangtse  had  or  had  not  enough 
culture  to  attack  Confucius  only  in  a  mild  and  polished  manner.  (See 
samples  of  this  type  of  "criticism"  in  my  long  introduction  to  The  Boof( 
of  History.)  Only  one  or  two  anachronisms  are  pointed  out,  which  could 
be  due  to  later  interpolations,  and  the  rest  is  a  subjective  assertion  of 
opinion.  Even  the  evaluations  of  style  are  faulty,  and  at  least  a  distinction 
should  be  made  between  interpolations  and  wholesale  forgery.  Some  of 
the  best  pieces  of  Chuangtse  are  decidedly  outside  the  first  seven  chapters; 
and  it  has  not  even  occurred  to  the  critics  to  provide  an  answer  as  to  who 
else  could  have  written  them.  There  is  no  reason  to  be  sure  that  even 
the  most  eloquent  exposition  of  the  thieves'  philosophy,  regarded  by  most 
as  forgery,  was  not  the  work  of  Chuangtse,  who  had  so  little  to  do  with 
the  "gentlemen."  On  the  other  hand,  I  believe  various  anecdotes  have 
been  freely  added  by  later  generations  into  the  extremely  loose  structure 
of  the  chapters. 

I  have  chosen  here  eleven  chapters,  including  all  but  one  of  the  first 
best  seven  chapters.  With  one  minor  exception,  these  chapters  are  trans- 
lated complete.  The  philosophically  most  important  are  the  chapters  on 
"Levelling  All  Things"  and  "Autumn  Floods."  The  chapters,  "Joined 
Toes,"  "Horses'  Hoofs,"  "Opening  Trunks"  and  "Tolerance"  belong  in 
one  group  with  the  main  theme  of  protest  against  civilization.  The  most 
eloquent  protest  is  contained  in  "Opening  Trunks,"  while  the  most 
characteristically  Taoistic  is  the  chapter  on  "Tolerance."  The  most  mystic 
and  deeply  religious  piece  is  "The  Great  Supreme."  The  most  beautifully 
written  is  "Autumn  Floods."  The  queerest  is  the  chapter  on  "Deformi- 
ties" (a  typically  "romanticist"  theme).  The  most  delightful  is  probably 
"Horses'  Hoofs"  and  the  most  fantastic  is  the  first  chapter,  "A  Happy 


628  CHINESE   MYSTICISM 

Excursion."  Some  of  Chuangtse's  parables  in  the  other  chapters  will  be 
found  under  "Parables  of  Ancient  Philosophers"  elsewhere  in  this 
volume. 

I  have  based  my  translation  on  that  of  Herbert  A.  Giles.  It  soon  became 
apparent  in  my  work  that  Giles  was  free  in  his  translation  where  exact- 
ness was  easy  and  possible,  and  that  he  had  a  glib,  colloquial  style 
which  might  be  considered  a  blemish.  The  result  is  that  hardly  a  line 
has  been  left  untouched,  and  I  have  had  to  make  my  own  translation, 
taking  advantage  of  whatever  is  good  in  his  English  rendering.  But  still 
I  owe  a  great  debt  to  my  predecessor,  and  he  has  notably  succeeded  in  this 
difficult  task  in  many  passages.  Where  his  rendering  is  good,  I  have  not 
chosen  to  be  different.  In  this  sense,  the  translation  may  be  regarded  as 
my  own. 

It  should  be  noted  that  throughout  the  text,  Giles  translates  "Heaven" 
as  "God"  where  it  means  God.  On  the  other  hand,  the  term  "Creator"  is 
an  exact  rendering  of  chao-wut  or  "he  who  creates  things."  I  will  not  go 
into  details  of  translation  of  other  philosophic  terms  here. 


Chuangtse 

Translated  by  Lin  Yutang 

A  HAPPY  EXCURSION  (CHAPTER  I) 

IN  THE  NORTHERN  OCEAN  there  is  a  fish,  called  the  l^un,  I  do  not  know 
how  many  thousand  //  in  size.  This  t(un  changes  into  a  bird,  called  the 
f'cng.  Its  back  is  I  do  not  know  how  many  thousand  //  in  breadth.  When 
it  is  moved,  it  flies,  its  wings  obscuring  the  sky  like  clouds. 

When  on  a  voyage,  this  bird  prepares  to  start  for  the  Southern  Ocean, 
the  Celestial  Lake.  And  in  the  Records  of  Marvels  we  read  that  when 
the  p'eng  flies  southwards,  the  water  is  smitten  for  a  space  of  three 
thousand  //  around,  while  the  bird  itself  mounts  upon  a  great  wind  to 
a  height  of  ninety  thousand  //,  for  a  flight  of  six  months'  duration. 

There  mounting  aloft,  the  bird  saw  the  moving  white  mists  of  spring, 
the  dust<louds,  and  the  living  things  blowing  their  breaths  among  them. 
It  wondered  whether  the  blue  of  the  sky  was  its  real  colour,  or  only  the 
result  of  distance  without  end,  and  saw  that  the  things  on  earth  appeared 
the  same  to  it. 

If  there  is  not  sufficient  depth,  water  will  not  float  large  ships.  Upset 
a  cupful  into  a  hole  in  the  yard,  and  a  mustard-seed  will  be  your  boat. 
Try  to  float  the  cup,  and  it  will  be  grounded,  due  to  the  disproportion 
between  water  and  vessel. 

So  with  air.  If  there  is  not  sufficient  a  depth,  it  cannot  support  large 
wings.  And  for  this  bird,  a  depth  of  ninety  thousand  //  is  necessary  to 
bear  it  up.  Then,  gliding  upon  the  wind,  with  nothing  save  the  clear 
sky  above,  and  no  obstacles  in  the  way,  it  starts  upon  its  journey  to  the 
south. 

A  cicada  and  a  young  dove  laughed,  saying,  "Now,  when  I  fly  with 
all  my  might,  'tis  as  much  as  I  can  do  to  get  from  tree  to  tree.  And  some- 

629 


630  CHINESE  MYSTICISM 

times  I  do  not  reach,  but  fall  to  the  ground  midway.  What  then  can  be 
the  use  of  going  up  ninety  thousand  //  to  start  for  the  south?" 

He  who  goes  to  the  countryside  taking  three  meals  with  him  comes 
back  with  his  stomach  as  full  as  when  he  started.  But  he  who  travels  a 
hundred  li  must  take  ground  rice  enough  for  an  overnight  stay.  And  he 
who  travels  a  thousand  li  must  supply  himself  with  provisions  for  three 
months.  Those  two  little  creatures,  what  should  they  know? 

Small  knowledge  has  not  the  compass  of  great  knowledge  any  more 
than  a  short  year  has  the  length  of  a  long  year.  How  can  we  tell  that  this 
is  so?  The  fungus  plant  of  a  morning  knows  not  the  alternation  of  day 
and  night.  The  cicada  knows  not  the  alternation  of  spring  and  autumn. 
Theirs  are  short  years.  But  in  the  south  of  Ch'u  there  is  a  mingling  (tree) 
whose  spring  and  autumn  are  each  of  five  hundred  years'  duration. 
And  in  former  days  there  was  a  large  tree  which  had  a  spring  and  autumn 
each  of  eight  thousand  years.  Yet,  P'eng  Tsu  *  is  known  for  reaching  a 
great  age  and  is  still,  alas!  an  object  of  envy  to  all! 

It  was  on  this  very  subject  that  the  Emperor  T'ang a  spoke  to  Chi,  as 
follows: — "At  the  north  of  Ch'iungta,  there  is  a  Dark  Sea,  the  Celestial 
Lake.  In  it  there  is  a  fish  several  thousand  li  in  breadth,  and  I  know  not 
how  many  in  length.  It  is  called  the  1(un.  There  is  also  a  bird,  called  the 
p'eng,  with  a  back  like  Mount  T'ai,  and  wings  like  clouds  across  the 
sky.  It  soars  up  upon  a  whirlwind  to  a  height  of  ninety  thousand  //,  far 
above  the  region  of  the  clouds,  with  only  the  clear  sky  above  it.  And  then 
it  directs  its  flight  towards  the  Southern  Ocean. 

"And  a  lake  sparrow  laughed,  and  said :  Pray,  what  may  that  creature 
be  going  to  do?  I  rise  but  a  few  yards  in  the  air  and  settle  down  again, 
after  flying  around  among  the  reeds.  That  is  as  much  as  any  one  would 
want  to  fly.  Now,  where  ever  can  this  creature  be  going  to?" 

Such,  indeed,  is  the  difference  between  small  and  great.  Take,  for 
instance,  a  man  who  creditably  fills  some  small  office,  or  whose  influence 
spreads  over  a  village,  or  whose  character  pleases  a  certain  prince.  His 
opinion  of  himself  will  be  much  the  same  as  that  lake  sparrow's.  The 
philosopher  Yung  of  Sung  would  laugh  at  such  a  one.  If  the  whole  world 
flattered  him,  he  would  not  be  affected  thereby,  nor  if  the  whole  world 
blamed  him  would  he  be  dissuaded  from  what  he  was  doing.  For  Yung 
can  distinguish  between  essence  and  superficialities,  and  understand  what 
is  true  honor  and  shame.  Such  men  are  rare  in  their  generation.  But  even 
he  has  not  established  himself. 
1  He  is  reputed  to  have  lived  800  years,  '  B.C.  1 783. 


CHUANGTSE  63! 

Now  Liehtse  *  could  ride  upon  the  wind.  Sailing  happily  in  the  cool 
breeze,  he  would  go  on  for  fifteen  days  before  his  return.  Among  mortals 
who  attain  happiness,  such  a  man  is  rare.  Yet  although  Liehtse  could 
dispense  with  walking,  he  would  still  have  to  depend  upon  something.4 
As  for  one  who  is  charioted  upon  the  eternal  fitness  of  Heaven  and  Earth, 
driving  before  him  the  changing  elements  as  his  team  to  roam  through 
the  realms  of  the  Infinite,  upon  what,  then,  would  such  a  one  have  need 
to  depend  ? 

Thus  it  is  said,  "The  perfect  man  ignores  self;  the  divine  man  ignores 
achievement;  the  true  Sage  ignores  reputation." 

The  Emperor  Yao 8  wished  to  abdicate  in  favor  of  Hsu  Yu,  saying,  "If, 
when  the  sun  and  moon  are  shining,  the  torch  is  still  lighted,  would  it  be 
not  difficult  for  the  latter  to  shine  ?  If,  when  the  rain  has  fallen,  one  should 
still  continue  to  water  the  fields,  would  this  not  be  a  waste  of  labor?  Now 
if  you  would  assume  the  reins  of  government,  the  empire  would  be  well 
governed,  and  yet  I  am  filling  this  office.  I  am  conscious  of  my  own  defi- 
ciencies, and  I  beg  to  offer  you  the  Empire." 

"You  are  ruling  the  Empire,  and  the  Empire  is  already  well  ruled," 
replied  Hsu  Yu.  "Why  should  I  take  your  place  ?  Should  I  do  this  for 
the  sake  of  a  name?  A  name  is  but  the  shadow  of  reality,  and  should  I 
trouble  myself  about  the  shadow  ?  The  tit,  building  its  nest  in  the  mighty 
forest,  occupies  but  a  single  twig.  The  beaver  slakes  its  thirst  from  the 
river,  but  drinks  enough  only  to  fill  its  belly.  I  would  rather  go  back:  I 
have  no  use  for  the  empire!  If  the  cook  is  unable  to  prepare  the  funeral 
sacrifices,  the  representative  of  the  worshipped  spirit  and  the  officer  of 
prayer  may  not  step  over  the  wines  and  meats  and  do  it  for  him." 

Chien  Wu  said  to  Lien  Shu,  "I  heard  Chieh  Yii  talk  on  high  and  fine 
subjects  endlessly.  I  was  greatly  startled  .at  what  he  said,  for  his  words 
seemed  interminable  as  the  Milky  Way,  but  they  are  quite  detached  from 
our  common  human  experience." 

"What  was  it?"  asked  Lien  Shu. 

"He  declared,"  replied  Chien  Wu,  "that  on  the  Miao-ku-yi  mountain 
there  lives  a  divine  one,  whose  skin  is  white  like  ice  or  snow,  whose  grace 

"Philosopher  about  whose  life  nothing  is  known.  The  book  Liehtse  is  considered  a  later 
compilation.  Sec  the  section  "Parables  of  Ancient  Philosophers." 
4  The  wind. 
•  «.c.  2357. 


632  CHINESE    MYSTICISM 

and  elegance  are  like  those  of  a  virgin,  who  eats  no  grain,  but  lives  on 
air  and  dew,  and  who,  riding  on  clouds  with  flying  dragons  for  his  team, 
roams  beyond  the  limits  of  the  mortal  regions.  When  his  spirit  gravitates, 
he  can  ward  off  corruption  from  all  things,  and  bring  good  crops.  That  is 
why  I  call  it  nonsense,  and  do  not  believe  it." 

"Well,"  answered  Lien  Shu,"  "you  don't  ask  a  blind  man's  opinion 
of  beautiful  designs,  nor  do  you  invite  a  deaf  man  to  a  concert.  And  blind- 
ness and  deafness  are  not  physical  only.  There  is  blindness  and  deafness 
of  the  mind.  His  words  are  like  the  unspoiled  virgin.  The  good  influence 
of  such  a  man  with  such  a  character  fills  all  creation.  Yet  because  a  paltry 
generation  cries  for  reform,  you  would  have  him  busy  himself  about  the 
details  of  an  empire! 

"Objective  existences  cannot  harm  him.  In  a  flood  which  reached  the 
sky,  he  would  not  be  drowned.  In  a  drought,  though  metals  ran  liquid 
and  mountains  were  scorched  up,  he  would  not  be  hot.  Out  of  his  very 
dust  and  sittings  you  might  fashion  two  such  men  as  Yao  and  Shun.9 
And  you  would  have  him  occupy  himself  with  objectives!" 

A  man  of  the  Sung  State  carried  some  ceremonial  caps  to  the  Yiieh 
tribes  for  sale.  But  the  men  of  Yiieh  used  to  cut  off  their  hair  and  paint 
their  bodies,  so  that  they  had  no  use  for  such  things.  The  Emperor  Yao 
ruled  all  under  heaven  and  governed  the  affairs  of  the  entire  country. 
After  he  paid  a  visit  to  the  four  sages  of  the  Miao-ku-yi  Mountain,  he  felt 
on  his  return  to  his  capital  at  Fenyang  that  the  empire  existed  for  him 
no  more. 

Hueitse 7  said  to  Chuangtse,  "The  Prince  of  Wei  gave  me  a  seed  of  a 
large-sized  kind  of  gourd.  I  planted  it,  and  it  bore  a  fruit  as  big  as  a  five- 
bushel  measure.  Now  had  I  used  this  for  holding  liquids,  it  would  have 
been  too  heavy  to  lift;  and  had  I  cu^  it  in  half  for  ladles,  the  ladles  would 
have  been  too  flat  for  such  purpose.  Certainly  it  was  a  huge  thing,  but  I 
had  no  use  for  it  and  so  broke  it  up." 

"It  was  rather  you  who  did  not  know  how  to  use  large  things,"  replied 
Chuangtse.  "There  was  a  man  of  Sung  who  had  a  recipe  for  salve  for 
chapped  hands,  his  family  having  been  silk-washers  for  generations.  A 
stranger  who  had  heard  of  it,  came  and  offered  him  a  hundred  ounces  of 
silver  for  this  recipe;  whereupon  he  called  together  his  clansmen  and 
said,  'We  have  never  made  much  money  by  silk-washing.  Now,  we  can 

*  Sage  emperors. 

T  A  sophist  and  friend  of  Chuangtse  who  often  carried  on  debates  with  him. 


CHUANGTSE  633 

sell  the  recipe  for  a  hundred  ounces  in  a  single  day.  Let  the  stranger 
have  it.' 

"The  stranger  got  the  recipe,  and  went  and  had  an  interview  with  the 
Prince  of  Wu.  The  Yiieh  State  was  in  trouble,  and  the  Prince  of  Wu  sent 
a  general  to  fight  a  naval  battle  with  Yiieh  at  the  beginning  of  winter. 
The  latter  was  totally  defeated,  and  the  stranger  was  rewarded  with  a 
piece  of  the  King's  territory.  Thus,  while  the  efficacy  of  the  salve  to  cure 
chapped  hands  was  in  both  cases  the  same,  its  applications  were  different. 
Here,  it  secured  a  title;  there,  the  people  remained  silk-washers. 

"Now  as  to  your  five-bushel  gourd,  why  did  you  not  make  a  float  of  it, 
and  float  about  over  river  and  lake  ?  And  you  complain  of  its  being  too 
flat  for  holding  things!  I  fear  your  mind  is  stuffy  inside." 

Hueitse  said  to  Chuangtse,  "I  have  a  large  tree,  called  the  ailanthus. 
Its  trunk  is  so  irregular  and  knotty  that  it  cannot  be  measured  out  for 
planks;  while  its  branches  are  so  twisted  that  they  cannot  be  cut  out  into 
discs  or  squares.  It  stands  by  the  roadside,  but  no  carpenter  will  look  at 
it.  Your  words  are  like  that  tree — big  and  useless,  of  no  concern  to  the 
world." 

"Have  you  never  seen  a  wild  cat,"  rejoined  Chuangtse,  "crouching 
down  in  wait  for  its  prey?  Right  and  left  and  high  and  low,  it  springs 
about,  until  it  gets  caught  in  a  trap  or  dies  in  a  snare.  On  the  other  hand, 
there  is  the  yak  with  its  great  huge  body.  It  is  big  enough  in  all  conscience, 
but  it  cannot  catch  mice.  Now  if  you  have  a  big  tree  and  are  at  a  loss 
what  to  do  with  it,  why  not  plant  it  in  the  Village  of  Nowhere,  in  the 
great  wilds,  where  you  might  loiter  idly  by  its  side,  and  lie  down  in  bliss- 
ful repose  beneath  its  shade?  There  it  would  be  safe  from  the  axe  and 
from  all  other  injury.  For  being  of  no  use  to  others,  what  could  worry 
its  mind?" 

ON  LEVELLING  ALL  THINGS 

TSECH'I  OF  NANKUO  sat  leaning  on  a  low  table.  Gazing  up  to  heaven,  he 
sighed  and  looked  as  though  he  had  lost  his  mind. 

Yench'eng  Tseyu,  who  was  standing  by  him,  exclaimed,  "What  are 
you  thinking  about  that  your  body  should  become  thus  like  dead  wood, 
your  mind  like  burnt-out  cinders?  Surely  the  man  now  leaning  on  the 
table  is  not  he  who  was  here  just  now." 

"My  friend,"  replied  Tsech'i,  "your  question  is  apposite.  Today  I  have 
lost  my  Self  ...  Do  you  understand?  .  .  .  Perhaps  you  only  know  the 


634  CHINESE   MYSTICISM 

music  of  man,  and  not  that  of  Earth.  Or  even  if  you  have  heard  the  music 
of  Earth,  perhaps  you  have  not  heard  the  music  of  Heaven." 

"Pray  explain,"  said  Tseyu. 

"The  breath  of  the  universe,"  continued  Tsech'i,  "is  called  wind.  At 
times,  it  is  inactive.  But  when  active,  all  crevices  resound  to  its  blast. 
Have  you  never  listened  to  its  deafening  roar  ? 

"Caves  and  dells  of  hill  and  forest,  hollows  in  huge  trees  of  many  a 
span  in  girth — some  are  like  nostrils,  and  some  like  mouths,  and  others 
like  ears,  beam-sockets,  goblets,  mortars,  or  like  pools  and  poodles.  And 
the  wind  goes  rushing  through  them,  like  swirling  torrents  or  singing 
arrows,  bellowing,  sousing,  trilling,  wailing,  roaring,  purling,  whistling 
in  front  and  echoing  behind,  now  soft  with  the  cool  blow,  now  shrill 
with  the  whirlwind,  until  the  tempest  is  past  and  silence  reigns  supreme. 
Have  you  never  witnessed  how  the  trees  and  objects  shake  and  quake, 
and  twist  and  twirl?" 

"Well,  then,"  enquired  Tseyu,  "since  the  music  of  Earth  consists  of 
hollows  and  apertures,  and  the  music  of  man  of  pipes  and  flutes,  of  what 
consists  the  music  of  Heaven?" 

"The  effect  of  the  wind  upon  these  various  apertures,"  replied  Tsech'i, 
"is  not  uniform,  but  the  sounds  are  produced  according  to  their  indi- 
vidual capacities.  Who  is  it  that  agitates  their  breasts  ? 

"Great  wisdom  is  generous;  petty  wisdom  is  contentious.  Great  speech 
is  impassioned,  small  speech  cantankerous. 

"For  whether  the  soul  is  locked  in  sleep  or  whether  in  waking  hours 
the  body  moves,  we  are  striving  and  struggling  with  the  immediate  cir- 
cumstances. Some  are  easy-going  and  leisurely,  some  are  deep  and  cun- 
ning, and  some  are  secretive.  Now  we  are  frightened  over  petty  fears, 
now  disheartened  and  dismayed  over  some  great  terror.  Now  the  mind 
flies  forth  like  an  arrow  from  a  cross-bow,  to  be  the  arbiter  of  right  and 
wrong.  Now  it  stays  behind  as  if  sworn  to  an  oath,  to  hold  on  to  what  it 
has  secured.  Then,  as  under  autumn  and  winter's  blight,  comes  gradual 
decay,  and  submerged  in  its  own  occupations,  it  keeps  on  running  its 
course,  never  to  return.  Finally,  worn  out  and  imprisoned,  it  is  choked 
up  like  an  old  drain,  and  the  failing  mind  shall  not  see  light  again.8 

"Joy  and  anger,  sorrow  and  happiness,  worries  and  regrets,  indecision 
and  fears,  come  upon  us  by  turns,  with  everchanging  moods,  like  music 
from  the  hollows,  or  like  mushrooms  from  damp.  Day  and  night  they 

c  Agitations  of  the  soul  (music  of  Heaven)  compared  to  the  agitations  of  the  forest  (music 
of  Earth). 


CHUANGTSE  635 

alternate  within  us,  but  we  cannot  tell  whence  they  spring.  Alas!  Alas! 
Could  we  for  a  moment  lay  our  finger  upon  their  very  Cause? 

"But  for  these  emotions  I  should  not  be.  Yet  but  for  me,  there  would 
be  no  one  to  feel  them.  So  far  we  can  go;  but  we  do  not  know  by  whose 
order  they  come  into  play.  It  would  seem  there  was  a  soul;  *  but  the  clue 
to  its  existence  is  wanting.  That  it  functions  is  credible  enough,  though 
we  cannot  see  its  form.  Perhaps  it  has  inner  reality  without  outward  form. 

"Take  the  human  body  with  all  its  hundred  bones,  nine  external 
cavities  and  six  internal  organs,  all  complete.  Which  part  of  it  should  I 
love  best?  Do  you  not  cherish  all  equally,  or  have  you  a  preference?  Do 
these  organs  serve  as  servants  of  some  one  else  ?  Since  servants  cannot 
govern  themselves,  do  they  serve  as  master  and  servants  by  turn  ?  Surely 
there  is  some  soul  which  controls  them  all. 

"But  whether  or  not  we  ascertain  what  is  the  true  nature  of  this  soul, 
it  matters  but  little  to  the  soul  itself.  For  once  coming  into  this  material 
shape,  it  runs  its  course  until  it  is  exhausted.  To  be  harassed  by  the  wear 
and  tear  of  life,  and  to  be  driven  along  without  possibility  of  arresting 
one's  course, — is  not  this  pitiful  indeed?  To  labor  without  ceasing  all  life, 
and  then,  without  living  to  enjoy  the  fruit,  worn  out  with  labor,  to  depart, 
one  knows  not  whither, — is  not  this  a  just  cause  for  grief?" 

"Men  say  there  is  no  death — of  what  avail  ?  The  body  decomposes,  and 
the  mind  goes  with  it.  Is  this  not  a  great  cause  for  sorrow  ?  Can  the  world 
be  so  dull  as  not  to  see  this?  Or  is  it  I  alone  who  am  dull,  and  others 
not  so?" 

Now  if  we  are  to  be  guided  by  our  prejudices,  who  shall  be  without  a- 
guide?  What  need  to  make  comparisons  of  right  and  wrong  with  others? 
And  if  one  is  to  follow  one's  own  judgments  according  to  his  prejudices, 
even  the  fools  have  them!  But  to  form  judgments  of  right  and  wrong 
without  first  having  a  mind  at  all  is  like  saying,  "I  left  for  Yiieh  today, 
and  got  there  yesterday."  Or,  it  is  like  assuming  something  which  does 
not  exist  to  exist.  The  (illusions  of)  assuming  something  which  does  not 
exist  to  exist  could  not  be  fathomed  even  by  the  divine  Yii;  how  much 
less  could  we  ? 

For  speech  is  not  mere  blowing  of  breath.  It  is  intended  to  say  some- 
thing, only  what  it  is  intended  to  say  cannot  yet  be  determined.  Is  there 
speech  indeed,  or  is  there  not  ?  Can  we,  or  can  we  not,  distinguish  it  from 
the  chirping  of  young  birds? 

*  Lit  "true  lord." 


636  CHINESE   MYSTICISM 

How  can  Tao  be  so  obscured  that  there  should  be  a  distinction  of  true 
and  false  ?  How  can  speech  be  so  obscured  that  there  should  be  a  distinc- 
tion of  right  and  wrong? 10  Where  can  you  go  and  find  Tao  not  to  exist  ? 
Where  can  you  go  and  find  that  words  cannot  be  proved  ?  Tao  is  obscured 
by  our  inadequate  understanding,  and  words  are  obscured  by  flowery 
expressions.  Hence  the  affirmations  and  denials  of  the  Confucian  and 
Motsean  n  schools,  each  denying  what  the  other  affirms  and  affirming 
what  the  other  denies.  Each  denying  what  the  other  affirms  and  affirming 
what  the  other  denies  brings  us  only  into  confusion. 

There  is  nothing  which  is  not  this;  there  is  nothing  which  is  not  that. 
What  cannot  be  seen  by  that  (the  other  person)  can  be  known  by  myself. 
Hence  I  say,  this  emanates  from  that;  that  also  derives  from  this.  This 
is  the  theory  of  the  interdependence  of  this  and  that  (relativity  of 
standards) . 

Nevertheless,  life-  arises  from  death,  and  vice  versa.  Possibility  arises 
from  impossibility,  and  v ice  versa.  Affirmation  is  based  upon  denial,  and 
vice  versa.  Which  being  the  case,  the  true  sage  rejects  all  distinctions  and 
takes  his  refuge  in  Heaven  (Nature).  For  one  may  base  it  on  this,  yet  this 
is  also  that  and  that  is  also  this.  This  also  has  its  'right'  and  'wrong',  and 
that  also  has  its  'right'  and  'wrong.'  Does  then  the  distinction  between 
this  and  that  really  exist  or  not?  When  this  (subjective)  and  that  (objec- 
tive) are  both  without  their  correlates,  that  is  the  very  'Axis  of  Tao.'  And 
when  that  Axis  passes  through  the  centre  at  which  all  Infinities  converge, 
affirmations  and  denials  alike  blend  into  the  infinite  One.  Hence  it  is  said 
that  there  is  nothing  like  using  the  Light. 

To  take  a  finger  in  illustration  of  a  finger  not  being  a  finger  is  not  so 
good  as  to  take  something  which  is  not  a  finger  to  illustrate  that  a  finger 
is  not  a  finger.  To  take  a  horse  in  illustration  of  a  horse  not  being  a  horse 
is  not  so  good  as  to  take  something  which  is  not  a  horse  to  illustrate  that  a 
horse  is  not  a  horse."  So  with  the  universe  which  is  but  a  finger,  but  a 
horse.  The  possible  is  possible:  the  impossible  is  impossible.  Tao  operates, 
and  the  given  results  follow;  things  receive  names  and  are  said  to  be 
what  they  are.  Why  are  they  so?  They  are  said  to  be  so!  Why  are  they 

10  Shih  and  Jet  mean  general  moral  judgments  and  mental   distinctions:   "right**  and 

"wrong",  "true"  and  "false",  "is"  and  "is  not,"  "affirmative"  and  "negative",  also  "to 

justify"  and  "condemn",  to  "affirm"  and  "deny." 

"The  followers  of  Motse  were  powerful  rivals  of  the  Confucianists  in  Chuangtse's  days. 

See  the  selections  from  Motsc. 

uThc  meaning  of  these  two  sentences  is  made  clear  by  a  line  below.  "But  if  we  put  the 

different  categories  in  one,  then  the  differences  of  category  cease  to  exist." 


CHUANGTSE  637 

not  so?  They  are  said  to  be  not  so!  Things  are  so  by  themselves  and  have 
possibilities  by  themselves.  There  is  nothing  which  is  not  so  and  there 
is  nothing  which  may  not  become  so. 

Therefore  take,  for  instance,  a  twig  and  a  pillar,  or  the  ugly  person 
and  the  great  beauty,  and  all  the  strange  and  monstrous  transformations. 
These  are  all  levelled  together  by  Tao.  Division  is  the  same  as  creation; 
creation  is  the  same  as  destruction.  There  is  no  such  thing  as  creation  or 
destruction,  for  these  conditions  are  again  levelled  together  into  One. 

Only  the  truly  intelligent  understand  this  principle  of  the  levelling  of 
all  things  into  One.  They  discard  the  distinctions  and  take  refuge  in  the 
common  and  ordinary  things.  The  common  and  ordinary  things  serve 
certain  functions  and  therefore  retain  the  wholeness  of  nature.  From  this 
wholeness,  one  comprehends,  and  from  comprehension,  one  comes  near 
to  the  Tao.  There  it  stops.  To  stop  without  knowing  how  it  stops— this 
is  Tao. 

But  to  wear  out  one's  intellect  in  an  obstinate  adherence  to  the  indi- 
viduality of  things,  not  recognizing  the  fact  that  all  things  are  One, — 
this  is  called  "Three  in  the  Morning."  What  is  "Three  in  the  Morning?" 
A  keeper  of  monkeys  said  with  regard  to  their  rations  of  nuts  that  each 
monkey  was  to  have  three  in  the  morning  and  four  at  night.  At  this 
the  monkeys  were  very  angry.  Then  the  keeper  said  they  might  have  four 
in  the  morning  and  three  at  night,  with  which  arrangement  they  were 
all  well  pleased.  The  actual  number  of  nuts  remained  the  same,  but  there 
was  a  difference  owing  to  (subjective  evaluations  of)  likes  and  dislikes. 
It  also  derives  from  this  (principle  of  subjectivity).  Wherefore  the  true 
Sage  brings  all  the  contraries  together  and  rests  in  the  natural  Balance 
of  Heaven.  This  is  called  (the  principle  of  following)  two  courses  (at 
once). 

The  knowledge  of  the  men  of  old  had  a  limit.  What  was  the  limit?  It 
extended  back  to  a  period  when  matter  did  not  exist.  That  was  the 
extreme  point  to  which  their  knowledge  reached.  The  second  period  was 
that  of  matter,  but  of  matter  unconditioned  (undefined).  The  third 
epoch  saw  matter  conditioned  (defined) ,  but  judgements  of  true  and  false 
were  still  unknown.  When  these  appeared,  Tao  began  to  decline.  And 
with  the  decline  of  Tao,  individual  bias  (subjectivity)  arose. 

Besides,  did  Tao  really  rise  and  decline?  "  In  the  world  of  (apparent) 

18  Ch'tng  and  %'uti,  lit. — "whole"  and  "deficient."  "Wholeness"  refers  to  unspoiled  unity 
of  Tao.  In  the  following  sentences,  ch'cng  is  used  in  the  sense  of  "success."  It  is  explained 
bv  commentators  that  the  "wholeness"  of  music  exists  only  in  silence,  and  that  as  soon 


638  CHINESE   MYSTICISM 

rise  and  decline,  the  famous  musician  Chao  Wen  did  play  the  string 
instrument;  but  in  respect  to  the  world  without  rise  and  decline,  Chao 
Wen  did  not  play  the  string  instrument.  When  Chao  Wen  stopped 
playing  the  string  instrument,  Shih  K'uang,  (the  music  master)  laid 
down  his  drum-stick  (for  keeping  time),  and  Hueitse  (the  sophist) 
stopped  arguing,  they  all  understood  the  approach  of  Tao.  These  people 
are  the  best  in  their  arts,  and  therefore  known  to  posterity.  They  each 
loved  his  art,  and  wanted  to  excel  in  his  own  line.  And  because  they 
loved  their  arts,  they  wanted  to  make  them  known  to  others.  But  they 
were  trying  to  teach  what  (in  its  nature)  could  not  be  known.  Conse- 
quently (Hueitse)  ended  in  the  obscure  discussions  of  the  "hard"  and 
"white";  and  Chao  Wen's  son  tried  to  learn  to  play  the  string  instru- 
ment all  his  life  and  failed.  If  this  may  be  called  success,  then  I,  too,  have 
succeeded.  But  if  neither  of  them  could  be  said  to  have  succeeded,  then 
neither  I  nor  others  have  succeeded.  Therefore  the  true  Sage  discards 
the  light  that  dazzles  and  takes  refuge  in  the  common  and  ordinary. 
Through  this  comes  understanding. 

Suppose  here  is  a  statement.  We  do  not  know  whether  it  belongs  to 
one  category  or  another.  But  if  we  put  the  different  categories  in  one, 
then  the  differences  of  category  cease  to  exist.  However,  I  must  explain. 
If  there  was  a  beginning,  then  there  was  a  time  before  that  beginning, 
and  a  time  before  the  time  which  was  before  the  time  of  that  beginning. 
If  there  is  existence,  there  must  have  been  non-existence.  And  if  there 
faas  a  time  when  nothing  existed,  then  there  must  have  been  a  time 
when  even  nothing  did  not  exist.  All  of  a  sudden,  nothing  came  into 
existence.  Could  one  then  really  say  whether  it  belongs  to  the  category 
of  existence  or  of  non-existence?  Even  the  very  words  I  have  just  now 
uttered,— I  cannot  say  whether  they  say  something  or  not. 

There  is  nothing  under  the  canopy  of  heaven  greater  than  the  tip  of 
a  bird's  down  in  autumn,  while  the  T'ai  Mountain  is  small.  Neither 
is  there  any  longer  life  than  that  of  a  child  cut  off  in  infancy,  while 
P'eng  Tsu  himself  died  young.  The  universe  and  I  came  into  being  to- 
gether; I  and  everything  therein  are  One. 

If  then  all  things  are  One,  what  room  is  there  for  speech  ?  On  the  other 
hand,  since  I  can  say  the  word  'one'  how  can  speech  not  exist?  If  it  does 

as  one  note  is  struck,  other  notes  arc  necessarily  held  in  abeyance.  The  same  thing  is  true 
of  arguments:  when  we  argue,  we  necessarily  cut  up  truth  by  emphasizing  certain  aspects 
of  it. 


CHUANGTSE  639 

exist,  we  have  One  and  speech— two;  and  two  and  one—three14  from 
which  point  onwards  even  the  best  mathematicians  will  fail  to  reach  (the 
ultimate);  how  much  more  then  should  ordinary  people  fail? 

Hence,  if  from  nothing  you  can  proceed  to  something,  and  subse- 
quently reach  three,  it  follows  that  it  would  be  still  easier  if  you  were 
to  start  from  something.  Since  you  cannot  proceed,  stop  here. 

Now  Tao  by  its  very  nature  can  never  be  defined.  Speech  by  its  very 
nature  cannot  express  the  absolute.  Hence  arise  the  distinctions.  Such 
distinctions  are:  "right"  and  "left,"  "relationship"  and  "duty,"  "division" 
and  "discrimination,"  "emulation"  and  "contention."  These  are  called 
the  Eight  Predicables. 

Beyond  the  limits  of  the  external  world,  the  Sage  knows  that  it  exists, 
but  does  not  talk  about  it.  Within  the  limits  of  the  external  world,  the 
Sage  talks  but  does  not  make  comments.  With  regard  to  the  wisdom  of 
the  ancients,  as  embodied  in  the  canon  of  Spring  and  Autumn,  the  Sage 
comments,  but  does  not  expound.  And  thus,  among  distinctions  made, 
there  are  distinctions  that  cannot  be  made;  among  things  expounded, 
there  are  things  that  cannot  be  expounded. 

How  can  that  be?  it  is  asked.  The  true  Sage  keeps  his  knowledge 
within  him,  while  men  in  general  set  forth  theirs  in  argument,  in  order 
to  convince  each  other.  And  therefore  it  is  said  that  one  who  argues 
does  so  because  he  cannot  see  certain  points. 

Now  perfect  Tao  cannot  be  given  a  name.  A  perfect  argument  does 
not  employ  words.  Perfect  kindness  does  not  concern  itself  with  (in- 
dividual acts  of)  kindness."  Perfect  integrity  is  not  critical  of  others.16 
Perfect  courage  does  not  push  itself  forward. 

For  the  Tao  which  is  manifest  is  not  Tao.  Speech  which  argues  falls 
short  of  its  aim.  Kindness  which  has  fixed  objects  loses  its  scope.  Integrity 
which  is  obvious  is  not  believed  in.  Courage  which  pushes  itself  for- 
ward never  accomplishes  anything.  These  five  are,  as  it  were,  round 
(mellow)  with  a  strong  bias  towards  squareness  (sharpness).  Therefore 
that  knowledge  which  stops  at  what  it  does  not  know,  is  the  highest 
knowledge. 

Who  knows  the  argument  which  can  be  argued  without  words,  and 
the  Tao  which  does  not  declare  itself  as  Tao?  He  who  knows  this  may 
be  said  to  enter  the  realm  of  the  spirit."  To  be  poured  into  without  be- 

14  Sec  Laotsc,  Ch.  42.  M  Sec  Laotse,  Ch.  58. 

15  Sec  Laotse,  Ch.  5.  1T  Lit.  in  the  "Palace  of  Heaven." 


640  CHINESE   MYSTICISM 

coming  full,  and  pour  out  without  becoming  empty,  without  knowing 
how  this  is  brought  about, — this  is  the  art  of  "Concealing  the  Light." 

Of  old,  the  Emperor  Yao  said  to  Shun,  "I  would  smite  the  Tsungs, 
and  the  Kueis,  and  the  Hsii-aos.  Since  I  have  been  on  the  throne,  this 
has  ever  been  on  my  mind.  What  do  you  think?" 

"These  three  States,"  replied  Shun,  "lie  in  wild  undeveloped  regions. 
Why  can  you  not  shake  off  this  idea?  Once  upon  a  time,  ten  suns 
came  out  together,  and  all  things  were  illuminated  thereby.  How  much 
greater  should  be  the  power  of  virtue  which  excels  the  suns?" 

Yeh  Ch'ueh  asked  Wang  Yi,  saying,  "Do  you  know  for  certain 
that  all  things  are  the  same?" 

"How  can  I  know?"  answered  Wang  Yi. 

"Do  you  know  what  you  do  not  know?" 

"How  can  I  know?"  replied  Yeh  Ch'ueh.  - 

"But  then  does  nobody  know?" 

"How  can  I  know?"  said  Wang  Yi.  "Nevertheless,  I  will  try  to  tell 
you.  How  can  it  be  known  that  what  I  call  knowing  is  not  really  not 
knowing  and  that  what  I  call  not  knowing  is  not  really  knowing?  Now 
I  would  ask  you  this,  If  a  man  sleeps  in  a  damp  place,  he  gets  lumbago 
and  dies.  But  how  about  an  eel?  And  living  up  in  a  tree  is  precarious 
and  trying  to  the  nerves.  But  how  about  monkeys?  Of  the  man,  the 
eel,  and  the  monkey,  whose  habitat  is  the  right  one,  absolutely? 
Human  beings  feed  on  flesh,  deer  on  grass,  centipedes  on  little  snakes, 
owls  and  crows  on  mice.  Of  these  four,  whose  is  the  right  taste,  abso- 
lutely? Monkey  mates  with  the  dog-headed  female  ape,  the  buck  with 
the  doe,  eels  consort  with  fishes,  while  men  admire  Mao  Ch'iang  and 
Li  Chi,  at  the  sight  of  whom  fishes  plunge  deep  down  in  the  water, 
birds  soar  high  in  the  air,  and  deer  hurry  away.  Yet  who  shall  say  which 
is  the  correct  standard  of  beauty?  In  my  opinion,  the  doctrines  of 
humanity  and  justice  and  the  paths  of  right  and  wrong  are  so  confused 
that  it  is  impossible  to  know  their  contentions." 

"If  you  then,"  asked  Yeh  Ch'ueh,  "do  not  know  what  is  good  and 
bad,  is  the  Perfect  Man  equally  without  this  knowledge?" 

"The  Perfect  Man,"  answered  Wang  Yi,  "is  a  spiritual  being.  Were 
the  ocean  itself  scorched  up,  he  would  not  feel  hot.  Were  the  great 
rivers  frozen  hard,  he  would  not  feel  cold.  Were  the  mountains  to  be 
cleft  by  thunder,  and  the  great  deep  to  be  thrown  up  by  storm,  he  would 


CHUANGTSE  64! 

not  tremble  with  fear.  Thus,  he  would  mount  upon  the  clouds  of 
heaven,  and  driving  the  sun  and  the  moon  before  him,  pass  beyond  the 
limits  of  this  mundane  existence.  Death  and  life  have  no  more  victory 
over  him.  How  much  less  should  he  concern  himself  with  the  distinc- 
tions of  profit  and  loss?" 

Chii  Ch'iao  addressed  Ch'ang  Wutse  as  follows:  "I  heard  Confucius 
say,  'The  true  Sage  pays  no  heed  to  worldly  affairs.  He  neither  seeks 
gain  nor  avoids  injury.  He  asks  nothing  at  the  hands  of  man  and  does 
not  adhere  to  rigid  rules  of  conduct.  Sometimes  he  says  something 
without  speaking  and  sometimes  he  speaks  without  saying  anything. 
And  so  he  roams  beyond  the  limits  of  this  mundane  world.  These/  com- 
mented Confucius,  'are  futile  fantasies/  But  to  me  they  are  the  embodi- 
ment of  the  most  wonderful  Tao.  What  is  your  opinion?'* 

"These  are  things  that  perplexed  even  the  Yellow  Emperor,**  replied 
Ch*ang  Wutse.  "How  should  Confucius  know?  You  are  going  too  far 
ahead.  When  you  see  a  hen's  egg,  you  already  expect  to  hear  a  cock  crow. 
When  you  see  a  sling,  you  are  already  expecting  to  have  broiled  pigeon.  I 
will  say  a  few  words  to  you  at  random,  and  do  you  listen  at  random. 

"How  does  the  Sage  seat  himself  by  the  sun  and  moon,  and  hold 
the  universe  in  his  grasp?  He  blends  everything  into  one  harmonious 
whole,  rejecting  the  confusion  of  this  and  that.  Rank  and  precedence, 
which  the  vulgar  sedulously  cultivate,  the  Sage  stolidly  ignores,  amal- 
gamating the  disparities  of  ten  thousand  years  into  one  pure  mould. 
The  universe  itself,  too,  conserves  and  blends  all  in  the  same  manner. 

"How  do  I  know  that  love  of  life  is  not  a  delusion  after  all?  How 
do  I  know  but  that  he  who  dreads  death  is  not  as  a  child  who  has  lost 
his  way  and  does  not  know  his  way  home? 

"The  lady  Li  Chi  was  the  daughter  of  the  frontier  officer  of  Ai.  When 
the  Duke  of  Chin  first  got  her,  she  wept  until  the  bosom  of  her  dress 
was  drenched  with  tears.  But  when  she  came  to  the  royal  residence, 
shared  with  the  Duke  his  luxurious  couch,  and  ate  rich  food,  she  re- 
pented of  having  wept.  How  then  do  I  know  but  that  the  dead  may 
repent  of  having  previously  clung  to  life? 

"Those  who  dream  of  the  banquet,  wake  to  lamentation  and  sorrow. 
Those  who  dream  of  lamentation  and  sorrow  wake  to  join  the  hunt. 
While  they  dream,  they  do  not  know  that  they  are  dreaming.  Some 
will  even  interpret  the  very  dream  they  are  dreaming;  and  only  when 
they  awake  do  they  know  it  was  a  dream.  By  and  by  comes  the  great 


642  CHINESE   MYSTICISM 

awakening,  and  then  we  find  out  that  this  life  is  really  a  great  dream. 
Fools  think  they  are  awake  now,  and  flatter  themselves  they  know — 
this  one  is  a  prince,  and  that  one  is  a  shepherd.  What  narrowness  of  mindl 
Confucius  and  you  are  both  dreams;  and  I  who  say  you  are  dreams — I 
am  but  a  dream  myself.  This  is  a  paradox.  Tomorrow  a  Sage  may  arise 
to  explain  it;  but  that  tomorrow  will  not  be  until  ten  thousand  genera- 
tions have  gone  by.  Yet  you  may  meet  him  around  the  corner. 

"Granting  that  you  and  I  argue.  If  you  get  the  better  of  me,  and  not 
I  of  you,  are  you  necessarily  right  and  I  wrong?  Or  if  I  get  the  better 
of  you  and  not  you  of  me,  am  I  necessarily  right  and  you  wrong  ?  Or 
are  we  both  partly  right  and  partly  wrong?  Or  are  we  both  wholly 
right  and  wholly  wrong?  You  and  I  cannot  know  this,  and  conse- 
quently we  all  live  in  darkness. 

"Whom  shall  I  ask  as  arbiter  between  us  ?  If  I  ask  some  one  who  takes 
your  view,  he  will  side  with  you.  How  can  such  a  one  arbitrate  between 
us?  If  I  ask  some  one  who  takes  my  view,  he  will  side  with  me.  How 
can  such  a  one  arbitrate  between  us  ?  If  I  ask  some  one  who  differs  from 
both  of  us,  he  will  be  equally  unable  to  decide  between  us,  since  he 
differs  from  both  of  us.  And  if  I  ask  some  one  who  agrees  with  both 
of  us,  he  will  be  equally  unable  to  decide  between  us,  since  he  agrees 
with  both  of  us.  Since  then  you  and  I  and  other  men  cannot  decide,  how 
can  we  depend  upon  another?  The  words  of  arguments  are  all  relative; 
if  we  wish  to  reach  the  absolute,  we  must  harmonize  them  by  means 
of  the  unity  of  God,  and  follow  their  natural  evolution,  so  that  we  may 
complete  our  allotted  span  of  life. 

"But  what  is  it  to  harmonize  them  by  means  of  the  unity  of  God? 
It  is  this.  The  right  may  not  be  really  right.  What  appears  so  may  not 
be  really  so.  Even  if  what  is  right  is  really  right,  wherein  it  differs  from 
Wrong  cannot  be  made  plain  by  argument.  Even  if  what  appears  so  is 
really  so,  wherein  it  differs  from  what  is  not  so  also  cannot  be  made 
plain  by  argument. 

"Take  no  heed  of  time  nor  of  right  and  wrong.  Passing  into  the 
realm  of  the  Infinite,  take  your  final  rest  therein." 

The  Penumbra  said  to  the  Umbra.  "At  one  moment  you  move:  at 
another  you  are  at  rest.  At  one  moment  you  sit  down:  at  another  you 
get  up.  Why  this  instability  of  purpose?"  "Perhaps  I  depend,"  replied 
the  Umbra,  "upon  something  which  causes  me  to  do  as  I  do;  and  per- 
haps that  something  depends  in  turn  upon  something  else  which  causes 


CHUANGTSE  643 

it  to  do  as  it  does.  Or  perhaps  my  dependence  is  like  (the  unconscious 
movements)  of  a  snake's  scales  or  of  a  cicada's  wings.  How  can  I  tell 
why  I  do  one  thing,  or  why  I  do  not  do  another?" 

Once  upon  a  time,  I,  Chuang  Chou,15  dreamt  I  was  a  butterfly,  flutter- 
ing hither  and  thither,  to  all  intents  and  purposes  a  butterfly.  I  was 
conscious  only  of  my  happiness  as  a  butterfly,  unaware  that  I  was  Chou. 
Soon  I  awaked,  and  there  I  was,  veritably  myself  again.  Now  I  do  not 
know  whether  I  was  then  a  man  dreaming  I  was  a  butterfly,  or  whether 

I  am  now  a  butterfly,  dreaming  I  am  a  man.  Between  a  man  and  a 
butterfly  there  is  necessarily  a  distinction.  The  transition  is  called  the 
transformation  of  material  things." 

THE  PRESERVATION  OF  LIFE 

HUMAN  LIFE  is  limited,  but  knowledge  is  limitless.  To  drive  the  limited 
in  pursuit  of  the  limitless  is  fatal;  and  to  presume  that  one  really  knows 
is  fatal  indeed! 

In  doing  good,  avoid  fame.  In  doing  bad,  avoid  disgrace.  Pursue  a 
middle  course  as  your  principle.  Thus  you  will  guard  your  body  from 
harm,  preserve  your  life,  fulfill  ,your  duties  by  your  parents,  and  live 
your  allotted  span  of  life. 

Prince  Huei's  cook  was  cutting  up  a  bullock.  Every  blow  of  his  hand, 
every  heave  of  his  shoulders,  every  tread  of  his  foot,  every  thrust  of  his 
knee,  every  whshh  of  rent  flesh,  every  chhf^  of  the  chopper,  was  in  per- 
fect rhythm, — like  the  dance  of  the  Mulberry  Grove,  like  the  harmonious 
chords  of  Ching  Shou. 

"Well  done!"  cried  the  Prince.  "Yours  is  skill  indeed!" 
"Sire,"  replied  the  cook  laying  down  his  chopper,  "I  have  always  de- 
voted myself  to  Tao,  which  is  higher  than  mere  skill.  When  I  first 
began  to  cut  up  bullocks,  I  saw  before  me  whole  bullocks.  After  three 
years'  practice,  I  saw  no  more  whole  animals.  And  now  I  work  with 
my  mind  and  not  with  my  eye.  My  mind  works  along  without  the  con- 
trol of  the  senses.  Falling  back  upon  eternal  principles,  I  glide  through 
such  great  joints  or  cavities  as  there  may  be,  according  to  the  natural 

II  Personal  name  of  Chuangtsc,  "tsc"  being  the  equivalent  of  "Master." 

w  An  important  idea  that  recurs  frequently  in  Chuangtse;  all  things  are  in  constant  flux  and 
change,  but  arc  different  aspects  of  the  One, 


644  CHINESE    MYSTICISM 

constitution  of  the  animal.  I  do  not  even  touch  the  convolutions  of 
muscle  and  tendon,  still  less  attempt  to  cut  through  large  bones. 

"A  good  cook  changes  his  chopper  once  a  year, — because  he  cuts.  An 
ordinary  cook,  one  a  month, — because  he  hacks.  But  I  have  had  this 
chopper  nineteen  years,  and<although  I  have  cut  up  many  thousand  bul- 
locks, its  edge  is  as  if  fresh  from  the  whetstone.  For  at  the  joints  there 
are  always  interstices,  and  the  edge  of  a  chopper  being  without  thickness, 
it  remains  only  to  insert  that  which  is  without  thickness  into  such  an 
interstice.  Indeed  there  is  plenty  of  room  for  the  blade  to  move  about. 
It  is  thus  that  I  have  kept  my  chopper  for  nineteen  years  as  though  fresh 
from  the  whetstone. 

"Nevertheless,  when  I  come  upon  a  knotty  part  which  is  difficult  to 
tackle,  I  am  all  caution.  Fixing  my  eye  on  it,  I  stay  my  hand,  and  gently 
apply  my  blade,  until  with  a  hwah  the  part  yields  like  earth  crumbling 
to  the  ground.  Then  I  take  out  my  chopper  and  stand  up,  and  look 
around,  and  pause  with  an  air  of  triumph.  Then  wiping  my  chopper,  I 
put  it  carefully  away." 

"Bravo!"  cried  the  Prince.  "From  the  words  of  this  cook  I  have  learnt 
how  to  take  care  of  my  life." 

When  Hsien,  of  the  Kungwen  family,  beheld  a  certain  official,  he  was 
horrified,  and  said,  "Who  is  that  man?  How  came  he  to  lose  a  leg? 
Is  this  the  work  of  God,  or  of  man  ?" 

"Why,  of  course,  it  is  the  work  of  God,  and  not  of  man,"  was  the 
reply.  "God  made  this  man  one-legged.  The  appearance  of  men  is  always 
balanced.  From  this  it  is  clear  that  God  and  not  man  made  him  what 
he  is." 

A  pheasant  of  the  marshes  may  have  to  go  ten  steps  to  get  a  peck, 
a  hundred  to  get  a  drink.  Yet  pheasants  do  not  want  to  be  fed  in  a  cage. 
For  although  they  might  have  less  worries,  they  would  not  like  it. 

When  Laotse  died,  Ch'in  Yi  went  to  the  funeral.  He  uttered  thren 
yells  and  departed. 

A  disciple  asked  him  saying,  "Were  you  not  our  Master's  friend?" 

"I  was,"  replied  Ch'in  Yi. 

"And  if  so,  do  you  consider  that  a  sufficient  expression  of  grief  at  his 
death?"  added  the  disciple. 

"I  do,"  said  Ch'in  Yi.  "I  had  thought  he  was  a  (mortal)  man,  but  now 
I  know  that  he  was  not.  When  I  went  in  to  mourn,  I  found  old  persons 
weeping  as  if  for  their  children,  young  ones  wailing  as  if  for  their 


CHUANGTSE  645 

mothers.  When  these  people  meet,  they  must  have  said  words  on  the 
occasion  and  shed  tears  without  any  intention.  (To  cry  thus  at  one's 
death)  is  to  evade  the  natural  principles  (of  life  and  death)  and  increase 
human  attachments,  forgetting  the  source  from  which  we  receive  this 
life.  The  ancients  called  this  Evading  the  retribution  of  Heaven.'  The 
Master  came,  because  it  was  his  time  to  be  born;  he  went,  because  it  was 
his  time  to  go  away.  Those  who  accept  the  natural  course  and  sequence 
of  things  and  live  in  obedience  to  it  are  beyond  joy  and  sorrow.  The 
ancients  spoke  of  this  as  the  emancipation  from  bondage.  The  fingers 
may  not  be  able  to  supply  all  the  fuel,  but  the  fire  is  transmitted,  and  we 
know  not  when  it  will  come  to  an  end." 

THIS  HUMAN  WORLD 

YEN  HUEI  "  went  to  take  leave  of  Confucius.  "Whither  are  you  bound?" 
asked  the  Master. 

"I  am  going  to  the  State  of  Wei,"  was  the  reply. 

"And  what  do  you  propose  to  do  there?"  continued  Confucius. 

"I  hear,"  answered  Yen  Huei,  "that  the  Prince  of  Wei  is  of  mature  age, 
but  of  an  unmanageable  disposition.  He  behaves  as  if  the  people  were  of 
no  account,  and  will  not  see  his  own  faults.  He  disregards  human  lives 
and  the  people  perish;  and  their  corpses  lie  about  like  so  much  under- 
growth in  a  marsh.  The  people  do  not  know  where  to  turn  for  help. 
And  I  have  heard  you  say  that  if  a  state  be  well  governed,  it  may  be 
passed  over;  but  that  if  it  be  badly  governed,  then  we  should  visit  it.  At 
the  door  of  physicians  there  are  many  sick  people.  I  would  test  my 
knowledge  in  this  sense,  that  perchance  I  may  do  some  good  at  that 
state." 

"Alas!"  cried  Confucius,  "you  will  be  only  going  to  your  doom.  For 
Tao  must  not  bustle  about.  If  it  does  it  will  have  divergent  aims.  From 
divergent  aims  comes  restlessness;  from  restlessness  comes  worry,  and 
from  worry  one  reaches  the  stage  of  being  beyond  hope.  The  Sages  of 
old  first  strengthened  their  own  character  before  they  tried  to  strengthen 
that  of  others.  Before  you  have  strengthened  your  own  character,  what 
leisure  have  you  to  attend  to  the  doings  of  wicked  men  ?  Besides,  do  you 
know  into  what  virtue  evaporates  by  motion  and  where  knowledge  ends  ? 
Virtue  evaporates  by  motion  into  desire  for  fame  and  knowledge  ends 
in  contentions.  In  the  struggle  for  fame  men  crush  each  other,  while 

80  Best  disciple  of  Confucius- 


646  CHINESE    MYSTICISM 

their  wisdom  but  provokes  rivalry.  Both  are  instruments  of  evil,  and 
are  not  proper  principles  of  living. 

"Besides,  if  before  one's  own  solid  character  and  integrity  become  an 
influence  among  men  and  before  one's  own  disregard  for  fame  reaches 
the  hearts  of  men,  one  should  go  and  force  the  preachings  of  charity 
and  duty  and  the  rules  of  conduct  on  wicked  men,  he  would  only  make 
these  men  hate  him  for  his  very  goodness.  Such  a  person  may  be  called 
a  messenger  of  evil.  A  messenger  of  evil  will  be  the  victim  of  evil  from 
others.  That,  alas!  will  be  your  end. 

"On  the  other  hand,  if  the  Prince  loves  the  good  and  hates  evil,  what 
object  will  you  have  in  inviting  him  to  change  his  ways?  Before  you 
have  opened  your  mouth,  the  Prince  himself  will  have  seized  the  oppor- 
tunity to  wrest  the  victory  from  you.  Your  eyes  will  be  dazzled,  your  ex- 
pression fade,  your  words  will  hedge  about,  your  face  will  show  con- 
fusion, and  your  heart  will  yield  within  you.  It  will  be  as  though  you 
took  fire  to  quell  fire,  water  to  quell  water,  which  is  known  as  aggrava- 
tion. And  if  you  begin  with  concessions,  there  will  be  no  end  to  them. 
If  you  neglect  this  sound  advice  and  talk  too  much,  you  will  die  at  the 
hands  of  that  violent  man. 

"Of  old,  Chieh  murdered  Kuanlung  P'ang,  and  Chou  slew  Prince 
Pikan.  Their  victims  were  both  men  who  cultivated  themselves  and 
cared  for  the  good  of  the  people,  and  thus  offended  their  superiors. 
Therefore,  their  superiors  got  rid  of  them,  because  of  their  goodness. 
This  was  the  result  of  their  love  for  fame. 

"Of  old,  Yao  attacked  the  Ts'ung-chih  and  Hsii-ao  countries,  and  Yii 
attacked  the  Yu-hus.  The  countries  were  laid  waste,  their  inhabitants 
slaughtered,  their  rulers  killed.  Yet  they  fought  without  ceasing,  and 
strove  for  material  objects  to  the  last.  These  are  instances  of  striving  for 
fame  or  for  material  objects.  Have  you  not  heard  that  even  Sages 
cannot  overcome  this  love  of  fame  and  this  desire  for  material  objects 
(in  rulers)  ?  Are  you  then  likely  to  succeed?  But  of  course  you  have  a 
plan.  Tell  it  to  me." 

"Gravity  of  demeanour  and  humility;  persistence  and  singleness  of 
purpose, — will  this  do?"  replied  Yen  Huei. 

"Alas  no,"  said  Confucius,  "how  can  it?  The  Prince  is  a  haughty  per- 
son, filled  with  pride,  and  his  moods  are  fickle.  No  one  opposes  him, 
and  so  he  has  come  to  take  actual  pleasure  in  trampling  upon  the  feel- 
ings of  others,  And  if  he  has  thus  failed  in  the  practice  of  routine  vir- 
tues, do  you  expect  that  he  will  take  readily  to  higher  ones?  He  will 


CHUANGTSE  647 

persist  in  his  ways,  and  though  outwardly  he  may  agree  with  you,  in- 
wardly he  will  not  repent.  How  then  will  you  make  him  mend  his 
ways?" 

"Why,  then,"  (replied  Yen  Huei)  "I  can  be  inwardly  straight,  and 
outwardly  yielding,  and  I  shall  substantiate  what  I  say  by  appeals  to 
antiquity.  He  who  is  inwardly  straight  is  a  servant  of  God.  And  he  who 
is  a  servant  of  God  knows  that  the  Son  of  Heaven  and  himself  are 
equally  the  children  of  God.21  Shall  then  such  a  one  trouble  whether  his 
words  are  approved  or  disapproved  by  man  ?  Such  a  person  is  commonly 
regarded  as  an  (innocent)  child.  This  is  to  be  a  servant  of  God.  He  who 
is  outwardly  yielding  is  a  servant  of  man.  He  bows,  he  kneels,  he  folds 
his  hands—such  is  the  ceremonial  of  a  minister.  What  all  men  do,  shall 
I  not  do  also?  What  all  men  do,  none  will  blame  me  for  doing.  This  is 
to  be  a  servant  of  man.  He  who  substantiates  his  words  by  appeals  to 
antiquity  is  a  servant  of  the  Sages  of  old.  Although  I  utter  the  words 
of  warning  and  take  him  to  task,  it  is  the  Sages  of  old  who  speak,  and 
not  I.  Thus  I  shall  not  receive  the  blame  for  my  uprightness.  This  is  to 
be  the  servant  of  the  Sages  of  old.  Will  this  do?" 

"No!  How  can  it?"  replied  Confucius.  "Your  plans  are  too  many. 
You  are  firm,  but  lacking  in  prudence.  However,  you  are  only  narrow- 
minded,  but  you  will  not  get  into  trouble;  but  that  is  all.  You  will  still 
be  far  from  influencing  him  because  your  own  opinions  are  still  too 
rigid." 

"Then,"  said  Yen  Huei,  "I  can  go  no  further.  I  venture  to  ask  for  a 
method." 

Confucius  said,  "Keep  fast,  and  I  shall  tell  you.  Will  it  be  easy  for  you 
when  you  still  have  a  narrow  mind ?  He  who  treats  things  as  easy  will 
not  be  approved  by  the  bright  heaven." 

"My  family  is  poor,"  replied  Yen  Huei,  "and  for  many  months  we 
have  tasted  neither  wine  nor  flesh.  Is  that  not  fasting?" 

"That  is  a  fast  according  to  the  religious  observances,"  answered  Con- 
fucius, "but  not  the  fasting  of  the  heart." 

"And  may  I  ask,"  said  Yen  Huei,  "in  what  consists  the  fasting  of  the 
heart?" 

"Concentrate  your  will.  Hear  not  with  your  ears,  but  with  your  mind; 
not  with  your  mind,  but  with  your  spirit.  Let  your  hearing  stop  with  the 
ears,  and  let  your  mind  stop  with  its  images.  Let  your  spirit,  however, 
be  like  a  blank,  passively  responsive  to  externals.  In  such  open  reccp- 
*Lit  "regarded  as  sons  (i.e.,  fathered)  by  Heaven." 


648  CHINESE   MYSTICISM 

tivity  only  can  Tao  abide.  And  that  open  receptivity  is  the  fasting  of 
the  heart." 

"Then,"  said  Yea  Huei,  "the  reason  I  could  not  use  this  method  was 
because  of  consciousness  of  a  self.  If  I  could  apply  this  method,  the 
assumption  of  a  self  would  have  gone.  Is  this  what  you  mean  by  the 
receptive  state?" 

"Exactly  so,"  replied  the  Master.  "Let  me  tell  you.  Enter  this  man's 
service,  but  without  idea  of  working  for  fame.  Talk  when  he  is  in  a 
mood  to  listen,  and  stop  when  he  is  not.  Do  without  any  sort  of  labels 
or  self-advertisements.  Keep  to  the  One  and  let  things  take  their  natural 
course.  Then  you  may  have  some  chance  of  success.  It  is  easy  to  stop 
walking:  the  trouble  is  to  walk  without  touching  the  ground.  As  an 
agent  of  man,  it  is  easy  to  use  artificial  devices;  but  not  as  an  agent  of 
God.  You  have  heard  of  winged  creatures  flying.  You  have  never  heard 
of  flying  without  wings.  You  have  heard  of  men  being  wise  with  knowl- 
edge. You  have  never  heard  of  men  wise  without  knowledge. 

"Look  at  that  emptiness.  There  is  brightness  in  an  empty  room.  Good 
luck  dwells  in  repose.  If  there  is  not  (inner)  repose,  your  mind  will  be 
galloping  about  though  you  are  sitting  still.  Let  your  ears  and  eyes  com- 
municate within  but  shut  out  all  knowledge  from  the  mifid.  Then  the 
spirits  will  come  to  dwell  therein,  not  to  mention  man.  This  is  the 
method  for  the  transformation  (influencing)  of  all  Creation.  It  was  the 
key  to  the  influence  of  Yii  and  Shun,  and  the  secret  of  the  success  of  Fu 
Hsi  and  Chi  Chii.  How  much  more  should  the  common  man  follow 
the  same  rule?" 

(Two  sections  are  omitted  here — Ed.) 

A  certain  carpenter  Shih  was  travelling  to  the  Ch'i  State.  On  reaching 
Shady  Circle,  he  saw  a  sacred  li  tree  in  the  temple  to  the  God  of  Earth. 
It  was  so  large  that  its  shade  could  cover  a  herd  of  several  thousand 
cattle.  It  was  a  hundred  spans  in  girth,  towering  up  eighty  feet  over 
the  hilltop,  before  it  branched  out.  A  dozen  boats  could  be  cut  out  of  it. 
Crowds  stood  gazing  at  it,  but  the  carpenter  took  no  notice,  and  went 
on  his  way  without  even  casting  a  look  behind.  His  apprentice  however 
took  a  good  look  at  it,  and  when  he  caught  up  with  his  master,  said, 
"Ever  since  I  have  handled  an  adze  in  your  service,  I  have  never  seen 
such  a  splendid  piece  of  timber.  How  was  it  that  you,  Master,  did  not 
care  to  stop  and  look  at  it?" 

"Forget  about  it.  It's  not  worth  talking  about,"  replied  his  master.  "It's 
good  for  nothing.  Made  into  a  boat,  it  would  sink;  into  a  coffin,  it  would 


CHUANGTSE  649 

rot;  into  furniture,  it  would  break  easily;  into  a  door,  It  would  sweat; 
into  a  pillar,  it  would  be  worm-eaten.  It  is  wood  of  no  quality,  and  of 
no  use.  That  is  why  it  has  attained  its  present  age." 

When  the  carpenter  reached  home,  he  dreamt  that  the  spirit  of  the 
tree  appeared  to  him  in  his  sleep  and  spoke  to  him  as  follows:  "What  is 
it  you  intend  to  compare  me  with?  Is  it  with  fine-grained  wood?  Look 
at  the  cherry-apple,  the  pear,  the  orange,  the  pumelo,  and  other  fruit- 
bearers?  As  soon  as  their  fruit  ripens  they  are  stripped  and  treated  with 
indignity.  The  great  boughs  are  snapped  off,  the  small  ones  scattered 
abroad.  Thus  do  these  trees  by  their  own  value  injure  their  own  lives. 
They  cannot  fulfill  their  alloted  span  of  years,  but  perish  prematurely 
because  they  destroy  themselves  for  the  (admiration  of)  the  world.  Thus 
it  is  with  all  things.  Moreover,  I  tried  for  a  long  period  to  be  useless. 
Many  times  I  was  in  danger  of  being  cut  down,  but  at  length  I  have 
succeeded,  and  so  have  become  exceedingly  useful  to  myself.  Had  I 
in9eed  been  of  use,  I  should  not  be  able  to  grow  to  this  height.  More- 
over, you  and  I  are  both  created  things.  Have  done  then  with  this 
criticism  of  each  other.  Is  a  good-for-nothing  fellow  in  imminent  danger 
of  death  a  fit  person  to  talk  of  a  good-for-nothing  tree?" 

When  the  carpenter  Shih  awaked  and  told  his  dream,  his  apprentice 
said,  "If  the  tree  aimed  at  uselessness,  how  was  it  that  it  became  a  sacred 
tree?" 

"Hush!"  replied  his  master.  "Keep  quiet.  It  merely  took  refuge  in  the 
temple  to  escape  from  the  abuse  of  those  who  do  not  appreciate  it.  Had 
it  not  become  sacred,  how  many  would  have  wanted  to  cut  it  down! 
Moreover,  the  means  it  adopts  for  safety  is  different  from  that  of  others, 
and  to  criticize  it  by  ordinary  standards  would  be  far  wide  of  the  mark." 


Tsech'i  of  Nan-po  was  travelling  on  the  hill  of  Shang  when  he  saw 
a  large  tree  which  astonished  him  very  much.  A  thousand  chariot  teams 
of  four  horses  could  find  shelter  under  its  shade. 

"What  tree  is  this?"  cried  Tsech'i.  "Surely  it  must  be  unusually  fine 
timber."  Then  looking  up,  he  saw  that  its  branches  were  too  crooked  for 
rafters;  and  looking  down  he  saw  that  the  trunk's  twisting  loose  grain 
made  it  valueless  for  coffins.  He  tasted  a  leaf,  but  it  took  the  skin  off  his 
lips;  and  its  odour  was  so  strong  that  it  would  make  a  man  intoxicated 
for  three  days  together. 

"Ah!"  said  Tsech'i,  "this  tree  is  really  good  for  nothing,  and  that  is 


650  CHINESE   MYSTICISM 

how  it  has  attained  this  size.  A  spiritual  man  might  well  follow  its 
example  of  uselessness." 

In  the  State  of  Sung  there  is  a  land  belonging  to  the  Chings,  where 
thrive  the  catalpa,  the  cedar,  and  the  mulberry.  Such  as  are  of  one  span  or 
so  in  girth  are  cut  down  for  monkey  cages.  Those  of  two  or  three  spans 
are  cut  down  for  the  beams  of  fine  houses.  Those  of  seven  or  eight  spans 
are  cut  down  for  the  solid  (unjointed)  sides  of  rich  men's  coffins.  Thus 
they  do  not  fulfil  their  alloted  span  of  years,  but  perish  young  beneath 
the  axe.  Such  is  the  misfortune  which  overtakes  worth. 

For  the  sacrifices  to  the  River  God,  neither  bulls  with  white  fore- 
heads, nor  pigs  with  high  snouts,  nor  men  suffering  from  piles,  can  be 
used.  This  is  known  to  all  the  soothsayers,  for  these  are  regarded  as  in- 
auspicious. The  wise,  however,  would  regard  them  as  extremely 
auspicious  (to  themselves). 


There  was  a  hunchback  named  Su.  His  jaws  touched  his  navel.  His 
shoulders  were  higher  than  his  head.  His  neck  bone  stuck  out  toward 
the  sky.  His  viscera  were  turned  upside  down.  His  buttocks  were  where 
his  ribs  should  have  been.  By  tailoring,  or  washing,  he  was  easily  able 
to  earn  his  living.  By  sifting  rice  he  could  make  enough  to  support  a 
family  of  ten.  When  orders  came  down  for  a  conscription,  the  hunch- 
back walked  about  unconcerned  among  the  crowd.  And  similarly,  in 
government  conscription  for  public  works,  his  deformity  saved  him  from 
being  called.  On  the  other  hand,  when  it  came  to  government  donations 
of  grain  for  the  disabled,  the  hunchback  received  as  much  as  three  chung, 
and  of  firewood,  ten  faggots.  And  if  physical  deformity  was  thus  enough 
to  preserve  his  body  until  the  end  of  his  days,  how  much  more  should 
moral  and  mental  deformity  avail! 

When  Confucius  was  in  the  Ch'u  State,  the  eccentric  Chieh  Yii  passed 
his  door,  saying,  "O  phoenix!  O  phoenix!  How  hast  thy  virtue  fallen! 
Wait  not  for  the  coming  years,  nor  hanker  back  to  the  past.  When  the 
right  principles  prevail  on  earth,  prophets  will  fulfill  their  mission. 
When  the  right  principles  prevail  not,  they  will  but  preserve  themselves. 
At  the  present  day,  they  are  but  trying  to  keep  out  of  jail!  The  good 
fortunes  of  this  world  are  light  as  feathers,  yet  none  estimates  them  at 
their  true  value.  The  misfortunes  of  this  life  are  weighty  as  the  earth, 
yet  none  knows  how  to  keep  out  of  their  reach.  No  more,  no  more,  show 
off  your  virtue.  Beware,  beware,  move  cautiously  on!  O  brambles,  O 


CHUANGTSE  65! 

brambks,  wound  not  my  steps!  I  pick  my  way  about,  hurt  not  my 
feet!"28 

The  mountain  trees  invite  their  own  cutting  down;  lamp  oil  invites  its 
own  burning  up.  Cinnamon  bark  can  be  eaten;  therefore  the  tree  is  cut 
down.  Lacquer  can  be  used,  therefore  the  tree  is  scraped.  All  men  know 
the  utility  of  useful  things;  but  they  do  not  know  the  utility  of  futility. 

DEFORMITIES,  OR  EVIDENCES  OF  A  FULL  CHARACTER " 

IN  THE  STATE  OF  Lu  there  was  a  man,  named  Wang  T'ai,  who  had  had 
one  of  his  legs  cut  off.  His  disciples  were  as  numerous  as  those  of  Con- 
fucius. 

Ch'ang  Chi  asked  Confucius,  saying,  "This  Wang  T'ai  has  been 
mutilated,  yet  he  has  as  many  followers  in  the  Lu  State  as  you.  He 
neither  stands  up  to  pi  each  nor  sits  down  to  give  discourse;  yet  those  who 
go  to  him  empty,  depart  full.  Is  he  the  kind  of  person  who  can  teach  with- 
out words  and  influence  people's  minds  without  material  means  ?  What 
manner  of  man  is  this?" 

"He  is  a  sage,"  replied  Confucius,  "I  wanted  to  go  to  him,  but  am 
merely  behind  the  others.  Even  I  will  go  and  make  him  my  teacher, — 
why  not  those  who  are  lesser  than  I?  And  I  will  lead,  not  only  the  State 
of  Lu,  but  the  whole  world  to  follow  him." 

"The  man  has  been  mutilated,"  said  Ch'ang  Chi,  "and  yet  people  call 
him  'Master.'  He  must  be  very  different  from  the  ordinary  men.  If  so, 
how  does  he  tram  his  mind?" 

"Life  and  Death  are  indeed  changes  of  great  moment,"  answered  Con- 
fucius, "but  they  cannot  affect  his  mind.  Heaven  and  earth  may  col- 
lapse, but  his  mind  will  remain.  Being  indeed  without  flaw,  it  will  not 
share  the  fate  of  all  things.  It  can  control  the  transformation  of  things, 
while  preserving  its  source  intact." 

"How  so?"  asked  Ch'ang  Chi. 

"From  the  point  of  view  of  differentiation  of  things,"  replied  Con- 
fucius, "we  distinguish  between  the  liver  and  the  gall,  between  the  Ch'u 
State  and  the  Yuen  State.  From  the  point  of  view  of  their  sameness,  all 
things  are  One.  He  who  regards  things  in  this  light  does  not  even 
trouble  about  what  reaches  him  through  the  senses  of  hearing  and  sight, 

"The  first  part  of  this  song  is  found  in  the  Analects. 

"This  chapter  deals  cnarely  with  dJonmncs — a  literary  device  for  emphasizing  the  con- 
trast of  the  inner  and  the  outer  man. 


652  CHINESE    MYSTICISM 

but  lets  his  mind  wander  in  the  moral  harmony  of  things.  He  beholds 
the  unity  in  things,  and  does  not  notice  the  loss  of  particular  objects. 
And  thus  the  loss  of  his  leg  is  to  him  as  would  be  the  loss  of  so  much 
dirt." 

"But  he  cultivates  only  himself,"  said  Ch'ang  Chi.  "He  uses  his 
knowledge  to  perfect  his  mind,  and  develops  his  mind  into  the  Abso- 
lute Mind.  But  how  is  it  that  people  flock  around  him?" 

"A  man,"  replied  Confucius,  "does  not  seek  to  see  himself  in  running 
water,  but  in  still  water.  For  only  what  is  itself  still  can  instil  stillness 
into  others.  The  grace  of  earth  has  reached  only  the  pines  and  cedars; 
winter  and  summer  alike,  they  are  green.  The  grace  of  God  has  reached 
to  Yao  and  to  Shun,  who  alone  attained  rectitude.  Happily  he  was  able 
to  rectify  himself  and  thus  become  the  means  through  which  all  were 
rectified.  For  the  possession  of  one's  original  (nature)  is  evidenced  in 
true  courage.  A  man  will,  single-handed,  brave  a  whole  army.  And  if 
such  a  result  can  be  achieved  by  one  in  search  of  fame  through  self- 
control,  how  much  greater  courage  can  be  shown  by  one  who  extends  his 
sway  over  heaven  and  earth  and  gives  shelter  to  all  things,  who,  lodging 
temporarily  within  the  confines  of  a  body  with  contempt  for  the  super- 
ficialities of  sight  and  sound,  brings  his  knowledge  to  level  all  knowl- 
edge and  whose  mind  never  dies!  Besides,  he  (Wang  T'ai)  is  only  await- 
ing his  appointed  hour  to  go  up  to  Heaven.  Men  indeed  flock  to  him  of 
their  own  accord.  How  can  he  take  seriously  the  affairs  of  this  world?" 

Shent'u  Chia  had  only  one  leg.  He  studied  under  Pohun  Wujen 
("Muddle-Head  No-Such-Person")  together  with  Tsech'an8*  of  the 
Cheng  State.  The  latter  said  to  him,  "When  I  leave  first,  do  you  remain 
behind.  When  you  leave  first,  I  will  remain  behind." 

Next  day,  when  they  were  again  together  sitting  on  the  same  mat  in 
the  lecture-room,  Tsech'an  said,  "When  I  leave  first,  do  you  remain  be- 
hind. Or  if  you  leave  first,  I  will  remain  behind.  I  am  now  about  to  go. 
Will  you  remain  or  not?  I  notice  you  show  no  respect  to  a  high  person- 
age. Perhaps  you  think  yourself  my  equal?" 

"In  the  house  of  the  Master,"  replied  Shent'u  Chia,  "there  is  already 
a  high  personage  (the  Master).  Perhaps  you  think  that  you  are  the  high 
personage  and  therefore  should  take  precedence  over  the  rest.  Now  I 
have  heard  that  if  a  mirror  is  perfectly  bright,  dust  will  not  collect  on  it, 
and  that  if  it  does,  the  mirror  is  no  longer  bright.  He  who  associates  for 
84  A  well-known  historical  person,  a  model  minister  referred  to  in  the  Analects, 


CHUANGTSE  653 

long  with  the  wise  should  be  without  fault.  Now  you  have  been  seeking 
the  greater  things  at  the  feet  of  our  Master,  yet  you  can  utter  words  like 
these.  Don't  you  think  you  are  making  a  mistake?" 

"You  are  already  mutilated  like  this,"  retorted  Tsech'an,  "yet  you  are 
still  seeking  to  compete  in  virtue  with  Yao.  To  look  at  you,  I  should 
say  you  had  enough  to  do  to  reflect  on  your  past  misdeeds!" 

"Those  who  cover  up  their  sins,"  said  Shent'u  Chia,  "so  as  not  to 
lose  their  legs,  are  many  in  number.  Those  who  forget  to  cover 
up  their  misdemeanors  and  so  lose  their  legs  (through  punishment)  are 
few.  But  only  the  virtuous  man  can  recognize  the  inevitable  and  remain 
unmoved.  People  who  walked  in  front  of  the  bull's-eye  when  Hou  Yi 
(the  famous  archer)  was  shooting,  would  be  hit.  Some  who  were  not  hit 
were  just  lucky.  There  are  many  people  with  sound  legs  who  laugh  at  me 
for  not  having  them.  This  used  to  make  me  angry.  But  since  I  came  to 
study  under  our  Master,  I  have  stopped  worrying  about  it.  Perhaps  our 
Master  has  so  far  succeeded  in  washing  (purifying)  me  with  his  good- 
ness. At  any  rate,  I  have  been  with  him  nineteen  years  without  being 
aware  of  my  deformity.  Now  you  and  I  are  roaming  in  the  realm  of  the 
spiritual,  and  you  are  judging  me  in  the  realm  of  the  physical.  *  Are  you 
not  committing  a  mistake?" 

At  this  Tsech'an  began  to  fidget  and  his  countenance  changed,  and 
he  bade  Shent'u  Chia  to  speak  no  more. 

There  was  a  man  of  the  Lu  State  who  had  been  mutilated,  by  the 
name  of  Shushan  No-toes.  He  came  walking  on  his  heels  to  see  Con- 
fucius; but  Confucius  said,  "You  were  careless,  and  so  brought  this 
misfortune  upon  yourself.  What  is  the  use  of  coming  to  me  now?"  "It 
was  because  I  was  inexperienced  and  careless  with  my  body  that  I  hurt 
my  feet,"  replied  No-toes.  "Now  I  have  come  with  something  more 
precious  than  feet,  and  it  is  that  which  I  am  seeking  to  preserve.  There 
is  no  man,  but  Heaven  shelters  him;  and  there  is  no  man,  but  the  Earth 
supports  him.  I  thought  that  you,  Master,  would  be  like  Heaven  and 
Earth.  I  little  expected  to  hear  these  words  from  you." 

"Pardon  my  stupidity,"  said  Confucius.  "Why  not  come  in?  I  shall 
discuss  with  you  what  I  have  learned."  But  No-toes  left. 

When  No-toes  had  left,  Confucius  said  to  his  disciples,  "Take  a  good 
lesson.  No-toes  is  one-legged,  yet  he  is  seeking  to  learn  in  order  to  make 

*  Lit.  "The  outside  of  frame  and  bones." 


654  CHINESE   MYSTICISM 

atonement  for  his  previous  misdeeds.  How  much  more  should  those  who 
have  no  misdeeds  for  which  to  atone?" 

No-toes  went  off  to  see  Lao  Tan  (Laotse)  and  said,  "Is  Confucius  a 
Perfect  One  or  is  he  not  quite  ?  How  is  it  that  he  is  so  anxious  to  learn 
from  you  ?  He  is  seeking  to  earn  a  reputation  by  his  abstruse  and  strange 
learning,  which  is  regarded  by  the  Perfect  One  as  mere  fetters." 

"Why  do  you  not  make  him  regard  life  and  death,  and  possibility  and 
impossibility  as  alternations  of  one  and  the  same  principle,"  answered 
Lao  Tan,  "and  so  release  him  from  these  fetters?" 

"It  is  God  who  has  thus  punished  him,"  replied  No-toes.  "How  could 
he  be  released?" 

Duke  Ai  of  the  Lu  State  said  to  Confucius,  "In  the  Wei  State  there  is 
an  ugly  person,  named  Ait'ai  (Ugly)  T'o.  The  men  who  have  lived  with 
him  cannot  stop  thinking  about  him.  Women  who  have  seen  him,  would 
say  to  their  parents,  'Rather  than  be  another  man's  wife,  I  would  be  this 
man's  concubine.'  There  are  scores  of  such  women.  He  never  tries  to  lead 
others,  but  only  follows  them.  He  wields  no  power  of  a  ruler  by  which 
he  may  protect  men's  lives.  He  has  no  hoarded  wealth  by  which  to 
gratify  their  bellies,  and  is  besides  frightfully  loathsome.  He  follows 
but  does  not  lead,  and  his  name  is  not  known  outside  his  own  State.  Yet 
men  and  women  aLke  all  seek  his  company.  So  there  must  be  some- 
thing in  him  that  is  different  from  other  people.  I  sent  for  him,  and  saw 
that  he  was  indeed  frightfully  ugly.  Yet  we  had  not  been  many  months 
together  before  I  began  to  see  there  was  something  in  this  man.  A  year 
had  not  passed  before  I  began  to  trust  him.  As  my  State  wanted  a  Prime 
Minister,  I  offered  him  the  post.  He  looked  sullenly  before  he  replied 
and  appeared  as  if  he  would  much  rather  have  declined.  Perhaps  he  did 
not  think  me  good  enough  for  him!  At  any  rate,  I  gave  the  post  to  him; 
but  in  a  very  short  time  he  left  me  and  went  away.  I  grieved  for  him  as 
for  a  lost  friend,  as  though  there  were  none  left  with  whom  I  could 
enjoy  having  my  kingdom.  What  manner  of  man  is  this?" 

"When  I  was  on  a  mission  to  the  Ch'u  State,"  replied  Confucius,  "I 
saw  a  litter  of  young  pigs  sucking  their  dead  mother.  After  a  while  they 
looked  at  her,  and  then  all  left  the  body  and  went  off.  For  their  mother 
did  not  look  at  them  any  more,  nor  did  she  seem  any  more  to  have  been 
of  their  kind.  What  they  loved  was  their  mother;  not  the  body  which 
contained  her,  but  that  which  made  the  body  what  it  was.  When  a  man 


CHUANGTSE  655 

is  killed  in  battle,  his  coffin  is  not  covered  with  a  square  canopy.  A  man 
whose  leg  has  been  cut  off  does  not  value  a  present  of  shoes.  In  each  case, 
the  original  purpose  of  such  things  is  gone.  The  concubines  of  the  Son 
of  Heaven  do  not  cut  their  nails  or  pierce  their  ears.  Those  (servants) 
who  are  married  have  to  live  outside  (the  palace)  and  cannot  be  em- 
ployed again.  Such  is  the  importance  attached  to  preserving  the  body 
whole.  How  much  more  valued  is  one  who  has  preserved  his  virtue 
whole? 

"Now  Ugly  T'o  has  said  nothing  and  is  already  trusted.  He  has 
achieved  nothing  and  is  sought  after,  and  is  offered  the  government  of  a 
country  with  the  only  fear  that  he  might  decline.  Indeed  he  must  be  the 
one  whose  talents  are  perfect  and  whose  virtue  is  without  outward 
form!" 

"What  do  you  mean  by  his  talents  being  perfect?"  asked  the  Duke. 

"Life  and  Death,"  replied  Confucius,  "possession  and  loss,  success  and 
failure,  poverty  and  wealth,  virtue  and  vice,  good  and  evil  report, 
hunger  and  thirst,  heat  and  cold — these  are  changes  of  things  in  the 
natural  course  of  events.  Day  and  night  they  follow  upon  one  another, 
and  no  man  can  say  where  they  spring  from.  Therefore  they  must  not 
be  allowed  to  disturb  the  natural  harmony,  nor  enter  into  the  soul's 
domain.  One  should  live  so  that  one  is  at  ease  and  in  harmony  with 
the  world,  without  loss  of  happiness,  and  by  day  and  by  night,  share  the 
(peace  of)  spring  with  the  created  things.  Thus  continuously  one  cre- 
ates the  seasons  in  one's  own  breast.  Such  a  person  may  be  said  to  have 
perfect  talents." 

"And  what  is  virtue  without  outward  form?" 

"When  standing  still,"  said  Confucius,  "the  water  is  in  the  most  per- 
fect state  of  repose.  Let  that  be  your  model.  It  remains  quietly  within,  and 
is  not  agitated  without.  It  is  from  the  cultivation  of  such  harmony  that' 
virtue  results.  And  if  virtue  takes  no  outward  form,  man  will  not  be  able 
to  keep  aloof  from  it." 

Some  days  afterwards  Duke  Ai  told  Mintse  saying,  "When  first  I 
took  over  the  reins  of  government,  I  thought  that  in  guiding  the  people 
and  caring  for  their  lives,  I  had  done  all  my  duty  as  a  ruler.  But  now 
that  I  have  heard  the  words  of  a  perfect  man,  I  fear  that  I  have  not 
achieved  it,  but  am  foolishly  squandering  my  bodily  energy  and  bring- 
ing ruin  to  my  country.  Confucius  and  I  are  not  prince  and  minister, 
but  friends  in  spirit." 


656  CHINESE   MYSTICISM 

Hunchback-Dcformed-No-Lips  spoke  with  Duke  Ling  of  Wei  and 
the  Duke  took  a  fancy  to  him.  As  for  the  well-formed  men,  he  thought 
their  necks  were  too  scraggy.  Big-Jar-Goitre  spoke  with  Duke  Huan  of 
Ch'i,  and  the  Duke  took  a  fancy  to  him.  As  for  the  well-formed  men, 
he  thought  their  necks  were  too  scraggy. 

Thus  it  is  that  when  virtue  excels,  the  outward  form  is  forgotten. 
But  mankind  forgets  not  that  which  is  to  be  forgotten,  forgetting  that 
which  is  not  to  be  forgotten.  This  is  forgetfulness  indeed!  And  thus  the 
Sage  sets  his  spirit  free,  while  knowledge  is  regarded  as  extraneous 
growths;  agreements  are  for  cementing  relationships,  goods  are  only  for 
social  dealings,  and  the  handicrafts  are  only  for  serving  commerce.  For 
the  Sage  does  not  contrive,  and  therefore  has  no  use  for  knowledge;  he 
does  not  cut  up  the  world,  and  therefore  requires  no  cementing  of  rela- 
tionships; he  has  no  loss,  and  therefore  has  no  need  to  acquire;  he  sells 
nothing,  and  therefore  has  no  use  for  commerce.  These  four  qualifica- 
tions are  bestowed  upon  him  by  God,  that  is  to  say,  he  is  fed  by  God.  And 
he  who  is  thus  fed  by  God  has  little  need  to  be  fed  by  man.  He  wears 
the  human  form  without  human  passions.  Because  he  wears  the  human 
form  he  associates  with  men.  Because  he  has  not  human  passions  the 
questions  of  right  and  wrong  do  not  touch  him.  Infinitesimal  indeed  is 
that  which  belongs  to  the  human;  infinitely  great  is  that  which  is  com- 
pleted in  God. 

Hueitse  said  to  Chuangtse,  "Do  men  indeed  originally  have  no  pas- 
sions?" 

"Certainly/'  replied  Chuangtse. 

"But  if  a  man  has  no  passions,"  argued  Hueitse,  "what  is  it  that  makes 
him  a  man?" 

"Tao,"  replied  Chuangtse,  "gives  him  his  expressions,  and  God  gives 
him  his  form.  How  should  he  not  be  a  man?" 

"If  then  he  is  a  man,"  said  Hueitse,  "how  can  he  be  without  pas- 
sions?" 

"Right  and  wrong  (approval  and  disapproval),"  answered  Chuangtse, 
"are  what  I  mean  by  passions.  By  a  man  without  passions  I  mean  one 
who  does  not  permit  likes  and  dislikes  to  disturb  his  internal  economy, 
but  rather  falls  in  line  with  nature  and  does  not  try  to  improve  upon 
(the  materials  of)  living." 

"But  how  is  a  man  to  live  this  bodily  life,"  asked  Hueitse,  "if  he  does 
not  try  to  improve  upon  ^the  materials  of)  his  living?" 

"Tao  gives  him  his  expression,"  said  Chuangtse,  "and  God  gives  him 


CHUANGTSE  657 

his  form.  He  should  not  permit  likes  and  dislikes  to  disturb  his  internal 
economy.  But  now  you  are  devoting  your  intelligence  to  externals,  and 
wearing  out  your  vital  spirit.  Lean  against  a  tree  and  sing;  or  sit 
against  a  table  and  sleep!  God  has  made  you  a  shapely  sight,  yet  your 
only  thought  is  the  hard  and  white!' M 

THE  GREAT  SUPREME 

HE  WHO  KNOWS  what  is  of  God  and  who  knows  what  is  of  Man  has 
reached  indeed  the  height  (of  wisdom).  One  who  knows  what  is  of  God 
patterns  his  living  after  God.  One  who  knows  what  is  of  Man  may  still 
use  his  knowledge  of  the  known  to  develop  his  knowledge  of  the  un- 
known, living  till  the  end  of  his  days  and  not  perishing  young.  This  is 
the  fullness  of  knowledge. 

Herein,  however,  there  is  a  flaw.  Correct  knowledge  is  dependent  on 
objects,  but  the  objects  of  knowledge  are  relative  and  uncertain  (chang- 
ing). How  can  one  know  that  the  natural  is  not  really  of  man,  and 
what  is  of  man  is  not  really  natural?  We  must,  moreover,  have  true  men 
before  we  can  have  true  knowledge. 

But  what  is  a  true  man?  The  true  men  of  old  did  not  override  the 
weak,  did  not  attain  their  ends  by  brute  strength,  and  did  not  gather 
around  them  counsellors.  Thus,  failing  they  had  no  cause  for  regret; 
succeeding,  no  cause  for  self-satisfaction.  And  thus  they  could  scale 
heights  without  trembling,  enter  water  without  becoming  wet,  and  go 
through  fire  without  feeling  hot.  That  is  the  kind  of  knowledge  which 
reaches  to  the  depths  of  Tao.  The  true  men  of  old  slept  without  dreams, 
and  waked  up  without  worries.  They  ate  with  indifference  to  flavor, 
and  drew  deep  breaths.  For  true  men  draw  breath  from  their  heels;  the 
vulgar  only  from  their  throats.  Out  of  the  crooked,  words  are  retched 
up  like  vomit.  When  man's  attachments  are  deep,  their  divine  endow- 
ments are  shallow. 

The  true  men  of  old  did  not  know  what  it  was  to  love  life  or  to  hate 
death.  They  did  not  rejoice  in  birth,  nor  strive  to  put  off  dissolution. 
Unconcerned  they  came  and  unconcerned  they  went.  That  was  all.  They 
did  not  forget  whence  it  was  they  had  sprung,  neither  did  they  seek  to 
inquire  their  return  thither.  Cheerfully  they  accepted  life,  waiting 
patiently  for  their  restoration  (the  end).  This  is  what  is  called  not  to 

w  I  lucitsc  often  discusses  the  nature  of  attributes,  like  the  "hardness"  and  "whiteness"  oi 
objects. 


658  CHINESE   MYSTICISM 

lead  the  heart  astray  from  Tao,  and  not  to  supplement  the  natural  by 
human  means.  Such  a  one  may  be  called  a  true  man. 

Such  men  are  free  in  mind  and  calm  in  demeanour,  with  high  fore- 
heads. Sometimes  disconsolate  like  autumn,  and  sometimes  warm  like 
spring,  their  joys  and  sorrows  are  in  direct  touch  with  the  four  seasons, 
in  harmony  with  all  creation,  and  none  know  the  limit  thereof.  And  so 
it  is  that  when  the  Sage  wages  war,  he  can  destroy  a  kingdom  and  yet 
not  lose  the  affection  of  the  people;  he  spreads  blessing  upon  all  things, 
but  it  is  not  due  to  his  (conscious)  love  of  fellowmen.  Therefore  he  who 
delights  in  understanding  the  material  world  is  not  a  Sage.  He  who  has 
personal  attachments  is  not  humane.  He  who  calculates  the  time  of  his 
actions  is  not  wise.  He  who  does  not  know  thfc  interaction  of  benefit  and 
harm  is  not  a  superior  man.  He  who  pursues  fame  at  the  risk  of  losing 
his  self  is  not  a  scholar.  He  who  loses  his  life  and  is  not  true  to  himself 
can  never  be  a  master  of  man.  Thus  Hu  Puhsieh,  Wu  Kuang,  Po  Yi, 
Shu  Ch'i,  Chi  Tse,  Hsu  Yii,  Chi  T'o,  and  Shent'u  Ti,  were  the  servants 
of  rulers,  and  did  the  behests  of  others,  not  their  own.27 

The  true  men  of  old  appeared  of  towering  stature  and  yet  could  not 
topple  down.  They  behaved  as  though  wanting  in  themselves,  but  with- 
out looking  up  to  others.  Naturally  independent  of  mind,  they  were  not 
severe.  Living  in  unconstrained  freedom,  yet  they  did  not  try  to  show 
off.  They  appeared  to  smile  as  if  pleased,  and  to  move  only  in  natural 
response  to  surroundings.  Their  serenity  flowed  from  the  store  of  good- 
ness within.  In  social  relationships,  they  kept  to  their  inner  character. 
Broad-minded,  they  appeared  great;  towering,  they  seemed  beyond 
control.  Continuously  abiding,  they  seemed  like  doors  kept  shut;  ab- 
sent-minded, they*  seemed  to  forget  speech.  They  saw  in  penal  laws  an 
outward  form;  in  social  ceremonies,  certain  means;  in  knowledge,  tools 
of  expediency;  in  morality,  a  guide.  It  was  for  this  reason  that  for  them 
penal  laws  meant  a  merciful  administration;  social  ceremonies,  a  means 
to  get  along  with  the  world;  knowledge  a  help  for  doing  what  they 
could  not  avoid;  and  morality,  a  guide  that  they  might  walk  along  with 
others  to  reach  a  hill.28  And  all  men  really  thought  that  they  were  at 
pains  to  make  their  lives  correct. 

For  what  they  cared  for  was  ONE  and  what  they  did  not  care  for  was 

87  All  of  these  historical  and  semi-historical  persons  were  good  men  who  lost  their  lives,  by 
drowning  or  starving  themselves,  or  pretending  insanity,  in  protest  against  a  wicked  world, 
or  just  to  avoid  being  called  into  office. 
*  General  attitude  of  fluidity  towards  life. 


CHUANGTSE  659 

ONE  also.  That  which  they  regarded  as  ONE  was  ONE,  and  that  which 
they  did  not  regard  as  ONE  was  ONE  likewise.  In  that  which  was 
ONE,  they  were  of  God;  in  that  which  was  not  ONE,  they  were  of 
man.  And  so  between  the  human  and  the  divine  no  conflict  ensued.  This 
was  to  be  a  true  man. 

Life  and  Death  are  a  part  of  Destiny.  Their  sequence,  like  day  and 
night,  is  of  God,  beyond  the  interference  of  man.  These  all  lie  in  the 
inevitable  nature  of  things.  He  simply  looks  upon  God  as  his  father;  if  he 
loves  him  with  what  is  born  of  the  body,  shall  he  not  love  him  also  with 
that  which  is  greater  than  the  body  ?  A  man  looks  upon  a  ruler  of  men 
as  one  superior  to  himself;  if  he  is  willing  to  sacr.fice  his  body  (for  his 
ruler),  shall  he  not  then  offer  his  pure  (spirit)  also? 

When  the  pond  dries  up  and  the  fishes  are  left  upon  the  dry  ground, 
rather  than  leave  them  to  moisten  each  other  with  their  damp  and  spittle, 
it  would  be  far  better  to  let  them  forget  themselves  in  their  native  rivers 
and  lakes.  And  it  would  be  better  than  praising  Yao  and  blaming  Chieh 
to  forget  both  (the  good  and  bad)  and  lose  oneself  in  Tao. 

The  Great  (universe)  gives  me  this  form,  this  toil  in  manhood,  this 
repose  in  old  age,  this  rest  in  death.  And  surely  that  which  is  such  a  kind 
arbiter  of  my  life  is  the  best  arbiter  of  my  death. 

A  boat  may  be  hidden  in  a  creek,  or  concealed  in  a  bog,  which  is 
generally  considered  safe.  But  at  midnight  a  strong  man  may  come  and 
carry  it  away  on  his  back.  Those  dull  of  understanding  do  not  perceive 
that  however  you  conceal  small  things  in  larger  ones,  there  will  always 
be  a  chance  of  losing  them.  But  if  you  entrust  that  which  belongs  to  the 
universe  to  the  whole  universe,  from  it  there  will  be  no  escape.  For  this  is 
the  great  law  of  things. 

To  have  been  cast  in  this  human  form  is  to  us  already  a  source  of  joy. 
How  much  greater  joy  beyond  our  conception  to  know  that  that  which 
is  now  in  human  form  may  undergo  countless  transitions,  with  only  the 
infinite  to  look  forward  to  ?  Therefore  it  is  that  the  Sage  rejoices  in  that 
which  can  never  be  lost,  but  endures  always.  For  if  we  emulate  those 
who  can  accept  graciously  long  age  or  short  life  and  the  vicissitudes  of 
events,  how  much  more  that  which  informs  all  creation  on  which  all 
changing  phenomena  depend  ? 

For  Tao  has  its  inner  reality  and  its  evidences.  It  is  devoid  of  action 
and  of  form.  It  may  be  transmitted,  but  cannot  be  received.  It  may  be 
obtained,  but  cannot  be  seen.  It  is  based  in  itself,  rooted  in  itself.  Before 
heaven  and  earth  were,  Tao  existed  by  itself  from  all  time.  It  gave  the 


660  CHINESE   MYSTICISM 

spirits  and  rulers  their  spiritual  powers,  and  gave  Heaven  and  Earth 
their  birth.  To  Tao,  the  zenith  is  not  high,  nor  the  nadir  low;  no  point 
in  time  is  long  ago,  nor  by  the  lapse  of  ages  has  it  grown  old. 

Hsi  Wei  obtained  Tao,  and  so  set  the  universe  in  order.  Fu  Hsi* 
obtained  it,  and  was  able  to  steal  the  secrets  of  eternal  principles.  The 
Great  Bear  obtained  it,  and  has  never  erred  from  its  course.  The  sun  and 
moon  obtained  it,  and  have  never  ceased  to  revolve.  K'an  P'i "°  obtained 
it,  and  made  his  abode  in  the  K'unlun  mountains.  P'ing  1 81  obtained  it, 
and  rules  over  the  streams.  Chien  WuM  obtained  it,  and  dwells  on 
Mount  T'ai.  The  Yellow  Emperor38  obtained  it,  and  soared  upon  the 
clouds  to  heaven.  Chuan  Hsu84  obtained  it,  and  dwells  in  the  Dark 
Palace.  Yii  Ch'iang  *  obtained  it,  and  established  himself  at  the  North 
Pole.  The  Western  (Fairy)  Queen  Mother  obtained  it,  and  settled  at 
Shao  Kuang,  since  when  and  until  when,  no  one  knows.  P'eng  Tsu  ob- 
tained it,  and  lived  from  the  time  of  Shun  until  the  time  of  the  Five 
Princes.  Fu  Yiieh  obtained  it,  and  as  the  Minister  of  Wu  Ting36  ex- 
tended his  rule  to  the  whole  empire.  And  now,  charioted  upon  the 
Tungwei  (one  constellation)  and  drawn  by  the  Chiwei  (another  con- 
stellation), he  has  taken  his  station  among  the  stars  of  heaven. 

Nanpo  Tsek'uei  said  to  Nii  Yii  (or  Female  Yii),  "You  are  of  a  high 
age,  and  yet  you  have  a  child's  complexion.  How  is  this?" 

Nii  Yii  replied,  "I  have  learnt  Tao." 

"Could  I  get  Tao  by  studying  it?"  asked  the  other. 

"No!  How  can  you?"  said  Nii  Yii.  "You  are  not  the  type  of  person. 
There  was  Puliang  I.  He  had  all  the  mental  talents  of  a  sage,  but  not  Tao 
of  the  sage.  Now  I  had  Tao,  though  not  those  talents.  But  do  you  think 
I  was  able  to  teach  him  to  become  indeed  a  sage  ?  Had  it  been  so,  then  to 
teach  Tao  to  one  who  has  a  sage's  talents  would  be  an  easy  matter.  It 
was  not  so,  for  I  had  to  wait  patiently  to  reveal  it  to  him.  In  three  days, 
he  could  transcend  this  mundane  world.  Again  I  waited  for  seven  days 

29  Mythical  emperor  (B.C.  2852)  said  to  have  discovered  the  principles  of  mutations  of 
Yin  and  Yang. 

80  With  a  man's  head,  but  a  beast's  body. 

81  A  river  spirit. 

82  A  mountain  God. 

88  A  semi-mythical  ruler,  who  ruled  in  B.C.  2698-2597. 

84  A  semi-mythical  ruler,  who  ruled  in  B.C.  2514-2437,  shortly  before  Emperor  Yao. 

85  A  water  god  with  a  human  face  and  a  bird's  body. 
88  A  monarch  of  the  Shang  Dynasty,  B.C.  1324-1266. 


CHUANGTSE  66l 

more,  then  he  could  transcend  all  material  existence.  After  he  could 
transcend  all  material  existence,  I  waited  for  another  nine  days,  after 
which  he  could  transcend  all  life.  After  he  could  transcend  all  life,  then 
he  had  the  clear  vision  of  the  morning,  and  after  that,  was  able  to  see  the 
Solitary  (One).  After  seeing  the  Solitary,  he  could  abolish  the  distinc- 
tions of  past  and  present.  After  abolishing  the  past  and  present,  he 
was  able  to  enter  there  where  life  and  death  are  no  more,  where  killing 
does  not  take  away  life,  nor  does  giving  birth  add  to  it.  He  was  ever  in 
accord  with  the  exigencies  of  his  environment,  accepting  all  and  welcom- 
ing all,  regarding  everything  as  destroyed  and  everything  as  in  comple- 
tion. This  is  to  be  'secure  amidst  confusion/  reaching  security  through 
chaos.'* 

"Where  did  you  learn  this  from?"  asked  Nanpo  Tsek'uei. 

"I  learned  it  from  the  Son  of  Ink,"  replied  Nil  Yii,  "and  the  Son  of  Ink 
learned  it  from  the  Grandson  of  Learning,  the  Grandson  of  Learning 
from  Understanding,  and  Understanding  from  Insight,  Insight  learned 
it  from  Practice,  Practice  from  Folk  Song,  and  Folk  Song  from  Silence, 
Silence  from  the  Void,  and  the  Void  learned  it  from  the  Seeming  Be- 
ginning." 

Four  men:  Tsesze,  Tseyii,  Tseli,  and  Tselai,  were  conversing  to- 
gether, saying,  "Whoever  can  make  Not-being  the  head,  Life  the  back- 
bone, and  Death  the  tail,  and  whoever  realizes  that  death  and  life  and 
being  and  non-being  are  of  one  body,  that  man  shall  be  admitted  to 
friendship  with  us."  The  four  looked  at  each  other  and  smiled,  and  com- 
pletely understanding  one  another,  became  friends  accordingly. 

By-and-by,  Tseyii  fell  ill,  and  Tsesze  went  to  see  him.  "Verily  the 
Creator  is  great!"  said  the  sick  man.  "See  how  He  has  doubled  me  up." 
His  back  was  so  hunched  that  his  viscera  were  at  the  top  of  his  body.  His 
cheeks  were  level  with  his  navel,  and  his  shoulders  were  higher  than  his 
neck.  His  neck  bone  pointed  up  towards  the  sky.  The  whole  economy 
of  his  organism  was  deranged,  but  his  mind  was  calm  as  ever.  He 
dragged  himself  to  a  well,  and  said,  "Alas,  that  God  should  have 
doubled  me  up  like  this!" 

"Do  you  dislike  it?"  asked  Tsesze. 

"No,  why  should  I?"  replied  Tseyii.  "If  my  left  arm  should  become 
a  cock,  I  should  be  able  to  herald  the  dawn  with  it.  If  my  right  arm 
should  become  a  sling,  I  should  be  able  to  shoot  down  a  bird  to  broil 
with  it.  If  my  buttocks  should  become  wheels,  and  my  spirit  become  a 


662  *  CHINESE   MYSTICISM 

horse,  I  should  be  able  to  ride  in  it — what  need  would  I  have  of  a  chariot  ? 
I  obtained  life  because  it  was  my  time,  and  I  am  now  parting  with  it  in 
accordance  with  Tao.  Content  with  the  coming  of  things  in  their  time 
and  living  in  accord  with  Tao,  joy  and  sorrow  touch  me  not.  This  is, 
according  to  the  ancients,  to  be  freed  from  bondage.  Those  who  cannot 
be  freed  from  bondage  are  so  because  they  are  bound  by  the  trammels 
of  material  existence.  But  man  has  ever  given  away  before  God;  why, 
then,  should  I  dislike  it?" 

By-and-by,  Tselai  fell  ill,  and  lay  gasping  for  breath,  while  his  family 
stood  weeping  around.  Tseli  went  to  see  him,  and  cried  to  the  wife  and 
children:  "Go  away!  You  are  impeding  his  dissolution."  Then,  leaning 
against  the  door,  he  said,  "Verily,  God  is  great!  I  wonder  what  He  will 
make  of  you  now,  and  whither  He  will  send  you.  Do  you  think  he  will 
make  you  into  a  rat's  liver  or  into  an  insect  leg?" 

"A  son,"  answered  Tselai,  "must  go  whithersoever  his  parents  bid 
him,  East,  West,  North,  or  South.  Yin  and  Yang  are  no  other  than  a 
man's  parents.  If  Yin  and  Yang  bid  me  die  quickly,  and  I  demur,  then 
the  fault  is  mine,  not  theirs.  The  Great  (universe)  gives  me  this  form, 
this  toil  in  manhood,  this  repose  in  old  age,  this  rest  in  death.  Surely 
that  which  is  such  a  kind  arbiter  of  my  life  is  the  best  arbiter  of  my  death. 

"Suppose  that  the  boiling  metal  in  a  smelting-pot  were  to  bubble  up 
and  say,  'Make  of  me  a  Moyeh!' 37 1  think  the  master  caster  would  reject 
that  metal  as  uncanny.  And  if  simply  because  I  am  cast  into  a  human 
form,  I  were  to  say,  'Only  a  man!  only  a  man!'  I  think  the  Creator  too 
would  reject  me  as  uncanny.  If  I  regard  the  universe  as  the  smelting  pot, 
and  the  Creator  as  the  Master  Caster,  how  should  I  worry  wherever  I 
am  sent?"  Then  he  sunk  into  a  peaceful  sleep  and  waked  up  very  much 
alive. 

Tsesang  Hu,  Mengtse  Fan,  and  Tsech'in  Chang,  were  conversing  to- 
gether, saying,  "Who  can  live  together  as  if  they  did  not  live  together  ? 
Who  can  help  each  other  as  if  they  did  not  help  each  other?  Who  can 
mount  to  heaven,  and  roaming  through  the  clouds,  leap  about  to  the 
Ultimate  Infinite,  oblivious  of  existence,  for  ever  and  ever  without  end?" 
The  three  looked  at  each  other  and  smiled  with  a  perfect  understanding 
and  became  friends  accordingly. 

Shortly  afterwards,  Tsesang  Hu  died,  whereupon  Confucius  sent 
Tsekung  to  attend  the  mourning.  But  Tsekung  found  that  one  of  his 

w  A  famous  sword. 


CHUANGTSE  663 

friends  was  arranging  the  cocoon  sheets  and  the  other  was  playing  string 
instruments  and  (both  were)  singing  together  as  follows: 

"Oh!  come  back  to  us,  Sang  Hu, 
Oh!  come  back  to  us,  Sang  Hu, 
Thou  hast  already  returned  to  thy  true  state, 
While  we  still  remain  here  as  men!  Oh!" 

Tsekung  hurried  in  and  said,  "How  can  you  sing  in  the  presence  of  a 
corpse?  Is  this  good  manners?" 

The  two  men  looked  at  each  other  and  laughed,  saying,  "What  should 
this  man  know  about  the  meaning  of  good  manners  indeed?"  Tsekung 
went  back  and  told  Confucius,  asking  him,  "What  manner  of  men  are 
these?  Their  object  is  to  cultivate  nothingness  and  that  which  lies  be- 
yond their  corporeal  frames.  They  can  sit  near  a  corpse  and  sing,  un- 
moved. There  is  no  name  for  such  persons.  What  manner  of  men  are 
they?" 

"These  men,"  replied  Confucius,  "play  about  beyond  the  material 
things;  I  play  about  within  them.  Consequently,  our  paths  do  not  meet, 
and  I  was  stupid  to  have  sent  you -to  mourn.  They  consider  themselves 
as  companions  of  the  Creator,  and  play  about  within  the  One  Spirit  of 
the  universe.  They  look  upon  life  as  a  huge  goiter  or  excrescence,  and 
upon  death  as  the  breaking  of  a  tumor.  How  could  such  people  be  con- 
cerned about  the  coming  of  life  and  death  or  their  sequence?  They  bor- 
row their  forms  from  the  different  elements,  and  take  temporary  abode 
in  the  common  forms,  unconscious  of  their  internal  organs  and  oblivious 
of  their  senses  of  hearing  and  vision.  They  go  through  life  backwards  and 
forwards  as  in  a  circle  without  beginning  or  end,  strolling  forgetfully 
beyond  the  dust  and  dirt  of  mortality,  and  playing  about  with  the  af- 
fairs of  inaction.  How  should  such  men  bustle  about  the  convention- 
alities  of  this  world,  for  the  people  to  look  at?" 

"But  if  such  is  the  case,"  said  Tsekung,  "which  world  (the  corporeal 
or  the  spiritual)  would  you  follow?" 

"I  am  one  condemned  by  God,"  replied  Confucius.  "Nevertheless,  I 
will  share  with  you  (what  I  know)." 

"May  I  ask  what  is  your  method?"  asked  Tsekung. 

"Fishes  live  their  full  life  in  water.  Men  live  their  full  life  in  Tao," 
replied  Confucius.  "Those  that  live  their  full  life  in  water  thrive  in 
ponds.  Those  that  live  their  full  life  in  Tao  achieve  realization  of  their 


664  CHINESE   MYSTICISM 

nature  in  inaction.  Hence  the  saying  'Fish  lose  themselves  (arc  happy) 
in  water;  man  loses  himself  (is  happy)  in  Tao.' " 
"May  I  ask,"  said  Tsekung,  "about  (those)  strange  people?" 
"(Those)  strange  people,"  replied  Confucius,  "are  strange  in  the  eyes 
of  man,  but  normal  in  the  eyes  of  God.  Hence  the  saying  that  the  mean- 
est thing  in  heaven  would  be  the  best  on  earth;  and  the  best  on  earth, 
the  meanest  in  heaven." 

Yen  Huei  said  to  Chungni38  (Confucius),  "When  Mengsun  Ts'ai's 
mother  died,  he  wept,  but  without  snivelling;  his  heart  was  not  grieved; 
he  wore  mourning  but  without  sorrow.  Yet  although  wanting  in  these 
three  points,  he  is  considered  the  best  mourner  in  the  State  of  Lu.  Can 
there  be  really  people  with  a  hollow  reputation  ?  I  am  astonished." 

"Mr.  Mengsun,"  said  Chungni,  "has  really  mastered  (the  Tao).  He 
has  gone  beyond  the  wise  ones.  There  are  still  certain  things  he  can- 
not quite  give  up,  but  he  has  already  given  up  some  things.  Mr.  Mengsun 
knows  not  whence  we  come  in  life  nor  whither  we  go  in  death.  He 
knows  not  which  to  put  first  and  which  to  put  last.  He  is  ready  to  be 
transformed  into  other  things  without  caring  into  what  he  may  be  trans- 
formed— that  is  all.  How  could  that  which  is  changing  say  that  it  will 
not  change,  and  how  could  that  which  regards  itself  as  permanent  realize 
that  it  is  changing  already  ?  Even  you  and  I  are  perhaps  dreamers  who 
have  not  yet  awakened.  Moreover,  he  knows  his  form  is  subject  to 
change,  but  his  mind  remains  the  same.  He  believes  not  in  real  death, 
but  regards  it  as  moving  into  a  new  house.  He  weeps  only  when  he  sees 
others  weep,  as  it  comes  to  him  naturally. 

"Besides,  we  all  talk  of  'me.'  How  do  you  know  what  is  this  'me' 
that  we  speak  of?  You  dream  you  are  a  bird,  and  soar  to  heaven,  or 
dream  you  are  a  fish,  and  dive  into  the  ocean's  depths.  And  you  cannot 
tell  whether  the  man  now  speaking  is  awake  or  in  a  dream. 

"A  man  feels  a  pleasurable  sensation  before  he  smiles,  and  smiles 
before  he  thinks  how  he  ought  to  smile.  Resign  yourself  to  the  sequence 
of  things,  forgetting  the  changes  of  life,  and  you  shall  enter  into  the 
pure,  the  divine,  the  One." 

Yi-erh-tse  went  to  see  Hsu  Yu.  The  latter  asked  him,  saying,  "What 
have  you  learned  from  Yao?" 

"He  bade  me,"  replied  the  former,  "practice  charity  and  do  my 
duty,  and  distinguish  clearly  between  right  and  wrong." 

*  Personal  name  of  Confucius. 


CHUANGTSE  .        665 

"Then  what  do  you  want  here?"  said  Hsu  Yu.  "If  Yao  has  already 
branded  you  with  charity  of  heart  and  duty,  and  cut  off  your  nose 
with  right  and  wrong,  what  are  you  doing  here  m  this  free-and-easy, 
unfettered,  take-what-comes  neighborhood?" 

"Nevertheless,"  replied  Yi-erh-tse.  "I  should  like  to  loiter  on  its  con- 
fines." 

"If  a  man  has  lost  his  eyes,"  retorted  Hsii  Yu,  "it  is  impossible  for 
him  to  join  in  the  appreciation  of  beauty  of  face  and  complexion  or  to 
tell  a  blue  sacrificial  robe  from  a  yellow  one." 

"Wu  Chuang's  (No-Decorum's)  disregard  of  her  beauty,"  answered 
Yi-erh-tse,  "Chii  Liang's  disregard  of  his  strength,  the  Yellow  Emperor's 
abandonment  of  his  wisdom, — all  these  came  from  a  process  of  purging 
and  purification.  And  how  do  you  know  but  that  th?  Creator  would 
rid  me  of  my  brandings,  and  give  me  a  new  nose,  and  make  me  fit 
to  become  a  disciple  of  yourself'5" 

"Ah!"  replied  Hsii  Yu,  "that  cannot  be  known.  But  I  will  give  you  an 
outline.  Ah!  my  Master,  my  Master!  He  trims  down  all  created  things, 
and  docs  not  account  it  justice.  He  causes  all  created  things  to  thrive 
and  does  not  account  it  kindness.  Dating  back  further  than  the  re- 
motest antiquity,  He  does  not  account  himself  old.  Covering  heaven, 
supporting  earth,  and  fashioning  the  various  forms  of  things,  He  does 
not  account  himself  skilled.  It  is  He  whom  you  should  seek." 

Yen"  Huei  spoke  to  Chungni  (Confucius),  "I  am  getting  on." 

"How  so?"  asked  the  latter. 

"I  have  got  rid  of  charity  and  duty,"  replied  the  former. 
•     "Very  good,"  replied  Chungni,  "but  not  quite  perfect." 

Another  day,  Yen  Huei  met  Chungni  and  said,  "I  am  getting  on." 

"How  so?" 

"I  have  got  rid  of  ceremonies  and  music,"  answered  Yen  Huei. 

"Very  good,"  said  Chungni,  "but  not  quite  perfect." 

Another  day,  Yen  Huei  again  met  Chungni  and  said,  "I  am  getting 
on." 

"How  so?" 

"I  can  forget  myself  while  sitting,"  replied  Yen  Huei. 

"What  do  you  mean  by  that?"  said  Chungni,  changing  his  counte- 
nance. 

"I  have  freed  myself  from  my  body,"  answered  Yen  Huei.  "I  have 
discarded  my  reasoning  powers.  And  by  thus  getting  rid  of  my  body  and 


666       .  CHINESE   MYSTICISM 

mind,  I  have  become  One  with  the  Infinite.  This  is  what  I  mean  by 
forgetting  myself  while  sitting.'1 

"If  you  have  become  One,"  said  Chungni,  "there  can  be  no  room 
for  bias.  If  you  have  lost  yourself,  there  can  no  more  hindrance.  Per- 
haps you  are  really  a  wise  one.  I  trust  to  be  allowed  to  follow  in  your 
steps." 

Tseyii  and  Tsesang  were  friends.  Once  when  it  had  rained  for  ten 
days,  Tseyii  said,  "Tsesang  is  probably  ill."  So  he  packed  up  some  food 
and  went  to  see  him.  Arriving  at  the  door,  he  heard  something  between 
singing  and  weeping,  accompanied  with  the  sound  of  a  string  instru- 
ment, as  follows:  "O  Father!  O  mother!  Is  this  due  to  God?  Is  this  due 
to  man?"  It  was  as  if  his  voice  was  broken  and  his  words  faltered. 

Whereupon  Tseyii  went  in  and  asked,  "Why  are  you  singing  in  such 
manner?"  "I  was  trying  to  think  who  could  have  brought  me  to  this 
extreme,"  replied  Tsesang,  "but  I  could  not  guess  it.  My  father  and 
mother  would  hardly  wish  rne  to  be  poor.  Heaven  covers  all  equally. 
Earth  supports  all  equally.  How  can  they  make  me  in  particular  so 
poor?  I  was  seeking  to  find  out  who  was  responsible  for  this,  but  without 
success.  Surely  th,en  I  am  brought  to  this  extreme  by  Destiny" 

JOINED  TOES 

JOINED  TOES  AND  EXTRA  FINGERS  seem  to  come  from  nature,  yet,  func- 
tionally speaking  they  are  superfluous.  Goiters  and  tumours  seem  to 
come  from  the  body,  yet  in  their  nature,  they  are  superfluous.  And 
(similarly),  to  have  many  extraneous  doctrines  of  charity  and  duty  and 
regard  them  in  practice  as  parts  of  a  man's  natural  sentiments  is  not 
the  true  way  of  Tao.  For  just  as  joined  toes  are  but  useless  lumps  of 
flesh,  and  extra  fingers  but  useless  growths,  so  are  the  many  artificial 
developments  of  the  natural  sentiments  of  men  and  the  extravagances 
of  charitable  and  dutiful  conduct  but  so  many  superfluous  uses  of 
intelligence. 

People  with  superfluous  keenness  of  vision  put  into  confusion  the 
five  colours,  lose  themselves  in  the  forms  and  designs,  and  in  the  dis- 
tinctions of  greens  and  yellows  for  sacrificial  robes.  Is  this  not  so?  Of 
such  was  Li  Chu  (the  clear-sighted).  People  with  superfluous  keen- 
ness of  hearing  put  into  confusion  the  five  notes,  exaggerate  the  tonic 
differences  of  the  six  pitch-pipes,  and  the  various  timbres  of  metal, 


CHUANGTSE  667 

stone,  silk,  and  bamboo,  of  the  Huang-chung,  and  the  7W«."  Is  this 
not  so?  Of  such  was  Shih  K'uang  (the  music  master).  People  who 
abnormally  develop  charity,  exalt  virtue  and  suppress  nature  in  order 
to  gain  a  reputation,  make  the  world  noisy  with  their  discussions  and 
cause  it  to  follow  impractical  doctrines.  Is  this  not  so?  Of  such  were 
Tseng  and  Shih.40  People  who  commit  excess  in  arguments,  like  piling 
up  bricks  and  making  knots,  analyzing  and  inquiring  into  the  dis- 
tinctions of  hard  and  white,  identities  and  differences,  wear  themselves 
out  over  mere  vain,  useless  terms.  Is  this  not  so  ?  Of  such  were  Yang  and 
Mo.u  All  these  are  superfluous  and  devious  growths  of  knowledge  and 
are  not  the  correct  guide  for  the  world. 

He  who  would  be  the  ultimate  guide  never  loses  sight  of  the  inner 
nature  of  life.  Therefore  with  him,  the  united  is  not  like  joined  toes, 
the  separated  is  not  like  extra  fingers,  what  is  long  is  not  considered  as 
excess,  and  what  is  short  is  not  regarded  as  wanting.  For  duck's  legs, 
though  short,  cannot  be  lengthened  without  dismay  to  the  duck,  and  a 
crane's  legs,  though  long,  cannot  be  shortened  without  misery  to  the 
crane.  That  which  is  long  in  nature  must  not  be  cut  off,  and  that  which  is 
short  in  nature  must  not  be  lengthened.  Thus  will  all  sorrow  be  avoided. 
I  suppose  charity  and  duty  are  surely  not  included  in  human  nature. 
You  see  how  many  worries  and  dismays  the  charitable  man  has!  Besides, 
divide  your  joined  toes  and  you  will  howl:  bite  off  your  extra  finger 
and  you  will  scream.  In  the  one  case,  there  is  too  much,  and  in  the 
other  too  little;  but  the  worries  and  dismays  are  the  same.  Now  the 
charitable  men  of  the  present  age  go  about  with  a  look  of  concern  sor- 
rowing over  the  ills  of  the  age,  while  the  non-charitable  let  loose  the 
desires  of  their  nature  in  their  greed  after  position  and  wealth.  Therefore 
I  suppose  charity  and  duty  are  not  included  in  human  nature.  Yet  from 
the  time  of  the  Three  Dynasties  downwards  what  a  commotion  has  been 
raised  about  them! 

Moreover,  those  who  rely  upon  the  arc,  the  line,  compasses,  and  the 
square  to  make  correct  forms  injure  the  natural  constitution  of  things. 
Those  who  use  cords  to  bind  and  glue  to  piece  together  interfere  with 
the  natural  character  of  things.  Those  who  seek  to  satisfy  the  mind  of 
man  by  hampering  it  with  ceremonies  and  music  and  affecting  charity 
and  devotion  have  lost  their  original  nature.  There  is  an  original  nature 

*  Huang-chung  and  ta-lu  were  the  standard  pitch-pipes. 

40  Tseng  Ts'an  and  Shih  Yu,  disciples  of  Confucius. 

41  Yang  chu  and  Motsc  (Mo  Ti) . 


668 


CHINESE   MYSTICISM 


in  things.  Things  in  their  original  nature  are  curved  without  the  help  of 
arcs,  straight  without  lines,  round  without  compasses,  and  rectangular 
without  squares;  they  are  joined  together  without  glue,  and  hold  together 
without  cords.  In  this  manner  all  things  live  and  grow  from  an  inner 
urge  and  none  can  tell  how  they  come  to  do  so.  They  all  have  a  place  in 
the  scheme  of  things  and  none  can  tell  how  they  come  to  have  their  proper 
place.  From  time  immemorial  this  has  always  been  so,  and  it  may  not 
be  tampered  with.  Why  then  should  the  doctrines  of  charity  and  duty 
continue  to  remain  like  so  much  glue  or  cords,  in  the  domain  of  Tao  and 
virtue,  to  give  rise  to  confusion  and  doubt  among  mankind  ? 

Now  the  lesser  doubts  change  man's  purpose,  and  the  greater  doubts 
change  man's  nature.  How  do  we  know  this?  Ever  since  the  time  when 
Shun  made  a  bid  for  charity  and  duty  and  threw  the  world  into  confu- 
sion, men  have  run  about  and  exhausted  themselves  in  the  pursuit 
thereof.  Is  it  not  then  chanty  and  duty  which  have  changed  the  nature 
of  man? 

Therefore  I  have  tried  to  show42  that  from  the  time  of  the  Three 
Dynasties  onwards,  there  is  not  one  who  has  not  changed  his  nature 
through  certain  external  things.  If  a  common  man,  he  will  die  for  gain. 
If  a  scholar,  he  will  die  for  fame.  If  a  ruler  of  a  township,  he  will  die 
for  his  ancestral  honours.  If  a  Sage,  he  will  die  for  the  world.  The  pur- 
suits and  ambitions  of  these  men  differ,  but  the  injury  to  their  nature 
resulting  in  the  sacrifice  of  their  lives  is  the  same.  Tsang  and  Ku  were 
shepherds,  and  both  lost  their  sheep.  On  inquiry  it  appeared  that 
Tsang  had  been  engaged  in  reading  with  a  shepherd's  stick  under  his 
arm,  while  Ku  had  gone  to  take  part  in  some  trials  of  strength.  Their 
pursuits  were  different,  but  the  result  in  each  case  was  the  loss  of  the 
sheep.  Po  Yi  died  for  fame  at  the  foot  of  Mount  Shouyang.48  Robber 
Cheh  died  for  gain  on  the  Mount  Tungling.  They  died  for  different 
reasons,  but  the  injury  to  their  lives  and  nature  was  in  each  case  the 
same.  Why  then  must  we  applaud  the  former  and  blame  the  latter? 
All  men  die  for  something  and  yet  if  a  man  dies  for  charity  and  duty, 
the  world  calls  him  a  gentleman;  but  if  he  dies  for  gain,  the  world 
calls  him  a  low  fellow.  The  dying  being  the  same,  one  is  nevertheless 
called  a  gentleman  and  the  other  called  a  low  character.  But  in  point  of 
injury  to  their  lives  and  nature,  Robber  Cheh  was  just  another  Po  Yi.  Of 

u  Beginning  with  this  phrase,  there  is  a  marked  change  in  style  and  vocabulary  in  this  part 

of  the  chapter. 

a  Because  he  refused  to  serve  a  new  dynasty. 


CHUANGTSE  669 

what  use  then  is  the  distinction  of  'gentleman*  and  'low  fellow'  between 
them? 

Besides,  were  a  man  to  apply  himself  to  chanty  and  duty  until  he 
were  the  equal  of  Tseng  or  Shih,  I  would  not  call  it  good.  Or  to 
flavours,  until  he  were  the  equal  of  Shu  Erh  (famous  cook),  I  would 
not  call  it  good.  Or  to  sound,  until  he  were  the  equal  of  Shih  K'uang, 
I  would  not  call  it  good.  Or  to  colours,  until  he  were  the  equal  of  Li 
Chu,  I  would  not  call  it  good.  What  I  call  good  is  not  what  is  meant 
by  charity  and  duty,  but  taking  good  care  of  virtue.  And  what  I  call 
good  is  not  the  so-called  charity  and  duty,  but  following  the  nature 
of  life.  What  I  call  good  at  hearing  is  not  hearing  others  but  hearing 
oneself.  What  I  call  good  at  vision  is  not  seeing  others  but  seeing  one- 
self. For  a  man  who  sees  not  himself  but  others,  or  takes  possession  not 
of  himself  but  of  others,  possessing  only  what  others  possess  and  pos- 
sessing not  his  own  self,  does  what  pleases  others  instead  of  pleasing 
his  own  nature.  Now  one  who  pleases  others,  instead  of  pleasing  one's 
own  nature,  whether  he  be  Robber  Cheh  or  Po  Yi,  is  just  another  one 
gone  astray. 

Conscious  of  my  own  deficiencies  in  regard  to  Tao,  I  do  not  venture  to 
practice  the  principles  of  charity  and  duty  on  the  one  hand,  nor  to  lead 
the  life  ot  extravagance  on  the  other. 

HORSES'  HOOFS 

HORSES  HAVE  HOOFS  to  carry  them  over  frost  and  snow,  and  hair  to  pro- 
tect them  from  wind  and  cold.  They  eat  grass  and  drink  water,  and 
fling  up  their  tails  and  gallop.  Such  is  the  real  nature  of  horses.  Cere- 
monial halls  and  big  dwellings  are  of  no  use  to  them. 

One  day  Polo  (famous  horse-trainer),44  appeared,  saying,  "I  am  good 
at  managing  horses."  So  he  burned  their  hair  and  clipped  them,  and 
pared  their  hoofs  and  branded  them.  He  put  halters  around  their  necks 
and  shackles  around  their  legs  and  numbered  them  according  to  their 
stables.  The  result  was  that  two  or  three  in  every  ten  died.  Then  he 
kept  them  hungry  and  thirsty,  trotting  them  and  galloping  them, 
and  taught  them  to  run  in  formations,  with  the  misery  of  the  tasselled 
bridle  in  front  and  the  fear  of  the  knotted  whip  behind,  until  more  than 
half  of  them  died. 

The  potter  says,  "I  am  good  at  managing  clay.  If  I  want  it  round,  I 
44  Sun  Yang,  B.C.  658-619. 


670  CHINESE    MYSTICISM 

use  compasses;  if  rectangular,  a  square."  The  carpenter  says,  "I  am 
good  at  managing  wood.  If  I  want  it  curved,  I  use  an  arc;  if  straight,  a 
line."  But  on  what  grounds  can  we  think  that  the  nature  of  clay  and 
wood  desires  this  application  of  compasses  and  square,  and  arc  and 
line?  Nevertheless,  every  age  extols  Polo  for  his  skill  in  training  horses, 
and  potters  and  carpenters  for  their  skill  with  clay  and  wood.  Those  who 
manage  (govern)  the  affairs  of  the  empire  make  the  same  mistake. 

I  think  one  who  knows  how  to  govern  the  empire  should  not  do  so. 
For  the  people  have  certain  natural  instincts — to  weave  and  clothe 
themselves,  to  till  the  fields  and  feed  themselves.  This  is  their  common 
character,  in  which  all  share.  Such  instincts  may  be  called  "Heaven- 
born."  So  in  the  days  of  perfect  nature,  men  were  quiet  in  their  move- 
ments and  serene  in  their  looks.  At  that  time,  there  were  no  paths  over 
mountains,  no  boats  or  bridges  over  waters.  All  things  were  produced, 
each  in  its  natural  district.  Birds  and  beasts  multiplied;  trees  and  shrubs 
thrived.  Thus  it  was  that  birds  and  beasts  could  be  led  by  the  hand,  and 
one  could  climb  up  and  peep  into  the  magpie's  nest.  For  in  the  days  of 
perfect  nature,  man  lived  together  with  birds  and  beasts,  and  there  was 
no  distinction  of  their  kind.  Who  could  know  of  the  distinctions  between 
gentlemen  and  common  people?  Being  all  equally  without  knowledge, 
their  virtue  could  not  go  astray.  Being  all  equally  without  desires,  they 
were  in  a  state  of  natural  integrity.  In  this  state  of  natural  integrity,  the 
people  did  not  lose  their  (original)  nature. 

And  then  when  Sages  appeared,  crawling  for  charity  and  limping 
with  duty,  doubt  and  confusion  entered  men's  minds.  They  said  they 
must  make  merry  by  means  of  music  and  enforce  distinctions  by  means 
of  ceremony,  and  the  empire  became  divided  against  itself.  Were  the 
uncarved  wood  not  cut  up,  who  could  make  sacrificial  vessels?  Were 
white  jade  left  uncut,  who  could  make  the  regalia  of  courts?  Were 
Tao  and  virtue  not  destroyed,  what  use  would  there  be  for  chanty  and 
duty?  Were  men's  natural  instincts  not  lost,  what  need  would  there 
be  for  music  and  ceremonies?  Were  the  five  colours  not  confused,  who 
would  need  decorations  ?  Were  the  five  notes  not  confused,  who  would 
adopt  the  six  pitch-pipes?  Destruction  of  the  natural  integrity  of  things 
for  the  production  of  articles  of  various  kinds — this  is  the  fault  of  the 
artisan.  Destruction  of  Tao  and  virtue  in  order  to  introduce  charity  and 
duty — this  is  the  error  of  the  Sages.  Horses  live  on  dry  land,  eat  grass 
and  drink  water.  When  pleased,  they  rub  their  necks  together.  When 
angry,  they  turn  round  and  kick  up  their  heels  at  each  other.  Thus  far 


CHUANGTSE  67! 

only  do  their  natural  instincts  carry  them.  But  bridled  and  bitted,  with 
a  moon-shaped  metal  plate  on  their  foreheads,  they  learn  to  cast  vicious 
looks,  to  turn  their  heads  to  bite,  to  nudge  at  the  yoke,  to  cheat  the  bit 
out  of  their  mouths  or  steal  the  bridle  off  their  heads.  Thus  their  minds 
and  gestures  become  like  those  of  thieves.  This  is  the  fault  of  Polo. 

In  the  days  of  Ho  Hsu,45  the  people  did  nothing  in  particular  at  their 
homes  and  went  nowhere  in  particular  in  their  walks.  Having  food, 
they  rejoiced;  tapping  their  bellies,  they  wandered  about.  Thus  far 
the  natural  capacities  of  the  people  carried  them.  The  Sages  came  then 
to  make  them  bow  and  bend  with  ceremonies  and  music,  in  order  to 
regulate  the  external  forms  of  intercourse,  and  dangled  charity  and 
duty  before  them,  in  order  to  keep  their  minds  in  submission.  Then  the 
people  began  to  labor  and  develop  a  taste  for  knowledge,  and  to  strug- 
gle with  one  another  in  their  desire  for  gain,  to  which  there  is  no  end. 
This  is  the  error  of  the  Sages. 

OPENING  TRUNKS,  OR  A  PROTEST  AGAINST 
CIVILIZATION 

THE  PRECAUTIONS  taken  against  thieves  who  open  trunks,  search  bags,  or 
ransack  tills,  consist  in  securing  with  cords  and  fastening  with  bolts  and 
locks.  This  is  what  the  world  calls  wit.  But  a  strong  thief  comes  and 
carries  off  the  till  on  his  shoulders,  with  box  and  bag,  and  runs  away 
with  them.  His  only  fear  is  that  the  cords  and  locks  should  not  be  strong 
enough!  Therefore,  does  not  what  the  world  used  to  call  wit  simply 
amount  to  saving  up  for  the  strong  thief?  And  I  venture  to  state  that 
nothing  of  that  which  the  world  calls  wit  is  otherwise  than  saving  up 
for  strong  thieves;  and  nothing  of  that  which  the  world  calls  sage  wis- 
dom is  other  than  hoarding  up  for  strong  thieves. 

How  can  this  be  shown?  In  the  State  of  Ch'i,  the  neighboring  towns 
overlooked  one  another  and  one  could  hear  the  barking  of  dogs  and 
crowing  of  cocks  in  the  neighboring  town.  Fishermen  cast  their  nets 
and  ploughmen  ploughed  the  land  in  a  territory  of  over  two  thousand  /i. 
Within  its  four  boundaries,  was  there  a  temple  or  shrine  dedicated,  a 
god  worshipped,  or  a  hamlet,  county  or  a  district  governed,  but  in  accord- 
ance with  the  rules  laid  down  by  the  Sages?  Yet  one  morning  *  T'ien 
Ch'engtse  slew  the  ruler  of  Ch'i,  and  stole  his  kingdom.  And  not  his 
kingdom  only,  but  the  wisdom-tricks  which  he  had  got  from  the  Sages 

*  A  mythical  ruler.  *  B.C.  481. 


672  CHINESE   MYSTICISM 

as  well;  so  that  although  T'icn  Ch'engtse  acquired  the  reputation  of  a 
thief,  he  lived  as  securely  and  comfortably  as  ever  did  either  Yao  or  Shun. 
The  small  States  did  not  venture  to  blame,  nor  the  great  States  to  punish 
him,  and  for  twelve  generations  his  descendants  ruled  over  Ch'i/7  Was, 
this  not  a  stealing  the  State  of  Ch'i  and  its  wisdom-tricks  of  the  Sages 
in  order  to  preserve  their  thieves'  lives?  I  venture  to  ask,  was  there  ever 
anything  of  what  the  world  esteems  as  great  wit  otherwise  than  saving  up 
for  strong  thieves,  and  was  there  ever  anything  of  what  the  world  calls 
sage  wisdom  other  than  hoarding  up  for  strong  thieves  ? 

How  can  this  be  shown  ?  Of  old,  Lungfeng  was  beheaded,  Pikan  was 
disembowelled,  Changhung  was  sliced  to  death,  Tsehsu  was  thrown  to 
the  waves.  All  these  four  were  learned  ones,  but  they  could  not  preserve 
themselves  from  death  by  punishment. 

An  apprentice  to  Robber  Cheh  asked  him  saying,  "is  there  then  Tao 
(moral  principles)  among  thieves?" 

"Tell  me  if  there  is  anything  in  which  there  is  not  Tao,"  Cheh  replied. 
"There  is  the  sage  character  of  thieves  by  which  booty  is  located,  the 
courage  to  go  in  first,  and  the  chivalry  of  coming  out  last.  There  is  the 
wisdom  of  calculating  success,  and  kindness  in  the  equal  division  of  the 
spoil.  There  has  never  yet  been  a  great  robber  who  was  not  possessed 
of  these  five  qualities."  It  is  seen  therefore  that  without  the  teachings  of 
the  Sages,  good  men  could  not  keep  their  position,  and  without  the  teach- 
ings of  the  Sages,  Robber  Cheh  could  not  accomplish  his  ends.  Since 
good  men  are  scarce  and  bad  men  are  the  majority,  the  good  the  Sages 
do  to  the  world  is  little  and  the  evil  great.  Therefore  it  has  been  said, 
"If  the  lips  are  turned  up,  the  teeth  will  be  cold.  It  was  the  thinness  of 
the  wines  of  Lu  which  caused  the  siege  of  Hantan.48 

When  the  Sages  arose,  gangsters  appeared.  Overthrow  the  Sages  and 
set  the  gangsters  free,  and  then  will  the  empire  be  in  order.  When  the 
stream  ceases,  the  gully  dries  up,  and  when  the  hill  is  levelled  the  chasm 
is  filled.  When  the  Sages  are  dead,  gangsters  will  not  show  up,  but  the 
empire  will  rest  in  peace.  On  the  other  hand,  if  the  Sages  do  not  pop  off, 
neither  will  the  gangsters  drop  off.  Nor  if  you  double  the  number  of 

"  There  is  an  anachronism  here,  for  Chuangtse  lived  to  see  only  the  ninth  generation  of 
T'iens.  At  least  the  number  "twelve"  must  have  been  slipped  in  by  a  later  scribe.  This 
evidence  is  not  sufficient  to  vitiate  the  whole  chapter,  as  some  "textual  critics"  claim. 
48  Reference  to  a  story.  The  states,  Lu  and  Chao,  both  presented  wine  to  the  King  of  Ch'u. 
By  the  trickery  of  a  servant,  the  flasks  were  exchanged,  and  Chao  was  blamed  for  presenting 
bad  wine,  and  its  city  Hantan  was  besieged. 


CHUANGTSE  673 

Sages  wherewith  to  govern  the  empire  will  you  do  more  than  double 
the  profits  of  Robber  Cheh. 

If  pecks  and  bushels  are  used  for  measurement,  the  pecks  and  bushels 
themselves  will  also  be  stolen,  along  with  the  rice.  If  scales  and  steel- 
yards are  used  for  weighing,  the  scales  and  steelyards  themselves  will 
also  be  stolen  along  with  the  goods.  If  tallies  and  signets  are  used  for 
good  faith,  the  tallies  and  signets  will  also  be  stolen.  If  charity  and  duty 
are  used  for  moral  principles,  charity  and  duty  will  also  be  stolen. 

How  is  this  so?  Steal  a  hook  and  you  hang  as  a  crook;  steal  a  king- 
dom and  you  are  made  a  duke.  (The  teachings  of)  charity  and  duty  re- 
main in  the  duke's  domain.  Is  it  not  true,  then,  that  they  are  thieves  of 
charity  and  duty  and  of  the  wisdom  of  the  Sages? 

So  it  is  that  those  who  follow  the  way  of  brigandage  are  promoted  into 
princes  and  dukes.  Those  who  are  bent  on  stealing  charity  and  duty 
together  with  the  measures,  scales,  tallies,  and  signets  can  be  dissuaded 
by  no  rewards  of  official  regalia  and  uniform,  nor  deterred  by  fear  of 
sharp  instruments  of  punishment.  This  doubling  the  profits  of  robbers 
like  Cheh,  making  it  impossible  to  get  rid  of  them,  is  the  fault  of  the 
Sages. 

Therefore  it  has  been  said,  "Fishes  must  be  left  in  the  water;  the  sharp 
weapons  of  a  state  must  be  left  where  none  can  see  them."  "  These 
Sages  are  the  sharp  weapons  of  the  world;  they  must  not  be  shown  to 
the  world. 

Banish  wisdom,  discard  knowledge,80  and  gangsters  will  stop!  Fling 
away  jade  and  destroy  pearls,  and  petty  thieves  will  cease.  Burn  tallies 
and  break  signets,  and  the  people  will  revert  to  their  uncouth  integrity. 
Split  measures  and  smash  scales,  and  the  people  will  not  fight  over  quan- 
tities. Trample  down  all  the  institutions  of  Sages,  and  the  people  will 
begin  to  be  fit  for  discussing  (Tao).  Confuse  the  six  pitch-pipes,  confine 
flutes  and  string  instruments  to  the  flames,  stuff  up  the  ears  of  Blind  Shih 
K'uang,  and  each  man  will  keep  his  own  sense  of  hearing.  Put  an  end 
to  decorations,  confuse  the  five  colours,  glue  up  the  eyes  of  Li  Chu,  and 
each  man  will  keep  his  own  sense  of  sight.  Destroy  arcs  and  lines,  fling 
away  squares  and  compasses,  snap  off  the  fingers  of  Ch'ui  the  Artisan, 
and  each  man  will  use  his  own  natural  skill.  Wherefore  the  saying, 
"Great  skill  appears  like  clumsiness."  M  Cut  down  the  activities  of  Tseng 

**  Sec  Laotsc,  Ch.  36.  n  Sec  Laotse.  Ch.  45. 

90  Sec  Laotse,  Ch   ic. 


674  CHINESE  M:YSTICISM 

and  Shih,8*  pinch  the  mouths  of  Yang  Chu  and  Motse,  discard  charity 
and  duty,  and  the  virtue  of  the  people  will  arrive  at  Mystic  Unity.68 

If  each  man  keeps  his  own  sense  of  sight,  the  world  will  escape  being 
burned  up.  If  each  man  keeps  his  own  sense  of  hearing,  the  world  will 
escape  entanglements.  If  each  man  keeps  his  intelligence,  the  world  will 
escape  confusion.  If  each  man  keeps  his  own  virtue,  the  world  will  avoid 
deviation  from  the  true  path.  Tseng,  Shih,  Yang,  Mo,  Shih  K'uang, 
Ch'ui,  and  Li  Chu  were  all  persons  who  developed  their  external  char- 
acter and  involved  the  world  in  the  present  confusion  so  that  the  laws  and 
statutes  are  of  no  avail. 

Have  you  never  heard  of  the  Age  of  Perfect  Nature?  In  the  days  of 
Yungch'eng,  Tat'ing,  Pohuang,  Chungyang,  Lilu,  Lihsii,  Hsienyiian, 
Hohsii,  Tsunlu,  Chuyung,  Fuhsi,  and  Shennung,5*  the  people  tied  knots 
for  reckoning.  They  enjoyed  their  food,  beautified  their  clothing,  were 
satisfied  with  their  homes,  and  delighted  in  their  customs.  Neighboring 
settlements  overlooked  one  another,  so  that  they  could  hear  the  barking 
of  dogs  and  crowing  of  cocks  of  their  neighbors,  and  the  people  till  the 
end  of  their  days  had  never  been  outside  their  own  country.06  In  those 
days,  there  was  indeed  perfect  peace. 

But  nowadays  any  one  can  make  the  people  strain  their  necks  and 
stand  on  tiptoes  by  saying,  "In  such  and  such  a  place  there  is  a  Sage." 
Immediately  they  put  together  a  few  provisions  and  hurry  off,  neglect- 
ing their  parents  at  home  and  their  masters'  business  abroad,  going  on 
foot  through  the  territories  of  the  Princes,  and  riding  to  hundreds  of 
miles  away.  Such  is  the  evil  effect  of  the  rulers'  desire  for  knowledge. 
When  the  rulers  desire  knowledge  and  neglect  Tao,  the  empire  is  over- 
whelmed in  confusion. 

How  can  this  be  shown?  When  the  knowledge  of  bows  and  cross- 
bows and  hand-nets  and  tailed  arrows  increases,  then  they  carry  con- 
fusion among  the  birds  of  the  air.  When  the  knowledge  of  hooks  and 
bait  and  nets  and  traps  increases,  then  they  carry  confusion  among  the 
fishes  of  the  deep.  When  the  knowledge  of  fences  and  nets  and  snares 
increases,  then  they  carry  confusion  among  the  beasts  of  the  field.  When 
cunning  and  deceit  and  flippancy  and  the  sophistries  of  the  "hard"  and 
"white"  and  identities  and  differences  increase  in  number  and  variety, 
then  they  overwhelm  the  world  with  logic. 

Therefore  it  is  that  there  is  often  chaos  in  the  world,  and  the  love  of 

88  See  Note  40.  a  All  legendary  ancient  rulers. 

n  Hfuant'ung,  see  Laotse,  Ch,  i.  w  Cf.  Laotse,  Ch.  80. 


CHUANGTSE  675 

knowledge  is  ever  at  the  bottom  of  it.  For  all  men  strive  to  grasp  what 
they  do  not  know,  while  none  strive  to  grasp  what  they  already  know; 
and  all  strive  to  discredit  what  they  do  not  excel  in,  while  none  strive  to 
discredit  what  they  do  excel  in.  That  is  why  there  is  chaos.  Thus,  above, 
the  splendor  of  the  heavenly  bodies  is  dimmed;  below,  the  power  of 
land  and  water  is  burned  up,  while  in  between  the  influence  of  the  four 
seasons  is  upset.  There  is  not  one  tiny  worm  that  moves  on  earth  or  an 
insect  that  flies  in  the  air  but  has  lost  its  original  nature.  Such  indeed 
is  the  world  chaos  caused  by  the  desire  for  knowledge! 

Ever  since  the  time  of  the  Three  Dynasties  downwards,  it  has  been 
like  this.  The  simple  and  the  guileless  have  been  set  aside;  the  specious 
and  the  cunning  have  been  exalted.  Tranquil  inaction  has  given  place  to 
love  of  disputation;  and  disputation  alone  is  enough  to  bring  chaos  upon 
the  world. 

ON  TOLERANCE 

THERE  HAS  BEEN  such  a  thing  as  letting  mankind  alone  and  tolerance; 
there  has  never  been  such  a  thing  as  governing  mankind.  Letting  alone 
springs  from  the  fear  lest  men's  natural  dispositions  be  perverted  and 
tolerance  springs  from  the  fear  lest  their  character  be  corrupted.  But  if 
their  natural  dispositions  be  not  perverted,  nor  their  character  corrupted, 
what  need  is  there  left  for  government  ? 

Of  old,  when  Yao  governed  the  empire,  he  made  the  people  live  hap- 
pily; consequently  the  people  struggled  to  be  happy  and  became  restless. 
When  Chieh  governed  the  empire  he  made  the  people  live  miserably; 
consequently  the  people  regarded  life  as  a  burden  and  were  discontented. 
Restlessness  and  discontent  are  subversive  of  virtue;  and  without  virtue 
there  has  never  been  such  a  thing  as  stability. 

When  man  rejoices  greatly,  he  gravitates  towards  yang  (the  positive 
pole).  When  he  is  in  great  anger,  he  gravitates  towards  yin  (the  negative 
pole).  If  the  equilibrium  of  positive  and  negative  is  disturbed,  the  four 
seasons  are  upset,  and  the  balance  of  heat  and  cold  is  destroyed,  man 
himself  suffers  physically  thereby.  It  causes  men  to  rejoice  and  sorrow 
inordinately,  to  live  disorderly  lives,  be  vexed  in  their  thoughts,  and  lose 
their  balance  and  form  of  conduct.  When  that  happens,  then  the  whole 
world  seethes  with  revolt  and  discontent,  and  we  have  such  men  as 
Robber  Cheh,  Tseng,  and  Shih.  Offer  the  entire  world  as  rewards  for 
the  good  or  threaten  the  wicked  with  the  dire  punishments  of  the  entire 
world,  and  it  is  still  insufficient  (to  reform  them).  Consequently,  with 


676  CHINESE   MYSTICISM 

the  entire  world,  one  cannot  furnish  sufficient  inducements  or  deterrents 
to  action.  From  the  Three  Dynasties  downwards,  the  world  has  lived 
in  a  helter-skelter  of  promotions  and  punishments.  What  chance  have 
the  people  left  for  living  the  even  tenor  of  their  lives  ? 

Besides,  love  (over-refinement)  of  vision  leads  to  debauchery  in  colour; 
love  of  hearing  leads  to  debauchery  in  sound;  love  of  charity  leads  to 
confusion  in  virtue;  love  of  duty  leads  to  perversion  of  principles;  love 
of  ceremonies  (//)  leack  to  a  common  fashion  for  technical  skill;  love  of 
music  leads  to  common  lewdness  of  thought;  love  of  wisdom  leads  to  a 
fashion  for  the  arts;  and  love  of  knowledge  leads  to  a  fashion  for  criti- 
cism. If  the  people  are  allowed  to  live  out  the  even  tenor  of  their  lives, 
the  above  eight  may  or  may  not  be;  it  matters  not.  But  if  the  people  are 
not  allowed  to  live  out  the  even  tenor  of  their  lives,  then  these  eight  cause 
discontent  and  contention  and  strife,  and  throw  the  world  into  chaos. 

Yet  the  world  worships  and  cherishes  them.  Indeed  deep-seated  is  the 
mental  chaos  of  the  world.  Is  it  merely  a  passing  mistake  that  can  be 
simply  removed?  Yet  they  observe  fasts  before  their  discussion,  bend 
down  on  their  knees  to  practise  them,  and  sing  and  beat  the  drum  and 
dance  to  celebrate  them.  What  can  I  do  about  it  ? 

Therefore,  when  a  gentleman  is  unavoidably  compelled  to  take  charge 
of  the  government  of  the  empire,  there  is  nothing  better  than  inaction 
(letting  alone).  By  means  of  inaction  only  can  he  allow  the  people  to 
live  out  the  even  tenor  of  their  lives.  Therefore  he  who  values  the  world 
as  his  own  self  may  then  be  entrusted  with  the  government  of  the  world; 
and  he  who  loves  the  world  as  his  own  self  may  then  be  entrusted  with 
the  care  of  the  world.011  Therefore  if  the  gentleman  can  refrain  from  dis- 
turbing the  internal  economy  of  man,  and  from  glorifying  the  powers  of 
sight  and  hearing,  he  can  sit  still  like  a  corpse  or  spring  into  action 
like  a"  dragon,  be  silent  as  the  deep  or  talk  with  the  voice  of  thunder, 
the  movements  of  his  spirit  calling  forth  the  natural  mechanism  of 
Heaven.  He  can  remain  calm  and  leisurely  doing  nothing,  while  all 
things  are  brought  to  maturity  and  thrive.  What  need  then  would  have 
I  to  set  about  governing  the  world? 

Ts'ui  Chii  asked  Lao  Tan,57  saying,  "If  the  empire  is  not  to  be  gov- 
erned, how  are  men's  hearts  to  be  kept  good?" 

"See  Laotse,  Ch.  13. 

B7Laotsc,  Tan  being  one  of  the  known  personal  names  of  Laotse  (Li  Tan,  or  Li  Erh). 

."Lao"  means  "old,"  while  "Li"  is  the  family  name. 


CHUANGTSE  677 

"Be  careful,"  replied  Lao  Tan,  "not  to  interfere  with  the  natural  good- 
ness of  the  heart  of  man.  Man's  heart  may  be  forced  down  or  stirred  up. 
In  each  case  the  issue  is  fatal.  By  gentleness,  the  hardest  heart  may  be 
softened.  But  try  to  cut  and  polish  it,  and  it  will  glow  like  fire  or  freeze 
like  ice.  In  the  twinkling  of  an  eye  it  will  pass  beyond  the  limits  of  the 
Four  Seas.  In  repose,  it  is  profoundly  still;  in  motion,  it  flies  up  to  the 
sky.  Like  an  unrulyhorse,  it  cannot  be  held  in  check.  Such  is  the  human 
'heart." 

Of  old,  the  Yellow  Emperor  first  interfered  with  the  natural  goodness 
of  the  heart  of  man,  by  means  of  charity  and  duty.  In  consequence,  Yao 
and  Shun*  wore  the  hair  off  their  legs  and  the  flesh  off  their  arms  in 
endeavoring  to  feed  their  people's  bodies.  They  tortured  the  people's 
internal  economy  in  order  to  conform  to  charity  and  duty.  They  ex- 
hausted the  people's  energies  to  live  in  accordance  with  the  laws  and 
statutes.  Even  then  they  did  not  succeed.  Thereupon,  Yao  (had  to)  con- 
fine Huantou  on  Mount  Ts'ung,  exile  the  chiefs  of  the  Three  Miaos 
and  their  people  into  the  Three  Weis,  and  banish  the  Minister  of  V/orks 
to  Yutu,  which  shows  he  had  not  succeeded.  When  it  came  to  the  times 
of  the  Three  Kings,68  the  empire  was  in  a  state  of  foment.  Among  the 
bad  men  were  Chieh  and  Cheh;  among  the  good  were  Tseng  and  Shih. 
By  and  by,  the  Confucianists  and  the  Motseamsts  arose;  and  then  came 
confusion  between  joy  and  anger,  fraud  between  the  simple  and  the 
cunning,  recrimination  between  the  virtuous  and  the  evil-minded,  slan- 
der between  the  honest  and  the  liars,  and  the  world  order  collapsed. 

When  the  great  virtue  lost  its  unity,  men's  lives  were  frustrated.  When 
there  was  a  general  rush  for  knowledge,  the  people's  desires  ever  went 
beyond  their  possessions.  The  next  thing  was  then  to  invent  axes  and 
saws,  to  kill  by  laws  and  statutes,  to  disfigure  by  chisels  and  awls.  The 
empire  seethed  with  discontent,  the  blame  for  which  rests  upon  those 
who  would  interfere  with  the  natural  goodness  of  the  heart  of  man. 

In  consequence,  virtuous  men  sought  refuge  in  mountain  caves,  while 
rulers  of  great  states  sat  trembling  in  their  ancestral  halls.  Then,  when 
dead  men  lay  about  pillowed  on  each  other's  corpses,  when  cangued 
prisoners  jostled  each  other  in  crowds  and  condemned  criminals  were 
seen  everywhere,  then  the  Confucianists  and  the  Motseanists  bustled 
about  and  rolled  up  their  sleeves  in  the  midst  of  gyves  and  fetters!  Alas, 
they  know  not  shame,  nor  what  it  is  to  blush! 

"The  founders  of  the  Three  Dynasties,  Hsia,  Shang  and  Chou  (B.C.  2205-222). 


678  CHINESE   MYSTICISM 

Until  I  can  say  that  the  wisdom  of  Sages  is  not  a  fastener  of  cangues, 
and  that  chanty  of  heart  and  duty  to  one's  neighbor  are  not  bolts  for 
gyves,  how  should  I  know  that  Tseng  and  Shih  were  not  the  singing 
arrows69  (forerunners)  of  (the  gangsters)  Chieh  and  Cheh?  Therefore 
it  is  said,  "Abandon  wisdom  and  discard  knowledge,  and  the  empire 
will  be  at  peace." 

The  Yellow  Emperor  sat  on  the  throne  for  nineteen  years,  and  his  laws 
obtained  all  over  the  empire.  Hearing  that  Kuangch'cngtse  was  living 
on  Mount  K'ungt'ung,  he  went  there  to  see  him,  and  said,  "I  am  told 
that  you  are  in  possession  of  perfect  Tao.  May  I  ask  what  is  the  essence 
of  this  perfect  Tao?  I  desire  to  obtain  the  essence  of  the  universe  to  secure 
good  harvests  and  feed  my  people.  I  should  like  also  to  control  the  ytn 
and  yang  principles  to  fulfil  the  life  of  all  living  things." 

"What  you  are  asking  about,"  replied  Kuangch'engtse,  "is  merely 
the  dregs  of  things.  What  you  wish  to  control  are  the  disintegrated  fac- 
tors thereof.  Ever  since  the  empire  was  governed  by  you,  the  clouds  have 
rained  before  thickening,  the  foliage  of  trees  has  fallen  before  turning 
yellow,  and  the  brightness  of  the  sun  and  moon  has  increasingly  paled. 
You  have  the  shallowness  of  mind  of  a  glib  talker.  How  then  are  you 
fit  to  speak  of  perfect  Tao?" 

The  Yellow  Emperor  withdrew.  He  resigned  the  Throne.  He  built 
himself  a  solitary  hut,  and  sat  upon  white  straw.  For  three  months  he 
remained  in  seclusion,  and  then  went  again  to  see  Kuangch'engtse. 

The  latter  was  lying  with  his  head  towards  the  south.  The  Yellow 
Emperor  approached  from  below  upon  his  knees.  Kowtowing  twice 
upon  the  ground,  he  said,  "I  am  told  that  you  are  in  possession  of  per- 
fect Tao.  May  I  ask  how  to  order  one's  life  so  that  one  may  have  long 
life?" 

Kuang  Ch'engtse  jumped  up  with  a  start.  "A  good  question  indeed!" 
cried  he.  "Come,  and  I  will  speak  to  you  of  perfect  Tao.  The  essence 
of  perfect  Tao  is  profoundly  mysterious;  its  extent  is  lost  in  obscurity. 

"See  nothing;  hear  nothing;  guard  your  spirit  in  quietude  and  your 
body  will  go  right  of  its  own  accord. 

"Be  quiet,  be  pure;  toil  not  your  body,  perturb  not  your  vital  essence, 
and  you  will  live  forever. 

"For  if  the  eye  sees  nothing,  and  the  ear  hears  nothing,  and  the  mind 

60  Signal  for  attack. 


CHUANGTSE  679 

thinks  nothing,  your  spirit  will  stay  in  your  body,  and  the  body  will 
thereby  live  forever. 

"Cherish  that  which  is  within  you,  and  shut  off  that  which  is  without; 
for  much  knowledge  is  a  curse. 

"Then  I  will  take  you  to  that  abode  of  Great  Light  to  reach  the  Plateau 
of  Absolute  Yang.  I  will  lead  you  through  the  Door  of  the  Dark  Un- 
known to  the  Plateau  of  the  Absolute  Yin. 

"The  Heaven  and  Earth  have  their  separate  functions.  The  yin  and 
yang  have  their  hidden  root.  Guard  carefully  your  body,  and  material 
things  will  prosper  by  themselves. 

"I  guard  the  original  One,  and  rest  in  harmony  with  externals.  There- 
fore I  have  been  able  to  live  for  twelve  hundred  years  and  my  body  has 
not  grown  old." 

The  Yellow  Emperor  kowtowed  twice  and  said,  "Kuangch'engtse 
is  surely  God  .  .  ."  °° 

"Come,"  said  Kuangch'engtse,  "I  will  tell  you.  That  thing  is  eternal; 
yet  all  men  think  it  mortal.  That  thing  is  infinite;  yet  all  men  think  it 
finite.  Those  who  possess  my  Tao  are  princes  in  this  life  and  rulers  in 
the  hereafter.  Those  who  do  not  possess  my  Tao  behold  the  light  of  day 
in  this  life  and  become  clods  of  earth  in  the  hereafter. 

"Nowadays,  all  living  things  spring  from  the  dust  and  to  the  dust 
return.  But  I  will  lead  you  through  the  portals  of  Eternity  to  wander  in 
the  great  wilds  of  Infinity.  My  light  is  the  light  of  sun  and  moon.  My 
life  is  the  life  of  Heaven  and  Earth.  Before  me  all  is  nebulous;  behind 
me  all  is  dark,  unknown.  Men  may  all  die,  but  I  endure  forever." 

When  General  Clouds  was  going  eastwards,  he  passed  through  the 
branches  of  Fuyao  (a  magic  tree)  and  happened  to  meet  Great  Nebulous. 
The  latter  was  slapping  his  thighs  and  hopping  about.  When  General 
Clouds  saw  him,  he  stopped  like  one  lost  and  stood  still,  saying,  "Who 
are  you,  old  man,  and  what  are  you  doing  here?" 

"Strolling!"  replied  Great  Nebulous,  still  slapping  his  thighs  and 
hopping  about. 

"I  want  to  ask  about  something,"  said  General  Clouds. 

"Ough!"  uttered  Great  Nebulous. 

"The  spirits  of  Heaven  are  out  of  harmony,"  said  General  Clouds; 
"the  spirits  of  the  Earth  are  smothered;  the  six  influences w  of  the  weather 

*  Lit.  "Heaven." 

91  Yin,  yang,  wind,  rain,  light  and  darkness. 


680  CHINESE    MYSTICISM 

do  not  work  together,  and  the  four  seasons  are  no  longer  regular.  I  de- 
sire to  blend  the  essence  of  the  six  influences  and  nourish  all  living  beings. 
What  am  I  to  do?" 

"I  do  not  know!  I  do  not  know!"  cried  Great  Nebulous,  shaking  his 
head,  while  still  slapping  his  thighs  and  hopping  about. 

So  General  Clouds  did  not  press  his  question.  Three  years  later,  when 
passing  eastwards  through  the  plains  of  the  Sungs,  he  again  fell  in  with 
Great  Nebulous.  The  former  was  overjoyed,  and  hurrying  up,  said,  "Has 
your  Holiness03  forgotten  me?  Has  your  Holiness  forgotten  me?" 

He  then  kowtowed  twice  and  desired  to  be  allowed  to  interrogate 
Great  Nebulous;  but  the  latter  said,  "I  wander  on  without  knowing 
what  I  want.  I  rush  about  without  knowing  whither  I  am  going.  I  simply 
stroll  about,  watching  unexpected  events.  What  should  I  know?" 

"I  too  regard  myself  as  rushing  about,"  answered  General  Clouds; 
"but  the  people  follow  my  movements.  I  cannot  escape  the  people  and 
what  I  do  they  follow.  I  would  gladly  receive  some  advice." 

"That  the  scheme  of  empire  is  in  confusion,"  said  Great  Nebulous, 
"that  the  conditions  of  life  are  violated,  that  the  will  of  the  Dark  Heaven 
is  not  accomplished,  that  the  beasts  of  the  field  are  scattered,  that  the 
birds  of  the  air  cry  at  night,  that  blight  strikes  the  trees  and  herbs,  that 
destruction  spreads  among  the  creeping  things, — this,  alas!  is  the  fault  of 
those  who  would  rule  others." 

"True,"  replied  General  Clouds,  "but  what  am  I  to  do?" 

"Ah!"  cried  Great  Nebulous,  "keep  quiet  and  go  home  in  peace!" 

"It  is  not  often,"  urged  General  Clouds,  "that  I  meet  with  your  Holi- 
ness. I  would  gladly  receive  some  advice." 

"Ah,"  said  Great  Nebulous,  "nourish  your  heart.  Rest  in  inaction, 
and  the  world  will  be  reformed  of  itself.  Forget  your  body  and  spit  forth 
intelligence.  Ignore  all  differences  and  become  one  with  the  Infinite. 
Release  your  mind,  and  free  your  spirit.  Be  vacuous,  be  devoid  of  soul. 
Thus  will  things  grow  and  prosper  and  return  to  their  Root.  Returning 
to  their  Root  without  their  knowing  it,  the  result  will  be  a  formless  whole 
which  will  never  be  cut  up.  To  know  it  is  to  cut  it  up.  Ask  not  about  its 
name,  inquire  not  into  its  nature,  and  all  things  will  flourish  of  them- 
selves." 

"Your  Holiness,"  said  General  Clouds,  "has  informed  me  with  power 
and  taught  me  silence.  What  I  had  long  sought,  I  have  now  found/' 
Thereupon  he  kowtowed  twice  and  took  leave. 
88  Great  Nebulous  is  here  addressed  as  "Heaven."  Sec  Note  60. 


CHUANGTSE  68l 

The  people  of  this  world  all  rejoice  in  others  being  like  themselves,  and 
object  to  others  being  different  from  themselves.  Those  who  make  friends 
with  their  likes  and  do  not  make  friends  with  their  unhkes,  are  influenced 
by  a  desire  to  be  above  the  others.  But  how  can  those  who  desire  to  be 
above  the  others  ever  be  above  the  others?  Rather  than  base  one's  judge- 
ment on  the  opinions  of  the  many,  let  each  look  after  his  own  affairs. 
But  those  who  desire  to  govern  kingdoms  clutch  at  the  advantages  of  (the 
systems  of)  the  Three  Kings  M  without  seeing  the  troubles  involved.  In 
fact,  they  are  trusting  the  fortunes  of  a  country  to  luck,  but  what  country, 
would  be  lucky  enough  to  escape  destruction?  Their  chances  of  pre- 
serving it  do  not  amount  to  one  in  ten  thousand,  while  their  chances  of 
destroying  it  are  ten  thousand  to  nothing  and  even  more.  Such,  alas!  is 
the  ignorance  of  rulers. 

For  to  have  a  territory  is  to  have  something  great.  He  who  has  some- 
thing great  must  not  regard  the  material  things  as  material  things.  Only 
by  not  regarding  material  things  as  material  things  can  one  be  the  lord 
of  things.  The  principle  of  looking  at  material  things  as  not  real  things  is 
not  confined  to  mere  government  of  the  empire.  Such  a  one  may  wander 
at  will  between  the  six  limits  of  space  or  travel  over  the  Nine  Continents, 
unhampered  and'free.  This  is  to  be  the  Unique  One.  The  Unique  One  is 
the  highest  among  man. 

The  doctrine  of  the  great  man  is  (fluid)  as  shadow  to  form,  as  echo  to 
sound.  Ask  and  it  responds,  fulfilling  its  abilities  as  the  help-mate  of 
humanity.  Noiseless  in  repose,  objectless  in  motion,  he  brings  you  out  of 
the  confusion  of  your  coming  and  going  to  wander  in  the  Infinite.  Form- 
less in  his  movements,  he  is  eternal  with  the  sun.  In  respect  of  his  bodily 
existence,  he  conforms  to  the  universal  standards.  Through  conformance 
to  the  universal  standards,  he  forgets  his  own  individuality.  But  if  he 
forgets  his  individuality,  how  can  he  regard  his  possessions  as  possessions? 
Those  who  see  possessions  in  possessions  were  the  wise  men  of  old.  Those 
who  regard  not  possessions  as  possessions  are  the  friends  of  Heaven  and 
Earth. 

That  which  is  low,  but  must  be  let  alone,  is  matter.  That  which  is 
humble,  but  still  must  be  followed,  is  the  people.  That  which  is  always 
there  but  still  has  to  be  attended  to,  is  affairs.  That  which  is  inadequate, 
but  still  has  to  be  set  forth,  is  the  law.  That  which  is  remote  from  Tao, 
but  still  claims  our  attention,  is  duty.  That  which  is  biased,  but  must  be 

M  Sec  Note  58. 


682  CHINESE   MYSTICISM 

broadened,  is  charity.  Trivial,  but  requiring  to  be  strengthened  from 
within,  that  is  ceremony.  Contained  within,  but  requiring  to  be  uplifted, 
that  is  virtue.  One,  but  not  to  be  without  modification,  that  is  Tao. 
Spiritual,  yet  not  to  be  devoid  of  action,  that  is  God. 

Therefore  the  Sage  looks  up  to  God,  but  does  not  offer  to  aid.  He  per- 
fects his  virtue,  but  does  not  involve  himself.  He  guides  himself  by  Tao, 
but  makes  no  plans.  He  identifies  himself  with  charity,  but  does  not  rely 
on  it.  He  performs  his  duties  towards  his  neighbors,  but  does  not  set  store 
by  them.  He  responds  to  ceremony,  without  avoiding  it.  He  undertakes 
affairs  without  declining  them,  and  metes  out  law  without  confusion. 
He  relies  on  the  people  and  does  not  make  light  of  them.  He  accommo- 
dates himself  to  matter  and  does  not  ignore  it.  Things  are  not  worth 
attending  to,  yet  they  have  to  be  attended  to.  He  who  does  not  under- 
stand God  will  not  be  pure  in  character.  He  who  has  not  clear  apprehen- 
sion of  Tao  will  not  know  where  to  begin.  And  he  who  is  not  enlightened 
by  Tao, — alas  indeed  for  him! 

What  then  is  Tao  ?  There  is  the  Tao  of  God,  and  there  is  the  Tao  of 
man.  Honor  through  inaction  comes  from  the  Tao  of  God:  entangle- 
ment through  action  comes  from  the  Tao  of  man.  The  Tao  of  God  is 
fundamental:  the  Tao  of  man  is  accidental.  The  distance  which  separates 
them  is  great.  Let  us  all  take  heed  thereto! 

AUTUMN  FLOODS*4 

IN  THE  TIME  OF  AUTUMN  FLOODS,  a  hundred  streams  poured  into  the  river. 
It  swelled  in  its  turbid  course,  so  that  it  was  impossible  to  tell  a  cow  from 
a  horse  on  the  opposite  banks  or  on  the  islets. 

Then  the  Spirit  of  the  River  laughed  for  joy  that  all  the  beauty  of  the 
earth  was  gathered  to  himself.  Down  the  stream  he  journeyed  east,  until 
he  reached  the  North  Sea.  There,  looking  eastwards  and  seeing  no  limit 
to  its  wide  expanse,  his  countenance  began  to  change.  And  as  he  gazed 
over  the  ocean,  he  sighed  and  said  to  North-Sea  Jo,  "A  vulgar  proverb 
says  that  he  who  has  heard  a  great  many  truths  thinks  no  one  equal  to 
himself.  And  such  a  one  am  I.  Formerly  when  I  heard  people  detracting 
from  the  learning  of  Confucius  or  underrating  the  heroism  of  Po  Yi,  I 
did  not  believe  it.  But  now  that  I  have  looked  upon  your  inexhaustibility 

M  This  chapter  further  develops  the  ideas  in  Chapter  "On  Levelling  AH  Things"  and  con- 
tains the  important  philosophical  concept  of  relativity. 


CHUANGTSE  683 

— alas  for  me!  Had  I  not  reached  your  abode,  I  should  have  been  forever 
a  laughing-stock  to  those  of  great  enlightenment!" 

To  this  North-Sea  Jo  (the  Spirit  of  the  Ocean)  replied,  "You  cannot 
speak  of  ocean  to  a  well-frog,  which  is  limited  by  his  abode.  You  cannot 
speak  of  ice  to  a  summer  insect,  which  is  limited  by  his  short  life.  You 
cannot  speak  of  Tao  to  a  pedagogue,  who  is  limited  in  his  knowledge. 
But  now  that  you  have  emerged  from  your  narrow  sphere  and  have 
seen  the  great  ocean,  you  know  your  own  insignificance,  and  I  can  speak 
to  you  of  great  principles. 

"There  is  no  body  of  water  beneath  the  canopy  of  heaven  which  is 
greater  than  the  ocean.  All  streams  pour  into  it  without  cease,  yet  it  does 
not  overflow.  It  is  being  continuously  drained  off  at  the  Tail-Gate,*6  yet  it 
is  never  empty.  Spring  and  autumn  bring  no  change;  floods  and  droughts 
are  equally  unknown.  And  thus  it  is  immeasurably  superior  to  mere 
rivers  and  streams.  Yet  I  have  never  ventured  to  boast  on  this  account, 
For  I  count  myself,  among  the  things  that  take  shape  from  the  universe 
and  receive  life  from  the  yin  and  yang,  but  as  a  pebble  or  a  small  tree 
on  a  vast  mountain.  Only  too  conscious  of  my  own  insignificance,  how 
can  I  presume  to  boast  of  my  greatness? 

"Are  not  the  Four  Seas  to  the  universe  but  like  ant-holes  in  a  marsh? 
Is  not  the  Middle  Kingdom  to  the  surrounding  ocean  like  a  tare-seed  in 
a  granary  ?  Of  all  the  myriad  created  things,  man  is  but  one.  And  of  all 
those  who  inhabit  the  Nine  Continents,  live  on  the  fruit  of  the  earth, 
and  move  about  in  cart  and  boat,  an  individual  man  is  but  one.  Is  not  he, 
as  compared  with  all  creation,  but  as  the  tip  of  a  hair  upon  a  horse's  body  ? 

"The  succession  of  the  Five  Rulers,6*  the  contentions  of  the  Three 
Kings,  the  concerns  of  the  kind-hearted,  the  labors  of  the  administrators, 
are  but  this  and  nothing  more.  Po  Yi  refused  the  throne  for  fame. 
Chungni  (Confucius)  discoursed  to  get  a  reputation  for  learning.  This 
over-estimation  of  self  on  their  part— was  it  not  very  much  like  your  own 
previous  self -estimation  in  reference  to  water?" 

"Very  well,"  replied  the  Spirit  of  the  River,  "am  I  then  to  regard  the 
universe  as  great  and  the  tip  of  a  hair  as  small?" 

"Not  at  all,"  said  the  Spirit  of  the  Ocean.  "Dimensions  are  limitless; 
time  is  endless.  Conditions  are  not  constant;  terms  are  not  final.  Thus, 
the  wise  man  looks  into  space,  and  does  not  regard  the  small  as  too  little, 
nor  the  great  as  too  much;  for  he  knows  that  there  is  no  limit  to  dimen- 

68  Wei-lfi,  a  mythical  hole  in  the  bottom  or  end  of  the  ocean, 
*  Mythical  rulers  before  the  Three  Kings. 


CHINESE   MYSTICISM 

sions.  He  looks  back  into  the  past,  and  does  not  grieve  over  what  is  far 
off,  nor  rejoice  over  what  is  near;  for  he  knows  that  time  is  without  end. 
He  investigates  fullness  and  decay,  and  therefore  does  not  rejoice  if  he 
succeeds,  nor  lament  if  he  fails;  for  he  knows  that  conditions  are  not 
constant.  He  who  clearly  apprehends  the  scheme  of  existence  does 
not  rejoice  over  life,  nor  repine  at  death;  for  he  knows  that  terms  are  not 
final. 

"What  man  knows  is  not  to  be  compared  with  what  he  does  not  know. 
The  span  of  his  existence  is  not  to  be  compared  with  the  span  of  his  non- 
existence.  To  strive  to  exhaust  the  infinite  by  means  of  the  infinitesimal 
necessarily  lands  him  in  confusion  and  unhappiness.  How  then  should 
one  be  able  to  say  that  the  tip  of  a  hair  is  the  ne  plus  ultra  of  smallness, 
or  that  the  universe  is  the  ne  plus  ultra  of  greatness?" 

"Dialecticians  of  the  day,'*  replied  the  Spirit  of  the  River,  "all  say  that 
the  infinitesimal  has  no  form,  and  that  the  infinite  is  beyond  all  measure- 
ment. Is  that  true?" 

"If  we  look  at  the  great  from  the  standpoint  of  the  small,"  said  the 
Spirit  of  the  Ocean,  "we  cannot  reach  its  limit;  and  if  we  look  at  the 
small  from  the  standpoint  of  the  great,  it  eludes  our  sight.  The  infinites- 
imal is  a  subdivision  of  the  small;  the  colossal  is  an  extension  of  the 
great.  In  this  sense  the  two  fall  into  different  categories.  This  lies  in  the 
nature  of  circumstances.  Now  smallness  and  greatness  presuppose  form. 
That  which  is  without  form  cannot  be  divided  by  numbers,  and  that 
which  is  above  measurement  cannot  be  measured.  The  greatness  of  any- 
thing may  be  a  topic  of  discussion,  and  the  smallness  of  anything  may 
be  mentally  imagined.  But  that  which  can  be  neither  a  topic  of  discussion 
nor  imagined  mentally  cannot  be  said  to  have  greatness  or  smallness. 

"Therefore,  the  truly  great  man  does  not  injure  others  and  does  not 
:redit  himself  with  charity  and  mercy.  He  seeks  not  gain,  but  does  not  de- 
spise the  servants  who  do.  He  struggles  not  for  wealth,  but  does  not 
lay  great  value  on  his  modesty.  He  asks  for  help  from  no  man,  but  is  not 
proud  of  his  self-reliance,  neither  does  he  despise  the  greedy.  He  acts 
differently  from  the  vulgar  crowd,  but  does  not  place  high  value  on  being 
different  or  eccentric;  nor  because  he  acts  with  the  majority  does  he  de- 
spise those  that  flatter  a  few.  The  ranks  and  emoluments  of  the  world  are 
to  him  no  cause  for  joy;  its  punishments  and  shame  no  cause  for  dis- 
grace. He  knows  that  right  and  wrong  cannot  be  distinguished,  that 
jreat  and  small  cannot  be  defined. 

"I  have  heard  say,  'The  man  of  Tao  has  no  (concern  for)  reputation; 


CHUANGTSE  685 

the  truly  virtuous  has  no  (concern  for)  possessions;  the  truly  great  man 
ignores  self.'  This  is  the  height  of  self-discipline." 

"But  how  then,"  asked  the  Spirit  of  the  River,  "arise  the  distinctions 
of  high  and  low,  of  great  and  small  in  the  material  and  immaterial 
aspects  of  things?" 

"From  the  point  of  view  of  Tao,"  replied  the  Spirit  of  the  Ocean, 
"there  are  no  such  distinctions  of  high  and  low.  From  the  point  of  view 
of  individuals,  each  holds  himself  high  and  holds  others  low.  From  the 
vulgar  point  of  view,  high  and  low  (honors  and  dishonor)  are  some- 
thing conferred  by  others. 

"In  regard  to  distinctions,  if  we  say  that  a  thing  is  great  or  small  by  its 
own  standard  of  great  or  small,  then  there  is  nothing  in  all  creation 
which  is  not  great,  nothing  which  is  not  small.  To  know  that  the  universe 
is  but  as  a  tare-seed,  and  the  tip  of  a  hair  is  (as  big  as)  a  mountain, — 
this  is  the  expression  of  relativity.07 

"In  regard  to  function,  if  we  say  that  something  exists  or  does  not  exist, 
by  its  own  standard  of  existence  or  non-existence,  then  there  is  nothing 
which  does  not  exist,  nothing  which  does  not  perish  from  existence. 
If  we  know  that  east  and  west  are  convertible  and  yet  necessary  terms, 
in  relation  to  each  other,  then  such  (relative)  functions  may  be  deter- 
mined. 

"In  regard  to  man's  desires  or  interests,  if  we  say  that  anything  is  good 
or  bad  because  it  is  either  good  or  bad  according  to  our  individual  (sub- 
jection) standards,  then  there  is  nothing  which  is  not  good,  nothing 
which  is  not  bad.  If  we  know  that  Yao  and  Chieh  each  regarded  himself 
as  good  and  the  other  as  bad,  then  the  (direction  of)  their  interests  be- 
comes apparent. 

"Of  old  Yao  and  Shun  abdicated  (in  favor  of  worthy  successors)  and 
the  rule  was  maintained,  while  Kuei  (Prince  of  Yen)  abdicated  (in  favor 
of  Tsechih)  and  the  latter  failed.  T'ang  and  Wu  got  the  empire  by  fight- 
ing, while  by  fighting,  Po  Kung  lost  it.  From  this  it  may  be  seen  that  the 
value  of  abdicating  or  fighting,  of  acting  like  Yao  or  like  Chieh,  varies 
according  to  time,  and  may  not  be  regarded  as  a  constant  principle. 

"A  battering-ram  can  knock  down  a  wall,  but  it  cannot  repair  a 
breach.  Different  things  are  differently  applied.  Ch'ichi  and  Hualiu 
(famous  horses)  could  travel  1,000  //'  in  one  day,  but  for  catching  rats 
they  were  not  equal  to  a  wild  cat.  Different  animals  possess  different 

67  Lit.  "levelling  of  ranks  or  distinctions." 


686  CHINESE  MYSTICISM 

aptitudes.  An  owl  can  catch  fleas  at  night,  and  see  the  tip  of  a  hair,  but 
if  it  comes  out  in  the  daytime  it  can  open  wide  its  eyes  and  yet  fail  to  see 
a  mountain.  Different  creatures  are  differently  constituted. 

"Thus,  those  who  say  that  they  would  have  right  without  its  corre- 
late, wrong;  or  good  government  without  its  correlate,  misrule,  do  not 
apprehend  the  great  principles  of  the  universe,  nor  the  nature  of  all 
creation.  One  might  as  well  talk  of  the  existence  of  Heaven  without  that 
of  Earth,  or  of  the  negative  principle  without  the  positive,  which  is  clearly 
impossible.  Yet  people  keep  on  discussing  it  without  stop;  such  people 
must  be  either  fools  or  knaves. 

"Rulers  abdicated  under  different  conditions,  and  the  Three  Dynasties 
succeeded  each  other  under  different  conditions.  Those  who  came  at 
the  wrong  time  and  went  against  the  tide  are  called  usurpers.  Those  who 
came  at  the  right  time  and  fitted  in  with  their  age  are  called  defenders 
of  Right.  Hold  your  peace,  Uncle  River.  How  can  you  know  the  dis- 
tinctions of  high  and  low  and  of  the  houses  of  the  great  and  small?" 

"In  this  case,"  replied  the  Spirit  of  the  River,  "what  am  I  to  do  about 
declining  and  accepting,  following  and  abandoning  (courses  of  ac- 
tion) ?" 

"From  the  point  of  view  of  Tao,"  said  the  Spirit  of  the  Ocean,68  "how 
can  we  call  this  high  and  that  low?  For  there  is  (the  process  of) 
reverse  evolution  (uniting  opposites).  To  follow  one  absolute  course 
would  involve  great  departure  from  Tao.  What  is  much?  What  is 
little?  Be  thankful  for  the  gift.  To  follow  a  one-sided  opinion  is  to 
diverge  from  Tao.  Be  exalted,  as  the  ruler  of  a  State  whose  administra- 
tion is  impartial.  Be  at  ease,  as  the  Deity  of  the  Earth,  whose  dis- 
pensation is  impartial.  Be  expansive,  like  the  points  of  the  com- 
pass, boundless  without  a  limit.  Embrace  all  creation,  and  none  shall 
be  more  sheltered  or  helped  than  another.  This  is  to  be  without  bias. 
And  all  things  being  equal,  how  can  one  say  which  is  long  and  which  is 
short?  Tao  is  without  beginning,  without  end.  The  material  things  are 
born  and  die,  and  no  credit  is  taken  for  their  development.  Emptiness 
and  fullness  alternate,  and  their  relations  are  not  fixed.  Past  years 
cannot  be  recalled;  time  cannot  be  arrested.  The  succession  of  growth 
and  decay,  of  increase  and  diminution,  goes  in  a  cycle,  each  end 
becoming  a  new  beginning.  In  this  sense  only  may  we  discuss  the 
ways  of  truth  and  the  principles  of  the  universe.  The  life  of  things 

*  From  here  on  to  the  end  of  this  paragraph,  most  of  the  passages  are  rhymed. 


CHUANGTSE  687 

passes  by  like  a  rushing,  galloping  horse,  changing  at  every  turn,  at 
every  hour.  What  should  one  do,  or  what  should  one  not  do?  Let  the 
(cycle  of)  changes  go  on  by  themselves!" 

"If  this  is  the  case,"  said  the  Spirit  of  the  River,  "what  is  the  value 
of  Tao?" 

"Those  who  understand  Tao,"  answered  the  Spirit  of  the  Ocean, 
"must  necessarily  apprehend  the  eternal  principles  and  those  who  ap- 
prehend the  eternal  principles  must  understand  their  application.  Those 
who  understand  their  application  do  not  suffer  material  things  to  in- 
jure them. 

"The  man  of  perfect  virtue  cannot  be  burnt  by  fire,  nor  drowned 
by  water,  nor  hurt  by  the  cold  of  winter  or  the  heat  of  summer,  nor 
torn  by  bird  or  beast.  Not  that  he  makes  light  of  these;  but  that  he 
discriminates  between  safety  and  danger,  is  happy  under  prosperous 
and  adverse  circumstances  alike,  and  cautious  in  his  choice  of  action, 
so  that  none  can  harm  him. 

"Therefore  it  has  been  said  that  Heaven  (the  natural)  abides  within, 
man  (the  artificial)  without.  Virtue  abides  in  the  natural.  Knowledge 
of  the  action  of  the  natural  and  of  the  artificial  has  its  basis  in  the 
natural,  its  destination  in  virtue.  Thus,  whether  moving  forward  or 
backwards,  whether  yielding  or  asserting,  there  is  always  a  reversion 
to  the  essential  and  to  the  ultimate." 

"What  do  you  mean,"  enquired  the  Spirit  of  the  River,  "by  the  natu- 
ral and  the  artificial?" 

"Horses  and  oxen,"  answered  the  Spirit  of  the  Ocean,  "have  four 
feet.  That  is  the  natural.  Put  a  halter  on  a  horse's  head,  a  string  through 
a  bullock's  nose.  That  is  the  artificial. 

"Therefore  it  has  been  said,  do  not  let  the  artificial  obliterate  the 
natural;  do  not  let  will  obliterate  destiny;  do  not  let  virtue  be  sacri- 
ficed to  fame.  Diligently  observe  these  precepts  without  fail,  and  thus 
you  will  revert  to  the  True." 

The  walrus*  envies  the  centipede;  the  centipede  envies  the  snake; 
the  snake  envies  the  wind;  the  wind  envies  the  eye;  and  the  eye  envies 
the  mind.  The  walrus  said  to  the  centipede,  "I  hop  about  on  one  leg, 
but  not  very  successfully.  How  do  you  manage  all  those  legs  you  have?" 

"I  don't  manage  them,"  replied  the  centipede.  "Have  you  never  seen 
"  K'ufi,  a  mythical,  one-legged  animal. 


688  CHINESE   MYSTICISM 

saliva?  When  it  Is  ejected,  the  big  drops  are  the  size  of  pearls,  the  small 
ones  like  mist.  At  random  they  fall,  in  countless  numbers.  So,  too,  does 
my  natural  mechanism  move,  without  my  knowing  how  I  do  it." 

The  centipede  said  to  the  snake,  "With  all  my  legs  I  do  not  move  as 
fast  as  you  with  none.  How  is  that?" 

"One's  natural  mechanism,"  replied  the  snake,  "is  not  a  thing  to  be 
changed.  What  need  have  I  for  legs?" 

The  snake  said  to  the  wind,  "I  wriggle  about  by  moving  my  spine, 
as  if  I  had  legs.  Now  you  seem  to  be  without  form,  and  yet  you  come 
blustering  down  from  the  North  Sea  to  bluster  away  to  the  South  Sea. 
How  do  you  do  it?" 

"  'Tis  true,"  replied  the  wind,  "that  I  bluster  as  you  say.  But  any 
one  who  sticks  his  finger  or  his  foot  into  me,  excels  me.  On  the  other 
hand,  I  can  tear  away  huge  trees  and  destroy  large  buildings.  This 
power  is  given  only  to  me.  Out  of  many  minor  defeats  I  win  the  big 
victory.70  And  to  win  a  big  victory  is  given  only  to  the  Sages." 

When  Confucius  visited  K'uang,  the  men  of  Sung  surrounded  him 
by  several  cordons.  Yet  he  went  on  singing  to  his  guitar  without  stop. 

"How  is  it,  Master,"  enquired  Tselu,  "that  you  are  so  cheerful?" 

"Come  here,"  replied  Confucius,  "and  I  will  tell  you.  For  a  long 
time  I  have  not  been  willing  to  admit  failure,  but  in  vain.  Fate  is 
against  me.  For  a  long  time  I  have  been  seeking  success,  but  in  vain.  The 
hour  has  not  come.  In  the  days  of  Yao  and  Shun,  no  man  throughout 
the  empire  was  a  failure,  though  this  was  not  due  to  their  cleverness. 
In  the  days  of  Chieh  and  Chou,  no  man  throughout  the  empire  was  a 
success,  though  this  was  not  due  to  their  stupidity.  The  circumstances 
happened  that  way. 

"To  travel  by  water  without  fear  of  sea-serpents  and  dragons,— this  is 
the  courage  of  the  fisherman.  To  travel  by  land  without  fear  of  the  wild 
buffaloes  and  tigers, — this  is  the  courage  of  hunters.  When  bright 
blades  cross,  to  look  on  death  as  on  life, — this  is  the  courage  of  the 
warrior.  To  know  that  failure  is  fate  and  that  success  is  opportunity, 
and  to  remain  fearless  in  times  of  great  danger,— this  is  the  courage  of 
the  Sage.  Stop  bustling,  Yu!  My  destiny  is  controlled  (by  some  one)." 

Shortly  afterwards,  the  captain  of  the  troops  came  in  and  apologised, 
saying,  "We  thought  you  were  Yang  Hu;  that  was  why  we  surrounded 

70  Now  a  slogan  used  in  China  in  the  war  against  Japan. 


CHUANGTSE 

you.  We  find  we  have  made  a  mistake."  Whereupon  he  apologised  and 
retired. 

Kungsun  Lung71  said  to  Mou  of  Wei,  "When  young  I  studied  the 
teachings  of  the  elders.  When  I  grew  up,  I  understood  the  morals  of 
charity  and  duty.  I  learned  to  level  together  similarities  and  differences, 
to  confound  arguments  on  "hardness"  and  "whiteness,"  to  affirm  what 
others  deny,  and  justify  what  others  dispute.  I  vanquished  the  wisdom 
of  all  the  philosophers,  and  overcame  the  arguments  of  all  people.  I 
thought  that  I  had  indeed  understood  everything.  But  now  that  I  have 
heard  Chuangtse,  I  am  lost  in  astonishment.  I  know  not  whether  it  is 
in  arguing  or  in  knowledge  that  I  am  not  equal  to  him.  I  can  no  longer 
open  my  mouth.  May  I  ask  you  to  impart  to  me  the  secret?" 

Prince  Mou  leaned  over  the  table  and  sighed.  Then  he  looked  up 
to  heaven  and  laughed,  saying,  "Have  you  never  heard  of  the  frog  in 
the  shallow  well?  The  frog  said  to  the  turtle  of  the  Eastern  Sea,  'what  a 
great  time  I  am  having!  I  hop  to  the  rail  around  the  well,  and  retire 
to  rest  in  the  hollow  of  some  broken  bricks.  Swimming,  I  float  on  my 
armpits,  resting  my  jaws  just  above  the  water.  Plunging  into  the  mud, 
I  bury  my  feet  up  to  the  foot-arch,  and  not  one  of  the  cockles,  crabs  or 
tadpoles  I  see  around  me  are  my  match.  Besides,  to  occupy  such  a  pool 
all  alone  and  possess  a  shallow  well  is  to  be  as  happy  as  anyone  can  be. 
Why  do  you  not  come  and  pay  me  a  visit?* 

"Now  before  the  turtle  of  the  Eastern  Sea  had  got  its  left  leg  down, 
its  right  knee  had  already  stuck  fast,  and  it  shrank  back  and  begged  to 
be  excused.  It  then  told  the  frog  about  the  sea,  saying,  'A  thousand  It 
would  not  measure  its  breadth,  nor  a  thousand  fathoms  its  depth.  In 
the  days  of  the  Great  Yu,  there  were  nine  years  of  flood  out  of  ten;  but 
this  did  not  add  to  its  bulk.  In  the  days  of  T'ang,  there  were  seven 
years  of  drought  out  of  eight;  but  this  did  not  make  its  shores  recede. 
Not  to  be  affected  by  the  passing  of  time,  and  not  to  be  affected  by  in- 
crease or  decrease  of  water, — such  is  the  great  happiness  of  the  Eastern 
Sea.'  At  this  the  frog  of  the  shallow  well  was  considerably  astonished, 
and  felt  very  small,  like  one  lost. 

"For  one  whose  knowledge  does  not  yet  appreciate  the  niceties  of  true 
and  false  to  attempt  to  understand  Chuangtse,  is  like  a  mosquito  trying 

n  A  Nco-Motscanist  (of  the  Sophist  school)  who  lived  after  Chuangtse.  This  section  must 
have  been  added  by  the  lattcr's  disciples,  as  is  easy  to  sec  from  the  three  stones  about 
Chuangtse  which  follow. 


6()0  CHINESE   MYSTICISM 

to  carry  a  mountain,  or  an  insect  trying  to  swim  a  river.  Of  course  he 
will  fail.  Moreover,  one  whose  knowledge  does  not  reach  to  the  subtlest 
teachings,  yet  is  satisfied  with  temporary  success, — is  not  he  like  the 
frog  in  the  well? 

"Chuangtse  is  now  climbing  up  from  the  realms  below  to  reach  high 
heaven.  For  him  no  north  or  south;  lightly  the  four  points  are  gone, 
engulfed  in  the  unfathomable.  For  him  no  east  or  west;  starting  from 
the  Mystic  Unknown,  he  returns  to  the  Great  Unity.  And  yet  you  think 
you  are  going  to  find  his  truth  by  dogged  inquiries  and  arguments! 
This  is  like  looking  at  the  sky  through  a  tube,  or  pointing  at  the  earth 
with  an  awl.  Is  not  this  being  petty? 

"Have  you  never  heard  how  a  youth  of  Shouling  went  to  study  the 
walking  gait  at  Hantan?7'  Before  he  could  learn  the  Hantan  gait,  he 
had  forgotten  his  own  way  of  walking,  and  crawled  back  home  on 
all  fours.  If  you  do  not  go  away  now,  you  will  forget  what  you  have  and 
lose  your  own  professional  knowledge." 

Kungsun  Lung's  jaw  hung  open,  his  tongue  clave  to  his  palate,  and 
he  slunk  away. 

Chuangtse  was  fishing  on  the  P'u  River  when  the  Prince  of  Ch'u 
sent  two  high  officials  to  see  him  and  said,  "Our  Prince  desires  to  bur- 
den you  with  the  administration  of  the  Ch'u  State." 

Chuangtse  went  on  fishing  without  turning  his  head  and  said,  "I 
have  heard  that  in  Ch'u  there  is  a  sacred  tortoise  which  died  when  it 
was  three  thousand  (years)  old.  The  prince  keeps  this  tortoise  carefully 
enclosed  in  a  chest  in  his  ancestral  temple.  Now  would  this  tortoise 
rather  be  dead  and  have  its  remains  venerated,  or  would  it  rather  be  alive 
and  wagging  its  tail  in  the  mud  ?" 

"It  would  rather  be  alive,"  replied  the  two  officials,  "and  wagging  its 
tail  in  the  mud." 

"Begone!"  cried  Chuangtse.  "I  too  will  wag  my  tail  in  the  mud." 

'Hueitse  was  Prime  Minister  in  the  Liang  State,  and  Chuangtse  was 
on  his  way  to  see  him. 

Some  one  remarked,  "Chuangtse  has  come.  He  wants  to  be  minister 
in  your  place." 

"  Capital  of  Chao. 


CHUANGTSE  69! 

Thereupon  Hueitse  was  afraid,  and  searched  all  over  the  country  for 
three  days  and  three  nights  to  find  him. 

Then  Chuangtse  went  to  see  him,  and  said,  "In  the  south  there  is  a 
bird.  It  is  a  kind  of  phoenix.  Do  you  know  it?  When  it  starts  from 
the  South  Sea  to  fly  to  the  North  Sea,  it  would  not  alight  except  on  the 
wu-t'ung  tree.  It  eats  nothing  but  the  fruit  of  the  bamboo,  drinks 
nothing  but  the  purest  spring  water.  An  owl  which  had  got  the  rotten 
carcass  of  a  rat,  looked  up  as  the  phoenix  flew  by,  and  screeched.  Are 
you  not  screeching  at  me  over  your  kingdom  of  Liang?" 

Chuangtse  and  Hueitse  had  strolled  on  to  the  bridge  over  the  Hao, 
when  the  former  observed,  "See  how  the  small  fish  are  darting  about! 
That  is  the  happiness  of  the  fish." 

"You  not  being  a  fish  yourself,"  said  Hueitse,  "how  can  you  know 
the  happiness  of  the  fish?" 

"And  you  not  being  I,"  retorted  Chuangtse,  "how  can  you  know  that 
I  do  not  know?" 

"If  I,  not  being  you,  cannot  know  what  you  know,"  urged  Hueitse, 
"it  follows  that  you,  not  being  a  fish,  cannot  know  the  happiness  of  the 
fish." 

"Let  us  go  back  to  your  original  question,"  said  Chuangtse.  "You 
asked  me  how  I  knew  the  happiness  of  the  fish.  Your  very  question 
shows  that  you  knew  that  I  knew.  I  knew  it  (from  my  own  feelings) 
on  this  bridge." 


CHINESE 
DEMOCRACY 


The  Book  of  History 

Documents  of  Chinese  Democracy  (Shu  Ching) 


INTRODUCTION 

I.     DOCUMENTS  OF  CHINESE  DEMOCRACY 

MUCH  NONSENSE  has  been  said  about  Chinese  democracy  or  lack  of  it. 
This  usually  refers  to  the  democratic  machinery  of  government  func- 
tioning in  a  typical  modern  republic  like  the  United  States  of  America, 
or  with  it  as  the  standard  of  judgment  (with  electioneering,  suffrage, 
Congressional  control  of  the  President,  etc.).  It  does  not  refer  to  a  true 
rule  of  the  demos.  On  the  other  hand,  when  we  speak  of  democracy  as  a 
way  of  life  and  talk  of  the  spirit  of  democracy,  it  is  so  easy  to  take 
refuge  under  general  terms  like  "freedom"  and  "dignity  of  the  indi- 
vidual," which  are  all  relative  things  either  in  modern  America  or  in 
ancient  China. 

I  still  think  that  Abraham  Lincoln's  definition  is  the  best.  Taking 
that  as  the  standard,  I  am  forced  to  the  conclusion  that  in  ancient  China, 
we  have  developed  very  definitely  the  idea  of  government  for  the  people 
and  by  consent  of  the  people,  but  not  government  by  the  people  and 
of  the  people.  On  the  other  hand,  considering  democracy  as  a  broad 
human  ideal  and  not  as  a  form  of  political  machinery,  I  find  these 
strange  characteristics:  that  the  Chinese  temper  is  the  democratic 
temper;  that  in  fact  the  keeping  of  peace  and  order  in  the  country 
depends  not  upon  the  government  or  the  soldiers,  but  ninety  per  cent 
upon  the  self-government  of  the  people;  that  the  ideal,  since  the  dis- 
astrous experiment  of  totalitarianism  of  the  First  Emperor  of  Ch'm  in 
the  end  of  the  third  century  B.C.,  has  always  been  to  let  the  people 

695 


696  CHINESE   DEMOCRACY 

alone;  that  laissez  faire  has  been  the  key  policy;  that  no  other  policy 
has  been  found  to  work;  that  the  great  Chinese  empire  was  ruled  with- 
out police  always;  that  rule  by  force  was  long  ago  given  up  as  imprac- 
ticable and  has  not  been  attempted  since  the  Ch'in  Emperor's  days;  that 
the  function  of  law  has  always  been  negative,  and  people  regard  it  a 
shame  to  go  to  law  courts;  that  there  were  no  lawyers;  that  soldiers 
were  despised,  used  by  contending  bandits  struggling  for  the  possession 
of  the  empire  in  times  of  chaos,  but  never  relied  upon  in  the  normal 
running  of  government;  that  there  was  a  sharp  distinction  between 
the  "civil"  (u/en)  and  the  "military"  (#/#),  the  former  always  taking 
precedence  over  the  latter. 

On  the  positive  side,  I  find  (i)  since  the  Han  Dynasty,  the  Chinese 
society  has  always  been  a  truly  classless  society.  The  abolition  of  the 
feudal  system  of  the  Chou  Dynasty  and  of  the  rights  of  primogeniture 
during  the  Han  made  the  existence  of  aristocracy  as  a  class  impossible. 
(2)  The  selective  service  of  the  Imperial  examinations  in  existence  for 
about  1,500  years  operated  to  form  a  constantly  changing  ruling  class 
of  scholars,  insuring  the  rise  of  talent  from  the  country.  No  one,  not 
even  the  son  of  a  beggar,  was  prevented  from  taking  the  examinations, 
if  he  had  the  talent,  and  no  boy  of  talent,  rich  or  poor,  was  ever  over- 
looked by  his  village  for  training  to  rise  to  that  ruling  scholar  class. 
Consequently,  every  one  could  become  the  Premier,  or  "There  is  no 
blood  in  premiers  or  generals,"  as  the  Chinese  proverb  says.  (3)  The 
theory  of  the  right  to  revolt  was  perfected  from  the  very  earliest  days, 
as  will  be  seen  from  the  following  selections  from  the  Boof^  of  History 
and  Mencius.  This  is  based  on  (4)  the  theory  of  the  "mandate  of 
Heaven,"  which  is  that  the  ruler  ruled  the  people  in  trust  from  Heaven 
for  the  welfare  of  the  people,  and  that  when  a  ruler  misruled,  he  auto- 
matically forfeited  his  right  to  rule.  When  Mencius  was  asked  why,  in 
contradiction  to  the  theory  of  loyalty  and  obedience  to  the  monarch, 
Emperor  Wu  rose  in  revolt  against  the  tyrant  Chou  and  overthrew  the 
Shang  Dynasty,  his  reply  was  that  the  King,  by  his  misrule,  was  a 
common  thief.  In  fact,  the  theory  of  the  "mandate  from  Heaven" 
forms  the  outstanding  feature  of  the  entire  Eoo\  of  History.  A  corollary 
of  that  theory  is  that  that  mandate  constantly  changed,  and  that  no 
king  need  think  himself  secure.  "The  favor  of  Heaven  is  not  easily 
preserved;  Heaven  is  difficult  to  depend  on";  these  statements  abound 
in  the  Boo\  of  History  and  Boo\  of  Poetry.  The  threat  of  revolution 
was  always  there,  and  the  word  for  "revolution"  in  Chinese  (J^ehming) 


THE    BOOK    OF    HISTORY  697 

means  "to  change  the  mandate."  Consequently,  the  divine  right  o£ 
kings  became  a  very  insecure  and  undependable  thing.  (5)  The  mon- 
arch was  absolute  in  theory  only;  the  system  of  imperial  censors, 
appointed  to  censor,  not  the  people,  but  the  Emperor  himself  and  the 
officials,  was  well  defined  and  well  developed.  In  the  History  of  the 
Press  and  Public  Opinion  in  China  (University  of  Chicago),  I  have 
pointed  out  the  instances  when  an  Emperor  could  not  even  take  a  pleas- 
ure trip  to  the  south  at  will,  and  when  another  could  not  appoint  the 
son  of  his  favorite  concubine  the  Crown  Prince,  and  the  fight  between 
the  monarch  and  the  censors  and  scholars  dragged  out  for  sixteen 
years.1  (6)  Connected  with  the  censorship  was  the  idea  of  the  impor- 
tance of  public  opinion.  At  the  very  dawn  of  Chinese  civilization,  in  the 
reign  of  Shun  (B.C.  2255-2198),  his  minister  Kao-yao  said,  "Heaven  hears 
and  sees  through  (the  ears  and  eyes  of)  our  people.  Heaven  expresses 
its  disapproval  through  the  expressed  disapproval  of  our  people;  such 
connection  is  there  between  the  upper  and  lower  (worlds)" — thus 
making  the  people's  voice  the  voice  of  God.  Also,  in  the  Great  Declara- 
tion (B.C.  1122),  Emperor  Wu  declared  to  his  hosts,  "Heaven  sees  through 
the  eyes  of  my  people;  Heaven  hears  through  the  ears  of  my  people." 
These  statements  were  later  developed  by  Mencius,  and  became  the 
philosophy  of  government  of  the  court  officials  and  historians,  so  that 
"to  keep  open  the  channels  of  speech"  was  always  a  cardinal  tenet.  (7) 
Back  of  it  all  was  the  concept  that  the  people  and  ruler  were  complements 
in  the  structure  of  the  state,  found  m  several  places  in  the  Boo\  of  His- 
tory, and  further  developed  by  Mencius.  Mencius  said  regarding  the  dif- 
ferent elements  of  a  state,  "The  people  are  the  most  important,  the 
spirits  of  the  state  the  second,  and  the  ruler  the  least  important  of  all." 
As  the  book  Mencius  was  prescribed  reading  in  every  school,  every  school- 
boy learned  this  dictum  from  his  childhood  and  had  to  commit  it  to 
memory.  (8)  Mencius  further  developed  the  theory  of  equality  of  all  men. 
"The  Sages  are  of  the  same  species  as  ourselves."  "All  men  can  be  Yao 
and  Shun  (ideal  Sage  emperors)."  How  did  the  Chinese  find  all  these 
out?  By  common  sense. 

The  peculiar  developments  of  Chinese  democracy  can  be  understood 
only  when  we  go  back  to  the  earliest  sources  of  Chinese  ideas.  Why  the 
Chinese  never  developed  the  parliamentary  form  of  government,  the 
election  of  rulers  and  the  civil  rights,  will  be  apparent  from  any  thought- 
ful study  of  Confucianism.  The  characteristics  of  Confucianism  in  the 

1  Sec  History  <?/  the  Press,  etc.,  p.  65, 


CHINESE  DEMOCRACY 

merging  of  morals  and  politics  ("benevolent  government"  etc.),  the 
emphasis  on  moral  harmony  as  basis  of  political  harmony,  the  total 
absence  of  any  idea  of  "struggle**  between  ruler  and  subject  or  in  any 
sphere  will  become  apparent.  It  must  be  remembered  that  the  philosoph- 
ical basis  of  parliamentary  government  is  distrust  of  the  ruler.  On 
the  whole,  Confucianism  implies  a  nai've  trust  in  the  rulers,  almost  as 
naive  as  the  idea  that  a  true  government  by  the  demos  has  ever  become 
a  reality.  In  fact,  I  would  characterize  the  Confucian  political  ideal  as 
strictly  anarchism,  in  which  moral  culture  of  the  people  making  gov- 
ernment unnecessary  becomes  the  ideal.  If  it  is  asked  why  the  people 
of  Chinatown  in  New  York  never  have  any  use  for  the  police,  the  answer 
is  Confucianism.  There  never  were  any  police  in  China  for  four  thousand 
years.  The  people  have  got  to  learn  to  regulate  their  lives  socially,  and 
not  rely  upon  the  law.  The  law  should  be  the  resort  of  the  scoundrel. 


II.    THE  BOOK  OF  HISTORY 


THE  IMPORTANCE  of  the  Boo\  of  History  (Shu  King)  is  basic.  It  is  to  Con- 
fucianism as  the  Upanishads  are  to  Hinduism.  Its  basic  importance 
comes  not  only  from  the  fact  that  it  contains  the  earliest  historical  docu- 
ments and  earliest  Chinese  writing,  but  also  from  the  fact  that  it  contains 
the  deep  moral  wisdom  which  is  the  fountainhead  of  Confucian  ideas. 
Confucius  was  strictly  a  historian,  engaged  in  historical  research,  and 
spoke  of  himself  as  a  transmitter  rather  than  an  innovator.  He  had  a 
passion  for  history.  After  reading  the  Boo\  of  History,  one  can  under- 
stand how  Confucian  ideas  took  their  rise,  including  the  Confucian  gift 
for  moralizing.  An  intensive  study  of  Mencius  will  also  show  that  he  was 
extremely  familiar  with  the  Boo^  of  History  and  frequently  quoted  it  to 
support  his  arguments.  The  whole  idea  of  "benevolent  government*' 
(starting  as  a  phrase  with  Mencius  and  not  with  Confucius)  was  de- 
veloped from  the  Boo\  of  History.  A  casual  reading  of  the  Great  Declara- 
tion will  make  this  plain.  Similarly,  the  ideas  of  "parental  government," 
of  the  importance  of  moral  example,  of  the  "mandate  of  Heaven,"  and 
of  the  voice  of  the  people  as  the  voice  of  God,  are  all  there. 

The  documents  bearing  most  directly  on  democratic  ideas  and  prin- 
ciples are:  Common  Possession  of  Pure  Virtue,  The  Great  Declaration, 
and  Announcement  of  the  Duke  of  Shao. 

This  work  is  a  collection  of  important  speeches  and  declarations  given 
on  historical  or  ceremonial  occasions,  like  address  to  a  host  on  the  day  of 
battle,  or  to  a  subjugated  people  after  conquest,  address  to  a  people  on 


THE    BOOK    OF    HISTORY 

the  dedication  of  a  new  city,  speech  of  a  chief  minister  on  his  resignation 
from  office,  etc.  In  form  it  consists  of  "Declarations,"  "Announcements," 
"Counsels,"  "Charges"  and  recorded  important  conversations  of  wise 
rulers  or  counsellors  of  the  state.  These  important  speeches,  like  Lincoln's 
Gettysburg  Address,  were  preserved  in  writing  from  the  earliest  times. 
There  is  an  obscure  tradition  that  there  were  one  hundred  pieces.  Any- 
way, like  the  collection  of  Lity,  it  went  through  the  hands  of  Confucius 
as  the  BooJ^  of  Poetry  was  edited  by  him,  and  became  one  of  the  Con- 
fucian classics  taught  and  studied  by  the  Confucian  scholars  almost  as 
their  specialty.  For  it  must  be  remembered  that  the  Confucian  School 
was  principally  an  historical  school,  as  distinguished  from  the  others. 
How  many  such  documents  there  were  it  is  difficult  to  say,  but  it  is  cer- 
tain that  there  were  far  more  than  the  twenty-eight  or  twenty-nine  pieces 
handed  down  in  the  Modern  Script  by  Fu  Sheng  in  the  beginning  of 
Han  Dynasty.  Quotations  from  it  lay  about  in  the  works  of  the  philoso- 
phers of  the  centuries  after  Confucius.  The  Tsochuan  alone  has  sixty- 
eight  quotations,  of  which  only  twenty-five  are  found  in  the  Modern 
Script  portion,  the  rest  mostly  in  the  Ancient  Script  portion. 

As  it  now  exists,  in  the  standard  text,  there  are  fifty-eight  pieces  (count- 
ing the  subdivisions),  of  which  thirty-four  are  common  to  both  Scripts, 
while  twenty-four  are  based  on  the  Ancient  Script  alone.  It  is  this  division 
that  has  called  forth  a  great  controversy  about  the  authenticity  of  the 
Ancient  Script  portion. 

III.     ON  THE  AUTHENTICITY  OF  THE  "ANCIENT  SCRIPT" 

Tins  is  NOT  THE  PLACE  to  make  a  full  and  exhaustive  discussion  of  the 
evidences  for  and  against  the  Ancient  Script  of  the  Boo^  of  History.  Inas- 
much, however,  as  the  present  selection  includes  more  documents  of  the 
Ancient  Script  than  those  common  to  the  Modern  Script  and  the  Ancient 
Script,  and  inasmuch  as  some  of  the  best  passages  occur  in  the  Ancient 
Script  portion,  which  is  regarded  by  the  majority  of  modern  scholars  as 
a  forgery,  a  brief  schematic  outline  of  the  reasons  for  including  the 
Ancient  Script  portion  must  be  given  here  for  the  lay  reader. 

A.  What  are  Ancient  and  Modern  Scripts?— When  the  first  Ch'in 
Emperor  burned  the  Confucian  books  in  B.C.  213,  most  of  them  were 
destroyed.  Four  years  later  he  died  and  his  great  empire  began  to  crumble 
and  in  another  three  years,  B.C.  206,  it  collapsed.  There  were  many  old 
scholars  still  living  who  had  committed  the  texts  to  memory.  A  simpli- 
fication of  the  Chinese  script  had  taken  place  during  the  Ch'in  reign 


700  CHINESE   DEMOCRACY 

by  order  of  Li  Sze,  and  the  scholars  began  to  write  down  what  they  re- 
membered in  the  "Modern  Script/'  Each  particular  version  of  the  Con- 
fucian classics  had  a  special  tradition  of  interpretation  which  was  handed 
down  from  teacher  to  student  almost  religiously.  Then  discoveries  of 
ancient  scripts  kept  coming  to  light.  The  most  important  one  was  the 
discovery  of  such  texts  in  the  walls  of  Confucius*  house,  evidently  hidden 
there  during  the  persecution,  when  Prince  Kung  of  Lu  began  to  tear  it 
down  to  rebuild  a  better  temple  to  Confucius.  These  were  called  the 
"Ancient  Scripts."  A  separate  tradition  grew  up,  then,  both  with  regard 
to  text  and  interpretation.  This  division  between  the  two  traditions 
touches  not  only  the  BooJ^  of  History,  but  also  all  the  other  Confucian 
classics.  It  must  be  remembered  also  that  Ancient  Scripts  which  modern 
scholars  are  trying  to  discredit  include  such  standard  texts  as  the 
Tsochtian  and  Mao's  Boof(  of  Poetry,  which  are  still  our  generally  ac- 
cepted sacred  texts. 

The  attack  on  the  Ancient  Script  tradition  began  with  that  on  the 
BooJ(  of  History.  The  first  formidable  attack  on  its  authenticity  was 
launched  by  Yen  Jochii  in  the  seventeenth  century,  followed  soon  by 
Hui  Tung.  In  the  eighteenth  and  nineteenth  centuries,  a  fashion  grew 
up  to  attack  the  Ancient  Script  of  the  different  classics  one  after  another, 
partly  in  regard  to  text,  more  chiefly  in  regard  to  interpretation  of  ancient 
institutions.  These  scholars  of  the  Modern  Script  school  went  on  with 
the  crusade  and  devoted  themselves  to  the  barren  studies  of  "bleary-eyed" 
Kungyang  and  "deformed"  Kuliang  in  preference  to  the  rich  master- 
piece, Tsochuan,  and  of  Ch'i,  Han  and  Lu  versions  of  the  Bool^  of 
Poetry,  in  preference  to  the  Mao.  Chouli  was  regarded  as  a  forgery.  The 
results  were  extremely  meager.  The  culprit  of  the  forgery  was  usually 
traced  to  Wang  Shu,  or  Liu  Hsin.  Finally,  it  culminated  in  the  sweeping 
statement  of  K'ang  Yuwei,  the  modern  reformer  associated  with  the 
reforms  of  1898,  who  declared  it  was  Confucius  himself  who  forged  all 
these  books  in  order  to  lend  an  air  of  antiquity  to  his  doctrines! 

B.  Chronology  of  the  Survival  of  the  Boo^  of  History. — The  chron- 
ology of  events  concerning  the  survival  of  the  two  texts  of  the  Boot(  of 
History  was  as  follows: 

Third  Century  B.C. 

In  the  time  of  Confucius  (sixth  century  B.C.),  about  100  or  less  pieces  were 
known  to  have  existed,  according  to  a  comparatively  late  tradition.  In 
B.C.  213,  during  the  burning  of  Confucian  books,  most  copies  were  de- 


THE    BOOK    OF    HISTORY  70! 

stroyed,  but  many  were  hidden  away.  Between  Confucius  and  the  burning 
of  books,  many  scholars  gave  quotations  from  the  Boot^  of  History.  Some 
pieces  may  have  been  lost  before  then  (witness  the  confusion  regarding 
Liki). 

Second  Century  B.C. 

With  the  collapse  of  Ch'in  and  beginning  of  Han  (B.C.  206),  seven  years 
after  the  burning,  a  scholar,  Fu  Sheng,  who  had  hidden  away  his  books  in 
the  wall,  began  to  take  them  out,  with  many  pieces  missing,  and  to  teach 
them  to  others.  This  was  the  Modern  Script,  of  twenty-eight  or  twenty-nine 
pieces.  During  the  reign  of  Han  Wenti  (B.C.  179-157),  he  was  still  living 
and  over  ninety  years  old.  As  he  was  too  old  to  speak  clearly,  his  daughter 
taught  an  official  sent  to  his  house  by  the  Court.  Owing  to  the  difference  in 
dialect,  it  was  said  that  the  official  missed  twenty  or  thirty  per  cent.  From 
Han  Wuti  (B.C.  140-87),  the  preservation  and  teaching  of  this  text  were 
in  the  charge  of  a  court  official. 

Between  B.C.  140  and  128,  Prince  Kung  of  Lu  tore  down  Confucius'  house 
and  discovered  the  Ancient  Scripts  of  several  classics.  One  of  Confucius' 
descendants,  K'ung  Ankuo  (who  certainly  lived  between  B.C.  156-74)  took 
three  months  to  read  them  by  comparing  them  with  the  Modern  Script  and 
presented  them  to  the  Court;  owing  to  some  meddlers,  these  were  not 
officially  accepted  for  preservation  and  study  by  the  Court.  This  is  the 
Ancient  Script,  consisting  of  fifty-eight  pieces.  It  is  stated,  and  disputed, 
that  K'ung  also  wrote  a  commentary  (the  K'ung  commentary)  and  edited  a 
preface.  Szema  Ch'ien,  the  great  historian  and  author  of  Shify  (B.C.  145- 
before  86)  saw  both  K'ung  himself  and  his  texts,  and  quoted  them. 

First  Century  B.C. 

The  titles  and  text  of  the  Ancient  Script  were  well-known  to  various  Han 
scholars.  Liu  Hsiang  (B.C.  79-6)  in  his  bibliographical  work  was  able  to 
give  titles  of  the  fifty-eight  pieces  and  count  over  seven  hundred  variations. 

First  and  Second  Centuries  A.D. 

Chia  K'uei  (A.D.  30-101),  Ma  Yung  (A.D.  79-166)  and  Cheng  K'ang- 
ch'eng  (A.D.  127-200)  wrote  commentaries  on  the  Boof^  of  History,  but  Ma 
Yung  said  there  was  "absolutely  no  teacher's  tradition"  in  regard  to  the  six- 
teen pieces  (or  twenty-four  with  subdivisions)  of  the  Ancient  Script.  Cheng, 
however,  quoted  K'ung's  explanations  and  gave  a  full  list  of  the  fifty-eight 
pieces,  differing  in  some  pieces  from  the  present  text.  Between  A.D.  25-56, 
one  piece  (Wu-ch'cng)  was  lost.  These  scholars  also  made  use  of  one 
"volume"  of  Ancient  Script  in  lacquer  writing,  discovered  by  Tu  Lin  who 
lived  in  the  time  of  Kuangwuti  (A.D.  25-57), 


702  CHINESE   DEMOCRACY 

Third  Century  A.D. 

Wang  Shu  (A.D.  159-256),  the  "forger"  and  a  contemporary  of  Cheng, 
,wrote  a  commentary  on  the  BooJ(  of  History,  differing  from  Cheng's  and 
agreeing  with  K'ung's.  Huangfu  Mi  (A.D.  215-282)  and  Ho  Yen  (died  249) 
also  made  use  of  the  K'ung  commentaries  in  their  works. 

Fourth  Century  A.D. 

In  the  reign  of  Yuanti  (A.D.  317-322),  Mei  Tseh,  a  Recorder  of  the  Interior, 
presented  a  copy  of  the  K'ung  text  to  the  Emperor,  which  is  our  present 
official  version,  with  fifty-eight  pieces.  Mei's  tradition  was  traced  back 
for  five  generations  to  Cheng  Ch'ung  in  the  time  of  Wang  Shu.  Mei 
was  accused  of  forging  the  Ancient  Script  portion. 

Fifth  Century  AD. 

Wang  Shu's  commentary  and  Cheng's  commentary  were  accepted  side  by 
side,  Wang's  more  in  the  south,  Cheng's  more  in  the  north. 

Sixth  Century  AD. 

In  the  T'ang  Dynasty,  K'ung  Yingta  (574-648)  by  imperial  appointment 
wrote  the  commentary  (Chengyt)  on  all  fifty-eight  pieces,  incorporating 
the  so-called  K'ung  commentaries.  This  became  the  standard  text  of  the 
of  History  from  then  on  to  the  present  day. 


C.  The  Question  of  Its  Authenticity.-—!.  Intimidated  by  the  vast 
display  of  erudition  by  the  scholar  critics,  the  majority  of  the 
modern  scholars  have  accepted  the  Ancient  Script  as  a  forgery, 
in  the  sense  that  the  present  Ancient  Script  is  not  the  genuine 
text  of  K'ung  Ankuo,  that  certain  subdivisions  are  unwarrantable,  and 
that  the  so-called  K'ung  commentaries  are  not  the  genuine  K'ung  com- 
mentaries, though  they  believe  generally  in  the  Cheng  commentaries. 
The  last  two  points  are  less  important  than  the  first.  Yen  Jochti  thought 
the  Ancient  Script  had  ceased  to  exist  in  Western  Chin,  and  Mei  Tseh 
was  the  forger,  but  Ting  Yen  thought  it  did  exist  in  Western  Chin  and 
the  forgery  was  by  Wang  Shu,  and  that  because  he  was  the  grandfather- 
in-law  of  the  first  emperor  of  Western  Chin,  he  was  able  to  impose  it  on 
the  scholars  of  the  time.  Ting  Yen,  however,  concentrated  on  proving 
that  the  K'ung  commentaries  were  not  genuine,  and  that,  furthermore, 
K'ung  never  wrote  commentaries  at  all.  Wei  Yuan  went  further  still  in 
1855  and  attacked  the  Cheng  and  Ma  commentaries,  and  even  asserted 
that  K'ung  himself  was  of  the  Modern  Script  tradition,  that  in  fact  there 


THE    BOOK    OF    HISTORY  703 

was  no  distinction  between  Ancient  and  Modern  Script  schools  in  the 
Western  Han  at  all.  Such  contradictory  theses  show  how  flimsy  was  the 
evidence  from  which  each  deduced  his  own  conclusions. 

2.  In  spite  of  the  lengthy  scholarly  work  of  these  "textual  critics,"  I 
consider  their  methods  as  unscientific  by  the  standards  of  modern  textual 
criticism.  These  critics  (including  Yao  Tsi-heng)  combined  enormous 
scholarly  industry  and  erudition  with  loose  reasoning,  although  Hui 
Tung  was  otherwise  an  extremely  exact  and  conscientious  scholar,  being 
one  of  the  best  in  the  Manchu  Dynasty.  It  must  also  be  remembered  that 
great  scholars  of  the  time,  Mao  Ch'iling  and  Tuan  Yiits'ai,  did  not  accept 
the  theory,  and  later  Sun  Hsingyen  adopted  a  conciliatory  attitude.  The 
case  must  be  reopened. 

3.  Both  Hui  and  Yen  argued  in  a  circle.  The  principal  fact  is  that 
hundreds  of  quotations  from  the  Boof(  of  History  exist  in  ancient  texts 
(Analects,  Mencius,  Tsochuan,  Shity,  Lity,  Motse,  Hsuntse,  etc.)  which 
cannot  be  found  in  the  twenty-eight  pieces  (or  thirty-four  with  sub- 
divisions) of  the  Modern  Script,  but  most  of  them  can  be  found  in  the 
Ancient  Script  portion.  The  argument  was  that  the  "forger"  collected 
these  quotations  and  with  the  help  of  other  ancient  ideas  and  phrases 
wove  them  into  a  patchwork,  which  was  presented  as  the  lost  documents 
of  the  Boo1{  of  History.  Hui  Tung  went  to  the  length  of  tracing  these 
ideas  and  phrases  and  actual  quotations  to  their  "sources."  He  said  there 
"was  nothing  wrong  with  their  ideas."  Yen  said  there  is  "not  one  impor- 
tant saying  (in  the  forged  texts)  which  did  not  have  an  ancient  source." 
Even  the  casual  use  of  words  was  proved  to  have  been  in  consonance 
with  the  ancient  usage.  What  does  that  prove  ? 

4.  The  type  of  argument  is  as  follows.  I  have  examined  Hui  Tung's 
fifteen  points  and  found  that  none  of  them  holds,  although  on  each  point 
he  merely  drew  a  cautious,  skeptical  conclusion.  If  Mencius  gave  a  quota- 
tion from  the  Boo^  of  History  and  it  is  found  in  the  Ancient  Script,  they 
say,  "You  see  there  is  the  source  of  the  forgery."  If  the  words  of  the 
quotation  do  not  quite  agree,  the  Ancient  Script  is  accused  of  "corrupt- 
ing" them.  If  Mencius  quoted  directly  from  famous  pieces  like  the 
"Speech  of  T'ang"  or  the  "Great  Declaration,"  and  the  Modern  Script 
pieces  do  not  contain  those  quotations,  they  argue  that  of  course  the 
present  Modern  Script  is  not  complete  in  these  pieces,  while  they  dismiss 
the  evidence  that  the  quotations  do  exist  in  the  "Announcement  of 
T'ang"  and  the  Ancient  Script  version  of  the  "Great  Declaration,"  as  of 
no  importance.  The  tracing  of  certain  words  of  general  use  is  still  worse: 


704  CHINESE   DEMOCRACY 

if  Tsochuan  used  certain  adjectives  like  "sincere"  in  connection  with  a 
certain  person,  that  adjective  may  not  be  used  of  the  same  person  by  the 
Ancient  Script  without  the  charge  of  borrowing  from  Tsochuan.  One 
of  the  chapters  of  Lity  referred  to  the  House  of  Yin  as  "Yi"  in  a  certain 
sentence,  and  this  Ancient  Script  has  the  same  quotation;  it  is  therefore 
argued  that  the  Ancient  Script  should  not  have  written  it  as  Yi,  whereas 
the  right  of  the  LJ^J'S  text  itself  to  do  so  is  never  questioned.  This  is  argu- 
ing in  a  circle.  But  the  type  of  loose  reasoning  mostly  used  is  purely  sub- 
jective and  unscientific.  According  to  the  Ancient  Script,  Emperor  Yii 
went  to  suppress  the  aborigines  (Miao)  after  Shun  had  driven  them  out, 
and  the  critics  exclaimed:  Shun  had  driven  them  out,  why  should  his 
successor  fight  them  again  ?  Moreover,  as  an  emperor  he  should  have  sent 
his  general  instead!  They  wish  to  forget  that  repeated  revolts  of  "pacified" 
aborigines  are  not  so  rare  in  history.  According  to  the  Ancient  Script,  a 
speech  before  the  army  was  given  by  Emperor  Shun,  but  these  critics 
say,  according  to  the  Modern  Script,  the  earliest  speech  before  an  army 
on  the  day  of  the  battle  is  known  to  have  been  made  by  his  immediate 
successor,  Emperor  Yii,  and  therefore  this  custom  should  not  have  begun 
with  Shun,  who  was  such  a  kind  man.  The  assumption  that  the  custom 
of  addressing  the  hosts  was  suddenly  invented  by  Yii  is  arbitrary  and 
unwarranted.  If  in  a  Modern  Script  piece,  Yao  was  described  as  offering 
the  throne  to  Chi  and  Ch'i,  then  it  was  evidence  of  forgery  for  Yao  to 
offer  the  same  throne  to  Kao-yao  also  (in  the  Ancient  Script  piece).  That 
is,  Yao  could  have  offered  his  throne  to  two  persons  successively,  but  not 
to  three  persons  successively.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  Yao  finally  offered  it  to 
none  of  the  three,  but  to  Shun.  If  a  certain  piece  of  music  (Chmkp), 
according  to  other  ancient  sources,  is  known  only  to  have  been  played  by 
Emperor  Yii's  son;  then  the  mention  of  his  father  playing  the  same  piece 
of  music  by  the  Ancient  Script  is  adduced  as  evidence  of  contradiction 
to  the  ancient  sources.  There  is  no  law  forbidding  a  son  from  enjoying 
the  same  music  as  his  father,  and  no  evidence  that  that  piece  was  com- 
posed by  the  son  after  the  father  died.  In  fact,  many  of  the  things  men- 
tioned by  Mencius  are  just  as  "contradictory"  to  the  tradition  of  the 
Modern  Script,  or  just  as  much  additions  to  the  information  in  it,  yet 
the  authenticity  of  Mencius  is  not  questioned.  Such  is  the  type  of  loose 
reasoning  that  leaves  me  unconvinced. 

5.  The  only  really  "textual"  criticism  with  regard  to  three  words 
seems  much  better,  but  is  connected  with  bad  reasoning.  The  two  words, 
hsiang  for  "premier"  and  lun  for  "discussion"  are  not  known  to  have 


THE    BOOK    OF    HISTORY  705 

occurred  in  the  Five  Classics.  They  abound,  however,  in  the  Analects, 
Mencius  and  Tsochuan,  and  the  argument  is  not  conclusive.  It  is  really 
straining  the  point,  however,  to  say  that  the  word  yieh  (originally  a 
"saw,"  then  "fear,"  then  "profession,"  "accomplishment")  may  be  used  in 
the  latter  senses  in  Li{i,  handed  down  by  Confucius,  but  may  not  be 
used  in  the  same  senses  in  the  Boo^  of  History,  also  handed  down  by 
Confucius.  At  the  very  worst,  no  word  was  used  which  was  not  current 
at  the  time  of  Confucius  and  Mencius. 

6.  The  "motive"  for  the  crime  is  insufficiently  established.  It  is  said 
that  Wang  Shu  forged  it  to  support  his  interpretations  against  Cheng's. 
Actually,  Wang's  commentaries  dealt  almost  entirely  with  the  Modern 
Script  portion.  Wang  could  have  forged  the  K'ung  commentaries,  and 
not  the  text  itself.  Moreover,  the  critics,  by  their  labors,  proved  that  there 
was  a  continuity  of  tradition  in  the  preservation  of  the  Ancient  Script, 
and  that  there  was  hardly  a  period  when  the  Ancient  Script  was  un- 
known or  had  disappeared. 

7.  There  is  no  question  but  that  several  texts  of  all  the  Confucian 
classics  existed  side  by  side  (e.g.  four  versions  of  the  Boof^  of  Poetry) ,  that 
none  of  them  can  claim  to  be  an  exact,  complete,  unspoiled  version,  that 
when  texts  were  copied  from  generation  to  generation,  corruption  was 
inevitable,  that  all  our  texts,  including  the  Analects,  contain  interpola- 
tions (usually  at  the  end  of  chapters),  and  that  the  text  of  Mei  Tseh  is  no 
exception.  Mei  was  separated  from  the  discovery  of  the  Ancient  Script 
in  Confucius'  walls  by  over  four  centuries.  Even  the  assumption  that 
there  was  only  one  correct,  unspoiled,  untouched  text  handed  down  by 
a  kind  of  apostolic  succession  before  the  burning  of  books  in  B.C.  213  is 
incorrect.  How  did  all  the  other  books  like  Motse,  Mencius ,  Chuangtse, 
Ch'ti  Yuan,Hsuntse,Kuoyu,  Tsochuan  survive?  Could  even  Confucius 
have  the  original  text  of  the  Canon  of  Yao  1,500  years  old  in  his  time? 
It  is  almost  certain  that  variants  were  introduced,  and  that  there  were 
redivisions  in  at  least  two  pieces.  Redwisions  and  interpolations  are  part 
of  the  history  of  most  ancient  texts.  But  interpolations  or  redivisions  are 
a  different  thing  from  forgery.  It  is  also  quite  possible  that  the  present 
K'ung  commentaries  may  have  been  forged  by  Wang  Shu,  or  some  one 
else. 

8.  The  fact  remains  that  to  cut  out  the  Ancient  Script  portion  from 
the  Eoo\  of  History  would  leave  hundreds  of  quotations  from  it  unac- 
counted for,  especially  when  a  quotation  names  the  title  of  a  particular 
piece,  if  we  check  it  by  the  Modern  Script.  When  Sun  Hsingyen  (A.D. 


706  CHINESE   DEMOCRACY 

1753-1818)  tried  to  do  without  the  Ancient  Script  and  restore  the  Great 
Declaration,  the  result  was  ridiculously  meagre  in  content,  with  all  the 
best  quotations  from  this  piece  missing.  The  fact  remains  that  the 
Ancient  Script  portion  contains  the  richest  parts  of  the  work,  and  that 
irrespective  of  the  argument  whether  our  present  copy  is  the  original  one 
found  in  Confucius'  walls  or  any  of  the  several  found  later,  or  just  a 
later  patchwork,  most  of  its  passages  have,  by  the  very  labors  of  its  critics, 
been  proved  to  have  existed  as  parts  of  the  Boot^  of  History  quoted  in 
other  works  whose  authenticity  is  not  in  question.  Even  as  a  patchwork 
of  such  quotations,  it  is  an  extremely  useful  piece  of  compilation.  But 
more  than  that,  the  Ancient  Script  contains  not  only  direct  quotations, 
but  also  other  material  and  ideas  in  the  phraseology  of  the  ancient  times; 
the  pieces  have  a  good  continuity  and  there  are  internal  evidences  of  its 
authenticity;  even  the  rhymes  were  ancient.  It  was  such  an  able  piece 
of  work  that  it  could  deceive  scholars  for  over  1,300  years,  and  it  must 
have  involved  superhuman  labors.  I  wish  those  critics  would  try  such  an 
undertaking  of  forgery  themselves;  even  Confucius  must  shrink  from  the 
task.  Finally,  there  is  nothing  regarding  the  condition  of  the  text  which 
we  do  not  expect  from  one  of  that  late  date,  and  which  we  in  fact  find 
is  true  of  both  the  Analects  and  the  U%i. 

9.  The  reader  may  therefore  at  least,  pending  the  reopening  of  the 
case,  regard  those  passages  of  the  Ancient  Script,  which  are  supported 
by  quotations  found  in  other  ancient  sources  like  Mencius,  as  having 
certainly  existed  as  parts  of  the  Boo^  of  History,  because  Mencius  said 
so.  In  the  annotations  I  have  tried  to  point  out  the  supporting  sources 
only  for  what  I  regard  as  the  more  important  passages.  Through  these 
notes,  the  reader  may  gain  some  idea  of  the  nature  of  the  arguments  for 
and  against  the  Ancient  Script.  Incidentally,  if  the  reader  wishes  to 
gather  the  most  important  "democratic"  statements  of  this  work,  he  need 
only  check  them  through  the  footnotes. 

I  have  used  James  Legge's  translation,  whose  somewhat  pretentious 
and  quaint  diction  seems  to  suit  these  ancient  documents  well.  I  have 
made  changes  only  in  the  spelling  of  proper  names  to  conform  with  the 
current  Wade  romanization.  Legge  would  spell,  for  instance,  the  name 
of  the  Chou  Dynasty  as  "Xau".  His  curious  spelling  is  due  to  the  uniform 
spelling  system  of  the  Sacred  Books  of  the  East  and  to  his  Cantonese 
pronunciation. 


The  Book  of  History 

Documents  of  Chinese  Democracy  (Shu  Ching) 
Translated  by  James  Legge    • 


THE  CANON  OF  YAO  * 
(Being  the  Boo{  of  Tang.  Modern  and  Ancient  Scripts)* 

I.  Examining  into  antiquity,8  (we  find  that)  the  Ti  Yao  was  styled 
Fang-hsiin.  He  was  reverential,  intelligent,  accomplished,  and  thought- 
ful,— naturally  and  without  effort.  He  was  sincerely  courteous,  and 
capable  of  (all)  complaisance.  The  bright  (influence  of  these  qualities) 
was  felt  through  the  four  quarters  (of  the  land),  and  reached  to  (heaven) 
above  and  (earth)  beneath. 

He  made  the  able  and  virtuous  distinguished,  and  thence  proceeded 
to  the  love  of  (all  in)  the  nine  classes  of  his  kindred,  who  (thus)  became 
harmonious.  He  (also)  regulated  and  polished  the  people  (of  his  do- 
main), who  all  became  brightly  intelligent.  (Finally),  he  united  and 

1  Although  having  little  to  do  with  democracy,  this  document  is  interesting  in  itself  as 
the  oldest  known  piece  of  writing  in  Chinese.  Emperor  Yao  reigned  in  B.C.  2357-2256. 
The  Canon  itself  was  written  down  probably  centuries  later. 
a  See  Introduction. 

8  This  shows  that  the  Canon  of  Yao  was  not  written  at  the  time  of  Yao,  but  much  later, 
which  may  be  anywhere  in  the  second  millemum  B.C.  Chinese  writing  was  supposed  to 
have  been  invented  by  Ts'ang  Chi,  a  minister  of  the  Yellow  Emperor,  which  is  a  tradition 
of  legendary  character.  Recently  excavated  oracle  bone  inscriptions,  dating  back  to  about 
B.C.  2,000,  show  already  advanced  development 

707 


708  CHINESE   DEMOCRACY 

harmonized  the  myriad  states;  and  so  the  black-haired  people  were  trans- 
formed. The  result  was  (universal)  concord. 

2.  He  commanded  the  Hsis  and  Hos,  in  reverent  accordance  with 
(their  observation  of)  the  wide  heavens,  to  calculate  and  delineate  (the 
movements  and  appearances  of)  the  sun,  the  moon,  the  stars,  and  the 
zodiacal  spaces,  and  so  to  deliver  respectfully  the  seasons  to  be  observed 
by  the  people. 

He  separately  commanded  the  second  brother  Hsi  to  reside  at  Yii-i,  in 
what  was  called  the  Bright  Valley,  and  (there)  respectfully  to  receive  as 
a  guest  the  rising  sun,  and  to  adjust  and  arrange  the  labours  of  the  spring. 
'The  day/  (said  he),  'is  of  the  medium  length,  and  the  star  is  in  Niao; — 
you  may  thus  exactly  determine  mid-spring.  The  people  are  dispersed 
(in  the  fields),  and  birds  and  beasts  breed  and  copulate/ 

He  further  commanded  the  third  brother  Hsi  to  reside  at  Nan-chiao, 
(in  what  was  called  the  Brilliant  Capital),  to  adjust  and  arrange  the 
transformations  of  the  summer,  and  respectfully  to  observe  the  exact 
limit  (of  the  shadow).  'The  day'  (said  he),  'is  at  its  longest,  and  the 
star  is  in  Huo; — you  may  thus  exactly  determine  mid-summer.  The 
people  are  more  dispersed;  and  birds  and  beasts  have  their  feathers  and 
hair  thin,  and  change  their  coats.' 

He  separately  commanded  the  second  brother  Ho  to  reside  at  the  west, 
in  what  was  called  the  Dark  Valley,  and  (there)  respectfully  to  convoy 
the  setting  sun,  and  to  adjust  and  arrange  the  completing  labours  of  the 
autumn.  'The  night'  (said  he),  'is  of  the  medium  length,  and  the  star 
is  in  Hsu; — you  may  thus  exactly  determine  mid-autumn.  The  people 
feel  at  ease,  and  birds  and  beasts  have  their  coats  in  good  condition.' 

He  further  commanded  the  third  brother  Ho  to  reside  in  the  northern 
region,  in  what  was  called  the  Sombre  Capital,  and  (there)  to  adjust  and 
examine  the  changes  of  the  winter.  'The  day'  (said  he),  'is  at  its  shortest, 
and  the  star  is  in  Mao; — you  may  thus  exactly  determine  mid-winter. 
The  people  keep  in  their  houses,  and  the  coats  of  birds  and  beasts  are 
downy  and  thick.' 

The  Ti  *  said,  'Ah!  you,  Hsis  and  Hos,  a  round  year  consists  of  three 
hundred  and  sixty-six  days.  Do  you,  by  means  of  the  intercalary  month, 
fix  the  four  seasons,  and  complete  (the  period  of)  the  year.  (Thereafter), 
the  various  officers  being  regulated  in  accordance  with  this,  all  the  works 
(of  the  year)  will  be  fully  perfortnrd.' 

4  Ti  means  Emperor  or  Ruler, 


THE    BOOK    OF    HISTORY  709 

3.  The  Ti  said,  'Who  will  search  out  (for  me)  a  man  according  to  the 
times,  whom  I  can  raise  and  employ?'  Fang-ch'i  said,  '(Your)  heir-son 
Chu  is  highly  intelligent.'  The  Ti  said,  'Alas!  he  is  insincere  and  quarrel- 
some : — can  he  do  ? ' 

The  Ti  said,  'Who  will  search  out  (for  me)  a  man  equal  to  the  exi- 
gency of  my  affairs?'  Huan-tad  said,  'Oh!  the  merits  of  the  Minister  of 
Works  have  just  been  displayed  on  a  wide  scale.'  The  Ti  said,  'Alas! 
when  all  is  quiet,  he  talks;  but  when  employed,  his  actions  turn  out 
differently.  He  is  respectful  (only)  in  appearance.  See!  the  floods  assail 
the  heavens!' 

The  Ti  said,  'Ho!  (President  of)  the  Four  Mountains,  destructive  in 
their  overflow  are  the  waters  of  the  inundation.  In  their  vast  extent  they 
embrace  the  hills  and  overtop  the  great  heights,  threatening  the  heavens 
with  their  floods,  so  that  the  lower  people  groan  and  murmur!  Is  there 
a  capable  man  to  whom  I  can  assign  the  correction  (of  this  calamity)  ?' 
All  (in  the  court)  said,  'Ah!  is  there  not  Kun?'  The  Ti  said,  'Alas!  how 
perverse  is  he!  He  is  disobedient  to  orders,  and  tries  to  injure  his  peers.' 
(The  President  of)  the  Mountains  said  'Well  but — .  Try  if  he  can 
(accomplish  the  work).'  (Kun)  was  employed  accordingly.  The  Ti  said 
(to  him),  'Go;  and  be  reverent!'  For  nine  years  he  laboured,  but  the 
work  was  unaccomplished. 

The  Ti  said,  'Ho!  (President  of)  the  Four  Mountains,  I  have  been  on 
the  throne  seventy  years.  You  can  carry  out  my  commands; — I  will  resign 
my  place  to  you.'  The  Chief  said,  'I  have  not  the  virtue; — I  should  dis- 
grace your  place.'  (The  Ti)  said,  'Show  me  some  one  among  the  illus- 
trious, or  set  forth  one  from  among  the  poor  and  mean.'  All  (then)  said 
to  the  Ti,  'There  is  an  unmarried  man  among  the  lower  people,  called 
Shun  of  Yii  V  The  Ti  said,  'Yes,  I  have  heard  of  him.  What  have  you  to 
say  about  him?'  The  Chief  said,  'He  is  the  son  of  a  blind  man.  His  father 
was  obstinately  unprincipled;  his  (step-)  mother  was  insincere;  his 
(half-)  brother  Hsiang  was  arrogant.  He  has  been  able,  (however),  by 
his  filial  piety  to  live  in  harmony  with  them,  and  to  lead  them  gradually 
to  self-government,  so  that  they  (no  longer)  proceed  to  great  wickedness.' 
The  Ti  said,  'I  will  try  him;  I  will  wive  him,  and  thereby  see  his  behav- 
iour with  my  two  daughters.'  (Accordingly)  he  arranged  and  sent  down 
his  two  daughters  to  the  north  of  the  Kwei,  to  be  wives  in  (the  family  of) 
Yii.  The  Ti  said  to  them,  'Be  reverent!' 

8  Emperor  Shun  who  reigned  in  B.C.  2255-2206  as  successor  to  Yao. 


710  CHINESE   DEMOCRACY 

[A  division  is  made  here  in  the  Ancient  Script,  and  what  follows  is 
given  the  name  of  the  'Canon  of  Shun,'  while  the  Modern  Script  regards 
the  whole  as  the  Canon  of  Yao.  A  spurious  paragraph  of  28  words,  added 
in  A.D.  4$j,  is  omitted  here. — Ed.} 

4.  (Shun)  carefully  set  forth  the  beduty  of  the  five  cardinal  duties, 
and  they  came  to  be  (universally)  observed.  Being  appointed  to  be 
General  Regulator,  the  affairs  of  every   (official)   department  were 
arranged  in  their  proper  seasons.  (Being  charged)  to  receive  (the  princes) 
from  the  four  quarters  of  the  land,  they  were  all  docilely  submissive, 
Being  sent  to  the  great  plains  at  the  foot  of  the  mountains,  notwith- 
standing the  tempests  of  wind,  thunder,  and  rain,  he  did  not  go  astray. 

The  Ti  said,  'Come,  you  Shun.  I  have  consulted  you  on  (all)  affairs, 
and  examined  your  words,  and  found  that  they  can  be  carried  into  prac- 
tice;—(now)  for  three  years.  Do  you  ascend  the  seat  of  the  Ti.'  Shun 
wished  to  decline  in  favour  of  some  one  more  virtuous,  and  not  to  con- 
sent to  be  (Yao's)  successor.  On  the  first  day  of  the  first  month,  (how- 
ever), he  received  (Yao's)  retirement  (from  his  duties)  in  the  temple  of 
the  Accomplished  Ancestor. 

5.  He  examined  the  pearl-adorned  turning  sphere,  with  its  transverse 
tube  of  jade,  and  reduced  to  a  harmonious  system  (the  movements  of) 
the  Seven  Directors. 

Thereafter,  he  sacrificed  specially,  but  with  the  ordinary  forms,  to 
God;  sacrificed  with  reverent  purity  to  the  Six  Honoured  Ones;  offered 
their  appropriate  sacrifices  to  the  hills  and  rivers;  and  extended  his  wor- 
ship to  the  host  of  spirits. 

He  called  in  (all)  the  five  jade-symbols  of  rank;  and  when  the  month 
was  over,  he  gave  daily  audience  to  (the  President  of)  the  Four  Moun- 
tains, and  all  the  Pastors,6  (finally)  returning  their  symbols  to  the  various 
princes. 

In  the  second  month  of  the  year  he  made  a  tour  of  inspection  eastwards, 
as  far  as  Tai-chung,  where  he  presented  a  burnt-offering  to  Heaven,  and 
sacrificed  in  order  to  the  hills  and  rivers.  Thereafter  he  gave  audience  to 
the  princes  of  the  east.  He  set  in  accord  their  seasons  and  months,  and 
regulated  the  days;  he  made  uniform  the  standard-tubes,  with  the 
measures  of  length  and  of  capacity,  and  the  steel-yards;  he  regulated  the 
five  (classes  of)  ceremonies,  with  (the  various)  articles  of  introduction,— 

*Mut  literally  "shepherds  (of  the  people).*' 


THE    BOOK    OF    HISTORY  71! 

the  five  symbols  of  jade,  the  three  kinds  of  silk,  the  two  living  (animals) 
and  the  one  dead  one.  As  to  the  five  instruments  of  rank,  when  all  was 
over,  he  returned  them.  In  the  fifth  month  he  made  a  similar  tour 
southwards,  as  far  as  the  mountain  of  the  south,  where  he  observed  the 
same  ceremonies  as  at  Tai.  In  the  eighth  month  he  made  a  tour  west- 
wards, as  far  as  the  mountain  of  the  west,  where  he  did  as  before.  In  the 
eleventh  month  he  made  a  tour  northwards,  as  far  as  the  mountain  of 
the  north,  where  he  observed  the  same  ceremonies  as  in  the  west.  He 
(then)  returned  (to  the  capital),  went  to  (the  temple  of)  the  Cultivated 
Ancestor,  and  sacrificed  a  single  bull. 

In  five  years  there  was  one  tour  of  inspection,  and  there  were  four 
appearances  of  the  princes  at  court.  They  gave  a  report  (of  their  govern- 
ment) in  words,  which  was  clearly  tested  by  their  works.  They  received 
chariots  and  robes  according  to  their  merits. 

He  instituted  the  division  (of  the  land)  into  twelve  provinces,  raising 
altars  upon  twelve  hills  in  them.  He  (also)  deepened  the  rivers. 

He  exhibited  (to  the  people)  the  statutory  punishments,  enacting 
banishment  as  a  mitigation  of  the  five  (great)  inflictions;  with  the  whip 
to  be  employed  in  the  magistrates'  courts,  the  stick  to  be  employed  in 
schools,  and  money  to  be  received  for  redeemable  offences.  Inadvertent 
offences  and  those  which  could  be  ascribed  to  misfortune  were  to  be 
pardoned,  but  those  who  transgressed  presumptuously  and  repeatedly 
were  to  be  punished  with  death.  'Let  me  be  reverent!  Let  me  be  reverent!* 
(he  said  to  himself.)  'Let  compassion  rule  in  punishment!* 

He  banished  the  Minister  of  Works  to  Yii  island;  confined  Huan-tao 
on  Mount  Ch'ung;  drove  (the  chief  of)  San-miao  (and  his  people)  into 
San-wei  and  kept  them  there;  and  held  Kun  a  prisoner  till  death  on 
Mount  Yii.  These  four  criminals  being  thus  dealt  with,  all  under 
Heaven  acknowledged  the  justice  (of  Shun's  administration). 

6.  After  twenty-eight  years  the  Ti  deceased,  when  the  people  mourned 
for  him  as  for  a  parent  for  three  years.  Within  the  four  seas  all  the  eight 
kinds  of  instruments  of  music  were  stopped  and  hushed.  On  the  first 
day  of  the  first  month  (of  the)  next  year,  Shun  went  to  (the  temple  of) 
the  Accomplished  Ancestor. 

7.  He  deliberated  with  (the  President  of)  the  Four  Mountains  how 
to  throw  open  the  doors  (of  communication  between  himself  and  the) 
four  (quarters  of  the  land),  and  how  he  could  see  with  the  eyes,  and  hear 
with  the  ears  of  all. 

He  consulted  with  the  twelve  Pastors,  and  said  to  them,  The  food!— it 


712  CHINESE   DEMOCRACY 

depends  on  observing  the  seasons.  Be  kind  to  the  distant,  and  cultivate 
the  ability  of  the  near.  Give  honour  to  the  virtuous,  and  your  confidence 
to  the  good,  while  you  discountenance  the  artful;— so  shall  the  barbarous 
tribes  lead  on  one  another  to  make  their  submission.' 

Shun  said,  'Ho!  (President  of)  the  Four  Mountains,  is  there  any  one 
who  can  with  vigorous  service  attend  to  all  the  affairs  of  the  Ti,  whom  I 
may  appoint  to  be  General  Regulator,  to  assist  me  in  (all)  affairs, 
managing  each  department  according  to  its  nature?  All  (in  the  court) 
replied,  There  is  Po-yii,  the  Minister  of  Works.'  The  Ti  said,  Tes.  Ho! 
Yii,  you  have  regulated  the  water  and  the  land.  In  this  (new  office)  exert 
yourself.'  Yii  did  obeisance  with  his  head  to  the  ground,  and  wished  to 
decline  in  favour  of  the  Minister  of  Agriculture,  or  Hsieh,  or  Kao-yao. 
The  Ti  said,  Tes,  but  do  you  go  (and  undertake  the  duties).' 

The  Ti  said,  'Ch'i,  the  black-haired  people  are  (still)  suffering  from 
famine.  Do  you,  O  prince,  as  Minister  of  Agriculture,  (continue  to)  sow 
(for  them)  the  various  kinds  of  grain.' 

The  Ti  said,  'Hsieh,  the  people  are  (still)  wanting  in  affection  for  one 
another,  and  do  not  docilely  observe  the  five  orders  of  relationship.  It  is 
yours,  as  the  Minister  of  Instruction,  reverently  to  set  forth  the  lessons 
of  duty  belonging  to  those  five  orders.  Do  so  with  gentleness.' 

The  Ti  said,  'Kao-yao,  the  barbarous  tribes  trouble  our  great  land. 
There  are  (also)  robbers,  murderers,  insurgents,  and  traitors.  It  is  yours, 
as  the  Minister  of  Crime,  to  use  the  five  punishments  to  deal  with  their 
offences.  For  the  infliction  of  these  there  are  the  three  appointed  places. 
There  are  the  five  cases  in  which  banishment  in  the  appropriate  places 
is  to  be  resorted  to,  to  which  places,  though  five,  three  localities  are 
assigned.  Perform  your  duties  with  intelligence,  and  you  will  secure  a 
sincere  (submission).' 

The  Ti  said,  'Who  can  superintend  my  works,  as  they  severally  re- 
quire?' All  (in  the  court)  replied,  'Is  there  not  Shui?'  The  Ti  said,  Tes. 
Hoi  Shui,  you  must  be  Minister  of  Works.'  Shui  did  obeisance  with  his 
head  to  the  ground,  and  wished  to  decline  in  favour  of  Shu,  Ch'iang,  or 
Po-yii.  The  Ti  said,  Tes,  but  do  you  go  (and  undertake  the  duties). 
Effect  a  harmony  (in  all  the  departments).' 

The  Ti  said,  'Who  can  superintend,  as  the  nature  of  the  charge  re- 
quires, the  grass  and  trees,  with  the  birds  and  beasts  on  my  hills  and  in 
my  marshes?'  All  (in  the  court)  replied,  'Is  there  not  Yi?'  The  Ti  said, 
Tes.  Ho!  Yi,  do  you  be  my  Forester.'  did  obeisance  with  his  head  to 


THE    BOOK    OF    HISTORY  713 

the  ground,  and  wished  to  decline  in  favour  of  Chu,  Hu,  Hsiung,  or  Pi.7 
The  Ti  said,  'Yes,  but  do  you  go  (and  undertake  the  duties).  You  must 
manage  them  harmoniously/ 

The  Ti  said,  'Ho!  (President  of  the)  Four  Mountains,  is  there  any 
one  able  to  direct  my  three  (religious)  ceremonies?'  All  (in  the  court) 
answered,  'Is  there  not  Po-i?'  The  Ti  said,  'Yes.  Ho!  Po,  you  must  be  the 
Arranger  in  the  Ancestral  Temple.  Morning  and  night  be  reverent.  Be 
upright,  be  pure.'  Po  did  obeisance  with  his  head  to  the  ground,  and 
wished  to  decline  in  favour  of  K'uei 8  or  Lung.*  The  Ti  said,  'Yes,  but 
do  you  go  (and  undertake  the  duties).  Be  reverential!' 

The  Ti  said,  'K'uei,  I  appoint  you  to  be  Director  of  Music,  and  to  teach 
our  sons,  so  that  the  straightforward  shall  yet  be  mild;  the  gentle,  digni- 
fied; the  strong,  not  tyrannical;  and  the  impetuous,  not  arrogant.  Poetry 
is  the  expression  of  earnest  thought;  singing  is  the  prolonged  utterance 
of  that  expression;  the  notes  accompany  that  utterance,  and  they  are 
harmonized  themselves  by  the  standard-tubes.  (In  this  way)  the  eight 
different  kinds  of  musical  instruments  can  be  adjusted  so  that  one  shall 
not  take  from  or  interfere  with  another;  and  spirits  and  men  are  brought 
into  harmony.'  K'uei  said,  'I  smite  the  (sounding-)  stone,  I  gently  strike 
it,  and  the  various  animals  lead  on  one  another  to  dance.' 

The  Ti  s»aid,  'Lung,  I  abominate  slanderous  speakers  and  destroyers  of 
the  (right)  ways,  who  agitate  and  alarm  my  people.  I  appoint  you  to  be 
the  Minister  of  Communication/0  Early  and  late  give  forth  my  orders 
and  report  to  me,  seeing  that  everything  is  true.' 

The  Ti  said,  'Ho!  you,  twenty  and  two  men,  be  reverent;  so  shall  you 
be  helpful  to  the  business  (entrusted  to  me  by)  Heaven/ 

Every  three  years  there  was  an  examination  of  merits,  and  after  three 
examinations  the  undeserving  were  degraded,  and  the  deserving  ad- 
vanced. (By  this  arrangement)  the  duties  of  all  the  departments  were 
fully  discharged;  the  (people  of)  San-miao  (also)  were  discriminated 
and  separated. 

8.  In  the  thirtieth  year  of  his  age,  Shun  was  called  to  employment. 
Thirty  years  he  was  on  the  throne  (with  Yao).  Fifty  years  afterwards  he 
went  on  high  and  died. 

T  Four  persons'  names:  Cedar  (possibly  Hog),  Tiger,  Bear  and  Grisly  Bear. 

8  A  horned  animal. 

*  Dragon. 

™Na-yfn,  strictly  "to  receive  reports."  The  earliest  reference  to  an  office  for  communication! 

between  ruler  and  people  that  in  later  dynasties  existed  under  various  names. 


714  CHINESE   DEMOCRACY 

THE  COUNSELS  OF  THE  GREAT  YU 
(Boo{  of  Yii"  II.  Ancient  Script) 

I.  Examining  into  antiquity,  (we  find  that)  the  Great  Yuu  was 
styled  Wen-ming.  Having  arranged  and  divided  (the  land),  all  to  the 
four  seas,  in  reverent  response  to  the  Ti,  he  said,  'If  the  sovereign  can 
realize  the  difficulty  of  his  sovereignship,  and  the  minister  the  difficulty 
of  his  ministry,  the  government  will  be  well  ordered,  and  the  black- 
haired  people  will  sedulously  seek  to  be  virtuous.' 

The  Ti  said,  'Yes;  let  this  really  be  the  case,  and  good  words  will  no- 
where lie  hidden;  no  men  of  virtue  and  talents  will  be  left  neglected, 
away  from  court,  and  the  myriad  states  will  all  enjoy  repose.  (But)  to 
obtain  the  views  of  all;  to  give  up  one's  opinion  and  follow  that  of  others; 
to  keep  from  oppressing  the  helpless,  and  not  to  neglect  the  straitened 
and  pooi*; — it  was  only  the  (former)  Ti  who  could  attain  to  this.* 

Yi  said,  'Oh!  your  virtue,  O  Ti,  is  vast  and  incessant.  It  is  sagely, 
spirit-like,  awe-inspiring,  and  adorned  with  all  accomplishments.  Great 
Heaven  regarded  you  with  its  favour,  and  bestowed  on  you  its  appoint- 
ment. Suddenly  you  possessed  all  within  the  four  seas,  and  became  ruler 
of  all  under  heaven.' 

Yii  said,  'Accordance  with  the  right  leads  to  good  fortune;  following 
what  is  opposed  to  it,  to  bad; — the  shadow  and  the  echo.'  Yi  said,  'Alas! 
be  cautious!  Admonish  yourself  to  caution,  when  there  seems  to  be  no 
occasion  for  anxiety.  Do  not  fail  to  observe  the  laws  and  ordinances.  Do 
not  find  your  enjoyment  in  idleness.  Do  not  go  to  excess  in  pleasure. 
In  your  employment  of  men  of  worth,  let  none  come  between  you  and 
them.  Put  away  evil  without  hesitation.  Do  not  carry  out  plans,  of  (the 
wisdom  of)  which  you  have  doubts.  Study  that  all  your  purposes  may  be 
with  the  light  of  reason.  Do  not  go  against  what  is  right,  to  get  the  praise 
of  the  people.  Do  not  oppose  the  people's  (wishes),  to  follow  your  own 
desires.  (Attend  to  these  things)  without  idleness  or  omission,  and  the 
barbarous  tribes  all  around  will  come  and  acknowledge  your  sovereignty.' 

Yii  said,  'Oh!  think  (of  these  things),  O  Ti.  The  virtue  (of  the  ruler) 
is  seen  in  (his)  good  government,  and  that  government  in  the  nourish- 

"  Name  of  the  rule  of  Shun.  In  this  "Book,"  the  Ti,  or  Ruler,  refers  to  Shun. 

"This  "Yii"  (different  from  that  in  Note  n)  is  the  great  Emperor  Yu,  founder  of  Hsia 

Dynasty  and  successor  to  Shun. 


THE    BOOK    OF    HISTORY  715 

ing  of  the  people.1*  There  are  water,  fire,  metal,  wood,  the  earth,  and 
grain,— these  must  be  duly  regulated;  there  are  the  rectification  of  (the 
people's)  virtue,  (the  tools  and  other  things)  that  supply  the  conve- 
niences of  life,  and  the  securing  abundant  means  of  sustentation,— these 
must  be  harmoniously  attended  to.  When  the  nine  services  (thus  indi- 
cated) have  been  orderly  accomplished,  that  accomplishment  will  be 
hailed  by  (the  people's)  songs.  Caution  them  with  gentle  (words),  cor- 
rect them  with  the  majesty  (of  law),  stimulate  them  with  the  songs  on 
those  nine  subjects,— in  order  that  (your  success)  may  not  suffer  diminu- 
tion.' The  Ti  said,  'The  earth  has  been  reduced  to  order,  and  the  (influ- 
ences of)  heaven  produce  their  complete  effect;  those  six  magazines  and 
three  departments  of  (governmental)  action  are  all  truly  regulated,  and 
may  be  depended  on  for  a  myriad  generations : — this  is  your  merit.' 

2.  The  Ti  said,  'Come,  you  Yii.  I  have  occupied  my  place  for  thirty 
and  three  years.  I  am  between  ninety  and  a  hundred  years  old,  and  the 
laborious  duties  weary  me.  Do  you,  eschewing  all  indolence,  take  the 
leading  of  my  people.'  "  Yii  replied,  'My  virtue  is  not  equal  (to  the  posi- 
tion), and  the  people  will  not  repose  in  me.  (But  there  is)  Kao-yao  with 
vigorous  activity  sowing  abroad  his  virtue,  which  has  descended  on  the 
black-haired  people,  till  they  cherish  him  in  their  hearts.  O  Ti,  think  of 
him!  When  I  think  of  him,  (my  mind)  rests  on  him  (as-the  man  fit  for 
this  place) ;  when  I  would  put  him  out  of  my  thoughts,  (my  mind  still) 
rests  on  him;  when  I  name  and  speak  of  him,  (my  mind)  rests  on  him 
(for  this) ;  the  sincere  outgoing  of  my  thoughts  about  him  is  that  he  is 
the  man.  O  Ti,  think  of  his  merits.' 

The  Ti  said,  'Kao-yao,  that  of  these  my  ministers  and  all  (my  people) 
hardly  one  is  found  to  offend  against  the  regulations  of  the  government 
is  owing  to  your  being  Minister  of  Crime,  and  intelligent  in  the  use  of 
the  five  punishments,  thereby  assisting  (the  inculcation  of)  the  five 
cardinal  duties,  with  a  view  to  the  perfection  of  my  government,  and 
that  through  punishment  there  may  come  to  be  no  punishments,15  but 

11  Yen  Jo-chu  who  tried  to  prove  that  the  whole  Ancient  Script  was  a  forgery  cites  here  a 
similar  passage  in  Tsochuan  to  show  the  source  of  the  forgery.  The  same  evidence  can  be 
used  to  show  that  it  was  genuine,  for  Tsochuan  expressly  quotes  from  the  Bool^  of  History. 
This  is  typical  of  Yen's  method  of  reasoning  and  also  of  Hui  Tung's.  Almost  all  passages 
in  this  piece  arc  traced  to  parallel  passages  in  ancient  texts  (Tsochuan,  Book  of  Changes, 
Laotsc,  Motse,  Htiintte,  the  Analects,  etc.)  most  of  which  give  them  as  quotations  from  the 
Boo{  of  History. 

14  Shun,  like  his  predecessor  Yao,  did  not  give  his  throne  to  his  son,  but  to  the  best  man  of 
proved  ability  in  the  kingdom.  Hereditary  succession  began  with  Yii's  son, 
**  Parallel  passage  in  a  quotation  from  Shang  Yang's  book. 


7l6  CHINESE   DEMOCRACY 

the  people  accord  with  (the  path  of)  the  Mean.  (Continue  to)  be  strenu- 
ous/ Kao-yao  replied,  Tour  virtue,  O  Ti,  is  faultless.  You  condescend  to 
your  ministers  with  a  kindly  ease;  you  preside  over  the  multitudes  with 
a  generous  forbearance.  Punishments  do  not  extend  to  (the  criminal's) 
heirs,  while  rewards  reach  to  (succeeding)  generations.  You  pardon  inad- 
vertent faults,  however  great,  and  punish  purposed  crimes,  however 
small.18  In  cases  of  doubtful  crimes,  you  deal  with  them  lightly;  in  cases 
of  doubtful  merit,  you  prefer  the  high  estimation.  Rather  than  put  an 
innocent  person  to  death,  you  will  run  the  risk  of  irregularity  and  error.17 
This  life-loving  virtue  has  penetrated  the  minds  of  the  people,  and  this  is 
why  they  do  not  render  themselves  liable  to  be  punished  by  your  officers.' 
The  Ti  said,  'That  I  am  able  to  follow  and  obtain  what  I  desire  in  my 
government,  the  people  responding  everywhere  as  if  moved  by  the  wind, 
— this  is  your  excellence/ 

The  Ti  said,  'Come,  Yii.  The  inundating  waters  filled  me  with  dread, 
when  you  accomplished  truly  (all  that  you  had  represented),  and  com- 
pleted your  service; — thus  showing  your  superiority  to  other  men.  Full 
of  toilsome  earnestness  in  the  service  of  the  country,  and  sparing  in  your 
expenditure  on  your  family,  and  this  without  being  full  of  yourself  and 
elated, — you  (again)  show  your  superiority  to  other  men.  You  are  with- 
out any  pridef  ul  assumption,  but  no  one  under  heaven  can  contest  with 
you  the  palm  of  ability;  you  make  no  boasting,  but  no  one  under  heaven 
can  contest  with  you  the  palm  of  merit/8 1  see  how  great  is  your  virtue, 
how  admirable  your  vast  achievements.  The  determinate  appointment 
of  Heaven  rests  on  your  person;  you  must  eventually  ascend  (the  throne) 
of  the  great  sovereign.  The  mind  of  man  is  restless,  prone  (to  err) ;  its 
affinity  to  what  is  right  is  small/'  Be  discriminating,  be  uniform  (in  the 
pursuit  of  what  is  right),  that  you  may  sincerely  hold  fast  the  Mean."0  Do 
not  listen  to  unsubstantiated  words;  do  not  follow  plans  about  which  you 
have  not  sought  counsel.  Of  all  who  are  to  be  loved,  is  not  the  ruler  the 
chief?  Of  all  who  are  to  be  feared,  are  not  the  people  tjie  chief?  If  the 
multitude  were  without  their  sovereign  Head,  whom  should  they  sustain 
aloft?  If  the  sovereign  had  not  the  multitude,  there  would  be  none  to 

w  Parallel  passage  in  Wang  Ch'ung. 

17  Exact  words  of  a  quotation  from  the  Book  of  History  (Boof(  of  Hsia)  given  in  Tsochiian. 
M  See  Laotse,  Ch.  22,  24.  The  same  idea  is  expressed  in  identical  words  in  Hsiintse,  and  gen- 
erally in  Book,  of  Changes,  Tsochuan  and  Yi  Choushu,  so  that  it  is  hardly  possible  to  point 
even  to  Laotse  as  the  ultimate  source.  Laotse  himself  quotes  from  ancient  sayings. 
19  Parallel  passage  in  Hsiintse. 
*  Th<*  Analects  gives  this  quotation  as  from  the  Boof(  of  History, 


THE    BOOK    OF    HISTORY  717 

guard  the  country  for  him.  Be  reverential!  Carefully  maintain  the  throne 
which  you  arc  to  occupy,  cultivating  (the  virtues)  that  are  to  be  desired 
in  you.  If  within  the  four  seas  there  be  distress  and  poverty,  your  Heaven- 
conferred  revenues  will  come  to  a  perpetual  end.  It  is  the  mouth  which 
sends  forth  what  is  good,  and  raises  up  war.  I  will  not  alter  my  words/ 

Yu  said,  'Submit  the  meritorious  ministers  one  by  one  to  the  trial  of 
divination,  and  let  the  favouring  indication  be  followed/  The  Ti  replied, 
'( According  to  the  rules  for)  the  regulation  of  divination,  one  should 
first  make  up  his  mind,  and  afterwards  refer  (his  judgment)  to  the  great 
tortoise-shell."  My  mind  (in  this  matter)  was  determined  in  the  first 
place;  I  consulted  and  deliberated  with  all  (my  ministers  and  people), 
and  they  were  of  one  accord  with  me.  The  spirits  signified  their  assent, 
and  the  tortoise-shell  and  divining  stalks  concurred.  Divination,  when 
fortunate,  should  not  be  repeated.'  Yu  did  obeisance  with  his  head  to  the 
ground,  and  firmly  declined  (the  place).  The  Ti  said,  'You  must  not  do 
so.  It  is  you  who  can  suitably  (occupy  my  place).'  On  the  first  morning 
of  the  first  month,  (Yii)  received  the  appointment  in  the  temple  (dedi- 
cated by  Shun)  to  the  spirits  of  his  ancestors,  and  took  the  leading  of  all 
the  officers,  as  had  been  done  by  the  Ti  at  the  commencement  (of  his 
government). 

3.  The  Ti  said,  'Alas!  O  Yii,  there  is  only  the  lord  of  Miao  who 
refuses  obedience;  do  you  go  and  correct  him/  Yii  on  this  assembled  ali 
the  princes,  and  made  a  speech  to  the  host,  saying,  'Ye  multitudes  here 
arrayed,  listen  all  of  you  to  my  orders.  Stupid  is  this  lord  of  Miao, 
ignorant,  erring,  and  disrespectful.  Despiteful  and  insolent  to  others, 
he  thinks  that  all  ability  and  virtue  are  with  himself.  A  rebel  to  the  right, 
he  destroys  (all  the  obligations  of)  virtue.  Superior  men  are  kept  by  him 
in  obscurity,  and  mean  men  fill  (all)  the  offices.  The  people  reject  him 
and  will  not  protect  him.  Heaven  is  sending  down  calamities  upon  him. 
I  therefore,  along  with  you,  my  multitude  of  gallant  men,  bear  the  in- 
structions (of  the  Ti)  to  punish  his  crimes.  Do  you  proceed  with  united 
heart  and  strength,  so  shall  our  enterprize  be  crowned  with  success.' 

At  the  end  of  three  decades,88  the  people  of  Miao  continued  rebellious 
against  the  commands  (issued  to  them),  when  Yi  came  to  the  help  of  Yii, 
saying,  'It  is  virtue  that  moves  Heaven;  there  is  no  distance  to  which  it 

n  This  very  interesting  and  sensible  idea  is  found  also  in  The  Great  Plan  elsewhere  in  the 
Book,  of  History  of  the  Modern  Script  collection. 
"Another  interpretation  is  thirty  days. 


718  CHINESE  DEMOCRACY 

does  not  reach.  Pride  brings  loss,  and  humility  receives  increase;  * — this 
is  the  way  of  Heaven.  In  the  early  time  of  the  Ti,  when  he  was  living  by 
Mount  Li,  he  went  into  the  fields,  and  daily  cried  with  tears  to  com- 
passionate Heaven,  and  to  his  parents,  taking  to  himself  all  guilt,  and 
charging  himself  with  (their)  wickedness.  (At  the  same  time)  with 
respectful  service  he  appeared  before  Ku-sau,M  looking  grave  and  awe- 
struck, till  Kii  also  became  transformed  by  his  example.  Entire  sincerity 
moves  spiritual  beings, — how  much  more  will  it  move  this  lord  of  MiaoP 
Yii  did  homage  to  the  excellent  words,  and  said,  'Yes/  (Thereupon)  he 
led  back  his  army,  having  drawn  off  the  troops.  The  Ti  set  about  diffus- 
ing on  a  grand  scale  the  virtuous  influences  of  peace; — with  shields  and 
feathers  they  danced  between  the  two  staircases  (in  his  courtyard).  In 
seventy  days,  the  lord  of  Miao  came  (and  made  his  submission)."6 


THE  COUNSELS  OF  KAO-YAO 
(Boo^  of  Yii,  HI.  Modern  and  Ancient  Scripts) 

i.  Examining  into  antiquity,  (we  find  that)  Kao-yao  "  said,  'If  (the 
sovereign)  sincerely  pursues  the  course  of  his  virtue,  the  counsels  (offered 
to  him)  will  be  intelligent,  and  the  aids  (of  admonition  that  he  receives) 
will  be  harmonious.'  Yii  said,  'Yes,  but  explain  yourself/  Kao-yao  said, 
'Oh!  let  him  be  careful  about  his  personal  cultivation,  with  thoughts  that 
are  far-reaching,  and  thus  he  will  produce  a  generous  kindness  and  nice 
observance  of  distinctions  among  the  nine  branches  of  his  kindred.  All 
the  intelligent  (also)  will  exert  themselves  in  his  service;  and  in  this  way 
from  what  is  near  he  will  reach  to  what  is  distant/  Yii  did  homage  to 
the  excellent  words,  and  said,  'Yes/  Kao-yao  continued,  'Oh!  it  lies  in 
knowing  men,  and  giving  repose  to  the  people/  Yii  said,  'Alas!  to  attain 
to  both  these  things  might  well  be  a  difficulty  even  to  the  Ti.  When  (the 
sovereign)  knows  men,  he  is  wise,  and  can  put  every  one  into  the  office 
for  which  he  is  fit.  When  he  gives  repose  to  the  people,  his  kindness  is 

88  Parallel  passage  in  Book,  of  Changes. 

84  Shim's  own  wicked  father.  Parallel  story  with  further  details  in  Mencius. 

*  As  an  example  of  the  bad  reasoning  used  to  prove  the  forgery  of  the  Ancient  Script,  I 

may  cite  the  case  here  where  both  Hui  and  Yen  impatiently  ask  if  the  Miaos  were  "pacified" 

why  there  was  another  expedition  later.  Common  sense  should  see  that  periodic  and  repeated 

revolts  of  pacified  aborigines  are  by  no  means  uncommon.  Arguments  of  this  type  prove 

nothing. 

89  Minister  of  Justice  under  Emperor  Shun. 


THE    BOOK    OF    HISTORY  719 

felt,  and  the  black-haired  race  cherish  him  in  their  hearts.87  When  he  can 
be  (thus)  wise  and  kind,  what  occasion  will  he  have  for  anxiety  about 
a  Huan-tao?  what  to  be  removing  a  lord  of  Miao?  what  to  fear  any  one 
of  fair  words,  insinuating  appearance,  and  great  artfulness?' 

2.  Kao-yao  said,  'Oh!  there  are  in  all  nine  virtues  to  be  discovered  in 
conduct,  and  when  we  say  that  a  man  possesses  (any)  virtue,  that  is  as 
much  as  to  say  he  does  such  and  such  things/  Yii  asked,  'What  (are  the 
nine  virtues)?*  Kao-yao  replied,  'Affability  combined  with  dignity; 
mildness  combined  with  firmness;  bluntness  combined  with  respectful- 
ness; aptness  for  government  combined  with  reverent  caution;  docility 
combined  with  boldness;  straightforwardness  combined  with  gentleness; 
an  easy  negligence  combined  with  discrimination;  boldness  combined 
with  sincerity;  and  valour  combined  with  righteousness.  (When  these 
qualities  are)  displayed,  and  that  continuously,  have  we  not  the  good 
(officer)  ?  When  there  is  a  daily  display  of  three  (of  these)  virtues,  their 
possessor  could  early  and  late  regulate  and  brighten  the  clan  (of  which 
he  was  made  chief) .  When  there  is  a  daily  severe  and  reverent  cultiva- 
tion of  six  of  them,  their  possessor  could  brilliantly  conduct  the  affairs  of 
the  state  (with  which  he  was  invested).  When  (such  men)  are  all  re- 
ceived and  advanced,  the  possessors  of  those  nine  virtues  will  be  em- 
ployed in  (the  public)  service.  The  men  of  a  thousand  and  men  of  a 
hundred  will  be  in  their  offices;  the  various  ministers  will  emulate  one 
another;  all  the  officers  will  accomplish  their  duties  at  the  proper  times, 
observant  of  the  five  seasons  (as  the  several  elements  predominate  in 
them), — and  thus  their  various  duties  will  be  fully  accomplished.  Let  not 
(the  Son  of  Heaven)  set  to  the  holders  of  states  the  example  of  indolence 
or  dissoluteness.  Let  him  be  wary  and  fearful,  (remembering  that)  in 
one  day  or  two  days  there  may  occur  ten  thousand  springs  of  things.  Let 
him  not  have  his  various  officers  cumberers  of  their  places.  The  work  is 
Heaven's;  men  must  act  for  it!' 

3.  'From  Heaven  are  the  (social)  relationships  with  their  several 
duties;  we  are  charged  with  (the  enforcement  of)  those  five  duties;— 
and  lo!  we  have  the  five  courses  of  honourable  conduct.38  From  Heaven 

17  Ideas  like  this,  common  in  the  Boo^  of  History,  inspired  Mencius  in  his  theory  of  "benevo- 
lent government."  Mencius  quoted  the  Book  of  History  to  the  extent  that  we  are  justified 
in  saying  that  the  Boo%  of  History  was  the  fountain  head  of  his  democratic  ideas.  The  pas' 
sages  he  quoted  are  often  missing  in  the  Modern  Script  and  found  in  the  Ancient  Script. 
"*  Legge's  translation  follows,  as  usual,  the  Tang  and  Sung  commentators.  This  Confucianist 
interpretation  is  not  warranted  by  such  Han  commentators  as  Cheng  K*ang-ch'cngrand  not 
by  the  text  itself. 


72O  CHINESE   DEMOCRACY 

are  the  (social)  distinctions  with  their  several  ceremonies;  from  us  come 
the  observances  of  those  five  ceremonies; — and  lo!  they  appear  in  regular 
practice.  When  (sovereign  and  ministers  show)  a  common  reverence 
and  united  respect  for  these,  lo!  the  moral  nature  (of  the  people)  is  made 
harmonious.  Heaven  graciously  distinguishes  the  virtuous; — are  there 
not  the  five  habiliments,  five  decorations  of  them  ?  Heaven  punishes  the 
guilty; — are  there  not  the  five  punishments,  to  be  severally  used  for  that 
purpose?  The  business  of  government! — ought  we  not  to  be  earnest  in  it  ? 
ought  we  not  to  be  earnest  in  it  ? 

'Heaven  hears  and  sees  as  our  people  hear  and  see;  Heaven  brightly 
approves  and  displays  its  terrors  as  our  people  brightly  approve  and 
would  awe;  M — such  connection  is  there  between  the  upper  and  lower 
(worlds).  How  reverent  ought  the  masters  of  territories  to  be!' 

4.  Kao-yao  said,  'My  words  are  in  accordance  with  reason,  and  may 
be  put  in  practice.'  Yii  said,  'Yes,  your  words  may  be  put  in  practice,  and 
crowned  with  success.'  Kao-yao  added,  '(As  to  that)  I  do  not  know,  but 
\  wish  daily  to  be  helpful.  May  (the  government)  be  perfected!' " 


THE  SONGS  OF  THE  FIVE  SONS 
(Boo{  of  Hsia,  111.  Ancient  Script.) 

i.  T'ai-K'ang 8l  occupied  the  throne  like  a  personator  of  the  dead.  By 
idleness  and  dissipation  he  extinguished  his  virtue,  till  the  black-haired 
people  all  wavered  in  their  allegiance.  He,  however,  pursued  his  pleasure 
and  wanderings  without  any  self-restraint.  He  went  out  to  hunt  beyond 
the  Lo,  and  a  hundred  days  elapsed  without  his  returning.  (On  this)  Yi, 
the  prince  of  Ch'iung,  taking  advantage  of  the  discontent  of  the  people, 
resisted  (his  return)  on  (the  south  of)  the  Ho.M  The  (king's)  five 
brothers  had  attended  their  mother  in  following  him,  and  were  waiting 
for  him  on  the  north  of  the  Lo;  and  (when  they  heard  of  Yi's  movement) , 

39  This  translation  is  quite  bad  and  inexact.  It  should  read,  "Heaven  hears  and  sees  through 
(the  ears  and  eyes)  of  our  people.  Heaven  expresses  its  disapproval  through  the  expressed 
disapproval  of  our  people."  Compare  almost  similar  expression  in  a  quotation  by  Mencius 
from  the  Great  Declaration  (q.v.). 

80  According  to  the  Ancient  Script,  the  document  ends  here,  while  the  Modern  Script  com- 
bines it  with  another  document  (Yi  and  Chi),  not  reproduced  in  this  volume. 
"Emperor  T'ai-k'ang,  who  reigned  B.C.  2188-2160,  had  five  brothers  who  revolted  against 
him.  The  "critics"  do  not  approve  of  the  idea  of  fratricide  from  a  moral  point  of  view  and 
use  it  as  an  argument  for  the  theory  of  "forgery"  of  this  piece. 
88  The  Yellow  River. 


THE    BOOK    OF    HISTORY  72! 

all  full  of  dissatisfaction,  they  related  the  Cautions  of  the  great  Yii "  in 
the  form  of  songs. 

2.   The  first  said, 

'It  was  the  lesson  of  our  great  ancestor : — 
The  people  should  be  cherished, 
And  not  looked  down  upon.84 
The  people  are  the  root  of  a  country; 
The  root  firm,  the  country  is  tranquil." 
When  I  look  at  all  under  heaven, 
Of  the  simple  men  and  simple  women, 
Any  one  may  surpass  me. 
If  the  One  man  err  repeatedly, 
Should  dissatisfaction  be  waited  for  till  it  appears? 
Before  it  is  seen,  it  should  be  guarded  against.*1 
In  my  dealing  with  the  millions  of  the  people, 
I  should  feel  as  much  anxiety  as  if  I  were  driving  six  horses  with  rotten 

reins. 

The  ruler  of  men — 
How  should  he  be  but  reverent  (of  his  duties)  ?' 

The  second  said, 
'It  is  in  the  Lessons: — • 
When  the  palace  is  a  wild  of  lust, 
And  the  country  is  a  wild  for  hunting; 
When  spirits  are  liked,  and  music  is  the  delight; 
When  there  are  lofty  roofs  and  carved  walls; — 
The  existence  of  any  one  of  these  things 
Has  never  been  but  the  prelude  to  ruin/  " 

The  third  said, 

'There  was  the  lord  of  T'ao  and  T'ang,88 
Who  possessed  this  region  of  Chi. 

w  Their  grandfather. 

*  Quotation  given  in  a  commentary  on  Kuoyu  by  Wei  Chao  (A.D.  204-273)  as  existing  in 
the  Bool(  of  Hsta,  showing  that  Wei  Chao  knew  this  text,  i  c.,  this  text  existed  and  was  not 
unknown  before  Mci  Cheh  suddenly  "forged"  it  in  the  following  century. 
"Huainantse  (c.  B.C.  178-122)  says,  "People  are  to  the  state  as  the  foundations  arc  to  the 
city  wall." 

*  Quotations  exist  in  Tsochttan  and  Kuoyti. 

r  Story  of  Yii's  sayings  given  in  Chan^uots'ch. 

*  "T'ao  T'an<?"  is  the  name  of  Yao'i  rule. 


722  CHINESE  DEMOCRACY 

Now  we  have  fallen  from  his  ways, 

And  thrown  into  confusion  his  rules  and  laws; — 

The  consequence  is  extinction  and  ruin/ 

The  fourth  said, 

'Brightly  intelligent  was  our  ancestor, 
Sovereign  of  the  myriad  regions. 
He  had  canons,  he  had  patterns, 
Which  he  transmitted  to  his  posterity. 
The  standard  stone  and  the  equalizing  quarter 
Were  in  the  royal  treasury. 
Wildly  have  we  dropt  the  clue  he  gave  us, 
Overturning  our  temple,  and  extinguishing  our  sacrifices/ 

The  fifth  said, 
'Oh!  whither  shall  we  turn? 
The  thoughts  in  my  breast  make  me  sad. 
All  the  people  are  hostile  to  us; 
On  whom  can  we  rely  ? 
Anxieties  crowd  together  in  our  hearts; 
Thick  as  are  our  faces,  they  are  covered  with  blushes. 
We  have  not  been  careful  of  our  virtue; 
And  though  we  repent,  we  cannot  overtake  the  past/  * 

THE  ANNOUNCEMENT  OF  TANG 
(Boot^  of  Shang,  III.  Ancient  Script) 

1.  When  the  king40  returned  from  vanquishing  Hsia  and  came  to 
Po,  he  made  a  grand  announcement  to  the  myriad  regions. 

2.  The  king  said,  'Ah!  ye  multitudes  of  the  myriad  regions,  listen 
clearly  to  the  announcement  of  me,  the  One  man.  The  great  God  has 
conferred  (even)  on  the  inferior  people  a  moral  sense,  compliance  with 
which  would  show  their  nature  invariably  right."  To  make  them  tran- 

89  Yen's  accusation  that  "there  is  not  enough  rhyme"  in  these  songs  is  entirely  unfair. 
^Emperor  T'ang  (reign  B.C.  1783-1754),  founder  of  the  Shang  Dynasty,  had  just  over- 
thrown Chieh,  the  last  emperor  of  Hsia,  and  returned  to  the  capital.  In  this  announcement 
to  bid  for  the  support  of  the  princes  and  the  people  is  first  found  the  famous  theory  of  the 
"mandate  of  Heaven,"  which  is  that  the  ruler  rules  the  people  for  the  people's  good  in  a 
mandate  from  Heaven.  The  right  to  revolt,  in  contradiction  to  the  doctrine  of  loyalty  to 
the  monarch,  early  puzzled  the  Confucianists,  and  this  theory  was  the  answer.  Mcncius 
fully  developed  it. 
*  Quoted  by  Hanfeitse  as  a  saying  of  Confucius. 


THE    BOOK    OF    HISTORY  723 

quilly  pursue  the  course  which  it  would  indicate  is  the  work  of  the 
sovereign. 

The  king  of  Hsia  extinguished  his  virtue,  and  played  the  tyrant,  ex- 
tending his  oppression  over  you,  the  people  of  the  myriad  regions.  Suf- 
fering from  his  cruel  injuries,  and  unable  to  endure  the  worm-wood  and 
poison,  you  protested  with  one  accord  your  innocence  to  the  spirits  of 
heaven  and  earth.  The  way  of  Heaven  is  to  bless  the  good,  and  make  the 
bad  miserable.**  It  sent  down  calamities  on  (the  House  of)  Hsia,  to  make 
manifest  its  guilt.  Therefore  I,  the  little  child,  charged  with  the  decree 
of  Heaven  and  its  bright  terrors,  did  not  dare  to  forgive  (the  criminal). 
I  presumed  to  use  a  dark-coloured  victim-bull,  and,  making  clear 
announcement  to  the  Spiritual  Sovereign  in  the  high  heavens,  requested 
leave  to  deal  with  the  ruler  of  Hsia  as  a  criminal.  Then  I  sought  for  the 
great  Sage,  with  whom  I  might  unite  my  strength,  to  request  the  favour 
(of  Heaven)  for  you,  my  multitudes.  High  Heaven  truly  showed  its 
favour  to  the  inferior  people,  and  the  criminal **  has  been  degraded  and 
subjected.  What  Heaven  appoints  is  without  error;— brilliantly  (now), 
like  the  blossoming  of  plants  and  trees,  the  millions  of  the  people  show 
a  true  reviving.1 

3.  'It  is  given  to  me,  the  One  man,  to  secure  the  harmony  and  tran- 
quillity of  your  states  and  clans;  and  now  I  know  not  whether  I  may  not 
offend  against  (the  Powers)  above  and  below.  I  am  fearful  and  trembling, 
as  if  I  were  in  danger  of  falling  into  a  deep  abyss.  Throughout  all  the 
regions  that  enter  on  a  new  life  under  me,  do  not,  (ye  princes),  follow 
lawless  ways;  make  no  approach  to  insolence  and  dissoluteness;  let  every 
one  be  careful  to  keep  his  statutes;— that  so  we  may  receive  the  favour 
of  Heaven.  The  good  in  you  I  will  not  dare  to  keep  concealed;  and  for 
the  evil  in  me  I  will  not  dare  to  forgive  myself.  I  will  examine  these 
things  in  harmony  with  the  mind  of  God.  When  guilt  is  found  any- 
where in  you  who  occupy  the  myriad  regions,  let  it  rest  on  me,  the  One 
man.  When  guilt  is  found  in  me,  the  One  man,  it  shall  not  attach  to  you 
who  occupy  the  myriad  regions.4* 

u  Parallel  passages  in  Tsochuan  and  Kuoyu. 

"Mencius  says  that  when  a  ruler  misrules,  he  is  a  common  thief.  Legge's  translation  ot 

"inferior  people"  for  "the  people  below"  (i.e.  on  earth)  is  distinctly  wrong. 

44  Quotation  cited  in  the  Analects,  Kuoyu,  Motsc  and  Shi^t.  It  is  not  found  in  the  Speech  of 

T'ang  (Modern  Script).  In  a  case  like  this,  Yen  argues  that  Tang  did  make  this  statement, 

but  that  it  still  must  have  been  recorded  in  a  lost  Ancient  Script,  but  not  in  the  present 

spurious  one! 


724  CHINESE   DEMOCRACY 

'Oh!  let  us  attain  to  be  sincere  in  these  things,  and  so  we  shall  likewise 
have  a  (happy)  consummation. 

T'AI  CHIA 
(Boo^  of  Shang,  V.  Ancient  Script.  Section  i  omitted  here) 

Section  2 

1.  On  the  first  day  of  the  twelfth  month  of  his  third  year,  Yi  Yin 45 
escorted  the  young  king  in  the  royal  cap  and  robes  back  to  Po.  (At  the 
same  time)  he  made  the  following  writing: — 

'Without  the  sovereign,  the  people  cannot  have  that  guidance  which 
is  necessary  to  (the  comfort  of)  their  lives;  without  the  people,  the 
sovereign  would  have  no  sway  over  the  four  quarters  (of  the  kingdom).46 
Great  Heaven  has  graciously  favoured  the  House  of  Shang,  and  granted 
to  you,  O  young  king,  at  last  to  become  virtuous.  This  is  indeed  a  blessing 
that  will  extend  without  limit  to  ten  thousand  generations.' 

2.  The  king  did  obeisance  with  his  face  to  his  hands  and  his  head  to 
the  ground  saying,  'I,  the  little  child,  was  without  understanding  of 
what  was  virtuous,  and  was  making  myself  one  of  the  unworthy.  By 
my  desires  I  was  setting  at  nought  all  rules  of  conduct,  and  violating 
by  my  self-indulgence  all  rules  of  propriety,  and  the  result  must  have 
been  speedy  ruin  to  my  person.  Calamities  sent  by  Heaven  may  be 
avoided,  but  from  calamities  brought  on  by  one's  self  there  is  no  escape.47 
Heretofore  I  turned  my  back  on  the  instructions  of  you,  my  tutor  and 
guardian; — my  beginning  has  been  marked  by  incompetency.  Let  me 
still  rely  on  your  correcting  and  preserving  virtue,  keeping  this  in  view 
that  my  end  may  be  good!' 

3.  Yi  Yin  did  obeisance  with  his  face  to  his  hands  and  his  head  on  the 
ground,  and  said,  'To  cultivate  his  person,  and  by  being  sincerely  virtuous, 
bring  (all)  below  to  harmonious  concord  with  him; — this  is  the  work  of 
the  intelligent  sovereign.  The  former  king  was  kind  to  the  distressed  and 
suffering,  as  if  they  were  his  children,  and  the  people  submitted  to  his 
commands, — all  with  sincere  delight.  Even  in  the  states  of  the  neighbour- 
ing princes,  (the  people)  said,  "We  are  waiting  for  our  sovereign;  when 

45  Yi  Yin,  exasperated  at  the  conduct  of  the  young  king,  had  retired  to  the  country  in  protest. 
Then  the  young  king  repented  and  went  to  sec  him. 

46  This  sentence  exists  as  a  quotation  from  this  document  in  Shift. 

*7  Exact  words  used  by  Mencius  and  in  Lift  as  a  quotation  from  this  document. 


THE    BOOK    OF    HISTORY  725 

our  sovereign  comes,  we  shall  not  suffer  the  punishments  (that  we 
now  do) ." 

*O  king,  zealously  cultivate  your  virtue.  Regard  (the  example  of) 
your  meritorious  grandfather.  At  no  time  allow  yourself  in  pleasure 
and  idleness.  In  worshipping  your  ancestors,  think  how  you  can  prove 
your  filial  piety;  in  receiving  your  ministers,  think  how  you  can  show 
yourself  respectful;  in  looking  to  what  is  distant,  try  to  get  clear  views; 
have  your  ears  ever  open  to  lessons  of  virtue;— then  shall  I  acknowledge 
(and  respond  to)  the  excellence  of  your  majesty  with  an  untiring  (devo- 
tion to  your  service) ." 

Section  3 

1.  Yi  Yin  again  made  an  announcement  to  the  king,  saying,  'Oh! 
Heaven  has  no  (partial)  affection;49 — only  to  those  who  are  reverent 
does  it  show  affection.  The  people  are  not  constant  to  those  whom  they 
cherish; — they  cherish  (only)  him  who  is  benevolent.  The  spirits  do  not 
always  accept  the  sacrifices  that  are  offered  to  them; — they  accept  only 
the  sacrifices  of  the  sincere.  A  place  of  difficulty  is  the  Heaven- (conferred) 
seat.  When  there  are  (those)  virtues,  good  government  is  realized;  when 
they  arc  not,  disorder  comes.  To  maintain  the  same  principles  as  those 
who  secured  good  government  will  surely  lead  to  prosperity;  to  pursue 
the  courses  of  disorder  will  surely  lead  to  ruin.  He  who  at  last,  as  at  first, 
is  careful  as  to  whom  and  what  he  follows  is  a  truly  intelligent  sovereign, 
The  former  king  was  always  zealous  in  the  reverent  cultivation  of  his 
virtue,  so  that  he  was  the  fellow  of  God.60  Now,  O  king,  you  have  entered 
on  the  inheritance  of  his  excellent  line; — fix  your  inspection  on  him.' 

2.  '(Your  course  must  be)  as  when  in  ascending  high  you  begin  from 
where  it  is  low,  and  when  in  travelling  far  you  begin  from  where  it  is 
near.  Do  not  slight  the  occupations  of  the  people; — think  of  their  diffi- 
culties. Do  not  yield  to  a  feeling  of  repose  on  your  throne; — think  of  its 
perils.  Be  careful  for  the  end  at  the  beginning.  When  you  hear  words 
that  are  distasteful  to  your  mind,  you  must  enquire  whether  they  be  not 
right;  when  you  hear  words  that  accord  with  your  own  views,  you  must 

"The  whole  spirit  of  Chinese  history  shows  that  emperors  were  restrained  only  by  wise 

counsellors  and  public  opinion  from  abusing  their  power.  No  Chinese  ever  thought  of  a 

legal  restraint  (constitution),  as  distinct  from  the  moral  restraint.  Thus  the  development 

of  the  machinery  of  democracy  was  essentially  different.  The  pattern  of  Chinese  political 

ideas  was  already  set  in  the  Book  of  History. 

49  Tsochuan  cites  this  as  a  quotation  from  the  Boof^  of  History. 

80  The  regular  word  for  God,  Shangti. 


726  CHINESE  DEMOCRACY 

enquire  whether  they  be  not  contrary  to  what  is  right.  Ohl  what  attain- 
ment can  be  made  without  anxious  thought?  what  achievement  can  be 
made  without  earnest  effort?  Let  the  One  man  be  greatly  good,  and  the 
myriad  regions  will  be  rectified  by  him.' B1 

3.  'When  the  sovereign  does  not  with  disputatious  words  throw  the 
old  rules  of  government  into  confusion,  and  the  minister  does  not,  for 
favour  and  gain,  continue  in  an  office  whose  work  is  done, — then  the 
country  will  lastingly  and  surely  enjoy  happiness.' 

THE  COMMON  POSSESSION  OF  PURE  VIRTUE 
(Book  of  Shang,  VI.  Ancient  Script) 

1.  Yi  Yin,  having  returned  the  government  into  the  hands  of  his 
sovereign,  and  being  about  to  announce  his  retirement,  set  forth  admoni- 
tions on  the  subject  of  virtue. 

2.  He  said,  'Oh!  it  is  difficult  to  rely  on  Heaven; — its  appointments 
are  not  constant.62  (But  if  the  sovereign  see  to  it  that)  his  virtue  be  con- 
stant, he  will  preserve  his  throne;  if  his  virtue  be  not  constant,  the  nine 
provinces  will  be  lost  by  him.  The  king  of  Hsia  could  not  maintain  the 
virtue  (of  his  ancestors)  unchanged,  but  contemned  the  spirits  and 
oppressed  the  people.  Great  Heaven  no  (longer)  extended  its  protection 
to  him.  It  looked  out  among  the  myriad  regions  to  give  its  guidance  to 
one  who  should  receive  its  favouring  appointment,  fondly  seeking  (a 
possessor  of)  pure  virtue,  whom  it  might  make  lord  of  all  the  spirits. 
Then  there  were  I,  Yin,  and  T'ang,  both  possessed  of  pure  virtue,  and 
able  to  satisfy  the  mind  of  Heaven.  He  received  (in  consequence)  the 
bright  favour  of  Heaven,88  so  as  to  become  possessor  of  the  multitudes 
of  the  nine  provinces,  and  proceeded  to  change  Hsia's  commencement 
of  the  year.  It  was  not  that  Heaven  had  any  private  partiality  for  the  lord 
of  Shang; — it  simply  gave  its  favour  to  pure  virtue.  It  was  not  that  Shang 
sought  (the  allegiance  of)  the  lower  people; — the  people  simply  turned 
to  pure  virtue.  Where  (the  sovereign's)  virtue  is  pure,  his  enterprizes 
are  all  fortunate;  where  his  virtue  is  wavering  and  uncertain,  his  enter- 
prizes  are  all  unfortunate.  Good  and  evil  do  not  wrongly  befall  men,  but 
Heaven  sends  down  misery  or  happiness  according  to  their  conduct.' 

n  Parallel  passage  in  Li#. 

"This  statement  is  repeated  elsewhere  in  the  Boo{  of  History  (Prince  Shih:  Modern  Script) 

uid  in  the  Great  Odes  of  the  Book,  of  Poetry.  For  "appointments"  read  "mandate."  The 

idea  is  that  the  ruler's  right  to  rule  may  be  easily  forfeited  by  misconduct. 

88  Should  read:  "received  the  clear  mandate  of  Heaven." 


THE    BOOK    OF    HISTORY  727 

3.  'Now,  O  young  king,  you  are  newly  entering  on  your  (great)  ap- 
pointment,— you  should  be  seeking  to  make  new  your  virtue.  At  last, 
as  at  first,  have  this  as  your  one  object,  so  shall  you  make  a  daily  reno- 
vation. Let  the  officers  whom  you  employ  be  men  of  virtue  and  ability, 
and  let  the  ministers  about  you  be  the  right  men.  The  minister,  in  relation 
to  (his  sovereign)  above  him,  has  to  promote  his  virtue,  and,  in  relation 
to  the  (people)  beneath  him,  has  to  seek  their  good.  How  hard  must  it 
be  (to  find  the  proper  man)!  what  careful  attention  must  be  required! 
(Thereafter)  there  must  be  harmony  (cultivated  with  him),  and  a  one- 
ness (of  confidence  placed  in  him) . 

'There  ij  no  invariable  model  of  virtue;64 — a  supreme  regard  to  what 
is  good  gives  the  model  of  it.  There  is  no  invariable  characteristic  of  what 
is  good  that  is  to  be  supremely  regarded; — it  is  found  where  there  is  a 
conformity  to  the  uniform  consciousness  (in  regard  to  what  is  good). 
(Such  virtue)  will  make  the  people  with  their  myriad  surnames  all  say, 
"How  great  are  the  words  of  the  king!"  and  also,  "How  single  and  pure 
is  the  king's  heart!"  It  will  avail  to  maintain  in  tranquillity  the  rich 
possession  of  the  former  king,  and  to  secure  for  ever  the  (happy)  life 
of  the  multitudes  of  the  people.* 

4.  'Oh!  (to  retain  a  place)  in  the  seven-shrined  temple85  of  ancestors 
is  a  sufficient  witness  of  virtue.  To  be  acknowledged  as  chief  by  the  myriad 
heads  of  families  is  a  sufficient  evidence  of  one's  government.  The  sover- 
eign without  the  people  has  none  whom  he  can  employ;  and  the  people 
without  the  sovereign  have  none  whom  they  can  serve.5*  Do  not  think 
yourself  so  large  as  to  deem  others  small.  If  ordinary  men  and  women 
do  not  find  the  opportunity  to  give  full  development  to  their  ability, 
the  people's  lord  will  be  without  the  proper  aids  to  complete  his  merit/ 


THE  CHARGE  TO  YUEH 
(Boo{  of  Shang,  VllL  Ancient  Script) 

Section  i 

i.  The  king"  passed  the  season  of  sorrow  in  the  mourning  shed  for 
three  years,  and  when  the  period  of  mourning  was  over,  he  (still)  did  not 

64  Parallel  in  the  Analects. 

65  A  point  of  great  contention  (five  or  seven  shrines)  between  the  students  of  the  Ancient 
and  the  Modern  Script,  pointed  out  as  evidence  that  Wang  Shu  forged  this  book. 

M  Quotation  cited  in  Kuoyu  as  from  the  Book,  of  Hsta. 
^Wu-ting,  the  twentieth  sovereign  of  Shang,  B.C.  1324-1266. 


728  CHINESE   DEMOCRACY 

speak  (to  give  any  commands) .  All  the  ministers  remonstrated  with  him, 
saying,  'Oh!  him  who  is  (the  first)  to  apprehend  we  pronounce  intelli- 
gent, and  the  intelligent  man  is  the  model  for  others.  The  Son  of  Heaven 
rules  over  the  myriad  regions,  and  all  the  officers  look  up  to  and  reverence 
him.  They  are  the  king's  words  which  form  the  commands  (for  them). 
If  he  do  not  speak,  the  ministers  have  no  way  to  receive  their  orders.' 
On  this  the  king  made  a  writing,  for  their  information,  to  the  following 
effect:— 'As  it  is  mine  to  serve  as  the  director  for  the  four  quarters  (of 
the  kingdom),  I  have  been  afraid  that  my  virtue  is  not  equal  to  (that  of 
my  predecessors),  and  therefore  have  not  spoken.  (But)  while  I  was 
reverently  and  silently  thinking  of  the  (right)  way,  I  dreamt  that  God 
gave  me  a  good  assistant  who  should  speak  for  me.'  He  then  minutely 
recalled  the  appearance  (of  the  person  whom  he  had  seen),  and  caused 
search  to  be  made  for  him  everywhere  by  means  of  a  picture.  Yiieh,68 
a  builder  in  the  wild  country  of  Fu-yen,  was  found  like  to  it. 

2.  On  this  the  king  raised  and  made  (Yiieh)  his  prime  minister,  keep- 
ing him  (also)  at  his  side. 

He  charged  him,  saying,  'Morning  and  evening  present  your  instruc- 
tions to  aid  my  virtue.  Suppose  me  a  weapon  of  steel; — I  will  use  you 
for  a  whetstone.  Suppose  me  crossing  a  great  stream; — I  will  use  you  for 
a  boat  with  its  oars.  Suppose  me  in  a  year  of  great  drought; — I  will 
use  you  as  a  copious  rain.  Open  your  mind,  and  enrich  my  mind.  (Be 
you)  like  medicine,  which  must  distress  the  patient,  in  order  to  cure 
his  sickness.59  (Think  of  me)  as  one  walking  barefoot,  whose  feet  are 
sure  to  be  wounded,  if  he  do  not  see  the  ground. 

'Do  you  and  your  companions  all  cherish  the  same  mind  to  assist  your 
sovereign,  that  I  may  follow  my  royal  predecessors,  and  tread  in  the  steps 
of  my  high  ancestor,  to  give  repose  to  the  millions  of  the  people.  Oh! 
respect  this  charge  of  mine; — so  shall  you  bring  your  work  to  a  (good) 
end/ 

3.  Yiieh  replied  to  the  king,  saying,  'Wood  by  the  use  of  the  line  is 
made  straight,  and  the  sovereign  who  follows  reproof  is  made  sage. 
When  the  sovereign  can  (thus)  make  himself  sage,  his  ministers,  with- 
out being  specially  commanded,  anticipate  his  orders; — who  would 
dare  not  to  act  in  respectful  compliance  with  this  excellent  charge  of 
your  Majesty?' 

58  Fu  Yiieh,  who  became  one  of  the  best  ministers  of  the  Dynasty,  also  credited  with  being 

a  poet. 

w  Quoted  by  Mcncius. 


THE    BOOK    OF    HISTORY  729 

Section  2 

1.  Yiieh  having  received  his  charge,  and  taken  the  presidency  of  all 
the  officers,  he  presented  himself  before  the  king,  and  said,  'Oh!  intelli- 
gent kings  act  in  reverence  accordance  with  the  ways  of  Heaven.  The 
founding  of  states  and  the  setting  up  of  capitals,  the  appointing  of  sove- 
reign kings,  of  dukes  and  other  nobles,  with  their  great  officers  and  heads 
of  departments,  were  not  designed  to  minister  to  the  idleness  and  pleas- 
ures (of  one),  but  for  the  good  government  of  the  people.00  It  is  Heaven 
which  is  all-intelligent  and  observing; — let  the  sage  (king)  take  it  as  his 
pattern.  Then  his  ministers  will  reverently  accord  with  him,  and  the 
people  consequently  will  be  well  governed. 

'It  is  the  mouth  that  gives  occasion  for  shame;  they  are81  the  coat  of 
mail  and  helmet  that  give  occasion  to  war.  The  upper  robes  and  lower 
garments  (for  reward  should  not  be  lightly  taken  from)  their  chests; 
before  spear  and  shield  are  used,  one  should  examine  himself.  If  your 
Majesty  will  be  cautious  in  regard  to  these  things,  and,  believing  this 
about  them,  attain  to  the  intelligent  use  of  them,  (your  government) 
will  in  everything  be  excellent.  Good  government  and  bad  depend  on 
the  various  officers.  Officers  should  not  be  given  to  men  because  they  are 
favourites,  but  only  to  men  of  ability.  Dignities  should  not  be  conferred 
on  men  of  evil  practices,  but  only  on  men  of  worth.68 

'Anxious  thought  about  what  will  be  best  should  precede  your  move- 
ments, which  also  should  be  taken  at  the  time  proper  for  them.  Indulging 
the  consciousness  of  being  good  is  the  way  to  lose  that  goodness;  being 
vain  of  one's  ability  is  the  way  to  lose  the  merit  it  might  produce.8* 

'For  all  affairs  let  there  be  adequate  preparation; — with  preparation 
there  will  be  no  calamitous  issue.  Do  not  open  the  door  for  favourites, 
from  whom  you  will  receive  contempt.  Do  not  be  ashamed  of  mistakes, 
and  (go  on  to)  make  them  crimes.  Let  your  mind  rest  in  its  proper 
objects,  and  the  affairs  of  your  government  will  be  pure.  Officiousness  in 
sacrificing  is  called  irreverence;  and  multiplying  ceremonies  leads  to 
disorder.  To  serve  the  spirits  acceptably  (in  this  way)  is  difficult.' 

2.  The  king  said,  'Excellent!  your  words,  O  Yiieh,  should  indeed  be 
put  in  practice  (by  me).  If  you  were  not  so  good  in  counsel,  I  should  not 

*°  Similar  ideas,  with  different  wording,  were  expressed  by  Motse. 
81  Should  be  rendered,  "It  is." 

w  Later  this  became  a  typical  tenet  of  the  Confucian  school. 
"Later  became  an  important  Taoist  idea;  see  Laotsc, 


730  CHINESE   DEMOCRACY 

have  heard  these  rules  for  my  conduct/  Yueh  did  obeisance  with  his 
head  to  the  ground,  and  said,  'It  is  not  the  knowing  that  is  difficult,  but 
the  doing.6*  (But)  since  your  Majesty  truly  knows  this,  there  will  not 
be  the  difficulty,  and  you  will  become  really  equal  in  complete  virtue 
to  our  first  king.  Wherein  I,  Yueh,  refrain  from  speaking  (what  I  ought 
to  speak),  the  blame  will  rest  with  me.* 

Section  3 

1.  The  king  said,  'Come,  O  Yueh.  I,  the  little  one,  first  learned  with 
Kan  P'an.  Afterwards  I  lived  concealed  among  the  rude  countrymen, 
and  then  I  went  to  (the  country)  inside  the  Ho,  and  lived  there.  From 
the  Ho  I  went  to  Po;— and  the  result  has  been  that  I  am  unenlightened. 
Do  you  teach  me  what  should  be  my  aims.  Be  to  me  as  the  yeast  and  the 
malt  in  making  sweet  spirits,  as  the  salt  and  the  prunes  in  making  agree- 
able soup.66  Use  various  methods  to  cultivate  me;  do  not  cast  me  away; — 
so  shall  I  attain  to  practise  your  instructions/ 

Yueh  said,  'O  king,  a  ruler  should  seek  to  learn  much  (from  his  minis- 
ters), with  a  view  to  establish  his  affairs;  but  to  learn  the  lessons  of  the 
ancients  is  the  way  to  attain  this.  That  the  affairs  o£  one,  not  making  the 
ancients  his  masters,  can  be  perpetuated  for  generations,  is  what  I  have 
not  heard. 

'In  learning  there  should  be  a  humble  mind  and  the  maintenance  of  a 
constant  earnestness; — in  such  a  case  (the  learner's)  improvement  will 
surely  come.  He  who  sincerely  cherishes  these  things  will  find  all  truth 
accumulating  in  his  person.  Teaching  is  the  half  of  learning;**  when  a 
man's  thoughts  from  first  to  last  are  constantly  fixed  on  learning,  his 
virtuous  cultivation  comes  unperceived. 

'Survey  the  perfect  pattern  of  our  first  king; — so  shall  you  for  ever  be 
preserved  from  error.  Then  shall  I  be  able  reverently  to  meet  your  views, 
and  on  every  side  to  look  out  for  men  of  eminence  to  place  in  the  various 
offices. 

2.  The  king  said,  'Oh!  Yueh,  that  all  within  the  four  seas  look  up  to 
my  virtue  is  owing  to  you.  As  his  legs  and  arms  form  the  man,  so  does 
a  good  minister  form  the  sage  (king).  Formerly,  there  was  the  first 
premier  of  our  dynasty,  Pao-hang,  who  raised  up  and  formed  its  royal 

64  Also  found  in  Tsochuan.  This  became  a  proverb.  Sun  Yat-sen,  preaching  action,  reverses  it. 
66  See  similar  interesting  analogy  used  by  the  king  in  Section  I .  This,  being  not  taken  from 
quotations,  seems  to  speak  for  its  authenticity. 
M  Famous  proverb  on  education,  also  found  in  the  chapter  on  Education  in  Ufa 


THE    BOOK    OF    HISTORY  731 

founder.  He  said,  "If  I  cannot  make  my  sovereign  like  Yao  or  Shun,  I 
shall  feel  ashamed  in  my  heart,  as  if  I  were  beaten  in  the  market-place."  OT 
If  any  common  man  did  not  get  (all  he  should  desire),  he  said,  "It  is  my 
fault."  (Thus)  he  assisted  my  meritorious  ancestor,  so  that  he  became 
equal  to  great  Heaven.  Do  you  give  your  intelligent  and  preserving  aid 
to  me,  and  let  not  A-hengM  engross  all  the  good  service  to  the  House 
of  Shang. 

'The  sovereign  should  share  his  government  with  none  but  worthy 
officers.  The  worthy  officer  should  accept  his  support  from  none  but  the 
proper  sovereign.  May  you  now  succeed  in  making  your  sovereign  a 
(true)  successor  of  the  founder  of  his  line,  and  in  securing  the  lasting 
happiness  of  the  people!' 

Yueh  did  obeisance  with  his  head  to  the  ground,  and  said,  1  will  ven- 
ture to  respond  to,  and  display  abroad,  your  Majesty's  excellent  charge.' 


THE  GREAT  DECLARATION 
(Boo{  of  Chou,  I.  Ancient  Script)  * 

Section  i 

In  the  spring  of  the  thirteenth  year70  there  was  a  great  assembly  at 
Mengchin.  The  king  said,  'Ah!  ye  hereditary  rulers  of  my  friendly 
states,  and  all  ye  my  officers,  managers  of  my  affairs,  hearken  clearly 
to  my  declaration. 

'Heaven  and  earth  is  the  parent  of  all  creatures; n  and  of  all  creatures 

97  Phrase  used  by  Mencms  in  another  connection,  signifying  public  disgrace. 
08 Name  of  Yi  Yin  (see  preceding  document).  For  "engross"  read  "monopolize." 
M  This  is  one  of  the  most  important  documents  in  the  Book,  of  History,  and  one  of  the  most 
frequently  quoted.  Another  Modern  Script  version  exists,  which  is  totally  different.  Different 
accounts,  based  on  equally  good  sources,  say  that  this  document  was  originally  in  the 
Modern  Script  collection,  or  that  it  was  found  later  in  the  time  of  Han  Wuti  (B.C.  140-87), 
or  that  a  woman  found  it  in  the  house  of  Laotsc  in  the  year  B.C.  73.  (Certainly  many  texts 
existed  and  the  fantastic  idea  that  the  burning  of  books  was  effective  must  be  discarded.) 
That  Modern  Script  text  has  been  restored  by  Sun  Hsmgyen  (A.D.  1753-1818),  but  is  still 
very  meagre  and  inferior  in  quality,  and  leaves  all  the  important  quotations  from  this 
document  unaccounted  for.  For  this,  if  for  no  other  reason,  the  Ancient  Script  version,  con- 
taining the  famous  quotations,  is  adopted  here. — Ed. 

70  B.C.  1 1 22,  the  year  of  the  founding  of  the  great  Chou  Dynasty,  the  longest  dynasty  in 
China's  history  (B.C.  H22-B.C.  256).  Eight  hundred  chiefs  of  states  or  tribes  were  gathered 
to  overthrow  the  wicked  Chou,  last  emperor  of  Shang. 

71  Compare  Chuangtse's  essay  "The  Great  Supreme,"  where  the  same  idea  is  expressed  in 
the  conversation  of  the  four  friends. 


732  CHINESE   DEMOCRACY 

man  is  the  most  highly  endowed.  The  sincerely  intelligent  (among 
men)  becomes  the  great  sovereign;  and  the  great  sovereign  is  the  parent 
of  the  people.7*  But  now,  Shou,78  the  king  of  Shang,  does  not  reverence 
Heaven  above,  and  inflicts  calamities  on  the  people  below.  Abandoned 
to  drunkenness  and  reckless  in  lust,  he  has  dared  to  exercise  cruel 
oppression.  He  has  extended  the  punishment  of  offenders  to  all  their 
relatives.  He  has  put  men  into  offices  on  the  hereditary  principle.  He 
has  made  it  his  pursuit  to  have  palaces,  towers,  pavilions,  embankments, 
ponds,  and  all  other  extravagances,  to  the  most  painful  injury  of  you, 
the  myriads  of  the  people.  He  has  burned  and  roasted  the  loyal  and 
good.  He  has  ripped  up  pregnant  women.  Great  Heaven  was  moved 
with  indignation,  and  charged  my  deceased  father  Wen  to  display  its 
terrors;  but  (he  died)  before  the  work  was  completed. 

'On  this  account,  I,  Fa,  the  little  child,  have  by  means  of  you,  the 
hereditary  rulers  of  my  friendly  states,  contemplated  the  government  of 
Shang;  but  Shou  has  no  repentant  heart.  He  sits  squatting  on  his  heels, 
not  serving  God  nor  the  spirits  of  heaven  and  earth,  neglecting  also  the 
temple  of  his  ancestors,  and  not  sacrificing  in  it.  The  victims  and  the 
vessels  of  millet  all  become  the  prey  of  wicked  robbers,  and  still  he  says, 
"The  people  are  mine;  the  (heavenly)  appointment  is  mine,"  never 
trying  to  correct  his  contemptuous  mind. 

'Heaven,  for  the  help  of  the  inferior  people,  made  for  them  rulers,  and 
made  for  them  instructors,  that  they  might  be  able  to  be  aiding  to 
God,  and  secure  the  tranquillity  of  the  four  quarters  (of  the  kingdom). 
In  regard  to  who  are  criminals  and  who  are  not,  how  dare  I  give  any 
allowance  to  my  own  wishes  ? 74 

*" Where  the  strength  is  the  same,  measure  the  virtue  of  the  parties; 
where  the  virtue  is  the  same,  measure  their  righteousness."  Shou  has 
hundreds  of  thousands  and  myriads  of  officers,  but  they  have  hundreds 
of  thousands  and  myriads  of  minds;  I  have  (but)  three  thousand  officers, 
but  they  have  one  mind.76  The  iniquity  of  Shang  is  full.  Heaven  gives 
command  to  destroy  it.  If  I  did  not  obey  Heaven,  my  iniquity  would  be 
as  great. 

'I,  the  little  child,  early  and  late  am  filled  with  apprehensions.  I  have 
received  the  command  of  my  deceased  father  Wen;  I  have  offered 

79 Origin  of  the  theory  of  "parental  government."  Also  expressed  in  the  Great  Plan,  a  chapter 

of  the  Book  °f  History  not  reproduced  in  this  volume. 

78  Another  name  for  Chou,  or  its  variant. 

74  Cited  by  Mencms  in  almost  identical  words. 

n  Cited  by  Kuantse. 


THE    BOOK    OF    HISTORY  733 

special  sacrifice  to  God;  I  have  performed  the  due  services  to  the  great 
earth;  and  I  lead  the  multitude  of  you  to  execute  the  punishment  ap- 
pointed by  Heaven.  Heaven  compassionates  the  people.  What  the  people 
desire,  Heaven  will  be  found  to  give  effect  to.70  Do  you  aid  me,  the  One 
man,  to  cleanse  for  ever  (all  within)  the  four  seas.  Now  is  the  time! — 
It  should  not  be  lost.' 

Section  2 

On  (the  day)  Wu-wu,  the  king  halted  on  the  north  of  the  Ho.  When 
all  the  princes  with  their  hosts  were  assembled,  the  king  reviewed  the 
hosts,  and  made  the  following  declaration: — 'Oh!  ye  multitudes  of  the 
west,  hearken  all  to  my  words. 

'I  have  heard  that  the  good  man,  doing  good,  finds  the  day  insuffi- 
cient; and  that  the  evil  man,  doing  evil,  also  finds  the  day  insufficient." 
Now  Shou,  the  king  of  Shang,  with  strength  pursues  his  lawless  way. 
He  has  driven  away  the  time-worn  sires;  and  cultivates  intimacies  with 
wicked  men.  Dissolute,  intemperate,  reckless,  oppressive,  his  ministers 
have  become  assimilated  to  him;  and  they  form  combinations  and  con- 
tract animosities,  and  depend  on  their  power  to  exterminate  one  another. 
The  innocent  cry  to  Heaven.  The  odour  of  such  a  state  is  felt  on  high. 

'Heaven  loves  the  people,  and  the  sovereign  should  reverently  carry 
out  (this  mind  of)  Heaven.  Chieh,78  the  sovereign  of  Hsia,  would  not 
follow  the  example  of  Heaven,  but  sent  forth  his  poisonous  injuries 
through  the  states  of  the  kingdom: — Heaven  therefore  gave  its  aid  to 
T'ang  the  Successful,  and  charged  him  to  make  an  end  of  the  appoint- 
ment of  Hsia.  But  the  crimes  of  Shou  exceed  those  of  Chieh.  He  has 
degraded  from  office  the  greatly  good  man;  he  has  behaved  with  cruel 
tyranny  to  his  reprover  and  helper.  He  says  that  with  him  is  the  appoint- 
ment of  Heaven ;™  he  says  that  a  reverent  care  of  his  conduct  is  not 
worth  observing;  he  says  that  sacrifice  is  of  no  use;  he  says  that  tyranny 
is  no  harm.  The  beacon  for  him  to  look  to  was  not  far  off; — it  was  that 
king  of  Hsia.  It  would  seem  that  Heaven  is  going  by  means  of  me  to 

70  Twice  quoted  by  Kuoyu  and  once  by  Tsochiian.  This  translation  is  not  good  enough. 
Literally:  "What  the  people  desire,  Heaven  will  follow;"  or  "Heaven  follows  the  people's 
will." 

77  Parallels  in  Tsochuan  and  the  Bool(  of  Poetry. 

71  The  last  emperor  of  Hsia,  who  was  similarly  dissolute.  This  was  a  reminder  to  the  Shang 
people  that  their  first  ruler  also  had  revolted  against  a  tyrant  emperor. 

79  That  is,  the  mandate  of  Heaven. 


734  CHINESE   DEMOCRACY 

rule  the  people.  My  dreams  coincide  with  my  divinations;  the  auspicious 
omen  is  double.  My  attack  on  Shang  must  succeed. 

'Shou  has  hundreds  of  thousands  and  millions  of  ordinary  men,  divided 
in  heart  and  divided  in  practice;— I  have  of  ministers,  able  to  govern,  ten 
men,  one  in  heart  and  one  in  practice.80  Though  he  has  his  nearest  rela- 
tives with  him,  they  are  not  like  my  virtuous  men.81  Heaven  sees  as  my 
people  see;  Heaven  hears  as  my  people  hear.83  The  people  are  blaming 
me,  the  One  man,  for  my  delay; — I  must  now  go  forward.  My  military 
prowess  is  displayed,  and  I  enter  his  territories  to  take  the  wicked  tyrant. 
My  punishment  (of  evil)  will  be  great,  and  more  glorious  than  that 
executed  by  T'ang.  Rouse  ye,  my  heroes!  Do  not  think  that  he  is  not  to 
be  feared; — better  think  that  he  cannot  be  withstood.  (His)  people  stand 
in  trembling  awe  of  him,  as  if  the  horns  were  falling  from  their  heads. 
Oh!  unite  your  energies,  unite  your  hearts; — so  shall  you  forthwith 
surely  accomplish  the  work,  to  last  for  all  ages!' 

Section  3 

The  time  was  on  the  morrow,88  when  the  king  went  round  his  six  hosts 
in  state,  and  made  a  clear  declaration  to  all  his  officers.  He  said,  'Oh!  my 
valiant  men  of  the  west,  from  Heaven  are  the  illustrious  courses  of  duty, 
of  which  the  (several)  requirements  are  quite  plain.  And  now  Shou, 
the  king  of  Shang,  treats  with  contemptuous  slight  the  five  regular  (vir- 
tues), and  abandons  himself  to  wild  idleness  and  irreverence.  He  has  cut 
himself  off  from  Heaven,  and  brought  enmity  between  himself  and  the 
'people. 

'He  cut  through  the  leg-bones  of  those  who  were  wading  in  the  morn- 
ing; he  cut  out  the  heart  of  the  worthy  man.  By  the  use  of  his  power, 
killing  and  murdering,  he  has  poisoned  and  sickened  all  within  the  four 
seas.  His  honours  and  confidence  are  given  to  the  villainous  and  bad. 
He  has  driven  from  him  his  instructors  and  guardians.  He  has  thrown 
to  the  winds  the  statutes  and  penal  laws.  He  has  imprisoned  and  enslaved 
the  upright  officer.  He  neglects  the  sacrifices  to  heaven  and  earth.  He 
has  discontinued  the  offerings  in  the  ancestral  temple.  He  makes  con- 

80  Cited  by  Tsochtian  and  Analects. 

81  Cited  by  Analects  and  Motse. 

M  This  most  important  statement  is  cited  by  Mencius.  The  people  are  the  representatives  of 
Heaven,  or  God,  and  the  people's  voice  is  God's  voice.  Hence  the  importance  of  public 
opinion  as  the  basis  of  any  true  government.  See  my  History  of  the  Press  and  Public  Opinion 
in  China  (Univ.  of  Chicago  Press). 
**  Really,  the  next  dawn. 


THE    BOOK    OF    HISTORY  735 

trivanccs  of  wonderful  device  and  extraordinary  cunning  to  please  his 
wife. — God  will  no  longer  indulge  him,  but  with  a  curse  is  sending  down 
on  him  this  ruin.  Do  ye  with  untiring  zeal  support  me,  the  One  man, 
reverently  to  execute  the  punishment  appointed  by  Heaven.  The  ancients 
have  said,  "He  who  soothes  us  is  our  sovereign;  he  who  oppresses  us  is 
our  enemy."*4  This  solitary  fellow  Shou,  having  exercised  great  tyranny, 
is  your  perpetual  enemy.  (It  is  said  again),  "In  planting  (a  man's)  virtue, 
strive  to  make  it  great;  in  putting  away  (a  man's)  wickedness,  strive  to 
do  it  from  the  roots."  *  Here  I,  the  little  child,  by  the  powerful  help  of 
you,  ail  my  officers,  will  utterly  exterminate  your  enemy.  Do  you,  all  my 
officers,  march  forward  with  determined  boldness  to  sustain  your  prince. 
Where  there  is  much  merit,  there  shall  be  large  reward;  where  you  do 
not  so  advance,  there  shall  be  conspicuous  disgrace. 

'Oh!  (the  virtue  of)  my  deceased  father  Wen  was  like  the  shining  of 
the  sun  and  moon.  His  brightness  extended  over  the  four  quarters  of  the 
land,  and  shone  signally  in  the  western  region.  Hence  it  is  that  our  Chou 
has  received  (the  allegiance  of)  many  states.  If  I  subdue  Shou,  it  will 
not  be  from  my  prowess,  but  from  the  faultless  (virtue  of)  my  deceased 
father  Wen.  If  Shou  subdue  me,  it  will  not  be  from  any  fault  of  my 
deceased  father  Wen,  but  because  I,  the  little  child,  am  not  good.' 


THE  METAL-BOUND  COFFER 
(Boot(  of  Chou,  VI.  Modern  and  Ancient  Scripts) 

i.  Two  years  after  the  conquest  of  Shang"  the  king  fell  ill,  and  was 
quite  disconsolate.  The  two  (other  great)  dukes87  said,  'Let  us  reverently 
consult  the  tortoise-shell  about  the  king;'  but  the  Duke  of  Chou88  said, 
"You  must  not  so  distress  our  former  kings.'  He  then  took  the  business 
on  himself,  and  reared  three  altars  of  earth  on  the  same  cleared  space; 
and  having  made  another  altar  on  the  south  of  these,  and  facing  the 
north,  he  took  there  his  own  position.  Having  put  a  round  symbol  of  jade 

84 Sec  Mendtif  (Bk.  IV,  Pt.  2,  III,  i). 
"Cited  as  a  proverb  by  Wu  Yuan  in  Tfochuan. 
"B.C.  1 1 21,  or  1 1 20. 
"  The  Duke  of  Shao  and  T'ai-kung. 

m  The  Duke  of  Chou,  King  Wu's  brother,  considered  by  Confucius  to  have  laid  down  the 
governmental  system  and  general  pattern  of  rituals  and  music  of  the  Chou  Dynasty  Con- 
fucius said  he  often  dreamed  of  him,  which  means  it  was  Confucius'  dream  to  restore  the 
social  order  which  had  gone  into  decay  in  his  time. 


736  CHINESE  DEMOCRACY 

(on  each  of  the  three  altars),  and  holding  in  his  hands  the  lengthened 
symbol  (of  his  own  rank),  he  addressed  the  kings  T'ai,  Chi  and  Wen.** 

The  (grand)  historiographer  had  written  on  tablets  his  prayer,  which 
was  to  this  effect90: — 'A.B./1  your  great  descendant,  is  suffering  from  a 
severe  and  violent  disease;— if  you  three  kings  have  in  heaven  the  charge 
of  (watching  over)  him,  (Heaven's)  great  son,  let  me  Tan  be  a  substitute 
for  his  person.  I  was  lovingly  obedient  to  my  father;  I  am  possessed  of 
many  abilities  and  arts,  which  fit  me  to  serve  spiritual  beings.  Your  great 
descendant,  on  the  other  hand,  has  not  so  many  abilities  and  arts  as  I, 
and  is  not  so  capable  of  serving  spiritual  beings.  And  moreover  he  was 
appointed  in  the  hall  of  God  to  extend  his  aid  all  over  the  kingdom,  so 
that  he  might  establish  your  descendants  in  this  lower  earth.  The  people 
of  the  four  quarters  all  stand  in  reverent  awe  of  him.  Oh!  do  not  let  that 
precious  Heaven-conferred  appointment  fall  to  the  ground,  and  (all  the 
long  line  of)  our  former  kings  will  also  have  one  in  whom  they  can  ever 
rest  at  our  sacrifices.  I  will  now  seek  for  your  determination  (in  this 
matter)  from  the  great  tortoise-shell.  If  you  grant  me  (my  request),  I 
will  take  these  symbols  and  this  mace,  and  return  and  wait  for  your 
orders.  If  you  do  not  grant  it,  I  will  put  them  by.' 

The  duke  then  divined  with  the  three  tortoise-shells,  and  all  were 
favourable.  He  opened  with  a  key  the  place  where  the  (oracular)  re- 
sponses were  kept,  and  looked  at  them,  and  they  also  were  favourable. 
He  said,  'According  to  the  form  (of  the  prognostic)  the  king  will  take 
no  injury.  I,  the  little  child,  have  got  the  renewal  of  his  appointment 
from  the  three  kings,  by  whom  a  long  futurity  has  been  consulted  for. 
I  have  now  to  wait  for  the  issue.  They  can  provide  for  our  One  man.1 

When  the  duke  returned,  he  placed  the  tablets  (of  the  prayer)  in  a 
metal-bound  coffer,  and  next  day  the  king  got  better. 

2.  (Afterwards),  upon  the  death  of  King  Wu,  (the  duke's)  elder 
brother,  he  of  Kuan,  and  his  younger  brothers,  spread  a  baseless  report 
through  the  kingdom,  to  the  effect  that  the  duke  would  do  no  good  to 
the  (king's)  young  son.w  On  this  the  duke  said  to  the  two  (other  great) 
dukes,  'If  I  do  not  take  the  law  (to  these  men),  I  shall  not  be  able  to  make 
my  report  to  the  former  kings.' 

89  Ancestors  of  the  king. 

*°  The  Duke  of  Chou  offered  to  die  in  his  brother's  place. 

91  Literally,  "So-and-So,"  standing  for  King  Wu's  name. 

93  King  Ch'eng.  The  Duke,  his  uncle,  was  under  suspicion  of  intending  to  rob  him  of  his 

throne. 


THE    BOOK    OF    HISTORY  737 

He  resided  (accordingly)  in  the  east  for  two  years,  when  the  criminals 
were  taken  (and  brought  to  justice).  Afterwards  he  made  a  poem  to 
present  to  the  king,  and  called  it  'the  Owl.* M  The  king  on  his  part  did 
not  dare  to  blame  the  duke. 

In  the  autumn,  when  the  grain  was  abundant  and  ripe,  but  before  it 
was  reaped,  Heaven  sent  a  great  storm  of  thunder  and  lightning,  along 
with  wind,  by  which  the  gram  was  all  broken  down,  and  great  trees  torn 
up.  The  people  were  greatly  terrified;  and  the  king  and  great  officers, 
all  in  their  caps  of  state,  proceeded  to  open  the  metal-bound  coffer  and 
examine  the  writings  in  it,  where  they  found  the  words  of  the  duke 
when  he  took  on  himself  the  business  of  being  a  substitute  for  King  Wu. 
The  two  (great)  dukes  and  the  king  asked  the  historiographer  and  all 
the  other  officers  (acquainted  with  the  transaction)  about  the  thing,  and 
they  replied,  'It  was  really  thus;  but  ah!  the  duke  charged  us  that  we 
should  not  presume  to  speak  about  it.*  The  king  held  the  writing  in  his 
hand,  and  wept,  saying,  'We  need  not  (now)  go  on  reverently  to  divine. 
Formerly  the  duke  was  thus  earnest  for  the  royal  House,  but  I,  being  a 
child,  did  not  know  it.  Now  Heaven  has  moved  its  terrors  to  display  his 
virtue.  That  I,  the  little  child,  (now)  go  with  my  new  views  and  feelings 
to  meet  him,  is  what  the  rules  of  propriety  of  our  kingdom  require.' 

The  king  then  went  out  to  the  borders  (to  meet  the  duke),  when 
Heaven  sent  down  ram,  and,  by  virtue  of  a  contrary  wind,  the  grain  all 
rose  up.  The  two  (great)  dukes  gave  orders  to  the  people  to  take  up  the 
trees  that  had  fallen  and  replace  them.  The  year  then  turned  out  very 
fruitful. 


THE  ANNOUNCEMENT  OF  THE  DUKE  OF  SHAO" 

(Boof^  of  Chott,  XII.  Modern  and  Ancient  Script) 

i.  In  the  second  month,  on  the  day  Yi-wei,  six  days  after  full  moon, 
the  king*8  proceeded  in  the  morning  from  Chou  to  Fang.  (Thence) 
the  Grand-Guardian  *  went  before  the  Duke  of  Chou  to  survey  the 

98  Sec  the  poem  by  the  same  name  in  the  Boof^  of  Poetry  (under  "Some  Great  Ancient 
Pocms"'in  this  volume). 

**  This  document  contains  the  clearest  exposition  of  the  "mandate  of  Heaven"  and  how  it 
changes  from  hand  to  hand.  Those  interested  in  pursuing  the  theory  of  the  "mandate  of 
Heaven,"  to  which  there  arc  many  references,  may  read  Ch.  14,  16,  18  of  the  Book  of  Chou, 
in  the  Shu  King  (Sacred  Uoo^s  of  the  Ea<t.  \o\.  Ill),  in  the  same  translation  by  James  Legge. 
"King  Ch'cng,  the  second  sovereign  of  Chou  (B.C.  1115-1079),  son  of  King  Wu. 
""  Duke  of  Shao, 


73<>  CHINESE   DEMOCRACY 

locality  (of  the  new  capital) ;  and  in  the  third  month,  on  the  day  Wu- 
shan,  the  third  day  after  the  first  appearance  of  the  moon  on  Ping-wu, 
he  came  in  the  morning  to  Lo.  He  divined  by  the  tortoise-shell  about 
the  (several)  localities,  and  having  obtained  favourable  indications,  he 
set  about  laying  out  the  plan  (of  the  city) .  On  Keng-hsu,  the  third  day 
after,  he  led  the  people  of  Yin  to  prepare  the  various  sites  on  the  north 
of  the  Lo;  and  this  work  was  completed  on  Chia-yin,  the  fifth  day  after. 

On  Yi-mao,  the  day  following,  the  duke  of  Chou  came  in  the  morning 
to  Lo,  and  thoroughly  inspected  the  plan  of  the  new  city.  On  Ting-sze, 
the  third  day  after,  he  offered  two  bulls  as  victims  in  the  (northern  and 
southern)  suburbs;  and  on  the  morrow,  Wu-wu,  at  the  altar  to  the 
spirit  of  the  land  in  the  new  city,  he  sacrificed  a  bull,  a  ram,  and  a  boar. 
After  seven  days,  on  Chia-tse,  in  the  morning,  from  his  written  (specifi- 
cations) he  gave  their  several  orders  to  the  people  of  Yin,1"  and  to  the 
presiding  chiefs  of  the  princes  from  the  Hou,  Tien,  and  Nan  domains. 
When  the  people  of  Yin  had  thus  received  their  orders,  they  arose  and 
entered  with  vigour  on  their  work. 

(When  the  work  was  drawing  to  a  completion),  the  Grand-Guardian 
went  out  with  the  hereditary  princes  of  the  various  states  to  bring  their 
offerings  (for  the  king);  and  when  he  entered  again,  he  gave  them  to 
the  duke  of  Chou,  saying,  'With  my  hands  to  my  head  and  my  head  to 
the  ground,  I  present  these  to  his  Majesty  and  your  Grace.  Announce- 
ments for  the  information  of  the  multitudes  of  Yin  must  come  from 
you,  with  whom  is  the  management  of  affairs/ 

2.  'Oh!  God  (dwelling  in)  the  great  heavens  has  changed  his  decree 
respecting  his  great  son  and  the  great  dynasty  of  Yin.9*  Our  king  has 
received  that  decree.  Unbounded  is  the  happiness  connected  with  it,  and 
unbounded  is  the  anxiety: — Oh!  how  can  he  be  other  than  reverent? 

'When  Heaven  rejected  and  made  an  end  of  the  decree  in  favour  of 
the  great  dynasty  of  Yin,  there  were  many  of  its  former  wise  kings  in 
heaven.  The  king,  however,  who  had  succeeded  to  them,  the  last  of  his 
race,  from  the  time  of  his  entering  into  their  appointment,  proceeded 
in  such  a  way  as  at  last  to  keep  the  wise  in  obscurity  and  the  vicious  in 
office.  The  poor  people  in  such  a  case,  carrying  their  children  and 
leading  their  wives,  made  their  moan  to  Heaven.  They  even  fled  away, 
but  were  apprehended  again.  Oh!  Heaven  had  compassion  on  the 

97  The  new  capital  Lo  (near  modern  Loyang)  lay  very  near  the  territory  of  the  conquered 
Yin  (or  Shang)  people. 

98  Or  Shang. 


THE    BOOK    OF    HISTORY  739 

people  of  the  four  quarters;  its  favouring  decree  lighted  on  our  earnest 
(founders).  Let  the  king  sedulously  cultivate  the  virtue  of  reverence. 

'Examining  the  men  of  antiquity,  there  was  the  (founder  of  the) 
Hsia  dynasty.  Heaven  guided  (his  mind),  allowed  his  descendants  (to 
succeed  him),  and  protected  them.  He  acquainted  himself  with  Heaven, 
and  was  obedient  to  it.  But  in  process  of  time  the  decree  in  his  favour 
fell  to  the  ground."  So  also  is  it  now  when  we  examine  the  case  of  Yin. 
There  was  the  same  guiding  (of  its  founder),  who  corrected  (the 
errors  of  Hsia),  and  (whose  descendants)  enjoyed  the  protection  (of 
Heaven).  He  (also)  acquainted  himself  with  Heaven,  and  was  obe- 
dient to  it.  But  now  the  decree  in  favour  of  him  has  fallen  to  the 
ground.  Our  king  has  now  come  to  the  throne  in  his  youth; — let  him 
not  slight  the  aged  and  experienced,  for  it  may  be  said  of  them  that 
they  have  studied  the  virtuous  conduct  of  the  ancients,  and  have  ma- 
tured their  counsels  in  the  sight  of  Heaven. 

'Oh!  although  the  king  is  young,  yet  he  is  the  great  son  (of  God). 
Let  him  effect  a  great  harmony  with  the  lower  people,  and  that  will  be 
the  blessing  of  the  present  time.  Let  not  the  king  presume  to  be  remiss 
in  this,  but  continually  regard  and  stand  in  awe  of  the  perilous  (un- 
certainty) of  the  people's  (attachment). 

'Let  the  king  come  here  as  the  vice-regent  of  God,  and  undertake 
(the  duties  of  government)  in  this  centre  of  the  land.  Tan  said,  "Now 
that  this  great  city  has  been  built,  from  henceforth  he  may  be  the  mate 
of  great  Heaven,  and  reverently  sacrifice  to  (the  spirits)  above  and 
beneath;  from  henceforth  he  may  from  this  central  spot  administer 
successful  government."  Thus  shall  the  king  enjoy  the  favouring  re- 
gard (of  Heaven)  all-complete,  and  the  government  of  the  people  will 
now  be  prosperous. 

'Let  the  king  first  subdue  to  himself  those  who  were  the  managers 
of  affairs  under  Yin,  associating  them  with  the  managers  of  affairs  for 
our  Chou.  This  will  regulate  their  (perverse)  natures,  and  they  will 
make  daily  advancement.  Let  the  king  make  reverence  the  resting-place 
(of  his  mind) ; — he  must  maintain  the  virtue  of  reverence. 

'We  should  by  all  means  survey  the  dynasties  of  Hsia  and  Yin.  I  do 
not  presume  to  know  and  say,  "The  dynasty  of  Hsia  was  to  enjoy  the 
favouring  decree  of  Heaven  just  for  (so  many)  years,"  nor  do  I  prc- 

*  This  changing  of  the  mandate  of  Heaven  became  the  established  explanation  or  justifica- 
tion for  the  change  of  dynasties.  In  modern  Chinese,  the  word  for  "revolution"  means  to 
"chapg:  mandate." 


CHINESE    DEMOCRACY 


sume  to  know  and  say,  "It  could  not  continue  longer."  The  fact  simply 
was,  that,  for  want  of  the  virtue  of  reverence,  the  decree  in  its  favour 
prematurely  fell  to  the  ground.  (Similarly),  I  do  not  presume  to  know 
and  say,  "The  dynasty  of  Yin^was  to  enjoy  the  favouring  decree  of 
Heaven  just  for  (so  many)  years,"  nor  do  I  presume  to  know  and  say, 
"It  could  not  continue  longer."  The  fact  simply  was,  that,  for  want 
of  the  virtue  of  reverence,  the  decree  in  its  favour  fell  prematurely  to 
the  ground.  The  king  has  now  inherited  the  decree, — the  same  decree, 
I  consider,  which  belonged  to  those  two  dynasties.  Let  him  seek  to  in- 
herit (the  virtues  of)  their  meritorious  (sovereigns); — (let  him  do 
this  especially)  at  this  commencement  of  his  duties. 

'Oh!  it  is  as  on  the  birth  of  a  son,  when  all  depends  on  (the  training 
of)  his  early  life,  through  which  he  may  secure  his  wisdom  in  the 
future,  as  if  it  were  decreed  to  him.  Now  Heaven  may  have  decreed 
wisdom  (to  the  king);  it  may  have  decreed  good  fortune  or  bad;  it 
may  have  decreed  a  (long)  course  of  years; — we  only  know  that  now  is 
with  him  the  commencement  of  his  duties.  Dwelling  in  this  new  city, 
let  the  king  now  sedulously  cultivate  the  virtue  of  reverence.  When 
he  is  all-devoted  to  this  virtue,  he  may  pray  to  Heaven  for  a  long- 
abiding  decree  in  his  favour. 

'In  the  position  of  king,  let  him  not,  because  of  the  excesses  of  the 
people  in  violation  of  the  laws,  presume  also  to  rule  by  the  violent  in- 
fliction of  death; — when  the  people  are  regulated  gently,  the  merit  (of 
government)  is  seen.  It  is  for  him  who  is  in  the  position  of  king  to 
overtop  all  with  his  virtue.  In  this  case  the  people  will  imitate  him 
throughout  the  kingdom,  and  he  will  become  still  more  illustrious.100 

'Let  the  king  a'nd  his  ministers  labour  with  a  mutual  sympathy,  say- 
ing, "We  have  received  the  decree  of  Heaven,  and  it  shall  be  great  as  the 
long-continued  years  of  Hsia; — yea,  it  shall  not  fail  of  the  long-con- 
tinued years  of  Ym."  I  wish  the  king,  through  (the  attachment  of)  the 
lower  people,  to  receive  the  long-abiding  decree  of  Heaven.' 

3.  (The  duke  of  Shao)  then  did  obeisance  with  his  hands  to  his 
head  and  his  head  to  the  ground,  and  said,  'I,  a  small  minister,  presume, 
with  the  king's  (heretofore)  hostile  people  and  all  their  officers,  and 
with  his  (loyal)  friendly  people,  to  maintain  and  receive  his  majesty's 
dread  command  and  brilliant  virtue.  That  the  king  should  finally 
obtain  the  decree  all-complete,  and  that  he  should  become  illustrious,— 

100  Here  we  see  the  source  of  Confucius'  ideas  of  government  by  moral  example. 


THE    BOOK    OF    HISTORY  741 

this  I  do  not  presume  to  labour  for.  I  only  bring  respectfully  these 
offerings  to  present  to  his  najesty,  to  be  used  in  his  prayers  to  Heaven 
for  its  long-abiding  decree.' m 


THE  SPEECH  OF  (THE  MARQUIS  OF)  CH'IN10* 
(Bool{  of  Chou,  XXX.  Modern  and  Ancient  Scripts) 

Introduction  by  James  Legge 

THE  state  of  Ch'in,  at  the  time  to  which  this  speech  belongs,  was  one  of  the 
most  powerful  in  the  kingdom,  and  already  giving  promise  of  what  it 
would  grow  to.  Ultimately,  one  of  its  princes  overthrew  the  dynasty  of 
Chou,  and  brought  feudal  China  to  an  end. 

Ch'in  and  Chin  were  engaged  together  in  B.C.  631  in  besieging  the  capital 
of  Cheng,  and  threatened  to  extinguish  that  state.  The  marquis  of  Ch'in, 
however,  was  suddenly  induced  to  withdraw  his  troops,  leaving  three  of 
his  officers  in  friendly  relations  with  the  court  of  Cheng,  and  under 
engagement  to  defend  the  state  from  aggression.  These  men  played  the 
part  of  spies  in  the  interest  of  Ch'in,  and  in  B.C.  629,  one  of  them,  called 
Chi-tse,  sent  word  that  he  was  in  charge  of  one  ot  the  gates,  and  if  an 
army  were  sent  to  surprise  the  capital,  Cheng  might  be  added  to  the  terri- 
tories of  Ch'in.  The  marquis — known  in  history  as  duke  Mu — laid  the 
matter  before  his  counsellors.  The  most  experienced  of  them — Paili  Hsi 
and  Chicn-shu — were  against  taking  advantage  of  the  proposed  treachery; 
but  the  marquis  listened  rather  to  the  promptings  of  ambition;  and  the 
next  year  he  sent  a  large  force,  under  his  three  ablest  commanders,  hoping 
to  find  Cheng  unprepared  for  any  resistance.  The  attempt,  however,  failed; 
and  the  army,  on  its  way  back  to  Ch'in,  was  attacked  by  the  forces  of 
Chin,  and  sustained  a  terrible  defeat.  It  was  nearly  annihilated,  and  the 
three  commanders  were  taken  prisoners. 

The  marquis  of  Chin  was  intending  to  put  these  captives  to  death,  but  finally 
sent  them  to  Ch'in,  that  duke  Mu  might  himself  sacrifice  them  to  his 
anger  for  their  want  of  success.  Mu,  however,  did  no  such  thing.  He 
went  from  his  capital  to  meet  the  disgraced  generals,  and  comforted  them, 
saying  that  the  blame  of  their  defeat  was  due  to  himself,  who  had  refused 
to  listen  to  the  advice  of  his  wise  counsellors.  Then  also,  it  is  said,  he  made 
the  speech  here  preserved  for  the  benefit  of  all  his  ministers,  describing 

101  It  is  interesting  to  note  the  existence  of  the  hostile  conquered  peoples,  and  to  sec  how  the 
Chou  Dynasty  ruled  and  united  China  for  almost  nine  hundred  years,  and  was  thus  able  to 
stamp  its  own  culture  upon  China  as  a  whole. 
I0i  This  is  the  last  document  of  the  Book  of  7/i.f/orv  brinem^  it  down  to  B.C.  628. 


742  CHINESE  DEMOCRACY 

the  good  and  bad  minister,  and  the  different  issues  of  listening  to  them, 
and  deploring  how  he  had  himself  foolishly  rejected  the  advice  of  his  aged 
counsellors,  and  followed  that  of  new  men; — a  thing  which  he  would  never 
do  again. 

The  duke  said,  'Ah!  my  officers,  listen  to  me  without  noise.  I  solemnly 
announce  to  you  the  most  important  of  all  sayings.  (It  is  this  which) 
the  ancients  have  said,  "Thus  it  is  with  all  people,— they  mostly  love 
their  ease.  In  reproving  others  there  is  no  difficulty,  but  to  receive  reproof, 
and  allow  it  to  have  free  course,— this  is  difficult."  The  sorrow  of  my 
heart  is,  that  the  days  and  months  have  passed  away,  and  it  is  not  likely 
they  will  come  again  (so  that  I  might  pursue  a  different  course) . 

There  were  my  old  counsellors.— I  said,  "They  will  not  accommodate 
themselves  to  me/*  and  I  hated  them.  There  were  my  new  counsellors, 
and  I  would-for  the  time  give  my  confidence  to  them.  So  indeed  it  was 
witK  me;  but  hereafter  I  will  take  advice  from  the  men  of  yellow  hair, 
and  then  I  shall  be  free  from  error.  That  good  old  officer! — his  strength 
is  exhausted,  but  I  would  rather  have  him  (as  my  counsellor).  That 
dashing  brave  officer!— his  shooting  and  charioteering  are  faultless,  but 
I  would  rather  not  wish  to  have  him.  As  to  men  of  quibbles,  skilful  at 
cunning  words,  and  able  to  make  the  good  man  change  his  purposes, 
what  have  I  to  do  to  make  much  use  of  them? 

*I  have  deeply  thought  and  concluded. — Let  me  have  but  one  resolute 
minister,  plain  and  sincere,  without  other  ability,  but  having  a  straight- 
forward mind,  and  possessed  of  generosity,  regarding  the  talents  of 
others  as  if  he  himself  possessed  them;  and  when  he  finds  accomplished 
and  sage  men,  loving  them  in  his  heart  more  than  his  mouth  expresses, 
really  showing  himself  able  to  bear  them:— such  a  minister  would  be 
able  to  preserve  my  descendants  and  people,  and  would  indeed  be  a  giver 
of  benefits. 

'But  if  (the  minister),  when  he  finds  men  of  ability,  be  jealous  and 
hates  them;  if,  when  he  finds  accomplished  and  sage  men,  he  oppose 
them  and  does  not  allow  their  advancement,  showing  himself  really  not 
able  to  bear  them: — such  a  man  will  not  be  able  to  protect  my  descendants 
and  people;  and  will  he  not  be  a  dangerous  man? 

The  decline  and  fall  of  a  state  may  arise  from  one  man.  The  glory  and 
tranquillity  of  a  state  may  also  arise  from  the  goodness  of  one  man/ 


Mencius 

The  Democratic  Philosopher     - 

INTRODUCTION 

MENCIUS  lived  in  B.C.  372-289,  and  was  thus  a  contemporary  of  Plato 
who  lived  in  B.C.  427-347  and  of  Aristotle  who  lived  in  B.C.  386-322. 
His  birth  was  separated  from  the  death  of  Confucius  in  B.C.  479  by 
107  years,  and  he  was  about  one  generation  older  than  Hsiintse  who 
lived  in  B.C.  315-235,  as  Plato  was  that  much  older  than  Aristotle.  His 
position  in  relation  to  Confucius  was  like  that  of  Plato  in  relation  to 
Socrates  in  developing  the  idealistic  trends,  while  Hsiintse  was  in  a 
sense  similar  to  Aristotle  in  his  philosophic  realism.  The  analogy 
must  not  be  forced;  the  chief  difference  between  Mencius  and  Hsiintse 
was  that  Mencius  believed  in  the  innate  goodness  of  human  nature, 
while  Hsiintse  believed  in  its  badness.  Consequently  Hsiintse  believed 
in  culture  and  restraint,  while  Mencius  believed  that  culture  consisted 
in  seeking  and  retrieving  the  original  goodness  of  man.  "A  great  man 
is  one  who  has  not  lost  the  child's  heart."  He  tried  to  prove  that  the 
sense  of  mercy  and  the  desire  to  do  what  is  right  are  innate  and  in- 
stinctive, as  when  we  instinctively  rush  forward  to  save  a  child  crawling 
toward  a  well.  Wickedness  in  human  conduct  is  like  the  denuding 
of  a  hill  by  the  woodsman's  axe  and  grazing  cattle,  while  it  is  the  nature 
of  a  hill  to  be  finely  wooded.  This  original  goodness  could  be  developed 
or  obstructed,  but  we  all  have  it  in  ourselves  to  be  like  the  Sages.  "All 
men  could  be  Yao  and  Shun."  "The  Sages  are  of  the  same  species  as 
ourselves.1*  One  of  his  best  sayings  is:  "The  sense  of  mercy  is  in  all  men; 
the  sense  of  shame  is  in  ail  men;  the  sense  of  courtesy  and  respect  is  in 

743 


744  CHINESE   DEMOCRACY 

all  men;  the  sense  of  right  and  wrong  is  in  all  men."  He  believed  in 
the  distinction  between  the  human  and  the  beastly  in  us,  and  that  the 
distinctly  human  in  us  consists  in  the  sense  of  mercy,  the  sense  of  right 
and  wrong,  etc.  "He  who  has  no  sense  of  mercy  is  not  a  man,  etc."  He 
also  admitted  that  the  distinction  between  man  and  beast  was  "very 
small,"  but  he  urged  that  there  is  a  greater  self  and  a  smaller  self  in  us, 
and  that  "He  who  attends  to  his  smaller  self  becomes  a  small  man, 
and  he  who  attends  to  his  greater  self  becomes  a  great  man." 

Consequently  there  was  a  certain  high  idealism  in  Mencius,  when  he 
spoke  of  the  haojan  chih  ch'i,  the  "expansive  spirit"  in  us,  which  he 
beautifull  pinned  down  in  a  phrase,  "the  air  of  the  early  dawn,"  which 
every  early  riser  is  familiar  with.  How  to  save  and  keep  that  air,  or 
spirit,  of  the  early  dawn  through  the  day,  or  how  to  guard  the  warm  and 
good  heart  of  the  child  through  our  life  is  the  moral  problem. 

The  definite  contributions  of  Mencius'  ideas  to  the  democratic  prin- 
ciple are  as  follows.  First,  that  all  men  are  equal.  "The  Sages  are  of  the 
same  species  as  ourselves."  (Bk.  VI,  Pt.  i,  VII,  3).  Second,  of  the  three 
elements  of  a  state,  "the  people  are  the  most  important  .  .  .  and  the 
ruler  is  the  least  important"  (Bk.  VII,  Pt.  2,  XIV,  i).  Third,  decisions 
of  promotion  and  punishment  are  to  be  based  not  on  what  the  govern- 
ment officials  say,  but  on  what  all  the  people  say  (Bk.  I,  Pt.  2,  VII,  4-5). 
Fourth,  government  must  be  for  the  welfare  of  the  people,  and  the 
king  must  share  his  pleasures  (parks  and  music)  with  the  people  (Bk. 

1,  entire  Part  i).  Fifth,  the  relationships  of  the  ruler  and  the  people  are 
reciprocal.  "When  a  ruler  regards  his  ministers  as  his  hands  and  feet, 
they  regard  him  as  their  belly  and  heart;  when  he  regards  them  as 
dogs  and  horses,  they  regard  him  as  a  common  citizen;  when  he  regards 
them  as  dirt  and  grass,  they  regard  him  as  a  robber  and  enemy"  (Bk. 
IV,  Pt.  2,  III,  i).  Sixth,  consequently,  the  right  to  revolt  was  vindicated. 
When  T'ang's  right  to  rebel  against  the  tyrant  emperor  Chieh  was 
questioned,  he  replied  that  the  tyrant  was  a  common  thief  (Bk.  I,  Pt. 

2,  VIII,  3).  Finally,  Mencius  constantly  elaborated  the  idea  in  the 
Boo^  of  History  that  the  emperor  ruled  his  country  as  a  "mandate  from 
Tieaven"  and  forfeited  it  as  soon  as  he  misruled.  Ultimately  any  one 
rules  only  because  the  people  accept  him  (Bk.  V,  Pt.  i,  V,  1-8). 

From  his  general  idealism,  Mencius  developed  the  theory  of 
"benevolent  government,"  which  became  the  keystone  of  Chinese  po- 
litical philosophy.  He  also  developed  the  sharp  distinction  between  the 
"royal  way"  and  the  "dictator's  way,"  or  between  government  by  win- 


MENCIUS  745 

ning  the  people's  hearts  and  government  by  force;  incidentally  the 
"royal  way"  (wangtao)  is  what  the  Japanese  say  they  are  trying  to  set 
up  in  Manchuria.  His  idea  of  "parental  government"  was  not  original 
with  him,  but  was  already  current  in  the  Chinese  tradition,  as  may  be 
seen  in  the  Boo^  of  History.  The  importance  of  Mencius  arises  from  his 
extensive  influence,  holding  a  position  in  Chinese  eyes  next  only  to 
Confucius,  his  books  being  compulsory  reading  in  elementary  schools, 
committed  to  memory  by  all  Chinese  school  children.  Consequently, 
the  theory  of  the  "benevolent  government"  became  an  ideal  held  up  by 
Chinese  scholars,  even  as  democracy  is  held  up  as  an  ideal  by  the  Western 
democracies.  That  this  ideal  was  not  lived  up  to  in  times  of  a  decaying 
dynasty  is  evident  enough;  over-taxation,  wars,  conscription  and  inter- 
ference with  the  farmers'  cultivation  of  the  land  were  too  evident  in 
Mencius'  own  times  and  provided  the  very  background  against  which 
he  announced  the  benevolent  government  as  a  sure,  unfailing  remedy. 
Nevertheless,  it  was  always  held  up  as  an  ideal  and  profoundly  influ- 
enced the  whole  character  of  Chinese  government  in  times  of  peace. 
In  fact,  Chinese  philosophy  of  history  is  firm  on  the  fact  that  the  very 
length  of  a  dynasty's  rule  is  in  exact  proportion  to  the  kind  of  "kind 
and  lenient  government"  that  dynasty  started  out  with. 

I  have  used  here  the  revised  translation  of  1874  by  James  Legge,  and 
have  not  interfered  with  his  text  except  in  the  correction  of  his  Cantonese 
spelling  of  proper  names.  I  regret,  however,  that  Legge's  translation  is 
too  literal  to  make  easy  reading;  his  methods  amounted  to  translating 
every  single  word,  even  when  two  words  formed  a  combination  with 
a  new  meaning.  This  may  be  considered  the  general  rule,  that  when  we 
find  a  translation  difficult  to  read,  it  is  sure  to  be  scholarly.  Thus,  to 
take  a  sentence  much  quoted  by  the  Chinese  in  the  present  war,  Legge 
rendered  it  thus,  "Opportunities  of  time  (vouchsafed  by)  Heaven  are 
not  equal  to  advantages  of  situation  (afforded  by)  the  Earth,  and  advan- 
tages of  situation  (afforded  by)  the  Earth  are  not  equal  to  (the  union 
arising  from)  the  accord  of  Men."  This  is  literal  enough,  but  what 
Mencius  said  was  much  briefer,  in  twelve  Chinese  words:  "Weather  is 
less  important  than  terrain,  and  terrain  is  less  important  than  the  people's 
unity."  This  is  no  less  literal,  because  "sky-times,"  or  worse,  "Heaven- 
opportunitics-of-time,"  definitely  and  absolutely  means  in  Chinese 
"weather"  and  nothing  else.  There  is  still  no  good  translation  of  even 
such  an  important  work  as  Mencius,  and  I  have  not  had  the  opportunity 
to  make  a  new  translation.  In  all  the  important  passages,  however,  I  have 


746  CHINESE   DEMOCRACY 

indicated  what  an  improved  rendering  might  be.  To  translate  "estab- 
lishing a  government  of  mercy  with  a  heart  of  mercy"  by  "As  when  with 
a  commiserating  mind  was  practised  a  commiserating  government"  is 
almost  to  kill  the  original  text.  Something  of  the  sonorous  eloquence  and 
fine  idealism  in  Mencius  which  stirred  the  Chinese  schoolboy's  soul  is 
gone.  I  say  this  not  to  disparage  Legge;  he  did  an  inestimable  service  to 
China  by  translating  single-handed  all  the  important  Chinese  Classics, 
and  it  was  a  scholarly  work  conscientiously  and  in  so  many  respects  quite 
competently  done.  I  say  this  to  point  out  a  more  significant  fact  that  the 
important  work  of  translating  Chinese  classics  and  literature  has  only 
begun.  Legge  did  this  almost  a  century  ago,  and  the  Chinese  scholars 
have  not  been  too  active  in  making  their  sacred  texts  known  to  the  West. 
Legge's  translation  of  the  Boo^  of  History,  undertaken  twenty  years 
after  his  first  translation  of  Mencius,  is  much  better.  A  complete  new 
translation  of  the  most  important  chapter  of  Mencius,  Book  VI,  Part  I, 
is  available  in  my  Wisdom  of  Confucius,  Ch.  XI. 

I  retain  the  chapter  and  verse  numbers  by  Legge  for  convenience  of 
reference.  But  it  should  be  clearly  understood  that  the  following  consist ; 
of  selections  from  Mencius  only. 


Mencius 

The  Democratic  Philosopher* 
Translated  by  James  Legge 


BOOK  I,  PART  I 

Chapter  1 

1  Mencius  (went  to)  see  King  Huei  of  Liang. 

2  The  king  said,  "Venerable  Sir,  since  you  have  not  counted  it  far 
to  come  here,  a  distance  of  a  thousand  //,  may  I  presume  that  you  are 
likewise  provided  with  (counsels)  to  profit  my  kingdom?" 

3  Mencius  replied,  "Why  must  your  Majesty  use  that  word  'profit'  ? 
What  I  am  likewise  provided  with  are  (counsels  to)  benevolence  and 
righteousness,1  and  these  are  my  only  topics. 

4  "If  your  Majesty  say,  'What  is  to  be  done  to  profit  my  kingdom?' 
the  great  officers  will  say,  'What  is  to  be  done  to  profit  our  families?'  and 
the  (inferior)  officers  and  the  common  people  will  say,  'What  is  to  be 
done  to  profit  our  persons?'  Superiors  and  inferiors  will  try  to  take  the 
profit  the  one  from  the  other,  and  the  kingdom  will  be  endangered.  In  the 
kingdom  of  ten  thousand  chariots,  the  murderer  of  his  ruler  will  be  (the 
chief  of)  a  family  of  a  thousand  chariots.  In  the  State  of  a  thousand 
chariots,  the  murderer  of  his  ruler  will  be  (the  chief  of)  a  family  of  a 
hundred  chariots.  To  have  a  thousand  in  ten  thousand,  and  a  hundred 
in  a  thousand,  cannot  be  regarded  as  not  a  large  allowance;  but  if 

1  "Love"  and  "justice"  would  be  a  better  translation;  the  above  is  Lcgge's  translation,  while 
Giles  translates  them  in  Chuangtse  as  "charity"  and  "duty." 

747 


748  CHINESE   DEMOCRACY 

righteousness  be  put  last  and  profit  first,  they  will  not  be  satisfied  without 
snatching  all. 

5  "There  never  was  a  man  trained  to  benevolence  who  neglected  his 
parents.  There  never  was  a  man  trained  to  righteousness  who  made  his 
ruler  an  after-consideration. 

6  "Let  your  Majesty  likewise  make  benevolence  and  righteousness 
your  only  themes; — why  must  you  speak  of  profit?" 

Chapter  II 

1  When  Mencius  (another  day)  was  seeing  king  Huei  of  Liang,  the 
king  (went  and)  stood  (with  him)  by  a  pond,  and,  looking  round  on 
the  wild  geese  and  deer,  large  and  small,  said,  "Do  wise  and  good 
(princes)  also  take  pleasure  in  these  things?" 

2  Mencius  replied,  "Being  wise  and  good,  they  then  have  pleasure  in 
these  things.  If  they  are  not  wise  and  good,  though  they  have  these  things, 
they  do  not  find  pleasure. 

3  "It  is  said  in  the  Book  of  Poetry: — 

'When  he  planned  the  commencement  of  the  Marvellous  Tower, 

He  planned  it,  and  defined  it, 

And  the  people  in  crowds  undertook  the  wor\, 

And  in  no  time  completed  it. 

When  he  planned  the  commencement,  (he  said),  "Be  not  in  a  hurry;" 

But  the  people  came  as  if  they  were  his  children 

The  1(ing  was  in  the  Marvellous  ParJ^, 

Where  the  does  were  lying  down, — 

The  does  so  sleety  and  fat; 

With  the  white  birds  glistening. 

The  tyng  was  by  the  Marvellous  Pond; — 

How  full  was  it  of  fishes  leaping  about!' 

King  Wen  used  the  strength  of  the  people  to  make  his  tower  and  pond, 
and  the  people  rejoiced  (to  do  the  work),  calling  the  tower  'the  Mar- 
vellous Tower,'  and  the  pond  'the  Marvellous  Pond,'  and  being  glad  that 
he  had  his  deer,  his  fishes,  and  turtles.  The  ancients  caused  their  people 
to  have  pleasure  as  well  as  themselves,  and  therefore  they  could  enjoy  it. 

4  "In  the  Declaration  of  T'ang  it  is  said,  'O  sun,  when  wilt  thou 
expire?  We  will  die  together  with  thee.'  The  people  wished  (for  Chieh's 
death,  though)  they  should  die  with  him.  Although  he  had  his  tower, 
his  pond,  birds  and  animals,  how  could  he  have  pleasure  alone?" 


M  E  N  c  i  u  s  749 

Chapter  111 

1  King  Huei  of  Liang  said,  "Small  as  my  virtue  is,  in  (the  govern- 
ment of)  my  kingdom,  I  do  indeed  exert  my  mind  to  the  utmost.  If  the 
year  be  bad  inside  the  Ho,  I  remove  (as  many  of)  the  people  (as)  I  can 
to  the  east  of  it,  and  convey  grain  to  the  country  inside.  If  the  year  be 
bad  on  the  east  of  the  river,  I  act  on  the  same  plan.  On  examining  the 
governmental  methods  of  the  neighbouring  kingdoms,  I  do  not  find 
there  is  any  (ruler)  who  exerts  his  mind  as  I  do.  And  yet  the  people  of 
the  neighbouring  kings  do  not  decrease,  nor  do  my  people  increase; — 
how  is  this?" 

2  Mencius  replied,  "Your  Majesty  loves  war;  allow  me  to  take  an 
illustration  from  war.  (The  soldiers  move  forward  at)  the  sound  of  the 
drum;  and  when  the  edges  of  their  weapons  have  been  crossed,  (on  one 
side)  they  throw  away  their  buff-coats,  trail  their  weapons  behind  them, 
and  run.  Some  run  a  hundred  paces  and  then  stop;  some  run  fifty  paces 
and  stop.  What  would  you  think  if  these,  because  (they  had  run  but) 
fifty  paces,  should  laugh  at  (those  who  ran)  a  hundred  paces?"  The 
king  said,  "They  cannot  do  so.  They  only  did  not  run  a  hundred  paces; 
but  they  also  ran."  (Mencius)  said,  "Since  your  Majesty  knows  this,  you 
have  no  ground  to  expect  that  your  people  will  become  more  numerous 
than  those  of  the  neighbouring  kingdoms. 

3  "If  the  seasons  of  husbandry  be  not  interfered  with,  the  grain  will 
be  more  than  can  be  eaten.  If  close  nets  are  not  allowed  to  enter  the 
pools  and  ponds,  the  fish  and  turtles  will  be  more  than  can  be  consumed. 
If  the  axes  and  bills  enter  the  hill-forests  (only)  at  the  proper  times,  the 
wood  will  be  more  than  can  be  used.  When  the  grain  and  fish  and  turtles 
are  more  than  can  be  eaten,  and  there  is  more  wood  than  can  be  used, 
this  enables  the  people  to  nourish  their  living  and  do  all  offices  for  their 
dead,  without  any  feeling  against  any.  (But)  this  condition,  in  which 
(the  people)  nourish  their  living,  and  do  all  offices  to  their  dead  without 
having  any  feeling  against  any,  is  the  first  step  in  the  Royal  way. 

4  "Let  mulberry-trees  be  planted  about  the  homesteads  with  their 
five  acres,  and  persons  of  fifty  years  will  be  able  to  wear  silk.  In  keeping 
fowls,  pigs,  dogs,  and  swine,  let  not  their  times  of  breeding  be  neglected, 
and  persons  of  seventy  years  will  be  able  to  eat  flesh.2  Let  there  not  be 
taken  away  the  time  that  is  proper  for  the  cultivation  of  the  field-allot- 

*  Should  read  "meat." 


750  CHINESE   DEMOCRACY 

ment  of  a  hundred  acres,  and  the  family  of  several  mouths  will  not  suffer 
from  hunger.  Let  careful  attention  be  paid  to  the  teaching  in  the  various 
schools,  with  repeated  inculcation  of  the  filial  and  fraternal  duties,  and 
gray-haired  men  will  not  be  seen  upon  the  roads,  carrying  burdens  on 
their  backs  or  on  their  heads.  It  has  never  been  that  (the  ruler  of  a  State) 
where  these  results  were  seen,  persons  of  seventy  wearing  silk  and  eating 
flesh,  and  the  black-haired  people  suffering  neither  from  hunger  nor  cold, 
did  not  attain  to  the  Royal  dignity. 

5  "Your  dogs  and  swine  eat  the  food  of  men,  and  you  do  not  know 
to  store  up  (of  the  abundance) .  There  are  people  dying  from  famine  on 
the  roads,  and  you  do  not  know  to  issue  (your  stores  for  their  relief). 
When  men  die,  you  say,  'It  is  not  owing  to  me;  it  is  owing  to  the  year/ 
In  what  does  this  differ  from  stabbing  a  man  and  killing  him,  and  then 
saying,  'It  was  not  I;  it  was  the  weapon'?  Let  your  Majesty  cease  to  lay 
the  blame  on  the  year,8  and  instantly  the  people,  all  under  the  sky,  will 
come  to  you." 

Chapter  IV 

1  King  Huei  of  Liang  said,  "I  wish  quietly  to  receive  your  instruc- 
tions." 

2  Mencius  replied,  "Is  there  any  difference  between  killing  a  man 
with  a  stick  and  with  a  sword?"  "There  is  no  difference,"  was  the  answer. 

3  (Mencius  continued)  "Is  there  any  difference  between  doing  it  with 
a  sword  and  with  governmental  measures?"  "There  is  not,"  was  the 
answer  (again) . 

4  (Mencius  then)  said,  "In  (your)  stalls  there  are  fat  beasts;  in  (your) 
stables  there  are  fat  horses.  (But)  your  people  have  the  look  of  hunger, 
and  in  the  fields  there  are  those  who  have  died  of  famine.  This  is  leading 
on  beasts  to  devour  men. 

5  "Beasts  devour  one  another,  and  men  hate  them  (for  doing  so). 
When  he  who  is  (called)  the  parent  of  the  people  conducts  his  govern- 
ment so  as  to  be  chargeable  with  leading  on  beasts  to  devour  men,  where 
is  that  parental  relation  to  the  people? 

6  "Chung-ni  *  said,  Was  he  not  without  posterity  who  first  made 
wooden  images  (to  bury  with  the  dead)  ?'  (So  he  said)  because  that 
man  made  the  semblances  of  men  and  used  them  (for  that  purpose)  ;-— 
what  shall  be  thought  of  him  who  causes  his  people  to  die  of  hunger?" 

1  Bad  harvest.  *  Personal  name  of  Confucius. 


MENCIUS  751 

Chapter  V 

1  King  Huei  of  Liang  said,  "There  was  not  in  the  kingdom  a  stronger 
State  than  Ch'in,  as  you,  venerable  Sir,  know.  But  since  it  descended  to 
me,  on  the  east  we  were  defeated  by  Ch'i,  and  then  my  eldest  son 
perished;  on  the  west  we  lost  seven  hundred  //  of  territory  to  Ch'in;  and 
on  the  south  we  have  sustained  disgrace  at  the  hands  of  Ch'u.  I  have 
brought  shame  on  my  departed  predecessors,  and  wish  on  their  account 
to  wipe  it  away  once  for  all.  What  course  is  to  be  pursued  to  accomplish 
this?" 

2  Mencius  replied,  "With  a  territory  (only)  a  hundred  //  square  it 
has  been  possible  to  obtain  the  Royal  dignity. 

3  "If  your  Majesty  will  (indeed)  dispense  a  benevolent  government 
to  the  people,  being  sparing  in  the  use  of  punishments  and  fines,  and 
making  the  taxes  and  levies  of  produce  light,  (so  causing  that)  the  fields 
shall  be  ploughed  deep,  and  the  weeding  well  attended  to,  and  that  the 
able-bodied,  during  their  days  of  leisure,  shall  cultivate  their  filial  piety, 
fraternal  duty,  faithfulness,  and  truth,  serving  thereby,  at  home,  their 
fathers  and  elder  brothers,  and,  abroad,  their  elders  and  superiors;  you 
will  then  have  a  people  who  can  be  employed  with  sticks  which  they 
have  prepared  to  oppose  the  strong  buff-coats  and  sharp  weapons  of  (the 
troops  of)  Ch'in  and  Ch'u. 

4  "(The  rulers  of)  those  (States)  rob  their  people  of  their  time,  so 
that  they  cannot  plough  and  weed  their  fields  in  order  to  support  their 
parents.  Parents  suffer  from  cold  and  hunger;  elder  and  younger 
brothers,  wives  and  children,  are  separated  and  scattered  abroad. 

5  "Those  (rulers)  drive  their  people  into  pitfalls  or  into  the  water; 
and  your  Majesty  will  go  to  punish  them.  In  such  a  case,  who  will  oppose 
your  Majesty? 

6  "In  accordance  with  this  is  the  saying,  The  benevolent  has  no 
enemy!'  I  beg  your  Majesty  not  to  doubt  (what  I  said)." 

Chapter  VI 

1  Mencius  had  an  interview  with  king  Hsiang  of  Liang. 

2  When  he  came  out,  he  said  to  some  persons,  "When  I  looked  at 
him  from  a  distance,  he  did  not  appear  like  a  ruler;  when  I  drew  near 
to  him,  I  saw  nothing  venerable  about  him.  Abruptly  he  asked  me, 
'How  can  the  kingdom,  all  under  the  sky,  be  settled?' 

2  "I  replied,  'It  will  be  settled  by  being  united  under  one  (sway).' 


752  CHINESE   DEMOCRACY 

3  "  'Who  can  so  unite  it?'  (he  asked). 

4  "I  replied,  'He  who  has  no  pleasure  in  killing  men  can  so  unite  it.' 

5  "  'Who  can  give  it  to  them?'  (he  asked). 

6  "I  replied,  "All  under  heaven  will  give  it  to  him.  Does  your  Majesty 
know  the  way  of  the  growing  grain?  During  the  seventh  and  eighth 
months,  when  drought  prevails,  the  plants  become  dry.  Then  the  clouds 
collect  densely  in  the  'heavens,  and  send  down  torrents  of  rain,  so  that 
the  grain  erects  itself  as  if  by  a  shoot.  When  it  does  so,  who  can  keep  it 
back?  Now  among  those  who  are  shepherds  of  men  throughout  the 
kingdom,  there  is  not  one  who  does  not  find  pleasure  in  killing  men.  If 
there  were  one  who  did  not  find  pleasure  in  killing  men,  all  the  people 
under  the  sky  would  be  looking  towards  him  with  outstretched  necks. 
Such  being  indeed  the  case,  the  people  would  go  to  him  as  water  flows 
downwards  with  a  rush,  which  no  one  can  repress." 

Chapter  VII 

1  King  Hsiian  of  Ch'i  asked,  saying,  "May  I  be  informed  by  you  of 
the  transactions  of  Huan  of  Ch'i  and  Wen  of  Chin?" 

2  Mencius  replied,  "There  were  none  of  the  disciples  of  Chung-ni 
who  spoke  about  the  affairs  of  Huan  and  Wen,  and  therefore  they  have 
not  been  transmitted  to  (these)  after-ages;  your  servant  has  not  heard  of 
them.  If  you  will  have  me  speak,  let  it  be  about  (the  principles  of  attain- 
ing to)  the  Royal  sway." 

3  (The  king)  said,  "Of  what  kind  must  his  virtue  be  who  can 
(attain  to)  the  Royal  sway?"  (Mencius)  said,  "If  he  loves  and  protects 
the  people,  it  is  impossible  to  prevent  him  from  attaining  it." 

4  (The  king)  said,  "Is  such  a  one  as  poor  I  competent  to  love  and 
protect  the  people?"  "Yes,"  was  the  reply.  "From  what  do  you  know  that 
I  am  competent  to  that?"  "I  have  heard,"  said  (Mencius),  "from  Hu 
Heh  the  following  incident: — 'The  king,'  said  he,  'was  sitting  aloft  in  the 
hall,  when  some  people  appeared  leading  a  bull  past  below  it.  The  king 
saw  it,  and  asked  where  the  bull  was  going,  and  being  answered  that  they 
were  going  to  consecrate  a  bell  with  its  blood,  he  said,  "Let  it  go,  I 
cannot  bear  its  frightened  appearance  as  if  it  were  an  innocent  person 
going  to  the  place  of  death."  They  asked  in  reply  whether,  if  they  did  so, 
they  should  omit  the  consecration  of  the  bell;  but  (the  king)  said,  "How 
can  that  be  omitted?  Change  it  for  a  sheep."  '  I  do  not  know  whether  this 
incident  occurred." 

5  "It  did,"  said  (the  king),  and  (Mencius)  replied,  "The  heart  seen 


MENCIUS  753 

in  this  is  sufficient  to  carry  you  to  the  Royal  sway.  The  people  all  sup- 
posed that  your  Majesty  grudged  (the  animal),  but  your  servant  knows 
surely  that  it  was  your  Majesty's  not  being  able  to  bear  (the  sight  of  the 
creature's  distress  which  made  you  do  as  you  did)." 

6  The  king  said,  "You  are  right;  and  yet  there  really  was  (an  appear- 
ance of)  what  the  people  imagined.  (But)  though  Ch'i  be  narrow  and 
small,  how  should  I  grudge  a  bull?  Indeed  it  was  because  I  could  not 
bear  its  frightened  appearance,  as  if  it  were  an  innocent  person  going 
to  the  place  of  death,  that  therefore  I  changed  it  for  a  sheep." 

7  Mencius  said,  "Let  not  your  Majesty  deem  it  strange  that  the  people 
should  think  you  grudged  the  animal.  When  you  changed  a  large  one 
for  a  small,  how  should  they  know  (the  true  reason)  ?  If  you  felt  pained 
by  its  (being  led)  without  any  guilt  to  the  place  of  death,  what  was  there 
to  choose  between  a  bull  and  a  sheep?"  The  king  laughed  and  said, 
"What  really  was  my  mind  in  the  matter?  I  did  not  grudge  the  value 
of  the  bull,  and  yet  I  changed  it  for  a  sheep!  There  was  reason  in  the 
people's  saying  that  I  grudged  (the  creature)." 

8  (Mencius)  said,  "There  is  no  harm  (in  their  saying  so).  It  was  an 
artifice  of  benevolence.  You  saw  the  bull,  and  had  not  seen  the  sheep. 
So  is  the  superior  man  affected  towards  animals,  that,  having  seen  them 
alive,  he  cannot  bear  to  eat  their  flesh.  On  this  account  he  keeps  away 
from  his  stalls  and  kitchen." 

9  The  king  was  pleased  and  said,  "The  Ode R  says, 

'What  other  men  have  in  their  minds, 
I  can  measure  by  reflection! 

This  might  be  spoken  of  you,  my  Master.  I  indeed  did  the  thing,  but 
when  I  turned  my  thoughts  inward  and  sought  for  it,  I  could  not  dis- 
cover my  own  mind.  When  you,  Master,  spoke  those  words,  the  move- 
ments of  compassion  began  to  work  in  my  mind.  (But)  how  is  it  that 
this  heart  has  in  it  what  is  equal  to  the  attainment  of  the  Royal  sway?" 

10  (Mencius)  said,  "Suppose  a  man  were  to  make  this  statement  to 
your  Majesty,  'My  strength  is  sufficient  to  lift  three  thousand  catties,  but 
it  is  not  sufficient  to  lift  one  feather;  my  eyesight  is  sharp  enough  to 
examine  the  point  of  an  autumn  hair,  but  I  do  not  see  a  waggon-load  of 
faggots,'   would  your  Majesty  allow  what  he  said?"  "No,"  was  the 
(king's)  remark,  (and  Mencius  proceeded),  "Now  here  is  kindness 
sufficient  to  reach  to  animals,  and  yet  no  benefits  are  extended  from  it  to 

8  Book  of  Poetry. 


754  CHINESE  DEMOCRACY 

the  people; — how  is  this?  is  an  exception  to  be  made  here?  The  truth  is, 
the  feather's  not  being  lifted  is  because  the  strength  was  not  used;  the 
waggon-load  of  firewood's  not  being  seen  is  because  the  eyesight  was 
not  used;  and  the  people's  not  being  loved  and  protected  is  because  the 
kindness  is  not  used.  Therefore  your  Majesty's  not  attaining  to  the  Royal 
sway  is  because  you  do  not  do  it,  and  not  because  you  are  not  able  to 
do  it." 

11  (The  king)  asked,  "How  may  the  difference  between  him  who 
does  not  do  (a  thing)  and  him  who  is  not  able  to  do  it  be  graphically 
set  forth?"  (Mencius)  replied,  "In  such  a  thing  as  taking  the  T'ai  moun- 
tain under  your  arm,  and  leaping  with  it  over  the  North  sea,  if  you  say 
to  people,  'I  am  not  able  to  do  it,'  that  is  a  real  case  of  not  being  able.  In 
such  a  matter  as  breaking  off  a  branch  from  a  tree  at  the  order  of  a 
superior,  if  you  say  to  people,  'I  am  not  able  to  do  it,'  it  is  not  a  case  of 
not  being  able  to  do  it.  And  so  your  Majesty's  not  attaining  to  the  Royal 
sway  is  not  such  a  case  as  that  of  taking  the  T'ai  mountain  under  your 
arm  and  leaping  over  the  North  sea  with  it;  but  it  is  a  case  like  that  of 
breaking  off  a  branch  from  a  tree. 

12  "Treat  with  the  reverence  due  to  age  the  elders  in  your  own  family, 
so  that  those  in  the  families  of  others  shall  be  similarly  treated;  treat 
with  the  kindness  due  to  youth  the  young  in  your  own  family,  so  that 
those  in  the  families  of  others  shall  be  similarly  treated: — do  this  and  the 
kingdom  may  be  made  to  go  round  in  your  palm.  It  is  said  in  the  Book 
of  Poetry, 

'His  example  acted  on  his  wife, 

Extended  to  his  brethren, 

And  was  felt  by  all  the  clans  and  States;' 

telling  us  how  (King  Wen)  simply  took  this  (kindly)  heart,  and  exer- 
cised it  towards  those  parties.  Therefore  the  carrying  out  the  (feeling  of) 
kindness  (by  a  ruler)  will  suffice  for  the  love  and  protection  of  all  within 
the  four  seas;  and  if  he  do  not  carry  it  out,  he  will  not  be  able  to  protect 
his  wife  and  children.  The  way  in  which  the  ancients  came  greatly  to 
surpass  other  men  was  no  other  than  this,  that  they  carried  out  well 
what  they  did,  so  as  to  affect  others.  Now  your  kindness  is  sufficient  to 
reach  to  animals,  and  yet  no  benefits  are  extended  from  it  to  the  people. 
How  is  this?  Is  an  exception  to  be  made  here? 

13  "By  weighing  we  know  what  things  are  light,  and  what  heavy. 
By  measuring  we  know  what  things  are  long,  and  what  short.  All  things 


MENCIUS  755 

are  so  dealt  with,  and  the  mind  requires  specially  to  be  so.  I  beg  your 
Majesty  to  measure  it. 

14  "Your  Majesty  collects  your  equipments  of  war,  endangers  your 
soldiers  and  officers,  and  excites  the  resentment  of  the  various  princes: — 
do  these  things  cause  you  pleasure  in  your  mind?'* 

15  The  king  said,  "No.  How  should  I  derive  pleasure  from  these 
things?  My  object  in  them  is  to  seek  for  what  I  greatly  desire." 

16  (Mencius)  said,  "May  I  hear  from  you  what  it  is  that  your  Majesty 
greatly  desires?"  The  king  laughed,  and  did  not  speak.  (Mencius)  re- 
sumed, "(Are  you  led  to  desire  it),  because  you  have  not  enough  of  rich 
and  sweet  (food)  for  your  mouth?  or  because  you  have  not  enough  of 
light  and  warm  (clothing)  for  your  body?  or  because  you  have  not 
enough  of  beautifully  coloured  objects  to  satisfy  your  eyes  ?  or  because  you 
have  not  enough  of  attendants  and  favourites  to  stand  before  you  and  re- 
ceive your  orders?  Your  Majesty's  various  officers  are  sufficient  to  supply 
you  with  all  these  things.  How  can  your  Majesty  have  such  a  desire  on 
account  of  them?"  "No,"  said  the  king,  "my  desire  is  not  on  account  of 
them."  (Mencius)  observed,  "Then,  what  your  Majesty  greatly  desires 
can  be  known.  You  desire  to  enlarge  your  territories,  to  have  Ch'in  and 
Ch'u  coming  to  your  court,  to  rule  the  Middle  States,  and  to  attract  to 
you  the  barbarous  tribes  that  surround  them.  But  to  do  what  you  do  in 
order  to  seek  for  what  you  desire  is  like  climbing  a  tree  to  seek  for  fish." 

17  "Is  it  so  bad  as  that?"  said  (the  king).  "I  apprehend  it  is  worse," 
was  the  reply.  "If  you  climb  a  tree  to  seek  for  fish,  although  you  do  not 
get  the  fish,  you  have  no  subsequent  calamity.  But  if  you  do  what  you 
do  in  order  to  seek  for  what  you  desire,  doing  it  even  with  all  your  heart, 
you  will  assuredly  afterwards  meet  with  calamities."  The  king  said,  "May 
I  hear  (what  they  will  be)  ?"  (Mencius)  replied,  "If  the  people  of  Tsou 
were  fighting  with  the  people  of  Ch'u,  which  of  them  does  your  Majesty 
think  would  conquer?"  "The  people  of  Ch'u  would  conquer,"  was  the 
answer,  and  (Mencius)  pursued,  "So  then,  a  small  State  cannot  contend 
with  a  great,  few  cannot  contend  with  many,  nor  can  the  weak  contend 
with  the  strong.  The  territory  within  the  seas  would  embrace  nine 
divisions,  each  of  a  thousand  li  square.  All  Ch'i  together  is  one  of  them. 
If  with  one  part  you  try  to  subdue  the  other  eight,  what  is  the  difference 
between  that  and  Tsou's  contending  with  Ch'u?  (With  the  desire  which 
you  have),  you  must  turn  back  to  the  proper  course  (for  its  attainment). 

18  "Now  if  your  Majesty  will  institute  a  government  whose  action 
shall  all  be  benevolent,  this  will  cause  all  the  officers  in  the  kingdom  to 


756  CHINESE   DEMOCRACY 

wish  to  stand  in  your  Majesty's  fields,  the  merchants,  both  travelling  and 
stationary,  all  to  wish  to  store  their  goods  in  your  Majesty's  market-places, 
travellers, and  visitors  all  to  wish  to  travel  on  your  Majesty's  roads,  and 
all  under  heaven  who  feel  aggrieved  by  their  rulers  to  wish  to  come  and 
complain  to  your  Majesty.  When  they  are  so  bent,  who  will  be  able  to 
keep  them  back?" 

19  The  king  said,  "I  am  stupid,  and  cannot  advance  to  this.  (But)  I 
wish  you,  my  Master,  to  assist  my  intentions.  Teach  me  clearly,  and 
although  I  am  deficient  in  intelligence  and  vigour,  I  should  like  to  try 
at  least  (to  institute  such  a  government)." 

20  (Mencius)  replied,  "They  are  only  men  of  education,  who,  with- 
out a  certain  livelihood,8  are  able  to  maintain  a  fixed  heart.  As  to  the 
people,  if  they  have  not  a  certain  livelihood,  they  will  be  found  not  to 
have  a  fixed  heart.  And  if  they  have  not  a  fixed  heart,  there  is  nothing 
which  they  will  not  do  in  the  way  of  self-abandonment,  of  moral  deflec- 
tion, of  depravity,  and  of  wild  license.  When  they  have  thus  been  in- 
volved in  crime,  to  follow  them  up  and  punish  them,  is  to  entrap  the 
people.  How  can  such  a  thing  as  entrapping  the  people  be  done  under 
the  rule  of  a  benevolent  man? 

21  "Therefore  an  intelligent  ruler  will  regulate  the  livelihood  of  the 
people,  so  as  to  make  sure  that,  above,  they  shall  have  sufficient  wherewith 
to  serve  their  parents,  and  below,  sufficient  wherewith  to  support  their 
wives  and  children;  that  in  good  years  they  shall  always  be  abundantly 
satisfied,  and  that  in  bad  years  they  shall  not  be  in  danger  of  perishing. 
After  this  he  may  urge  them,  and  they  will  proceed  to  what  is  good,  for 
in  this  case  the  people  will  follow  after  that  with  readiness. 

22  "But  now,  the  livelihood  of  the  people  is  so  regulated,  that,  above, 
they  have  not  sufficient  wherewith  to  serve  their  parents,  and  below,  they 
have  not  sufficient  wherewith  to  support  their  wives  and  children;  (even) 
in  good  years  their  lives  are  always  embittered,  and  in  bad  years  they 
are  in  danger  of  perishing.  In  such  circumstances  their  only  object  is  to 
escape  from  death,  and  they  are  afraid  they  will  not  succeed  in  doing  so; 
— what  leisure  have  they  to  cultivate  propriety  and  righteousness? 

23  "If  your  Majesty  wishes  to  carry  out  (a  benevolent  government), 
why  not  turn  back  to  what  is  the  essential  step  (to  its  attainment)  ? 

24  "Let  mulberry-trees  be  planted  about  the  homesteads  with  their 
five  acres,6a  and  persons  of  fifty  years  will  be  able  to  wear  silk.  In  keeping 

'Ts'an,  property:  same  with  the  following  paragraphs. 
6fl  Really  mu.  The  modern  mu  is  one-sixth  of  an  "acre." 


MENCIUS  757 

fowls,  pigs,  dogs,  and  swine,  let  not  their  times  of  breeding  be  neglected, 
and  persons  of  seventy  years  will  be  able  to  eat  flesh.  Let  there  not  be 
taken  away  the  time  that  is  proper  for  the  cultivation  of  the  field-allot- 
ment of  a  hundred  acres,  and  the  family  of  eight  mouths  will  not  suffer 
from  hunger.  Let  careful  attention  be  paid  to  the  teaching  in  the  various 
schools,  with  repeated  inculcation  of  the  filial  and  fraternal  duties,  and 
gray-haired  men  will  not  be  seen  upon  the  roads,  carrying  burdens  on 
their  backs  or  on  their  heads.  It  has  never  been  that  (the  ruler  of  a  State) 
where  these  results  were  seen,  the  old  wearing  silk  and  eating  flesh,  and 
the  black-haired  people  suffering  neither  from  hunger  nor  cold,  did  not 
attain  to  the  Royal  dignity." 


BOOK  I,  PART  II 

Chapter  I 

1  Chuang  Pao,  (having  gone  to)  see  Mencius,  said  to  him,  "I  hac 
an  audience  of  the  king.  His  Majesty  told  me  about  his  loving  music, 
and  I  was  not  prepared  with  anything  to  reply  to  him.  What  do  you 
pronounce  concerning  (that)  love  of  music?"  Mencius  said,  "If  the  king's 
love  of  music  were  very  great,  the  kingdom  of  Ch'i  would  be  near  to 
(being  well  governed) ." 

2  Another  day,  Mencius  had  an  audience  of  the  king,  and  said,  "Your 
Majesty,  (I  have  heard),  told  the  officer  Chuang  about  your  love  of 
music; — was  it  so?"  The  king  changed  colour,  and  said,  "I  am  unable 
to  love  the  music  of  the  ancient  kings;  I  only  love  the  music  that  suits  the 
manners  of  the  (present)  age." 

3  (Mencius)  said,  "If  your  Majesty 's  love  of  music  were  very  great 
Ch'i,  I  apprehend,  would  be  near  to  (being  well  governed).  The  music; 
of  the  present  day  is  just  like  the  music  of  antiquity  (for  effecting  that)." 

4  (The  king)  said,  "May  I  hear  (the  proof  of  what  you  say)  ?K 
"Which  is  the  more  pleasant,"  was  the  reply,— "to  enjoy  music  by  your* 
self  alone,  or  to  enjoy  it  along  with  others?"  "To  enjoy  it  along  with 
others,"  said  (the  king).  "And  which  is  the  more  pleasant,"  pursued 
(Mencius), — "to  enjoy  music  along  with  a  few,  or  to  enjoy  it  along  with 
many?"  "To  enjoy  it  along  with  many,"  replied  (the  king). 

5  (Mencius  went  on),  "Will  you  allow  your  servant  to  speak  to  your 
Majesty  about  music? 


758  CHINESE  DEMOCRACY 

6  "Your  Majesty  is  having  music  here. — The  people  hear  the  sound 
of  your  bells  and  drums,  and  the  notes  of  your  reeds  and  flutes,  and  they 
all,  with  aching  heads,  knit  their  brows,  and  say  to  one  another,  'That's 
how  our  king  loves  music!  But  why  does  he  reduce  us  to  this  extremity 
(of  distress)  ?  Fathers  and  sons  do  not  see  one  another;  elder  brothers 
and  younger  brothers,  wives  and  children,  are  separated  and  scattered 
abroad.'  Again,  your  Majesty  is  hunting  here.  The  people  hear  the  noise 
of  your  carriages  and  horses,  and  see  the  beauty  of  your  plumes  and 
pennons,  and  they  all,  with  aching  heads,  knit  their  brows,  and  say  to 
one  another,  'That's  how  our  king  loves  hunting!  But  why  does  he 
reduce  us  to  this  extremity  of  distress?  Fathers  and  sons  do  not  see  one 
another;  elder  brothers  and  younger  brothers,  wives  and  children,  are 
separated  and  scattered  abroad.'  This  is  from  no  other  cause,  but  that  you 
do  not  give  the  people  to  have  pleasure  as  well  as  yourself. 

7  "Your  Majesty  is  having  music  here. — The  people  hear  the  sound 
of  your  bells  and  drums,  and  the  notes  of  your  reeds  and  flutes,  and  they 
all,  delighted  and  with  joyful  looks,  say  to  one  another,  'That  sounds  as 
if  our  king  were  free  from  all  sickness!  What  fine  music  he  is  able  to 
have!'  Again,  You/  Majesty  is  hunting  here. — The  people  hear  the  noise 
of  your  carriages  and  horses,  and  see  the  beauty  of  your  plumes  and 
pennons,  and  they  all,  delighted  and  with  joyful  looks,  say  to  one  an- 
other, 'That  looks  as  if  our  king  were  free  from  all  sickness!  How  he  is 
able  to  hunt!'  This  is  from  no  other  reason  but  that  you  cause  the  people 
to  have  pleasure  as  well  as  yourself. 

8  "If  your  Majesty  now  will  make  pleasure  a  thing  common  to  the 
people  and  yourself,  the  Royal  sway  awaits  you." 

Chapter  II 

i  King  Hsiian  of  Ch'i  asked,  "Was  it  so  that  the  park  of  king  Wen 
contained  seventy  square  It?"  Mencius  replied,  "It  is  so  in  the  Records." 

2.  "Was  it  so  large  as  that?"  said  (the  king).  "The  people,"  said 
(Mencius),  "still  considered  it  small."  "My  park,"  responded  (the  king), 
"contains  (only)  forty  square  li,  and  the  people  still  consider  it  large. 
How^is  this?"  "The  park  of  king  Wen," — said  (Mencius),  "contained 
seventy  square  //,  but  the  grass-cutters  and  fuel-gatherers  (had  the 
privilege  of)  resorting  to  it,  and  so  also  had  the  catchers  of  pheasants  and 
hares.  He  shared  it  with  the  people,  and  was  it  not  with  reason  that  they 
looked  on  it  as  smaJJ  ? 


M  E  N  c  i  u  s  759 

3  "When  I  first  arrived  at  your  frontiers,  I  enquired  about  the  great 
prohibitory  regulations  before  I  would  venture  to  enter  (the  country) ; 
and  I  heard  that  inside  the  border-gates  there  was  a  park  of  forty  square 
li,  and  that  he  who  killed  a  deer  in  it,  whether  large  or  small,  was  held 
guilty  of  the  same  crime  as  if  he  had  killed  a  man.  In  this  way  those 
forty  square  //  are  a  pitfall  (trap)  in  the  middle  of  the  kingdom.  Is  it 
not  with  reason  that  the  people  look  upon  (your  park)  as  large?" 

Chapter  VII 

1  Mencius,  having  (gone  to)  see  king  Hsiian  of  Ch'i,  said  to  him, 
*When  men  speak  of  'an  ancient  kingdom/  it  is  not  meant  thereby  that 
it  has  lofty  trees  in  it,  but  that  it  has  ministers  (sprung  from  families 
that  have  been  noted  in  it)  for  generations.  Your  Majesty  has  no  minis- 
ters with  whom  you  are  personally  intimate.  Those  whom  you  advanced 
yesterday  are  gone  to-day,  and  you  do  not  know  it." 

2  The  king  said,  "How  shall  I  know  that  they  have  no  ability,  and 
avoid  employing  them  at  all?" 

3  The  reply  was,  "A  ruler  advances  to  office  (new)  men  of  talents 
and  virtue  (only)  as  a  matter  of  necessity.  As  he  thereby  causes  the  low 
to  overstep  the  honourable  and  strangers  to  overstep  his  relatives,  ought 
he  to  do  so  but  with  caution  ? 

4  "When  all  those  about  you  say  (of  a  man),  'He  is  a  man  of  talents 
and  virtue/  do  not  immediately  (believe  them).  When  your  great  officers 
all  say,  'He  is  a  man  of  talents  and  virtue/  do  not  immediately  (believe 
them).  When  your  people  all  say,  'He  is  a  man  of  talents  and  virtue/ 
then  examine  into  his  character;  and,  when  you  find  that  he  is  such 
indeed,  then  afterwards  employ  him.  When  all  those  about  you  say,  'He 
will  not  do/  do  not  listen  to  them.  When  your  great  officers  all  say,  'He 
will  not  do/  do  not  listen  to  them.  When  your  people  all  say,  'He  will 
not  do/  then  examine  into  his  character;  and  when  you  find  that  he  will 
not  do,  then  afterwards  send  him  away. 

5  "When  those  about  you  all  say  (of  a  man),  'He  deserves  death/  do 
not  listen  to  them.  When  your  great  officers  all  say,  'He  deserves  death/ 
do  not  listen  to  them.  When  your  people  all  say,  'He  deserves  death/ 
then  examine  into  his  case;  and  when  you  find  that  he  deserves  death, 
then  afterwards  put  him  to  death.  In  accordance  with  this  we  have  the 
saying,  'The  people  put  him  to  death.' 

6  "Act  in  this  way  and  you  will  be  the  parent  of  the  people." 


760  CHINESE   DEMOCRACY 

Chapter  VIII 

1  King  Hsiian  of  Ch'i  asked,  saying,  "Was  it  so  that  T'ang  banished 
Chieh,  and  king  Wu  smote  Chou?"  Mencius  replied,  "It  is  so  in  the 
Records." 

2  (The  king)  said,  "May  a  subject  put  his  ruler  to  death?" 

3  The  reply  was,  "He  who  outrages  benevolence  is  called  a  ruffian,7 
he  who  outrages  righteousness  is  called  a  villain.  The  ruffian  and  villain 
we  call  a  mere  fellow.  I  have  heard  of  the  cutting  off  of  the  fellow 
Chou8;  I  have  not  heard  of  the  putting  a  ruler  to  death  (in  his  case)." 

Chapter  X 

1  The  people  of  Ch'i  attacked  Yen,  and  conquered  it. 

2  King  Hsiian  asked,  saying,  "Some  tell  me  not  to  take  possession  of 
it,  and  some  tell  me  to  take  possession  of  it.  For  a  kingdom  of  ten 
thousand  chariots  to  attack  another  of  the  same  strength,  and  to  complete 
the  conquest,  of  it  in  fifty  days,  is  an  achievement  beyond  (mere)  human 
strength.  If  I  do  not  take  it,  calamities  from  Heaven  will  surely  come 
upon  me: — what  do  you  say  to  my  taking  possession  of  it?" 

3  Mencius  replied,  "If  the  people  of  Yen  will  be  pleased  with  your 
taking  possession  of  it,  do  so. — Among  the  ancients  there  was  (one)  who 
acted  in  this  way,  namely  king  Woo.  If  the  people  of  Yen  will  not  be 
pleased  with  your  taking  possession  of  it,  do  not.  Among  the  ancients 
there  was  one  who  acted  in  this  way,  namely  king  We. 

4  "When  with  (the  strength  of)  your  kingdom  of  ten  thousand 
chariots  you  attacked  another  of  the  same  strength  and  they  met  your 
Majesty's  army  with  baskets  of  rice  and  vessels  of  congee,  was  there  any 
other  reason  for  this  but  that  they  (hoped  to)  escape  out  of  fire  and 
water?  8 

If  (you  make)  the  water  more  deep  and  the  fire  more  fierce,  they  will 
just  in  like  manner  make  another  revolution." 

Chapter  XI 

i  The  people  of  Ch'i  having  attacked  Yen  and  taken  possession  of  it, 
the  (other)  princes  proposed  to  take  measures  to  deliver  Yen.  King 
Hsiian  said,  "As  the  princes  are  many  of  them  consulting  to  attack  me, 
how  shall  I  prepare  myseli  for  them?"  Mencius  replied,  "I  have  heard 

7  Tsei  should  read  "thief."  *  "In  deep  water"  or  distress. 

8  The  last  tyrant  emperor  of  Shang. 


M  E  N  C  I  U  S  761 

of  one  who  with  seventy  U  gave  law  to  the  whole  kingdom,  but  I  have 
not  heard  of  (a  ruler)  who  with  a  thousand  //  was  afraid  of  others. 

2  "The  Book  of  History  says,  *  When  T'ang  began  his  work  of  punish- 
ment, he  commenced  with  Ko.  All  under  heaven  had  confidence  in  him. 
When  the  work  went  on  in  the  east,  the  wild  tribes  of  the  west  mur- 
mured. When  it  went  on  in  the  south,  those  of  the  north  murmured. 
They  said,  "Why  does  he  make  us  the  last?"  The  looking  of  the  peo- 
ple for  him  was  like  the  looking  in  a  time  of  great  drought  for  clouds 
and  rainbows.  The  frequenters  of  the  markets  stopped  not;  the  husband- 
men made  no  change  (in  their  operations).  While  he  took  off  their 
rulers,  he  consoled  the  people.  (His  progress)  was  like  the  falling  of 
seasonable  ram,  and  the  people  were  delighted.'  It  is  said  (again)  in  the 
Book  of  History,  'We  have  waited  for  our  prince  (long) ;  the  prince's 
coming  is  our  reviving/ 

3  "Now  (the  ruler  of)  Yen  was  tyrannizing  over  his  people,  and  your 
Majesty  went  and  punished  him.  The  people  supposed  that  you  were 
going  to  deliver  them  out  of  the  water  and  the  fire,  and  with  baskets  of 
rice  and  vessels  of  congee  they  met  your  Majesty's  host.  But  you  have 
slain  their  fathers  and  elder  brothers,  and  put  their  sons  and  younger 
brothers  in  chains;  you  have  pulled  down  the  ancestral  temple  (of  the 
rulers),  and  are  carrying  away  its  precious  vessels: — how  can  such  a 
course  be  admitted?  (The  other  States  of)  the  kingdom  were  afraid  of 
the  strength  of  Ch'i  before;  and  now  when  with  a  doubled  territory  you 
do  not  exercise  a  benevolent  government,  this  puts  the  arms  of  the 
kingdom  in  motion  (against  you). 

4  "If  your  Majesty  will  make  haste  to  issue  an  order,  restoring  (your 
captives)  old  and  young,  and  stopping  (the  removal  of)  the  precious 
vessels;  (and  if  then)  you  will  consult  with  the  people  of  Yen,  appoint 
(for  them)  a  (new)  ruler,  and  afterwards  withdraw  from  the  country: — 
in  this  way  you  may  still  be  able  to  stop  (the  threatened  attack) ." 

Chapter  XII 

i  There  had  been  a  skirmish  between  (some  troops  of)  Tsou  and 
Lu,  (in  reference  to  which,)  duke  Mu  asked,  saying,  "Of  my  officers 
there  were  killed  thirty-three  men  and  none  of  the  people  would  die  in 
their  defence.  If  I  would  put  them  to  death,  it  is  impossible  to  deal  so 
with  so  many;  if  I  do  not  put  them  to  death,  then  there  is  (the  crime 
unpunished  of)  their  looking  on  with  evil  eyes  at  the  death  of  their 


762  CHINESE   DEMOCRACY 

officers,  and  not  saving  them:-— how  is  the  exigency  of  the  case  to  be 
met?" 

2  Mencius  replied,  "In  calamitous  years  and  years  of  famine  the  old 
and  weak  of  your  people  who  have  been  found  lying  in  ditches  and 
water-channels,  and  the  able-bodied  who  have  been  scattered  about  to 
the  four  quarters,  have  mounted  to  thousands.  All  the  while,  your  grana- 
ries, O  prince,  have  been  stored  with  rice  and  other  grain,  and  your 
treasuries  and  arsenals  have  been  full,  and  not  one  of  your  officers  has 
told  you  (of  the  distress); — so  negligent  have  the  superiors  (in  your 
State)  been,  and  cruel  to  their  inferiors.  The  philosopher  Tseng  said, 
'Beware,  beware.  What  proceeds  from  you  will  return  to  you.'  Now  at 
last  the  people  have  had  an  opportunity  to  return  (their  conduct);  do 
not  you,  O  prince,  blame  them. 

3  "If  you  will  practice  a  benevolent  government,  then  the  people  will 
love  all  above  them,  and  will  die  for  their  officers." 


BOOK  II,  PART  I 
Chapter  VI 

1  Mencius  said,  "All  men  have  a  mind  which  cannot  bear  (to  sec  the 
sufferings  of)  others.10 

2  "The  ancient  kings  had  this  commiserating  mind,10  and  they  had 
likewise,  as  a  matter  of  course,  a  commiserating  government."  When 
with  a  commiserating  mind  there  was  practised  a  commiserating  govern- 
ment, to  bring  all  under  heaven  to  order  was  (as  easy)  as  to  make  (a 
small  thing)  go  round  in  the  palm. 

3  "The  ground  on  which  I  say  that  all  men  have  a  mind  which  can- 
not bear  (to  see  suffering  of)  others  is  this: — Even  now-a-days,  when 
men  suddenly  see  a  child  about  to  fall  into  a  well,  they  will  all  experience 
a  feeling  of  alarm  and  distress.  They  will  feel  so  not  that  they  may  there- 
on gain  the  favour  of  the  child's  parents;  nor  that  they  may  seek  the 
praise  of  their  neighbours  and  friends;  nor  from  a  dislike  to  the  reputa- 
tion of  (being  unmoved  by)  such  a  thing." 

4  "Looking  at  the  matter  from  this  case,  (we  may  sec  that)  to  be 
without  this  feeling  of  distress  is  not  human,  and  that  it  is  not  human 

10  Or  simpler:  "have  a  heart  of  mercy."  Same  with  following  sentences. 

11  Simpler:  "a  rule  of  mercy." 

"  Based  on  Mcncian  idea  that  human  nature  is  innately  good. 


MENCIUS  763 

to  be  without  the  feeling  of  shame  and  dislike,  or  to  be  without  the  feeling 
of  modesty  and  complaisance,  or  to  be  without  the  feeling  of  approving 
and  disapproving.1* 

5  "That  feeling  of  distress  is  the  principle  of  benevolence;  the  feeling 
of  shame  and  dislike  is  the  principle  of  righteousness;  the  feeling  of 
modesty  and  complaisance  is  the  principle  of  propriety;  and  the  feeling 
of  approving  and  disapproving  is  the  principle  of  knowledge. 

6  "Men  have  these  four  principles  just  as  they  have  their  four  limbs. 
When  men,  having  these  four  principles,  yet  say  of  themselves  that  they 
cannot  (manifest  them),  they  play  the  thief  with14  themselves;  and  he 
who  says  of  his  ruler  that  he  cannot  (manifest  them),  plays  the  thief 
with  his  ruler. 

7  "Since  we  all  have  the  four  principles  in  ourselves,  let  us  know  to 
give  them  all  their  development  and  completion,  and  the  issue  will  be 
like  that  of  a  fire  which  has  begun  to  burn,  or  of  a  spring  which  has 
begun  to  find  bent.  Let  them  have  their  full  development,  and  they  will 
suffice  to  love  and  protect  all  (within)  the  four  seas;  let  them  be  denied 
that  development,  and  they  will  not  suffice  for  a  man  to  serve  his 
parents  with." 


BOOK  II,  PART  II 

Chapter  I 

1  Mcncius  said,  "Opportunities  of  time  (vouchsafed  by)  Heaven  are 
not  equal  to  advantages  of  situation  (afforded  by)  the  earth,  and  advan- 
tages of  situation  (afforded  by)  the  earth  are  not  equal  to  the  strength 
(arising  from  the)  accord  of  men.1* 

2  "(There  is  a  city),  with  an  inner  wall  of  three  //  in  circumference 
and  an  outer  wall  of  seven.  (The  enemy)  surround  and  attack  it,  but  are 
not  able  to  take  it.  Now,  to  surround  and  attack  it,  there  must  have  been 
vouchsafed  to  them  by  Heaven  the  opportunity  of  time,  and  in  such  case 

M Should  read:  "He  who  has  not  a  heart  of  mercy  is  not  a  man;  who  has  not  a  sense  of 
shame  is  not  a  man;  who  has  not  a  sense  of  courtesy  and  consideration  for  others  is  not  a 
man;  who  is  without  a  sense  of  nght  and  wrong  is  not  a  man."  Similar  substitutions  should 
be  made  for  the  following  paragraph. 
"Really  "injure." 

"Mencius  is  briefer:  Weather  is  less  important  than  terrain;  terrain  is  less  important  than 
people's  unity  (morale).  Same  substitutions  in  the  following  two  paragraphs  will  make 
them  immediately  dearer. 


764  CHINESE  DEMOCRACY 

their  not  taking  it  is  because  opportunities  of  time  (vouchsafed  by) 
Heaven  are  not  equal  to  advantages  of  situation  (afforded  by)  the  earth. 

3  "(There  is  a  city)  whose  walls  are  as  high  and  moats  as  deep  as 
could  be  desired,  and  where  the  arms  and  mail  (of  its  defenders)  arc 
distinguished  for  their  sharpness  and  strength,  and  the  (stores  of)  rice 
and  grain  are  abundant;  yet  it  has  to  be  given  up  and  abandoned.  This 
is  because  advantages  of  situation  (afforded  by)  the  earth  are  not  equal 
to  the  (strength  arising  from  the)  accord  of  men. 

4  "In  accordance  with  these  principles  it  is  said,  *A  people  is  bounded 
in  not  by  the  limits  of  dykes  and  borders;  a  State  is  secured  not  by  the 
strengths  of  mountains  and  streams;  the  kingdom  is  overawed  not  by 
the  sharpness  of  arms  (and  strength)  of  mail.'  He  who  finds  the  proper 
course  "  has  many  to  assist  him,  and  he  who  loses  it  has  few.  When  this — 
the  being  assisted  by  few — reaches  the  extreme  point,  (a  ruler's)  own 
relatives  and  connexions  revolt  from  him.  When  the  being  assisted  by 
many  reaches  its  extreme  point,  all  under  heaven  become  obedient  (to 
the  ruler). 

5  "When  one  to  whom  all  under  heaven  are  prepared  to  become 
obedient  attacks  one  from  whom  his  own  relatives  and  connexions  are 
ready  to  revolt,  (what  must  the  result  be?)  Therefore  the  true  ruler  will 
(prefer)  not  (to)  fight,  but  if  he  do  fight,  he  is  sure  to  overcome." 

BOOK  III,  PART  I 

Chapter  111 

13  (The  Duke  Wen  of  T'eng)  sent  Pi  Chan  to  ask  about  the  nine- 
squares  system17  of  dividing  the  land.  Mencius  said  to  him,  "Since  your 
ruler,  wishing  to  put  in  practice  a  benevolent  government,  has  made 
choice  of  you,  and  put  you  into  this  employment,  you  must  use  all  your 
efforts.  Benevolent  government  must  commence  with  the  definition  of 
the  boundaries.  If  the  boundaries  be  not  defined  correctly,  the  division 
of  the  land  into  squares  will  not  be  equal,  and  the  produce  (available 
for)  salaries  will  not  be  evenly  distributed.  On  this  account,  oppressive 
rulers  and  impure  ministers  are  sure  to  neglect  the  defining  of  the 
boundaries.  When  the  boundaries  have  been  defined  correctly,  the  divi- 

w  Tao,  the  true  teaching. 

17  The  ancient  communal  farm  system,  dividing  a  lot  into  nine  equal  squares,  the  middle 

one  being  the  government  farm. 


MENCIUS  765 

sion  of  the  fields  and  the  regulation  of  the  salaries  may  be  determined 
(by  you)  sitting  (at  your  case). 

14  "Although  the  territory  of  T'eng  be  narrow  and  small,  there  must 
be  in  it,  I  apprehend,  men  of  a  superior  grade,  and  there  must  be  in  it 
countrymen.  If  there  were  not  men  of  a  superior  grade,  there  would  be 
none  to  rule  the  countrymen;  if  there  were  not  countrymen,  there  would 
be  none  to  support  the  men  of  superior  grade. 

15  "I  would  ask  you,  in  the  (purely)  country  districts,  to  observe  the 
nine-square  division,  having  one  square  cultivated  on  the  system  of 
mutual  aid;  and  in  the  central  parts  of  the  State,  to  levy  a  tenth,  to  be 
paid  by  the  cultivators  themselves." 

16  "From  the  highest  officers  downwards,  each  one  must  have  (his) 
holy  field,1'  consisting  of  fifty  acres. 

17  "Let  the  supernumerary  males  have  (their)  twenty-five  acres. 

1 8  "On  occasions  of  death,  or  of  removing  from  one  dwelling  to 
another,  there  will  be  no  quitting  the  district.  In  the  fields  of  a  district, 
those  who  belong  to  the  same  nine-squares  render  all  friendly  offices  to 
one  another  in  their  going  out  and  coming  in,  aid  one  another  in  keeping 
watch  and  ward,  and  sustain  one  another  in  sickness.  Thus  the  people 
will  be  led  to  live  in  affection  and  harmony. 

19  "A  square  //  covers  nine  squares  of  land,  which  nine  squares 
contain  nine  hundred  acres.  The  central  square  contains  the  public 
fields;  and  eight  families,  each  having  its  own  hundred  acres,"  cultivate 
them  together.  And  it  is  not  till  the  public  work  is  finished  that  they 
presume  to  attend  to  their  private  fields.  (This  is)  the  way  by  which  the 
country-men  are  distinguished  (from  those  of  a  superior  grade). 

20  "These  are  the  great  outlines  (of  the  system).  Happily  to  modify 
and  adapt  them  depends  on  your  ruler  and  you." 


BOOK  III,  PART  II 

Chapter  VIII 

i    "Tai  Ying-chih  said  (to  Mencius),  "I  am  not  able  at  present  and 
immediately  to  do  with  a  tithe  (only),  and  abolish  (at  the  same  time) 

18  Should  read:  "In  the  confines  of  the  city  (where  land  cannot  be  divided  into  nine- 
squares)  to  levy  a  tithe  calculated  by  the  tax-payers." 

19  For  keeping  up  sacrifices. 

*  Really  mu,  one  sixth  of  an  acre. 


CHINESE   DEMOCRACY 

the  duties  charged  at  the  passes  and  in  the  markets.  With  your  leave  I 
will  lighten  all  (the  present  extraordinary  exactions)  until  next  year,  and 
then  make  an  end  of  them.  What  do  you  think  of  such  a  course?" 

2  Mencius  said,  "Here  is  a  man  who  every  day  appropriates  the  fowls 
of  his  neighbours  that  stray  to  his  premises.  Some  one  says  to  him,  'Such 
is  not  the  way  of  a  good  man,'  and  he  replies,  'With  your  leave  I  will 
diminish  my  appropriations,  and  will  take  only  one  fowl  a  month,  until 
next  year,  when  I  will  make  an  end  of  the  practice  altogether.' 

3  "If  you  know  that  the  thing  is  unrighteous,  then  put  an  end  to  it 
with  all  despatch; — why  wait  till  next  year?" 

Chaffer  X 

1  K'uang  Chang  said  (to  Mencius),  "Is  not  Mr.  Ch'en  Chung  a  man 
of  true  self-denying  purity  ?  He  was  living  in  Wu-ling,  and  for  three  days 
was  without  food,  till  he  could  neither  hear  nor  see.  Over  a  well  there 
grew  a  plum  tree,  a  fruit  of  which  had  been,  more  than  half  of  it,  eaten 
by  worms.  He  crawled  to  it,  and  tried  to  eat  (some  of  this  fruit),  when, 
after  swallowing  three  mouthfuls,  he  recovered  his  sight  and  hearing." 

2  Mencius  replied,  "Among  the  scholars  of  Ch'i  I  must  regard  Chung 
as  the  thumb  (among  the  fingers) .  But  still,  how  can  he  be  regarded  as 
having  that  self-denying  purity?  To  carry  out  the  principles  which  he 
holds,  one  must  become  an  earth-worm,  for  so  only  can  it  be  done. 

•  3  "Now  an  earth-worm  eats  the  dry  mould  above,  and  drinks  the 
yellow  spring  below.  Was  the  house  in  which  Mr.  Chung  lives  built  by  a 
Poyi  ?  or  was  it  built  by  a  robber  like  Cheh?  Was  the  grain  which  he  cats 
planted  by  a  Poyi?  or  was  it  planted  by  a  robber  like  Cheh?  These  are 
things  which  cannot  be  known." 

4  "But,"  said  (Chang),  "what  does  that  matter?  He  himself  weaves 
sandals  of  hemp,  and  his  wife  twists  hempen  threads,  which  they  ex- 
change (for  other  things)." 

5  (Mencius)  rejoined,  "Mr.  Chung  belongs  to  an  ancient  and  noble 
family  of  Ch'i.  His  elder  brother  Tai  received  from  Kai  a  revenue  of 
10,000  chung,  but  he  considered  his  brother's  emolument  to  be  un- 
righteous, and  would  not  dwell  in  the  place.  Avoiding  his  brother,  and 
leaving  his  mother,  he  went  and  dwelt  in  Wu-ling.  One  day  afterwards, 
he  returned  (to  their  house),  when  it  happened  that  some  one  sent  his 
brother  a  present  of  a  live  goose.  He,  knitting  his  brows,  said,  'What  arc 
you  going  to  use  that  cackling  thing  for?'  By-and-by,  his  mother  killed 
the  goose,  and  gave  him  some  of  it  to  cat.  (Just  then)  his  brother  came 


MENCIUS  767 

into  the  house  and  said,  'It's  the  flesh  of  that  cackling  thing/  on  which  he 
went  out,  and  vomited  it. 

6  "Thus  what  his  mother  gave  him  he  would  not  eat,  but  what  his 
wife  gives  him  he  eats.  He  will  not  dwell  in  his  brother's  house,  but  he 
dwells  in  Wu-ling.  How  can  he  in  such  circumstances  complete  the  style 
of  life  which  he  professes?  With  such  principles  as  Mr.  Chung  holds,  (a 
man  must  be)  an  earth-worm,  and  then  he  can  carry  them  out." 


BOOK  IV,  PART  I 
Chapter  VII 

i  Mcncius  said,  "When  right  government  prevails  through  the  king 
dom,  (princes  of)  little  virtue  are  submissive  to  those  of  great,  and  (those 
of)  little  worth  to  (those  of)  great.  When  bad  government  prevails,  the 
small  arc  submissive  to  the  large,  and  the  weak  to  the  strong.21  Both  these 
cases  are  (the  law  of)  Heaven.  They  who  accord  with  Heaven  are  pre- 
served; they  who  rebel  against  Heaven  perish. 

Chapter  VIII 

4  "A  man  must  (first)  despise  himself,  and  then  others  will  despise 
him.  A  family  must  (first)  overthrow  itself,  and  then  others  will  over- 
throw it.  A  State  must  (first)  smite  itself,  and  then  others  will  smite  it. 

5  "This  is  illustrated  by  the  passage  in  the  T'ai-chia,  'Calamities  sent 
by  Heaven  may  be  avoided;  but  when  we  bring  on  the  calamities  our- 
selves, it  is  not  possible  to  live.'  " 

Chapter  IX 

i  Mencius  said,  "Chieh  and  Chou's*  losing  the  kingdom  arose  from 
their  losing  the  people;  and  to  lose  the  people  means  to  lose  their  hearts. 
There  is  a  way  to  get"  the  kingdom;— get  the  people,  and  the  kingdom 
is  got.  There  is  a  way  to  get  the  people;— get  their  hearts,  and  the  people 
are  got.  There  is  a  way  to  get  their  hearts;— it  is  simply  to  collect  for 
them  what  they  desire,  and  not  to  lay  on  them  what  they  dislike. 

n  More  exactly  and  clearly:  "When  the  right  teachings  prevail,  the  moral  inferior  serve  the 

moral  superior,  and  the  mental  inferior  serve  the  mental  superior.  When  the  nght  teachings 

do  not  prevail,  the  small  serve  the  big  and  the  weak  serve  the  strong." 

*  The  tyrant  Chou,  not  the  Chou  Dynasty. 

"Substitute  "win"  throughout,  and  it  will  immediately  read  better. 


768  CHINESE   DEMOCRACY 

2  "The  people  turn  to  a  benevolent  (rule)  as  water  flows  downwards, 
and  as  wild  beasts  run  to  the  wilds. 

3  "Accordingly  (as)  the  otter  aids  the  deep  waters,  driving  the  fish  to 
them,  and  (as)  the  hawk  aids  the  thickets,  driving  the  little  birds  to 
them,  (so)  did  Chieh  and  Chou  aid  Tang  and  Wu,  driving  the  people 
to  them. 

4  "If  among  the  present  rulers  throughout  the  kingdom  there  were 
one  who  loved  benevolence,  all  the  (other)  princes  would  aid  him  by 
driving  the  people  to  him.  Although  he  wished  not  to  exercise  the  royal 
sway,  he  could  not  avoid  doing  so. 

Chapter  XIV 

1  Mencius  said,  "Ch'iu  acted  as  chief  officer  to  the  Head  of  the  Chi 
family,  whose  (evil)  ways  he  was  unable  to  change,  while  he  exacted 
from  the  people  double  the  grain  which  they  had  formerly  paid.  Con- 
fucius said,  'He  is  no  disciple  of  mine.  Little  children,  beat  the  drum  and 
assail  him/ 

2  "Looking  at  the  subject  from  this  case,  (we  perceive  that)  when  a 
ruler  who  was  not  practising  benevolent  government,  all  (his  ministers) 
who  enriched  him  were  disowned  by  Confucius; — how  much  more 
(would  he  have  disowned)  those  who  are  vehement  to  fight  (for  their 
ruler)!  Some  contention  about  territory  is  the  ground  on  which  they 
fight,  and  they  slaughter  men  till  the  fields  are  filled  with  them;  or  they 
fight  for  the  possession  of  some  fortified  city,  and  slaughter  men  till  the 
walls  are  covered  with  them.  This  is  what  is  called  'leading  land  on  to 
devour  human  flesh.' 24  Death  is  not  enough  for  such  a  crime. 

3  "Therefore  those  who  are  skillful  to  fight  should  suffer  the  highest 
punishment.25  Next  to  them  (should  be  punished)  those  who  unite  the 
princes  in  leagues;  and  next  to  them,  those  who  take  in  grassy  wastes, 
and  impose  the  cultivation  of  the  ground  (upon  the  people)." 

BOOK  IV,  PART  II 
Chapter  III 

i    Mencius  addressed  himself  to  king  Hsiian  of  Ch'i,  saying,  "When  a 
ruler  regards  his  ministers  as  his  hands  and  feet,  they  regard  him  as  their 

14  Mencius  is  briefer;  literally — "In  a  war  for  territory,  the  dead  fill  the  countryside;  in  a 
war  for  cities,  the  dead  fill  the  cities.  This  is  to  allow  territories  to  devour  human  flesh." 
"More  simply:  "The  best  fighters  should  receive  the  supreme  punishment." 


MENCIUS  769 

belly  and  heart;  when  he  regards  them  as  his  dogs  and  horses,  they  regard 
him  as  they  do  any  ordinary  man;26  when  he  regards  them  as  the 
ground  "  or  as  grass,  they  regard  him  as  a  robber  and  an  enemy." 

Chapter  VIII 

Mencius  said,  "When  men  have  what  they  will  not  do,  they  are  pre- 
pared to  act  in  what  they  do  do  (with  effect)."28 

Chapter  XII 

Mencius  said,  "The  great  man  is  he  who  does  not  lose  his  child's 
heart."  * 

Chapter  XXXIII 

i  "A  man  of  Ch'i  had  a  wife  and  a  concubine,  and  lived  together 
with  them  in  his  house.  When  their  good-man  went  out,  he  was  sure  to 
get  himself  well  filled  with  spirits  and  flesh  and  then  return,  and  on  his 
wife's  asking  him  with  whom  he  had  been  eating  and  drinking,  they 
were  sure  to  be  all  men  of  wealth  and  rank.  The  wife  informed  the  con- 
cubine, saying,  'When  the  good-man  goes  out,  he  is  sure  to  come  back 
having  partaken  plentifully  of  spirits  and  flesh,  and  when  I  ask  him  with 
whom  he  has  been  eating  and  drinking,  they  are  all  men  of  wealth  and 
rank.  And  yet  no  men  of  distinction  ever  come  (here).  I  will  spy  out 
where  our  good-man  goes.'  (Accordingly)  she  got  up  early  in  the  morn- 
ing, and  privately  followed  the  good-man  to  where  he  was  going.  All 
through  the  city  there  was  nobody  who  stood  and  talked  with  him.  At 
last  he  came  to  those  who  were  sacrificing  among  the  tombs  outside  the 
outer  wall  on  the  east,  and  begged  what  they  had  left.  Not  being  satisfied, 
he  looked  round  him  and  went  to  another  party; — and  this  was  the  way 
in  which  he  got  himself  satiated.  His  wife  went  home,  and  informed 
the  concubine,  saying,  'It  was  to  the  good-man  that  we  looked  up  in 
hopeful  contemplation,  and  with  whom  our  lot  is  cast  for  life;80 — and 
these  are  his  ways.'  (On  this)  she  and  the  concubine  reviled  their  good- 
man,  and  wept  together  in  the  middle  courtyard.  (In  the  meantime)  the 
good-man,  knowing  nothing  of  all  this,  came  in  with  a  jaunty  air,  carry- 
ing himself  proudly  to  them. 

19  "A  common  citizen." 

"  "Dirt." 

M  "Men  must  refuse  to  do  certain  things  before  they  can  do  (great)  things." 

80  "The  child's  heart"  (of  innocence). 

"°  "A  husband  is  one  whom  one  looks  to  for  support  for  life." 


770  CHINESE   DEMOCRACY 

2  "According  to  the  view  which  a  superior  man  takes  of  things,  as  to 
the  ways  by  which  men  seek  for  riches,  honours,  gain,  and  advancement, 
there  are  few  of  their  wives  and  concubines  who  might  not  be  ashamed 
and  weep  together  because  of  them." 


BOOK  V,  PART  I 

Chapter  V 

1  Wan  Chang  said,  "(It  is  said  that)  Yao  gave  the  empire  to  Shun; 
was  it  so?"  Mencius  replied,  "No;  the  emperor  cannot  give  the  empire  to 
another." 

2  "Yes;  but  Shun  possessed  the  empire.  Who  gave  it  to  him?" 
"Heaven  gave  it  to  him,"  was  the  reply. 

3  "  'Heaven  gave  it  to  him';  did  (Heaven)  confer  the  appointment 
on  him  with  specific  injunctions?" 

4  (Mencius)  said,  "No;  Heaven  does  not  speak.  It  simply  showed  its 
will  by  his  (personal)  conduct,  and  by  (his  conduct  of)  affairs." 

5  "  'It  showed  its  will  by  his  (personal  conduct  of)  affairs,'  "  returned 
the  other; — "how  was  this?"  (Mencius)  said,  "The  emperor  can  present 
a  man  to  Heaven,  but  he  cannot  make  Heaven  give  that  man  the  empire. 
A  feudal  prince  can  present  a  man  to  the  emperor  (to  take  his  place),  but 
he  cannot  make  the  emperor  give  the  princedom  to  that  man.  A  great 
officer  can  present  a  man  to  his  prince,  but  he  cannot  cause  the  prince  to 
make  that  man  a  great  officer  (in  his  own  room).  Anciently  Yao  pre- 
sented Shun  to  Heaven,  and  Heaven  accepted  him;  he  displayed  him  to 
the  people,  and  the  people  accepted  him.  Therefore  I  say,  'Heaven  does 
not  speak.  It  simply  indicated  its  will  by  his  (personal)  conduct,  and  by 
(his  conduct  of)  affairs.'  " 

6  (Chang)  said,  "I  presume  to  ask  how  it  was  that  (Yao)  presented 
Shun  to  Heaven,  and  Heaven  accepted  him,  and  displayed  him  to  the 
people,  and  the  people  accepted  him."  The  reply  was,  "He  caused  him  tc 
preside  over  the  sacrifices,  and  all  the  Spirits  were  well  pleased  with 
them;  thus  it  was  that  Heaven  accepted  him.  He  caused  him  to  preside 
over  the  conduct  of  affairs,  and  affairs  were  well  administered,  so  that  all 
the  people  reposed  under  him; — thus  it  was  that  the  people  accepted  him, 
Heaven  gave  (the  empire)  to  him,  and  the  people  gave  it  to  him.  There- 
fore I  said,  'The  emperor  cannot  give  the  empire  to  another/ 


MENCIUS  771 

7  "Shun  assisted  Yao  (in  the  government)  for  twenty  and  eight 
years;— this  was  more  than  man  could  have  done,  and  was  from  Heaven. 
When  the  three  years'  mourning  consequent  on  the  death  of  Yao  were 
accomplished,  Shun  withdrew  from  the  son  of  Yao  to  the  south  of  the 
southern  Ho.  The  princes  of  the  empire,  however,  repairing  to  court, 
went  not  to  the  son  of  Yao,  but  to  Shun.  Litigants  went  not  to  the  son  of 
Yao,  but  to  Shun.  Singers  sang  not  about  the  son  of  Yao,  but  about  Shun. 
Therefore  I  said  that  it  was  Heaven  (that  gave  him  the  empire).  It  was 
after  this  that  he  went  to  the  Middle  State,  and  occupied  the  seat  of  the 
son  of  Heaven.  If  he  had  (before  these  things)  taken  up  his  residence  in 
the  palace  of  Yao,  and  applied  pressure  to  his  son,  it  would  have  been  an 
act  of  usurpation,  and  not  the  gift  of  Heaven. 

8  "This  view  (of  Shun's  obtaining  the  empire)  is  in  accordance  with 
what  is  said  in  The  Great  Declaration, — 'Heaven  sees  as  my  people  see, 
Heaven  hears  as  my  people  hear.'  " 


BOOK  VI,  PART  I  * 

Chapter  I 

1  Kaotse  said, "  (Man's)  nature  is  like  a  willow  tree,  and  righteousness 
is  like  a  cup  or  a  bowl.88  The  fashioning  of  benevolence  and  righteousness 
out  of  man's  nature  is  like  making  cups  and  bowls  from  the  willow 
tree." 

2  Mencius  replied,  "Can  you,  in  accordance  with  the  nature  of  the 
willow  tree,  make  cups  and  bowls  from  it  ?  You  will  do  violence  and  in- 
jury to  the  tree  before  you  can  make  cups  and  bowls  from  it.  If  you  will 
do  violence  and  injury  to  the  willow  tree  in  order  to  make  cups  and 
bowls,  will  you  also  do  violence  and  injury  to  a  man,  to  fashion  benevo- 
lence and  righteousness  (from  him)  ?  Your  words,  alas!  would  certainly 
with  all  men  occasion  calamity  to  benevolence  and  righteousness."* 

11  If  the  reader  wishes  to  read  a  clearer  translation  of  this  most  important  portion  of 
Mencius  he  should  consult  the  new  translation  in  "Wisdom  of  Confucius"   (Modern 
Library),  Chapter  XI. 
w  Wicker  basket. 

*  "Destroy  the  teachings  of  love  and  justice"  by  assuming  that  they  arc  not  in  accord  with 
our  nature,  but  arc  external  teachings  forcing  our  nature  into  shape.  Mencius  believes  good- 
ness is  in  man's  innate  nature. 


772  CHINESE   DEMOCRACY 

Chapter  II 

1  Kaotse  said,  "(Man's)  nature  is  like  water  whirling  round  (in  a 
corner).  Open  a  passage  for  it  on  the  east,  and  it  will  flow  to  the  east; 
open  a  passage  for  it  on  the  west,  and  it  will  flow  to  the  west.  Man's 
nature  is  indifferent  to  good  and  evil,  just  as  water  is  indifferent  to  the 
east  and  west." 

2  Mencius  replied,  "Water  indeed  will  flow  indifferently  to  the  east 
or  west,  but  will  it  flow  indifferently  up  or  down?  The  (tendency  of) 
man's  nature  to  goodness  is  like  the  (tendency  of)  water  to  flow  down- 
wards. There  are  none  but  have  (this  tendency  to)  goodness,  (just  as) 
water  flows  downwards. 

3  "Now  by  striking  water,  and  causing  it  to  leap  up,  you  may  make 
it  go  over  your  forehead;  and  by  damming  and  leading  it,  you  may  make 
it  go  up  a  hill;  but  are  (such  movements  according  to)  the  nature  of 
water?  It  is  the  force  applied  which  causes  them.  In  the  case  of  a  man's 
being  made  to  do  what  is  not  good,  his  nature  is  dealt  with  in  this  way." 

Chapter  111 

1  Kaotse  said,  "(The  phenomena  of)  life  is  what  I  call  nature." 

2  Mencius  replied,  "Do  you  say  that  life  is  nature  just  as  you  say  that 
white  is  white?"  "Yes,"  was  the  reply.  (Mencius  asked  again),  "Is  the 
whiteness  of  a  white  feather  like  the  whiteness  of  white  snow,  and  the 
whiteness  of  white  snow  like  that  of  white  jade?"  "Yes,"  returned  (the 
other). 

3  Mencius  retorted,  "Very  well.  Is  the  nature  of  a  dog  like  the  nature 
of  an  ox,  and  the  nature  of  an  ox  like  the  nature  of  a  man  ?"  ** 

Chapter  IV 

1  Kaotse  said,  "(To  delight  in)  food  and  in  sexual  pleasure  is  nature. 
Benevolence  is  from  within,  and  not  from  without;  righteousness  is  from 
without  and  not  from  within."  M 

2  Mencius  said,  "What  is  the  ground  of  your  saying  that  benevolence 
is  from  within,  and  righteousness  from  without?"  (The  other)  replied, 
"There  is  a  man  older  than  I,  and  I  give  honour  to  his  age; — it  is  not  that 
there  is  in  me  a  principle  of  reverence  for  age.  It  is  just  as  when  there  is  a 

84  Mencius  was  careful  to  insist  that  the  human  in  us  is  different  from  the  beastly. 

85  Justice,  or  duties  to  one's  fellowmcn,  are  created  by  social  life,  while  love  is  innate.  Mencius 
insists,  however,  that  both  are  innate,  including  the  love  to  do  what  is  right  (justice), 


MENCIUS  773 

white  man,  and  I  consider  him  white;— according  as  he  is  so  externally  to 
me.  It  is  on  this  account  that  I  say  (of  righteousness)  that  it  is  from  with- 
out." 

3  (Mencius)  said,  "There  is  no  difference  to  us  between  the  white- 
ness of  a  white  horse,  and  the  whiteness  of  a  white  man,  but  I  do  not 
know  that  there  is  no  difference  between  the  regard  with  which  we 
acknowledge  the  age  of  an  old  horse,  and  that  with  which  we  acknowl- 
edge the  age  of  a  man  older  (than  ourselves)  ?  And  what  is  it  which  we 
call  righteousness?  The  fact  of  a  man's  being  older  (than  we)  ?  or  the  fact 
of  our  giving  honour  to  his  age?"  M 

4  (Kao)  said,  "There  is  my  younger  brother;  I  love  him.  But  the 
younger  brother  of  a  man  of  Ch'in  I  do  not  love;  that  is,  it  is  (the  rela- 
tionship to)  myself  which  occasions  my  complacency,87  and  therefore  I 
say  that  benevolence  is  from  within.  I  give  the  honour  due  to  age  to  an 
old  man  of  Ch'u,  and  to  an  old  man  of  my  own  (kindred) ;  that  is,  it  is 
the  age  which  occasions  the  complacency,  and  therefore  I  say  that 
righteousness  is  from  without." 

5  (Mencius)  answered  him,  "Our  enjoyment  of  meat  broiled  by  a 
man  of  CrTm  does  not  differ  from  our  enjoyment  of  meat  broiled  by  (one 
of)  our  (own  kindred).  Thus  (what  you  insist  on)  takes  place  also  in 
the  case  of  (such)  things;  but  is  our  enjoyment  of  broiled  meat  also  from 
without?" 

Chapter  V 

1  Mr.  Meng  Chi  asked  the  disciple  Kung-tu,  saying,  "On  what 
ground  is  it  said  that  righteousness  is  from  within?" 

2  (Kung-tu)  replied,  "It  is  the  acting  out  of  our  feeling  of  respect, 
and  therefore  it  is  said  to  be  from  within." 

3  (The  other)  said,  "(In  the  case  of)  a  villager  one  year  older  than 
your  elder  brother,  to  which  of  them  will  you  show  the  (greater)  re- 
spect?" "To  my  brother,"  was  the  reply.  "But  for  which  would  you  pour 
out  spirits  first?"  (Kung-tu)  said,  "For  the  villager."  (Meng  Chi  then 
argued),  "Your  feeling  of  respect  rests  on  the  one,  but  your  reverence  for 
age  is  rendered  to  the  other;  (righteousness)  is  certainly  determined  by 
what  is  without,  and  not  by  internal  feeling." 

4  The  disciple  Kung-tu  was  unable  to  reply,  and  reported  (the  con-- 
versation)  to  Mencius,  who  said,  "(You  should  ask  him),  *  Which  do  you 
respect  more,  your  uncle,  or  your  younger  brother?'  He  will  reply,  'My 

*  Respect  for  age  is  subjective  (and  innate).  m  "I  love  (naturally)  my  own  kind." 


774  CHINESE   DEMOCRACY 

uncle.'  (Ask  him  again),  'If  your  younger  brother  be  personating  a  de- 
ceased ancestor,  to  whom  will  you  show  respect  more, — (to  him  or  to 
your  uncle)  ?'  He  will  say,  'To  my  younger  brother.1  (You  can  go  on), 
'But  where  is  the  (greater)  respect  due,  as  you  said,  to  your  uncle?'  He 
will  say,  '(I  show  it  to  my  younger  brother),  because  he  is  in  the  position 
(of  the  deceased  ancestor) .'  And  then  you  must  say,  'Because  he  is  in  that 
position; — and  so  ordinarily  my  respect  is  given  to  my  elder  brother,  but 
a  momentary  respect  is  given  to  the  villager.'  " 

5  When  Meng  Chi  heard  this,  he  observed,  "When  respect  is  due  to 
my  uncle,  I  give  it  to  him;  and  when  respect  is  due  to  my  younger 
brother,  I  give  it  to  him.  The  thing  is  certainly  determined  by  what  is 
without  us,  and  does  not  come  from  within."  Kung  tu  replied,  "In  winter 
we  drink  things  warm,  but  in  summer  we  drink  things  cold;  but  is  then 
our  eating  and  drinking  determined  by  what  is  external  to  us?" 

Chapter  VI 

1  The  disciple  Kung-tu  said,  "Kaotse  says,  '(Man's)  nature  is  neither 
good  nor  bad.' 

2  "Some  say,  '(Man's)  nature  may  be  made  to  do  good,  and  it  may 
be  made  to  do  evil;  and  accordingly,  under  Wen  and  Wu,  the  people 
loved  what  was  good,  and  under  Yu  and  Li  they  loved  what  was  cruel.' 

3  "Some  say,  'The  nature  of  some  is  good,  and  the  nature  of  others  is 
bad.  Hence  it  was  that  under  such  a  ruler  as  Yao,  there  appeared  Hsiang; 
that  with  such  a  father  as  Kusau,  there  yet  appeared  Shun;  and  that,  with 
Chou  for  their  ruler  and  the  son  of  their  elder  brother  besides,  there  yet 
appeared  Ch'i,  the  viscount  of  Wei,  and  prince  Pikan.' 

4  "And  now  you  say,  The  nature  is  good.'  Then  are  all  those  wrong  ? " 

5  Mcncius  replied,  "From  the  feelings  proper  to  it,  (we  see)  that  it  is 
constituted  for  the  doing  of  what  is  good.*8  This  is  what  I  mean  in  saying 
that  (the  nature)  is  good. 

6  "If  (men)  do  what  is  not  good,  the  guilt  cannot  be  imputed  to  their 
natural  powers. 

7  "The  feeling  of  compassionate  distress  belongs  to  all  men;  so  does 
that  of  shame  and  dislike;  and  that  of  modesty  and  respect;  and  that  of 
approving  and  disapproving."9  The  feeling  of  compassion  and  distress  is 
the  principle  of  benevolence;  the  feeling  of  shame  and  dislike  is  the 

*  "If  allowed  to  follow  their  nature,  they  will  do  good." 

'Read:  "The  heart  of  mercy  is  in  all  men;  the  sense  of  shame  is  in  all  men,  me  sense  01 

courtesy  and  respect  is  in  all  men;  the  sense  of  right  and  wrong  is  in  all  men." 


MENCIUS  775 

principle  of  righteousness;  the  feeling  of  modesty  and  respect  is  the 
principle  of  propriety;  and  the  feeling  of  approving  and  disapproving  is 
the  principle  of  knowledge.  Benevolence,  righteousness,  propriety,  and 
knowledge  arc  not  fused  into  us  from  without;  they  naturally  belong 
to  us,  and  (a  different  view)  is  simply  from  want  of  reflection.  Hence  it 
is  said,  'Seek,  and  you  will  find  them;  neglect,  and  you  will  lose  them.' 
(Men  differ  from  one  another  in  regard  to  them) ;  some  as  much  again 
as  others,  some  five  times  as  much,  and  some  to  an  incalculable  amount; 
it  is  because  they  cannot  fully  carry  out  their  (natural)  endowments. 
8  "It  is  said  in  the  Book  of  Poetry, 

•'Heaven  in  giving  birth  to  the  multitudes  of  the  people, 
To  every  faculty  and  relationship  annexed  its  law : 
The  people  possess  this  normal  nature, 
And  they  (consequently)  love  its  normal  virtue/ 

Confucius  said,  'The  maker  of  this  ode  knew  indeed  the  constitution  (of 
our  nature) .'  We  may  thus  see  that  to  every  faculty  and  relationship  there 
must  belong  its  law,  and  that  since  the  people  possess  this  normal  nature, 
they  therefore  love  its  normal  virtue." 

Chapter  VII 

1  Mcncius  said,  "In  good  years  the  children  of  the  people  are  most  of 
them  good,  and  in  bad  years  they  are  most  of  them  evil.  It  is  not  owing 
to  their  natural  endowments  conferred  by  Heaven,  that  they  are  thus 
different.  It  is  owing  to  the  circumstances  in  which  they  allow  their 
minds  to  be  ensnared  and  devoured  that  they  appear  so  (as  in  the  latter 
case). 

2  "There  now  is  barley. — Let  the  seed  be  sown  and  covered  up;  the 
ground  being  the  same,  and  the  time  of  sowing  also  the  same,  it  grows 
luxuriantly,  and  when  the  full  time  is  come,  it  is  all  found  to  be  ripe. 
Although  there  may  be  inequalities  (of  produce),  that  is  owing  to  (the 
difference  of)  the  soil  as  rich  or  poor,  to  the  (unequal)  nourishment  af- 
forded by  rain  and  dew,  and  to  the  different  ways  in  which  man  has 
performed  his  business. 

3  "Thus  all  things  which  are  the  same  in  kind  are  like  to  one  an- 
other;— why  should  we  doubt  in  regard  to  man,  as  if  he  were  a  solitary 
exception  to  this  ?  The  sage  and  we  are  the  same  in  kind.40 

4  "In  accordance  with  this,  Lungtse  said,  'If  a  man  make  hempen 
**  Or,  "arc  ol  the  same  species," 


77^  CHINESE   DEMOCRACY 

sandals,  without  knowing  (the  size  of  people's)  feet,  yet  I  know  that  he 
will  not  make  them  like  baskets/  Sandals  are  like  one  another,  because 
all  men's  feet  are  like  one  another. 

5  "So  with  the  mouth  and  flavours;— all  mouths  have  the  same 
relishes.  Yiya  (simply)  appreciated  before  me  what  my  mouth  relishes. 
Suppose  that  his  mouth,  in  its  relish  for  flavours,  were  of  a  different 
nature  from  (the  mouths  of)  other  men,  in  the  same  way  as  dogs  and 
horses  are  not  of  the  same  kind  with  us,  how  should  all  men  be  found 
following  Yiya  in  their  relishes  ?  In  the  matter  of  tastes,  the  whole  king- 
dom models  itself  after  Yiya;  that  is,  the  mouths  of  all  men  are  like 
one  another. 

6  "So  it  is  with  the  ear  also.  In  the  matter  of  sounds,  the  whole  king- 
dom models  itself  after  the  music-master  K'uang;  that  is,  the  ears  of  all 
men  are  like  one  another. 

7  "And  so  it  is  also  with  the  eye.  In  the  case  of  Tsetu,  there  is  no  one 
under  heaven  but  would  recognize  that  he  was  beautiful.  Any  one  who 
did  not  recognize  the  beauty  of  Tsetu  would  (be  said  to)  have  no  eyes. 

8  "Therefore  (I)  say, — (Men's)  mouths  agree  in  having  the  same 
relishes;  their  ears  agree  in  enjoying  the  same  sounds;  their  eyes  agree 
in  recognizing  the  same  beauty; — shall  their  minds  alone  be  without 
that  which  they  similarly  approve?  What  is  it  then  of  which  their  minds 
similarly  approve?  It  is  the  principles  (of  things),  and  the  (consequent 
determinations  of)  righteousness.  The  sages  only  apprehended  before 
me  that  which  I  and  other  men  agree  in  approving.*1  Therefore  the 
principles  (of  things)  and  (the  determinations  of)  righteousness  are 
agreeable  to  my  mind  just  as  (the  flesh)  of  grass  and  grain-fed  (animals) 
is  agreeable  to  my  mouth." 

Chapter  VIII 

i  Mencius  said,  "The  trees  of  Niu  hill  were  once  beautiful.  Being  situ- 
ated, however,  in  the  suburbs  of  (the  capital  of)  a  large  State,  they  were 
hewn  down  with  axes  and  bills;  and  could  they  retain  their  beauty?  Still 
through  the  growth  from  the  vegetative  life  day  and  night,  and  the 
nourishing  influence  of  the  rain  and  dew,  they  were  not  without  buds 
and  sprouts  springing  out.  But  then  came  the  cattle  and  goats,  and 
browsed  upon  them.  To  these  things  is  owing  the  bare  and  stript  appear- 
ance (of  the  hill) ;  and  when  people  see  this,  they  think  it  was  never 
finely  wooded.  But  is  this  the  nature  of  the  hill  ? 

"More  exactly:  "The  sages  arc  those  who  discover  what  is  common  to  our  hearts," 


MENCIUS  777 

2  "And  so  even  of  what  properly  belongs  to  man;  shall  it  be  said 
that  the  mind  (of  any  man)  was  without  benevolence  and  righteous- 
ness? **  The  way  in  which  a  man  loses  the  proper  goodness  of  his  mind  is 
like  the  way  in  which  (those)  trees  were  denuded  by  axes  and  bills. 
Hewn  down  day  after  day,  can  it  retain  its  excellence?  But  there  is  some 
growth  of  its  life  day  and  night,  and  in  the  (calm)  air  of  the  morning, 
just  between  night  and  day,  the  mind  feels  in  a  degree  those  desires  and 
aversions  which  are  proper  to  humanity;  but  the  feeling  is  not  strong; 
and  then  it  is  fettered  and  destroyed  by  what  the  man  does  during  the 
day.  This  fettering  takes  place  again  and  again;  the  restorative  influence 
of  the  night  is  not  sufficient  to  preserve  (the  proper  goodness) ;  and  when 
this  proves  insufficient  for  that  purpose,  the  (nature)  becomes  not  much 
different  from  (that  of)  the  irrational  animals;  and  when  people  see  this, 
they  think  that  it  never  had  those  endowments  (which  I  assert).  But 
does  this  condition  represent  the  feelings  proper  to  humanity? 

3  "Therefore  if  it  receive  its  proper  nourishment,  there  is  nothing 
which  will  not  grow;  if  it  lose  its  proper  nourishment,  there  is  nothing 
which  will  not  decay  away. 

4  "Confucius  said,  4Hold  it  fast,  and  it  remains  with  you;  let  it  go, 
and  you  lose  it.  Its  out-going  and  in-coming  cannot  be  defined  as  to  time 
and  place.'  It  was  the  mental  nature  of  which  this  was  said/* 

Chapter  IX 

1  Mencius  said,  "It  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  the  king  is  not  wise! 

2  "Suppose  the  case  of  the  most  easily  growing  thing  in  the  world; 
— if  you  let  it  have  one  day's  genial  heat,  and  then  expose  it  for  ten  days 
to  cold,  it  will  not  be  able  to  grow.  It  is  but  seldom  that  I  have  an  audience 
(of  the  king),  and  when  I  retire,  there  come  (all)  those  who  act  upon 
him  like  the  cold.  Though  I  succeed  in  bringing  out  some  buds  of  good- 
ness, of  what  avail  is  it? 

3  "Now  chess-playing  is  an  art,  though  a  small  one;  but  without  his 
whole  mind  being  given,  and  his  will  bent  to  it,  a  man  cannot  succeed 
in  it.  Chess  Ch'iu  is  the  best  chess-player  in  all  the  kingdom.  Suppose 
that  he  is  teaching  two  men  to  play;— the  one  gives  all  his  mind  to  the 
game,  and  bends  to  it  all  his  will,  doing  nothing  but  listen  to  Chess  Ch'iu; 
the  other,  though  he  (seems  to)  be  listening  to  him,  has  his  whole  mind 
running  on  a  swan  which  he  thinks  is  approaching,  and  wishes  to  bend 
his  bow,  adjust  the  arrow  to  the  string,  and  shoot  it.  Though  the  latter  is 

"  Settee:  "love  and  justice." 


778  CHINESE   DEMOCRACY 

learning  along  with  the  former,  his  progress  is  not  equal  to  his.  Is  it  be- 
cause his  intelligence  is  not  equal?  Not  so." 

Chapter  X 

1  Mencius  said,  "I  like  fish,  and  I  also  like  bears'  paws.  If  I  cannot  get 
both  together,  I  will  let  the  fish  go,  and  take  the  bears*  paws.  So  I  like 
life,  and  I  also  like  righteousness.  If  I  cannot  keep  the  two  together,  I  will 
let  life  go  and  choose  righteousness. 

2  "I  like  life  indeed,  but  there  is  that  which  I  like  more  than  life;  and 
therefore  I  will  not  seek  to  hold  it  by  any  improper  ways.  I  dislike  death 
indeed,  but  there  is  that  which  I  dislike  more  than  death,  and  therefore 
there  are  occasions  when  I  will  not  avoid  calamity  (that  may  occasion 
death). 

3  "If  among  the  things  which  man  likes  there  were  nothing  which  he 
liked  more  than  life,  why  should  he  not  use  all  means  by  which  he  could 
preserve  it?  If  among  the  things  which  man  dislikes  there  were  nothing 
which  he  disliked  more  than  death,  why  should  he  not  do  everything  by 
which  he  could  avoid  calamity  (that  might  occasion  it). 

4  "(But  as  man  is),  there  are  cases  when  by  a  certain  course  men 
might  preserve  life,  and  yet  they  do  not  employ  it;  and  when  by  certain 
things  they  might  avoid  calamity  (that  will  occasion  death),  and  yet 
they  will  not  do  them. 

5  "Therefore  men  have  that  which  they  like  more  than  life,  and  that 
which  they  dislike  more  than  death.  They  are  not  men  of  talents  and 
virtue  only  who  have  this  mental  nature.  All  men  have  it; — what  belongs 
to  such  men  is  simply  that  they  are  able  not  to  lose  it. 

6  "Here  are  a  small  basket  of  rice  and  a  basin  of  soup; — and  the  case 
is  one  where  the  getting  them  will  preserve  life,  and  the  want  of  them 
will  be  death.  If  they  are  offered  to  him  in  an  insulting  tone,"  (even)  a 
tramper  on  the  road  will  not  receive  them,  or  if  you  first  tread  upon  them, 
(even)  a  beggar  will  not  stoop  to  take  them. 

7  "  (And  yet)  a  man  will  accept  of  ten  thousand  chung,"  without  any 
question  as  to  the  propriety  and  righteousness  of  his  doing  so.  What  can 
the  ten  thousand  chung  really  add  to  him?  (When  he  takes  them),  is  it 
not  that  he  may  get  beautiful  mansions?  or  that  he  may  secure  the  serv- 
ices of  wives  and  concubines?  or  that  the  poor  and  needy  of  his  acquaint- 
ance may  be  helped  by  him? 

8  "In  the  former  case,  the  (offered  bounty)  was  not  received,  though 

tt  Lit.  "with  a  Tut!' "  "As  official  salary. 


MENCIUS  779 

it  would  have  saved  from  death,  and  now  the  man  takes  (the  emolu- 
ment) for  the  sake  of  beautiful  mansions.  (The  bounty)  that  would  have 
saved  from  death  was  not  received,  and  (the  emolument)  is  taken  to  get 
the  services  of  wives  and  concubines.  (The  bounty)  that  would  have 
saved  from  death  was  not  received,  and  (the  emolument)  is  taken  that 
one's  poor  and  needy  acquaintances  may  be  helped  by  him.  Was  it  not 
possible  then  to  decline  (the  emolument)  in  these  instances?  This  is  a 
case  of  what  is  called— losing  the  proper  nature  of  one's  mind." 

Chapter  XI 

1  Mencius  said,  "Benevolence  is  (the  proper  quality  of)  man's  mind, 
and  righteousness  is  man's  (proper)  path. 

2  "How  lamentable  is  it  to  neglect  this  path  and  not  pursue  k,  to  lose 
this  mind48  and  not  know  to  seek  it  (again). 

3  "When  men's  fowls  and  dogs  are  lost,  they  know  to  seek  them 
(again) ;  but  they  lose  their  mind,  and  do  not  know  to  seek  it  (again). 

4  "The  object  of  learning  is  nothing  else  but  to  seek  for  the  lost 
mind."" 

Chapter  XII 

1  Mencius  said,  "Here  is  a  man  whose  fourth  finger  is  bent,  and  can- 
not be  stretched  out  straight.  It  is  not  painful,  nor  does  it  incommode  his 
business;  but  if  there  were  any  one  who  could  make  it  straight,  he  would 
not  think  it  far  to  go  all  the  way  from  Ch'iu  to  Ch'i  (to  find  him);— be- 
cause his  finger  is  not  like  those  of  other  people. 

2  "When  a  man's  finger  is  not  like  other  people's,  he  knows  to  feel 
dissatisfied;  but  when  his  mind  is  not  like  other  people's,  he  does  not 
know  to  feel  dissatisfied.  This  is  what  is  called— ignorance  of  the  relative 
(importance  of  things)." 

Chaffer  XI II 

Mencius  said,  "Anybody  who  wishes  to  cultivate  a  t'ung  tree,  or  a  tse, 
which  may  be  grasped  with  the  two  hands,  (perhaps)  with  one,  knows 
by  what  means  to  nourish  it;  but  in  the  case  of  their  own  persons  men 
do  not  know  by  what  means  to  nourish  them.  Is  it  to  be  supposed  that 

*Thc  Chinese  word  hsin  means  both  "heart"  and  "mmd."  Here  the  heart  of  original  good- 
ness b  meant. 
"  'The  lost  heart  of  a  child." 


780  CHINfcSE   DEMOCRACY 

their  regard  for  their  own  persons  is  inferior  to  their  regard  for  a  t'ung  or 
a  tsef  Their  want  of  reflection  is  extreme." 

Chapter  XIV 

1  Mencius  said,  "Men  love  every  part  of  their  persons;  and  as  they 
love  every  part,  so  they  (should)  nourish  every  part.  There  is  not  an  inch 
of  skin  which  they  do  not  love,  and  so  there  is  not  an  inch  of  skin  which 
they  will  not  nourish.  For  examining  whether  his  (way  of  nourishing) 
be  good  or  not,  what  other  rule  is  there  but  simply  this,  that  a  man  deter- 
mine, (by  reflecting)  on  himself,  where  it  should  be  applied  ? 

2  "Some  parts  of  the  body  are  noble,  and  some  ignoble;  some  great, 
and  some  small.  The  great  must  not  be  injured  for  the  small,  nor  the 
noble  for.  the  ignoble.  He  who  nourishes  the  little  belonging  to  him  is  a 
small  man;  he  who  nourishes  the  great  is  a  great  man.47 

3  "Here  is  a  plantation-keeper,  who  neglects  his  wtt  and  chia,  and 
nourishes  his  small  jujube  trees; — he  is  a  poor  plantation-keeper. 

4  "He  who  nourishes  one  of  his  fingers,  neglecting43  his  shoulders 
and  back,  without  knowing  that  he  is  doing  so,  is  a  man  (who  resembles) 
a  hurried  wolf.40 

5  "A  man  who  (only)  eats  and  drinks  is  counted  mean  by  others; 
because  he  nourishes  what  is  little  to  the  neglect  of  what  is  great. 

6  "If  a  man,  (fond  of)  eating  and  drinking,  do  (yet)  not  fail  (in 
nourishing  what  in  him  is  great),  how  should  his  mouth  and  belly  be 
accounted  as  no  more  than  an  inch  of  skin?"60 

Chapter  XV 

i  The  disciple  Kung-tu  asked,  saying,  "All  are  equally  men,  but  some 
are  great  men,  and  others  are  little  men;  how  is  this?"  Mencius  replied, 
"Those  who  follow  that  part  of  themselves  which  is  great  are  great  men; 
those  who  follow  that  part  which  is  little  are  little  men."  M 

*7This  paragraph  should  read:  "Now  in  our  constitution  there  is  a  higher  and  a  lower 

nature,  and  a  smaller  and  a  greater  self.  One  should  not  develop  the  lower  nature  at  the 

expense  of  the  higher,  or  develop  the  smaller  self  at  the  expense  of  the  greater  self.  He  who 

attends  to  his  smaller  self  becomes  a  small  man,  and  he  who  attends  to  his  greater  self 

becomes  a  great  man." 

48  "Losing." 

"Should  read:  "deformed." 

80  "If  a  man  eats  and  drinks,  however,  without  forgetting  about  his  greater  self,  then  it  may 

be  said  that  the  food  taken  into  his  mouth  goes  to  nourish  more  than  his  external  body." 

51  "Those  who  attend  to  their  greater  selves  are  great  men;  those  who  attend  to  their  smaller 

selves  arc  small  men." 


MENCIUS  781 

2  Kung-tu  pursued,  "All  are  equally  men;  but  some  follow  that  part 
of  themselves  which  is  great,  and  some  that  which  is  little;  how  is  this?" 
Mencius  said,  "The  ears  and  the  eyes  have  it  not  in  their  office  to  think, 
and  are  (liable  to  be)  obscured  by  things  (affecting  them) ;  and  when 
one  thing  comes  into  contact  with  another,  it  simply  leads  it  away.  But  it 
is  in  the  office  of  the  mind  to  think.  By  thinking,  it  gets  (the  right  view  of 
things) ;  when  neglecting  to  think,  it  fails  to  do  this.62  These — (the  senses 
and  the  mind) — are  what  Heaven  has  given  to  us.  Let  a  man  first  stand 
in  (the  supremacy  of)  the  greater  (and  nobler)  part  of  his  constitution, 
and  the  smaller  part  will  riot  be  able  to  take  it  from  him.68  It  is  simply  this 
which  makes  the  great  man." 

Chapter  XVI 

1  Mencius  said,  "There  is  a  nobility  of  Heaven,  and  there  is  a  no- 
bility of  man.  Benevolence,  righteousness,  self-consecration,  and  fidelity, 
with  unwearied  joy  in  the  goodness  (of  these  virtues), — these  constitute 
the  nobility  of  Heaven.  To  be  a  duke,  a  minister,  or  a  great  officer, — this 
constitutes  the  nobility  of  man. 

2  "The  men  of  antiquity  cultivated  their  nobility  of  Heaven,  and  the 
nobility  of  man  came  in  its  tram. 

3  "The  men  of  the  present  day  cultivate  their  nobility  of  Heaven  in 
order  to  seek  for  the  nobility  of  man,  and  when  they  have  obtained  this, 
they  throw  away  the  other;  their  delusion  is  extreme.  The  issue  is  simply 
this,  that  they  must  lose  (that  nobility  of  man)  as  well." 

Chapter  XVII 

1  Mencius  said,  "To  desire  to  be  what  is  considered  honourable  is  the 
common  mind  of  men.  And  all  men  have  what  is  (truly)  honourable  in 
themselves;  only  they  do  not  think  of  it. 

2  "The  honour  which  man  confers  is  not  the  truly  good  honour. 
Those  to  whom  Chao-meng  gave  honourable  rank  he  could  make  mean 
again.85 

0  "The  function  of  the  mind  is  thinking;  when  you  think,  you  keep  your  mind,  and  when 

you  don't  think,  you  lose  your  mind." 

58  "One  who  cultivates  his  higher  self  will  find  that  his  lower  self  follows  of  its  own  accord." 

w  The  whole  section  is  very  important.  See  my  translation  Wisdom  of  Confucius  (Modern 

Lib.)  Chap.  XI. 

68  "What  people  usually  consider  as  an  elevated  rank  or  honor  is  not  true  honor,  for  he 

whom  Chao  Meng  (a  powerful  ruling  family  of  Chin)  has  honored,  Chao  Meng  can  also 

bring  into  dishonor." 


782  CHINESE  DEMOCRACY 

3    "It  is  said  in  the  Book  of  Poetry, 

*You  have  made  us  to  drink  to  the  full  of  your  spirits; 
You  have  satiated  us  with  your  kindness;' 

meaning  that  (the  guests)  were  filled  with  benevolence  and  righteous- 
ness, and  therefore  did  not  wish  for  the  fat  meat  and  fine  millet  of  men. 
When  a  good  reputation  and  far-reaching  praise  fall  to  (a  man's)  person, 
he  does  not  desire  the  elegant  embroidered  garments  of  men."  "* 

Chapter  XV 111 

1  Mencius  said,  "Benevolence  subdues  its  opposite  just  as  water  sub- 
dues fire. OT  Those,  however,  who  nowadays  practise  benevolence  (do  it) 
as  if  with  a  cup  of  water  they  could  save  a  whole  wagon-load  of  faggots 
which  was  on  fire,  and  when  the  flames  were  not  extinguished  were  to 
say  that  water  cannot  subdue  fire.  Such  a  course,  moreover,  is  the 
greatest  aid  to  what  is  not  benevolent." 

2  "The  final  issue  will  simply  be  this,  the  loss  (of  that  small  amount 
of  benevolence)." 

Chapter  XIX 

Mencius  said,  "Of  all  seeds  the  best  are  the  five  kinds  of  grain,  but  if 
they  are  not  ripe,  they  are  not  equal  to  the  //'  or  the  pat*  So  the  value  of 
benevolence  lies  simply  in  its  being  brought  to  maturity." 

Chapter  XX 

1  Mencius  said,  "Yi,  in  teaching  men  to  shoot,  made  it  a  rule  to  draw 
the  bow  to  the  full,  and  his  pupils  were  required  to  do  the  same. 

2  "A  master-workman,  in  teaching  others,  must  use  the  compass 
and  Shuns';— is  it  so?"  Mencius  said,  "It  is." 

BOOK  VI,  PART  II 
Chapter  11 

i  Chiao  of  Ts'ao  asked,  saying,  "(It  is  said,)  'All  men  may  be  Yaos 
and  Shuns';— -is  it  so?"  Mencius  said,  "It  is." 

18  "And  when  a  man  wears  a  mantle  of  fame,  he  docs  not  care  for  the  embroidered  gown." 
87  "Kindness  overcomes  cruelty  as  water  overcomes  fire." 

68  "Those  who  practise  kindness  today  are  like  those  who  take  a  cup  of  water  to  fight  a  car- 
load of  burning  fuel,  and  when  the  fire  is  not  put  out  exclaim,  'Water  cannot  overcome  fire.' 
This  is  merely  to  help  those  who  do  not  believe  in  kindness.*' 
•  Cockles. 


MENCIUS  783 

2  (Ch'iao  went  on) ,  "I  have  heard  that  king  Wen  was  ten  cubits  high, 
md  T'ang  nine.  Now  I  am  nine  cubits  and  four  inches  in  height;  but 
[  can  do  nothing  but  eat  my  millet.  What  am  I  to  do  to  realize  that 
saying?" 

3  The  reply  was,  "What  has  the  thing  to  do  with  this,-— (the  question 
D£  size)  ?  It  all  lies  simply  in  acting  as  such.  Here  is  a  man  whose 
strength  was  not  equal  to  that  of  a  duckling  or  chicken,— he  was  (then)  a 
man  of  no  strength.  (But)  today  he  says,  'I  can  lift  three  thousand 
:atties';  he  is  (now)  a  man  of  strength.  And  so,  he  who  can  lift  the 
weight  which  Wu  Huo  lifted  is  just  another  Wu  Huo.  Why  should  a 
man  make  a  want  of  ability  the  subject  of  his  grief?  It  is  only  that  he 
will  not  do  the  thing. 

4  "To  walk  slowly,  keeping  behind  his  elders,  is  to  perform  the  part 
of  a  younger.  To  walk  rapidly,  going  before  his  elders,  is  to  violate 
the  duty  of  a  younger.  But  is  walking  slowly  what  any  man  can  not  do? 
it  is  (only)  what  he  docs  not  do.  The  course  of  Yao  and  Shun  was 
simply  that  of  filial  piety  and  fraternal  duty. 

5  "Do  you  wear  the  clothes  of  Yao,  repeat  the  words  of  Yao,  and  do 
the  actions  of  Yao,  and  you  will  just  b^  a  Yao.  And  if  you  wear  the 
clothes  of  Chich,  repeat  the  words  of  Chieh,  and  do  the  actions  of 
Chieh,  you  will  just  be  a  Chieh." 

6  (Chiao)  said,  "When  I  have  an  audience  of  the  ruler  of  Tsou,  I 
can  ask  him  to  let  me  have  a  house  to  lodge  in.  I  wish  to  remain  here, 
and  receive  instruction  at  your  gate." 

7  (Mencius)  replied,  "The  way  (of  truth)  is  like  a  great  road;  it  is 
not  difficult  to  know  it.  The  evil  is  only  that  men  will  not  seek  for  it. 
Do  you  go  home,  and  seek  it,  and  you  will  have  abundance  of  teachers." 

Chapter  XV 

1  Mencius  said,  "Shun  rose   (to  the  empire)    from  among  the 
channeled  fields.  Fu  Yiich  was  called  to  office  from  the  midst  of  his 
(building)  frames  and  (earth-)  beaters;  Chiao  Kch  from  his  fish  and 
and  salt;  Kuan  Yiwu,  from  the  hands  of  the  officer  in  charge  of  him; 
Sun  Shu-ao  from  (his  hiding  by)  the  sea-shore;  and  Poli  Hsi  from 
the  market-place. 

2  "Thus,  when  Heaven  is  about  to  confer  a  great  office  on  any  one, 
it  first  exercises  his  mind  with  suffering,  and  his  sinews  and  bones  with 
toil;  it  exposes  his  body  to  hunger,  and  subjects  him  to  extreme  poverty; 


784  CHINESE   DEMOCRACY 

and  it  confounds  his  undertakings.  In  all  these  ways  it  stimulates  his 
mind,  hardens  his  nature,  and  supplies  his  incompetencies.00 

3  "Men  constantly  err,  but  are  afterwards  able  to  reform.  They  are 
distressed  in  mind,  and  perplexed  in  thought,  and  then  they  arise  to 
vigorous  endeavour.  When  things  have  been  evidenced  in  men's  looks, 
and  set  forth  in  their  words,  then  they  understand  them. 

4  "If  a  ruler  have  not  about  his  court  families  attached  to  the  laws 
and  able  officers,  and  if  abroad  there  are  no  hostile  States  or  other  ex- 
ternal calamities,  the  State  will  generally  come  to  ruin.01 

5  "From  such  things  we  see  how  life  springs  from  sorrow  and 
calamity,  and  death  from  ease  and  pleasure." 


BOOK  VII,  PART  II 

Chapter  XIV 

i  Mencius  said,  "The  people  are  the  most  important  element  (in  a 
country);  the  Spirits  of  the  land  and  grain  are  the  next;  the  ruler  is 
the  least  important." 

Chapter  XXXVIII 

4  "From  Confucius  to  now  there  are  (only)  a  hundred  years  and 
(somewhat)  more; — so  far  from  being  remote  is  the  distance  from  the 
sage  in  point  of  time,  and  so  very  near  at  hand  is  the  sage's  residence. 
In  these  circumstances,  is  there  no  one  (to  transmit  his  doctrines)  ? 
Yea,  is  there  no  one?" 

80  "Thus  when  Heaven  is  about  to  entrust  a  man  with  great  work,  it  first  causes  distress  to 
his  mind,  belabors  his  muscles  and  frame,  starves  his  body,  subjects  him  to  want,  and 
frustrates  what  he  sets  out  to  do.  This  is  to  stimulate  his  ambition,  strengthen  his  character, 
and  increase  his  capacity  for  doing  what  he  could  not  do  before." 

91  "If  there  be  not  old  official  families  and  wise  counsellors  within  and  enemies  and  foreign 
threats  without,  such  a  country  often  perishes." 


Motse 


The  Religious  Teacher 


INTRODUCTION 

MOTSE  OR  Mo  Ti,  is  the  only  indigenous  religious  teacher  China  has 
produced.  Both  in  method  of  thinking,  and  in  his  ideas,  he  seemed  to 
stand  on  his  own,  although  in  his  earlier  chapters,  there  are  some  simi- 
larities with  the  Confucian  point  of  view.  For  Motse  seemed  to  have 
risen  with  his  teachings  in  revolt  against  Confucianism.  Among  all 
Chinese  philosophers,  he  comes  closest  to  the  Christian  teachings,  for  he 
alone  taught  universal  love  as  the  basis  of  society  and  of  peace,  showed 
that  Heaven  loved  the  people  equally,  and  insisted  on  the  belief  in  the 
existence  of  the  spirits.  It  is  said  that  some  missionaries  are  scared,  in- 
stead of  feeling  encouraged,  to  find  that  the  doctrines  of  the  love  of 
God  and  universal  love  were  already  known  to  the  Chinese.  It  is  almost 
as  disheartening  as  reaching  the  South  Pole  to  find  that  some  one  has 
already  been  there  before.  On  the  other  hand,  the  broad-minded  should 
be  pleased  that  what  is  true  can  be  independently  discovered  by  the 
human  mind.  What  should  really  discourage  them  is  that  the  Chinese  as 
a  nation  have  rejected  this  doctrine  after  its  reaching  an  enormous  in- 
fluence. They  have  rejected  it  so  completely  that  the  text  of  Motse,  until 
our  own  generation,  was  among  the  most  completely  neglected  of  China's 
ancient  texts,  while  all  its  early  commentaries  are  lost. 

Motse  rose  in  revolt  against  Confucianism.  He  lived  from  B.C.  468 
(or  441)  to  401  (or  376),  and  was  thus  roughly  one  century  behind  Con- 
fucius. As  Confucius  died  in  479,  he  might  be  said  to  have  been  born 
in  the  generation  when  his  influence  was  spreading.  Most  probably  born 
in  Lu,  Confucius'  own  country,  he  was  fully  familiar  with  the  Confucian 
classics,  like  the  Boo^  of  Poetry  and  Boot^  of  History.  In  temper  he  was 

785 


786  CHINESE  DEMOCRACY 

more  democratic  than  Confucius.  Some  of  the  most  unflattering  pictures 
of  the  Confucianists  of  his  day  come  from  his  works.  Huainantse  tells 
us  that  "Motse  studied  the  learning  of  the  Confucianists  and  was  taught 
the  methods  of  Confucius.  Deciding  that  their  ceremonies  were  too  com- 
plicated and  difficult  of  practice,  that  the  expensive  funerals  were  a 
waste  of  money  and  impoverished  the  people,  that  their  dresses  inter- 
fered with  proper  attending  to  affairs,  he  renounced  the  teachings  of 
the  Chou  Dynasty,  and  went  back  to  (the  simple  and  theocratic)  Hsia 
system."  Against  Confucian  love  of  music,  he  wrote  or  left  three  essays 
"Against  Music."  Against  Confucian  belief  in  fate,  he  left  three  essays 
"Against  Fatalism."  Against  Confucian  extravagance,  he  left  several 
essays  on  "Thrift"  and  "Thrifty  Funerals."  Against  Confucian  agnos- 
ticism, he  left  three  essays  on  "Recognizing  the  Spirits."  Besides  the  two 
essays  "Anti-Confucianism,"  such  ideas  are  present  in  most  of  his 
essays. 

On  the  positive  side,  he  enunciated  the  clearest  teachings  "against 
offensive  wars,"  and  even  developed  in  great  detail  the  technique  of 
defensive  warfare.  He  also  developed  a  system  of  logical  method,  and 
it  was  his  followers  who  carried  it  further  and  became  known  as  the 
Chinese  "sophists,"  among  whom  Hueitse,  constantly  referred  to  by 
Chuangtse,  was  one.  But  what  is  more,  Motse's  teachings  were  a  stern 
call  to  action,  and  unlike  the  other  schools,  showed  an  evangelistic  zeal. 
Mencius  referred  to  him  as  one  who  "would  wear  his  head  and  his 
heels  off  to  benefit  the  world."  He  taught  and  practised  altruism,  fru- 
gality and  the  fyard  life.  Chuangtse  said  that  his  followers  "wore  coarse 
garments  and  walked  in  sandals,  and  day  and  night  without  cease  lived 
the  hard  life  as  their  goal."  He  sneered  at  the  Confucianists,  comparing 
them  to  bells  which  would  sound  only  when  struck,  and  not  sound  when 
not  struck.  Huainantse  tells  us  that  his  "hundred  eighty  disciples  would 
go  through  fire  and  walk  on  knives  and  face  death  without  turning  back." 

His  influence  grew  so  great  that  for  two  centuries  after  Confucius,  the 
Motseanists  became  the  rivals  of  Confucianists.  Mencius  deplored  the 
decay  of  Confucianism  and  said  that  the  people  of  his  time  would  be 
either  followers  of  Motse  or  else  followers  of  Yang  Chu.  In  fact,  it  almost 
became  an  established  religion.  Chuantse  says,  his  followers  "regarded 
their  Master  as  a  Sage.  They  all  wanted  to  be  his  priests,  in  the  hope  of 
succeeding  to  him." 

Why  its  influence  suddenly  stopped  completely  remains  a  matter  of 


MOTSE  787 

speculation.  Persecution  could  not  do  it,  and  there  was  no  report  of 
persecution.  One  explanation  is  the  rise  of  Mencius,  who  powerfully 
combated  its  influence.  Another  explanation  is  that  the  Han  Emperors 
made  Confucianism  into  almost  a  state  religion.  A  very  possible  expla- 
nation is  that  the  warrior  evangelists  simply  perished  in  the  wars  of 
the  First  Emperor  of  Ch'in.  Which  brings  us  to  the  truest  explanation 
that  Quixotic  heroism  and  extreme  altruism  did  not  appeal  to  the 
native  Chinese  common  sense. 

Of  all  ancient  texts,  Motse  can  benefit  most  from  editing.  His  essays, 
evidently  written  by  his  followers,  contain  many  repetitions,  so  that  three 
essays  on  the  same  subject  may  well  be  different  versions  of  the  same 
teachings,  rather  than  a  consecutive  development  of  the  same  subject. 
I  have  made  selections  from  the  English  translation  of  Y.  P.  Mei  (The 
Worlds  of  Motse,  Probsthain)  which  makes  use  of  the  best  text  of  Sun 
Yi-jang.  The  baldness  of  the  style  is  original,  consonant  with  Motse's 
teachings  on  siniplicity  and  frugality.  His  condemnation  of  offensive 
wars  is  direct  to  the  point  of  naivete,  but  some  such  plain  speaking  seems 
needed  at  the  present  time.  That  he  has  some  wit  is  shown  from  the 
anecdotes  about  him  I  have  collected  from  the  last  chapters  of  his  works. 

In  contrast  to  Motse's  teaching  of  universal  love,  I  could  produce  a 
Chinese  fascist,  Shangtse,  (fourth  century  B.C.)  whose  teachings  are  an 
exact  replica  of  totalitarianism.  Shangtse  taught  war  and  agriculture, 
but  he  taught  agriculture  because  he  believed  peasants  made  the  best 
soldiers.  He  exalted  war  and  glorified  the  rule  of  force.  As  a  result  of  the 
actual  applications  of  his  teachings,  the  dictatorial  state  of  Ch'in  came  to 
power  and  vanquished  all  China.  However,  there  is  enough  fascism  in 
the  West.  The  important  thing  is  that  both  fascism  and  the  doctrine  of 
universal  love  collapsed  in  China  and  have  never  been  tried  again.  Only 
in  this  light  can  we  truly  appreciate  Confucianism. 


Motse 

The  Religious  Teacher 
Translated  by  Y.  P.  Mei 

ON  THE  NECESSITY  OF  STANDARDS 

(Chapter  4) 

Motse  said:  To  accomplish  anything  whatsoever  one  must  have  stand- 
ards. None  has  yet  accomplished  anything  without  them.  The  gentlemen 
fulfilling  their  duties  as  general  and  councillors  have  their  standards. 
Even  the  artisans  performing  their  tasks  also  have  their  standards.  The 
artisans  make  square  objects  according  to  the  square,  circular  objects 
according  to  the  compasses;  they  draw  straight  lines  with  the  carpenter's 
line  and  find  the  perpendicular  by  a  pendulum.  All  artisans,  whether 
skilled  or  unskilled,  employ  these  five  standards.  Only,  the  skilled 
workers  are  accurate.  Though  the  unskilled  labourers  have  not  attained 
accuracy,  yet  they  do  better  by  following  these  standards  than  other- 
wise. Thus  all  artisans  follow  the  standards  in  their  work. 

Now,  the  government  of  the  empire  and  that  of  the  large  states  do 
not  observe  their  standards.  This  shows  the  governors  are  even  less 
intelligent  that  the  artisans. 

What,  then,  should  be  taken  as  the  proper  standard  in  government? 
How  will  it  do  for  everybody  to  imitate  his  parents  ?  There  are  numerous 
parents  in  the  world  but  few  are  magnanimous.  For  everybody  to  imitate 
his  parents  is  to  imitate  the  unmagnammous.  Imitating  the  unmagnani- 
mous  cannot  be  said  to  be  following  the  proper  standard.  How  will  it 
do  for  everybody  to  follow  his  teacher?  There  are  numerous  teachers  in 
the  world  but  few  are  magnanimous.  For  everybody  to  imitate  his 
teacher  is  to  imitate  the  unmagnanimous.  Imitating  the  unmagnanimous 
cannot  be  taken  as  following  the  proper  standard.  How  will  it  do  for 

788 


MOTSE  789 

everybody  to  imitate  his  ruler  ?  There  are  many  rulers  in  the  world  but 
few  are  magnanimous.  For  everybody  to  imitate  the  ruler  is  to  imitate 
the  unmagnanimous.  Imitating  the  unmagnanimous  cannot  be  taken  as 
following  the  right  standard.  So  then  neither  the  parents  nor  the  teacher 
nor  the  ruler  should  be  accepted  as  the  standard  in  government. 

What  then  should  be  taken  as  the  standard  in  government?  Nothing 
better  than  following  Heaven.  Heaven  is  all-inclusive  and  impartial  in 
its  activities,  abundant  and  unceasing  in  its  blessings,  and  lasting  and 
untiring  in  its  guidance.  And,  so,  when  the  sage-kings  had  accepted 
Heaven  as  their  standard,  they  measured  every  action  and  enterprise  by 
Heaven.  What  Heaven  desired  they  would  carry  out,  what  Heaven 
abominated  they  refrained  from. 

Now,  what  is  it  that  Heaven  desires,  and  what  that  it  abominates? 
Certainly  Heaven  desires  to  have  men  benefit  and  love  one  another  and 
abominates  to  have  them  hate  and  harm  one  another.  How  do  we  know 
that  Heaven  desires  to  have  men  love  and  benefit  one  another  and 
abominates  to  have  them  hate  and  harm  one  another?  Because  it  loves 
and  benefits  men  universally.  How  do  we  know  that  it  loves  and  benefits 
men  universally?  Because  it  claims  all  and  accepts  offerings  from  all. 
All  states  in  the  world,  large  or  small,  are  cities  of  Heaven,  and  all 
people,  young  or  old,  honourable  or  humble,  are  its  subjects;  for  they 
all  graze  oxen  and  sheep,  feed  dogs  and  pigs,  and  prepare  dean  wine 
and  cakes  to  sacrifice  to  Heaven.  Does  this  not  mean  that  Heaven  claims 
all  and  accepts  offerings  from  all?  Since  Heaven  does  claim  all  and 
accepts  offerings  from  all,  what  then  can  make  us  say  that  it  does  not 
desire  men  to  love  and  benefit  one  another?  Hence  those  who  love  and 
benefit  others  Heaven  will  bless.  Those  who  hate  and  harm  others 
Heaven  will  curse,  for  it  is  said  that  he  who  murders  the  innocent  will 
be  visited  by  misfortune.  How  else  can  we  explain  the  fact  that  men, 
murdering  each  other,  will  be  cursed  by  Heaven?  Thus  we  are  certain 
that  Heaven  desires  to  have  men  love  and  benefit  one  another  and 
abominates  to  have  them  hate  and  harm  one  another. 

The  ancient  sage-kings,  Yu,  T'ang,  Wen,  and  Wu  loved  the  people  of 
the  world  universally,  leading  them  to  reverence  Heaven  and  worship 
the  spirits.  Many  were  their  benefits  to  the  people.  And,  thereupon 
Heaven  blessed  them,  establishing  them  emperors;  and  all  the  feudal 
lords  of  the  empire  showed  them  respect.  (On  the  other  hand)  the 
wicked  kings,  Chieh,  Chow,  Yu,  and  Li,  hated  all  the  people  in  the 
world,  seducing  the  people  to  curse  Heaven  and  ridicule  the  spirits* 


79°  CHINESE  DEMOCRACY 

Great  were  their  injuries  to  the  people.  Thereupon  Heaven  brought 
them  calamity,  depriving  them  of  their  empire  and  their  lives;  and 
posterity  condemned  them  to  this  day.  Chieh,  Chow,  Yu,  and  Li,  then, 
are  those  that  committed  evil  and  were  visited  by  calamities.  And  Yii, 
T'ang,  Wen  and  Wu  are  those  that  loved  and  benefited  the  people  and 
obtained  blessings.  Thus  we  have  those  who  obtained  blessings  because 
they  loved  and  benefited  the  people  as  well  as  those  who  were  visited 
by  calamities  because  they  hated  and  harmed  the  people. 

ON  THE  IMPORTANCE  OF  A  COMMON  STANDARD  (III)  l 

(Chapter  13) 

Motse  said:  The  interest  of  the  wise  (ruler)  lies  in  carrying  out  what 
makes  for  order  among  the  people  and  avoiding  what  makes  for  con- 
fusion. 

But  what  is  it  that  makes  for  order  among  the  people  ? 

When  the  administration  of  the  ruler  answers  to  the  desires  of  the 
people  there  will  be  order,  otherwise  there  will  be  confusion. 

How  do  we  know  it  is  so  ? 

When  the  administration  of  the  ruler  answers  to  the  desires  of  the 
subjects,  it  manifests  an  understanding  of  the  approvals  and  disapprovals 
of  the  people.  When  there  is  such  an  understanding,  the  good  will  be 
discovered  and  rewarded  and  the  bad  will  be  discovered  and  punished, 
and  the  country  will  surely  have  order.  When  the  administration  of 
the  ruler  does  not  answer  to  the  desires  of  the  subjects,  it  shows  a  lack  of 
understanding  of  the  approvals  and  disapprovals  of  the  subjects.  When 
there  is  no  such  understanding  then  the  good  will  not  be  discovered  and 
rewarded  and  the  bad  will  not  be  discovered  and  punished.  With  the 
good  unrewarded  and  the  evil  unpunished,  such  a  government  will 
surely  put  the  country  into  disorder.  Therefore  when  rewards  and 
punishments  do  not  answer  to  the  desires  of  the  people,  the  matter 
has  to  be  carefully  looked  into. 

But  how  can  the  desires  of  the  people  (being  so  many  and  various) 
be  met? 

Therefore  Motse  said:  It  can  be  done  only  by  adopting  the  principle 
of  Identification  with  the  Superior  in  government.* 

1  The  title,  Shang  T'ung,  is  translated  by  Mr.  Y.  P.  Mci  as  "Identification  with  the  Superior** 

which  I  believe  is  unjustified.  See  Note  2. 

'  Should  read:  "It  can  be  done  only  by  exalting  the  common,  unified  standard  of  right  in 

government." 


MOTSE  791 

How  do  we  know  the  principle  of  Identification  with  the  Superior 
can  govern  the  empire? 

Why  not  then  examine  the  administration  and  the  theory  of  govern- 
ment of  the  ancient  times?  In  the  beginning  there  was  no  ruler  and 
everybody  was  independent.  Since  every  one  was  independent,  there 
would  be  one  purpose  when  there  was  one  man,  ten  purposes  when 
there  were  ten  men,  a  hundred  purposes  when  there  were  a  hundred 
men,  a  thousand  purposes  when  there  were  a  thousand  men  and  so  on 
until  the  number  of  men  became  innumerable  and  the  number  of 
different  purposes  became  innumerable  with  it.  And  all  of  them 
approved  their  own  ideas  and  disapproved  those  of  others.  And  there 
was  strife  among  the  strong  and  struggle  among  the  weak. 

Thereupon  Heaven  wished  to  unify  the  standards  in  the  world.  The 
virtuous  was  selected  and  made  emperor.  Conscious  of  the  insufficiency 
of  his  power  alone  to  govern  the  empire,  the  emperor  chose  the  next 
best  (in  virtue  and  wisdom)  and  honoured  them  to  be  the  three  ministers. 
Conscious  of  the  insufficiency  of  their  powers  alone  to  assist  the  em- 
peror, the  three  ministers  in  turn  divided  the  empire  into  feudal  states 
and  assigned  them  to  feudal  lords.  Conscious  of  the  insufficiency  of 
his  power  alone  to  govern  all  that  were  within  his  four  borders,  the 
feudal  lord  in  turn  selected  his  next  best  and  commissioned  them 
ministers  and  secretaries.  Conscious  of  the  insufficiency  of  their  power 
alone  to  assist  their  feudal  lord,  the  ministers  and  secretaries  again 
selected  their  next  best  and  appointed  them  district  heads  and  clan 
patriarchs.  Therefore  in  appointing  the  three  ministers,  the  feudal  lords, 
the  ministers  and  secretaries,  and  the  district  heads  and  clan  patriarchs, 
the  emperor  was  not  selecting  them  for  wealth  and  honour,  leisure  and 
ease.  It  was  to  employ  them  to  help  in  administration  and  jurisdiction. 
Hence,  when  Heaven  established  the  empire  and  located  the  capital 
and  commissioned  the  sovereign,  kings,  lords,  and  dukes,  and  appointed 
secretaries,  scholars,  professors,  and  elders, — it  was  not  to  give  them 
ease,  but  only  to  divide  up  the  task  and  let  them  help  carry  out  the 
light  of  Heaven. 

Why  are  the  superiors  now  unable  to  govern  their  subordinates,  and 
the  subordinates  unwilling  to  serve  their  superiors?  It  is  because  of  a 
mutual  disregard. 

What  is  the  reason  for  this?  The  reason  is  a  difference  in  standards. 
Whenever  standards  differ  there  will  be  opposition.  The  ruler  may  think 
a  man  good  and  reward  him.  The  man,  though  rewarded  by  the  ruler, 


792  CHINESE  DEMOCRACY 

yet  by  the  same  act  provokes  the  condemnation  of  the  people.  There- 
fore those  who  do  good  are  not  necessarily  encouraged  by  rewards. 
The  ruler  may  think  a  man  evil  and  punish  him.  This  man,  though 
punished  by  the  ruler,  yet  at  the  same  time  receives  the  approval  of  the 
people.  Therefore  those  who  do  evil  are  not  necessarily  obstructed  by 
punishments.  Thus  reward  and  honour  from  the  ruler  cannot  en- 
courage the  good  and  his  denunciation  and  punishment  cannot  prevent 
the  evil.  What  is  the  reason  for  this?  The  reason  is  a  difference  in 
standards. 

But  how  can  the  standards  in  the  world  be  unified? 

Motse  said:  Why  not  let  each  member  of  the  clan  organize  his  pur- 
poses and  identify  them  with  those  of  the  patriarch?  And  let  the 
patriarch  give  laws  and  proclaim  to  the  clan:  "Whoever  discovers  a 
benefactor  to  the  clan  shall  report  it;  Whoever  discovers  a  malefactor 
to  the  clan  shall  report  it.  Whoever  reports  the  benefactor  of  the  clan 
upon  seeing  one  is  equivalent  to  benefiting  the  clan  himself.  Knowing 
him  the  superior  will  reward  him,  hearing  of  him  the  group  will 
praise  him.  Whoever  fails  to  report  a  malefactor  of  the  clan  upon 
seeing  one  is  equivalent  to  doing  evil  to  the  clan  himself.  Knowing  him 
the  superior  will  punish  him,  hearing  of  him  the  group  will  condemn 
him."  Thereupon  all  the  members  of  the  clan  wish  to  obtain  reward 
and  honour  and  avoid  denunciation  and  punishment  from  their  superior. 
Seeing  the  good  they  will  report;  seeing  the  evil  they  will  report.  And 
the  patriarch  can  reward  the  good  and  punish  the  evil.  With  the  good 
rewarded  and  the  evil  punished,  the  clan  will  surely  have  order.  Now, 
why  is  it  that  the  clan  becomes  orderly  ?  Just  because  the  administration 
is  based  on  the  principle  of  Identification  with  the  Superior.8 

Now  that  the  clan  is  in  order,  is  that  all  there  is  of  the  way  of  govern- 
ing the  feudal  state  ? 

By  no  means.  The  state  is  composed  of  many  clans.  They  all  like 
their  own  clan  and  dislike  other  clans.  And  there  is  strife  among  the 
strong  and  struggle  among  the  weak.  Therefore  the  clan  patriarchs 
should  again  organize  the  purposes  in  the  clan  and  identify  them  with 
those  of  the  feudal  lord.  The  feudal  lord  also  should  give  laws  and  should 
proclaim  to  the  state:  "Whoever  discovers  a  benefactor  of  the  state 
shall  report  it;  whoever  discovers  a  malefactor  of  the  state  shall  report  it. 
Whoever  reports  a  benefactor  of  the  state  upon  seeing  one  is  equivalent 
to  benefiting  the  state  himself.  Knowing  him  the  superior  will  reward 

8  Should  read:  "is  based  on  unification  of  the  standard  of  right." 


MOTSE  793 

him,  hearing  of  him  the  people  will  praise  him.  Whoever  fails  to  report 
a  malefactor  of  the  state  upon  seeing  one  is  equivalent  to  doing  evil  to 
the  state  himself.  Knowing  him  the  superior  will  punish  him,  hearing 
of  him  the  people  will  condemn  him."  Thereupon  all  people  in  the  state 
wish  to  obtain  reward  and  honour  and  avoid  denunciation  and  punish- 
ment from  their  superior.  Seeing  the  good  they  will  report,  seeing  the 
evil  they  will  report.  And  the  feudal  lord  can  reward  the  good  and 
punish  the  evil.  With  the  good  rewarded  and  the  evil  punished,  the 
feudal  state  will  surely  have  order.  Now,  why  is  it  that  the  state  becomes 
orderly?  Just  because  the  administration  is  based  on  the  principle  of 
Identification  with  the  Superior.4 

Now  that  the  feudal  state  is  in  order,  is  that  all  there  is  to  the  way 
of  governing  the  empire? 

By  no  means.  The  empire  is  composed  of  many  states.  They  all  like 
their  own  state  and  dislike  other  states.  And  there  is  strife  among  the 
strong  and  struggle  among  the  weak.  Therefore  the  feudal  lord  should 
again  organize  the  purposes  in  the  state  and  identify  them  with  those 
of  the  emperor.  The  emperor  also  should  give  laws  and  should  pro- 
claim to  the  empire:  "Whoever  discovers  a  benefactor  of  the  empire 
shall  report  it;  whoever  discovers  a  malefactor  of  the  empire  shall  report 
it.  Whoever  reports  a  benefactor  of  the  empire  upon  seeing  one  is 
equivalent  to  benefiting  the  state  himself.  Knowing  him  the  superior 
will  reward  him,  hearing  of  him  the  people  will  praise  him.  WThoever 
fails  to  report  a  malefactor  upon  seeing  one  is  equivalent  to  doing  evil 
to  the  empire  himself.  Knowing  him  the  superior  will  punish  him, 
hearing  of  him  the  people  will  condemn  him."  Thereupon  all  the  people 
in  the  empire  will  wish  to  obtain  reward  and  honour  and  avoid  denun- 
ciation and  punishment  from  their  emperor.  Seeing  the  good  and  the 
evil  they  will  report.  And  the  emperor  can  reward  the  good  and  punish 
the  evil.  With  the  good  rewarded  and  the  evil  punished,  the  empire 
will  surely  have  order.  Now  why  is  it  that  the  empire  becomes  orderly? 
Just  because  the  administration  is  based  on  the  principle  of  Identifica- 
tion with  the  Superior.5 

Now  that  the  empire  becomes  orderly,  the  emperor  will  further 
organize  the  purposes  in  the  empire  and  identify  them  with  the  Will  of 
Heaven.* 

4  See  Note  3.  See  Note  3. 

8  Should  read:  "The  emperor  will  again  gather  all  the  standards  of  right  of  the  world  and 

unify  them  with  (the  will  of)  Heaven,  Sec  "Will  of  Heaven"  I. 


794  CHINESE  DEMOCRACY 


UNIVERSAL  LOVE  (II) 
(Chapter  15) 

Motsc  said:  The  purpose  of  the  magnanimous T  is  to  be  found  in  pro- 
curing benefits  for  the  world  and  eliminating  its  calamities. 

But  what  are  the  benefits  of  the  world  and  what  its  calamities? 

Motse  said:  Mutual  attacks  among  states,  mutual  usurpation  among 
houses,  mutual  injuries  among  individuals;  the  lack  of  grace  and 
loyalty  between  ruler  and  ruled,  the  lack  of  affection  and  filial  piety 
between  father  and  son,  the  lack  of  harmony  between  elder  and  younger 
brothers — these  are  the  major  calamities  in  the  world. 

But  whence  did  these  calamities  arise,  out  of  mutual  love? 

Motse  said :  They  arise  out  of  want  of  mutual  love.  At  present  feudal 
lords  have  learned  only  to  love  their  own  states  and  not  those  of  others. 
Therefore  they  do  not  scruple  about  attacking  other  states.  The  heads 
of  houses  have  learned  only  to  love  their  own  houses  and  not  those  of ' 
others.  Therefore  they  do  not  scruple  about  usurping  other  houses. 
And  individuals  have  learned  only  to  love  themselves  and  not  others. 
Therefore  they  do  not  scruple  about  injuring  others.  When  feudal 
lords  do  not  love  one  another  there  will  be  war  on  the  fields.  When 
heads  of  houses  do  not  love  one  another  they  will  usurp  one  another's 
power.  When  individuals  do  not  love  one  another  they  will  injure  one 
another.  When  ruler  and  ruled  do  not  love  one  another  they  will  not  be 
gracious  and  loyal.  "When  father  and  son  do  not  love  each  other  they 
will  not  be  affectionate  and  filial.  When  elder  and  younger  brothers 
do  not  love  each  other  they  will  not  be  harmonious.  When  nobody  in 
the  world  loves  any  other,  naturally  the  strong  will  overpower  the  weak, 
the  many  will  oppress  the  few,  the  wealthy  will  mock  the  poor,  the 
honoured  will  disdain  the  humble,  the  cunning  will  deceive  the  simple. 
Therefore  all  the  calamities,  strifes,  complaints,  and  hatred  in  the  world 
have  arisen  out  of  want  of  mutual  love.  Therefore  the  benevolent  dis- 
approved of  this  want. 

Now  that  there  is  disapproval,  how  can  we  have  the  condition  altered  ? 

Motse  said:  It  is  to  be  altered  by  the  way  of  universal  love  and 
mutual  aid. 

7  fen,  variously  translated  as  "benevolence,"  "charity,"  "love,"  "kindness."  fcnjen  philo- 
sophically means  the  "true  man"  in  Confucianism,  and  in  general  usage  the  "good,  kind 
man."  Throughout  this  translation  the  word  "magnanimous"  refers  to  ien. 


MOTSE  795 

But  what  is  the  way  of  universal  love  and  mutual  aid? 

Motse  said :  It  is  to  regard  the  state  of  others  as  one's  own,  the  houses 
of  others  as  one's  own,  the  persons  of  others  as  one's  self.  When  feudal 
lords  love  one  another  there  will  be  no  more  war;  when  heads  of  houses 
love  one  another  there  will  be  no  more  mutual  usurpation;  when  in- 
dividuals love  one  another  there  will  be  no  more  mutual  injury.  When 
ruler  and  ruled  love  each  other  they  will  be  gracious  and  loyal;  when 
father  and  son  love  each  other  they  will  be  affectionate  and  filial;  when 
elder  and  younger  brothers  love  each  other  they  will  be  harmonious. 
When  all  the  people  in  the  world  love  one  another,  then  the  strong  will 
not  overpower  the  weak,  the  many  will  not  oppress  the  few,  the  wealthy 
will  not  mock  the  poor,  the  honoured  will  not  disdain  the  humble,  and 
the  cunning  will  not  deceive  the  simple.  And  it  is  all  due  to  mutual  love 
that  calamities,  strifes,  complaints,  and  hatred  are  prevented  from 
arising.  Therefore  the  benevolent  exalt  it. 

But  the  gentlemen  of  the  world  would  say:  "So  far  so  good.  It  is  of 
course  very  excellent  when  love  becomes  universal.  But  it  is  only  a 
difficult  and  distant  ideal." 

Motse  said:  This  is  simply  because  the  gentlemen  of  the  world  do  not 
recognize  what  is  to  the  benefit  of  the  world,  or  understand  what  is  its 
calamity.  Now,  to  besiege  a  city,  to  fight  in  the  fields,  or  to  achieve  a 
name  at  the  cost  of  death — these  are  what  men  find  difficult.  Yet  when 
the  superior  encourages  them,  the  multitude  can  do  them.  Besides, 
universal  love  and  mutual  aid  is  quite  different  from  these.  Whoever 
loves  others  is  loved  by  others;  whoever  benefits  others  is  benefited  by 
others;  whoever  hates  others  is  hated  by  others;  whoever  injures  others 
is  injured  by  others.  Then,  what  difficulty  is  there  with  it  (universal 
love)  ?  Only,  the  ruler  fails  to  embody  it  in  his  government  and  the 
ordinary  man  in  his  conduct.8 

UNIVERSAL  LOVE  (III) 

(Chapter  16) 
•  •  •  •  • 

Yet  the  objection  is  not  all  exhausted.  It  is  asked:  "It  may  be  a  good 
thing,  but  can  it  be  of  any  use?" 

*  This  is  half  of  the  second  essay  in  "Universal  Love,"  of  which  there  are  three,  with  repe- 
titions. Motse  further  proves  his  point  by  illustrations  from  ancient  history  and  answers 
criticisms  of  Universal  Love  as  "impracticable,"  etc.  The  idea  of  Universal  Love  is  closely 
connected  with  "the  will  of  Heaven"  and  is  further  developed  all  through  Motsc's  works. 


796  CHINESE   DEMOCRACY 

Motse  replied :  If  it  were  not  useful  then  even  I  would  disapprove  of 
it.  But  how  can  there  be  anything  that  is  good  but  not  useful?  Let  us 
consider  the  matter  from  both  sides.  Suppose  there  are  two  men.  Let  one 
of  them  hold  to  partiality  and  the  other  to  universality.  Then  the  ad- 
vocate of  partiality  would  say  to  himself,  how  can  I  take  care  of  my 
friend  as  I  do  of  myself,  how  can  I  take  care  of  his  parents  as  my  own? 
Therefore  when  he  finds  his  friend  hungry  he  would  not  feed  him,  and 
when  he  finds  him  cold  he  would  not  clothe  him.  In  his  illness  he  would 
not  minister  to  him,  and  when  he  is  dead  he  would  not  bury  him.  Such  is 
the  word  and  such  is  the  deed  of  the  advocate  of  partiality.  The  advocate 
of  universality  is  quite  unlike  this  both  in  word  and  in  deed.  He  would 
say  to  himself,  I  have  heard  that  to  be  a  superior  man  one  should  take 
care  of  his  friend  as  he  does  of  himself,  and  take  care  of  his  friend's 
parents  as  his  own.  Therefore  when  he  finds  his  friend  hungry  he  would 
feed  him,  and  when  he  finds  him  cold  he  would  clothe  him.  In  his  sick- 
ness he  would  serve  him,  and  when  he  is  dead  he  would  bury  him.  Such 
is  the  word  and  such  is  the  deed  of  the  advocate  of  universality. 

These  two  persons  then  are  opposed  to  each  other  in  word  and  also  in 
deed.  Suppose  they  are  sincere  in  word  and  decisive  in  deed  so  that  their 
word  and  deed  are  made  to  agree  like  the  two  parts  of  a  tally,  and  that 
there  is  no  word  but  what  is  realized  in  deed,  then  let  us  consider  further : 
Suppose  a  war  is  on,  and  one  is  in  armour  and  helmet  ready  to  join  the 
force,  life  and  death  are  not  predictable.  Or  suppose  one  is  commissioned 
a  deputy  by  the  ruler  to  such  far  countries  like  Pa,  Yiieh,  Ch'i  and  Ching, 
and  the  arrival  and  return  are  quite  uncertain.  Now  (under  such  circum- 
stances) let  us  inquire  upon  whom  would  one  lay  the  trust  of  one's 
family  and  parents.  Would  it  be  upon  the  universal  friend  or  upon  the 
partial  friend?  It  seems  to  me,  on  occasions  like  these,  there  are  no  fools 
in  the  world.  Even  if  he  is  a  person  who  objects  to  universal  love,  he  will 
lay  the  trust  upon  the  universal  friend  all  the  same.  This  is  verbal  objec- 
tion to  the  principle  but  actual  selection  by  it — this  is  self-contradiction 
between  one's  word  and  deed.  It  is  incomprehensible,  then,  why  people 
should  object  to  universal  love  when  they  hear  it. 

Yet  the  objection  is  still  not  exhausted.  It  raises  the  question,  when  one 
does  not  think  in  terms  of  benefits  and  harm  to  one's  parents  would  it 
be  filial  piety  ? 

Motse  replied:  Now  let  us  inquire  about  the  plans  of  the  filial  sons  for 
their  parents.  I  may  ask,  when  they  plan  for  their  parents,  whether  they 


MOTSE  797 

desire  to  have  others  love  or  hate  them  ?  Judging  from  the  whole  doctrine 
(of  filial  piety),  it  is  certain  that  they  desire  to  have  others  love  their 
parents.  Now,  what  should  I  do  first  in  order  to  attain  this?  Should  I 
first  love  others'  parents  in  order  that  they  would  love  my  parents  in 
return,  or  should  I  first  hate  others'  parents  in  order  that  they  wquld  love 
my  parents  in  return?  Of  course  I  should  first  love  others'  parents  in 
order  that  they  would  love  my  parents  in  return.  Hence  those  who  desire 
to  be  filial  to  one  another's  parents,  if  they  have  to  choose  (between 
whether  they  should  love  or  hate  others'  parents),  had  best  first  love  and 
benefit  others'  parents.  Would  any  one  suspect  that  all  the  filial  sons  are 
stupid  and  incorrigible  (in  loving  their  own  parents)  ?  We  may  again 
inquire  about  it.  It  is  said  in  the  "Ta  Ya"  among  the  books  of  the  ancient 
kings:  "No  idea  is  not  given  its  due  value;  no  virtue  is  not  rewarded. 
When  a  peach  is  thrown  to  us,  we  would  return  with  a  prune."  This  is 
to  say  whoever  loves  others  will  be  loved  and  whoever  hates  others  will 
be  hated.  It  is  then  quite  incomprehensible  why  people  should  object  to 
universal  love  when  they  hear  it. 

CONDEMNATION  OF  OFFENSIVE  WAR  (I) 
(Chapter  77) 

Suppose  a  man  enters  the  orchard  of  another  and  steals  the  other's 
peaches  and  plums.  Hearing  of  it  the  public  will  condemn  it;  laying 
hold  of  him  the  authorities  will  punish  him.  Why?  Because  he  injures 
others  to  profit  himself.  As  to  seizing  dogs,  pigs,  chickens,  and  young 
pigs  from  another,  it  is  even  more  unrighteous  than  to  steal  peaches  and 
plums  from  his  orchard.  Why  ?  Because  it  causes  others  to  suffer  more,* 
and  it  is  njore  inhumane  and  criminal.  When  it  comes  to  entering  an- 
other's stable  and  appropriating  the  other's  horses  and  oxen,  it  is  more 
inhumane  than  to  seize  the  dogs,  pigs,  chickens,  and  young  pigs  of  an- 
other. Why?  Because  others  are  caused  to  suffer  more;  when  others  are 
caused  to  suffer  more,  then  the  act  is  more  inhumane  and  criminal. 
Finally,  as  to  murdering  the  innocent,  stripping  him  of  his  clothing, 
dispossessing  him  of  his  spear  and  sword,  it  is  even  more  unrighteous 
then  to  enter  another's  stable  and  appropriate  his  horses  and  oxen.  Why  ? 

0  A  clause  seems  to  have  been  lost  here,  when  we  compare  this  sentence  with  the  following 
sentences  expressing  the  same  meaning.  The  correct  text  here  seems  also  to  be,  "Because 
others  arc  caused  to  suffer  more;  when  others  are  caused  to  suffer  more,  it  is  more  in- 
humane and  criminal." 


798  CHINESE   DEMOCRACY 

Because  it  causes  others  to  suffer  more;  when  others  are  caused  to  suffer 
more,  then  the  act  is  more  inhumane  and  criminal. 

All  the  gentlemen  of  the  world  know  that  they  should  condemn  these 
things,  calling  them  unrighteous.  But  when  it  comes  to  the  great  attack 
of  states,  they  do  not  know  that  they  should  condemn  it.  On  the  contrary, 
they  applaud  it,  calling  it  righteous.  Can  this  be  said  to  be  knowing  the 
difference  between  righteousness  and  unrighteousness  ? 

The  murder  of  one  person  is  called  unrighteous  and  incurs  one  death 
penalty.  Following  this  argument,  the  murder  of  ten  persons  will  be  ten 
times  as  unrighteous  and  there  should  be  ten  death  penalties;  the 
murder  of  a  hundred  persons  will  be  a  hundred  times  as  unrighteous  and 
there  should  be  a  hundred  death  penalties.  All  the  gentlemen  of  the 
world  know  that  they  should  condemn  these  things,  calling  them  un- 
righteous. But  when  it  comes  to  the  great  unrighteousness  of  attacking 
states,  they  do  not  know  that  they  should  condemn  it.  On  the  contrary, 
they  applaud  it,  calling  it  righteous.  And  they  are  really  ignorant  of  its 
being  unrighteous.  Hence  they  have  recorded  their  judgment  to  bequeath 
to  their  posterity.  If  they  did  know  that  it  is  unrighteous,  then  why 
would  they  record  their  false  judgment  to  bequeath  to  posterity? 

Now,  if  there  were  a  man  who,  upon  seeing  a  little  blackness,  should 
say  it  is  black,  but,  upon  seeing  much,  should  say  it  is  white;  then  we 
should  think  he  could  not  tell  the  difference  between  black  and  white. 
If,  upon  tasting  a  little  bitterness  one  should  say  it  is  bitter,  but,  upon 
tasting  much,  should  say  it  is  sweet;  then  we  should  think  he  could  not 
tell  the  difference  between  bitter  and  sweet.  Now,  when  a  little  wrong 
is  committed  people  know  that  they  should  condemn  it,  but  when  such 
a  great  wrong  as  attacking  a  state  is  committed,  people  do  not  know  that 
they  should  condemn  it.  On  the  contrary,  it  is  applauded,  called  righteous. 
Can  this  be  said  to  be  knowing  the  difference  between  the  righteous  and 
unrighteous?  Hence  we  know  the  gentlemen  of  the  world  are  confused 
about  the  difference  between  righteousness  and  unrighteousness. 

CONDEMNATION  OF  OFFENSIVE  WAR  (II) 
(Chapter  18) 

Now,  about  a  country  going  to  war.  If  it  is  in  winter  it  will  be  too  cold; 
if  it  is  summer  it  will  be  too  hot.  So  it  should  be  neither  in  winter  nor  in 
summer.  If  it  is  in  spring  it  will  take  people  away  from  sowing  and 
planting;  if  it  is  in  autumn  it  will  take  people  away  from  reaping  and 


MOTSE  799 

harvesting.  Should  they  be  taken  away  in  either  of  these  seasons,  innu- 
merable people  would  die  of  hunger  and  cold.  And,  when  the  army  sets 
out,  the  bamboo  arrows,  the  feather  flags,  the  house  tents,  the  armour, 
the  shields,  the  sword  hilts — innumerable  quantities  of  these  will  break 
and  rot  and  never  come  back.  The  spears,  the  lances,  the  swords,  the 
poniards,  the  chariots,  the  carts— innumerable  quantities  of  these  will 
break  and  rot  and  never  come  back.  Then  innumerable  horses  and  oxen 
will  start  out  fat  and  come  back  lean  or  will  not  return  at  all.  And 
innumerable  people  will  die  because  their  food  will  be  cut  off  and  cannot 
be  supplied  on  account  of  the  great  distances  of  the  roads.  And  innumer- 
able people  will  be  sick  and  die  of  the  constant  danger  and  the  irregu- 
larity of  eating  and  drinking  and  the  extremes  of  hunger  and  over-eating. 
Then,  the  army  will  be  lost  in  large  numbers  or  entirely;  in  either  case 
the  number  will  be  innumerable.  And  this  means  the  spirits  will  lose 
their  worshippers,  and  the  number  of  these  will  also  be  innumerable. 

Why  then  does  the  government  deprive  the  people  of  their  opportuni- 
ties and  benefits  to  such  a  great  extent?  It  has  been  answered:  "I  covet 
the  fame  of  the  victor  and  the  possessions  obtainable  through  the  con- 
quest. So  I  do  it." 

Motse  said :  But  when  we  consider  the  victory  as  such,  there  is  nothing 
useful  about  it.  When  we  consider  the  possessions  obtained  through  it, 
it  does  not  even  make  up  for  the  loss.  Now  about  the  siege  of  a  city  of 
three  li  or  a  \uo™  of  seven  // — if  these  could  be  obtained  without  the 
use  of  weapons  or  the  killing  of  lives,  it  would  be  all  right.  But  (as  a 
matter  of  fact)  those  killed  must  be  counted  by  the  ten  thousand,  those 
widowed  or  left  solitary  must  be  counted  by  the  thousand,  before  a  city 
of  three  //  or  a  fyto  of  seven  li  could  be  captured.  Moreover  the  states  of 
ten  thousand  chariots  now  have  empty  towns  to  be  counted  by  the 
thousand,  which  can  be  entered  without  conquest;  and  their  extensive 
lands  to  be  counted  by  the  ten  thousand  (of  m«),u  which  can  be  culti- 
vated without  conquest.  So,  land  is  abundant  but  people  are  few.  Now 
to  pursue  the  people  to  death  and  aggravate  the  danger  feared  by  both 
superiors  and  subordinates  in  order  to  obtain  an  empty  city — this  is  to 
give  up  what  is  needed  and  to  treasure  what  is  already  in  abundance. 
Such  an  undertaking  is  not  in  accordance  with  the  interest  of  the  country. 

Those  who  endeavour  to  gloss  over  offensive  wars  would  say :  "These 
states  perished  because  they  could  not  gather  and  employ  their  multi- 

10  Outer  city.  u  A  mu  is  one-sixth  of  an  acre. 


&X>  CHINESE  DEMOCRACY 

tudes.  I  can  gather  and  employ  my  multitudes  and  wage  war  with  them; 
who,  then,  dare  to  be  unsubmissive?'* 

Motse  said:  You  might  be  able  to  gather  and  employ  your  multitudes, 
but  can  you  compare  yourself  with  the  ancient  Ho  Lii  of  Wu  ?  Ho  Lii 
of  Wu  (about  510  B.C.)  in  the  ancient  days  drilled  his  soldiers  seven 
years.  With  armour  on  and  weapons  in  hand  they  could  cover  three 
hundred  li  (in  a  day)  before  encamping  (for  the  night).  Passing  Chu 
Lin,  they  emerged  at  the  narrow  Pass  of  Min.  They  engaged  in  battle 
(with  the  state  of  Ch'u)  at  Po  Chii.  Subduing  Ch'u,  (Ho  Lii)  gave 
audience  to  Sung  and  Lu.  By  the  time  of  Fu  Ch'ai,1*  he  attacked  Ch'i  in 
the  north,  encamped  on  the  Wen  River,  fought  at  Ai  Ling  and  greatly 
defeated  Ch'i  and  compelled  surety  at  Kuei  Chi.  None  of  the  nine  tribes 
dared  to  show  disrespect.  Reaching  home,  however,  he  would  not 
reward  the  orphaned  or  give  to  the  numerous  rustics.  He  depended  on 
his  own  might,  gloated  over  his  success,  praised  his  own  cleverness,  and 
neglected  instructing  and  training  his  people.  He  built  the  Monument  of 
Ku  Su  M  which  was  not  completed  even  in  seven  years.  By  this  time  (the 
people  of  Wu)  felt  tired  and  disheartened.  Seeing  the  friction  between 
the  superior  and  the  subordinates  in  Wu,  Kou  Chien  of  Yiieh  gathered 
his  multitudes  to  take  revenge.  He  broke  into  its  fyio  on  the  north,  moved 
nway  its  royal  boat,  and  surrounded  its  palace.  And  thus  Wu  perished 

XIX.   CONDEMNATION  OF  OFFENSIVE  WAR  (III) 
(Chapter  19) 

Motse  said :  What  does  the  world  now  praise  to  be  good  ?  Is  not  an  act 
praised  because  it  is  useful  to  Heaven  on  high,  to  the  spirits  in  the  middle 
sphere,  and  to  the  people  below?  Certainly  no  other  reason  is  needed  for 
praise  than  to  be  useful  to  Heaven  on  high,  to  the  spirits  in  the  middle, 
and  to  the  people  below.  Even  the  stupid  would  say  it  is  praiseworthy 
when  it  is  helpful  to  Heaven  on  high,  to  the  spirits  in  the  middle,  and 
to  the  people  below.  And  what  the  world  agrees  on  is  just  the  way  of 
the  sage-kings. 

Now  to  capture  a  state  and  to  destroy  an  army,  to  disturb  and  torture 
the  people,  and  to  set  at  naught  the  aspirations  of  the  sages  by  confusion — 
is  this  intended  to  bless  Heaven  ?  But  the  people  of  Heaven  are  gathered 

18  Ho  Lii's  son  (about  490  B.C.) 

18  Capital  of  the  state  of  Wu,  now  Soochow. 


MOTSE  80I 

together  to  besiege  the  towns  belonging  to  Heaven.  This  is  to  murder 
men  of  Heaven  and  dispossess  the  spirits  of  their  altars  and  to  ruin  the 
state  and  to  kill  the  sacrificial  animals.  It  is  then  not  a  blessing  to  Heaven 
on  high.  Is  it  intended  to  bless  the  spirits?  But  men  of  Heaven  are 
murdered,  spirits  are  deprived  of  their  sacrifices,  the  earlier  kings  "  are 
neglected,  the  multitude  are  tortured  and  the  people  are  scattered;  it  is 
then  not  a  blessing  to  the  spirits  in  the  middle.  Is  it  intended  to  bless  the 
people  ?  But  the  blessing  of  the  people  by  killing  them  off  must  be  very 
meagre.  And  when  we  calculate  the  expense,  which  is  the  root  of  the 
calamities  of  living,  we  find  the  property  of  innumerable  people  is 
exhausted.  It  is,  then,  not  a  blessing  to  the  people  below  either. 

Have  we  not  heard  it  said  that,  when  a  warring  state  goes  on  an  expedi- 
tion, of  the  officers  there  must  be  several  hundred,  of  the  common  people 
there  must  be  several  thousand,  and  of  the  soldiers  and  prisoners  there 
must  be  ten  thousand,  before  the  army  can  set  out  ?  It  may  last  for  several 
years,  or  at  the  shortest,  several  months.  So,  the  superior  will  have  no 
time  to  attend  to  their  offices,  the  farmers  will  have  no  time  to  sow  or 
reap,  the  women  will  have  no  time  to  weave  or  spin:  that  is,  the  state 
will  lose  its  men  and  the  people  will  neglect  their  vocations.  Besides,  the 
chariots  will  break  and  horses  will  be  exhausted.  As  to  tents,  army 
supplies,  and  soldiers'  equipment — if  one-fifth  of  these  can  remain  (after 
the  war)  it  would  already  be  beyond  expectation.  Moreover,  innumer- 
able men  will  be  missing  and  lost  on  the  way,  and  will  become  sick  from 
the  long  distances,  meagre  rations,  hunger  and  cold,  and  die  in  the 
ditches.  Now  the  calamity  to  the  people  and  the  world  is  tremendous. 
Yet  the  rulers  enjoy  doing  it.  This  means  they  enjoy  injuring  and  ex- 
terminating the  people;  is  this  not  perversity? 

THE  WILL  OF  HEAVEN  (I) 
(Chapter  26) 

Now,  what  does  Heaven  desire  and  what  does  it  abominate?  Heaven 
desires  righteousness  and  abominates  unrighteousness.  .  .  .  But  how  do 
we  know  Heaven  desires  righteousness  and  abominates  unrighteous- 
ness ?  For,  with  righteousness  the  world  lives  and  without  it  the  world 
dies;  with  it  the  world  becomes  rich  and  without  it  the  world  becomes 
poor;  with  it  the  world  becomes  orderly  and  without  it  the  world 

11  Meaning  the  ancestral  spirits  of  the  state. 


502  CHINESE  DEMOCRACY 

becomes  chaotic.  And  Heaven  likes  to  have  the  world  live  and  dislikes 
to  have  it  die,  likes  to  have  it  rich  and  dislikes  to  have  it  poor,  and  likes 
to  have  it  orderly  and  dislikes  to  have  is  disorderly.  Therefore  we  know 
Heaven  desires  righteousness  and  abominates  unrighteousness. 

How  do  we  know  Heaven  loves  the  people?  Because  it  teaches  them 
all.  How  do  we  know  it  teaches  them  all?  Because  it  claims  them  all. 
How  do  we  know  it  claims  them  all?  Because  it  accepts  sacrifices 
from  them  all.  How  do  we  know  it  accepts  sacrifices  from  all  ?  Because 
within  the  four  seas  all  who  live  on  grains  feed  oxen  and  sheep  with 
grass,  and  dogs  and  pigs  with  grains,  and  prepare  clean  cakes  and  wine 
to  do  sacrifice  to  God  on  High  and  the  spirits.  Claiming  all  the  people, 
why  will  Heaven  not  love  them?  Moreover,  as  I  have  said,  for  the 
murder  of  one  innocent  individual  there  will  be  one  calamity.  Who  is  it 
that  murders  the  innocent?  It  is  man.  Who  is  it  that  sends  down  the 
calamity?  It  is  Heaven.  If  Heaven  should  be  thought  of  as  not  loving 
the  people,  why  should  it  send  down  calamities  for  the  murder  of  man 
by  man  ?  So,  I  know  Heaven  loves  the  people. 

To  obey  the  will  of  Heaven  is  to  accept  righteousness  as  the  standard. 
To  oppose  the  will  of  Heaven  is  to  accept  force  as  the  standard.  Now 
what  will  the  standard  of  righteousness  do? 

Motse  said :  He  who  rules  a  large  state  does  not  attack  small  states :  he 
who  rules  a  large  house  does  not  molest  small  houses.  The  strong  does 
not  plunder  the  weak.  The  honoured  does  not  disdain  the  humble.  The 
clever  does  not  deceive  the  stupid.  This  is  beneficial  to  Heaven  above, 
beneficial  to  the  spirits  in  the  middle  sphere,  and  beneficial  to  the  people 
below.  Being  beneficial  to  these  three  it  is  beneficial  to  all.  So  the  most 
excellent  name  is  attributed  to  such  a  man  and  he  is  called  sage-king. 

The  standard  of  force  is  different  from  this.  It  is  contradictory  to  this 
in  word  and  opposed  to  this  in  deed  like  galloping  with  back  to  back. 
Leading  a  large  state,  he  whose  standard  is  force,  attacks  small  states; 
leading  a  large  house  he  molests  small  houses.  The  strong  plunders  the 
weak,  the  honoured  disdains  the  humble.  The  clever  deceives  the  stupid. 
This  is  not  beneficial  to  Heaven  above,  or  to  the  spirits  in  the  middle 
sphere,  or  to  the  people  below.  Not  being  beneficial  to  these  three,  it  is 
beneficial  to  none.  So,  the  most  evil  name  in  the  world  is  attributed  to 
him  and  he  is  called  the  wicked  king. 

Motse  said:  The  will  of  Heaven  to  me  is  like  the  compasses  to  the 
wheelwright  and  the  square  to  the  carpenter.  The  wheelwright  and  the 


MOTSE  803 

carpenter  measure  all  the  square  and  circular  objects  with  their  square 
and  compasses  and  accept  those  that  fit  as  correct  and  reject  those  that 
do  not  fit  as  incorrect.  The  writings  of  the  gentlemen  of  the  world  of 
the  present  day  cannot  be  all  loaded  (in  a  cart),  and  their  doctrines 
cannot  be  exhaustively  enumerated.  They  endeavour  to  convince  the 
feudal  lords  on  the  one  hand  and  the  scholars  on  the  other.  But  from 
magnanimity  and  righteousness  they  are  far  off.  How  do  we  know? 
Because  I  have  the  most  competent  standard  in  the  world  to  measure 
them  with. 

THE  WILL  OF  HEAVEN  (II) 
(Chapter  27) 

And  hence  Motse  said:  If  the  gentlemen  of  the  world  really  desire  to 
follow  the  way  and  benefit  the  people,  they  must  not  disobey  the  will 
of  Heaven,  the  origin  of  magnanimity  and  righteousness. 

Now  that  we  must  obey  the  will  of  Heaven,  what  does  the  will  of 
Heaven  desire  and  what  does  it  abominate?  Motse  said:  The  will  of 
Heaven  abominates  the  large  state  which  attacks  small  states,  the  large 
house  which  molests  small  houses,  the  strong  who  plunder  the  weak,  the 
clever  who  deceive  the  stupid,  and  the  honoured  who  disdain  the  humble 
— these  are  what  the  will  of  Heaven  abominates.  On  the  other  hand,  it 
desires  people  having  energy  to  work  for  each  other,  those  knowing  the 
way  to  teach  each  other,  and  those  possessing  wealth  to  share  with  each 
other.  And  it  desires  the  superior  diligently  to  attend  to  government  and 
the  subordinates  diligently  to  attend  to  their  work. . . . 

The  rule  of  Heaven  over  the  world  is  not  unlike  the  rule  of  the  feudal 
lord  over  the  state.  In  ruling  the  state  does  the  feudal  lord  desire  his 
ministers  and  people  to  work  for  mutual  disadvantage?  If  leading  a 
large  state  one  attacks  small  states,  if  leading  a  large  house  one  molests 
small  houses — if  by  doing  this  one  seeks  reward  and  commendation 
(from  the  feudal  lord)  he  cannot  obtain  it.  On  the  contrary,  punishment 
will  visit  him.  Now,  the  rule  of  Heaven  over  the  world  is  not  unlike 
this.  If  leading  a  large  state  one  attacks  small  states,  if  leading  a  large 
house  one  molests  small  houses — if  by  doing  this  one  seeks  reward  and 
commendation  (from  Heaven)  he  cannot  obtain  it.  On  the  contrary, 
punishment  will  visit  him.  When  (man)  does  not  do  what  Heaven 
desires,  but  does  what  Heaven  abominates,  Heaven  will  also  not  do 


OO4  CHINESE   DEMOCRACY 

what  man  desires  but  do  what  he  abominates.  What  man  abominates  are 
disease  and  calamities.  Therefore  not  to  do  what  Heaven  desires  but  do 
what  it  abominates  is  to  lead  the  multitudes  in  the  world  to  calamity. . . . 

Now  Heaven  loves  the  whole  world  universally.  Everything  is  pre- 
pared u  for  the  good  of  man.  Even  the  tip  of  a  hair  is  the  work  of  Heaven. 
Substantial  may  be  said  of  the  benefits  that  are  enjoyed  by  man.  Yet  there 
is  no  service  in  return.  And  they  do  not  even  know  this  to  be  unmagnani- 
mous  and  unfortunate.  This  is  why  I  say  the  gentlemen  understand  only 
trifles  and  not  things  of  importance. 

Moreover  I  know  Heaven  loves  men  dearly  not  without  reason.  Heaven 
ordered  the  sun,  the  moon,  and  the  stars  to  enlighten  and  guide  them. 
Heaven  ordained  the  four  seasons,  Spring,  Autumn,  Winter  and  Sum- 
mer, to  regulate  them.  Heaven  sent  down  snow,  frost,  rain,  and  dew  to 
grow  the  five  grains  and  flax  and  silk  so  that  the  people  could  use  and 
enjoy  them.  Heaven  established  the  hills  and  rivers,  ravines  and  valleys, 
and  arranged  many  things  to  minister  to  man's  good  or  bring  him  evil. 
He  appointed  the  dukes  and  lords  to  reward  the  virtuous  and  punish  the 
wicked,  and  to  gather  metal  and  wood,  birds  and  beasts,  and  to  engage 
in  cultivating  the  five  grains  and  flax  and  silk  to  provide  for  the  people's 
food  and  clothing.  This  has  been  taking  place  from  antiquity  to  the 
present.  Suppose  there  is  a  man  who  is  deeply  fond  of  his  son  and  has 
used  his  energy  to  the  limit  to  work  for  his  benefit.  But  when  the  son 
grows  up  he  returns  no  love  to  the  father.  The  gentlemen  of  the  world 
will  all  call  him  unmagnanimous  and  miserable.  Now  Heaven  loves  the 
whole  world  universally.  Everything  is  prepared  for  the  good  of  man. 
The  work  of  Heaven  extends  to  even  the  smallest  things  that  are  enjoyed 
by  man.  Such  benefits  may  indeed  be  said  to  be  substantial,  yet  there  is 
no  service  in  return.  And  they  do  not  even  know  this  to  be  unmagnan- 
imous. This  is  why  I  say  the  gentlemen  of  the  world  understand  only 
trifles  but  not  things  of  importance. 

THE  WILL  OF  HEAVEN  (III) 

(Chapter  28) 

How  do  we  know  the  gentlemen  of  the  world  are  far  from  righteous- 
ness? For,  the  lords  in  the  large  states  compete  in  saying:  "Being  a  big 

u  The  term  here  used  in  the  text  is  "chiao  mi."  Us  exact  meaning  is  not  asccrtainable. — 
Original  nott. 


MOTSE  805 

state,  if  I  do  not  attack  the  small  states,  in  what  way  am  I  big?"  Therefore 
they  mustered  their  warriors  and  soldiers,  and  arranged  their  boat  and 
chariot  forces  to  attack  some  innocent  state.  They  broke  into  its  borders, 
cut  down  its  fields,  felled  its  trees,  tore  down  its  inner  and  outer  city 
walls,  and  filled  up  its  moats  and  ditches,  burned  its  ancestral  temples 
and  seized  and  killed  its  sacrificial  victims.  Of  the  people  the  strong 
were  killed,  the  weak  were  brought  back  in  chains  and  ropes.  The  men 
were  turned  into  servants  and  grooms  and  prisoners.  The  women  were 
made  to  be  waitresses  (to  pour  wine) .  Yet,  the  warring  lord  did  not  even 
know  that  this  is  unmagnanimous  and  unrighteous.  He  announced  to 
the  neighbouring  lords:  "I  have  attacked  a  state,  defeated  an  army,  and 
killed  so  many  generals."  And  the  neighbouring  lords  did  not  know 
that  this  is  unmagnanimous  and  unrighteous  either,  but  with  furs  and 
silk  sent  envoys  to  offer  congratulations.  And  the  warring  lords  were 
even  doubly  ignorant  of  its  being  unmagnanimous  and  unrighteous. 
They  recorded  it  on  the  bamboos  and  silk  and  kept  them  in  the  archives 
so  that  the  descendants  would  imitate  their  royal  ancestors,  saying:  "Why 
not  let  us  open  up  the  archives  and  let  us  learn  of  the  achievements  of 
our  ancestors?"  Then  they  would  surely  not  learn:  "Such  and  such  is  the 
regime  of  Wu,"  but  would  learn:  "I  have  attacked  states,  reversed  armies, 
and  killed  so  many  of  their  generals."  Now  that  the  warring  lords  do 
not  understand  this  to  be  unmagnanimous  and  unrighteous  and  neigh- 
bouring lords  do  not  understand  this  to  be  unmagnanimous  and  un- 
righteous, therefore  attacks  and  assaults  go  on  generation  after  generation 
without  end. 

What  do  I  mean  when  I  say  people  do  not  understand  things  of  impor- 
tance but  understand  trifles?  Supposing  some  one  entered  the  orchard 
and  garden  of  another  and  took  the  other's  peaches  and  prunes,  melon 
and  ginger,  he  will  be  punished  by  the  superior  when  caught  and  con- 
demned by  the  public  when  heard  of.  Why?  Because  he  did  not  share 
the  toil  but  takes  the  fruit  and  appropriates  what  is  not  his.  How  much 
more  is  this  true  with  him  who  jumps  over  another's  fence  and  maltreats 
the  children  of  the  other;  of  him  who  digs  into  another's  storehouse  and 
carries  away  the  other's  gold,  jade,  silk  and  cloth;  of  him  who  breaks 
into  another's  fold  and  steals  the  other's  oxen  and  horses;  and  of  him 
who  kills  an  innocent  person  ?  In  the  government  of  the  lords  of  to-day 
all — from  the  one  who  kills  an  innocent  person  to  the  one  who  jumps 
over  another's  fence  and  maltreats  the  other's  children,  who  digs  into 
another's  warehouse  and  carries  away  his  gold,  jade,  silk  and  cloth,  who 


806  CHINESE  DEMOCRACY 

breaks  into  another's  fold  and  steals  his  oxen  and  horses,  and  who  enters 
another's  orchard  and  garden  and  takes  his  peaches  and  prunes,  melons 
and  ginger,  all  these  are  punished  quite  the  same  as  they  would  be  even 
in  the  government  of  Yao,  Shun,  Yu,  T'ang,  Wen  and  Wu.  Now  the 
lords  and  chiefs  in  the  world  all  attack  and  absorb  others.  This  is  a 
thousand  and  ten  thousand  times  worse  than  killing  one  innocent  indi- 
vidual, a  thousand  and  ten  thousand  times  worse  that  jumping  over 
another's  fence  and  maltreating  his  children  or  digging  into  another's 
storehouse  and  carrying  away  his  gold,  jade,  silk  and  cloth,  a  thousand 
and  ten  thousand  times  worse  than  breaking  into  another's  fold  and 
stealing  his  oxen  and  horses,  or  entering  another's  orchard  and  garden 
and  taking  his  peaches  and  prunes,  melons  and  ginger.  Yet,  they  claim 
it  to  be  righteous. . . . 

ANTI-CONFUCIANISM  (II) 
(Chapter  jp) 

Once,  Confucius  was  in  straits  between  Ts'ai  and  Ch'en  having  only 
vegetable  soup  without  even  rice  to  eat.  After  ten  days  of  this,  Tse  Lu 
cooked  a  pig  for  him.  Confucius  did  not  inquire  whence  the  meat  came, 
and  ate.  Tse  Lu  robbed  some  one  of  his  garment  and  exchanged  it  for 
wine.  Confucius  did  not  inquire  whence  the  wine  came,  and  drank.  But 
when  Lord  Ai  received  Confucius,  Confucius  would  not  sit  on  a  mat 
that  was  not  placed  straight  and  would  not  eat  meat  that  was  not  cut 
properly.  Tse  Lu  went  to  him  and  asked:  "Why  the  reverse  to  what  you 
did  on  the  borders  of  Ch'en  and  Ts'ai?"  Confucius  answered:  "Come, 
let  me  tell  you.  Then,  our  goal  was  to  keep  alive.  Now  our  goal  is  to 
behave  righteously."  Now  when  hunger-stricken  he  was  not  scrupulous 
about  the  means  of  keeping  alive,  and  when  satiated  he  acted  hyp- 
critically  to  appear  refined.  What  foolery,  perversion,  villainy,  and  pre- 
tension can  be  greater  than  this!  .... 

KENG  CHU1* 
(Chapter  46) 

Wu  Matse  said  to  Motse:  "Though  you  love  universally  the  world  can- 
not be  said  to  be  benefited;  though  I  do  not  love  (universally)  the  world 
cannot  be  said  to  be  injured.  Since  neither  of  us  has  accomplished  any- 
*  Name  of  one  of  the  many  disciples  of  Motse. 


MOTSE  807 

thing,  what  makes  you  then  praise  yourself  and  blame  me?"  Motsc 
answered :  Suppose  a  conflagration  is  on.  One  person  is  fetching  water  to 
extinguish  it,  and  another  is  holding  some  fuel  to  reinforce  it.  Neither 
of  them  has  yet  accomplished  anything,  but  which  one  do  you  value? 
Wu  Matse  answered  that  he  approved  of  the  intention  of  the  person  who 
fetches  water  and  disapproved  of  the  intention  of  the  person  who  holds 
fuel.  Motse  said:  (In  the  same  manner)  do  I  approve  of  my  intention 
and  disapprove  of  yours. 

Wu  Matse  said  to  Motse:  "For  all  the  righteousness  that  you  do,  men 
do  not  help  you  and  ghosts  do  not  bless  you.  Yet  you  keep  on  doing  it. 
You  must  be  demented."  Motse  said:  Suppose  you  have  here  two  em- 
ployees. One  of  them  works  when  he  sees  you  but  will  not  work  when 
he  does  not  see  you.  The  other  one  works  whether  he  sees  you  or  not. 
Which  of  the  two  would  you  value?  Wu  Matse  said  that  he  would  value 
him  that  worked  whether  he  saw  him  or  not.  Motse  then  said:  Then  you 
are  valuing  him  who  is  demented. 

A  pupil  of  Tse  Hsia  asked  Motse  whether  there  could  be  any  struggle 
among  the  superior  men.  Motse  said :  The  superior  men  do  not  struggle. 
The  pupil  of  Tse  Hsia  said :  "There  is  struggle  even  among  the  dogs  and 
hogs,  how  can  there  be  no  struggle  among  men?'*  Motse  said:  What  a 
shame!  T'ang  and  Wu  arc  praised  with  words;  but  dogs  and  hogs  are 
brought  into  comparison  in  conduct.  What  a  shame  I** 


THE 

MIDDLE 
W\Y 


The  Aphorisms  of  Confucius 


INTRODUCTION 

ONE  OF  THE  MOST  CURIOUS  FACTS  of  world  history  is  that  three  of  the 
world's  greatest  and  most  influential  thinkers  were  born  within  two 
decades  of  each  other.  Laotse  was  probably  born  in  B.C.  570,  Buddha  in 
563,  and  Confucius  in  551.  The  dates  of  Laotse's  life  are  highly  uncertain, 
but  many  records  of  the  immediately  following  centuries,  including  the 
Shity,  contain  various  stories  of  Confucius  going  to  Laotse  as  an  older 
man  for  advice.  Anyway,  it  is  certain  that  Buddha  was  older  than  Con- 
fucius only  by  twelve  years. 

It  seems  destined  that  Confucius  will  be  known  to  the  West  chiefly 
through  his  aphorisms,  running  very  close  to  platitudes.  What  must  not 
be  forgotten  is  that  Confucianism  was  primarily  an  historical  school,  that 
as  Chang  Hsiieh-ch'eng  says,  all  the  Confucian  Classics  are  history,  and 
that  that  body  of  historical  learning  which  provides  the  ideal  and  the 
background  for  his  social  teachings  can  hardly  interest  the  West  today. 
It  had  a  very  definite  and  well-defined  system  of  moral  and  social  philoso- 
phy, and  I  have  tried  elsewhere  *  to  indicate  what  that  system  is.  To  the 
Chinese,  that  system  of  moral  and  social  order,  based  on  history,  is  con- 
tained in  the  one  word  //,  which  has  such  a  broad  meaning  that  it  is 
untranslatable.  In  the  narrowest  sense,  it  means  "rituals,"  "propriety," 
and  just  "good  manners";  in  an  historical  sense,  it  means  the  rationalized 
system  of  feudal  order;  in  a  philosophic  sense,  it  means  an  ideal  social 
order  with  "everything  in  its  place";  and  in  a  personal  sense,  it  means  a 
pious,  religious  state  of  mind,  very  near  to  the  word  "faith,"  which  means 
to  me  a  valid,  unified  body  of  beliefs  implicitly  accepted,  concerning  God 
1  Sec  my  long  introduction  to  The  Wisdom  of  Confucius  (Modern  Library). 

811 


8l2  THE    MIDDLE    WAY 

and  nature  and  man's  place  in  the  universe,  as  distinguished  from  the 
knowledge  of  externals  or  accidentals.  It  is  this  valid,  unified  body  of 
beliefs  implicitly  accepted,  concerning  God  and  nature  and  man's  place 
in  the  universe  which  the  modern  world  lacks,  and  it  is  this  lack  which 
cuts  the  modern  world  adrift.  Among  the  Chinese  scholars,  Confucianism 
is  known  as  the  "religion  of  //',"  the  nearest  translation  for  which  would 
be  "religion  of  moral  order."  It  subjects  the  political  order  to  the  moral 
social  order,  making  the  latter  the  basis  of  the  former,  to  the  extent  that 
it  disbelieves  in  a  merely  political  solution  and  can  be  identified  with 
ideal  anarchism.  (See  the  selections  on  "Government.")  Any  full  exposi- 
tion of  the  Confucian  system  of  ideas  is  out  of  the  question  here,  and 
readers  are  referred  to  The  Wisdom  of  Confucius,  where  both  a  Life  of 
Confucius  and  his  longer  discourses  are  available. 

Anyway,  Confucius  said  of  himself,  "I  transmit,  and  do  not  create." 
The  fact  that  some  modern  Chinese  scholars  have  charged  Confucius 
with  forging  all  the  Chinese  classics  may  be  cited  to  show  how  closely 
tied  up  with  historical  learning  the  whole  Confucian  tradition  is.  From 
Motse,  we  learn  that  a  half  century  after  Confucius  died,  the  Confucian 
scholars  wore  a  special  cap  and  "talked  an  ancient  language."  Chuangtse 
constantly  maligned  the  Confucianists  and  Confucius  himself  for  talking 
about  Yao  and  Shun,  the  sage  emperors  who  were  1,700  years  old  in 
Confucius'  days.  Confucius  had  a  passion  for  historical  research  and  was 
the  greatest  editor  of  ancient  books  of  his  days.  But  from  this  body  of 
historical  learning,  he  discerned  and  established  a  clear  and  definite 
system  of  social  and  moral  philosophy,  and  with  a  hard,  common  sense, 
pronounced  certain  Johnsonian  dicta  on  questions  of  moral  conduct. 

It  is  these  moral  aphorisms  and  pronouncements,  gathered  together  in 
the  Analects,  like  Bartlett's  Familiar  Quotations  without  rhyme  or  order, 
which  the  Chinese  regard  as  the  essence  of  Confucian  teachings.  There 
they  stand,  so  deep  in  wisdom  and  so  mellow  in  tone,  a  tribute  to  the 
nation  which  worships  them.  Like  mellow  old  masters,  and  unlike 
magazine  covers,  these  sayings  of  the  Analects  are  for  the  connoisseurs, 
i.e.,  for  the  moral  connoisseurs.  The  gentleness  of  touch,  the  softness  of 
tone,  the  skill  coming  from  mastery  are  best  appreciated  by  those  who 
have  thought  deeply  about  human  problems.  And  like  looking  at  an  old 
master,  one  person  will  admire  certain  details  and  aspects,  and  another 
will  admire  others.  For  2,500  years,  they  have  always  exasperated  the 
young  inquiring  mind,  looking  for  exciting  truths  and  brilliant  intel- 
lectual sorties,  and  always  won  over  that  mind  when  it  grows  older  and 


THE    APHORISMS    OF    CONFUCIUS  813 

matures.  This  accounts  for  its  classic,  immortal  influence  on  generations 
of  men. 

This  idea  is  further  developed  in  the  introduction  to  "The  Golden 
Mean."  This  is  the  same  as  the  Aristotelean  Golden  Mean,  a  rather  sad 
discovery  for  ardent  students  of  moral  conduct.  It  is  the  discovery  that 
the  gentleman  can  do  nothing  exciting  or  out  of  the  way  to  distinguish 
himself  except  by  his  indistinguishability  from  other  gentlemen.  If 
courage  is  but  the  mean  between  foolhardiness  and  cowardice,  courage  is 
somewhat  nondescript  and  can  hardly  be  sensational.  If  the  good  man- 
agement of  money  is  but  the  mean  between  extravagance  and  being  a 
miser,  neither  can  that  staid,  sensible  keeping  of  family  accounts  have 
anything  heroic  about  it,  or  reach  psychopathic  proportions  to  provide 
delightful  material  for  the  "realist"  writers.  If  therefore  we  must  be 
gentlemen,  we'll  have  to  be  contented  with  just  being  gentlemen.  But 
in  this  plebeianism,  there  is  great  content.  Plebeianism  satisfies. 

In  these  selections  translated  by  myself,  I  have  classified  them  and 
given  headings  of  my  own,  and  made  an  arrangement  differing  from  that 
in  the  Analects.  I  have  also  added  some  selections  from  the  Life  to  make 
certain  points  clearer.  A  few  minor  revisions  have  been  made  from  the 
text  in  "Wisdom  of  Confucius."  For  further  comments  on  the  nature  of 
the  Analects  and  the  method  of  studying  it,  see  also  the  Introduction"  to 
these  Aphorisms  in  that  text. 


The  Aphorisms  of  Confucius 

Translated  by  Lin  Yutang 


I.  DESCRIPTION  OF 
CONFUCIUS  BY  HIMSELF  AND  OTHERS 

DUKE  YEH  (OF  CH'U)  asked  Tselu  about  Confucius,  and  Tsclu  did  not 
make  a  reply.  Confucius  said,  "Why  didn't  you  tell  him  that  I  am  a 
person  who  forgets  to  eat  when  he  is  enthusiastic  about  something,  for- 
gets all  his  worries  when  he  is  happy,  and  is  not  aware  that  old  age  is 
coming  on?" 

Tselu  was  stopping  for  the  night  at  the  Stone  Gate  and  the  gate-keeper 
asked  him,  "Where  are  you  from?"  "I'm  from  Confucius,"  replied 
Tselu.  "Oh,  is  he  the  fellow  who  knows  that  a  thing  can't  be  done  and 
still  wants  to  do  it?" 

Weisheng  Mou  said  to  Confucius,  "Why  are  you  so  self-important  and 
constantly  rushing  about?  Don't  you  talk  a  little  bit  too  much?"  "It 
isn't  that  I  want  to  talk.  It's  because  I  hate  (the  present  moral  chaos)." 

Confucius  said,  "At  fifteen  I  began  to  be  seriously  interested  in  study. 
At  thirty  I  had  formed  my  character.  At  forty  I  had  no  more  per- 
plexities. At  fifty  I  knew  the  will  of  heaven.  At  sixty  nothing  that  I 
heard  disturbed  me.1  At  seventy  I  could  let  my  thought  wander  without 
trespassing  the  moral  law." 

Yen  Huei  and  Tselu  were  sitting  together  with  Confucius,  and  Con- 
fucius said,  "Why  don't  you  each  tell  me  your  ambitions  in  life?"  Tselu 
replied,  "It  is  my  ambition  in  life  to  go  about  with  a  horse  and  carriage 
and  a  light  fur  coat  and  share  them  with  my  good  friends  until  they 
are  all  worn  out  without  any  regret."  Yen  Huei  said,  "It  is  my  ambition 

1  Here  is  an  example  of  the  great  responsibility  and  room  for  conjecture  on  the  part  of  a 
Iranslatoi  of  ancient  texts.  The  original  text  merely  consists  of  two  works  "Ears  accord." 

814 


THE    APHORISMS    OF    CONFUCIUS  815 

never  to  show  off  and  never  to  brag  about  myself.'*  Then  Tselu  said, 
"May  I  hear  what  is  your  ambition?"  And  Confucius  replied,  "It  is  my 
ambition  that  the  old  people  should  be  able  to  live  in  peace,  all  friends 
should  be  loyal  and  all  young  people  should  love  their  elders." 

There  were  the  famous  recluses,  Poyi,  Schuch'i,  Yuchung,  Yiyi, 
Chuchang,  Liuhsia  Huei  and  Shaolien.  Confucius  said,  "Not  to  com- 
promise with  their  own  ideals  and  not  to  be  disgraced — these  were  Poyi 
and  Shuch'i."  He  said  of  Liuhsia  Huei  and  Shaolien  that  they  com- 
promised with  their  ideals  and  were  disgraced,  but  that  they  managed 
to  maintain  a  standard  in  their  words  and  their  conduct.  He  said  of 
Yuchung  and  Yiyi  that  they  escaped  from  society  and  were  unconven- 
tional or  untrammeled  in  their  speech,  and  that  they  were  able  to  live 
a  clean  private  life  and  to  adjust  themselves  according  to  the  principle 
of  expediency  in  times  of  chaos.  "I  am  different  from  these  people;  I 
decide  according  to  the  circumstances  of  the  time,  and  act  accordingly."  * 

A  great  official  asked  Tsekung,  "Is  the  Master  a  Sage  ?  Why  is  it  that 
he  is  so  many-sided?"  Tsekung  replied,  "Heaven  has  sent  him  to  become 
a  Sage,  and  he  is  many-sided,  to  boot."  When  Confucius  heard  this  he 
said,  "Perhaps  this  great  official  knows  me  well.  I  was  a  poor  man's  son 
and  can  therefore  do  many  things  that  belong  to  a  common  man.  Does 
a  gentleman  know  all  these  things?  No,  he  doesn't."  Tsechang  said, 
"Confucius  said,  'I  did  not  enter  the  government,  that  was  how  I  had 
time  for  learning  the  arts.'  " 

Confucius  said,  "There  is  pleasure  in  lying  pillowed  against  a  bent 
arm  after  a  meal  of  simple  vegetables  with  a  drink  of  water.  On  the 
other  hand,  to  enjoy  wealth  and  power  without  coming  by  it  through 
the  right  means  is  to  me  like  so  many  floating  clouds." 

Confucius  said,  "There  are  three  things  about  the  superior  man  that 
I  have  not  been  able  to  attain.  The  true  man  has  no  worries;  the  wise 
man  has  no  perplexities;  and  the  brave  man  has  no  fear."  Tsekung  said, 
"But,  Master,  you  are  exactly  describing  yourself." 

Confucius  said,  "In  the  study  of  literature,  I  am  probably  as  good  as 
anyone,  but  personally  to  live  the  life  of  the  superior  man,  I  don't  think 
I  have  succeeded." 

Confucius  said,  "As  to  being  a  Sage  and  a  true  man,  I  am  not  so  pre- 

1  Literally,  in  five  words,  "No  may,  no  may  not"  Later  Mencius  fully  commented  upon 
this,  saying  that  Confucius  was  a  great  flexible  character,  acting  according  to  the  require- 
ments of  the  occasion.  He  could  be  an  official  if  necessary,  and  he  could  refuse  to  be  an 
official  if  necessary.  In  contrast  with  the  other  recluses  mentioned,  there  was  a  positive 
urge  in  his  character,  as  well  as  a  philosophic  resignation. 


8l6  THE   MIDDLE   WAY 

sumptuous.  I  will  admit,  however,  that  I  have  unceasingly  tried  to  do 
my  best  and  to  teach  other  people." 

Confucius  said,  "Do  you  think  I  know  a  great  deal?  I  don't.  There 
was  an  uneducated  man  who  asked  me  about  something,  and  I  couldn't 
say  a  word  in  reply.  I  merely  discussed  the  two  sides  of  the  question 
and  was  at  my  wit's  end." 

Confucius  said,  "In  every  hamlet  of  ten  families,  there  are  always 
some  people  as  honest  and  straight  as  myself,  but  none  who  is  so  de- 
voted to  study." 

Confucius  said,  "I  may  perhaps  compare  myself  to  my  old  friend 
Laop'eng.  I  merely  try  to  de'scribe  (or  carry  on)  the  ancient  tradition, 
but  not  to  create  something  new.  I  only  want  to  get  at  the  truth  and 
am  in  love  with  ancient  studies." 

Confucius  said,  "To  silently  appreciate  a  truth,  to  learn  continually 
and  to  teach  other  people  unceasingly — that  is  just  natural  with  me." 

"The  things  that  trouble  or  concern  me  are  the  following:  lest  I 
should  neglect  to  improve  my  character,  lest  I  should  neglect  my  studies, 
and  lest  I  should  fail  to  move  forward  when  I  see  the  right  course,  or 
fail  to  correct  myself  when  I  see  my  mistake." 

Confucius  said,  "I'm  not  born  a  wise  man.  I'm  merely  one  in  love 
with  ancient  studies  and  work  very  hard  to  learn  them." 

Confucius  said,  "Ah  Sze,  do  you  suppose  that  I  merely  learned  a  great 
deal  and  tried  to  remember  it  all?"  "Yes,  isn't  that  what  you  do?" 
"No,"  said  Confucius,  "I  have  a  system  or  a  central  thread  that  runs 
through  it  all." 

Confucius  said,  "There  are  some  people  who  do  not  understand  a 
subject,  but  go  ahead  and  invent  things  out  of  their  own  head.  I  am 
not  like  those  people.  One  can  come  to  be  a  wise  man  by  hearing  a  great 
deal  and  following  the  good,  and  by  seeing  a  great  deal  and  remem- 
bering it." 

Confucius  said,  "Sometimes  I  have  gone  the  whole  day  without  food 
and  a  whole  night  without  sleep,  occupied  in  thinking  and  unable  to 
arrive  at  any  results.  So  I  decided  to  study  again." 

Confucius  said,  "Whenever  walking  in  a  company  of  three,  I  can 
always  find  my  teacher  among  them  (or  one  who  has  something  to 
teach  me).  I  select  a  good  person  and  follow  his  example,  or  I  see  a  bad 
person  and  avoid  being  like  him  myself." 

Confucius  said,  "I  won't  teach  a  man  who  is  not  anxious  to  learn, 
and  will  not  explain  to  one  who  is.  not  trying  to  make  things  clear  tq 


THE    APHORISMS'OF    CONFUCIUS  817 

himself.  And  if  I  explain  one-fourth  and  the  man  doesn't  go  back  and 
reflect  and  think  out  the  implications  in  the  remaining  three-fourths 
for  himself,  I  won't  bother  to  teach  him  again." 

Confucius  said,  "There  was  never  yet  a  person  who  came  to  me  with 
the  present  of  dried  meat  (equivalent  of  tuition)  that  I  have  refused 
to  teach  something." 

The  young  men  of  a  certain  village,  Hu,  were  given  to  mischief,  and 
one  day  some  young  people  from  that  village  came  to  see  Confucius, 
and  the  disciples  were  surprised  that  Confucius  saw  them.  Confucius 
said,  "Don't  be  too  hard  on  people.  What  concerns  me  is  how  they 
come,  and  not  what  they  do  when  they  go  away.  When  a  man  ap- 
proaches me  with  pure  intentions,  I  respect  his  pure  intentions,  although 
I  cannot  guarantee  what  he  does  afterwards." 

Confucius  was  in  difficulties  at  K'uang  and  he  said,  "Since  King  Wen 
died,  is  not  the  tradition  of  King  Wen  in  my  keeping  or  possession? 
If  it  be  the  will  of  Heaven  that  this  moral  tradition  should  be  lost,  pos- 
terity shall  never  again  share  in  the  knowledge  of  this  tradition.  But 
if  it  be  the  will  of  Heaven  that  this  tradition  shall  not  be  lost,  what  can 
the  people  of  K'uang  do  to  me?" 

Confucius  said,  "Heaven  has  endowed  me  with  a  moral  destiny  (or 
mission).  What  can  Huan  T'uei  (a  military  officer  who  was  driving  him 
away)  do  to  me?"* 

Confucius  said,  "Give  me  a  few  more  years  to  take  up  the  study  of 
the  Bool(  of  Changes  at  the  age  of  fifty,  then  I  hope  I  shall  be  able  to 
be  free  from  making  serious  mistakes  (or  errors  of  judgment)." 

These  were  the  things  Confucius  often  talked  about:  Poetry,  history, 
and  the  performance  of  ceremonies — all  these  were  what  he  often  talked 
about. 

Confucius  seldom  talked  about  profit  or  destiny  or  true  manhood.4 

Confucius  did  not  talk  about  monsters,  physical  exploits,  unruly  con- 
duct and  the  heavenly  spirits. 

Confucius  taught  four  things:  Literature,  personal  conduct,  being 
one's  true  self  and  honesty  in  social  relationships. 

*  Sec  Chapter  II,  Section  4,  in  The  Wisdom  of  Confucius  for  fuller  details. 
4 1  here  is  no  other  topic  which  Confucius  and  his  disciples  more  constandy  talked  about 
than  "true  manhood."  See  below  Section  VI.  This  is  therefore  a  palpable  falsehood,  unless 
it  means  that  Confucius  refused  to  admit  that  many  persons  whom  his  disciples  admired 
could  be  called  "true  men." 


8l8  THE   MIDDLE  WAY 

Confucius  fished  with  a  fishing  rod,  but  would  not  use  a  net.  While 
shooting  he  would  not  shoot  a  bird  at  rest.* 

Confucius  denounced  or  tried  to  avoid  completely  four  things:  arbi- 
trariness of  opinion,  dogmatisrri,  narrowmindedness  and  egotism. 

Confucius  was  gentle  but  dignified,  austere  yet  not  harsh,  polite  and 
completely  at  ease. 

Yen  Huei  heaved  a  sigh  and  said,  "You  look  up  to  it  and  it  seems  so 
high.  You  try  to  drill  through  it  and  it  seems  so  hard.  You  seem  to  sec 
it  in  front  of  you,  and  all  of  a  sudden  it  appears  behind  you.  The  Master 
is  very  good  at  gently  leading  a  man  along  and  teaching  him.  He  taught 
me  to  broaden  myself  by  the  reading  of  literature  and  then  to  control 
myself  by  the  observance  of  proper  conduct.  I  just  felt  being  carried 
along,  but  after  I  have  done  my  very  best,  or  developed  what  was  in 
me,  there  still  remains  something  austerely  standing  apart,  uncatchablc. 
Do  what  I  could  to  reach  his  position,  I  can't  find  the  way." 

Shusun  Wushu  said  to  the  officials  at  court,  "Tsekung  is  a  better  man 
than  Confucius."  Tsefu  Chingpo  told  this  to  Tsekung,  and  Tsekung 
said,  "It  is  like  the  matter  of  housewalls.  My  housewall  comes  up  only 
to  the  shoulder,  and  the  people  outside  are  therefore  able  to  see  my  beau- 
tiful house,  whereas  the  wall  of  Confucius  is  twenty  or  thirty  feet  high, 
and  unless  you  go  right  inside,  you  do  not  see  the  beauty  of  its  halls  and 
the  grandeur  of  its  furniture.  But  there  are  very  few  people  who  can 
penetrate  inside  that  household.  What  Shusun  says  is  therefore  perfectly 
easy  to  understand." 

Again  Shusun  Wushu  tried  to  belittle  the  greatness  of  Confucius,  and 
Tsekung  said,  "There's  no  use  trying.  Confucius  cannot  be  belittled. 
Other  great  men  are  like  mounds  or  hillocks  which  you  can  climb  up, 
but  Confucius  is  like  the  moon  and  the  sun,  which  you  can  never  reach. 
A  man  can  shut  his  eyes  to  the  sun  and  the  moon,  but  what  harm  can 
it  do  to  the  sun  and  the  moon?  You  are  just  trying  to  do  the  impossible." 

II.  THE  EMOTIONAL 
AND  ARTISTIC  LIFE  OF  CONFUCIUS 

When  Yen  Huei  died,  Confucius  wept  bitterly  and  his  followers  said, 
"You  are  all  shaken  up."  Confucius  said,  "Am  I  all  shaken  up?  But  if 
I  don't  feel  all  shaken  up  at  the  death  of  this  person,  for  whom  else  shall 
I  ever  feel  shaken  up?" 
'Both  being 


THE    APHORISMS    OF    CONFUCIUS  819 

Confucius  never  ate  his  fill  in  the  company  of  people  in  mourning. 
If  he  wept  on  that  day,  then  he  did  not  sing. 

What  Confucius  took  very  seriously  were:  The  ceremonial  bath  before 
religious  worship,  war,  and  sickness. 

Someone  asked  Confucius  about  the  meaning  of  the  Grand  Sacrifice 
to  the  Imperial  Ancestors,  and  Confucius  said,  "I  don't  know.  One  who 
knows  the  meaning  of  the  Grand  Sacrifice  would  be  able  to  rule  the 
world  as  easily  as  pointing  a  finger  at  the  palm." 

When  Confucius  offered  sacrifice  to  his  ancestors,  he  felt  as  if  his 
ancestors  were  present  bodily,  and  when  he  offered  sacrifice  to  the  other 
gods,  he  felt  as  if  the  gods  were  present  bodily.  Confucius  said,  "If  I 
don't  offer  sacrifice  by  being  personally  present,  it  is  as  if  I  didn't  sacrifice 
at  all." 

Wangsun  Chia  asked,  "Why  do  people  say  that  it  is  better  to  get  on 
good  terms  with  the  kitchen  god  than  with  the  god  of  the  southwestern 
corner  of  the  house?"  Confucius  replied,  "Nonsense,  if  you  have  com- 
mitted sins  against  Heaven,  you  haven't  got  a  god  to  pray  to." € 

Tsckung  wanted  to  do  away  with  the  ceremony  of  sacrificing  the 
lamb  in  winter.  Confucius  said,  "Ah  Sze,  you  love  the  lamb,  but  I  love 
the  institution." 

Confucius  said,  "Respect  the  heavenly  and  earthly  spirits  and  keep 
them  at  a  distance." 

Confucius  said,  "My,  how  old  I  have  grown!  For  a  long  time  I  have 
not  dreamed  of  Duke  Chou  again." ' 

Confucius  heard  the  music  of  Hsiao  in  Ch'i,  and  for  three  months 
he  forgot  the  taste  of  meat,  saying,  "I  never  thought  that  music  could  be 
so  beautiful."  When  Confucius  was  singing  with  some  other  men  and 
liked  the  song,  he  always  asked  for  an  encore  and  then  would  join  in 
the  chorus. 

Confucius  said,  "Wake  yourself  up  with  poetry,  establish  your  char- 
acter in  /i  and  complete  your  education  in  music." 

Confucius  said,  "Since  my  return  to  Lu  from  Wei,  I  have  been  able 
to  classify  the  different  kinds  of  music,  and  the  ya  and  the  sung  arc 
restored  to  their  proper  place." 

*  These   god*  in   modern  China  arc  supposed   to  intercede  for  human   beings  before 

Heaven. 

7  Duke  Chou  was  the  symbol  of  the  moral  ruler  and  founder  of  the  governmental  system 

of  the  Chou  Dynasty  which  Confucius  was  trying  to  restore. 


820  THE   MIDDLE   WAY 

Yen  Huei  asked  about  running  a  government.  Confucius  replied, 
"Use  the  calendar  of  Hsia  Dynasty  (the  Hsia  year  begins  with  "Jan- 
uary," or  about  February  in  the  solar  calendar,  while  the  Chou  year 
begins  with  "November"),  adopt  the  (heavy  and  strong  and  compara- 
tively unadorned  wooden)  carriages  of  the  Shang  Dynasty,  and  use 
the  imperial  crown  of  the  Chou  Dynasty.  For  music,  adopt  the  dance 
of  Hsiao.  Suppress  the  music  of  Cheng  and  keep  away  the  petty 
flatterers.  The  music  of  Cheng  is  lascivious,  and  the  petty  flatterers  are 
dangerous." 

(Tselu  was  playing  the  seh,  and)  Confucius  said,  "How  dare  Ah 
Yu  play  such  atrocious  music  in  my  house!"  The  disciples  then  began  to 
look  down  upon  Tselu  and  Confucius  said,  "Ah  Yu  has  entered  the  hall, 
but  he  has  not  entered  the  inner  room." 8 

Confucius  would  not  use  navy  blue  or  scarlet  for  the  binding  and 
collar  of  his  dress.  He  would  not  have  red  or  purple  pajamas.  In  summer 
he  would  wear  underclothes  beneath  the  thin  (transparent)  coarse  or 
fine  linen  gown.  He  would  match  a  lamb  coat  with  a  black  material; 
match  a  coat  of  white  fawn  with  white  material,  and  match  a  fox  coat 
with  brown  (or  yellow)  material.  He  always  wore  a  nightgown  longer 
than  his  body  by  half.  At  home  he  wore  a  long-haired  fox  coat.  Except 
during  mourning,  he  wore  all  sorts  of  pendants  (on  his  girdle). 

For  him  rice  could  never  be  white  enough  and  mince  meat  could 
never  be  chopped  fine  enough.  When  the  food  was  mushy  or  the  flavor 
had  deteriorated,  or  when  the  fish  had  become  bad  or  the  meat  was 
tainted,  he  would  not  eat.  When  its  color  had  changed,  he  would  not 
eat.  When  the  smell  was  bad,  he  would  not  eat.  When  it  was  not  cooked 
right,  he  would  not  eat.  When  food  was  not  in  season,  he  would  not  cat. 
When  the  meat  was  not  cut  properly,  he  would  not  eat.  When  a  food 
was  not  served  with  its  proper  sauce,  he  would  not  eat.  Although  there 
was  a  lot  of  meat  on  the  table,  he  would  not  take  it  out  of  proportion 
with  his  rice;  as  for  wine,  he  drank  without  any  set  limit,  but  would 
stop  before  getting  drunk.  Wine  or  shredded  meat  bought  from  the 
shops  he  would  not  eat.  A  meal  without  ginger  on  the  table,  he  would 
not  eat.  He  did  not  overeat. 
During  thunderstorms,  his  face  always  changed  color. 

8  The  orthodox  interpretation  is  that  Tselu  had  made  some  progress  in  learning  the 
teachings  of  Confucius,  but  had  not  mastered  them  yet.  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  Con- 
fucius meant  that  Tselu  was  playing  only  in  the  outside  hall  and  not  in  the  inner  chamber, 
and  that  therefore  it  was  not  so  unforgivable  after  all. 


THE    APHORISMS    OF    CONFUCIUS  821 


III.    THE  CONVERSATIONAL  STYLE 

Tsclu,  Tseng  Hsi,  Jan  Ch'iu  and  Kunghsi  Hua  were  sitting  together 
one  day  and  Confucius  said,  "Do  not  think  that  I  am  a  little  bit  older 
than  you  and  therefore  am  assuming  airs.  You  often  say  among  your- 
selves that  people  don't  know  you.  Suppose  someone  should  know  you, 
I  should  like  to  know  how  you  would  appear  to  that  person."  Tselu  im- 
mediately replied,  "I  should  like  to  rule  over  a  country  with  a  thousand 
carriages,  situated  between  two  powerful  neighbors,  involved  in  war 
and  suffering  from  famine.  I  should  like  to  take  charge  of  such  a  country 
and  in  three  years,  the  nation  will  become  strong  and  orderly."  Con- 
fucius smiled  at  this  remark  and  said,  "How  about  you,  Ah  Ch'iu?"  Jan 
Ch'iu  replied,  "Let  me  have  a  country  sixty  or  seventy  It  square  or  per- 
haps only  fifty  or  sixty  //  square.  Put  it  in  my  charge,  and  in  three  years, 
the  people  will  have  enough  to  eat,  but  as  for  teaching  them  moral 
order  and  music,  I  shall  leave  it  to  the  superior  man."  (Turning  to 
Kunghsi  Hua)  Confucius  said,  "How  about  you,  Ah  Ch'ih?"  Kunghsi 
Hua  replied,  "Not  that  I  say  I  can  do  it,  but  I'm  willing  to  learn  this. 
At  the  ceremonies  of  religious  worship  and  at  the  conference  of  the 
princes,  I  should  like  to  wear  the  ceremonial  cap  and  gown  and  be  a 
minor  official  assisting  at  the  ceremony."  "How  about  you,  Ah  Tien?" 
The  latter  (Tseng  Hsi)  was  just  playing  on  the  seh,  and  with  a  bang 
he  left  the  instrument  and  arose  to  speak.  "My  ambition  is  different  from 
theirs."  "It  doesn't  matter,"  said  Confucius,  "we  are  just  trying  to  find 
out  what  each  would  like  to  do."  Then  he  replied,  "In  late  spring,  when 
the  new  spring  dress  is  made,  I  would  like  to  go  with  five  or  six  grown- 
ups and  six  or  seven  children  to  bathe  m  the  River  Yi,  and  after  the 
bath  go  to  enjoy  the  breeze  in  the  Wuyu  woods,  and  then  sing  on  our 
way  home."  Confucius  heaved  a  deep  sigh  and  said,  "You  are  the  man 
after  my  own  heart." 

Confucius  said,  "Do  you  think  that  I  have  hidden  anything  from  the 
two  or  three  of  you?  No,  I  have  hidden  nothing  from  you.  There  is 
nothing  that  I  do  that  I  don't  share  with  the  two  or  three  of  you.  That 
is  I." 

Confucius  went  to  the  city  of  Wu  (where  his  disciple  Tseyu  had  been 
made  the  magistrate),  and  heard  the  people  singing  to  the  accompani- 
ment of  string  instruments.  Confucius  grinned  and  said  to  Tseyu,  "You 
are  trying  to  kill  a  chicken  with  a  big  cleaver  for  killing  a  cow."  "But 


822  THE  MIDDLE  WAY 

I  heard  from  you,"  replied  Tseyu,  "that  when  the  superior  man  had 
learned  culture,  he  became  kind  to  people,  and  when  the  common 
people  learned  culture,  they  would  become  well-disciplined.**  Confucius 
(turned  to  the  other  disciples  and)  said,  "You  fellows,  what  he  says  is 
right.  I  was  only  pulling  his  leg.** 

Some  people  of  Tahsiang  said,  "Great  indeed  is  Confucius!  He  knows 
about  everything  and  is  an  expert  at  nothing.*'  When  Confucius  heard 
this,  he  said,  "Now  what  am  I  going  to  specialize  in  ?  Shall  I  specialize 
in  archery,  or  in  driving  a  carriage?*' 

The  Secretary  of  Justice  of  Ch*en  asked  Confucius  if  Duke  Chao  of 
Lu  understood  propriety  (or  /i)  and  Confucius  replied  that  he  did. 
After  Confucius  had  left,  the  Secretary  asked  Wuma  Ch'i  to  come  in 
and  said  to  him,  "Is  a  superior  man  partial  to  his  own  country?  I  heard 
that  a  superior  man  should  not  be  partial.  Duke  Chao  married  a  prin- 
cess of  Wu,  who  was  of  the  same  family  name,  and  called  her  Mengtse 
of  Wu.  Now  if  that  man  understands  propriety,  who  doesn't?"  Later  on 
Wuma  Ch'i  told  this  to  Confucius,  and  Confucius  said,  "How  lucky  I 
am!  Whenever  I  make  a  mistake,  people  are  sure  to  discover  it.*' 

Tsekung  said,  "Here  is  a  beautiful  piece  of  jade.  Shall  it  be  kept  in 
a  casket?  Shall  it  be  offered  for  a  sale  at  a  good  price?'*  Confucius  re- 
marked, "Sell  it!  Sell  it!  I'm  the  one  waiting  for  a  good  price  for  sale!" 

Someone  asked  about  Tsech'an  (a  good  minister  of  Cheng)  and 
Confucius  said,  "He  is  a  kind  man."  The  man  then  asked  about  Prince 
Tseshi  (of  Ch'u),  and  Confucius  said,  "Oh,  that  fellow!  oh,  that  fellow!** 

Confucius  asked  Kungming  Chia  about  Kungshu  Wentse,  "Is  it  true 
that  your  Master  doesn't  talk,  doesn't  laugh  and  doesn't  take  goods  from 
the  people?"  Kungming  Chia  replied,  "That  is  an  exaggerated  story. 
My  Master  talks  only  when  he  should  talk  and  people  are  not  bored  with 
his  talk.  He  laughs  only  when  he  is  happy,  and  people  are  not  bored 
with  his  laughter.  And  he  takes  goods  from  the  people  only  when  it  is 
right  to  do  so,  and  people  do  not  mind  his  taking  their  goods.**  Confucius 
said,  "Really I  Is  that  so?" 

Tsekung  loved  to  criticize  people,  and  Confucius  said,  "Ah  Sze,  you're 
clever,  aren't  you  ?  I  have  no  time  for  such  things." 

Confucius  said,  "I  greatly  admire  a  fellow  who  goes  about  the  whole 
day  with  a  well-fed  stomach  and  a  vacuous  mind.  How  can  one  ever  do 
it?  I  would  rather  that  he  play  chess,  which  would  seem  to  me  to  be 
better. 

"I  have  seen  people  who  gather  together  the  whole  day  and  never 


THE    APHORISMS    OF    CONFUCIUS  823 

talk  of  anything  serious  among  themselves,  and  who  love  to  play  little 
clever  tricks.  Marvellous,  how  can  they  ever  do  it!" 

Confucius  said,  "I  am  going  to  remain  quiet !"  Tsckung  remarked, 
"If  you  remain  quiet,  how  can  we  ever  learn  anything  to  teach  to  the 
others?"  And  Confucius  said,  "Does  Heaven  talk?  The  four  seasons 
go  their  way  in  succession  and  the  different  things  are  produced.  Does 
Heaven  talk?" 

Confucius  said,  "I  have  sometimes  talked  with  Huei  for  a  whole 
day,  and  he  just  sits  still  there  like  a  fool.  But  then  he  goes  into  his  own 
room  and  thinks  about  what  I  have  said  and  is  able  to  think  out  some 
ideas  of  his  own.  He  is  not  a  fool." 

IV.    THE  JOHNSONIAN  TOUCH 

Confucius  said,  "By  looking  at  a  man's  faults,  you  know  the  man's 
character."  * 

Tsekung  asked  Confucius,  "What  kind  of  a  person  do  you  think  can 
be  properly  called  a  scholar?"  Confucius  replied,  "A  person  who  shows 
a  sense  of  honor  in  his  personal  conduct  and  who  can  be  relied  upon 
to  carry  out  a  diplomatic  mission  in  a  foreign  country  with  competence 
and  dignity  can  be  properly  called  a  scholar."  "What  kind  of  a  person 
would  come  next?"  "One  who  is  known  to  be  a  good  son  in  his  family 
and  has  a  reputation  for  humility  and  respect  in  a  village."  "What  kind 
of  a  person  would  come  next  after  that?"  "A  person  who  is  extremely 
careful  of  his  conduct  and  speech  and  always  keeps  his  word.  That  is  a 
priggish,  inferior  type  of  person,  but  still  he  can  rank  below  the  above 
two  types."  "What  do  you  think  of  the  officials  today?"  "Oh!"  said  Con- 
fucius, "those  rice-bags!  They  don't  count  at  all." 

Confucius  was  once  seriously  ill,  and  Tselu  asked  his  disciples  to 
serve  as  stewards  (for  his  funeral  to  emulate  the  style  of  official  families). 

*Li^i,  Chapter  XXXII,  gives  a  fuller  quotation,  as  follows:  "Confucius  said,  There  are 
three  kinds  of  true  manhood.  There  arc  sonic  who  show  the  same  behavior  as  the  true 
man  but  proceed  from  different  motives.  So  those'  who  show  the  same  behavior  as  the 
true  man  arc  not  necessarily  true  men.  Some  have  the  same  faults  as  the  true  men,  and 
these  you  can  be  sure  arc  the  true  men.  The  true  men  are  happy  and  natural  in  their 
true  manhood;  the  wise  men  choose  the  behavior  of  true  manhood  because  it  pays;  and 
those  who  arc  afraid  to  get  in  jail  take  the  course  of  true  manhood  much  against  their 
will.  .  .  ."  This  is  also  an  example  of  the  way  in  which  certain  excellent  sayings  of 
Confucius  are  incorporated  in  the  Analects  without  their  contexts.  The  above  saying  itself, 
so  much  like  Saintc-Beuve's,  seems  to  point  the  way  to  a  truer  conception  of  Confucius* 
character  by  examining  Confucius'  foibles. 


824  THE    MIDDLE   WAY 

When  Confucius  got  a  little  better,  he  remarked,  "The  scoundrel!  He 
has  gone  on  preparing  to  do  these  things  behind  my  back.  I  have  no 
stewards  in  my  house  and  he  wanted  to  pretend  that  I  had.  Whom  can 
I  deceive?  Can  I  deceive  God?" 

Confucius  saw  Queen  Nancia  and  Tselu  was  displeased.  Confucius 
swore  an  oath,  "If  I  had  said  or  done  anything  wrong  during  the  inter- 
view, may  Heaven  strike  me!  May  Heaven  strike  me!" 

Tsai  Yu  slept  in  the  daytime  and  Confucius  remarked,  "There  is  no 
use  trying  to  carve  on  a  piece  of  rotten  wood,  or  to  whitewash  a  wall 
made  of  earth  from  a  dunghill.  Why  should  I  bother  to  scold  him?" 
Confucius  said,  "At  first  when  I  heard  a  man  talk,  I  expected  his  con- 
duct to  come  up  to  what  he  said.  But  now  when  I  hear  a  man  talk,  I 
reserve  my  judgment  until  I  see  how  he  acts.  I  have  learned  this  lesson 
from  Tsai  Yu." 

(Confucius  hates  a  bad  fun.)  Duke  Ai  asked  about  the  customs  of 
the  worship  of  the  Earth,  and  Tsai  Yu  replied,  "The  Hsias  planted  pine 
trees  on  the  altar,  the  Shangs  used  cypresses,  and  the  Chous  used  chest- 
nuts, in  order  to  make  the  people  nuts."  (Literally  "give  the  people  the 
creeps,"  a  pun  on  the  Chinese  word  //.)  When  Confucius  heard  this,  he 
said,  "Oh,  better  forget  your  history!  Let  what  has  come,  come!  Don't 
try  to  remedy  the  past!" 

Ju  Pei  wanted  to  see  Confucius  and  Confucius  declined  by  saying  that 
he  was  sick.  When  the  man  was  just  outside  the  door,  Confucius  took  a 
string  instrument,  the  seh,  and  sang,  in  order  to  let  him  hear  it  (and 
know  that  he  was  not  sick  after  all). 

Yang  Ho  wanted  to  see  Confucius,  and  Confucius  would  not  see  him. 
Yang  then  presented  Confucius  with  a  leg  of  pork,  and  Confucius  took 
care  to  find  out  when  he  would  not  be  at  home  and  then  went  to  pay 
his  return  call,  but  met  him  on  the  way.  Yang  Ho  said  to  Confucius, 
"Come,  I  want  to  talk  to  you!"  And  he  said,  "Can  you  call  a  man  kind 
who  possesses  the  knowledge  to  put  the  country  in  order,  but  allows 
it  to  go  to  the  dogs?"  "Of  course  not,"  said  Confucius.  "Can  you  call  a 
man  wise  who  loves  to  get  into  power  and  yet  lets  an  opportunity  pass 
by  when  it  comes?"  "Of  course  not,"  said  Confucius.  "But  the  time  is 
passing  swiftly  by,"  said  Yang  Ho.  Confucius  replied  (sarcastically), 
"Yes,  sir,  I'm  going  to  be  an  official."  (Yang  Ho  was  a  powerful  but 
corrupt  official  in  Lu,  and  Confucius  refused  to  serve  under  him.) 

Baron  Ch'eng  Ch'en  assassinated  Duke  Chien  (in  Ch'i),  and  Con- 
fucius took  a  ceremonial  bath  and  went  to  see  the  Duke  of  Lu  and  said, 


THE    APHORISMS    OF    CONFUCIUS  825 

"Ch'en  Hcng  has  assassinated  the  Duke,  his  superior.  We  must  send  a 
punitive  expedition."  "You  speak  to  the  three  Barons  (of  Lu)."  Con- 
fucius replied,  "You  know  in  my  capacity  as  an  official,  I  have  to  inform 
you  formally  of  this  matter."  "You  speak  to  the  three  Barons,"  said  the 
Duke  again.  Confucius  then  went  to  speak  to  the  three  Barons  who 
disapproved,  and  Confucius  said  to  them,  "You  know  in  the  capacity  of 
an  official  I  have  to  inform  you  formally  of  this  matter." 

Yuan  Jang  (who  was  reputed  to  sing  at  his  mother's  death)  squatted 
in  Confucius'  presence  and  Confucius  said,  "As  a  child,  you  were  im- 
pudent; after  you  are  grown  up,  you  have  absolutely  done  nothing; 
and  now  in  your  old  age  you  refuse  to  die!  You  blackguard!"  And  Con- 
fucius struck  him  in  the  shin  with  a  cane. 

Baron  K'ang  Chi  was  worried  about  thieves  and  burglars  in  the 
country  and  consulted  Confucius  about  it.  Confucius  replied,  "If  you 
yourself  don't  love  money  the  people  will  not  steal,  even  though  you  re- 
ward the  thieves." 

Baron  K'ang  Chi  was  richer  than  Duke  Chou  and  Jan  Ch'iu  (Con- 
fucius' disciple  who  was  his  secretary)  continued  to  tax  the  people  in 
order  to  enrich  the  Baron.  Confucius  said  (to  his  disciples),  "He  is  not 
my  disciple.  You  fellows  may  beat  the  drum  and  denounce  him.  You 
have  my  permission." 

Baron  K'ang  Chi  was  going  to  attack  Ch'uanyu  and  Jan  Ch'iu  and 
Tselu  came  to  see  Confucius  and  said,  "The  Baron  is  going  to  send  an 
expedition  against  Ch'uanyu."  Confucius  said,  "Ah  Ch'iu,  isn't  this 
your  fault  ?  The  town  of  Ch'uanyu  was  originally  designated  by  the  an- 
cient emperors  as  a  fief  to  maintain  the  worship  of  the  Tungmeng  Hill, 
and  besides  it  is  situated  within  the  boundaries  of  Lu,  and  the  ruler 
was  directly  appointed  by  the  founder  of  the  Dynasty.  How  can  you 
ever  think  of  sending  an  expedition  to  take  it  over  (to  enlarge  the  terri- 
tory of  the  Baron)  ?"  "The  Baron  wants  it.  We  don't,"  replied  Jan 
Ch'iu.  "Ah  Ch'iu,"  said  Confucius,  "the  ancient  historian  Chou  Jen 
said,  'Do  your  best  according  to  your  official  capacity,  and  if  you  can't 
stop  it,  then  you  quit/  If  a  person  is  approaching  danger  and  you  do  not 
assist  him,  or  if  a  person  is  falling  down  and  you  do  not  support  him, 
then  what  is  the  use  of  being  an  assistant  or  guide?  What  you  have 
just  said  is  wrong.  When  a  tiger  or  a  buffalo  escapes  from  the  fenced 
enclosure  or  when  a  piece  of  sacred  jade  is  found  broken  in  its  casket, 
whose  fault  is  it  (but  that  of  the  keeper)  ?"  "But  this  Ch'uanyu  lies 
right  next  to  Pi  (city  of  the  Baron),"  said  Jan  Ch'iu,  "and  if  we  don't 


826  THE   MIDDLE   WAY 

take  it  now,  it  will  remain  a  constant  threat  to  our  defense  in  the  future." 
Confucius  replied,  "Ah  Ch'iu,  a  gentleman  hates  the  person  who  is 
embarked  upon  a  course  for  selfish- gains  and  then  tries  to  create  all  sorts 
of  pretexts.  I  have  heard  that  a  man  in  charge  of  a  state  or  a  family 
doesn't  worry  about  there  being  too  few  people  in  it,  but  about  the  un- 
equal distribution  of  wealth,  nor  does  he  worry  about  poverty,  but  about 
general  dissatisfaction.  For  when  wealth  is  equally  distributed,  there  is 
no  poverty;  when  the  people  are  united,  you  cannot  call  it  a  small  nation, 
and  when  there  is  no  dissatisfaction  (or  when  people  have  a  sense  of 
security),  the  country  is  secure.  Accordingly,  if  people  in  the  neighbor- 
ing cities  do  not  pay  homage  to  you,  you  attend  to  the  civil  development 
in  your  own  country  to  attract  them,  and  when  they  come,  you  make 
it  so  that  they  would  like  to  settle  down  and  live  in  peace.  Now  you 
two  as  secretaries  assisting  your  chief,  have  not  been  able  to  induce 
people  in  the  neighboring  cities  to  pay  homage  and  come  to  you.  You 
see  the  country  of  Lu  divided  against  itself  without  being  able  to  do 
anything  about  it,  and  then  you  set  about  thinking  of  starting  wars  right 
inside  the  country.  I'm  afraid  that  what  the  Baron  will  have  to  worry 
about  will  not  be  the  city  of  Ch'uanyu,  but  trouble  right  within  your 
doors." 

V.    WIT  AND  WISDOM 

Confucius  said,  "To  know  what  you  know  and  know  what  you  don't 
know  is  the  characteristic  of  one  who  knows." 

Confucius  said,  "A  man  who  does  not  say  to  himself,  What  to  do? 
What  to  do?' — indeed  I  do  not  know  what  to  do  with  such  a  person!" 

Confucius  said,  "A  man  who  has  committed  a  mistake  and  doesn't 
correct  it  is  committing  another  mistake." 

Confucius  said,  "A  melon-cup  that  no  longer  resembles  a  melon-cup 
and  people  still  say,  'A  melon-cup!  A  melon-cup!' " 

Confucius  said,  "It  is  said,  'It  is  difficult  to  be  a  king,  but  it  is  not  easy 
to  be  a  minister,  either.' " 

Baron  Wen  Chi  said  that  he  always  thought  three  times  before  he 
acted.  When  Confucius  heard  this,  he  remarked,  "To  think  twice  is 
quite  enough." 

Confucius  said,  "I  do  not  expect  to  find  a  saint  today.  But  if  I  find  a 
gentleman,  I  shall  be  quite  satisfied." 

Confucius  said,  "A  man  who  has  a  beautiful  soul  always  has  some 
beautiful  things  to  say,  but  a  man  who  says  beautiful  things  does  not 


THE   APHORISMS   OF   COKFUClUS  827 

necessarily  have  a  beautiful  soul.  A  true  man  (or  truly  great  man)  will 
always  be  found  to  have  courage,  but  a  courageous  man  will  not  always 
be  found  to  have  true  manhood." 

Confucius  said,  "A  man  who  brags  without  shame  will  find  great 
difficulty  in  living  up  to  his  bragging." 

Confucius  said,  "The  man  who  loves  truth  (or  learning)  is  better  than 
the  man  who  knows  it,  and  the  man  who  finds  happiness  in  it  is  better 
than  the  man  who  loves  it."  w 

Confucius  said,  "In  speaking  to  a  sovereign,  one  must  look  out  for 
three  things:  To  talk  before  you  are  asked  is  called  'impulsiveness.'  To 
fail  to  talk  when  you  are  asked  is  called  lack  of  candor.'  And  to  talk 
without  noticing  the  sovereign's  mood  is  called  'blindness.' " 

Confucius  said,  "When  you  find  a  person  worthy  to  talk  to  and  fail 
to  talk  to  him,  you  have  missed  your  man.  When  you  find  a  man  un- 
worthy to  talk  to  and  you  talk  to  him,  you  have  missed  (i.e.,  wasted) 
your  words.  A  wise  man  neither  misses  his  man,  nor  misses  his  words." 

Confucius  said,  "A  gentleman  does  not  praise  a  man  (or  put  him  in 
office)  on  the  basis  of  what  he  says,  nor  does  he  deny  the  truth  of  what 
one  says  because  he  dislikes  the  person  who  says  it  (if  it  is  good)." 

Tsekung  asked  Confucius,  "What  would  you  say  if  all  the  people  of 
the  village  like  a  person?"  "That  is  not  enough,"  replied  Confucius. 
"What  would  you  say  if  all  the  people  of  a  village  dislike  a  person?" 
"That  is  not  enough,"  said  Confucius.  "It  is  better  when  the  good  people 
of  the  village  like  him,  and  the  bad  people  of  the  village  dislike  him." 

Confucius  said,  "The  common  man  often  gets  in  trouble  because  of 
his  love  for  the  water  (literally  "gets  drowned"  in  it);  the  gentleman 
often  gets  into  trouble  because  of  his  love  for  talking;  and  the  great 
man  often  gets  into  trouble  because  of  his  love  for  the  people.  All  of 
them  get  submerged  in  what  they  come  close  to  or  are  familiar  with. 
Water  seems  so  familiar  to  the  people,  but  easily  drowns  them  because 
it  is  a  thing  that  seems  so  easy  to  approach  and  yet  is  dangerous  to  get 
too  near  to.  Talking  easily  leads  one  into  trouble  because  when  you  talk, 
you  use  so  many  words,  and  it  is  easy  to  let  them  out  of  your  mouth,  but 
difficult  to  take  them  back.  The  people  often  get  one  into  trouble  because 
they  are  mean  and  not  open-minded;  you  can  respect  them,  but  you 
must  not  insult  or  offend  them.  Therefore  the  gentleman  must  be  very 
careful." 

10  There  is  no  indication  in  the  text  as  to  whether  the  reference  is  to  loving  truth  or  lovinc 
learning.  It  uses  only  the  word  "it.** 


828  THE   MIDDLE    WAY 

Confucius  said,  "The  people  who  live  extravagantly  are  apt  to  be 
snobbish  (or  conceited),  and  the  people  who  live  simply  are  apt  to  be 
vulgan  I  prefer  the  vulgar  people  to  the  snobs." 

Confucius  said,  "It  is  easy  to  be  rich  and  not  haughty;  it  is  difficult 
to  be  poor  and  not  grumble." 

Confucius  said,  "When  a  country  is  in  order,  it  is  a  shame  to  be  a  poor 
and  common  man.  When  a  country  is  in  chaos,  it  is  a  shame  to  be  rich 
and  an  official." 

Confucius  said,  "Can  you  ever  imagine  a  petty  soul  serving  as  a  min- 
ister of  the  state?  Before  he  gets  his  post,  he  is  anxious  to  get  it,  and 
after  he  has  got  it,  he  is  anxious  about  losing  it,  and  if  he  begins  to  be 
anxious  about  losing  it,  then  there  is  nothing  that  he  will  not  do." 

Confucius  said,  "Do  not  worry  about  people  not  knowing  you,  but 
strive  so  that  you  may  be  worth  knowing." 

Confucius  said,  "A  gentleman  blames  himself,  while  a  common  man 
blames  others." 

Confucius  said,  "If  a  man  would  be  severe  toward  himself  and  gen- 
erous toward  others,  he  would  never  arouse  resentment." 

Confucius  said,  "A  man  who  does  not  think  and  plan  long  ahead  will 
find  trouble  right  by  his  door." 

Confucius  said,  "Polished  speech  often  confuses  our  notion  of  who  is 
good  and  who  is  bad.  A  man  who  cannot  put  up  with  small  losses  or  dis- 
advantages will  often  spoil  a  big  plan." 

Confucius  said,  "In  talking  about  a  thoroughbred,  you  do  not  admire 
his  strength,  but  admire  his  temper." 

Someone  said,  "What  do  you  think  of  repaying  evil  with  kindness?" 
Confucius  replied,  "Then  what  are  you  going  to  repay  kindness  with?" 
"Repay  kindness  with  kindness,  but  repay  evil  with  justice  (or  severity)/' 

Confucius  said,  "When  you  repay  kindness  with  kindness,  then  the 
people  are  encouraged  to  do  good.  When  you  repay  evil  with  evil, 
then  people  are  warned  from  doing  bad." 

Confucius  said,  "To  repay  evil  with  kindness  is  the  sign  of  a  generous 
character.  To  repay  kindness  with  evil  is  the  sign  of  a  criminal."  (Lity, 
Chapter  XXXII.) 

Confucius  said,  "Men  are  born  pretty  much  alike,  but  through  their 
habits  they  gradually  grow  further  and  further  apart  from  each  other." 

Confucius  said,  "Only  the  highest  and  the  lowest  characters  don't 
Jiange."  ' 

Confucius  said,  "I  have  seen  rice  plants  that  sprout,  but  do  not  bios- 


THE    APHORISMS    OF    CONFUCIUS  829 

som,  and  I  have  seen  rice  plants  that  blossom,  but  don't  bear  grains." 

Confucius  said,  "Even  though  a  man  had  the  beautiful  talent  of  Duke 
Chou,  but  if  he  were  proud  and  egoistic,  he  would  not  be  worth  looking 
at." 

Confucius  said,  "If  the  superior  man  is  not  deliberate  in  his  appear- 
ance (or  conduct),  then  he  is  not  dignified.  Learning  prevents  one  from 
being  narrow-minded.  Try  to  be  loyal  and  faithful  as  your  main  prin 
ciple.  Have  no  friends  who  are  not  as  good  as  yourself.  When  you  have 
mistakes,  don't  be  afraid  to  correct  them." 

Confucius  said,  "When  you  see  a  good  man,  try  to  emulate  his  ex- 
ample, and  when  you  see  a  bad  man,  search  yourself  for  his  faults." 

Confucius  said,  "Well,  well!  I  have  never  yet  seen  a  person  who  knows 
his  own  faults  and  accuses  himself  before  himself!" 

Confucius  said,  "Don't  criticize  other  people's  faults,  criticize  your 
own." 

Tsekung  said,  "What  do  you  think  of  a  person  who  is  not  snobbish 
(or  subservient  to  the  great)  when  he  is  poor,  and  not  conceited  when 
he  is  rich?"  Confucius  replied,  "That's  fairly  good.  It  would  be  better 
if  he  were  happy  when  he  was  poor,  and  had  self-discipline  when  he 
was  rich." 

Confucius  said,  "You  can  kill  the  general  of  an  army,  but  you  cannot 
kill  the  ambition  in  a  common  man." 

VI.    HUMANISM  AND  TRUE  MANHOOD 

HUMANISM 

Confucius  said,  "It  is  man  that  makes  truth  great,  and  not  truth  that 
makes  man  great." 

Confucius  said,  "Truth  may  not  depart  from  human  nature.  If  what  is 
regarded  as  truth  departs  from  human  nature,  it  may  not  be  regarded 
as  truth." 

Tselu  asked  about  the  worship  of  the  celestial  and  earthly  spirits.  Con- 
fucius said,  "We  don't  know  yet  how  to  serve  men,  how  can  we  know 
about  serving  the  spirits?"  "What  about  death?"  was  the  next  question, 
and  Confucius  said,  "We  don't  know  yet  about  life,  how  can  we  know 
about  death?" 

A  certain  stable  was  burned  down.  On  returning  from  the  court,  Con- 
fucius asked,  "Was  any  man  hurt?"  And  he  did  not  ask  about  the 
horses. 


830  THB  MIDDLE  WAY 

THE  MEASURE  OP  MAN  IS  MAN 

Confucius  said,  "To  one  who  loves  to  live  according  to  the  principles  of 
true  manhood  without  external  inducements  and  who  hates  all  that  is 
contrary  to  the  principles  of  true  manhood  without  external  threats  of 
punishments,  all  mankind  seems  but  like  one  man  only.  Therefore  the 
superior  man  discusses  all  questions  of  conduct  on  the  basis  of  himself 
as  the  standard,  and  then  sets  rules  for  the  common  people  to  follow." 
(L//fc  Chapter  XXXII.) 

Confucius  said,  "True  manhood  requires  a  great  capacity  and  the 
road  thereto  is  difficult  to  reach.  You  cannot  lift  it  by  your  hands  and 
you  cannot  reach  it  by  walking  on  foot.  He  who  approaches  it  to  a 
greater  degree  than  others  may  already  be  called  'a  true  man/  Now  is 
it  not  a  difficult  thing  for  a  man  to  try  to  reach  this  standard  by  sheer 
effort?  Therefore,  if  the  gentleman  measures  men  by  the  standard  of 
the  absolute  standard  of  righteousness,  then  it  is  difficult  to  be  a  real 
man.  But  if  he  measures  men  by  the  standard  of  man,  then  the  better 
people  will  have  some  standard  to  go  by."  (Li^f,  Chapter  XXXII.) 

Confucius  said,  "To  a  man  who  feels  down  in  his  heart  that  he  is 
happy  and  natural  while  acting  according  to  the  principles  of  true  man- 
hood, all  mankind  seems  like  but  one  man.'*  (What  is  true  of  the  feelings 
of  one  person  will  serve  as  the  standard  of  feelings  for  all  people.)  (Li^i, 
Chapter  XXXII.) 

Tsekung  asked,  "If  there  is  a  man  here  who  is  a  benefactor  of  mankind 
and  can  help  the  masses,  would  you  call  him  a  true  man?"  "Why,  such 
a  person  is  not  only  a  true  man,"  said  Confucius,  "he  is  a  Sage.  Even  the 
Emperors  Yao  and  Hsun  would  fall  short  of  such  a  standard.  Now  a 
true  man,  wishing  to  establish  his  own  character,  also  tries  to  establish 
the  character  of  others,  and  wishing  to  succeed  himself,  tries  also  to  help 
others  to  succeed.  To  know  how  to  make  the  approach  from  one's  neigh- 
bors (or  from  the  facts  of  common,  everyday  life)  is  the  method  or 
formula  for  achieving  true  manhood." 

Confucius  said,  "Is  the  standard  of  true  manhood  so  far  away,  after 
all?  When  I  want  true  manhood,  there  it  is  right  by  me." 

THE  GOLDEN  RULE 

Chung  Kung  asked  about  true  manhood,  and  Confucius  replied,  "When 
the  true  man  appears  abroad,  he  feels  as  if  he  were  receiving  distin- 
guished people,  and  when  ruling  over  the  people,  he  feels  as  if  he  were 


THE    APHORISMS    OF    CONFUCIUS  83! 

worshipping  God.  What  he  docs  not  want  done  unto  himself,  he  does 
not  do  unto  others.  And  so  both  in  the  state  and  in  the  home,  people 
arc  satisfied." 

Tsckung  said,  "What  I  do  not  want  others  to  do  unto  me,  I  do  not 
want  to  do  unto  them."  Confucius  said,  "Ah  Sze,  you  cannot  do  it." 

Confucius  said,  "Ah  Ts'an,  there  is  a  central  principle  that  runs 
through  all  my  teachings."  "Yes,"  said  Tsengtsc.  When  Confucius  left, 
the  disciples  asked  Tsengtse  what  he  meant,  and  Tsengtse  replied,  "It 
is  just  the  principle  of  reciprocity  (or  shu)" 

Tsekung  asked,  "Is  there  one  single  word  that  can  serve  as  a  principle 
of  conduct  for  life?"  Confucius  replied,  "Perhaps  the  word  'reciprocity' 
(shu)  will  do.  Do  not  do  unto  others  what  you  do  not  want  others  to 
do  unto  you." 

TRUE  MANHOOD 

Confucius  said,  "For  a  long  time  it  has  been  difficult  to  see  examples 
of  true  men.  Everybody  errs  a  little  on  the  side  of  his  weakness.  There- 
fore it  is  easy  to  point  out  the  shortcomings  of  the  true  man."  (Ltfa 
Chapter  XXXII.) 

Confucius  said,  "For  a  long  time  it  has  been  difficult  to  find  examples 
of  true  men.  Only  the  superior  man  can  reach  that  state.  Therefore  the 
superior  man  does  not  try  to  criticize  people  for  what  he  himself  fails 
in,  and  he  does  not  put  people  to  shame  for  what  they  fail  in.  .  .  ."  (L/^f, 
Chapter  XXXII.) 

Confucius  said,  "To  find  the  central  clue  to  our  moral  being  which 
unites  us  to  the  universal  order  (or  to  attain  central  harmony),  that  in- 
deed is  the  highest  human  attainment.  For  a  long  time  people  have 
seldom  been  capable  of  it." 

Yen  Huei  asked  about  true  manhood,  and  Confucius  said,  "True 
manhood  consists  in  realizing  your  true  self  and  restoring  the  moral 
order  or  discipline  (or  //').  If  a  man  can  just  for  one  day  realize  his  true 
self,  and  restore  complete  moral  discipline,  the  world  will  follow  him. 
To  be  a  true  man  depends  on  oneself.  What  has  it  got  to  do  with 
others?" 

Confucius  said,  "Humility  is  near  to  moral  discipline  (or  //');  sim- 
plicity of  character  is  near  to  true  manhood;  and  loyalty  is  near  to 
sincerity  of  heart.  If  a  man  will  carefully  cultivate  these  things  in  his 
conduct,  he  may  still  err  a  little,  but  he  won't  be  far  from  the  standard 


832  THE   MIDDLE  WAY 

of  true  manhood.  For  with  humility  or  a  pious  attitude,  a  man  seldom 
commits  errors;  with  sincerity  of  heart,  a  man  is  generally  reliable;  and 
with  simplicity  of  character,  he  is  usually  generous.  You  seldom  make 
a  mistake  when  you  start  off  from  these  points."  (Li'^i,  Chapter  XXXII.) 

Confucius  said,  "Yen  Huei's  heart  does  not  leave  the  condition  of  true 
manhood  for  as  long  as  three  months.  The  others  are  able  to  reach  that 
level  only  for  a  month  or  for  a  few  days." 

Someone  said,  "Would  you  call  a  man  who  has  succeeded  in  avoiding 
aggressiveness,  pride,  resentment  and  greed  a  true  man?"  Confucius 
said,  "I  would  say  that  he  is  a  very  rare  person,  but  I  do  not  know 
whether  he  can  be  called  a  true  man." 

Tsechang  asked  Confucius:  "Secretary  Tsewen  (of  Ch'u)  was  three 
times  made  a  secretary  and  didn't  seem  to  show  particular  satisfaction 
at  his  appointment,  and  three  times  he  was  relieved  of  his  office  and  did 
not  seem  to  show  any  disappointment.  And  when  he  was  handing  over 
the  affairs  of  his  office  to  his  successors,  he  explained  everything  to  the 
latter.  Now  what  would  you  say  about  such  a  person?"  Confucius  said, 
"I  would  call  him  a  sincere,  faithful  person."  "Would  you  say  that  he 
is  a  true  man?"  "I  do  not  know,"  said  Confucius.  "How  should  I  call 
him  a  true  man?"11 

Someone  said  that  Chung  Kung  (a  disciple  of  Confucius)  was  a  true 
man  and  that  he  was  not  a  glib  talker.  Confucius  said,  "What  is  the 
use  of  being  a  glib  talker?  The  more  you  talk  to  defend  yourself,  the 
more  the  people  hate  you.  I  do  not  know  about  his  being  a  true  man. 
What  is  the  use  of  being  a  glib  talker?" 

Count  Wu  Meng  asked  if  Tselu  was  a  true  man,  and  Confucius  said, 
"I  do  not  know."  On  being  asked  again,  Confucius  said,  "You  can  put 
Yu  in  charge  of  a  country  with  a  thousand  carriages  and  let  him  take 
care  of  its  finance.  But  I  do  not  know  about  his  being  a  true  man." 
"How  about  Ch'iu?"  Confucius  said,  "You  can  put  Ch'iu  in  charge  of 
a  township  of  a  thousand  families  or  make  him  the  steward  of  a  house- 
hold with  a  hundred  carriages  (that  is,  of  a  minister),  but  I  do  not  know 
about  his  being  a  true  man."  "How  about  Ch'ih  (Kunghsi  Hua)?" 
Confucius  said,  "You  can  let  Ch'ih  stand  at  court,  dressed  in  his  official 
gown  and  girdle  and  let  him  entertain  the  guests,  but  I  do  not  know 
about  his  being  a  true  man." 

11  An  actual  example  like  this  shows  how  inadequate  it  is  to  translate  the  Chinese  word 
jen  as  "kindness,"  "benevolence"  or  "«*  kind  person,"  or  "a  benevolent  person." 


THE    APHORISMS    OF    CONFUCIUS  833 

FURTHER  DESCRIPTIONS  OF  THE  TRUE  MAN 

Confucius  said,  "One  who  is  not  a  true  man  cannot  long  stand  poverty, 
nor  can  he  stand  prosperity  for  long.  A  true  man  is  happy  and  natural 
in  living  according  to  the  principles  of  true  manhood,  but  a  wise  man 
thinks  it  is  advantageous  to  do  so." 

Confucius  said,  "Only  a  true  man  knows  how  to  love  people  and  how 
to  hate  people." 

Confucius  said,  "How  can  the  superior  man  keep  up  his  reputation 
when  he  departs  from  the  level  of  the  true  man?  The  superior  man 
never  departs  from  the  level  of  true  manhood  for  the  time  of  a  single 
meal.  In  his  most  casual  moments,  he  lives  in  it,  and  in  the  most  com 
promising  circumstances,  he  still  lives  in  it." 

Confucius  said,  "If  a  man  is  not  a  true  man,  what  is  the  use  of  rituals? 
If  a  man  is  not  a  true  man,  what  is  the  use  of  music?" 

Confucius  said,  "The  wise  man  has  no  perplexities,  the  true  man  has 
no  sorrow,  and  the  brave  man  has  no  fear." 

Confucius  said,  "A  true  man  is  very  slow  to  talk."  Someone  asked, 
"Can  a  man  who  is  slow  to  talk  then  be  called  a  true  man?"  Confucius 
said,  ""Because  it  is  so  difficult  for  a  man  to  do  what  he  says,  of  course 
he  would  be  very  slow  to  talk." 

VII.    THE  SUPERIOR  MAN  AND  THE  INFERIOR  MAN 

Confucius  said,  "The  superior  man  understands  what  is  right;  the  in- 
ferior man  understands  what  will  sell." 

Confucius  said,  "The  superior  man  loves  his  soul;  the  inferior  man 
loves  his  property.  The  superior  man  always  remembers  how  he  was 
punished  for  his  mistakes;  the  inferior  man  always  remembers  what 
presents  he  got." 

Confucius  said,  "The  superior  man  is  liberal  towards  others'  opinions, 
but  does  not  completely  agree  with  them;  the  inferior  man  completely 
agrees  with  others'  opinions,  but  is  not  liberal  toward  them." 

Confucius  said,  "The  superior  man  is  firm,  but  docs  not  fight;  he 
mixes  easily  with  others,  but  does  not  form  cliques." 

Confucius  said,  "The  superior  man  blames  himself;  the  inferior  man 
blames  others." 

Confucius  said,  "The  superior  man  is  easy  to  serve,  but  difficult  to 
please,  for  he  can  be  pleased  by  what  is  rieht,  and  he  uses  men  according 


834  THE  MIDDLE  WAY 

to  their  individual  abilities.  The  inferior  man  is  difficult  to  serve,  but 
easy  to  please,  for  you  can  please  him  (by  catering  to  his  weaknesses) 
without  necessarily  being  right,  and  when  he  comes  to  using  men,  he 
demands  perfection." 

Confucius  said,  "You  can  put  a  superior  man  in  an  important  position 
with  large  discretionary  powers,  but  you  cannot  give  him  a  nice  little 
job;  you  can  give  an  inferior  man  a  nice  little  job,  but  you  cannot  put 
him  in  an  important  position  with  great  discretionary  powers." 

Confucius  said,  "The  superior  man  is  not  one  who  is  good  for  only 
one  particular  kind  of  position." 

Confucius  said,  "The  superior  man  is  broad-minded  toward  all  men 
and  not  a  partisan;  the  inferior  man  is  a  partisan,  but  not  broad-minded 
toward  all." 

Confucius  and  his  followers  had  to  go  for  days  without  food  in  Ch'en, 
and  some  of  his  followers  felt  ill  and  were  confined  to  bed.  Tselu  came 
to  see  Confucius  in  low  spirits  and  asked,  "Does  the  superior  man  also 
land  in  difficulties?"  Confucius  said,  "Yes,  the  superior  man  also  some- 
times finds  himself  in  difficulties,  but  when  an  inferior  man  finds  himself 
in  difficulties,  he  is  likely  to  do  anything." 

Confucius  said,  "The  superior  man  attends  to  the  spiritual  things 
and  not  to  his  livelihood.  You  let  him  cultivate  a  farm,  and  he  will  be 
starved,  but  if  you  let  him  attend  to  his  studies,  he  will  find  riches  in  it. 
The  superior  man  does  not  worry  about  his  poverty,  but  worries  about 
the  spiritual  things." 

Confucius  said,  "The  superior  man  is  always  candid  and  at  ease  (with 
himself  or  others);  the  inferior  man  is  always  worried  about  some- 
thing." 

Confucius  said,  "The  superior  man  develops  upwards;  the  inferior 
man  develops  downwards." 

Confucius  said,  "The  superior  man  is  dignified  and  at  case,  but  not 
proud;  the  inferior  man  is  proud,  but  not  dignified." 

Confucius  said,  "The  superior  man  keeps  to  the  standard  of  right, 
but  does  not  (necessarily)  keep  his  promise." 

Szema  Niu  asked  Confucius  about  being  a  gentleman,  and  Confucius 
replied,  "A  gentleman  has  no  worry  and  no  fear."  "Docs  having  no 
worry  and  no  fear  then  constitute  a  gentleman?"  Confucius  said,  "If  he 
looks  within  himself  and  is  sure  that  he  has  done  right,  what  does  he 
have  to  fear  or  worry  about?" 

Confucius  said,  "The  superior  man  goes  through  his  life  without  any 


THE    APHORISMS    OF    CONFUCIUS  835 

one  preconceived  course  of  action  or  any  taboo.  He  merely  decides  for 
the  moment  what  is  the  right  thing  to  do." 

Confucius  said,  "The  superior  man  doesn't  insist  on  good  food  and 
good  lodging.  He  is  attentive  to  his  duties  and  careful  in  his  speech, 
and  he  finds  a  great  man  and  follows  him  as  his  guide.  Such  a  person 
may  be  called  a  lover  of  learning." 

Confucius  said,  "A  scholar  who  intends  to  follow  the  truth  and  is 
ashamed  of  his  poor  dress  and  poor  food  is  not  worth  talking  to." 

Confucius  said,  "A  scholar  who  is  in  love  with  living  comforts  is  not 
worthy  to  be  called  a  scholar." 

Confucius  said,  "A  man  who  serves  his  king  and  three  times  finds  his 
advice  rejected  and  still  docs  not  leave  the  country,  is  hanging  on  to 
his  post  for  the  sake  of  the  salary.  Even  though  he  says  that  it  is  not  the 
salary  that  attracts  him,  I  won't  believe  him."  (Li^i,  Chapter  XXXII.) 

Confucius  said,  "A  gentleman  is  ashamed  that  his  words  are  better 
than  his  deeds." 

Confucius  said,  UA  gentleman  is  careful  about  three  things:  In  his 
youth,  when  his  blood  is  strong,  he  is  careful  about  sex.  When  he  is 
grown  up,  and  his  blood  is  full,  he  is  careful  about  getting  into  a  fight 
(or  struggle  in  general).  When  he  is  old  and  his  blood  is  getting  thinner, 
he  is  careful  about  money."  (A  young  man  loves  women;  a  middle-aged 
man  loves  struggle;  and  an  old  man  loves  money.) 

VIII.    THE  MEAN  AS  THE  IDEAL  CHARACTER  AND 
TYPES  OF  PERSONS  THAT  CONFUCIUS  HATED 

THE  PEOPLE  OF  THE  MEAN 

Confucius  said,  "Since  I  cannot  find  people  who  follow  the  Mean  (or 
Golden  Mean)  to  teach,  I  suppose  I  will  have  to  work  with  those  who 
are  brilliant  or  erratic  (f('uang)  and  those  who  are  a  little  dull  but  careful 
(chuan).  The  brilliant  but  erratic  persons  are  always  ready  to  go  for- 
ward (or  are  too  active),  and  the  dull  but  careful  persons  always  hold 
themselves  back  (or  arc  not  active  enough)." 
Confucius  said,  "The  goody-goodies  are  the  thieves  of  virtue."  M 

M  In  the  Confucian  teachings,  there  are,  therefore,  four  classes  o£  persons,  which  were 
clearly  recognized  and  more  hilly  commented  upon  by  Mencius.  According  to  Mencius, 
the  people  who  followed  the  Mean  are  the  ideal  human  material.  Secondly,  according  to 
Mencius,  since  this  ideal  material  cannot  be  obtained,  Confucius  preferred  to  work  with 
the  brilliant  but  erratic;  this  is  the  class  that  Mencius  described  as  "being  of  an  idealistic 
and  expansive  nature,  always  saying,  The  ancient  people  1  The  ancient  people!'  and 


836  THE    MIDDLE    WAY 

Confucius  said  (when  he  was  wandering  in  Ch'en  and  decided  to 
return  to  his  country  to  devote  himself  to  editing  books  and  teaching), 
"Let  us  go  homel  The  scholars  of  our  country  are  brilliant  but  erratic, 
but  they  are  anxious  to  go  forward,  and  have  not  lost  their  original 
simplicity  of  character." 

Tsekung  asked  whether  Shih  (Tsechang)  or  Shang  (Tsehsia)  was 
the  better  man.  Confucius  said,  "Ah  Shih  goes  a  little  too  far  (or  is  above 
the  normal)  and  Ah  Shang  doesn't  go  far  enough  (or  is  a  little  below 
the  normal)."  "Then  is  Ah  Shih  a  better  person?"  Confucius  said,  "To 
go  a  little  too  far  is  as  bad  as  not  going  far  enough."  w 

Confucius  said  to  Tsehsia,  "You  must  be  a  gentleman-scholar  and  not 
a  petty  scholar." 

being  free  and  easy  in  their  ways  without  trying  to  conceal  their  fault."  As  examples  of 
this  class,  Mencius  quoted  a  few  people  who  violated  Confucian  canons  of  conduct. 
(According  to  Chuangtse,  they  were  reputed  to  sing  at  their  friends'  funerals.)  Mencius 
then  went  on  to  say  that  "since  Confucius  could  not  get  brilliant  but  erratic  people,  he 
would  be  content  to  work  with  those  who  were  anxious  to  be  correct,  the  chuan,  who 
came  after  the  ^'uang  as  a  class."  In  describing  the  last  or  fourth  class,  the  thieves  of 
virtue,  Mencius  said  that  Confucius  said,  "The  kind  of  people  whom  I  don't  mind 
failing  to  come  into  my  house  or  visiting  me  when  passing  my  door,  are  the  hstangyttan 
(or  goody-goodies).  The  hstangyuan  arc  the  thieves  of  virtue."  Then  in  answer  to  a 
question  about  this  class  of  people,  Mencius  described  them  as  follows:  "They  say,  'Why 
be  idealistic  like  those  people?  When  their  words  do  not  tally  with  their  conduct  and 
their  conduct  does  not  tally  with  their  words,  they  say,  "The  ancient  people!  The 
ancient  people!"  Why  are  they  so  supercilious  toward  the  world  and  so  cool  and  de- 
tached in  their  conduct?  When  a  man  lives  in  the  present  world  and  acts  according  to 
the  standard  of  the  present  world,  and  succeeds,  it  is  quite  enough!'  They  arc  the  class 
of  people  who  are  quite  contented  to  secure  the  approval  of  society.  These  arc  the 
hstangyuan."  Hstangyuan  literally  means  what  the  country  folk  call  "good  men,"  or 
"goody-goodies."  The  questioner  then  asked  Mencius,  "Since  all  the  country  folk  call  them 
'good  men/  and  everywhere  they  go  they  are  called  'good  men'  (or  'nice  people*  or 
'respectable  people'),  why  did  Confucius  call  them  'thieves  of  virtue'?"  Mencius  then 
said,  "You  want  to  criticize  them  and  they  seem  so  perfect;  you  want  to  lampoon  them, 
and  they  seem  so  correct;  they  fall  in  with  the  current  conventions  and  thoroughly 
identify  themselves  with  the  ways  of  the  times.  In  their  living,  they  $cem  to  be  so  honest 
and  faithful,  and  in  their  conduct  they  seem  to  be  so  moral.  Everybody  likes  them  and 
they  are  quite  pleased  with  themselves.  But  it  is  impossible  to  lead  them  into  the  ways  of 
Emperors  Yao  and  Hsun.  Therefore  Confucius  said,  'The  goody -goodies  (or  hstangyuan, 
or  the  so-called  "respectable  people")  are  the  thieves  of  virtue.' "  Directly  after  this 
description,  Mencius  quoted  what  Confucius  had  said  about  the  things  that  resemble  the 
real  things  but  are  not  the  real  things,  and  the  types  of  persons  that  he  hated.  Sec  below 
toward  the  end  of  this  section. 

18  Evidences  seem  to  show  that  Tsechang  was  the  more  brilliant  one  and  more  interested 
in  philosophic  principles,^  while  Tsehsia,  who  later  became  a  great  teacher  specializing 
in  the  teaching  of  the  Book,  of  Songs  after  Confucius'  death,  was  the  type  of  a  humdrum, 
conscientious  professor, 


THE    APHORISMS    OF    CONFUCIUS  837. 

Confucius  said,  "When  a  man  has  more  solid  worth  than  polish,  he 
appears  uncouth,  and  when  a  man  has  more  polish  than  solid  worth,  he 
appears  urbane.  The  proper  combination  of  solid  worth  and  polish 
alone  makes  a  gentleman." 

Confucius  said,  "The  earlier  generations  were  primitive  or  uncouth 
people  in  the  matter  of  ritual  and  music;  the  later  generations  are  re- 
fined (literally  "gentlemen")  in  the  matter  of  ritual  and  music.  But  if  1 
were  to  choose  between  the  two,  I  would  follow  the  people  of  the  ear 
lier  generations."  " 

TYPES  OF   PERSONS  THAT  CONFUCIUS   HATED 

Confucius  said,  "The  ancient  people  had  three  kinds  of  faults,  and 
nowadays  we  haven't  even  got  them.  The  ancient  people  who  were  im- 
pulsive were  just  unconventional  in  their  ways,  but  today  the  impulsive 
people  indulge  themselves.  The  ancient  people  who  were  correct  and 
smug  were  the  lease  austere  and  careful  in  their  conduct,  but  today  the 
smug  people  are  always  condemning  other  people  and  are  bad-tempered. 
The  ancient  lower  class  were  simple  and  honest  souls,  but  today  the 
lower  class  are  a  deceitful  lot." 

Tsekung  asked,  "Does  the  superior  man  also  have  certain  things  that 
he  hates?"  "Yes,  there  are  things  that  the  superior  man  hates,"  said 
Confucius.  "He  hates  those  who  like  to  criticize  people  or  reveal  their 
weaknesses.  He  hates  those  who,  in  the  position  of  inferiors,  like  to 
malign  or  spread  rumors  about  those  in  authority.  He  hates  those  who 
are  chivalrous  and  headstrong  but  are  not  restrained  by  propriety.  He 
hates  those  who  are  sure  of  themselves  and  are  narrow-minded."  "But 
what  do  you  hate,  Ah  Sze?"  "I  hate  those  who  like  to  spy  on  others  and 
think  they  are  very  clever.  I  hate  those  who  think  they  are  brave  when 
they  are  merely  unruly.  And  I  hate  the  wily  persons  who  pretend  to  be 
honest  gentlemen." 

Confucius  said,  "A  man  who  is  impulsive  and  headstrong  without 
having  the  virtue  of  simple  honesty,  who  doesn't  know  a  thing  and  has 
not  enough  wit  to  speak  or  behave  cautiously,  or  who  has  no  particular 
ability  and  withal  has  not  the  virtue  of  honesty  or  faithfulness — why, 
there  is  nothing  to  be  done  about  such  a  person." 

14  A  choice  between  uncouth  simplicity  and  decadent  elaborateness  and  formalism — a  very 
important  point,  considering  the  common  charge  of  formalism  against  Confucianism. 
This  common  criticism  was  certainly  justifiable  when  it  was  directed  against  the  Con- 
fuciamsts  in  the  centuries  after  him. 


,830  THE   MIDDLE  WAY 

Confucius  said,  "I  hate  things  that  resemble  the  real  things  but  are 
not  the  real  things.  I  hate  cockles  because  they  get  mixed  up  with  the 
corn.  I  hate  the  ingratiating  fellows,  because  they  get  mixed  up  with 
the  good  men.  I  hate  the  glib  talkers  because  they  confuse  us  with  honest 
people.  I  hate  the  music  of  Cheng,  because  it  brings  confusion  into 
classical  music.  I  hate  the  purple  color,  because  it  confuses  us  with  the 
red  color.  I  hate  the  goody-goodies  because  they  confuse  us  with  the 
virtuous  people."  (Mencius.) 

Confucius  said,  "A  man  who  appears  dignified  and  austere  but  is  all 
hollow  and  weak  inside  seems  to  me  to  be  like  a  little  petty  burglar 
who  slips  into  the  house  through  a  hole  at  night." 

Confucius  said,  "Women  and  the  inferior  people  are  most  difficult  to 
deal  with.  When  you  are  familiar  with  them,  they  become  cheeky,  and 
when  you  ignore  them,  they  resent  it." 

Confucius  said,  "I  hate  the  garrulous  people." 

Confucius  said,  "A  glib  talker  with  an  ingratiating  appearance  is 
seldom  a  gentleman." 

Confucius  said,  "The  gentleman  does  not  judge  a  person  entirely  by 
his  words.  Therefore  in  a  cultured  world,  we  have  flowery  conduct,  and 
in  an  uncultured  world,  we  have  flowery  speeches."  (Lf^i,  Chapter 
XXXII.) 

IX.    GOVERNMENT 

THE   MORAL   IDEAL  OF  GOVERNMENT 

Confucius  said,  "Guide  the  people  with  governmental  measures  and 
control  or  regulate  them  by  the  threat  of  punishment,  and  the  people 
will  try  to  keep  out  of  jail,  but  will  have  no  sense  of  honor  or  shame. 
Guide  the  people  by  virtue  and  control  or  regulate  them  by  //,  and  the 
people  will  have  a  sense  of  honor  and  respect." 

Confucius  said,  "When  the  kingdom  of  Ch'i  moves  a  step  forward, 
it  will  have  reached  the  culture  of  the  kingdom  of  Lu,  and  when  the 
kingdom  of  Lu  moves  a  step  forward,  it  will  have  reached  the  stage  of 
true  civilization." 

Confucius  said,  "In  presiding  over  lawsuits,  I'm  as  good  as  any  man. 
The  thing  is  to  aim  so  that  there  should  be  no  lawsuits." 

Someone  asked  Confucius,  "Why  don't  you  go  into  the  government?" 
Confucius  replied,  "Doesn't  the  Boo^  of  History  speak  about  the  good 
son?  When  the  sovereign  is  a  good  son,  and  a  good  In-other,  and  applies 


THE    APHORISMS    OF    CONFUCIUS  839 

the  same  principles  to  the  government  of  the  nation,  that  is  also  what 
we  call  government.  Why  should  I  go  into  the  government?" 

Yutse  said,  "We  seldom  find  a  man  who  is  a  good  son  and  a  good 
brother  that  is  disrespectful  to  authority,  and  we  never  find  a  man  who 
is  not  disrespectful  to  authority  wanting  to  start  a  rebellion." 

GOVERNMENT  BY  MORAL  EXAMPLE 

Confucius  said,  "A  sovereign  who  governs  a  nation  by  virtue  is  like  the 
North  Polar  Star,  which  remains  in  its  place  and  the  other  stars  revolve 
around  it." 

Baron  K'ang  Ch'i  asked  Confucius  concerning  government,  and  Con- 
fucius replied,  "Government  is  merely  setting  things  right.  When  you 
yourself  lead  them  by  the  right  example,  who  dares  to  go  astray?" 

Baron  K'ang  Ch'i  asked  Confucius  concerning  government,  saying, 
"If  I  kill  off  the  bad  citizens,  and  associate  with  the  good  citizens,  what 
do  you  think  ?"  Confucius  replied,  "What's  the  need  of  killing  off  people 
on  the  part  of  a  ruler  of  a  country  ?  If  you  desire  what  is  good,  the  people 
will  become  good  also.  The  character  of  the  ruler  is  like  wind,  and  the 
character  of  the  common  people  is  like  grass,  and  the  grass  bends  in 
the  direction  of  the  wind." 

Confucius  said,  "When  the  ruler  himself  does  what  is  right,  he  will 
have  influence  over  the  people  without  giving  commands,  and  when  the 
ruler  himself  does  not  do  what  is  right,  all  his  commands  will  be  of  no 
avail." 

Confucius  said,  "If  a  ruler  rectifies  his  own  conduct,  government  is 
an  easy  matter,  and  if  he  does  not  rectify  his  own  conduct,  how  can 
he  rectify  others?" 

FACTORS  OF  GOVERNMENT 

Tsekung  asked  about  government,  and  Confucius  replied:  "People 
must  have  sufficient  to  eat;  there  must  be  a  sufficient  army;  and  there 
must  be  confidence  of  the  people  in  the  ruler."  "If  you  arc  forced  to 
give  up  one  of  these  three  objectives,  what  would  you  go  without  first?" 
asked  Tsekung.  Confucius  said,  "I  would  go  without  the  army  first." 
"And  if  you  were  forced  to  go  without  one  of  the  two  remaining  factors, 
what  would  you  rather  go  without?"  asked  Tsekung  again.  "I  would 
rather  go  without  sufficient  food  for  the  people.  There  have  always  been 
deaths  in  every  generation  since  man  lived,  but  a  nation  cannot  exist 
without  confidence  in  its  ruler." 


THE  MIDDLE  WAY 


X.  ON  EDUCATION,  RITUAL  AND  POETRY 

Confucius  said,  "Education  begins  with  poetry,  is  strengthened  through 
proper  conduct  (self -discipline)  and  consummated  through  music/' 

Confucius  said,  "The  gentleman  broadens  himself  by  scholarship  or 
learning,  and  then  regulates  himself  by  li  (proper  conduct  or  moral  dis- 
cipline) .  Then  he  will  not  fall  away  from  the  proper  principles.'* 

Yutse  said,  "Among  the  functions  of  //,  the  most  valuable  is  that  it 
establishes  a  sense  of  harmony.  This  is  the  most  beautiful  heritage  of 
the  ancient  kings.  It  is  a  guiding  principle  for  all  things,  big  and  small. 
If  things  do  not  go  right,  and  you  are  bent  only  on  having  social  har- 
mony (or  peace)  without  regulating  the  society  by  the  pattern  of  U 
(or  the  principle  of  social  order),15  still  things  won't  go  right." 

Confucius  said,  "We  are  saying  all  the  time,  'Li!  Li!'  Does  li  mean 
merely  a  collection  of  jades  and  silks  (in  ceremonial  use)  ?  We  are  say- 
ing all  the  time  'Music!  Music!'  Does  music  merely  mean  playing  about 
with  drums  and  bells?" 

Tseshia  asked  (concerning  a  passage  in  the  Bool^  of  Songs),  "What 
is  the  meaning  of  the  passage,  'She  has  a  winning  smile,  and  her  eyes 
are  so  clear  and  bright.  Her  dress  is  of  a  colored  design  on  a  plain  back- 
ground'?" Confucius  said,  "In  painting,  we  must  have  a  plain  back- 
ground." "Does  that  mean  that  the  ceremonial  forms  of  //  must  be  based 
on  a  background  of  simplicity  of  character?"10  Confucius  said,  "Now 
you  have  contributed  a  fresh  thought,  Ah  Shang!  You  are  worthy  to 
discuss  the  Boo^  of  Songs." 

Lin  Fang  asked  concerning  the  foundation  of  //,  and  Confucius  re- 
plied, "You  are  asking  an  important  question!  In  this  matter  of  rituals  or 
ceremony,  rather  than  be  extravagant,  be  simple.  In  funeral  ceremonies, 
rather  than  be  expertly  familiar,  it  is  more  important  to  have  the  real 
sentiment  of  sorrow." 

Confucius  said,  "If  you  have  the  wisdom  to  perceive  a  truth,  but  have 
not  the  manhood  to  keep  to  it,  you  will  lose  it  again,  though  you  have 
discovered  it.  If  you  have  the  wisdom  to  perceive  a  truth,  and  the  true 
manhood  to  keep  to  it,  and  fail  to  preserve  decorum  in  your  public 
appearance,  you  will  not  gain  the  people's  respect  for  authority.  If  you 

96  See  Chapters  VI,  VII,  VIII,  "Discourses  on  the  Social  Order,"  in  Wisdom  of  Confucius. 
*  This  is  the  orthodox  interpretation,  and  probably  correct.  This  sentence  consists  of 
merely  three  words  in  the  original:  "Li — behind — is-that-so?" 


THE  APHORISMS  OF  CONFUCIUS       84! 

have  the  wisdom  to  perceive  a  truth,  the  manhood  to  keep  to  it,  and  have 
decorum  of  appearance,  but  fail  to  be  imbued  with,  the  spirit  of  li  (or 
social  discipline)  in  your  actions  or  conduct,  it  is  also  not  satisfactory." 

Confucius  said,  "Ah  Sze  is  worthy  to  discuss  the  Boo/^  of  Songs  with 
me.  I  tell  him  something,  and  he  comes  up  with  a  fresh  suggestion." 

Confucius  said,  "One  phrase  will  characterize  all  the  three  hundred 
poems  (actually  three  hundred  and  five),  and  that  is:  Keep  the  heart 
right." 

Ch'en  K'ang  asked  Poyu  (or  Li,  the  name  of  Confucius'  only  son, 
meaning  "a  carp"),  "Is  there  anything  special  that  you  were  taught  by 
your  father?"  Poyu  replied,  "No.  One  day  he  was  standing  alone  and  I 
ran  past  the  court,  and  he  asked  me,  'Have  you  learned  poetry?'  And 
I  said,  'Not  yet/  He  said,  'If  you  don't  study  poetry,  your  language  will 
not  be  polished.'  So  I  went  back  and  studied  poetry.  Another  day  he 
was  standing  alone,  and  I  went  past  the  court,  and  he  said  to  me,  'Have 
you  studied  the  ceremonies?*  And  I  said,  'Not  yet.'  And  he  said,  'If  you 
don't  study  the  ceremonies,  you  have  no  guide  for  your  conduct.'  And  I 
went  back  and  studied  the  ceremonies.  I  was  taught  to  study  these  two 
things."  Ch'en  K'ang  came  away  quite  pleased  and  said,  "I  asked  him 
one  question  and  learned  three  things.  I  learned  what  Confucius  said 
about  poetry.  I  learned  what  he  said  about  ceremonies.  And  I  learned 
that  the  Master  taught  his  own  son  in  exactly  the  same  way  as  he 
taught  his  disciples  (was  not  partial  to  his  son)." 

Confucius  said,  "Reading  without  thinking  gives  one  a  disorderly 
mind,  and  thinking  without  reading  makes  one  flighty  (or  unbal- 
anced)." 

Confucius  said,  "Isn't  it  a  great  pleasure  to  learn  and  relearn  again?" 

Confucius  said,  "A  man  who  goes  over  what  he  has  already  learned 
and  gains  some  new  understanding  from  it  is  worthy  to  be  a  teacher." 

Confucius  said,  "That  type  of  scholarship  which  is  bent  on  remem- 
bering things  in  order  to  answer  people's  questions  does  not  qualify 
one  to  be  a  teacher." 

Confucius  said,  "The  ancient  scholars  studied  for  their  own  sake; 
today  the  scholars  study  for  the  sake  of  others  (out  of  obligations  to 
their  teachers,  their  parents,  etc.)." 

Confucius  said,  "Ah  Yu,  have  you  heard  of  the  six  sayings  about  the 
six  shortcomings?"  "No,"  said  Tselu.  "Sit  down,  then,  and  I  will  tell 
you.  If  a  man  loves  kindness,  but  doesn't  love  study,  his  shortcoming 
will  be  ignorance.  If  a  man  loves  wisdom  but  does  not  love  study,  his 


842  THE  MIDDLE  WAY 

shortcoming  will  be  having  fanciful  or  unsound  ideas.  If  a  man  loves 
honesty  and  does  not  love  study,  his  shortcoming  will  be  a  tendency 
to  spoil  or  upset  things.  If  a  man  loves  simplicity  but  does  not  love  study, 
his  shortcoming  will  be  sheer  following  of  routine.  If  a  man  loves  cour- 
age and  does  not  love  study,  his  shortcoming  will  be  unruliness  or  vio- 
lence. If  a  man  loves  decision  of  character  and  does  not  love  study,  his 
shortcoming  will  be  self-will  or  headstrong  belief  in  himself." 

Confucius  said,  "Those  who  are  born  wise  are  the  highest  type  of 
people;  those  who  become  wise  through  learning  come  next;  those  who 
learn  by  sheer  diligence  and  industry,  but  with  difficulty,  come  after 
that.  Those  who  are  slow  to  learn,  but  still  won't  learn,  are  the  lowest 
type  of  people." 

Confucius  said,  "The  young  people  should  be  good  sons  at  home, 
polite  and  respectful  in  society;  they  should  be  careful  in  their  conduct 
and  faithful,  love  the  people,  and  associate  themselves  with  the  kind 
people.  If  after  learning  all  this,  they  still  have  energy  left,  let  them 
read  books." 


The  Golden  Mean  of  Tsesze 


INTRODUCTION 

I  THINK  it  was  the  late  Professor  Herbert  A.  Giles  who  described  the 
character  of  Confucius  as  that  of  a  typical  English  schoolmaster.  Nothing 
would  have  pleased  Confucius  better  than  this  description.  Actually, 
the  Chinese  gentleman,  like  the  English  gentleman,  or  at  least  the  perfect 
one,  is  an  indescribable  and  indefinable  nonentity  whom  you  will  not 
recognize  if  you  pass  him  on  the  street,  just  as  the  perfect  English  pro- 
nunciation is  one  which  betrays  no  accent  of  any  particular  locality.  The 
essence  of  the  English  gentleman  is  the  ability  to  pass  into  unrecogniza- 
bility  from  one's  fellowmen,  and  the  essence  of  Confucian  culture  is  the 
moral  effort  to  aspire  to  achieve  the  commonplace.  It  is  by  holding  to 
the  doctrine  of  the  Golden  Mean,  or  the  Middle  Way,  that  commonplace- 
ness  can  be  achieved.  Confucius  confessed,  "There  are  those  who  seek 
for  the  abstruse  and  strange  and  live  a  singular  life  in  order  to  leave  their 
names  to  posterity.  This  I  would  never  do."  He  also  once  drew  a  sharp 
distinction  between  the  famous  man  and  the  truly  great  man,  and  de- 
scribed the  "famous"  man  as  one  who  was  "bound  to  be  talked  about  at 
home  when  he  was  at  home,  and  bound  to  be  talked  about  abroad  when 
he  was  abroad."  It  is  this  doctrine  of  the  Golden  Mean  which  Confucian 
scholars  hold  to  be  the  fundamental  philosophy  of  ail  human  conduct, 
and  is  intended  to  transform  the  Chinese  people  into  a  nation  of  village 
schoolmasters. 

The  Golden  Mean  represents  probably  the  best  philosophical  approach 
to  Confucian  moral  philosophy.  In  this  book  are  contained  such  great 
sayings  as  the  following:  "What  is  God-given  is  what  we  call  human 
nature.  To  fulfil  the  law  of  human  nature  is  what  we  call  the  moral  law. 
The  cultivation  of  the  moral  law  is  what  we  call  culture."  "Being  true 


844  THE    MIDDLE   WAY    > 

to  oneself  is  the  law  of  God.  To  learn  to  be  true  to  oneself  is  the  law  of 
man."  There  is  in  it  the  great  humanistic  dictum,  "Truth  does  not  depart 
from  human  nature.  If  what  is  regarded  as  truth  departs  from  human 
nature,  it  may  not  be  regarded  as  truth."  There  is  the  important  Con- 
fucian teaching  that  the  measure  of  man  is  man,  and  that  the  standard 
of  human  goodness  is  not  to  be  sought  in  Heaven,  but  in  one's  fellowman. 
There  is  the  further  somewhat  mystic  recognition  of  the  identity  of  the 
moral  law  within  and  the  law  of  the  universe  without. 

The  Golden  Mean  forms  one  of  the  Four  Booths  formerly  prescribed 
for  study  in  all  elementary  schools.  It  formed  originally  Chapter  XXXI 
of  Uty,  and  like  certain  chapters  of  the  Lity,  its  authorship  is  ascribed 
to  Tsesze,  the  grandson  of  Confucius  and  allegedly  teacher  of  Mencius. 
An  examination  of  the  style  of  the  book  reveals  that  probably  it  consisted 
originally  of  two  separate  parts,  one  distinguished  by  its  beauty  of  style 
and  a  highly  philosophical  mind  in  the  author,  while  the  other  consists 
of  sundry  quotations  from  Confucius  on  the  Golden  Mean,  put  together 
without  much  correlation  or  order.  I  have  rearranged  the  text  and  given 
sectional  headings,  the  reasons  for  which  are  given  fully  in  the  Introduc- 
tion to  this  piece  in  The  Wisdom  of  Confucius  (Modern  Library). 

For  the  convenience  of  serious  students  who  wish  to  compare  the 
original  text,  I  have  inserted  in  parentheses  at  the  beginnings  of  sections 
the  original  numbers  of  the  "chapters."  The  translation  is  by  the  late 
brilliant  Ku  Hungmmg,  with  certain  revisions  of  my  own,  to  correspond 
«nore  nearly  with  the  original  text. 


The  Golden  Mean  of  Tsesze 


Translated  by  Ku  Hungming 


I.  THE  CENTRAL  HARMONY 

(I)  WHAT  is  GOD-GIVEN  is  what  we  call  human  nature.  To  fulfil  the  law 
of  our  human  nature  is  what  we  call  the  moral  law.  The  cultivation  of 
the  moral  law  is  what  we  call  culture. 

The  moral  law  is  a  law  from  whose  operation  we  cannot  for  one 
instant  in  our  existence  escape.  A  law  from  which  we  may  escape  is  not 
the  moral  law.  Wherefore  it  is  that  the  moral  man  (or  the  superior  man) 
watches  diligently  over  what  his  eyes  cannot  see  and  is  in  fear  and  awe 
of  what  his  ears  cannot  hear. 

There  is  nothing  more  evident  than  that  which  cannot  be  seen  by  the 
eyes  and  nothing  more  palpable  than  that  which  cannot  be  perceived  by 
the  senses.  Wherefore  the  moral  man  watches  diligently  over  his  secret 
thoughts. 

When  the  passions,  such  as  joy,  anger,  grief,  and  pleasure  have  not 
awakened,  that  is  our  central  self,  or  moral  being  (chung).  When  these 
passions  awaken  and  each  and  all  attain  due  measure  and  degree,  that  is 
harmony,  or  the  moral  order  (ho).  Our  central  self  or  moral  being  is 
the  great  basis  of  existence,  and  harmony  or  moral  order  is  the  universal 
law  in  the  world. 

When  our  true  central  self  and  harmony  are  realised,  the  universe 
then  becomes  a  cosmos  and  all  things  attain  their  full  growth  and 
development. 

845 


THE   MIDDLE  WAY 

II.  THE  GOLDEN  MEAN 

(II)  Confucius  remarked:  "The  life  of  the  moral  man  is  an  exemplifi- 
cation of  the  universal  moral  order  (chung-yung,  usually  translated  as 
"the  Mean").1  The  life  of  the  vulgar  person,  on  the  other  hand,  is  a 
contradiction  of  the  universal  moral  order. 

"The  moral  man's  life  is  an  exemplification  of  the  universal  order, 
because  he  is  a  moral  person  who  unceasingly  cultivates  his  true  self  or 
moral  being.  The  vulgar  person's  life  is  a  contradiction  of  the  universal 
order,  because  he  is  a  vulgar  person  who  in  his  heart  has  no  regard  for,  or 
fear  of,  the  moral  law." 

(III)  Confucius  remarked:  "To  find  the  central  clue  to  our  moral 
being  which  unites  us  to  the  universal  order,  that  indeed  is  the  highest 
human  attainment.  For  a  long  time,  people  have  seldom  been  capable 
of  it." 

(IV)  Confucius  remarked:  "I  know  now  why  the  moral  life  is  not 
practiced.  The  wise  mistake  moral  law  for  something  higher  than  what 
it  really  is;  and  the  foolish  do  not  know  enough  what  moral  law  really  is. 
I  know  now  why  the  moral  law  is  not  understood.  The  noble  natures 
want  to  live  too  high,  high  above  their  moral  ordinary  self;  and  ignoble 
natures  do  not  live  high  enough,  i.e.,  not  up  to  their  moral  ordinary  true 
self.  There  is  no  one  who  does  not  eat  and  drink.  But  few  there  are  who 
really  know  flavor." 

(V)  Confucius  remarked :  "There  is  in  the  world  now  really  no  more 
social  order  at  all." 

(VII)  Confucius  remarked:  "Men  all  say  'I  am  wise';  but  when 
driven  forward  and  taken  in  a  net,  a  trap,  or  a  pitfall,  there  is  not  one 
who  knows  how  to  find  a  way  of  escape.  Men  all  say,  'I  am  wise';  but 
in  finding  the  true  central  clue  and  balance  in  their  moral  being  (i.e., 
their  normal,  ordinary,  true  self),  they  are  not  able  to  keep  it  for  a 
round  month." 

(VIII)  Confucius  remarked  of  his'  favorite  disciple,  Yen  Huei :  "Huei 
was  a  man  who  all  his  life  sought  the  central  clue  in  his  moral  being,  and 
when  he  got  hold  of  one  thing  that  was  good,  he  embraced  it  with  all 
his  might  and  never  lost  it  again." 

1  Chung  means  "central,"  and  yung  means  "constant."  The  whole  idea  expresses  the 
conception  of  a  norm.  It  is  possible  that  Sections  2,  3,  4,  5,  6  originally  formed  a  separate 
book,  later  amalgamated  with  the  other  Sections  (i,  7,  8,  9,  10).  The  styles  of  the  two 
parts  are  quite  different.  This  accounts  for  the  abrupt  change  from  chungho  (central 
harmony)  in  the  first  section  to  chungyung  (Golden  Mean)  in  the  second  section. 


THE    GOLDEN    MEAN    OF    TSESZE  847 

(IX)  Confucius  remarked:  "A  man  may  be  able  to  put  a  country  in 
order,  be  able  to  spurn  the  honors  and  emoluments  of  office,  be  able  to 
trample  upon  bare,  naked  weapons;  with  all  that  he  is  still  not  able  to 
find  the  central  clue  in  his  moral  being." 

(X)  Tselu  asked  what  constituted  strength  of  character. 
Confucius  said:  "Do  you  mean  strength  of  character  of  the  people  of 

the  southern  countries  or  force  of  character  of  the  people  of  the  northern 
countries;  or  do  you  mean  strength  of  character  of  your  type?  To  be 
patient  and  gentle,  ready  to  teach,  returning  not  evil  for  evil;  that  is 
the  strength  of  character  of  the  people  of  the  southern  countries.  It  is  the 
ideal  place  for  the  moral  man.  To  lie  under  arms  and  meet  death  without 
regret;  that  is  the  strength  of  character  of  the  people  of  the  northern 
countries.  It  is  the  ideal  of  brave  men  of  your  type.  Wherefore  the  man 
with  the  true  strength  of  moral  character  is  one  who  is  gentle,  yet  firm. 
How  unflinching  is  his  strength!  When  there  is  moral  social  order  in  the 
country,  if  he  enters  public  life  he  does  not  change  from  what  he  was 
when  in  retirement.  When  there  is  no  moral  social  order  in  the  country, 
he  is  content  unto  death.  How  unflinching  is  his  strength!" 

(XI)  Confucius  remarked :  "There  are  men  who  seek  for  the  abstruse 
and  strange  and  live  a  singular  life  in  order  that  they  may  leave  a  name 
to  posterity.  This  is  what  I  never  would  do.  There  are  again  good  men 
who  try  to  live  in  conformity  with  the  moral  law,  but  who,  when  they 
have  gone  half  way,  throw  it  up.  I  never  could  give  it  up.  Lastly,  there 
arc  truly  moral  men  who  unconsciously  live  a  life  in  entire  harmony  with 
the  universal  moral  order  and  who  live  unknown  to  the  world  and  un- 
noticed of  men  without  any  concern.  It  is  only  men  of  holy,  divine 
natures  who  are  capable  of  this." 

III.  MORAL  LAW  EVERYWHERE 

(XII)  The  moral  law  is  to  be  found  everywhere,  and  yet  it  is  a  secret. 
The  simple  intelligence  of  ordinary  men  and  women  of  the  people 

may  understand  something  of  the  moral  law;  but  in  its  utmost  reaches 
there  is  something  which  even  the  wisest  and  holiest  of  men  cannot 
understand.  The  ignoble  natures  of  ordinary  men  and  women  of  the 
people  may  be  able  to  carry  out  the  moral  law;  but  in  its  utmost  reaches 
even  the  wisest  and  holiest  of  men  cannot  live  up  to  it. 

Great  as  the  Universe  is,  man  is  yet  not  always  satisfied  with  it.  For 
there  is  nothing  so  great  but  the  mind  of  the  moral  men  can  conceive 


848  THE   MIDDLE   WAY 

of  something  still  greater  which  nothing  in  the  world  can  hold.  There  is 
nothing  so  small  but  the  mind  of  the  moral  man  can  conceive  of  some- 
thing still  smaller  which  nothing  in  the  world  can  split. 

The  Boo^  of  Songs  says:  "The  hawk  soars  to  the  heavens  above  and 
fishes  dive  to  the  depths  below."  That  is  to  say,  there  is  no  place  in  the 
highest  heavens  above  nor  in  the  deepest  waters  below  where  the  moral 
law  is  not  to  be  found.  The  moral  man  finds  the  moral  law  beginning  in 
the  relation  between  man  and  woman;  but  ending  in  the  vast  reaches  of 
the  universe. 

(XVI)  Confucius  remarked:  "The  power  of  spiritual  forces  in  the 
Universe — how  active  it  is  everywhere!  Invisible  to  the  eyes,  and  impalp- 
able to  the  senses,  it  is  inherent  in  all  things,  and  nothing  can  escape  its 
operation." 

It  is  the  fact  that  there  are  these  forces  which  makes  men  in  all  countries 
fast  and  purify  themselves,  and  with  solemnity  of  dress  institute  services 
of  sacrifice  and  religious  worship.  Like  the  rush  of  mighty  waters,  the 
presence  of  unseen  Powers  is  felt;  sometimes  above  us,  sometimes  around 
us. 

In  the  Boo^  of  Songs  it  is  said : 

"The  presence  of  the  Spirit: 
It  cannot  be  surmised, 
How  may  it  be  ignored ! 

Such  is  the  evidence  of  things  invisible  that  it  is  impossible  to  doubt 
the  spiritual  nature  of  man. 

IV.  THE  HUMANISTIC  STANDARD 

(XIII)  Confucius  said :  "Truth  does  not  depart  from  human  nature. 
If  what  is  regarded  as  truth  departs  from  human  nature,  it  may  not  be 
regarded  as  truth.  The  Book  of  Songs  says:  'In  hewing  an  axe  handle, 
the  pattern  is  not  far  off.*  Thus,  when  we  take  an  axe  handle  in  our  hand 
to  hew  another  axe  handle  and  glance  from  one  to  the  other,  some  still 
think  the  pattern  is  far  off.  Wherefore  the  moral  man  in  dealing  with 
men  appeals  to  the  common  human  nature  and  changes  the  manner  of 
their  lives  and  nothing  more. 

"When  a  man  carries  out  the  principles  of  conscientiousness  and 
reciprocity  he  is  not  far  from  the  moral  law.  What  you  do  not  wish  others 
should  do  unto  you,  do  not  do  unto  them. 


THE    GOLDEN    MEAN    OF    TSESZE  849 

"There  are  four  things  in  the  moral  life  of  a  man,  not  one  of  which  I 
have  been  able  to  carry  out  in  my  life.  To  serve  my  father  as  I  would 
expect  my  son  to  serve  me  :  that  I  have  not  been  able  to  do.  To  serve  my 
sovereign  as  I  would  expect  a  minister  under  me  to  serve  me  :  that  I  have 
not  been  able  to  do.  To  act  towards  my  elder  brothers  as  I  would  expect 
my  younger  brother  to  act  towards  me  :  that  I  have  not  been  able  to  do. 
To  be  the  first  to  behave  towards  friends  as  I  would  expect  them  to 
behave  towards  me:  that  I  have  not  been  able  to  do. 

"In  the  discharge  of  the  ordinary  duties  of  life  and  in  the  exercise  of 
care  in  ordinary  conversation,  whenever  there  is  shortcoming,  never  fail 
to  strive  for  improvement,  and  when  there  is  much  to  be  said,  always  say 
less  than  what  is  necessary;  words  having  respect  to  actions  and  actions 
having  respect  to  words.  Is  it  not  just  this  thorough  genuineness  and 
absence  of  pretense  which  characterizes  the  moral  man?" 

(XV)  The  moral  life  of  man  may  be  likened  to  traveling  to  a  distant 
place:  one  must  start  from  the  nearest  stage.  It  may  also  be  likened  to 
ascending  a  height:  one  must  begin  from  the  lowest  step.  The  Boof^  of 


"When  wives  and  children  and  their  sires  are  one, 
'Tis  like  the  harp  and  lute  in  unison. 

When  brothers  live  in  concord  and  at  peace 

The  strain  of  harmony  shall  never  cease. 

The  lamp  of  happy  union  lights  the  home, 

And  bright  days  follow  when  the  children  come.'* 

Confucius,  commenting  on  the  above,  remarked:  "In  such  a  state  of 
things  what  more  satisfaction  can  parents  have?" 

(XIV)  The  moral  man  conforms  himself  to  his  life  circumstances; 
he  does  not  desire  anything  outside  of  his  position.  Finding  himself  in  a 
position  of  wealth  and  honor,  he  lives  as  becomes  one  living  in  a  position 
of  wealth  and  honor.  Finding  himself  in  a  position  of  poverty  and 
humble  circumstances,  he  lives  as  becomes  one  living  in  a  position  of 
poverty  and  humble  circumstances.  Finding  himself  in  uncivilized 
countries,  he  lives  as  becomes  one  living  in  uncivilized  countries.  Finding 
himself  in  circumstances  of  danger  and  difficulty,  he  acts  according  to 
what  is  required  of  a  man  under  such  circumstances.  In  one  word,  the 
moral  man  can  find  himself  in  no  situation  in  life  in  which  he  is  not 
master  of  himself. 

In  a  high  position  he  does  not  domineer  over  his  subordinates.  In  a 


850  THE  MIDDLE  WAY 

subordinate  position  he  does  not  court  the  favors  of  his  superiors.  He  puts 
in  order  his  own  personal  conduct  and  seeks  nothing  from  others;  hence 
he  has  no  complaint  to  make.  He  complains  not  against  God,  nor  rails 
against  men. 

Thus  it  is  that  the  moral  man  lives  out  the  even  tenor  of  his  life  calmly 
waiting  for  the  appointment  of  God,  whereas  the  vulgar  person  takes  to 
dangerous  courses,  expecting  the  uncertain  chances  of  luck. 

Confucius  remarked :  "In  the  practice  of  archery  we  have  something 
resembling  the  principle  in  a  moral  man's  life.  When  the  archer  misses 
the  center  of  the  target,  he  turns  round  and  seeks  for  the  cause  of  his 
failure  within  himself." 


V.  CERTAIN  MODELS 

(VI)  Confucius  remarked :  "There  was  the  Emperor  Shun.  He  was 
perhaps  what  may  be  considered  a  truly  great  intellect.  Shun  had  a 
natural  curiosity  of  mind  and  he  loved  to  inquire  into  ordinary  conversa- 
tion. He  ignored  the  bad  (words?)  and  broadcast  the  good.  Taking  two 
extreme  counsels,  he  took  the  mean  between  them  and  applied  them  in 
dealings  with  his  people.  This  was  the  characteristic  of  Shun's  great 
intellect." 

(XVII)  Confucius  remarked :  "The  Emperor  Shun  might  perhaps  be 
considered  in  the  highest  sense  of  the  word  a  pious  man.  In  moral  quali- 
ties he  was  a  saint.  In  dignity  of  office  he  was  the  ruler  of  the  empire. 
In  wealth  all  that  the  wide  world  contained  belonged  to  him.  After  his 
death  his  spirit  was  sacrificed  to  in  the  ancestral  temple,  and  his  children 
and  grandchildren  preserved  the  sacrifice  for  long  generations. 

"Thus  it  is  that  he  who  possesses  great  moral  qualities  will  certainly 
attain  to  corresponding  high  position,  to  corresponding  great  prosperity, 
to  corresponding  great  name,  to  corresponding  great  age. 

"For  God  in  giving  life  to  all  created  things  is  surely  bountiful  to  them 
according  to  their  qualities.  Hence  the  tree  that  is  full  of  life.  He  fosters 
and  sustains,  while  that  which  is  ready  to  fall  He  cuts  off  and  destroys. 

The  Boo{  of  Songs  says: 

That  great  and  noble  Prince  displayed 
The  sense  of  right  in  all  he  wrought; 
The  spirit  of  his  wisdom  swayed 
Peasant  and  peer;  the  crowd,  the  court. 


THE    GOLDEN    MEAN    OF    TSESZE  85! 

So  Heav'n,  that  crowned  his  sires,  restored 
The  countless  honors  they  had  known; 
For  Hcav'n  aye  keepeth  watch  and  ward, 
The  Mandate  gave  to  mount  the  throne. 

It  is  therefore  true  that  he  who  possesses  exceedingly  great  moral  qualities 
will  certainly  receive  the  divine  mandate  to  the  Imperial  throne." 

(XVIII)  Confucius  remarked:  "The  man  perhaps  who  enjoyed  the 
most  perfect  happiness  was  the  Emperor  Wen.  For  father  he  had  a  re- 
markable man,  the  Emperor  Chi,  and  for  son  also  a  remarkable  man,  the 
Emperor  Wu.  His  father  laid  the  foundation  of  his  House  and  his  son 
carried  it  on.  The  Emperor  Wu,  continuing  the  great  work  begun  by 
his  ancestor,  the  great  Emperor,  his  grandfather  Chi  and  his  father  the 
Emperor  Wen,  had  only  to  buckle  on  his  armor  and  the  Empire  at  once 
came  to  his  possession.  In  dignity  of  office  he  was  the  ruler  of  the  Empire; 
in  wealth  all  that  the  wide  world  contained  belonged  to  him.  After  his 
death  his  spirit  was  sacrificed  to  in  the  ancestral  temple,  and  his  children 
and  grandchildren  preserved  the  sacrifice  for  long  generations. 

"The  Emperor  Wu  received  Heaven's  mandate  to  rule  in  his  old  age. 
His  brother,  Duke  Chou,  ascribed  the  achievement  of  founding  the 
Imperial  House  equally  to  the  moral  qualities  of  the  Emperors  Wen  and 
Wu.  He  carried  the  Imperial  title  up  to  the  Great  Emperor  (Wen's 
grandfather)  and  the  Emperor  Chi  (Wen's  father).  He  sacrificed  to  all 
the  past  reigning  Dukes  of  the  House  with  Imperial  honors. 

("This  rule  is  now  universally  observed  from  the  reigning  princes  and 
nobles  to  the  gentlemen  and  common  people.  In  the  case  where  the  father 
is  a  noble  and  the  son  is  a  simple  gentleman,  the  father,  when  he  dies,  is 
buried  with  the  honors  of  a  noble,  but  sacrificed  to  as  a  simple  gentleman. 
In  the  case  where  the  father  is  a  simple  gentleman  and  the  son  a  noble, 
the  father,  when  he  dies,  is  buried  as  a  simple  gentleman,  but  sacrificed  to 
with  the  honors  of  a  nobleman.  The  rule  for  one  year  of  mourning  for 
relatives  is  binding  up  to  the  rank  of  a  noble,  but  the  rule  for  three  years 
of  mourning  for  parents  is  blinding  for  all  up  to  the  Emperor.  In  mourn- 
ing for  parents  there  is  only  one  rule,  and  no  distinction  is  made  between 
noble  and'plebeian.")  * 

(XIX)  Confucius  remarked:  "The  Emperor  Wu  and  his  brother, 
Duke  Chou,  were  indeed  eminently  pious  men.  Now,  true  filial  piety 

'  The  foregoing  paragraph  is  part  of  the  original  Confucian  text.  In  content,  however,  it 
resembles  a  commentary. 


852  THE   MIDDLE   WAY 

consists  in  successfully  carrying  out  the  unfinished  work  of  our  fore- 
fathers and  transmitting  their  achievements  to  posterity. 

"In  spring  and  autumn  they  repaired  and  put  in  order  the  ancestral 
temple,  arranged  the  sacrificial  vessels,  exhibited  the  regalia  and  heir- 
looms of  the  family,  and  presented  the  appropriate  offerings  of  the  season. 

"The  principle  in  the  order  of  precedence  in  the  ceremonies  of  worship 
in  the  ancestral  temple  is,  in  the  first  place,  to  arrange  the  members  of 
the  family  according  to  descent.  Ranks  are  next  considered,  in  order  to 
give  recognition  to  the  principle  of  social  distinction.  Services  rendered 
are  next  considered  as  a  recognition  of  distinction  in  moral  worth.  In  the 
general  banquet  those  below  take  precedence  of  those  above  in  pledging 
the  company,  in  order  to  show  that  consideration  is  shown  to  the  mean- 
est. In  conclusion,  a  separate  feast  is  given  to  the  elders,  in  order  to  recog- 
nize the  principle  of  seniority  according  to  age. 

"To  gather  in  the  same  places  where  our  fathers  before  us  have  gath- 
ered; to  perform  the  same  ceremonies  which  they  before  us  have  per- 
formed;'to  play  the  same  music  which  they  before  us  have  played;  to 
pay  respect  to  those  whom  they  honored;  to  love  those  who  were  dear 
to  them — in  fact,  to  serve  those  now  dead  as  if  they  were  living,  and  now 
departed  as  if  they  were  still  with  us :  this  is  the  highest  achievement  of 
true  filial  piety. 

"The  performance  of  sacrifices  to  Heaven  and  Earth  is  meant  for  the 
service  of  God.  The  performance  of  ceremonies  in  the  ancestral  temple 
is  meant  for  the  worship  of  ancestors.  If  one  only  understood  the  meaning 
of  the  sacrifices  to  Heaven  and  Earth,  and  the  significance  of  the  services 
in  ancestral  worship  in  summer  and  autumn,  it  would  be  as  easy  to 
govern  a  nation  as  to  point  a  finger  at  the  palm." 

VI.  ETHICS  AND  POLITICS* 

(XX)  Duke  Ai  (ruler  of  Lu,  Confucius'  native  state)  asked  what 
constituted  good  government. 

Confucius  replied:  "The  principles  of  good  government  of  the  Em- 
perors Wen  and  Wu  are  abundantly  illustrated  in  the  records  preserved. 
When  the  men  are  there,  good  government  will  flourish,  but  when  the 
men  are  gone,  good  government  decays  and  becomes  extinct.  With  the 
right  men,  the  growth  of  good  government  is  as  rapid  as  the  growth  of 

*This  section  must  have  been  placed  here  from  other  "ancient  records."  Confucius  had 
a  number  of  interviews  with  Duke  Ai,  some  in  th6  "Great  Tai"  collection. 


THE    GOLDEN    MEAN    OF    TSESZE  853 

vegetation  is  in  the  right  soil.  Indeed,  good  government  is  like  a  fast- 
growing  plant.  The  conduct  of  government,  therefore,  depends  upon  the 
men.  The  right  men  are  obtained  by  the  ruler's  personal  character.  To 
cultivate  his  personal  character,  the  ruler  must  use  the  moral  law  (too) . 
To  cultivate  the  moral  law,  the  ruler  must  use  the  moral  sense  (jen,  or 
principles  of  true  manhood). 

"The  moral  sense  is  the  characteristic  attribute  of  man.  To  feel  natural 
affection  for  those  nearly  related  to  us  is  the  highest  expression  of  the 
moral  sense.  The  sense  of  justice  (yi  or  propriety)  is  the  recognition  of 
what  is  right  and  proper.  To  honor  those  who  are  worthier  than  ourselves 
is  the  highest  expression  of  the  sense  of  justice.  The  relative  degrees  of 
natural  affection  we  ought  to  feel  for  those  who  are  nearly  related  to  us 
and  the  relative  grades  of  honor  we  ought  to  show  to  those  worthier  than 
ourselves:  these  give  rise  to  the  forms  and  distinctions  in  social  life  (//, 
or  principles  of  social  order).  For  unless  social  inequalities  have  a  true 
and  moral  basis  (or  unless  those  being  ruled  feel  their  proper  place  with 
respect  to  their  rulers) ,  government  of  the  people  is  an  impossibility. 

"Therefore  it  is  necessary  for  a  man  of  the  governing  class  to  set  about 
regulating  his  personal  conduct  and  character.  In  considering  how  to 
regulate  his  personal  conduct  and  character,  it  is  necessary  for  him  to  do 
his  duties  toward  those  nearly  related  to  him.  In  considering  how  to  do 
his  duties  toward  those  nearly  related  to  him,  it  is  necessary  for  him  to 
understand  the  nature  and  organization  of  human  society.  In  considering 
the  nature  and  organization  of  human  society  it  is  necessary  for  him  to 
understand  the  laws  of  God. 

"The  duties  of  universal  obligation  are  five,  and  the  moral  qualities 
by  which  they  are  carried  out  are  three.  The  duties  are  those  between 
ruler  and  subject,  between  father  and  son,  between  husband  and  wife, 
between  elder  brother  and  younger,  and  those  in  the  intercourse  between 
friends.  These  are  the  five  duties  of  universal  obligation.  Wisdom, 
compassion  and  courage4 — these  are  the  three  universally  recognized 
moral  qualities  of  man.  It  matters  not  in  what  way  men  come  to  the 
exercise  of  these  moral  qualities,  the  result  is  one  and  the  same. 

"Some  men  are  born  with  the  knowledge  of  these  moral  qualities;  some 
acquire  it  as  the  result  of  education;  some  acquire  it  as  the  result  of  hard 
experience.  But  when  the  knowledge  is  acquired,  it  comes  to  one  and 
the  same  thing.  Some  exercise  these  moral  qualities  naturally  and  easily; 
some  because  they  find  it  advantageous  to  do  so;  some  with  effort  and 

*  Ku  translates  them  as  "intelligence,  moral  character  and  courage." 


854  THE    MIDDLE   WAY 

difficulty.  But  when  the  achievement  is  made  it  comes  to  one  and  the 
same  thing." 

Confucius  went  on  to  say:  "Love  of  knowledge  is  akin  to  wisdom. 
Strenuous  attention  to  conduct  is  akin  to  compassion.  Sensitiveness  to 
shame  is  akin  to  courage. 

"When  a  man  understands  the  nature  and  use  of  these  three  moral 
qualities,  he  will  then  understand  how  to  put  in  order  his  personal  con- 
duct and  character.  When  a  man  understands  how  to  put  in  order  his 
personal  conduct  and  character,  he  will  understand  how  to  govern  men. 
When  a  man  understands  how  to  govern  men,  he  will  then  understand 
how  to  govern  nations  and  empires. 

"For  every  one  called  to  the  government  of  nations  and  empires  there 
are  nine  cardinal  directions  to  be  attended  to: 

1.  Cultivating  his  personal  conduct. 

2.  Honoring  worthy  men. 

3.  Cherishing  affection  for,  and  doing  his  duty  toward,  his  kindred. 

4.  Showing  respect  to  the  high  ministers  of  state. 

5.  Identifying  himself  with  the  interests  and  welfare  of  the  whole  body 
of  public  officers. 

6.  Showing  himself  as  a  father  to  the  common  people. 

7.  Encouraging  the  introduction  of  all  useful  arts. 

8.  Showing  tenderness  to  strangers  from  far  countries. 

9.  Taking  interest  in  the  welfare  of  the  princes  of  the  Empire. 

"When  the  ruler  pays  attention  to  the  cultivation  of  his  personal  con- 
duct, there  will  be  respect  for  the  moral  law.  When  the  ruler  honors 
worthy  men,  he  will  not  be  deceived  (by  the  crafty  officials) .  When  the 
ruler  cherishes  affection  for  his  kindred,  there  will  be  no  disaffection 
among  the  members  of  his  family.  When  the  ruler  shows  respect  to  the 
high  ministers  of  state,  he  will  not  make  mistakes.  When  the  ruler 
identifies  himself  with  the  interests  and  welfare  of  the  body  of  public 
officers,  there  will  be  a  strong  spirit  of  loyalty  among  the  gentlemen  of 
the  country.  When  the  ruler  becomes  a  father  to  the  common  people, 
the  mass  of  the  people  will  exert  themselves  for  the  good  of  the  state. 
When  the  ruler  encourages  the  introduction  of  all  useful  arts,*  there  will 
be  sufficiency  of  wealth  and  revenue  in  the  country.  When  the  ruler  shows 
kindness  to  the  strangers  from  far  countries,  people  from  all  quarters  of 
the  world  will  flock  to  the  country.  When  the  ruler  takes  interest  in  the 
condition  and  welfare  of  the  princes  of  the  Empire,  he  will  inspire  awe 
and  respect  for  bis  authority  throughout  the  whole  world. 


THE    GOLDEN    MEAN    OF    TSESZE  855 

"By  attending  to  the  cleanliness  and  purity  of  his  person  and  to  the 
propriety  and  dignity  of  his  dress,  and  in  every  word  and  act  permitting 
nothing  which  is  contrary  to  good  taste  and  decency;  that  is  how  the 
ruler  cultivates  his  personal  conduct.  By  banishing  all  flatterers  and 
keeping  away  from  the  society  of  women,  holding  in  low  estimation 
possession  of  worldly  goods,  but  valuing  moral  qualities  in  men — that  is 
how  the  ruler  gives  encouragement  to  worthy  men.  By  raising  them  to 
high  places  of  honor  and  bestowing  ample  emoluments  for  their  main- 
tenance; sharing  and  sympathizing  with  their  tastes  and  opinions — that 
is  how  the  ruler  inspires  love  for  his  person  among  the  members  of  his 
family.  By  extending  the  powers  of  their  function  and  allowing  them 
discretion  in  the  employment  of  their  subordinates — that  is  how  the 
ruler  gives  encouragement  to  the  high  ministers  of  state.  By  dealing 
loyally  and  punctually  with  them  in  all  engagements  which  he  makes 
with  them  and  allowing  a  liberal  scale  of  pay — that  is  how  the  ruler  gives 
encouragement  to  men  in  the  public  service.  By  strictly  limiting  the  time 
of  their  service  and  making  all  imposts  as  light  as  possible — that  is  how 
the  ruler  gives  encouragement  to  the  mass  of  the  people.  By  ordering 
daily  inspection  and  monthly  examination  and  rewarding  each  according 
to  the  degree  of  his  workmanship — that  is  how  the  ruler  gives  encourage- 
ment to  the  mass  of  the  people.  By  ordering  daily  inspection  and  monthly 
examination  and  rewarding  each  according  to  the  degree  of  his  work- 
manship— that  is  how  the  ruler  encourages  the  artisan  class.  By  welcom- 
ing them  when  they  come  and  giving  them  protection  when  they  go, 
commending  what  is  good  in  them  and  making  allowance  for  their 
ignorance — that  is  how  the  ruler  shows  kindness  to  strangers  from  far 
countries.  By  restoring  lines  of  broken  succession  and  reviving  subju- 
gated states,  putting  down  anarchy  and  disorder  wherever  they  are  found, 
and  giving  support  to  the  weak  against  the  strong,  fixing  stated  times  for 
their  attendance  and  the  attendance  of  their  envoys  at  court,  loading 
them  with  presents  when  they  leave,  while  exacting  little  from  them  in 
the  way  of  contribution  when  they  come — that  is  how  the  ruler  takes 
interest  in  the  welfare  of  the  princes  of  the  empire. 

"For  every  one  who  is  called  to  the  government  of  nations  and  empire, 
these  are  the  nine  cardinal  directions  to  be  attended  to;  and  there  is  only 
one  way  by  which  they  can  be  carried  out, 

"In  all  matters  success  depends  on  preparation;  without  preparation 
there  will  always  be  failure.  When  what  is  to  be  said  is  previously  de- 
termined, there  will  be  no  difficulty  in  carrying  it  out.  When  a  line  of 


856  THE   MIDDLE  WAY 

conduct  is  previously  determined,  there  will  be  no  occasion  for  vexation. 
When  general  principles  are  previously  determined,  there  will  be  no 
perplexity  to  know  what  to  do." 

VII.  BEING  ONE'S  TRUE  SELF 

"If  the  people  in  inferior  positions  do  not  have  confidence  in  those 
above  them,  government  of  the  people  is  an  impossibility.  There  is  only 
one  way  to  gain  confidence  for  one's  authority :  if  a  man  is  not  trusted  by 
his  friends,  he  will  not  have  confidence  in  those  above  him.  There  is  only 
one  way  to  be  trusted  by  one's  friends :  if  a  man  is  not  affectionate  toward 
his  parents,  he  will  not  be  trusted  by  his  friends.  There  is  only  one  way 
to  be  affectionate  toward  one's  parents:  if  a  man,  looking  into  his  own 
heart,  is  not  true  to  himself,  he  will  not  be  affectionate  toward  his  parents. 
There  is  only  one  way  for  a  man  to  be  true  to  himself.  If  he  does  not 
know  what  is  good,  a  man  cannot  be  true  to  himself. 

"Being  true  to  oneself  is  the  law  of  God.  Try  to  be  true  to  oneself  is 
the  law  of  man.6 

"He  who  is  naturally  true  to  himself  is  one  who,  without  effort,  hits 
upon  what  is  right,  and  without  thinking  understands  what  he  wants 
to  know,  whose  life  is  easily  and  naturally  in  harmony  with  the  moral 
law.  Such  a  one  is  what  we  call  a  saint  or  a  man  of  divine  nature.  He 
who  learns  to  be  his  true  self  is  one  who  finds  out  what  is  good  and  holds 
fast  to  it. 

"In  order  to  learn  to  be  one's  true  self,  it  is  necessary  to  obtain  a  wide 
and  extensive  knowledge  of  what  has  been  said  and  done  in  the  world; 
critically  to  inquire  into  it;  carefully  to  ponder  over  it;  clearly  to  sift  it; 
and  earnestly  to  carry  it  out. 

"It  matters  not  what  you  learn;  but  when  you  once  learn  a  thing,  you 
must  never  give  it  up  until  you  have  mastered  it.  It  matters  not  what  you 
\nquire  into,  but  when  you  inquire  into  a  thing,  you  must  never  give  it 
up  until  you  have  thoroughly  understood  it.  It  matters  not  what  you  try 
to  think  out,  but  when  you  once  try  to  think  out  a  thing  you  must  never 
give  it  up  until  you  have  got  what  you  want.  It  matters  not  what  you  try 
to  sift  out,  but  when  you  once  try  to  sift  out  a  thing,  you  must  never  give 
it  up  until  you  have  sifted  it  out  clearly  and  distinctly.  It  matters  not 

5  This  part  from  the  beginning  of  the  section  is  found  in  the  Book,  of  Mencius,  Book  IV, 
Part  I.  The  complete  interview  is  found  also  in  "Confucius'  Family  Records"  (K'ungttt 
Chiayu),  without  the  section  that  follows  immediately. 


THE    GOLDEN    MEAN    OF    TSESZE  857 

what  you  try  to  carry  out,  but  when  you  once  try  to  carry  out  a  thing 
you  must  never  give  it  up  until  you  have  done  it  thoroughly  and  well. 
If  another  man  succeed  by  one  effort,  you  will  use  a  hundred  efforts.  If 
another  man  succeed  by  ten  efforts,  you  will  use  a  thousand  efforts. 

"Let  a  man  really  proceed  in  this  manner,  and,  though  dull,  he  will 
surely  become  intelligent;  though  weak,  he  will  surely  become  strong." 

(XXI)  To  arrive  at  understanding  from  being  one's  true  self  is  called 
nature,  and  to  arrive  at  being  one's  true  self  from  understanding  is  called 
culture.  He  who  is  his  true  self  has  thereby  understanding,  and  he  who 
has  understanding  finds  thereby  his  true  self.* 

VIII.  THOSE  WHO  ARE  ABSOLUTE  TRUE  SELVES 

(XXII)  Only  those  who  are  their  absolute  true  selves  in  the  world 
can  fulfil  their  own  nature;  only  those  who  fulfil  their  own  nature  can 
fulfil  the  nature  of  others;  only  those  who  fulfil  the  nature  of  others  can 
fulfil  the  nature  of  things;  those  who  fulfil  the  nature  of  things  are 
worthy  to  help  Mother  Nature  in  growing  and  sustaining  life;  and  those 
who  are  worthy  to  help  Mother  Nature  in  growing  and  sustaining  life 
are  the  equals  of  Heaven  and  Earth. 

(XXIII)  The  next  in  order  are  those  who  are  able  to  attain  to  the  ap- 
prehension of  a  particular  branch  of  study.  By  such  studies,  they  are  also 
able  to  apprehend  the  truth.  Realization  of  the  true  self  compels  expres- 
sion; expression  becomes  evidence;  evidence  becomes  clarity  or  luminos- 
ity of  knowledge;  clarity  or  luminosity  of  knowledge  activates;  active 
knowledge  becomes  power  and  power  becomes  a  pervading  influence. 
Only  those  who  are  absolutely  their  true  selves  in  this  world  can  have 
pervading  influence. 

(XXIV)  It  is  an  attribute  of  the  possession  of  the  absolute  true  self  to 
be  able  to  foreknow.  When  a  nation  or  family  is  about  to  flourish,  there 
are  sure  to  be  lucky  omens.  When  a  nation  or  family  is  about  to  perish, 
there  are  sure  to  be  signs  and  prodigies.  These  things  manifest  themselves 
in  the  instruments  of  divination  and  in  the  agitation  of  the  human  body. 
When  happiness  or  calamity  is  about  to  come,  it  can  be  known  before- 
hand. When  it  is  good,  it  can  be  known  beforehand.  When  it  is  evil,  it 
can  also  be  known  beforehand.  Therefore  he  who  has  realized  his  true 
self  is  like  a  celestial  spirit. 

*This  paragraph  constitutes  a  "chapter"  by  itself  in  the  Chinese  text.  The  translation  of 
this  paragraph  and  the  following  two  paragraphs  is  entirely  mine,  differing  from  Ku's, 


858  THE   MIDDLE  WAY 

(XXV)  Truth  means  the  fulfilment  of  our  self;  and  moral  law 
means  following  the  law  of  our  being.  Truth  is  the  beginning  and  end 
(the  substance)  of  material  existence.  Without  truth  there  is  no  material 
existence.  It  is  for  this  reason  that  the  moral  man  values  truth. 

Truth  is  not  only  the  fulfilment  of  our  own  being;  it  is  that  by  which 
things  outside  of  us  have  an  existence.  .The  fulfilment  of  our  being  is 
moral  sense.  The  fulfilment  of  the  nature  of  things  outside  of  us  is  intel- 
lect. These,  moral  sense  and  intellect,  are  the  powers  or  faculties  of  our 
being.  They  combine  the  inner  or  subjective  and  outer  or  objective  use 
of  the  power  of  the  mind.  Therefore,  with  truth,  everything  done  is  right. 

(XXVI)  Thus  absolute  truth  is  indestructible.  Being  indestructible, 
it  is  eternal.  Being  eternal,  it  is  self-existent.  Being  self-existent,  it  is 
infinite.  Being  infinite,  it  is  vast  and  deep.  Being  vast  and  deep,  it  is 
transcendental  and  intelligent.  It  is  because  it  is  vast  and  deep  that  it 
contains  all  existence.  It  is  because  it  is  transcendental  and  intelligent 
that  it  embraces  all  existence.  It  is  because  it  is  infinite  and  eternal  that 
it  fulfils  or  perfects  all  existence.  In  vastness  and  depth  it  is  like  the 
Earth.  In  transcendental  intelligence  it  is  like  Heaven.  Infinite  and 
eternal,  it  is  the  Infinite  itself. 

Such  being  the  nature  of  absolute  truth,  it  manifests  itself  without 
being  seen;  it  produces  effects  without  motion;  it  accomplishes  its  ends 
without  action. 

The  principle  in  the  course  and  operation  of  nature  may  be  summed 
up  in  one  word:  because  it  obeys  only  its  own  immutable  law,  the  way 
in  which  it  produces  the  variety  of  things  is  unfathomable. 

Nature  is  vast,  deep,  high,  intelligent,  infinite  and  eternal.  The  heaven 
appearing  before  us  is  only  this  bright,  shining  mass;  but  in  its  im- 
measurable extent,  the  sun,  the  moon,  stars  and  constellations  are  sus- 
pended in  it,  and  all  things  are  embraced  under  it.  The  Earth,  appearing 
before  us,  is  but  a  handful  of  soil;  but  in  all  its  breadth  and  depth,  it 
sustains  mighty  mountains  without  feeling  their  weight;  rivers  and  seas 
dash  against  it  without  causing  it  to  leak.  The  mountain  appearing 
before  us  is  only  a  mass  of  rock;  but  in  all  the  vastness  of  its  size,  grass 
and  vegetation  grow  upon  it,  birds  and  beasts  dwell  on  it,  and  treasures 
of  precious  minerals  are  found  in  it.  The  water  appearing  before  us  is 
but  a  ladleful  of  liquid;  but  in  all  its  unfathomable  depths,  the  largest 
crustaceans,  dragons,  fishes,  and  turtles  are  produced  in  them,  and  all 
useful  products  abound  in  them. 


THE    GOLDEN    MEAN    OF    TSESZE  859 

In  the  Book  of  Songs  it  is  said : 

"The  ordinance  of  God, 
How  inscrutable  it  is  and  goes  on  for  ever." 

That  is  to  say,  this  is  the  essence  of  God.  It  is  again  said: 

"How  excellent  it  is, 
The  moral  perfection  of  King  Wen." 

That  is  to  say,  this  is  the  essence  of  the  noble  character  of  the  Emperor 
Wen.  Moral  perfection  also  never  dies. 

IX.    EULOGY  ON  CONFUCIUS 

(XXVII)  Oh,  how  great  is  the  divine  moral  law  of  the  Sage.  Over- 
flowing and  illimitable,  it  gives  birth  and  life  to  all  created  things  and 
towers  high  up  to  the  very  heavens.  How  magnificent  it  is!  How  impos- 
ing the  three  hundred  principles  and  three  thousand  rules  of  conduct! 
They  await  the  man  who  can  put  the  system  into  practice.  Hence  it  is 
said :  Unless  there  be  the  highest  moral  character,  the  highest  moral  law 
cannot  be  realized. 

Wherefore  the  moral  man,  while  honoring  the  greatness  and  power 
of  his  moral  nature,  yet  does  not  neglect  inquiry  and  pursuit  of  knowl- 
edge. While  broadening  the  scope  of  his  knowledge,  he  yet  seeks  to 
exhaust  the  mystery  of  the  small  things.  While  seeking  to  attain  the 
highest  understanding  he  yet  orders  his  conduct  according  to  the  middle 
course  (literally  "chungyung").  Going  over  what  he  has  already  learned, 
he  gains  some  new  knowledge.  Earnest  and  simple,  he  respects  and 
obeys  the  laws  and  usages  of  social  life  (/«). 

Therefore,  when  in  a  position  of  authority,  he  is  not  proud;  in  a  sub- 
ordinate position,  he  is  not  insubordinate.  When  there  is  moral  social 
order  in  the  country,  what  he  speaks  will  bring  prosperity  to  the  nation; 
and  when  there  is  no  moral  social  order  in  the  country,  his  silence  will 
ensure  forbearance  for  himself/ 

In  the  Boo^  of  Songs  it  is  said : 

"With  wisdom  and  good  sense, 
He  guards  his  life  from  harm." 

That  is  the  description  of  the  moral  man. 

T  Here  we  sec  the  connection  between  the  realization  o£  the  true  self  and  harmony  with 
the  outside  world,  between  "sincerity"  and  "harmony,** 


860  THE   MIDDLE   WAY 

(XXIX)  To  attain  to  the  sovereignty  of  the  world,  there  are  three 
important  things  necessary,  which  would  make  it  perfect. 

(XXVIII)8  Although  a  man  may  occupy  a  position  of  authority,  yet, 
unless  he  possesses  the  moral  character  fitting  him  for  his  task,  he  may 
not  take  upon  himself  to  make  changes  in  the  established  religious  and 
artistic  institutions  (literally  "ritual  and  music").  Although  one  may 
possess  the  moral  character  fitting  him  for  his  task,  yet,  unless  he  occu- 
pies the  position  of  authority,  he  may  not  take  upon  himself  to  make 
changes  in  the  established  religious  and  artistic  institutions. 

Confucius  remarked:  "I  have  tried  to  understand  the  moral  and  re- 
ligious institutions  (//')  of  the  Hsia  Dynasty,  but  what  remains  of  those 
institutions  in  the  present  state  of  Ch'i  does  not  furnish  sufficient  evi- 
dence. I  have  studied  the  moral  and  religious  institutions  of  the  Shang 
(Yin)  Dynasty;  the  remains  of  them  are  still  preserved  in  the  present 
state  of  Sung.  I  have  studied  the  moral  and  religious  institutions  of  the 
present  Chou  Dynasty,  which  being  now  in  use,  I  follow  in  practice." 

(XXIX)  Coming  from  those  in  power,  a  system  may  be  lacking  in 
historical  authority  ("historic  evidences"),  however  excellent  it  may 
be;  what  is  lacking  in  historical  authority  cannot  command  credence; 
and  what  cannot  command  credence  the  people  will  never  obey.  Coming 
from  those  not  in  authority,  a  system  may  not  command  respect,  how- 
ever excellent  it  may  be;  what  does  not  command  respect  cannot  com- 
mand credence;  and  what  cannot  command  credence  the  people  will 
never  obey. 

Therefore  every  system  of  moral  laws  must  be  based  upon  the  man's 
own  consciousness,  verified  by  the  common  experience  of  mankind, 
tested  by  due  sanction  of  historical  experience  and  found  without  error, 
applied  to  the  operations  and  processes  of  nature  in  the  physical  universe 
and  found  to  be  without  contradiction,  laid  before  the  gods  without 
question  or  fear,  and  able  to  wait  a  hundred  generations  and  have  it 
confirmed  without  a  doubt  by  a  Sage  of  posterity.  The  fact  that  he  is 
able  to  confront  the  spiritual  powers  of  the  universe  without  any  fear 
shows  that  he  understands  the  laws  of  God.  The  fact  that  he  is  prepared 
to  wait  a  hundred  generations  for  confirmation  from  the  Sage  of  pos- 
terity without  any  misgiving  shows  that  he  understands  the  laws  of  man. 

Wherefore  it  is  that  it  is  true  of  the  really  great  moral  man  that 

"The  following  two  paragraphs  arc  incorporated  here  from  "Chapter  28."  The  "three 
important  things"  (position,  character  and  appeal  to  history)  become  otherwise  unin- 
telligible. 


THE    GOLDEN    MEAN    OF    TSESZE  86l 

every  move  he  makes  becomes  an  example  for  generations;  every  act 
he  does  becomes  a  model  for  generations  and  every  word  he  utters  be- 
comes a  guide  for  generations.  Those  who  are  far  away  look  up  to  him, 
while  those  who  are  near  do  not  decrease  their  respect  for  him.  In  the 
Boo^  of  Songs  it  is  said: 

"There  they  found  no  fault  of  him, 
Here  they  never  tire  of  him; 
Thus  from  day  to  day  and  night  to  night 
They  will  perpetuate  his  praise!" 

There  never  was  a  moral  man  who  did  not  answer  this  description 
and  who  yet  could  obtain  timely  recognition  throughout  the  world. 

(XXX)  Confucius  taught  the  truth  originally  handed  down  by  the 
ancient  Emperors  Yao  and  Shun,  and  he  adopted  and  perfected  the 
system  of  social  and  religious  laws  established  by  the  Emperors  Wen 
and  Wu.  He  shows  that  they  harmonize  with  the  divine  order  which 
governs  the  revolutions  of  the  seasons  in  the  Heaven  above  and  that 
they  fit  in  with  the  moral  design  which  is  to  be  seen  in  physical  nature 
upon  the  Earth  below. 

These  moral  laws  form  one  system  with  the  laws  by  which  Heaven 
and  Earth  support  and  contain,  overshadow  and  canopy  all  things. 
These  moral  laws  form  the  same  system  with  the  laws  by  which  the 
seasons  succeed  each  other  and  the  sun  and  moon  appear  with  the 
alternations  of  day  and  night.  It  is  this  same  system  of  laws  by  which 
all  created  things  are  produced  and  develop  themselves  each  in  its  order 
and  system  without  injuring  one  another,  and  by  which  the  operations 
of  Nature  take  their  course  without  conflict  or  confusion;  the  lesser 
forces  flowing  everywhere  like  river  currents,  while  the  great  forces  of 
Creation  go  silently  and  steadily  on.  It  is  this  (one  system  running 
through  all)  that  makes  the  Universe  so  impressively  great. 

(XXXI)  It  is  only  the  man  with  the  most  perfect  divine  moral 
nature  who  is  able  to  combine  in  himself  quickness  of  apprehension, 
intelligence,  insight  and  understanding — qualities  necessary  for  the  ex- 
ercise of  command,  magnanimity,  generosity,  benignity  and  gentleness 
— qualities  necessary  for  the  exercise  of  patience;  originality,  energy, 
strength  of  character  and  determination— qualities  necessary  for  the 
exercise  of  endurance,  piety,  noble  seriousness,  order  and  regularity — 
qualities  necessary  for  the  exercise  of  dignity,  grace,  method,  subtlety  and 
penetration — qualities  necessary  for  the  exercise  of  critical  judgment. 


862  THE   MIDDLE  WAY 

Thus  all-embracing  and  vast  is  the  nature  of  such  a  man.  Profound 
it  is  and  inexhaustible,  like  a  living  spring  of  water,  ever  running  out 
with  life  and  vitality.  All-embracing  and  vast,  it  is  like  Heaven.  Pro- 
found and  inexhaustible,  it  is  like  the  abyss. 

As  soon  as  such  a  man  shall  make  his  appearance  in  the  world,  all 
people  will  reverence  him.  Whatever  he  says,  all  people  will  believe  it. 
Whatever  he  does,  all  people  will  be  pleased  with  it.  Thus  his  fame 
and  name  will  spread  and  fill  all  the  civilized  world  (literally  "China"), 
extending  even  to  savage  countries,  wherever  ships  and  carriages  reach, 
wherever  the  labor  and  enterprise  of  man  penetrate,  wherever  the 
heavens  overshadow  and  the  earth  sustain,  wherever  the  sun  and  moon 
shine,  wherever  frost  and  dew  fall.  All  who  have  life  and  breath  will 
honor  and  love  him.  Therefore  we  may  say :  "He  is  the  equal  of  God." 

(XXXII)  It  is  only  he  in  this  world  who  has  realized  his  absolute 
self  that  can  order  and  adjust  the  great  relations  of  human  society,  fix 
the  fundamental  principles  of  morality,  and  understand  the  laws  of 
growth  and  reproduction  of  the  Universe. 

Now,  where  does  such  a  man  derive  his  power  and  knowledge,  except 
from  himself?  How  simple  and  self-contained  his  true  manhood!  How 
unfathomable  the  depth  of  his  mind!  How  infinitely  grand  and  vast 
the  moral  height  of  his  nature!  Who  can  understand  such  a  nature 
except  he  who  is  gifted  with  the  most  perfect  intelligence  and  endowed 
with  the  highest  divine  qualities  of  character,  and  who  hab  reached  in 
his  moral  development  the  level  of  the  gods? 

X.    EPILOGUE 
In  the  Bool^  of  Songs  it  is  said: 

"Over  her  brocaded  robe, 
She  wore  a  plain  and  simple  dress," 

in  that  way  showing  her  dislike  of  the  loudness  of  its  color  and  magnifi- 
cence. Thus  the  ways  of  the  moral  man  are  unobtrusive  and  yet  they 
grow  more  and  more  in  power  and  evidence;  whereas  the  ways  of  the 
vulgar  person  are  ostentatious,  but  lose  more  and  more  in  influence 
until  they  perish  and  disappear. 

The  life  of  the  moral  man  is  plain,  and  yet  not  unattractive;  it  is 
simple,  and  yet  full  of  grace;  it  is  easy,  and  yet  methodical.  He  knows 
that  accomplishment  of  great  things  consists  in  doing  little  things  well. 


THE   GOLDEN    MEAN   OF    TSESZE  863 

He  knows  that  great  effects  are  produced  by  small  causes.  He  knows 
the  evidence  and  reality  of  what  cannot  be  perceived  by  the  senses.  Thus 
he  is  enabled  to  enter  into  the  world  of  ideas  and  morals. 
In  the  Boof^  of  Songs  it  is  said: 

"How  deep  the  fish  may  dive  below, 
And  yet  it  is  quite  clearly  seen." 

Therefore  the  moral  man  must  examine  into  his  own  heart  and  see  that 
he  has  no  cause  for  self-reproach,  that  he  has  no  evil  thought  in  his 
mind.  Wherein  the  moral  man  is  superior  to  other  men  consists  even 
in  those  things  that  people  do  not  notice. 
In  the  Boof(  of  Songs  it  is  said : 

"In  your  secret  chamber  even  you  are  judged; 
See  you  do  nothing  to  blush  for, 
Though  but  the  ceiling  looks  down  upon  you." 

Therefore  the  moral  man,  even  when  he  is  not  doing  anything,  is 
serious;  and,  even  when  he  does  not  speak,  is  truthful. 
In  the  BooJ^  of  Songs  it  is  said : 

"All  through  the  solemn  rite  not  a  word  was  spoken, 
And  yet  all  strife  was  banished  from  their  hearts." 

Hence  the  moral  man,  without  the  inducement  of  rewards,  is  able  to 
make  the  people  good;  and  without  the  show  of  anger,  to  awe  them 
into  fear  more  than  if  he  had  used  the  most  dreadful  instruments  of 
punishment. 
In  the  Boot(  of  Songs,  it  is  said: 

"He  makes  no  show  of  his  moral  worth, 
Yet  all  the  princes  follow  in  his  steps." 

Hence  the  moral  man,  by  living  a  life  of  simple  truth  and  earnestness, 
alone  can  help  to  bring  peace  and  order  in  the  world. 
In  the  Boof(  of  Songs,  it  is  said: 

"I  keep  in  mind  the  fine  moral  qualities 
Which  make  no  great  noise  or  show." 

Confucius  remarked:  "Among  the  means  for  the  regeneration  of  man- 
kind, those  made  with  noise  and  show  are  of  the  least  importance." 


864  THE    MIDDLE    WAY 

In  another  place  in  the  Boof^  of  Songs,  it  is  said : 
"His  virtue  is  light  as  hair." 

Still  a  hair  is  something  material.  "The  workings  of  Almighty  God 
have  neither  sound  nor  smell."  That  is  the  highest  development  of  our 
moral  nature. 


CHINESE 
POETRY 


Chinese  Poetry 


INTRODUCTION 

POETRY  is  the  most  difficult  form  of  literature  to  translate,  particularly 
Chinese  poetry.  Nevertheless,  through  the  labors  of  many  talented 
scholacs,  it  has  been  possible  for  the  West  to  appreciate  something  of 
the  spirit  of  the  Chinese  poetic  genius.  Chinese  poetic  development  is 
important,  and  almost  all  good  Chinese  scholars  leave  behind  a  volume 
of  poems  as  well  as  prose.  Only  T'ang  poetry  is  comparatively  well 
known,  and  of  this  not  one  ten-thousandth  part  has  been  translated. 
Not  even  one-twentieth  part  of  Li  Po's  works  has  been  translated,  so 
enormous  was  his  output.  "T'ang  poetry"  is  a  name  for  one  kind  of 
verse  with  a  conventional  and  strictly  prescribed  pattern,  later  used  in 
official  examinations  for  imperial  service,  and  therefore  learned  by  every 
ambitious  scholar.  It  is  therefore  not  confined  to  poetry  written  in  the 
T'ang  Dynasty,  although  Li  Po  and  Tu  Fu  represented  its  peak  of 
development.  Again,  T'ang  poetry  is  only  one  corner  of  Chinese  poetry, 
and  the  T'ang  poets,  including  Li  Po  and  Tu  Fu  wrote  some  of  their 
best  things  in  the  so-called  "ancient  poetry,"  i.e.,  freer  style.  The 
whole  field  of  Sung  Tse,  poems  written  to  music,  with  complicated 
meters,  and  Yuan  dramas,  and  other  dramatic  poetry  is  practically  un- 
known to  the  West. 

The  following  selections  give  some  samples  of  Ancient  Poems,  T'ang 
Poems,  and  folk  poetry. 

Some  Great  Ancient  Poems 

These  selections  are  from  the  classic  BooJ{  of  Poetry,  edited  by  Confu- 
cius. History  records  that  there  were  3,000  ancient  poems,  and  from 

867 


000  CHINESE    POETRY 

these,  Confucius  made  a  selection  of  305  poems,  and  moreover  arranged 
them  according  to  their  music.  A  great  majority  of  them  were  folk 
songs,  or  "Songs  of  the  States,"  while  some  were  sacred  odes  used  at 
royal  sacrifices.  There  are  five  of  these  odes  belonging  to  the  Shang 
Dynasty  (B.C.  1783-1122).  The  background  for  this  collection  is,  ac- 
cording to  Feng  Shu  Tung,  the  ancient  custom  of  annual  collecting 
of  folk  songs  by  officers  for  the  purpose  of  finding  out  the  state  of  public 
opinion.  As  will  be  seen,  many  of  these  were  satires  of  the  government, 
for  the  Chinese  people  from  the  earliest  days  showed  an  unusual  pro- 
pensity to  criticize  their  government. 

The  difference  between  T'ang  poetry  and  the  Boof^  of  Poetry  is  the 
difference  between  a  carefully  arranged  flower  twig  in  a  vase,  where 
every  angle  and  curve  is  carefully  studied,  and  the  luxuriant  growth 
of  a  wild  garden.  These  poems  represent  to  us  the  voice  of  the  ancient 
people,  fresh  and  direct  and  unaffected,  and  sometimes  unashamed. 
A  flirt  spoke  the  voice  of  a  flirt,  which  is  impossible  in  the  poems  of  the 
T'ang  scholars.  We  hear  also  an  amazing  variety  of  themes,  of  elope- 
ments, the  maiden's  longings,  the  forsaken  wife,  the  divorced  woman, 
the  luxury  of  the  rich,  the  hunt,  wars,  soldiers  on  service,  and  satires 
against  the  wealthy  class. 

1  have  tried  here  to  give  a  few  representative  samples,  by  two  trans- 
lators who  know  Chinese  thoroughly  and  one  who  does  not.  Of  all 
translations  of  Chinese  poetry,  I  think  Helen  WaddelPs  is  the  best, 
(Lyrics  from  the  Chinese,  Holt).  She  based  her  translations  on  James 
Legge's  translation  and  his  notes,  and  her  translations  are  far  from 
literal.  Her  method  is  to  catch  the  essence  or  spirit  of  a  poem  and 
weave  it  into  an  exquisite  creation  with  whatever  material  from  the 
poem  she  needs  for  that  particular  purpose.  And  she  is  completely  suc- 
cessful. One  cannot  help  being  impressed  by  the  fact  that  the  fleeting 
thought,  the  sudden  heart  cry  of  a  second  of  some  peasant  woman 
some  three  thousand  years  ago  in  China  can  be  recaptured  for  us  in  the 
English  language  by  one  who  does  not  know  her  language.  Herbert 
A.  Giles'  two  poems  are  quite  charming.  Dr.  Legge's  translations  in 
regard  to  diction,  rhythm  and  general  effect,  often  fall  short  of  the 
true  poetic  level,  but  he  did  not  mistranslate,  and  his  work  gives  us  the 
means  of  getting  a  glimpse  of  the  scope  and  variety  of  the  Boo^  of 
Poetry.  He  has  translated  the  Boo^  complete,  and  some  of  his  verses  arc 
certainly  successful.  Really  the  Boo^  of  Poetry  is  easier  to  translate  than 
the  T'ang  poems,  because  there  is  not  the  problem  of  rendering  the 


CHINESE    POETRY  869 

sophisticated  subtleties  of  the  poet's  choice  of  words.  The  ancient  poems 
can  be  very  tender,  but  that  tenderness  is  always  fresh  and  whole  and 
unaffected. 

Ch'u  Yuan 

Ch'ii  Yuan  (B.C.  343-0.  290)  ranks  undoubtedly  as  one  o£  the  three  or 
four  greatest  poets  of  China  characterized  by  his  intensity  of  feeling, 
his  rich  mythological  details,  and  his  somber  imagination.  The  Songs 
of  Ch'u  belong  in  an  entirely  different  category  from  either  the  poems 
of  Confucian  China,  or  from  the  later  T'ang  poems.  His  poems  are  at 
the  same  time  among  those  most  difficult  to  read  in  Chinese. 

U  Po 

Li  Po  (A.D.  701-762)  is  selected  here  as  representing  the  T'ang  poets. 
He  is  the  Prince  of  Chinese  Poets,  and  is  known  among  the  Chinese 
as  the  "Poet  Fairy"  while  Tu  Fu  is  known  as  the  "Poet  Sage,"  which 
sufficiently  characterizes  the  two  friends.  His  poetry  is  chiefly  distin- 
guished by  elan  and  romantic  abandon,  and  a  magic  fairylike  quality 
which  transforms  the  world  before  him  by  the  very  use  of  his  lan- 
guage. It  can  hardly  be  hoped  that  readers  will  understand  his  charm 
and  melody,  for  Li  Po  has  veritably  the  soul  of  music.  His  poems  sing 
by  themselves  with  an  inevitableness  and  freedom  from  effort.  Every 
syllable,  every  tone  and  every  imagery  co-operates  to  hypnotize  the 
Chinese  reader.  The  language  he  used  could  be  simple  or  most  ornate 
as  he  wished,  but  when  he  struck  an  inevitable  phrase,  we  felt  as  if  we 
had  been  ignorant  of  the  Chinese  language  or  dumb,  or  else  we  might 
have  said  it.  A  reliable  account  of  Li  Po's  life,  as  well  as  translations  of 
biographical  notes  on  the  poet  by  Chinese  authors,  may  be  found  in  the 
Introduction  to  Obata's  U-Po,  the  Chinese  Poet  (Dutton).  A  clear 
account  of  the  general  field  of  Chinese  poetry,  with  some  details 
on  technique,  may  be  found  in  Kiang  Kang-hu's  essay  on  "Chinese 
Poetry"  in  the  introduction  to  Witter  Bynner's  Jade  Mountain  (Knopf). 
I  regard  Witter  Bynner's  translation  of  Li  Po  as  on  the  whole  the  best. 
I  have  supplied  a  few  necessary  footnotes. 

The  Tale  of  Meng  Chiang 

The  tale  is  one  of  the  best  known  to  all  Chinese  children.  The  present 
selection  is  a  translation  by  Genevieve  Wymsatt  (The  Lady  of  the  Long 


870  CHINESE   POETRY 

Wall,  Columbia  University  Press)  from  what  is  known  as  a  Chinese 
"drum  story."  The  "drum  story"  is  still  one  of  the  most  popular  forms 
of  story-telling  in  China,  and  this  material  may  be  regarded  as  repre- 
sentative of  Chinese  folk  poetry.  The  authors  of  such  drum  stories  are 
generally  unknown,  but  there  is  a  stock  of  literary  phrases,  born  of 
the  drama,  which  is  ever  available  at  the  hand  of  the  professional  singers 
who  improve  upon  them  to  suit  their  purposes  as  they  hand  them  down 
from  generation  to  generation.  Their  language  is  not  entirely  un-literary, 
but  it  has  the  great  virtue  of  being  always  intelligible  to  the  common 
people.  This  is  the  story  of  the  bride  who  went  in  search  of  her  husband, 
conscripted  to  build  the  Great  Wall,  in  the  third  century  B.C.,  and  who, 
upon  discovering  her  husband's  bones,  wept  so  profusely  that  a  section 
of  the  Great  Wall  melted  down.  It  was  a  real  story,  with  later  altera- 
tions, that  gained  immediate  popularity  even  in  Han  days  and  has 
never  lost  its  hold  on  the  people  for  2,000  years. 

The  "drum  story"  can  best  be  explained  as  a  monologue,  told  with  all 
the  modulation  and  gestures  of  a  monologue  reciter's  art,  to  the  rhythm 
of  a  hand-drum  beaten  by  the  story-teller  himself.  At  times,  it  breaks 
out  into  song.  Miss  Wimsatt's  admirable  verse  rendering  gives  the 
reader  a  sense  of  the  varied  rhythm  and  dramatic  intensity  of  the 
original. 

Mortal  Thoughts  of  a  Nun 

This  is  an  extract  from  a  popular  Chinese  drama,  very  much  enjoyed 
by  the  Chinese  audience.  It  is  the  only  bit  of  dramatic  poetry  included 
in  this  anthology.  Incidentally  it  shows  the  typically  humorous,  com- 
mrjvsense  and  irreligious  attitude  of  the  Chinese  people. 


Some  Great  Ancient  Lyrics 


I.   POEMS  TRANSLATED  BY  HELEN  WADDELL 


Written  in  B.C.  718    It  is  ihc  Chinese  rendering  of 

'the  world  well  lost.'  Possibly,  as  one  Yen  Ts'an  of  the 

thirteenth  century  insists,  'intended  to  show  the  error 

of  licentious  connections.' 

THE  gourd  has  still  its  bitter  leaves, 
And  deep  the  crossing  at  the  ford. 
I  wait  my  lord. 

The  ford  is  brimming  to  its  banks; 
The  pheasant  cries  upon  her  mate. 
My  lord  is  late. 

The  boatman  still  keeps  beckoning, 
And  others  reach  their  journey's  end. 
I  wait  my  friend. 


Written  in  B.C.  826.  It  is  inconsistent  with  the  finest  ideal 

of  chastity  that  a  Chinese  woman  should  break  her  per- 

petual widowhood. 

AH,  let  it  drift,  that  boat  of  cypress  wood, 
There  in  the  middle  of  the  Ho. 
He  was  my  mate, 

871 


$72  CHINESE    POETRY 

And  until  death  I  will  go  desolate. 

Ah  Mother!  God! 

How  is  it  that  ye  will  not  understand? 

Ah,  let  it  drift,  that  boat  of  cypress  wood, 
There  in  the  middle  of  the  Ho. 
He  was  my  King. 

I  swear  I  will  not  do  this  evil  thing. 

Ah  Mother!  God! 

How  is  it  that  ye  will  not  understand  ? 


Written  in  the  twelfth  century  before  Christ.  It  is 
possibly  the  oldest  drinking-song  in  the  world 

THE  dew  is  heavy  on  the  grass, 

At  last  the  sun  is  set. 
Fill  up,  fill  up  the  cups  of  jade, 

The  night's  before  us  yet! 

All  night  the  dew  will  heavy  he 
Upon  the  grass  and  clover. 

Too  soon,  too  soon,  the  dew  will  dry, 
Too  soon  the  night  be  over! 


IV 

Written  in  the  twelfth  century  before  Christ,  c.   1121. 

THE  morning  glory  climbs  above  my  head, 
Pale  flowers  of  white  and  purple,  blue  and  red. 
I  am  disquieted. 

Down  in  the  withered  grasses  something  stirred; 
I  thought  it  was  his  footfall  that  I  heard. 
Then  a  grasshopper  chirred. 

I  climbed  the  hill  just  as  the  new  moon  showed, 
I  saw  him  coming  on  the  southern  road. 
My  heart  lays  down  its  load. 


SOME    GREAT    ANCIENT    LYRICS  873 

V 
Written  B.C.  680.  The  'Little  Preface':  'A  man's  praise  of  his  Poor  Wife.' 

I  WENT  out  at  the  Eastern  Gate, 

I  saw  the  girls  in  clouds, 
Like  clouds  they  were,  and  soft  and  bright, 

But  in  the  crowds 

I  thought  on  the  maid  who  is  my  light, 
Down-drooping,  soft  as  the  grey  twilight; 

She  is  my  mate. 

I  went  out  by  the  Tower  on  the  Wall, 

I  saw  the  girls  in  flower, 
Like  flowering  rushes  they  swayed  and  bent, 

But  in  that  hour 

I  thought  on  the  maid  who  is  my  saint, 
In  her  thin  white  robe  and  her  colouring  faint; 

She  is  my  all. 


VI 

Written  718  B.C.  from  the  harem  of  the  Palace  of  Wei, 

THE  wind  blows  from  the  North. 

He  looks  and  his  eyes  are  cold. 
He  looks  and  smiles  and  then  goes  forth, 

My  grief  grows  old. 

The  wind  blows  and  the  dust. 

To-morrow  he  swears  he  will  come. 
His  words  are  kind,  but  he  breaks  his  trust, 

My  heart  is  numb. 

All  day  the  wind  blew  strong, 

The  sun  was  buried  deep. 
I  have  thought  of  him  so  long,  so  long, 

I  cannot  sleep. 


874  CHINESE   POETRY 

The  clouds  are  black  with  night, 
The  thunder  brings  no  rain. 

I  wake  and  there  is  no  light, 
I  bear  my  pain. 


VII 

Written  B.C.  769  by  a  divorced  woman. 

YELLOW'S  the  robe  for  honour, 
And  green  is  for  disgrace. 

I  wear  the  green  and  not  the  gold, 
And  turn  away  my  face. 

I  wear  the  green  of  scorning, 
Who  wore  the  gold  so  long. 

I  think  upon  the  Sages, 
Lest  I  should  do  them  wrong. 

It  is  for  her  he  shames  me. 

I  sit  and  think  apart. 
I  wonder  if  the  Sages  knew 

A  woman's  heart. 


VIII 

Written  B.C.  826.  He  complains  of  a  broken  assignation. 

THE  willows  by  the  Eastern  Gate 
Are  deep  in  sheltering  leaves. 

You  said  'Before  the  night  grows  late,' 
— There's  twittering  in  the  caves. 

The  willows  by  the  Eastern  Gate 

All  night  in  shadow  are. 
You  said  'Before  the  night  grows  late,' 

—There  shines  the  morning  star. 


SOME    GREAT    ANCIENT    LYRICS  875 

IX 

Wnttcn  B.C.  718. 

I  CANNOT  come  to  you.  I  am  afraid. 
I  will  not  come  to  you.  There,  I  have  said. 
Though  all  the  night  I  lie  awake  and  know 
That  you  are  lying,  waking,  even  so. 
Though  day  by  day  you  take  the  lonely  road, 
And  come  at  nightfall  to  a  dark  abode. 

Yet  if  so  be  you  are  indeed  my  friend, 

Then  in  the  end, 

There  is  one  road,  a  road  I've  never  gone, 

And  down  that  road  you  shall  not  pass  alone. 

And  there's  one  night  you'll  find  me  by  your  side. 

The  night  that  they  shall  tell  me  you  have  died. 


Written  r    605  B.C. 

THE  rushes  on  the  marsh  are  green 
And  in  the  wind  they  bend. 

I  saw  a  woman  walking  there, 
Near  daylight's  end. 

On  the  black  water  of  the  marsh, 
The  lotus  buds  swim  white. 

I  saw  her  standing  by  the  verge 
At  fall  of  night. 

All  the  long  night  I  lie  awake, 
And  sleep  I  cannot  find. 

I  see  her  slim  as  any  rush 
Sway  in  the  wind. 

I  shut  my  eyes  and  see  again 
The  whiteness  of  her  throat, 

On  the  black  water  of  the  night 
Like  lotus  float. 


876  CHINESE    POETRY 

XI 

Written  B.C.  718. 

THE  K'e  still  ripples  to  its  banks, 

The  moorfowl  cry. 
My  hair  was  gathered  in  a  knot, 

And  you  came  by. 

Selling  of  silk  you  were,  a  lad 

Not  of  our  kin; 
You  passed  at  sunset  on  the  road 

From  far-off  Ts'm. 

The  frogs  were  croaking  in  the  dusk; 

The  grass  was  wet. 
We  talked  together,  and  I  laughed; 

I  hear  it  yet. 

I  thought  that  I  would  be  your  wife; 

I  had  your  word. 
And  so  I  took  the  road  with  you, 

And  crossed  the  ford. 

I  do  not  know  when  first  it  was 
Your  eyes  looked  cold. 

But  all  this  was  three  years  ago, 
And  I  am  old. 


XII 

Written  769  B.C. 

MY  lord  is  gone  away  to  serve  the  King. 
The  pigeons  homing  at  the  set  of  sun 
Are  side  by  side  upon  the  courtyard  wall, 
And  far  away  I  hear  the  herdsmen  call 
The  goats  upon  the  hill  when  day  is  done. 
But  I,  I  know  not  when  he  will  come  home. 
I  live  the  days  alone. 


SOME    GREAT    ANCIENT    LYRICS  877 

My  lord  is  gone  away  to  serve  the  King. 
I  hear  a  pigeon  stirring  in  the  nest, 
And  m  the  field  a  pheasant  crying  late. 
— She  has  not  far  to  go  to  find  her  mate. 
There  is  a  hunger  will  not  let  me  rest. 
The  days  have  grown  to  months  and  months  to  years, 
And  I  have  no  more  tears. 

XIII 

Written  675  B.C.  "Is  there  anything  whereof  it  may 

be  said,  'Sec,  tins  is  new'  it  hath  hex  n  already  of 

old   tune,  which   was  before   us  ' 

I  worLD  have  gone  to  my  lord  in  his  need, 

Have  galloped  there  all  the  way, 
But  this  is  a  matter  concerns  the  State, 

And  I,  being  a  woman,  must  stay. 

I  watched  them  leaving  the  palace  yard, 

In  carnage  and  robe  of  state. 
I  would  have  gone  by  the  hills  and  the  fords; 

I  know  they  will  come  too  late. 

I  ma)  walk  in  the  garden  and  gather 

Lilies  of  mother-of-pearl. 
I  had  a  plan  would  have  saved  the  State. 

— But  mine  are  the  thoughts  of  a  girl. 

The  Elder  Statesmen  sit  on  the  mats. 

And  wrangle  through  half  the  day; 
A  hundred  plans  they  have  drafted  and  dropped, 

And  mine  was  the  only  way. 

XIV 

780  B.C.  Jacqius  Ponhomme  complains  of  the  useless  stars. 

I  SEE  on  high  the  Milky  Way, 

But  here's  a  rougher  road. 
The  Sacred  Oxen  shining  stand; 

They  do  not  draw  our  load. 


CHINESE   POETRY 

The  Sieve  is  sparkling  in  the  South, 
But  good  and  ill  come  through. 

The  Ladle  opens  wide  its  mouth, 
And  pours  out  naught  for  you* 

At  dawn  the  Weaving  Sisters  sleep, 

At  dusk  they  rise  again; 
But  though  their  Shining  Shuttle  flies, 

They  weave  no  robe  for  men. 

XV 

Written  in  the  seventh  century  before  Christ. 

ON  the  moor  is  the  creeping  grass, 

Parched,  thirsting  for  the  dew, 
And  over  it  the  swallows  dip  and  pass, 

The  live-long  summer  through. 
I  came  at  sunset,  fevered  with  the  heat, 

Seeking  I  knew  not  what  with  listless  feet. 

On  the  moor  is  the  creeping  grass, 

Deep-drenched  with  the  dew, 
And  over  it  the  swallows  dip  and  pass, 

The  live-long  summer  through. 
You  came  at  sunrise,  ere  the  dew  was  dried. 

And  I  am  satisfied. 


II.    TWO  POEMS  TRANSLATED  BY  HERBERT  A.  GILES 

To  a  Young  Gentleman 

Don't  come  in,  sir,  please! 

Don't  break  my  willow-trees  1 

Not  that  that  would  very  much  grieve  me; 
But  alack-a-dayl  what  would  my  parents  say? 

And  love  you  as  I  may, 
I  cannot  bear  to  think  what  that  would  be. 

1From  Chinese  Poetry  in  English  Verse,  Bernard  Quaritch,  London,  1898. 


SOME    GREA1  ,r    LYRICS  879 

Don't  cross  my  wall,  sir,  please! 

Don't  spoil  my  mulberry-trees! 

Not  that  that  would  very  much  grieve  me; 
But  alack-a-day!  what  would  my  brothers  say? 

And  love  you  as  I  may, 
I  cannot  bear  ro  think  what  that  would  be. 

Keep  outside,  sir,  please! 

Don't  spoil  my  sandal-trees! 

Not  that  that  would  very  much  grieve  me; 
But  alack-a-day!  what  would  the  world  say? 

And  love  you  as  I  may, 
I  cannot  bear  to  think  what  that  would  be. 


To  a  Man 

You  seemed  a  guileless  youth  enough, 

Offering  for  silk  your  woven  stuff; 

But  silk  was  not  required  by  you: 

I  was  the  silk  you  had  in  view. 

With  you  I  crossed  the  ford,  and  while 

We  wandered  on  for  many  a  mile 

I  said,  "I  do  not  wish  delay, 

But  friends  must  fix  our  wedding-day.  .  . 

Oh,  do  not  let  my  words  give  pain, 

But  with  the  autumn  come  again." 

And  then  I  used  to  watch  and  wait 
To  see  you  passing  through  the  gate; 
And  sometimes  when  I  watched  in  vain, 
My  tears  would  flow  like  falling  rain; 
But  when  I  saw  my  darling  boyy 
I  laughed  and  cried  aloud  for  joy. 
The  fortune-tellers,  you  declared, 
Had  all  pronounced  us  duly  paired; 
"Then  bring  a  carriage,"  I  replied, 
"And  I'll  away  to  be  your  bride." 


880  CHINESE   POETRY 

The  mulberry-leaf,  not  yet  undone 
By  autumn  chill,  shines  in  the  sun. 
O  tender  dove,  I  would  advise, 
Beware  the  fruit  that  tempts  thy  eyes! 

0  maiden  fair,  not  yet  a  spouse, 
List  lightly  not  to  lovers'  vows! 

A  man  may  do  this  wrong,  and  time 
Will  fling  its  shadow  o'er  his  crime; 
A  woman  who  has  lost  her  name 
Is  doomed  to  everlasting  shame. 

The  mulberry-tree  upon  the  ground 
Now  sheds  its  yellow  leaves  around. 
Three  years  have  slipped  away  from  me, 
Since  first  I  shared  your  poverty; 
And  now  again,  alas  the  day! 
Back  through  the  ford  I  take  my  way. 
My  heart  is  still  unchanged,  but  you 
Have  uttered  words  now  proved  untrue; 
And  you  have  left  me  to  deplore 
A  love  that  can  be  mine  no  more. 

For  three  long  years  I  was  your  wife, 
And  led  in  truth  a  toilsome  life; 
Early  to  rise  and  late  to  bed, 
Each  day  alike  passed  o'er  my  head. 

1  honestly  fulfilled  my  part; 

And  you— well,  you  have  broke  my  heart 
The  truth  my  brothers  will  *  not  know, 
So  all  the  more  their  gibes  will  flow. 
I  grieve  in  silence  and  repine 
That  such  a  wretched  fate  is  mine/ 

Ah,  hand  in  hand  to  face  old  age! — 
Instead,  I  turn  a  bitter  page. 
Oh  for  the  river-banks  of  yore; 
Oh  for  the  much-loved  marshy  shore; 
The  hours  of  girlhood,  with  my  hair 
Ungathered,  as  we  lingered  there. 

1  "shall"  might  be  an  improvement. 


SOME    GREAT    ANCIENT   LYRICS  88l 

The  words  we  spoke,  that  seemed  so  true, 
I  little  thought  that  I  should  rue; 
I  little  thought  the  vows  we  swore 
Would  some  day  bind  us  two  no  more.* 


III.    POEMS  TRANSLATED  BY  JAMES  LEGGE 
The  New  Tower 

(Satirizing  the  marriage  of  Dul{e  Hsuan  and  his  queen, 
who  had  been  contracted  to  marry  his  son.} 

The  New  tower,  fresh  and  bright,  they  show, 
Where  its  vast  volume  rolls  the  Ho; — 

For  bride  a  palace  rare. 
To  Wei  she  came,  a  mate  to  find; 
She  sought  a  husband  young  and  kind, 

But  found  this  mis-shaped  bear. 

There  stands  the  New  tower  grand  and  high, 
Where  with  still  stream  the  Ho  flows  by;— 

For  bride  a  palace  rare. 
To  Wei  she  came,  a  mate  to  find; 
She  sought  a  husband  young  and  kind, 

But  found  this  mis-shaped  bear. 

As  when  the  net  for  fish  they  set, 
And  lo!  a  goose  ensnared  they  get, 

They  stamp  with  sudden  ire; 
So  might  she  stamp  who  came  to  wed 
The  genial  son,  and  in  his  stead 

Got  but  the  hump-backed  sire. 

The  Gudemans  Awa 

The  gudeman's  awa,  for  to  fecht  wi'  the  stranger, 
An'  when  he'll  be  back,  oh!  my  hert  canna  tell. 
The  hens  gae  to  reist,  an'  the  beests  to  their  manger, 
As  hameward  they  wend  frae  their  park  on  the  hill. 
But  hoo  can  I,  thus  left  alane, 
Help  thinking  o'  my  man  that's  gane? 

'Original  last  line  reads:  "Why  talk  about  it  any  more?" 


882  CHINESE   POETRY 

The  gudeman's  awa,  for  to  fecht  wi'  the  stranger, 

An'  lang  will  it  be  ere  he  see  his  fireside. 
The  hens  gae  to  reist,  an'  the  beests  to  their  manger, 
As  the  slantin'  sunbeams  throu  the  forest  trees  glide. 
Heaven  kens  the  lanesome  things  I  think. 
Heaven  sen'  my  man  his  meat  an'  drink! 

The  Gudeman's  Come  Hame 

The  gudeman's  come  hame,  an'  his  face  weers  a  bloom, 
His  organ  o'  reeds  he  hads  in  his  left  han'; 

An*  his  richt  han'  ca's  me  to  come  till  his  room : — 
It's  siccan  a  joy;  it's  mair  nor  I  can  stan'. 

The  gudeman's  come  hame,  an'  he's  pleesed  I'll  engage, 
His  gran'  fether  screen  he  hads  in  his  left  han'; 

An'  his  richt  han'  ca's  me  to  come  till  the  stage: — 
It's  siccan  a  joy;  it's  mair  nor  I  can  stan'. 

The  Coc1{  is  Crawin' 

(^Translated  into  Scotch  by  Dr.  Lcggc's  nephew.) 

Says  oor  gudewife,  "The  cock  is  crawin*." 
Quoth  oor  gudeman,  "The  day  is  dawin'." 
"Get  up,  gudeman,  an'  tak  a  spy; 
See  gin  the  mornm'-star  be  high, 
Syne  tak  a  saunter  roon'  aboot; 
There's  rowth  o'  dyukes  and  geese  to  shoot. 

"Lat  flee,  and  bring  them  hame  to  me, 
An'  sic  a  dish  as  ye  sail  pree. 
In  comin'  times  as  ower  the  strings 
Your  noddin'  heed  in  rapture  hings, 
Supreme  ower  care,  nor  fasht  wi'  fears, 
We'll  baith  grow  auld  in  worth  and  years. 

"An*  when  we  meet  the  friends  ye  like, 
I'll  gie  to  each  some  little  fyke; — 
The  lasses  beads,  trocks  to  their  brithers, 
An'  auld-warld  fairlies  to  their  mithers. 
Some  nick-nack  lovin'  hands  will  fin', 
To  show  the  love  that  dwalls  within." 


SOME    GREAT    ANCIENT    LYRICS  88j 

The  Artful  Boy 

O  dear!  that  artful  boy 

Refuses  me  a  word! 
But,  Sir,  I  shall  enjoy 

My  food,  though  you're  absurd! 

O  dear!  that  artful  boy 

My  table  will  not  share! 
But,  Sir,  I  shall  enjoy 

My  rest,  though  you're  not  there! 

By  the  Eastern  Gate 

By  th'  eastern  gate,  flat  lies  the  ground, 

And  madder  there  grows  on  the  slope. 
Hard  by  my  lover's  house  is  found; — 

He  keeps  away,  and  mocks  my  hope. 

Where  chestnuts  grow,  near  th'  eastern  gate, 
There  stands  a  row,  where  is  your  home. 

My  heart  turns  aye  to  you,  its  mate, 
But  ah!  to  me  you  never  come! 

The  Student  With  Blue  Cottar 

You  student,  with  the  collar  blue, 
Long  pines  my  heart  with  anxious  pain. 

Although  I  do  not  go  to  you, 

Why  from  all  word  do  you  refrain  ? 

O  you,  with  girdle  strings  of  blue, 

My  thoughts  to  you  for  ever  roam! 
Although  I  do  not  go  to  you, 

Yet  why  to  me  should  you  not  come? 

How  reckless  you,  how  light  and  wild, 

There  by  the  tower  upon  the  wall! 
One  day,  from  sight  of  you  exiled, 

As  long  as  three  long  months  I  call. 


CHINESE    POETRY 

On  the  Moor 

On  the  moor,  where  thickly  grew 
Creeping  grass,  bent  down  with  dew, 
There  a  handsome  man  drew  nigh, 
'Neath  whose  forehead,  broad  and  high, 
Gleamed  his  clear  and  piercing  eye. 
'Twas  by  accident  we  met; 
Glad  was  I  my  wish  to  get. 

Where  the  grass  creeps  o'er  the  moor, 
With  the  dew  all  covered  o'er, 
There  the  finest  man  found  I, 
'Bove  whose  clear  and  piercing  eye, 
Rose  his  forehead,  broad  and  high. 
Chance  gave  us  a  meeting  rare, 
And  we  both  were  happy  there. 

On  Comes  Her  Chariot 
{Satirizing  the  open  shamclessness  of  a  qticen.) 

On  comes  her  chariot,  fast  and  loud, 

With  screen  of  bamboos  finely  wove, 
And  leather  bright,  vermilion-hued; — 

Ts'e's  daughter  hastes  to  lawless  love. 
To  this  from  Loo  the  road  is  smooth  and  plain; 
'Twas  but  last  night  she  started  with  her  train. 

Her  four  black  steeds  are  beautiful; 
Soft  are  the  reins  the  driver  holds. 
The  road  from  Loo  is  smooth  and  plain; — 

Ts'e's  daughter's  heart  its  joy  unfolds. 
Full  of  complacency  is  she;  nor  shame 
Abashes  her,  nor  fear  of  evil  name. 

Broad  flow  the  waters  of  the  Wan, 
And  crowds  of  travellers  go  by. 
The  road  from  Loo  is  smooth  and  plain; — 

She  looks  around  with  careless  eye. 
That  many  see  her  gives  her  no  concern; 
Her  thoughts  to  her  licentious  fancy  turn. 


SOME    GREAT    ANCIENT    LYRICS 

On  sweep  the  waters  of  the  Wan; 

More  numerous  are  the  travellers  now. 
The  road  from  Loo  is  smooth  and  plain ; — 
Ts'e's  daughter  shows  her  brazen  brow. 
At  ease  and  proud,  she  holds  her  onward  way, 
Careless  of  what  all  think  of  her  display. 

A  Soldiers  Thought  of  Home 

To  the  top  of  that  tree-clad  hill  I  go, 

And  towards  my  father  I  gaze, 
Till  with  my  mind's  eye  his  form  I  espy, 

And  my  mind's  ear  hears  how  he  says: — 
"Alas  for  my  son  on  service  abroad! 

He  rests  not  from  morning  till  eve. 
May  he  careful  be,  and  come  back  to  me! 

While  he  is  away,  how  I  grieve!" 

To  the  top  of  that  barren  hill  I  climb, 

And  towards  my  mother  I  gaze, 
Till  with  my  mind's  eye  her  form  I  espy, 

And  my  mind's  ear  hears  how  she  says:— 
"Alas  for  my  child  on  service  abroad! 

He  never  in  sleep  shuts  an  eye. 
May  he  careful  be,  and  come  back  to  me! 

In  the  wild  may  his  body  not  lie!" 

Up  the  lofty  ridge  I,  toiling,  ascend, 

And  towards  my  brother  I  gaze, 
Till  with  my  mind's  eye  his  form  I  espy, 

And  my  mind's  ear  hears  how  he  says:- 
"Alas!  my  young  brother,  serving  abroad, 

All  day  with  his  comrades  must  roam. 
May  he  careful  be,  and  come  back  to  me, 

And  die  not  away  from  his  home!" 


886  CHINESE    POETRY 

The  Woodman's  Song 

(One  of  the  finest  and  most  direct  satires.  I  have  fallen 

the  liberty  of  substituting  an  exact  translation  of  the 

two  lines  at  the  end  of  each  verse,  where  Dr.  Legge 

versifies  on  his  own. — Ed.) 

K'an~J(an  upon  the  sandal  trees 

The  woodman's  strokes  resound. 
Then  on  the  bank  he  lays  the  trunks 

His  axe  brings  to  the  ground; 
The  while  the  stream  goes  rippling  by, 

Its  waters  cool  and  clear. 
You  sow  no  seed;  no  harvest  tasks 

Your  soft  hands  take  in  charge; 
And  yet  each  boasts  three  hundred  farms, 

And  stores  the  produce  large. 
You  never  join  the  hunt's  halloo, 

Nor  dare  to  share  its  toils; 
Yet  lo!  your  wide  courtyards  are  seen 

Hung  round  with  badgers'  spoils. 
That  gentleman! 

He  does  not  eat  the  bread  of  idleness  indeed! 


K'an-1(an  upon  the  sandal  wood 

The  woodman's  strokes  resound, 
Then  by  the  river's  side  he  lays 

What  fit  for  spokes  is  found; 
The  while  the  river  onward  flows, 

Its  waters  clear  and  smooth. 
You  sow  no  seed;  no  harvest  tasks 

Your  dainty  fingers  stain; 
And  yet  each  boasts  three  million  sheaves; — 

Whence  gets  he  all  that  grain  ? 
You  never  join  the  hunt's  halloo, 

Nor  brave  its  ventures  bold; 
Yet  lo!  your  wide  courtyards  display 

Those  boars  of  three  years  old. 
That  gentleman! 

He  docs  not  eat  the  bread  of  idleness  indeed! 


SOME    GREAT    ANCIENT    LYRICS 

K'an-^an  resound  the  woodman's  strokes 

Upon  the  sandal  wood; 
Then  on  the  river's  lip  he  lays 

What  for  his  wheels  is  good; 
The  while  the  river  onward  flows, 

Soft  rippled  by  the  wind. 
You  sow  no  seed;  no  harvest  tasks 

Your  soft  hands  undertake; 
Yet  grain  each  boasts,  three  hundred  binns; — 

Who  his  that  grain  did  make  ? 
You  never  join  the  hunt's  halloo; 

Your  feeble  courage  fails; 
Yet  lo!  your  wide  courtyards  display 

Large  strings  of  slaughtered  quails. 
That  gentleman! 

He  does  not  eat  the  bread  of  idleness  indeed! 


Large  Rats 

(The  poet  proposes  to  leave  his  country  Wet.) 

Large  rats,  large  rats,  let  us  entreat 
That  you  our  millet  will  not  eat. 
But  the  large  rats  we  mean  are  you, 
With  whom  three  years  we've  had  to  do, 
And  all  that  time  have  never  known 
One  look  of  kindness  on  us  thrown. 
We  take  our  leave  of  Wei  and  you; 
That  happier  land  we  long  to  view. 
O  happy  land!  O  happy  land! 
There  in  our  proper  place  we'll  stand. 

Large  rats,  large  rats,  let  us  entreat 
You'll  not  devour  our  crops  of  wheat. 
But  the  large  rats  we  mean  are  you, 
With  whom  three  years  we've  had  to  do; 
And  all  that  time  you  never  wrought 
One  kindly  act  to  cheer  our  lot. 


888  CHINESE   POETRY 

To  you  and  Wei  we  bid  farewell, 
Soon  in  that  happier  State  to  dwell. 
O  happy  State!  O  happy  State! 
There  shall  we  learn  to  bless  our  fate. 

Large  rats,  large  rats,  let  us  entreat 
Our  springing  grain  you  will  not  eat. 
But  the  large  rats  we  mean  are  you, 
With  whom  three  years  we've  had  to  do. 
From  you  there  came  not  all  that  while 
One  word  of  comfort  'mid  our  toil. 
We  take  our  leave  of  you  and  Wei; 
And  to  those  happier  coasts  we  flee. 
O  happy  coasts,  to  you  we  wend! 
There  shall  our  groans  and  sorrows  end. 


Owl,  O  Owl! 

(Written  in  B.C.  1 1 13,  by  the  great  Duke  of  Chou,  brother 
of  King  Wu.  King  Wu  was  dead  and  his  young  son  was 
on  the  throne.  Two  of  the  young  king's  brothers  had  re- 
belled, and  the  Duke,  who  was  assisting  the  >oung  king, 
was  compelled  to  fight  the  rebellion  for  three  years.  The 
Duke  wrote  this,  comparing  the  rebels  trying  to  destroy 
the  Imperial  house  to  the  owls. — Ed.) 

Owl,  O  owl,  hear  my  request, 
And  do  not,  owl,  destroy  my  nest. 
You  have  taken  my  young, 
Though  I  over  them  hung, 
With  the  nursing  of  love  and  of  care. 
Pity  me,  pity  me!  Hear  my  prayer. 

Ere  the  clouds  the  sky  had  obscured, 
The  mulberry  roots  I  secured. 
Door  and  window  around, 
Them  so  firmly  I  bound, 
That  I  said,  casting  downward  my  eyes, 
"Dare  any  of  you  my  house  despise?" 


SOME    GREAT    ANCIENT    LYRICS 

I  tugged  with  my  claws  and  I  tore, 
And  my  mouth  and  my  claws  were  sore. 
So  the  rushes  I  sought, 
And  all  other  "things  brought; 
For  to  perfect  the  house  I  was  bent, 
And  I  grudged  no  toil  with  this  intent. 

My  wings  are  deplorably  torn, 
And  my  tail  is  much  injured  and  worn. 
Tossed  about  by  the  wind, 
While  the  rain  beats  unkind, 
Oh!  my  house  is  in  peril  of  harm, 
And  this  note  I  scream  out  in  alarm. 


IV.    ODES  TRANSLATED  BY  JAMES  LEGGE 
Two  Sacrificial  Odes 

I.     THE  TSAI   SHU 

(The  'Preface'  sa>s  that  this  ode  was  used  in  spring,  when  the  king  in  person  turned  up 
some  furrows  m  the  field  set  apart  for  that  purpose,  and  prascd  at  the  altars  of  the  spirits 
of  the  land  and  the  grain,  for  an  abund.int  year  ) 

They  clear  away  the  grass  and  the  bushes;  and  the  ground  is  laid  open 
by  their  ploughs.  In  thousands  of  pairs  they  remove  the  roots,  some  in 
the  low  wet  land,  some  along  the  dykes. 

There  are  the  master  and  his  eldest  son;  his  younger  sons,  and  all 
their  children;  their  strong  helpers  and  their  hired  servants.  How  the 
noise  of  their  eating  the  viands  brought  to  them  resounds!  (The  hus- 
bands) think  lovingly  of  their  wives;  (the  wives)  keep  close  to  their 
husbands.  (Then)  with  their  sharp  ploughshares  they  set  to  work  on 
the  south-lying  acres. 

They  sow  their  various  kinds  of  grain,  each  seed  containing  in  it  a 
germ  of  life.  In  unbroken  lines  rises  the  blade,  and,  well  nourished,  the 
stalks  grow  long.  Luxuriant  looks  the  young  grain,  and  the  weeders  go 
among  it  in  multitudes. 

Then  come  the  reapers  in  crowds.  And  the  grain  is  piled  up  in  the 
fields,  myriads,  and  hundreds  of  thousands,  and  millions  (of  stacks); 
for  the  spirits  and  for  sweet  spirits,  to  offer  our  ancestors,  male  and 
female,  and  to  provide  for  all  ceremonies, 


890  CHINESE   POETRY 

Fragrant  is  their  aroma,  cnchancing  the  glory  of  the  state.  Like  pepper 
is  their  smell,  to  give  comfort  to  the  aged. 

It  is  not  here  only  that  there  is  this  (abundance) ;  it  is  not  now  only 
that  there  is  such  a  time : — from  of  old  it  has  been  thus. 

ii.    THE  CH'U  TS'E 

(A  poetic  description  of  sacrificial  and  festive  services  in  the  ancestral  temple,  and  their 
connection  with  husbandry.) 

Thick  grew  the  tribulus  (on  the  ground),  but  they  cleared  away  its 
thorny  bushes.  Why  did  they  this  of  old?  That  we  might  plant  our 
millet  and  sacrifice  millet;  that  our  millet  might  be  abundant,  and  our 
sacrificial  millet  luxuriant.  When  our  barns  are  full,  and  our  stocks  can 
be  counted  by  tens  of  myriads,  we  proceed  to  make  spirits  and  prepared 
grain,  for  offerings  and  sacrifice.  We  seat  the  representatives  of  the 
dead,  and  urge  them  to  eat: — thus  seeking  to  increase  our  bright  hap- 
piness. 

With  correct  and  reverent  deportment,  the  bulls  and  rams  all  pure, 
we  proceed  to  the  winter  and  autumnal  sacrifices.  Some  flay  (the  vic- 
tims); some  cook  (their  flesh);  some  arrange  (the  meat);  some  adjust 
(the  pieces  of  it) .  The  officer  of  prayer  sacrifices  inside  the  temple  gate. 
And  all  the  sacrificial  service  is  complete  and  brilliant.  Grandly  come 
our  progenitors;  their  spirits  happily  enjoy  the  offerings;  their  filial 
descendant  receives  blessing: — they  will  reward  him  with  great  happi- 
ness, with  myriads  of  years,  life  without  end. 

They  attend  to  the  furnaces  with  reverence;  they  prepare  the  trays, 
which  are  very  large; — some  for  the  roast  meat,  some  for  the  broiled. 
Wives  presiding  are  still  reverent,  preparing  the  numerous  (smaller) 
dishes.  The  guests  and  visitors  present  the  cup  all  round.  Every  form  is 
according  to  rule;  every  smile  and  word  are  as  they  should  be.  The 
spirits  quietly  come,  and  respond  with  great  blessings, — myriads  of 
years  as  the  (fitting)  reward. 

We  are  very  much  exhausted,  and  have  performed  every  ceremony 
without  error.  The  able  officer  of  prayer  announces  (the  will  of  the 
spirits),  and  goes  to  the  filial  descendant  to  convey  it: — 'Fragrant  has 
been  your  filial  sacrifice,  and  the  spirits  have  enjoyed  your  spirits  and 
viands.  They  confer  on  you  a  hundred  blessings;  each  as  it  is  desired, 
each  as  sure  as  law.  You  have  been  exact  and  expeditious;  you  have  been 
correct  and  careful;  they  will  ever  confer  on  you  the  choicest  favours, 
in  myriads  and  tens  of  myriads.' 


SOME    GREAT   ANCIENT   LYRICS  89! 

The  ceremonies  having  thus  been  completed  and  the  bells  and  drums 
having  given  their  warning,  the  filial  descendant  goes  to  his  place,  and 
the  able  officer  of  prayer  makes  his  announcement,  The  spirits  have 
drunk  to  the  full/  The  great  representatives  of  the  dead  then  rise,  and 
the  bells  and  drums  escort  their  withdrawal,  (on  which)  the  spirits 
tranquilly  return  (to  whence  they  came).  All  the  servants,  and  the 
presiding  wives,  remove  (the  trays  and  dishes)  without  delay.  The 
(sacrificed)  uncles  and  cousins  all  repair  to  the  private  feast. 

The  musicians  all  go  to  perform,  and  give  their  soothing  aid  at  the 
second  blessing.  Your  viands  are  set  forth;  there  is  no  dissatisfaction, 
but  all  feel  happy.  They  drink  to  the  full,  and  eat  to  the  full;  great  and 
small,  they  bow  their  heads,  (saying),  'The  spirits  enjoyed  your  spirits 
and  viands,  and  will  cause  you  to  live  long.  Your  sacrifices,  all  their 
seasons,  are  completely  discharged  by  you.  May  your  sons  and  your 
grandsons  never  fail  to  perpetuate  these  services!' 


Ch'u  Yuan 

Translated  by  Arthur  Walcy 
THE  GREAT  SUMMONS 

When  Ch'u  Yuan  had  been  exiled  from  the  Court  for  nine  years,  he  became  so  despondent 
that  he  feared  his  soul  would  part  from  his  body  and  he  would  die.  It  was  then  that  he 
made  the  poem  called  "The  Great  Summons,"  calling  upon  his  soul  not  to  leave  htm. 

GREEN  Spring  receiveth 

The  vacant  earth; 

The  white  sun  shineth; 

Spring  wind  provoketh 

To  burst  and  burgeon 

Each  sprout  and  flower. 
In  those  dark  caves  where  Winter  lurketh 

Hide  not,  my  Soul! 
O  Soul  come  back  again!  O,  do  not  stray  I 

O  Soul  come  back  again  and  go  not  east  or  west,  or  north  or  south! 
For  to  the  East  a  mighty  water  drowneth  Earth's  other  shore; 
Tossed  on  its  waves  and  heaving  with  its  tides 

The  hornless  Dragon  of  the  Ocean  rideth: 
Clouds  gather  low  and  fogs  enfold  the  sea 

And  gleaming  ice  drifts  past. 
O  Soul  go  not  to  the  East, 
To  the  silent  Valley  of  Sunrise! 

O  Soul  go  not  to  the  South 
Where  mile  on  mile  the  earth  is  burnt  away 
And  poisonous  serpents  slither  through  the  flames; 
892 


CH    U    YUAN  893 

Where  on  precipitous  paths  or  in  deep  woods 

Tigers  and  leopards  prowl, 

And  water-scorpions  wait; 

Where  the  king-python  rears  his  giant  head. 

O  Soul,  go  not  to  the  South 

Where  the  three-footed  tortoise  spits  diseascl 

O  Soul  go  not  to  the  West 

Where  level  wastes  of  sand  stretch  on  and  on; 

And  demons  rage,  swine-headed,  hairy-skinned, 

With  bulging  eyes; 

Who  in  wild  laughter  gnash  projecting  fangs. 

O  Soul  go  not  to  the  West 

Where  many  perils  wait! 

O  Soul  go  not  to  the  North, 

To  the  Lame  Dragon's  frozen  peaks; 

Where  trees  and  grasses  dare  not  grow; 

Where  a  river  runs  too  wide  to  cross 

And  too  deep  to  plumb, 

And  the  sky  is  white  with  snow 

And  the  cold  cuts  and  kills. 

O  Soul  seek  not  to  fill 

The  treacherous  voids  of  the  north! 

O  Soul  come  back  to  idleness  and  peace. 

In  quietude  enjoy 

The  lands  of  Ching  and  Ch'u. 

There  work  your  will  and  follow  your  desire 

Till  sorrow  is  forgot, 

And  carelessness  shall  bring  you  length  of  days. 

O  Soul  come  back  to  joys  beyond  all  telling! 

Where  thirty  cubits  high  at  harvest-time 

The  corn  is  stacked; 

Where  pies  arc  cooked  of  millet  and  bearded-maize. 

Guests  watch  the  steaming  bowls 

And  sniff  the  pungency  of  peppered  herbs. 

The  cunning  cook  adds  slices  of  bird-flesh. 


894  CHINESE   POETRY 

Pigeon  and  yellow-heron  and  black-crane. 

They  taste  the  badger-stew. 

O  Soul  come  back  to  feed  on  foods  you  love! 

Next  are  brought 

Fresh  turtle,  and  sweet  chicken  cooked  in  cheese 

Pressed  by  the  men  of  Ch'u. 

And  pickled  sucking-pig 

And  flesh  of  whelps  floating  in  liver-sauce 

With  salad  of  minced  radishes  in  brine; 

All  served  with  that  hot  spice  of  southernwood 

The  land  of  Wu  supplies. 

O  Soul  come  back  to  choose  the  meats  you  love! 

Roasted  daw,  steamed  widgeon  and  grilled  quail- 
On  every  fowl  they  fare. 

Boiled  perch  and  sparrow  broth, — in  each  preserved 
The  separate  flavour  that  is  most  its  own. 
O  Soul  come  back  to  where  such  dainties  wait! 

The  four  strong  liquors  are  warming  at  the  fire 
So  that  they  grate  not  on  the  drinker's  throat. 
How  fragrant  rise  their  fumes,  how  cool  their  taste! 
Such  drink  is  not  for  louts  or  serving- men! 
And  wise  distillers  from  the  land  of  Wu 
Blend  unfermented  spirit  with  white  yeast 
And  brew  the  //'  of  Ch'u. 
O  Soul  come  back  and  let  your  yearnings  cease! 

Reed-organs  from  the  lands  of  T'ai  and  Ch'in 

And  Wei  and  Cheng 

Gladden  the  f casters,  and  old  songs  are  sung: 

The  "Rider's  Song"  that  once 

Fu-hsi,  the  ancient  monarch,  made; 

And  the  harp-songs  of  Ch'u. 

Then  after  prelude  from  the  flutes  of  Chao 

The  ballad-singer's  voice  rises  alone. 

0  Soul  come  back  to  the  hollow  mulberry-tree! x 

1  The  harp. 


CH'U  YUAN  895 

Eight  and  eight  the  dancers  sway, 

Weaving  their  steps  to  the  poet's  voice 

Who  speaks  his  odes  and  rhapsodies; 

They  tap  their  bells  and  beat  their  chimes 

Rigidly,  lest  harp  and  flute 

Should  mar  the  measure. 

Then  rival  singers  of  the  Four  Domains 

Compete  in  melody,  till  not  a  tune 

Is  left  unsung  that  human  voice  could  sing. 

O  Soul  come  back  and  listen  to  their  songs! 

Then  women  enter  whose  red  lips  and  dazzling  teeth 

Seduce  the  eye; 

But  meek  and  virtuous,  trained  in  every  art; 

Fit  sharers  of  play-time, 

So  soft  their  flesh  and  delicate  their  bones. 

O  Soul  come  back  and  let  them  ease  your  woe! 

Then  enter  other  ladies  with  laughing  lips 
And  sidelong  glances  under  moth-eyebrows; 
Whose  cheeks  are  fresh  and  red; 
Ladies  both  great  of  heart  and  long  of  limb, 
Whose  beauty  by  sobriety  is  matched. 
Well-padded  cheeks  and  ears  with  curving  rim, 
High-arching  eyebrows,  as  with  compass  drawn, 
Great  hearts  and  loving  gestures — all  are  there; 
Small  waist  and  necks  as  slender  as  the  clasp 
Of  courtiers*  brooches. 
O  Soul  come  back  to  those  whose  tenderness 
Drives  angry  thoughts  away! 

Last  enter  those 

Whose  every  action  is  contrived  to  please; 

Black-painted  eyebrows  and  white-powdered  cheeks. 

They  reek  with  scent;  with  their  long  sleeves  they  brush 

The  faces  of  the  feasters  whom  they  pass, 

Or  pluck  the  coats  of  those  who  will  not  stay. 

O  Soul  come  back  to  pleasures  of  the  night! 


896  CHINESE   POETRY 

A  summer-house  with  spacious  rooms 

And  a  high  hall  with  beams  stained  red; 

A  little  closet  in  the  southern  wing 

Reached  by  a  private  stair. 

And  round  the  house  a  covered  way  should  run 

Where  horses  might  be  trained. 

And  sometimes  riding,  sometimes  going  afoot 

You  shall  explore,  O  Soul,  the  parks  of  spring; 

Your  jewelled  axles  gleaming  in  the  sun 

And  yoke  inlaid  with  gold; 

Or  amid  orchises  and  sandal-trees 

Shall  walk  in  the  dark  woods. 

O  Soul  come  back  and  live  for  these  delights! 

Peacocks  shall  fill  your  gardens;  you  shall  rear 

The  roc  and  phoenix,  and  red  jungle-fowl, 

Whose  cry  at  dawn  assembles  river  storks 

To  join  the  play  of  cranes  and  ibises; 

Where  the  wild-swan  all  day 

Pursues  the  glint  of  idle  king-fishers. 

O  Soul  come  back  to  watch  the  birds  in  flight! 

He  who  has  found  such  manifold  delights 

Shall  feel  his  cheeks  aglow 

And  the  blood-spirit  dancing  through  his  limbs. 

Stay  with  me,  Soul,  and  share 

The  span  of  days  that  happiness  will  bring; 

See  sons  and  grandsons  serving  at  the  Court 

Ennobled  and  enriched. 

O  Soul  come  back  and  bring  prosperity 

To  house  and  stock! 

The  roads  that  lead  to  Ch'u 

Shall  teem  with  travellers  as  thick  as  clouds, 

A  thousand  miles  away. 

For  the  Five  Orders  of  Nobility 

Shall  summon  sages  to  assist  the  King 

And  with  godlike  discrimination  choose 

The  wise  in  council;  by  their  aid  to  probe 


CH'U  YUAN  895?- 

The  hidden  discontents  of  humble  men 

And  help  the  lonely  poor. 

O  Soul  come  back  and  end  what  we  began  1 

Fields,  villages  and  lanes 

Shall  throng  with  happy  men; 

Good  rule  protect  the  people  and  make  known 

The  King's  benevolence  to  all  the  land; 

Stern  discipline  prepare 

Their  natures  for  the  soft  caress  of  Art. 

O  Soul  come  back  to  where  the  good  arc  praised! 

Like  the  sun  shining  over  the  four  seas 

Shall  be  the  reputation  of  our  King; 

His  deeds,  matched  only  in  Heaven,  shall  repair 

The  wrongs  endured  by  every  tribe  of  men, — 

Northward  to  Yu  and  southward  to  Annam, 

To  the  Sheep's  Gut  Mountain  and  the  Eastern  Seas. 

O  Soul  come  back  to  where  the  wise  are  sought! 

Behold  the  glorious  virtues  of  our  King 

Triumphant,  terrible; 

Behold  with  solemn  faces  in  the  Hall 

The  Three  Grand  Ministers  walk  up  and  down, — 

None  chosen  for  the  post  save  landed-lords 

Or,  in  default,  Knights  of  the  Nine  Degrees. 

At  the  first  ray  of  dawn  already  is  hung 

The  shooting-target,  where  with  bow  in  hand 

And  arrows  under  arm, 

Each  archer  does  obeisance  to  each, 

Willing  to  yield  his  rights  of  precedence. 

0  Soul  come  back  to  where  honour  still 
The  name  of  the  Three  Kings.* 

1  Yu,  T'ang  and  Wen,  the  three  just  rulers  of  antiquity. 


LiPo 


Translated  by  Witter  Bynner  from  the  texts  of 
Kiang  Kang-hu 


IN  THE  QUIET  NIGHT 

So  bright  a  gleam  on  the  foot  of  my  bed — 

Could  there  have  been  a  frost  already? 

Lifting  myself  to  look,  I  found  that  it  was  moonlight. 

Sinking  back  again,  I  thought  suddenly  of  home. 


A  BITTER  LOVE 

How  beautiful  she  looks,  opening  the  pearly  casement, 
And  how  quiet  she  leans,  and  how  troubled  her  brow  is! 
You  may  see  the  tears  now,  bright  on  her  cheek, 
But  not  the  man  she  so  bitterly  loves. 


A  SIGH  FROM  A  STAIRCASE  OF  JADE 

(Written  to  Music) 

Her  jade-white  staircase  is  cold  with  dew; 

Her  silk  soles  are  wet,  she  lingered  there  so  long  .  .  . 

Behind  her  closed  casement,  why  is  she  still  waiting, 

Watching  through  its  crystal  pane  the  glow  of  the  autumn  moon? 


LI    PO  899 

A  FAREWELL  TO  MENG  HAO-JAN  ON  HIS  WAY 
TO  YANG-CHOU 

You  have  left  me  behind,  old  friend,  at  the  Yellow  Crane  Terrace, 
On  your  way  to  visit  Yang-chou  in  the  misty  month  of  flowers; 
Your  sail,  a  single  shadow,  becomes  one  with  the  blue  sky, 
Till  now  I  see  only  the  river,  on  its  way  to  heaven. 


THROUGH  THE  YANG-TSZE  GORGES 

From  the  walls  of  Po-ti  high  in  the  coloured  dawn 
To  Kiang-ling  by  night-fall  is  three  hundred  miles,1 
Yet  monkeys  are  still  calling  on  both  banks  behind  me 
To  my  boat  these  ten  thousand  mountains  away. 


A  SONG  OF  PURE  HAPPINESS 

(Wnttcn  to  Music  for  Lady  Yang) 


Her  robe  is  a  cloud,  her  face  a  flower; 

Her  balcony,  glimmering  with  the  bright  spring  dew, 

Is  either  the  tip  of  earth's  Jade  Mountain 

Or  a  moon-edged  roof  of  paradise. 

ii 

There's  a  perfume  stealing  moist  from  a  shaft  of  red  blossom, 
And  a  mist,  through  the  heart,  from  the  magical  Hill  of  Wu — 
The  palaces  of  China  have  never  known  such  beauty — 
Not  even  Flying  Swallow  with  all  her  glittering  garments. 

in 

Lovely  now  together,  his  lady  and  his  flowers 
Lighten  for  ever  the  Emperor's  eye, 
As  he  listens  to  the  sighing  of  the  far  spring  wind 
Where  she  leans  on  a  railing  in  the  Aloe  Pavilion. 

1  Suggesting  the  speed  of  the-  current  and  the  boat. 


90O  CHINESE   POETRY 

A  MESSAGE  TO  MENG  HAO-JAN 

Master,  I  hail  you  from  my  heart, 

And  your  fame  arisen  to  the  skies.  .  .  . 

Renouncing  in  ruddy  youth  the  importance  of  hat  and  chariot, 

You  chose  pine-trees  and  clouds;  and  now,  white-haired, 

Drunk  with  the  moon,  a  sage  of  dreams, 

Flower-bewitched,  you  are  deaf  to  the  Emperor  .  .  . 

High  mountain,  how  I  long  to  reach  you, 

Breathing  your  sweetness  even  here! 

A  FAREWELL  TO  A  FRIEND 

With  a  blue  line  of  mountains  north  of  the  wall, 

And  east  of  the  city  a  white  curve  of  water, 

Here  you  must  leave  me  and  drift  away 

Like  a  loosened  water-plant  hundreds  of  miles.  .  .  . 

I  shall  think  of  you  in  a  floating  cloud; 

So  in  the  sunset  think  of  me.8 

.  .  .  We  wave  our  hands  to  say  good-bye, 

And  my  horse  is  neighing  again  and  again. 


ON  HEARING  CHUN 

THE  BUDDHIST  MONK  FROM  SHU 

PLAY  HIS  LUTE 

The  monk  from  Shu  with  his 'green  silk  lute-case, 

Walking  west  down  O-mei  Mountain, 

Has  brought  me  by  one  touch  of  the  strings 

The  breath  of  pines  in  a  thousand  valleys. 

I  hear  him  in  the  cleansing  brook, 

I  hear  him  in  the  icy  bells; 

And  I  feel  no  change  *  though  the  mountain  darkens 

And  cloudy  autumn  heaps  the  sky. 

"More  literally:  The  sailing  clouds  understand  the  traveller's  thoughts.  The  setting  sun 
must  go  away  like  parting  friends. 
*  Before  I  know  it, 


LI    PO  901 

ON  CLIMBING  IN  NAN-KING 
TO  THE  TERRACE  OF  PHCEN1XES 

Phoenixes  that  played  here  once,  so  that  the  place  was  named  for  them, 

Have  abandoned  it  now  to  this  desolate  river; 

The  paths  of  Wu  Palace  are  crooked  with  weeds; 

The  garments  *  of  Chin  are  ancient  dust. 

.  .  .  Like  this  green  horizon  halving  the  Three  Peaks, 

Like  this  island  of  White  Egrets  dividing  the  river, 

A  cloud  has  arisen  between  the  Light  of  Heaven  and  me, 

To  hide  his  city  from  my  melancholy  heart. 

DOWN  CHUNG-NAN  MOUNTAIN 
TO  THE  KIND  PILLOW  AND  BOWL  OF  HU  SSU 

Down  the  blue  mountain  in  the  evening, 

Moonlight  was  my  homeward  escort. 

Looking  back,  I  saw  my  path 

Lie  in  levels  of  deep  shadow  .  .  . 

I  was  passing  the  farm-house  of  a  friend, 

When  his  children  called  from  a  gate  of  thorn 

And  led  me  twining  through  jade  bamboos 

Where  green  vines  caught  and  held  my  clothes. 

And  I  was  glad  of  a  chance  to  rest 

And  glad  of  a  chance  to  drink  with  my  friend.  .  .  . 

We  sang  to  the  tune  of  the  wind  in  the  pines; 

And  we  finished  our  songs  as  the  stars  went  down, 

When,  I  being  drunk  and  my  friend  more  than  happy, 

Between  us  we  forgot  the  world.8 

DRINKING  ALONE  WITH  THE  MOON 

From  a  pot  of  wine  among  the  flowers 
I  drank  alone.  There  was  no  one  with  me — 
Till,  raising  my  cup,  I  asked  the  bright  moon 
To  bring  me  my  shadow  and  make  us  three. 

*  The  scholar  class. 

"A  Taoistic  word  is  used  here,  hardly  translatable:  "forgetting  the  cycle  or  wheel  of  life." 


Q02  CHINESE   POETRY 

Alas,  the  moon  was  unable  to  drink 

And  my  shadow  tagged  me  vacantly; 

But  still  for  a  while  I  had  these  friends 

To  cheer  me  through  the  end  of  spring.  .  .  . 

I  sang.  The  moon  encouraged fl  me. 

I  danced.  My  shadow  tumbled  after. 

As  long  as  I  knew,  we  were  boon  companions. 

And  then  I  was  drunk,  and  we  lost  one  another. 

....  Shall  goodwill  ever  be  secure? 

I  watch  the  long  road  of  the  River  of  Stars. 


IN  SPRING 

Your  grasses  up  north  are  as  blue  as  jade, 

Our  mulberries  here  curve  green-threaded  branches; 

And  at  last  you  think  of  returning  home, 

Now  when  my  heart  is  almost  broken.  .  .  . 

O  breeze  of  the  spring,  since  I  dare  not  know  you, 

Why  part  the  silk  curtains  by  my  bed? 


THE  MOON  AT  THE  FORTIFIED  PASS 

(Written  to  Music) 

The  bright  moon  lifts  from  the  Mountain  of  Heaven 

In  an  infinite  haze  of  cloud  and  sea, 

And  the  wind,  that  has  come  a  thousand  miles, 

Beats  at  the  Jade  Pass  battlements.  .  .  . 

China  marches  its  men  down  Po-teng  Road 

While  Tartar  troops  peer  across  blue  waters  of  the  bay  .  .  / 

And  since  not  one  battle  famous  in  history 

Sent  all  its  fighters  back  again, 

The  soldiers  turn  round,  looking  toward  the  border, 

And  think  of  home,  with  wistful  eyes, 

And  of  those  tonight  in  the  upper  chambers 

Who  toss  and  sigh  and  cannot  rest. 

•Paced  back  and  forth.  7 Really  the  Chmghai  (Blue  Waters)  Bay. 


LI    PO  903 

A  SONG  OF  AN  AUTUMN  MIDNIGHT 

(Written  to  a  Su-chou  Melody) 

A  slip  of  the  moon  hangs  over  the  capital; 

Ten  thousand  washing-mallets  are  pounding; 

And  the  autumn  wind  is  blowing  my  heart 

For  ever  and  ever  toward  the  Jade  Pass.  .  .  . 

Oh,  when  will  the  Tartar  troops  be  conquered, 

And  my  husband  come  back  from  the  long  campaign! 

A  SONG  OF  CH'ANG-KAN 

(Written  to  Music) 

My  hair  had  hardly  covered  my  forehead. 

I "  was  picking  flowers,  playing  by  my  door, 

When  you,  my  lover,  on  a  bamboo  horse, 

Came  trotting  in  circles  and  throwing  green  plums. 

We  lived  near  together  on  a  lane  in  Ch'ang-kan, 

Both  of  us  young  and  happy-hearted. 

...  At  fourteen  I  became  your  wife, 

So  bashful  that  I  dared  not  smile, 

And  I  lowered  my  head  toward  a  dark  corner 

And  would  not  turn  to  your  thousand  calls; 

But  at  fifteen  I  straightened  my  brows  and  laughed, 

Learning  that  no  dust  could  ever  seal  our  love, 

That  even  unto  death  I  would  await  you  by  my  post 

And  would  never  lose  heart  in  the  tower  of  silent  watching.* 

.  .  .  Then  when  I  was  sixteen,  you  left  on  a  long  journey 

Through  the  Gorges  of  Ch'ti-t'ang,  of  rock  and  whirling  water. 

And  then  came  the  Fifth-month,  more  than  I  could  bear, 

And  I  tried  to  hear  the  monkeys  in  your  lofty  far-off  sky. 

Your  footprints  by  our  door,  where  I  had  watched  you  go, 

Were  hidden,  every  one  of  them,  under  green  moss, 

Hidden  under  moss  too  deep  to  sweep  away. 

8  A  female  person  is  speaking. 

*  Allusion  to  a  lover  who  kept  a  tryst  with  his  sweetheart  under  a  bridge.  He  refused  to 
leave  his  rendezvous  when  the  flood  came  and  his  girl  still  had  not  appeared.  He  was 
drowned.  A  second  allusion  to  a  woman  who  watched  for  her  husband's  return  at  a  par- 
ticular spot  until  she  turned  into  stone. 


904  CHINESE   POETRY 

And  the  first  autumn  wind  added  fallen  leaves. 

And  now,  in  the  Eighth-month,  yellowing  butterflies 

Hover,  two  by  two,  in  our  west-garden  grasses.  .  .  . 

And,  because  of  all  this,  my  heart  is  breaking 

And  I  fear  for  my  bright  cheeks,  lest  they  fade. 

.  .  .  Oh,  at  last,  when  you  return  through  the  three  Pa  districts, 

Send  me  a  message  home  ahead! 

And  I  will  come  and  meet  you  and  will  never  mind  the  distance, 

All  the  way  to  Chang-feng  Sha. 

T'lEN-MU  MOUNTAIN  ASCENDED  IN  A  DREAM 

A  seafaring  visitor  will  talk  about  Japan, 

Which  waters  and  mists  conceal  beyond  approach; 

But  Yueh  people  talk  about  Heavenly  Mother  Mountain, 

Still  seen  through  its  varying  deepnesses  of  cloud. 

In  a  straight  line  to  heaven,  its  summit  enters  heaven, 

Tops  the  five  Holy  Peaks,  and  casts  a  shadow  through  China 

With  the  hundred-mile  length  of  the  Heavenly  Terrace  Range, 

Which,  just  at  this  point,  begins  turning  southeast. 

.  .  .  My  heart  and  my  dreams  are  in  Wu  and  Yueh 

And  they  cross  Mirror  Lake  all  night  in  the  moon. 

And  the  moon  lights  my  shadow 

And  me  to  Yien  River — 

With  the  hermitage  of  Hsieh  still  there 

And  the  monkeys  calling  clearly  over  ripples  of  green  water. 

I  wear  his  pegged  boots 

Up  a  ladder  of  blue  cloud, 

Sunny  ocean  half-way, 

Holy  cock-crow  in  space, 

Myriad  peaks  and  more  valleys  and  nowhere  a  road. 

Flowers  lure  me,  rocks  ease  me.  Day  suddenly  ends. 

Bears,  dragons,  tempestuous  on  mountain  and  river, 

Startle  the  forest  and  make  the  heights  tremble. 

Clouds  darken  with  darkness  of  rain, 

Streams  pale  with  pallor  of  mist. 

The  Gods  of  Thunder  and  Lightning 

Shafter  the  whole  range. 

The  stone  gate  breaks  asunder 


LI    PO  905 

Venting  in  the  pit  of  heaven, 

An  impenetrable  shadow. 

.  .  .  But  now  the  sun  and  moon  illumine  a  gold  and  silver  terrace, 

And,  clad  in  rainbow  garments,  riding  on  the  wind, 

Come  the  queens  of  all  the  clouds,  descending  one  by  one, 

With  tigers  for  their  lute-players  and  phoenixes  for  dancers. 

Row  upon  row,  like  fields  of  hemp,  range  the  fairy  figures.  .  .  . 

I  move,  my  soul  goes  flying, 

I  wake  with  a  long  sigh, 

My  pillow  and  my  matting 

Are  the  lost  clouds  I  was  in. 

.  .  .  And  this  is  the  way  it  always  is  with  human  joy: 

Ten  thousand  things  run  for  ever  like  water  toward  the  east. 

And  so  I  take  my  leave  of  you,  not  knowing  for  how  long. 

.  .  .  But  let  me,  on  my  green  slope,  raise  a  white  deer 

And  ride  to  you,  great  mountain,  when  I  have  need  of  you. 

Oh,  how  can  I  gravely  bow  and  scrape  to  men  of  high  rank  and  men  o£ 

high  office 
Who  never  will  suffer  being  shown  an  honest-hearted  face! 

PARTING  AT  A  WINE-SHOP  IN  NAN-KING 

A  wind,  bringing  willow-cotton,  sweetens  the  shop, 
And  a  girl  from  Wu,  pouring  wine,  urges  me  to  share  it 
With  my  comrades  of  the  city  who  are  here  to  see  me  off; 
And  as  each  of  them  drains  his  cup,  I  say  to  him  in  parting, 
Oh,  go  and  ask  this  river  running  to  the  east 
If  it  can  travel  farther  than  a  friend's  love! 


HARD  ROADS  IN  SHU 

(Wnttcn  to  Music) 

O,  but  it  is  high  and  very  dangerous! 

Such  travelling  is  harder  than  scaling  the  blue  sky. 

.  .  .  Until  two  rulers  of  this  region 

Pushed  their  way  through  in  the  misty  ages, 

Forty-eight  thousand  years  had  passed 

With  nobody  arriving  across  the  Ch'in  border. 


906  CHINESE   POETRY 

And  the  Great  White  Mountain,  westward,  still  has  only  a  bird's  path  w 

Up  to  the  summit  of  O-mei  Peak — 

Which  was  broken  once  by  an  earthquake  and  there  were  brave  men 

lost, 

Just  finishing  the  stone  rungs  of  their  ladder  toward  heaven.11 
.  .  .  High,  as  on  a  tall  flag,  six  dragons  drive  the  sun, 
While  the  river,  far  below,  lashes  its  twisted  course. 
Such  height  would  be  hard  going  for  even  a  yellow  crane, 
So  pity  the  poor  monkeys  who  have  only  paws  to  use. 
The  Mountain  of  Green  Clay  is  formed  of  many  circles — 
Each  hundred  steps,  we  have  to  turn  nine  turns  among  its  mounds. 
Panting,  we  brush  Orion  and  pass  the  Well  Star, 
Then,  holding  our  chests  with  our  hands  and  sinking  to  the  ground 

with  a  groan, 

We  wonder  if  this  westward  trail  will  never  have  an  end. 
The  formidable  path  ahead  grows  darker,  darker  still, 
With  nothing  heard  but  the  call  of  birds  hemmed  in  by  the  ancient  forest, 
Male  birds  smoothly  wheeling,  following  the  females; 
And  there  come  to  us  the  melancholy  voices  of  the  cuckoos 
Out  on  the  empty  mountain,  under  the  lonely  moon  .  .  . 
Such  travelling  is  harder  than  scaling  the  blue  sky. 
Even  to  hear  of  it  turns  the  cheek  pale, 
With  the  highest  crag  barely  a  foot  below  heaven. 
Dry  pines  hang,  head  down,  from  the  face  of  the  cliffs, 
And  a  thousand  plunging  cataracts  outroar  one  another 
And  send  through  ten  thousand  valleys  a  thunder  of  spinning  stones. 
With  all  this  danger  upon  danger, 
Why  do  people  come  here  who  live  at  a  safe  distance? 
.  .  .  Though  Dagger-Tower  Pass  be  firm  and  grim, 
And  while  one  man  guards  it 
Ten  thousand  cannot  force  it, 
What  if  he  be  not  loyal, 
But  a  wolf  toward  his  fellows? 
.  .  .  There  are  ravenous  tigers  to  fear  in  the  day 
And  venomous  reptiles  in  the  night 

10  Mountain  trail. 

u"Only  after  able-bodied  men  perished  from  landslides  was  the  suspended  plank-road 
completed."  (A  road  of  planks  was  laid  out  on  the  side  of  the  high  cliffs  of  the  Yangtse 
Gorges,  providing  entrance  to  Szechucn.  The  scene  suggests  the  Burma  Road.) 


LI    PO  907 

With  their  teeth  and  their  fangs  ready 

To  cut  people  down  like  hemp. 

.  .  .  Though  the  City  of  Silk  be  delectable,  I  would  rather  turn  home 

quickly. 

Such  travelling  is  harder  than  scaling  the  blue  sky  ... 
But  I  still  face  westward  with  a  dreary  moan. 

ENDLESS  YEARNING 

(Written  to  Music) 

"I  am  endlessly  yearning 

To  be  in  Ch'ang-an. 

.  .  .  Insects  hum  of  autumn  by  the  gold  brim  of  the  well; 

A  thin  frost  glistens  like  little  mirrors  on  my  cold  mat; 

The  high  lantern  flickers;  and  deeper  grows  my  longing. 

I  lift  the  shade  and,  with  many  a  sigh,  gaze  upon  the  moon, 

Single  as  a  flower,  centred  from  the  clouds. 

Above,  I  see  the  blueness  and  deepness  of  sky. 

Below,  I  see  the  greenness  and  the  restlessness  of  water  .  .  . 

Heaven  is  high,  earth  wide;  bitter  between  them  flies  my  sorrow. 

Can  I  dream  through  the  gateway,  over  the  mountain? 

Endless  longing 

Breaks  my  heart." 

BRINGING  IN  THE  WINE 

(Wntten  to  Music) 

Sec  how  the  Yellow  River's  waters  move  out  of  heaven. 

Entering  the  ocean,  never  to  return. 

See  how  lovely  locks  in  bright  mirrors  in  high  chambers, 

Though  silken-black  at  morning,  have  changed  by  night  to  snow. 

.  .  .  Oh,  let  a  man  of  spirit  venture  where  he  pleases 

And  never  tip  his  golden  cup  empty  toward  the  moon!  u 

Since  heaven  gave  the  talent,  let  it  be  employed! 

Spin  a  thousand  pieces  of  silver,  all  of  them  come  back! 

Cook  a  sheep,  kill  a  cow,  whet  the  appetite, 

And  make  me,  of  three  hundred  bowls,  one  long  drink! 

.  .  .  To  the  old  master,  Ts'en, 

"Never  let  the  golden  cup  wait  idly  upon  the  moon. 


900  CHINESE    POETRY 

And  the  young  scholar,  Tan-ch'iu, 

Bring  in  the  wine! 

Let  your  cups  never  rest! 

Let  me  sing  you  a  song! 

Let  your  ears  attend! 

What  are  bell  and  drum,  rare  dishes  and  treasure? 

Let  me  be  forever  drunk  and  never  come  to  reason! 

Sober  men  of  olden  days  and  sages  are  forgotten, 

And  only  the  great  drinkers  are  famous  for  all  time. 

.  .  .  Prince  Ch'en  paid  at  a  banquet  in  the  Palace  of  Perfection 

Ten  thousand  coins  for  a  cask  of  wine,  with  many  a  laugh  and  quip 

Why  say,  my  host,  that  your  money  is  gone  ? 

Go  and  buy  wine  and  we'll  drink  it  together! 

My  flower  -dappled  horse, 

My  furs  worth  a  thousand, 

Hand  them  to  the  boy  to  exchange  for  good  wine, 

And  well  drown  away  the  woes  of  ten  thousand  generations! 


The  Tale  of  Meng  Chiang 

A  "drum  story,"  in  five  cantos,  translated  by 
Genevieve  Wimsatt 


PROLOGUE 
(To  the  beat  of  the  drum) 

Shrewd  the  trader,  Lii  Pu-wei!  * 
Knowing  Time  must  well  repay 
Cost  and  care,  he  dares  devise 
Schemes  to  market  merchandise 
Rare  and  strange — beguileful  eyes! 

Though  the  greedy  hand  essay 
"Spring  and  Autumn's*'  brush  again — 
Daring  competition — when 
Discords  and  confusions  rise 
Loathed  their  records  pass  away 
Never  graved  on  hearts  of  men. 
Crime,  bequeathed  from  age  to  age, 
Carries  as  its  appanage 
Wrongs  born  of  an  elder  day; 
Cursed  through  the  historic  page 
Runs  the  name  that  all  despise. 
Lii  takes  on  the  regal  guise 
Rightful  to  the  Line  of  Ying;1 
Kingdoms  six  devouring, 
Ch'm  is  battened  great  in  size. 

'Real  father  of  Ch'm  the  First  Emperor,  the  builder  of  the  Great  Wall. 
*  Ying  is  the  clan  name  of  the  Ch'm  rulers. 

909 


910  CHINESE   POETRY 

"To  make  the  kingdom  firm,"  Meng  Tzu  8  has  said, 

"Place  no  dependence  upon  streams  and  hills." 

But  Ch'in  Shih  Huang,  first  to  be  heralded 

As  Emperor  of  one  great  nation,  wills 

To  build  the  Wall.  The  white  bones  of  the  dead 

Lie  near  in  heaps,  the  living  flee  in  dread; 

World-wide  have  tyranny  and  terror  spread; 

To  the  Four  Seas  go  streaming  such  rank  ills 

That  even  genii  weep  and  demons  wail; 

When  books  are  burned,  and  lettered  men  are  thrust 

Alive  into  the  grave,  then  to  the  dust 

Is  learning  leveled,  law  and  order  fail 

When  States  are  riven  and  no  Rites  prevail. 

CANTO  I:    LEAVING  THE  VILLAGE 

She  is  a  crystal  holding  Heaven's  light 
And  glints  of  sunny  Earth,  this  Meng  Chiang, 
The  faithful  lady  of  Fan  Ch'i  Liang. 
Most  steadfast  of  all  those  that  love  the  right, 
Alone  she  stands;  for  since  her  lord  was  reaved 
To  labor  at  the  Great  Long  Wall  a  blight 
Has  lain  upon  her  beauty;  she  has  grieved 
Until  her  waist  is  like  the  willow  wand; 

On  her  rouge-rejecting  cheek 

Sorrow  fades  the  colors  faint; 

Left  unsleek,  her  eyebrows  speak 

All  of  heart-ache,  naught  of  paint. 
The  East  Room  dream,  too  fleet,  too  fond, 
Fades  with  the  night; 

The  bamboo  screen  has  been  hooked  up;  beyond 
The  Northern  Bourn  her  tranced  thought  wings  its  flight 
To  where  the  wintered  sun  shows  dull  and  slight. 

Wistful,  she  muses,  "Where 

Is  my  lord  forced  to  bear 

The  heavy  bricks?  The  scholar  is  but  slim 

And  frail — and  who  will  pity  him  ? 

8  Same  as  Mengtse. 


THE  TALE  OF  MENG  CHIANG          pl 

His  strength  is  slight — and  who  will  spare 
The  student?  Is  there  none  to  care 
How  we  may  fare? 

Ruthless  overseers  dare 

Roar  their  biddings,  crack  their  thongs; 

Blows  and  cursings  are  his  share — 

Hapless,  must  he  bear  these  wrongs? 

"My  lord,  why  bid  your  wife's  heart  follow  you 

Across  the  myriad  miles'5  I  sit  alone 

And  watch  the  shadows  of  the  lamp  imbrue 

The  empty  room  with  gloom.  My  thoughts  pursue 

The  moon-wheel's  downward  track.  I  scan  the  zone 

Edging  the  far  sky  where  white  clouds  are  rifting; 

The  shifting  wind  has  autumn  in  its  tone, 

And  down  the  ancient  highway,  drifting,  drifting, 

Red  leaves  are  blown. 

"To  wait  and  wait 

Breaks  heart  and  hope — when  will  this  vigil  end? 

I  sigh  for  him,  my  lord  of  bitter  fate; 

When  will  that  sun  ascend 

Shining  on  his  return  ?  Disconsolate, 

I  pledge  my  life  to  seek  him,  though  there  be 

Outstretched  to  sunder  us  ten  thousand  /// 

Though  downward  to  the  Yellow  Springs  I  fare,4 

Yet,  even  there, 

My  wish  fulfilled  may  follow  me." 

Despite  her  little  bow-shaped  shoes,8  despite 

Her  tiny  hose,  her  small  teeth  gleaming  white, 

Her  shapely  brows,  this  lady's  soul  is  bright 

As  gold  and  chrysolite, 

Like  iron  is  her  heart. 

A  gown  of  cotton  for  her  wear, 

A  paltry  pin  thrust  in  her  hair, 

Her  charmfulness  and  graces  furled, 

4  To  the  grave. 

K  Evidently  an  anachronism  for  those  days,  accepted  by  the  average  Chinese  audience 


912  CHINESE    POETRY 

She  goes  through  blowing  wind  and  dripping  rain, 

And  under  moonbeams  falling  on  the  world 

Slantwise  and  sinister.  Alone  to  dare 

The  road  affrights  her  heart;  yet  not  in  vain 

Has  she  been  urgent  to  prepare 

Warm  clothing  for  Fan  Ch'i  Liang  to  wear 

In  winter.  Neither  loyalty  nor  gain 

Will  tempt  a  runner  to  the  drear  campaign 

Where  stands  the  wall;  but  she  herself  will  bear 

The  bundle  on  her  back! 

Ahead  she  sees 

The  falling,  withered  leaves,  the  frosted  trees — 
Suddenly  cold  and  cutting  veers  the  breezel 
Maples  by  the  river's  edge  .  .  . 
From  the  hut  of  fisher  folk 
Lonely  curls  the  evening  smoke  .  .  . 
Flocking  wild  geese  in  a  wedge 
Sink  obliquely  toward  the  sedge  .  .  . 
Broad,  broad  the  sky — where  is  he  now  forlorn  ? 
Wide,  wide  the  earth,  and  one  alone  must  mourn. 

With  willow  waist  and  downcast  almond  eyes, 
Delicate,  diffident,  she  treads  the  way 
With  lily  steps,  on  aching  feet;  her  gay 
Kingfisher  °  sleeves  are  useless  when  she  tries 
To  screen  her  powdered  face  from  dust  and  grit; 
Too  sorrowful  to  lift  her  bright  attire, 
She  lets  her  girdle  drag  through  mud  and  mire, 
Locking  her  brows  in  pain;  her  bundles  weigh 
Heavy  and  heavier  as  bit  by  bit 
Her  strength  is  spent. 

Ah,  Lady,  thus  to  rain 
Tears  to  the  wind  but  wounds  the  heart  in  vain! 

She  sighs,  "Hs-s-s-s-si,  High  Heaven,  on  what  day 
Shall  he  again  behold  his  native  land? 
Departing  for  the  Wall  he  cautioned  me, 
"  The  time  of  my  returning  needs  must  be 
Uncertain.  The  Imperial  Decree, 

8  Embroidered  with  kingfisher  feather. 


THE    TALE    OF    MENG    CHIANG  913 

The  Royal  Messenger's  command, 

Who  dares  resist?  Ai!  Ai!  Once  I  am  dead, 

And  my  white  bones  cast  out  upon  the  sand, 

Never  again  may  we  rest  head  by  head 

On  the  same  pillow,  like  the  mated  birds 

Flying  in  pairs!  O  True  Wife,  heed  my  words; 

Never  oppose  what  you  can  not  withstand; 

Credit  no  dream  that  once  again  may  shine 

The  shattered  mirror!  7  Do  not  be  misled 

To  think  this  petty  property  of  mine 

Could  keep  you.  Do  not  bring  to  naught 

The  bright  hopes  of  your  spring!  Your  own  forethought 

Will  tell  you  I  perhaps  shall  find  it  hard 

To  come  again.1 

"My  Lord,  your  words  were  fraught 
With  pity;  yet  recall  what  kind  of  wife 
Was  yours  in  quiet  days  of  wedded  life. 
Have  you  forgot  our  heart-to-heartedness, 
Matching  like  fish  and  water?  *  Why  regard 
Your  mate  as  dust  and  ashes?  Tireless 
The  hot  blood  surges  in  my  breast;  unmarred 
My  clear  heart  is  a  scepter  of  pure  jade. 
Knowing  my  purpose  good  I  dare  rely 
Upon  my  strength.  With  constancy  to  aid 
Even  the  heart  of  Heaven  may  be  swayed. 

I,  when  I  was  small  and  young, 

From  my  honored  father  heard 

Precepts,  and  still  heed  the  word 

Of  the  parent-mentor's  tongue; 

Ever  has  my  heart  preferred 

Principles  correct  and  straight; 

Furthermore,  my  lord  conferred 

Precious  counsels  on  his  mate. 
How  should  I  venture  now  to  turn  my  back 
On  admonitions  of  a  learned  sire, 
Forget  a  husband's  exhortations,  slack 
The  duty  that  both  need  and  right  require? 

7  Symbol  of  separation  of  husband  and  wife.  *  Symbol  of  marital 


914  CHINESE   POETRY 

"Therefore,  not  by  ten  thousand  li  deterred, 
Seeking  my  lord  I  take  the  track 
That  leads  to  distant  boundaries." 

CANTO  II:    IN  THE  DREAM 

"Even  the  crackle  of  a  falling  leaf 
Affrights  the  heart  made  timorous  by  grief!" 

"Soon  the  autumn  wind  will  send 

Sun-rays  slanting  toward  the  west — 

In  the  shelter  of  what  home 

Shall  this  way-worn  body  rest? 

In  the  marshes  where  I  roam, 

In  this  alien  Land-of-others, 

Are  there  fathers?  Are  there  mothers? 

Far  and  wide  the  dried  grass  smothers 

All  the  landscape;  'neath  a  sky 

Darkly  frigid,  here  am  I! 
Back  to  the  village  copse  the  ravens  fly, 
Dotting  the  dusk  and  chattering  on  high; 
How  should  this  timid  one  be  undismayed 
Facing  the  road  where  twilight  shadows  lie? 

Hark!  Again,  again  the  knell 

Sounding  from  a  distant  bell! 
Ahead,  perhaps,  some  hamlet  site  is  near; 
I  hasten  onward  toward  the  peal  I  hear, 
And  glimpse  a  spot  of  lamplight  in  the  glade!" 
In  haste  the  lady  wipes  away  a  tear, 
And  walks  into  the  forest  where  the  shade 
Is  darkest.  In  the  gloomy  depths  appear 
A  rustic  temple  and  a  tiny  shrine 
Built  to  Lung  Wang,  the  Dragon  King  * 
She  asks  herself,  "What  if  I  laid 
Myself  beneath  the  Lung  Wang's  sheltering 
Table  of  sacrifice  to  pass  the  night  .  .  . 
Only  a  flake  of  body  now  is  mine, 

'The  King  of  the  Sea. 


THE    TALE    OF    MENG    CHIANG  915 

Wasted  so  thin  and  slight 

That  none  would  note  it  there  .  .  . 

Often  before 

I  have  drunk  water  from  the  forest  spring 
To  quench  my  thirst;  but  now  no  store 
Of  food  in  earthen  vessels  could  I  bring 
Along  with  me,  and  how  shall  I  be  fed?" 

Without  surcease  the  lady's  tears  are  shed; 

Before  the  holy  place  of  worshipping 

She  makes  her  k'o  t'ous,10  while  her  prayers  implore: 

"O  Dragon  King,  look  down  with  grace 
On  Meng  Chiang,  and  pardon  her 
That  she  profanes  your  holy  place, 
Misfortune-driven  traveller, 
Hiding  from  the  wind  and  frost!" 

She  drops  her  bundle  to  accost 

The  god;  then  from  the  stones  embossed 

With  mould  of  ages  sweeps  a  space, 

And  in  the  altar's  cold  embrace 

Clenching  her  teeth,  shutting  her  almond  eyes, 

Herself  as  cold  as  ice,  she  lies. 

The  autumn  night  winds  penetrate  her  dress 
In  waves;  lifting  her  head  the  lady  spies 
The  hooked  moon  hanging  slantwise  in  the  skies; 
The  bright  rays  fall  upon  her  dress  like  rime. 
Toward  the  Cold  Mansion  of  the  Moon  Goddess 
Meng  Chiang  Nii  sighs  her  distress : 

"Ai,  Ch'ang-O,  fair  Lunar  Queen, 

Why  are  you  thus  pitiless 

Toward  your  humble  votaress? 

Spacious  Heaven  knows  your  light, 

On  the  Myriad  Things  your  sheen 

Falls  in  glory,  silver  white; 

Clean  and  cold  your  beams  make  bright 

**  Kowtow,  or  kotow. 


916  CHINESE   POETRY 

Earth's  ten  corners;  distant  are 

Both  celestial  and  terrene 

Frontiers,  yet  these  feet  are  less 

Than  three  inches;  long  and  far 

Winds  the  road,  yet  must  this  slight 

Body  trail  its  endlessness. 
I  plead  the  holy  plea,  bestow  a  dream 
On  my  Beloved  to  bring  him  cheer 
(Clothes,  too,  to  keep  him  warm  in  those  extreme 
North  wilds  where  frost  falls  most  severe), 
Compassionate  the  last  branch  of  the  tree 
Left  sere  and  drear! 
And  pity  me, 

Meng  Chiang  Nil,  toiling  ten  thousand  HI 
Though  this  small  wife  not  twice  ten  years  has  faced 
The  dusty,  windy  world,  yet  see 
The  shades  that  nest  within  her  breast, 
And  on  her  cheeks  the  tracks  the  tears  have  traced  I" 

No  sooner  does  the  lady  drowse 

Than  down  a  stretch  of  darkness  she  is  led 

Into  the  Land  of  Dreams. 

Here  is  a  man  with  knitted  brows, 

Holding  his  grief  in  check — tears  in  his  eyes — 

His  body  covered  with  a  rotting  shred 

Of  cloth — racked  with  despair  he  seems. 

Sadly  he  bows  his  head 

Before  the  lady  as  he  sighs, 

"Ah,  Wife,  do  you  not  know  Fan  Ch'i  Liang? 

Searching  for  me  you  have  not  winced  to  tread 

Ten  thousand  //.  Now  only  in  this  wise, 

With  shattered  bones,  with  body  broke  and  dead 

Your  lord  indemnifies 

The  toils  and  hardships  of  his  Meng  Chiang!" 

The  dreamer  in  the  dream  replies, 
"Ah,  Husband,  you  have  come!'*  She  laughs  and  cries 
And  calls,  "My  Lord!  My  Lord  .  .  ."  She  springs  to  press 
Closer  her  greeting — "Lord,  all  happiness!" 


THE    TALE    OF    MENG    CHIANG  917 

"Already  from  the  plum  blossoms  the  sounds  of  autumn  call; 
Already  on  the  lattice  silk  athwart  the  moon-beams  fall.  .  .  ." 

Startled,  the  lady  wakes.  All  overhead 
Cluster  the  stars,  upon  the  earth  is  spread 
The  hoarfrost.  She  recalls  the  dream  departed 
And  muses,  "This  can  not  but  make  me  dread 
Some  great  misfortune!  In  the  dream  he  said 
The  fragments  of  his  bones,  his  body's  dust 
Should  be  my  compensation,  so  I  must 
Ponder  this  vision  all  but  broken-hearted  .  .  . 

"Perhaps,  over  wide  waters  and  high  hills 
This  dream  has  traveled  jokingly,  and  thus 
Its  contents  were  inverted,  goods  and  ills  .  .  „ 
A  dream  is  only  what  the  dreamer  wills," 
She  solaces  herself.  "My  vagrant  thought 
Was  masterless  .  .  .  Ah,  is  it  fate 
That  I  should  seek  my  mate 
Beneath  the  earth  ?  If  destiny  has  wrought 
This  condemnation,  how  can  I  do  aught 
But  meet  the  doom?  Yet  let  one  hope  abide — 
At  last  to  rest  me  by  my  husband's  side! 
Now  am  I  fearful  lest  without  avail 

I  perish  half  way  on  the  road  and  fail 

To  meet  my  lord.  Hsi!  Hsi!  that  I  am  frail 
And  soft  as  water!  At  the  midnight  hour 
Empty  and  shaking  in  the  dark  I  cower 
Beneath  the  altar  stone." 

The  sky  is  pale 

Before  the  rising  sun,  the  frost-touched  vale 
Is  damp,  the  ravens  from  the  tree  tops  flit, 
And  orioles  begin  to  dart  and  twit 
Along  the  ancient  way. 

The  lady  rises  with  the  dawn  to  say 
Adieu  to  each  and  every  little  Kuei u 

II  Earthly  spirit. 


9l8  CHINESE   POETRY 

Guarding  the  shrine.  Before  the  Dragon  King 
She  lifts  her  eyes  and  kneels  to  pray. 
Her  jade-fine  fingers  fix  the  covering 
About  the  bundle;  in  her  heart  is  strife 
Of  hope  and  sorrow;  bowed  beneath  her  load 
She  sighs. 

"Of  all  the  ills  that  here  are  rife 
To  journey  with  no  goal  is  first  and  worst — 
Yet,  even  this,  the  utmost  ill  of  life, 
Attests  the  unity  of  man  and  wife." 

CANTO  III:    OVERNIGHT  AT  THE  INN 

"Rustling  sounds  of  early  fall  .  .  . 
Down  the  ancient  highway  brawl 
Whirling  leaf  and  dusty  squall  .  .  ." 

From  her  locked  brows  the  paint  is  blown, 
The  rouge  is  rifled  from  her  face, 
Her  tender  breast  at  night  has  known 
The  soaking  dews;  with  swaying  grace 
She  wavers  in  the  wind's  embrace. 

"Where  are  you  now,  my  lord,  alive,  or  dead? 

Not  knowing  this  I  can  not  rightly  know 

Toward  what  end  I  should  strive. 

I  dream  that  on  my  brows  I  still  can  feel 

The  paint  strokes  that  you  sketched  there  long  ago  "... 

We  two  have  played  the  harp  amid  the  flowers 

In  the  serenity  of  moon-lit  hours 

Heralding  autumn's  coming.  .  .  .  Now  I  go 

Toward  the  Long  Wall  .  .  .  and  will  the  end  reveal 

My  Lord?  Stark  desolation  lowers 

Along  the  road  I  tread,  wishing  in  vain 

That  you  might  come  to  share  the  evening  meal  .  . . 

Perhaps,  never  again 

Shall  we  two  steal 

Together  up  the  stairs.  .  .  . 

**  Allusion  to  a  scholar  who  painted  her  eyebrows  for  his  bride. 


THE    TALE    OF    MENG    CHIANG  919 

Hsi,  hsi!  What  crime, 
My  lord,  did  you  commit  in  that  dim  time 
Before  your  birth  that  we  must  bear  this  woe? 
I  sigh,  and  rub  my  bruised  soles  where  the  pain 
Is  sharpest.  Now  am  I 
Like  the  small  floweret,  yellow,  dry.  .  .  . 

"When,  suddenly,  the  gusts  of  autumn  blow, 
Against  my  shoulders,  red,  red  leaves  are  whirled: 
The  saddest  spot,  perhaps,  in  all  the  world 
Is  but  the  pathway  where  few  footprints  show. 
Deep  in  these  woods,  from  maple  tree  and  oak 
Thick  falling  leaves  darken  the  air  like  smoke; 
Sometimes  I  pass  a  newly  rifled  tomb; 
Sometimes,  dark  footprints  on  the  frosted  bridge 
Spanning  the  freshet's  spume; 
Sometimes  I  see  the  cock  perched  on  the  ridge 
A-top  the  rush-thatched  inn  and  hear  him  crow, 
While  in  the  moonlight  of  the  court  below 
The  watch  dogs  bark  before  the  wattled  door; 
Sometimes  the  blackbirds  to  the  tree  tops  soar  .  .  . 
Over  these  scenes  of  solitude  I  pore, 
And  one  by  one  they  fill  my  heart  with  gloom." 

The  sun  has  reached  its  high  meridian, 
And  still  the  lady  has  not  broken  fast; 
Early  or  late,  she  knows,  the  traveler  can 
Get  porridge  at  the  village  inn.  At  last 
She  finds  a  hostel  where  the  holder's  clan 
Is  dwelling.  Here  the  Good  Dame  of  the  inn 
Notes  that  although  the  lady's  traveling  gear 
Is  scant  and  poor,  yet  is  her  air 
Gentle  and  elegant. 

She  asks,  "What  fare, 
A  meal  or  less,  would  you  be  served  with  here?" 

The  guest  replies,  "Only  what  you  prepare 
For  every  day,  rice  gruel  from  the  pot, 
That  is  enough." 


9^0  CHINESE   POETRY 

She  cats  a  frugal  share 
Of  congee,  then,  revived,  she  starts  to  blot 
And  pat  the  moisture  from  her  peach  bloom  cheeks 
And  willow  brows  with  every  winsome  phase 
Of  charm,  and  myriad  shy,  engaging  ways. 

Watching  her  lovely  guest  the  hostess  speaks, 

"What  a  fine  lady!  There's  nobility 

About  her,  though  there's  trouble  in  her  gaze." 

She  questions,  "Gentle  Lady,  tell  me  where 
You  come  from,  tell  me  where  you  think  to  go." 

Meng  Chiang  Nil  sighs  as  the  tear  drops  flow, 
"The  Long  Wall  is  our  endless  enemy! 
To  labor  at  its  building  did  they  tear 
My  husband  from  his  home.  My  heart  has  striven 
Toward  him  in  vain  across  ten  thousand  K, 
To  barren  hill  tops  have  my  tears  been  given! 
Boundary  wind  and  winter  snow 
Chill  the  world;  the  thin  smoke  driven 
By  the  tempest  to  and  fro 
Saps  the  sun's  enfeebled  glow; 
Laden,  toward  my  lord  I  go- 
Bearing  bundles  dulls  the  woe — 
Plodding  onward  fagged  and  slow 
Numbs  the  heart  by  sorrow  riven. 
As,  when  the  stream  runs  dry  the  rocks  appear, 
So,  at  the  journey's  end,  when  I  draw  near 
The  Great  Long  Wall  my  heart  shall  be  at  rest. 
Yet,  even  this,  the  uncompleted  quest, 
Is  better  than  the  aching,  breaking  heart, 
The  shedding  of  the  futile,  bloody  tear  I" 

"Nonsense I"  the  Good  Dame  says.  "Let  be!  Let  be! 

How  tramp  a  thousand — nay,  ten  thousand  //'/ 

The  eighth  and  ninth  months  shift  the  seasons  cold. 

One  body  small,  one  pair  of  tiny  feet, 

While  in  the  mountains  lurk  the  bandits  bold, 


THE    TALE    OF    MENG    CHIANG  921 

And  everywhere  there's  crime  and  knavery! 

The  wind  blows  straight  south-west.  Lady,  behold, 

You  face  north-east.  Your  journey  was  begun 

When  summer  smiled,  but  now  the  autumn's  done. 

These  facts  have  force  to  wake  the  sympathy 

Of  mere  on-lookers,  Lady,  have  they  none 

To  wake  your  fears?  Wherever  there  may  be 

A  comely  woman,  who  will  guarantee 

There'll  spring  no  brigand  armed  with  club  and  knife?" 

The  pilgrim  answers,  "Sages  all  agree 
That  of  the  Five  Relations  of  this  life 
Foremost  is  that  between  the  Man  and  Wife. 
This  is,  for  womankind,  the  only  one 
To  hold,  the  other  four  are  not  our  care. 
I  have  received  with  glad  humility 
Your  kind  instructions,  and  I  am  aware 
Of  all  these  perils.  Yet,  caught  in  the  snare 
Of  this  hard  enterprise,  my  foolish  heart 
Can  rest  no  more  in  quiet.  I  depart 
Determined  that  there  shall  be  no  returning 
(Although  our  meeting  be  beneath  the  ground!) 
Until  the  silken  strand  of  love  shall  wind 
To  rest  upon  the  paired  Teals* 1S  burial  mound, 
Or  on  the  high  crests  of  the  Fir  Trees  yearning 
Together  with  their  branches  intertwined."14 

The  hostess,  shaken  by  the  lady's  pain 
Lets  her  lips  quiver  and  her  tear  drops  rain 
To  see  such  piteous  courage. 

"Ai!"  she  sobs, 

"For  you  and  your  mishaps  my  old  heart  throbs! 
To  change  the  past,  whatever  can  we  do? 
You  must  not  go!  You  can  not  well  remain! 
I'd  like  to  venture  this  old  frame  of  mine, 

18  Usually  translated  as  "mandarin  ducks"  who  swim  in  pairs  and  arc  the  symbol  o 

marital  happiness. 

"The  two  trees  with  intertwined  branches,  also  a  s>mbol  of  union  between  lovers, 


922  CHINESE   POETRY 

Could  it  avail,  to  come  along  with  youl 
For  though  it,  also,  is  but  weak,  yet  two 
Arc  better  than  one  lady  all  alone." 

Meng  Chiang  draws  a  long  and  trembling  breath, 
And  answers,  "Should  I  dare  to  be  the  death 
Of  one  so  venerable  who  has  shown 
Me  kindness  ?  Such  an  act  would  ill  accord 
With  the  Proprieties!  My  heart  shall  hoard 
Your  mother-fondness.  On  some  other  day 
When  I  return  from  searching  for  my  lord, 
All  this  shall  I  repay." 

The  Good  Dame,  seeing  nothing  can  be  done 
To  change  the  lady's  purpose,  goes  to  spread 
Mats  for  the  resting  place; 
Then  these  two  light  the  lamp,  and  face  to  face 
Sit  talking  on  and  on. 

Ah,  from  the  shed 

The  rooster  crows  in  protest  at  delay! 
The  night-watch  drums  with  dawn  are  quieted; 
Taking  her  bundle,  making  no  more  stay 
For  rest,  the  lady  hastens  on  her  way. 

CANTO  IV:    SIGHS  ON  THE  ROAD 

Gustily  the  night  winds  sigh, 

Dawn  is  near, 

Fresh  and  magical  and  clear; 

Fallen  leaves 

Frolic  over  hill  and  mere; 

Dense  dew  cleaves 
Glistening  to  the  grasses  dry; 

Stars  appear 
Lusterless  against  the  sky; 

Through  the  high 
Boughs  of  trees  the  sun-beams  strike; 

Wanders  here 


THE    TALE    OF    MENG    CHIANG  923 

Meng  Chiang,  the  pilgrim  fair, 

Treading  where 
Prints  of  human  feet  are  rare. 

From  the  West 
Blows  the  wind  her  shadow-like 

Form  must  breast; 
Tinged  with  blood  her  tears  are  shed 

Jewel-red ; 
Up  the  rocky  road  must  tread 

Feet  that  wear 
Shoes  embroidered  and  compressed — 

Where  to  rest  ? 
In  her  bones  aching  is  bred; 

Hsi!  Hsi!  Hsi! 
Like  the  faded  yellow  bloom 

Presently 
She  must  meet  the  autumn  doom. 

How  to  bear 
Killing  cold,  and  not  despair? 

How  to  dare 
Cutting  blasts  of  winter  blown 

To  the  bone? 

Her  tiny  feet  traverse  the  icy  zone, 
Daunted  by  winter's  wrath  she  is  alone 
Like  the  thin  rush  left  shaking  in  the  breeze. 

Heavy-hearted,  in  a  daze, 

Staring  down  that  road  of  sighs, 

There  she  sees  before  her  eyes 

Myriad  mountain  peaks  arise 

Purple  in  the  distant  haze. 

"Oh,  Highest  Heaven,"  Meng  Chiang  makes  moan, 
"My  heart  is  breaking,  and  who  hears  my  pleas? 
Who  listens  to  my  prayer  when  I  complain 
At  this  embitterment  of  heart  and  brain  ? 
Where  is  the  Great  Long  Wall?" 

At  length, 

Her  eyes  still  stinging  from  the  squall, 
She  girds  her  strength 


924  CHINESE    POETRY 

And  mounts  the  lifting  //  that  crawl 
Over  the  mountains,  asking  all 
She  meets  for  tidings  of  her  lord. 

Just  now  at  Shan  Hai  Kuan,15  peasants  advise, 
The  Long  Wall  builders  push  the  work  abhorred. 

Glad  hope  and  newborn  cheer  suffuse 

The  lady's  heart  at  this  good  news. 

'Then,  right  ahead  my  high-road  lies! 

If  once  again  I  see  his  face 

The  hardships  of  this  enterprise 

Will  vanish  from  my  mind  without  a  trace!" 

Now  turn  to  this,  mark  how  Ch'm  Shih  Huang  Ti 

To  guard  the  nation  builds  the  Great  Long  Wall, 

And  orders  Meng  T'len  to  oversee 

The  work  for  speediest  accomplishment. 

The  people's  wealth  is  drained  and  spent, 

Their  strength  is  taxed,  their  energy 

Is  sapped,  the  marrow  of  their  bones 

Is  sucked;  ground  down  by  heavy  toil  they  die. 

Over  high  mountain  peaks  the  masses  haul 

Water,  and  up  the  steep  ascent 

Panting,  they  drag  the  heavy  stones. 

They  clamber  over  cliff  and  crag — 

Even  by  star-and-moonlight  who  dares  lag? 

The  corpses  of  the  laborers  that  fall 

Are  flung  into  the  Wall,  the  bones  of  men 

Dead  from  hard  work  are  piled  up  mountain-tall 

Mong  the  way. 

Up  to  the  Jasper  River1* 
Rises  the  breath  of  bitter  discontent; 
A  shiver  shakes  the  earth,  the  Heavens  quiver 
Hearing  the  loud  lament. 

15  The  eastern  end  of  the  Great  Wall,  northeast  of  Tientsin,  where  the  Great  Wall  runs 

into  the  sea. 

"ThcMilkvWav. 


THE    TALE    OF    MENG    CHIANG  925 

Fan  Ch'i  Liang,  torn  from  his  native  land, 
Conscripted  in  the  Wall-ward  driven  band 
Of  laborers,  what  hope  is  there  for  him? 
How  can  the  man  of  letters  long  withstand 
This  unremitting  toil?  The  ending  grim 
Must  be  his  death  before  the  term  is  past. 

Ai!  Ai!  That  hence  the  scholar's  soul  is  torn 

To  track  the  sinking  moon  and  trail  the  whim 

Of  veering  winds! 

Some  fellow  workmen  mourn 
Their  friend,  and  pitying  his  fate  forlorn 
Bury  his  body  in  the  rubble  massed 
Between  the  bricks. 

This  is  a  day  of  rest 

To  celebrate  the  bright  Mid-Autumn  Feast; 
From  work  the  driven  masons  are  released 
By  the  Imperial  Officer's  command. 
And  just  today  Meng  Chiang  ends  her  quest, 
Reaching  the  bourn  by  farthest  frontiers  spanned. 

Here  the  scene  is  different; 
Here  the  Long  Wall  girds  each  bleak 
Mountain  peak  to  mountain  peak 
Where  the  Pass  bellipotcnt 
Rears  into  the  firmament. 

Sighing,  the  lady  gazes  on  the  view— 
"Truly,"  she  muses,  "can  a  fixed  resolve 
Upturn  the  seas  and  make  the  hills  revolvcl 
But  for  firm  heart  and  constant  mind 
Who  could  have  found  strength  to  pursue 
This  road,  leaving  ten  thousand  h  behind, 
Ascending  step  by  step? 

But  where  so  few 

Families  dwell  it  may  be  hard  to  find 
Someone  to  lead  me  to  my  husband's  side!" 

She  stands  perplexed,  not  knowing  what  to  do, 
When,  suddenly,  she  sees  some  workers  stride 


926  CHINESE   POETRY 

Straight  toward  the  Portal.  One,  with  countenance 
Weathered  and  sad,  with  clothing  torn  and  frayed, 
Holds  spirit  money." 

"Surely,  there's  a  chance 

They  know  him!  Why  should  I  not  ask  their  aid?" 
Meng  Chiang  Nu  hastens  her  shy  advance 
Meeting  the  group,  and  crying,  "Sirs,  please  wait 
A  moment!" 

Now  the  workers  check  their  gait, 
Hailing  the  stranger  with  sedate 
Greetings.  They  see  that  though  her  glance 
Is  modest,  yet  her  spirit  is  depressed; 
That  though  her  cotton  skirt  is  torn, 
Her  clothing  dusty,  and  rude  pins  of  thorn 
Fasten  her  hair,  yet  here  is  manifest 
The  stamp  of  one  well  bred  and  nobly  born — 
She  is  a  crystal  holding  Heaven's  light, 
With  beauty  graced,  with  gentle  virtues  blessed 
The  lady  asks,  "Among  the  men  impressed 
To  labor  here  where  hill  and  sea  unite, 
Sirs,  does  Fan  Ch'i  Liang  toil  with  the  rest? 
He  is  my  husband." 

Moved,  the  masons  say, 
"It  is  for  him  that  we  have  come  today! 
Because  our  brother  Fan  was  young  and  slight, 
And  unaccustomed  to  the  fag  and  moil 
Of  heavy  labor  he  has  died  from  toil. 
And  since  we  fellow  workers  could  not  bear 
To  leave  his  corpse  exposed  to  sun  and  air, 
In  the  Long  Wall  we  buried  him  by  night. 

"Now,  at  Mid-Autumn  when  the  builders  share 
A  feast,  we  come  with  simple  rite 
To  burn  our  paper  money,  and  attest 
Our  friendship." 

While  the  laborers  recite 
Their  tale,  they  see  the  lady's  form  recoil 
And  drop,  her  almond  eyes  close  in  despair. 

17  Paper  money  burnt  for  the  use  of  the  deceased  in  the  underworld. 


THE    TALE    OF    MENG    CHIANG  927 

CANTO  V:    RECOGNIZING  THE  BONES 

"Parting  from  loved  ones  most  embitters  life  .  .  . 
Close  is  the  bond  uniting  man  and  wife." 

Once  Meng  Chiang  hears  that  her  lord  is  dead, 
To  the  Nine  Heavens  ranged  beyond  the  skies 
Torn  from  her  breast  her  ravaged  spirit  flies. 

"Like  the  frail  flower  that  the  marchers  tread, 
Like  the  pale  moon  by  clouds  discomfited  .  .  ." 

From  choking  throat  break  forth  her  stifled  cries; 
She  screams,  "Ah,  Husband!"  careless  of  the  eyes 
Regarding  her,  benumbed  and  stupefied 
She  crumbles  to  the  ground;  senseless  she  lies 
Her  eyes  wide  open  fixed  against  the  light, 
Staring,  her  peach-like  mouth  drooping  and  wryed, 
Her  red  lips  silver  white. 

She  stirs,  she  moans,  "Hsi,  I  am  slain! 
Why  should  High  Heaven  thus  requite 
The  good?  My  lord  was  careful  to  observe 
All  the  Proprieties;  there  was  no  Rite 
Ignored  by  him;  learned,  he  could  explain 
The  Classics;  dutiful,  he  did  not  swerve 
From  Righteousness;  he  studied  to  attain 
To  moral  excellence,  and  was  resigned 
To  follow  all  that  Heaven  should  ordain. 
He  knew  the  Sacred  Books  and  could  define 
Their  teachings.  Many  are  the  hearts  that  yearn 
To  see  Fan  Ch'i  Liang  return 
To  glorify  his  name.  Who  knows  that  he 
Is  vanished  like  a  stone  tossed  in  the  sea, 
Not  to  be  seen,  not  to  be  heard  again? 

"The  rest  house  on  the  long  road  where  we  parted, 
His  earnest  words,  his  last  farewell  to  me 
That  might  have  moved  the  stony-hearted, 


928  CHINESE  POETRY 

Can  I  forget?  My  lord,  did  you  not  say, 

'Husband  and  wife,  like  wood  birds  flying  free, 

Are  paired;  yet  when  the  day 

Of  doom  has  come  they,  too,  must  separate. 

Do  I  not  wish  that  man  might  be 

Ever  triumphant,  woman  dear? 

That  bonds  of  married  unity 

Might  never  warp  or  terminate? 

Ai!  Ai!  In  what  forgotten  sphere 

Were  sinned  those  sins  which  antedate 

And  mold  the  punishments  which  here 

We  blindly  bear  to  expiate 

Old  crimes?  What  man  can  conquer  Fate? 

From  the  Long  Wall  there  is  no  track 

By  which  the  builder  may  come  back. 

We  two,  I  think,  shall  meet  no  more, 

Except  as  in  the  fortunate 

Dream  of  the  Duke  of  Chou  of  yore.' 

"Now  are  fulfilled  the  words  you  spoke  afore! 

You  have  met  misadventures  strange  and  sore! 

To  what  horizons  desolate 

Have  you  called  for  me  to  commiserate 

Your  lonely  soul? 

I  only  know  that  wide  and  great 

Stretches  an  empty  universe;  I  dare 

Not  turn  to  look  behind;  before  me  where 

Is  there  a  home?  No  path  leads  on  ahead; 

There  is  no  roadway  back,  only  one  gate 

Opens  to  me  ... 

Hs-s-s-si!  when  I  am  dead 
There  is  no  fear  but  that  the  pallid  dust 
Of  my  blanched  bones,  unburied,  will  be  whirled 
By  aimless  winds  across  the  world!" 
The  workmen,  hearing  Meng  Chiang  lament, 
Seeing  her  cry  as  though  her  heart  would  break, 
Press  forward,  urging,  "Lady,  only  take 
A  little  rest,  and  cease  your  bitter  weeping!" 


THE    TALE    OF    MENG    CHIANG  929 

Quickly  the  lady  stills  the  turbulent 

Outburst  of  grief,  and  thanks  the  builders,  keeping 

Her  tears  in  check. 

"The  grace  that  you  have  shown 
In  burying  my  husband  shall  be  scored 
Upon  my  heart  as  though  engraved  on  bone. 
My  words  are  weak,  my  woman's  strength  is  spent  .  .  . 
Sirs,  tell  me  where  my  husband  lies  alone 
That  I  may  seek  his  grave." 

With  one  accord 

The  workers  weep,  and  say,  "Lady,  we,  too, 
Will  go  along  and  at  the  grave  bemoan 
Our  brother's  spirit  and  condole  with  you." 

Meng  Chiang  Nii  fastens  the  rain  cloth  straight 
About  the  pack,  shoulders  the  heavy  weight, 
And  follows.  As  late  autumn  floods  break  through 
Wrecking  their  channels,  so  her  tears  are  poured, 
Breaking  her  heart. 

Soon  there  beyond  the  Pass 
Along  the  coast  she  sees  the  rolling  mass 
Of  waters  swirl  itself  against  the  blue 
Clouds  to  the  very  roof  of  Heaven  soared. 

Wall  and  Eastern  Sea  unite 

At  the  shore;  a  thousand  times 

On  the  grisly  ramp  that  climbs 

Unresisted  to  the  height, 

Parapet  repeats  the  threat 

Caught  from  farther  parapet. 
Here  bricks  are  piled,  and  ashes  strew  the  ground, 
Over  the  dreary  scene  the  rude  winds  fling 
Deep  dust,  sweeping  the  acrid  smoke  to  sting 
The  eyes;  bleak  winter's  glacial  blasts  confound 
The  soul. 

Meng  Chiang  Nii  cries,  shuddering, 
"This  deadly  cold!  What  mortal  could  endure 
The  rigors  of  this  plain  ?  On  the  bleak  moor 
My  husband's  body  lies  beneath  a  mound 
Of  yellow  earth  amid  the  autumn  wood!" 


930  CHINESE   POETRY 

Then  to  the  group  her  eyes  in  question  cling — 
"But  here,  in  this  abandoned,  barren  space/' 
She  puzzles,  "Sirs,  there  is  no  sign  or  trace 
Of  any  grave  .  .  ." 

They  answer,  as  sighs  wring 
Their  hearts,  "Lady,  let  it  be  understood 
This  is  Imperial  Ground,  a  seizin  place 
Held  by  the  Reigning  House;  who  would — who  could- 
Dare  raise  a  burial  mound?  Here  at  the  base 
Of  the  Long  Wall  our  brother's  body  lies. 
Moved  by  our  sense  of  common  brotherhood, 
We  have  devoted  to  his  memory 
A  three-foot  stone,  white,  bearing  on  its  face 
Your  husband's  now-immortal  name  to  be 
His  tomb-tablet." 

The  workers  point,  "Here,  see, 
Just  at  this  stone!" 

The  lady  bends  above 

The  slab  sunk  at  the  Wall,  whereon  a  name 
That  neither  sun  nor  wind  can  quite  erase, 
Nor  grinding  dust,  shows  mistily. 

Meng  Chiang's  heart  burns  with  her  baffled  love 

Like  straw  devoured  by  flame; 

Against  the  Wall  she  beats  her  wasted  frame, 

Crying, 

"Ah,  Husband,  whither  strays 
Your  orphaned  spirit  ?  Now  for  whom 
Has  your  small  wife  embraced  the  doom 
Of  homelessness,  and  all  these  days 
Traveled  the  myriad-//-long  ways? 
Despite  the  distance  and  the  gloom, 
This  foolish-hearted  one  has  clung 
To  the  fond  hope  that  through  the  maze 
She  still  might  find  her  lord  among 
The  living.  Now  the  wild  grass  plume 
Flickers  its  shadow  on  your  tomb— - 
Like  sunken  pearl,  like  shattered  jade, 
You  perish,  leaving  me  to  gaze 


THE    TALE    OF    MENG    CHIANG  93! 

Upon  a  moon  that  mists  consume, 

Swift-sinking  stars  that  dull  and  fade, 

Clouds  that  the  winds  have  rent  and  frayedl 

My  world  forever  and  forever 

Is  but  a  lotus-pod  adrift — 

Though  Fate  itself  had  willed  this  gift 

Of  meeting,  now  it  could  be — never!" 

Meng  Chiang's  love  and  fervent  purpose  rise 
Straight  from  the  earth  and  pierce  the  very  skies! 
Ai,  of  a  truth,  such  constancy  can  sway 
The  Heavens,  and  move  even  Shen  and  Kuei.1* 
This  lady,  searching  for  her  husband's  bones, 
Cries,  and  the  Wall  is  riven,  earth  and  stones! 

Startled,  the  Wall  Official  makes  report 
Of  this  event  to  the  Imperial  Court. 
The  Son  of  Heaven,  Shih  Huang  Ti,  elects 
The  lady  for  his  palace! 

She  rejects 

The  summons!  Clasping  to  her  faithful  breast 
Her  husband's  bones,  she  stands  upon  the  crest 
Of  the  Long  Wall — a  leap,  a  flash,  and  she 
Is  lost  forever  in  the  Eastern  Sea! 

Now  Shih  Huang  Ti  approves  her  constancy, 

And  issues  an  Imperial  Decree 

For  rites  and  ceremonies  in  her  name, 

Ordering  that  a  temple  to  her  fame 

Be  built  close  by  the  wall  beyond  the  Portal — 

The  lady,  Meng  Chiang,  is  an  Immortal! 

16 Shen,  the  celestial  spirits;  Kuct,  the  earthly  spirits. 


The  Mortal  Thoughts 
of  a  Nun 

Translated  from  a  popular  drama  by  Lin  Yutang 

A  young  nun  am  I,  sixteen  years  of  age; 

My  head  was  shaven  in  my  young  maidenhood. 

For  my  father,  he  loves  the  Buddhist  sutras, 
And  my  mother,  she  loves  the  Buddhist  priests. 

Morning  and  night,  morning  and  night, 
I  burn  incense  and  I  pray,  for  I 
Was  born  a  sickly  child,  full  of  ills. 
So  they  sent  me  here  into  this  monastery. 

Amitabha!  Amitabha! 

Unceasingly  I  pray. 

Oh,  tired  am  I  of  the  humming  of  the  drums  and  the  tinkling  of  the 

bells; 

Tired  am  I  of  the  droning  of  the  prayers  and  the  crooning  of  the  priors; 
The  chatter  and  the  clatter  of  unintelligible  charms, 
The  clamor  and  the  clangor  of  interminable  chants, 
The  mumbling  and  the  murmuring  of  monotonous  psalms. 
Prajnaparamita,  Mayura-sutra, 
Saddharmapundarika — 

Oh,  how  I  hate  them  all! 

While  I  say  Mitabha, 

I  sigh  for  my  beau. 
While  I  chant  saparah, 

My  heart  cries,  "Ohl" 
While  I  sing  tarata, 

My  heart  palpitates  sol 

932 


THE    MORTAL    THOUGHTS    OF    A    NUN  933 

Ah,  let  me  take  a  stroll, 
Let  me  take  a  stroll! 

(She  comes  to  the  Hall  of  the  Five  Hundred  Lohans,  or  Arahats,  Bud- 
dhist saints,  who  are  tyiown  for  their  distinctive  facial  expressions.) 

Ah,  here  are  the  Lohan, 
^Vhat  a  bunch  of  silly,  amorous  souls! 

Every  one  a  bearded  man! 
How  each  his  eyes  at  me  rolls! 

Look  at  the  one  hugging  his  knees! 

His  lips  are  mumbling  my  name  so! 
And  the  one  with  his  cheek  in  his  hand, 

As  though  thinking  of  me  so! 
That  one  has  a  pair  of  dreamy  eyes, 

Dreaming  dreams  of  me  so! 

But  the  Lohan  in  sackcloth! 
What  is  he  after, 

With  his  hellish,  heathenish  laughter? 
With  his  roaring,  rollicking  laughter, 

Laughing  at  me  so! 

— Laughing  at  me,  for 
When  beauty  is  past  and  youth  is  lost, 

Who  will  marry  an  old  crone  ? 
When  beauty  is  faded  and  youth  is  jaded, 

Who  will  marry  an  old,  shrivelled  cocoon? 

The  one  holding  a  dragon, 

He  is  cynical; 
The  one  riding  a  tiger, 

He  is  quizzical; 
And  that  long-browed  handsome  giant, 

He  seems  pitiful, 
For  what  will  become  of  me  when  my  beauty  is  gone? 

These  candles  of  the  altar, 

They  are  not  for  my  bridal  chamber. 


934  CHINESE    POETRY 

These  long  incense-containers, 

They  are  not  for  my  bridal  parlor. 
And  the  straw  prayer-cushions, 

They  cannot  serve  as  quilt  or  cover. 

Oh,  God! 
Whence  comes  this  burning,  suffocating  ardor? 

Whence  comes  this  strange,  infernal,  unearthly  ardqr? 
I'll  tear  these  monkish  robes! 

I'll  bury  all  the  Buddhist  sutras; 
I'll  drown  the  wooden  fish, 

And  leave  all  the  monastic  putras! 

I'll  leave  the  drums, 

I'll  leave  the  bells, 
And  the  chants, 

And  the  yells, 

And  all  the  interminable,  exasperating,  religious  chatter! 
I'll  go  downhill,  and  find  me  a  young  and  handsome  lover- 
Let  him  scold  me,  beat  me! 

Kick  or  ill-treat  me! 
I  will  not  become  a  Buddha! 
I  will  not  mumble  mita,  prajna,  paral 


SKETCHES  OF 

CHINESE 

LIFE 


Chinese  Tales 


INTRODUCTION 


THE  DIFFERENCE  between  China  and  the  modern  world  that  we  call 
Western  is  that  in  the  West  children  believe  in  fairies  while  in  China 
the  adults  do  so.  The  capacity  for  belief  is  what  the  modern  world  has 
lost  on  the  whole,  to  our  advantage  or  disadvantage  no  one  can  say. 
Shakespeare  believed  in  a  lot  of  things  that  we  wise  prophets  of  the 
latter  days  do  not.  But  we  terribly  misjudge  when  we  project  our  idea 
of  verifiable  truth  and  confuse  it  with  poetic  truth  or  the  truth  of 
imagination.  Our  whole  attitude  toward  truth  has  been  vitiated  by  our 
scientific  training  and  we  can  no  longer  be  interested  in  a  truth  that 
cannot  pull  a  locomotive  or  work  a  steam  shovel.  What  we  have  lost  is 
fancy,  or  that  pleasurable  borderland  between  truth  and  fiction  where 
the  two  merge  and  it  becomes  unimportant  which  is  which.  That  is 
why  we  can  no  longer  produce  the  great  myths  that  were  associated 
with  religion;  the  self-conscious  mind  of  the  modern  man  has  lost  its 
simple  naivete.  But  this  difference  is  no  longer  between  Eastern  and 
Western;  it  is  a  difference  between  this  scientific  age  and  all  previous 
ages  of  all  countries.  Man  did  delight  in  fairies  before  the  nineteenth 
century,  except  for  a  few  staid,  rationalist  souls  like  Voltaire  and  Wang 
Ch'ung. 

Consequently,  Chinese  literature  abounds  in  tales  of  ghosts,  goblins, 
fox  spirits,  genii  and  double  personalities.  Such  stories  may  be  read  in 
Herbert  A.  Giles'  Strange  Stones  from  a  Chinese  Studio  (Boni  and 
Liveright).  The  best  collection  of  Chinese  short  stories  is  Chinku 
Ch'ifaan,  eleven  of  which  have  been  excellently  translated  by  E.  Butts 
Howell  (Inconstancy  of  Madame  Chuang  and  The  Restitution  of  the 
Bride,  Brentano).  These  are  longer  stories  and  show  a  higher  develop- 

937 


93$  SKETCHES    OF   CHINESE   LIFE 

mcnt  of  the  story-teller's  art.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  the  vast  fund  of 
Chinese  stories  has  scarcely  been  touched. 

In  the  present  selection,  I  have  chosen  a  few  shorter  ones  that  are 
either  typical  or  have  some  special  significance.  The  first  two  stories  of 
judgments  are  interesting  as  showing  resemblance  to  a  biblical  story. 
"The  Chinese  Cinderella"  should  be  interesting  to  students  of  folk-lore. 
"The  Tale  of  Ch'ienniang"  is  typical  of  those  weird  tales  wherein  a 
man's  spirit  can  depart  from  its  body.  The  next  two  are  early  tales  of 
the  fourth  century  with  a  peculiar  droll  humor,  typical  of  the  period. 
"The  Brothers'  Search  for  Their  Father"  and  "The  Private  History  of 
Queen  Feiyen"  are  strictly  true  stories  and  belong  to  history  rather  than 
fiction.  I  have  chosen  them  because  they  are  "curious"  from  the  Western 
point  of  view,  but  are  strictly  authentic.  Like  the  "Six  Chapters  of  a 
Floating  Life,"  they  may  be  regarded  as  documents  affording  real 
glimpses  into  Chinese  life.  All  these  stories  have  never  been  translated 
into  English  before,  except  "The  Tale  of  Ch'ienniang"  which  was  in- 
cluded in  My  Country  and  My  People.  Of  course,  I  have  not  included 
Chinese  jokes  and  humorous  stories  which  form  something  of  a  dessert 
by  themselves. 


Chinese  Tales 

Translated  by  Lin  Yutang 


THE  JUDGMENT  BETWEEN  TWO  MOTHERS 
(From  Fengshut'ung,  Second  Century) 

(This  and  the  following  story  with  the  same  motive  are  told  in  Fengshut'ung, 
written  by  Ymg  Shao  who  lived  certainly  in  the  years  A.D.  178-197.  The 
resemblance  with  the  biblical  story  of  Solomon's  judgment  in  Kings  is  strik- 
ing. A  story  of  the  same  theme  is  found  m  the  Commentary  to  the  ]ata1(as,  or 
Buddhist  "birth  stones,"  probably  written  by  Buddhaghosha  in  the  fifth  cen- 
tury, A.D.  in  India.1  The  two  stones,  however,  are  not  found  in  the  present  copy 
of  Fengshut'ung,  but  in  Ma  Tsung's  Yilin  of  the  T'ang  Dynasty,  which  is  a 
book  of  selections  from  the  ancient  philosophers,  very  much  prized  because 
many  of  its  selections  vary  from  present  texts,  of  Laotse,  Chuangtse,  Mencius, 
etc.,  or  preserve  passages  from  ancient  books  known  to  have  existed  but  are 
now  lost.  Ying  Shao's  work  was  well  known  and  the  official  bibliography 
of  the  History  of  Shui  around  A.D.  600,  recorded  the  book  as  consisting  of 
thirty-one  volumes,  while  the  present  copy  consists  only  of  ten  volumes.  The 
Y//i»  itself  is  known  to  have  been  a  book  of  selections  based  on  an  earlier  work 
by  Yu  Chungyung  of  the  Liang  Dynasty  (A.D.  546-556).  Chinese  translations 
of  Buddhist  works  began  in  the  first  century,  A.D.  The  resemblance  with 
Solomon's  story  could  well  have  been  a  coincidence. — Ed.) 

In  Yingch'uan,8  there  were  two  brothers  living  in  the  same  house,  and 
both  sisters-in-law  were  expecting.  The  elder  woman  had  a  miscarriage, 
but  did  not  let  any  one  know  about  it.  When  both  women  were  in  con- 
finement and  the  younger  sister-in-law  was  delivered  of  a  boy,  the 


1  Rhys  Davids,  Buddhist  Btrth-Stoncs.  I,  xni,  xliv. 
"  Ying  Shao's  own  native  district,  in  present  Honan. 


939 


940  SKETCHES   OF   CHINESE   LIFE 

elder  one  stole  her  child  at  night  and,  for  three  years,  the  dispute  could 
not  be  settled.  When  the  case  was  brought  before  the  Chief  Minister 
Huang  Pa,8  he  ordered  the  baby  to  be  placed  ten  steps  away  from  the 
two  mothers.  At  a  signal,  the  two  women  rushed  for  the  child  and  it 
seemed  the  baby  was  being  torn  to  pieces  and  neither  would  give  it  up. 
The  baby  was  crying  desperately,  and  the  mother  was  afraid  he  might 
be  hurt  and  let  him  go.  The  elder  woman  was  very  pleased,  while  the 
younger  woman  looked  very  sorrowful.  Then  Huang  Pa  declared,  "It 
is  the  younger  one's  child."  He  indicted  the  elder  woman  and  she  was 
indeed  found  guilty. 

THE  JUDGMENT  ON  A  DISPUTE 
(From  Fengshut'ung,  Second  Century) 

At  Linhuai,  a  silk  merchant  was  carrying  a  piece  of  waterproof  silk  to 
the  city  for  sale.  There  came  a  rain  and  he  spread  it  over  his  head  for 
shelter,  and  soon  another  man  came  to  stand  under  it.  When  the  rain 
had  stopped,  both  of  them  claimed  that  the  silk  was  his  own.  The  Chief 
Minister  Hsiieh  Hsiian  said,  "This  piece  of  waterproof  silk  is  only 
worth  several  hundred  cash.  Why  fight  over  it?"  Thereupon  he  cut  it 
in  two  and  gave  each  one  half.  As  he  continued  to  watch  them,  he  saw 
the  owner  was  protesting  that  he  had  been  wronged,  while  the  other 
man  seemed  well  satisfied.  And  so  he  knew  to  which  one  the  silk  right- 
fully belonged,  and  the  other  man  was  found  guilty  and  punished. 

THE  CHINESE  CINDERELLA 
(From  Yuyang  Tsatsu,  Ninth  Century) 

(This  is  the  earliest-known  Cinderella  story  in  writing  in  the  world.  The 
Cinderella  story  is  one  of  most  widespread  folk  tales  in  the  world,  and  hun- 
dreds of  versions  have  been  collected  and  studied  and  compared  by  scholars.4 
However,  according  to  Professor  R.  D.  Jameson,  an  authority  on  this  topic 
in  the  Far  East,  who  has  kindly  corresponded  with  me  on  the  subject,  "It 
[the  version  here]  antedates  the  earliest  Western  version  by  DCS  Perriers  in  his 
Nouvelles  Recreations  et  lojeux  Devis,  Lyon,  1558,  by  some  700  years."  The 
Chinese  version  is  from  Yuyang  Tsatsu,  a  book  of  weird,  supernatural  tales 
as  well  as  historical  learning,  written  by  Tuan  Ch'eng-shih,  who  died  in 
'Well-known  character  in  the  time  of  the  Three  Kingdoms. 

*  Marion  Rolfe  Cox,  Cinderella,  Three  Hundred  and  Forty-five  Variants  (London,  Folk- 
lore Society,  1893), 


CHINESE    TALES  94! 

863  A.D.  The  story  was  told  him  by  an  old  servant  of  his  family  who  was 
from  Yungchow  [modern  Nannmg]  in  Kwangsi,  and  who  came  from  the 
cave  people  [aborigines]  of  that  district.  Tuan  was  a  premier's  son  and  a 
scholar,  and  in  Yuyang  Tsatsu,  in  several  instances,  he  traced  certain  Chinese 
folk  tales  to  Buddhist  classics,  for  in  the  ninth  century,  Buddhist  supernatural 
stories  were  well  known  and  popular  in  China.  However,  this  story  was  stated 
to  have  come  first  hand  from  an  oral  tradition.  There  are  well-known  Siamese 
versions  of  the  Cinderella  story,  and  Nanning  is  very  close  to  Indo-China. 
In  response  to  my  inquiry  whether  this  version  could  have  come  from  India, 
Professor  Jameson  said,  "So  far  as  my  evidence  goes,  at  least,  the  oldest  version 
in  print  is  Chinese.  We  know  far  too  little  of  the  process  of  the  human 
imagination  and  far  too  many  spots  on  the  folklonstic  map  of  Asia  are  en- 
tirely unexplored  to  justify,  it  seems  to  me,  too  much  speculation."  The  strik- 
ing thing  about  this  Chinese  version  is  that  it  contains  the  elements  of  both 
the  Slavonic  tradition,  where  an  animal  friend  is  an  important  feature,  and  the 
Germanic  tradition,  where  the  loss  of  the  slipper  at  a  ball  is  the  important 
feature.  The  cruel  stepmother  and  stepsisters  are  common  to  both. — Ed.) 

Once,  before  the  time  of  Ch'in 5  and  Han  there  was  a  chief  of  a  mountain 
cave  whom  the  natives  called  Cave  Chief  Wu.  He  married  two  women, 
one  of  whom  died  leaving  him  a  baby  girl  named  Yeh  Hsien.  She 
was  very  intelligent  and  clever  at  working  on  gold  and  her  father  loved 
her  dearly,  but  when  he  died  she  was  maltreated  by  her  stepmother 
who  often  forced  her  to  cut  wood  and  sent  her  to  dangerous  places  to 
draw  water  from  deep  wells. 

One  day,  Yeh  Hsien  caught  a  fish  more  than  two  inches  long  with 
red  fins  and  golden  eyes  and  she  brought  it  home  and  placed  it  in  a 
basin  of  water.  Every  day  it  grew  larger  and  larger  until  finally  the  bowl 
wouldn't  hold  it  at  all  and  she  placed  it  in  the  pond  back  of  her  home. 
Yeh  Hsien  used  to  feed  it  with  what  she  had  saved  from  her  own  food. 
When  she  came  to  the  pond,  the  fish  would  rise  to  the  surface  and 
pillow  its  head  on  the  bank,  but  if  anyone  else  came  to  the  water's  edge 
it  would  never  appear. 

This  curious  behavior  was  noticed  by  the  stepmother  and  she  waited 
for  the  fish  but  the  latter  would  never  come  up.  One  day  she  resorted 
to  a  ruse  and  said  to  the  girl,  "Aren't  you  tired  from  work ?  I  will  give 
you  a  new  jacket."  Then  she  made  Yeh  Hsien  take  off  her  old  clothing, 
and  sent  her  off  to  a  distance  of  several  hundred  //  to  draw  water  from 

6  B.C.  222-206. 


942  SKETCHES   OF   CHINESE   LIFE 

another  well.  The  mother  then  put  on  Yeh  Hsien's  dress,  and  hiding  a 
sharp  knife  in  her  sleeve,  went  towards  the  pond  and  called  to  the  fish. 
When  the  fish  put  its  head  out  of  the  water,  she  killed  it.  The  fish  was 
by  that  time  already  over  ten  feet  long,  and  when  it  was  cooked,  it  tasted 
so  many  times  better  than  other  fish.  And  the  mother  buried  its  bones 
in  a  dunghill. 

Next  day,  Yeh  Hsien  came  back  and  when  she  approached  the  pond, 
she  found  the  fish  had  vanished.  Thereupon  she  wept  in  the  wilds, 
when  a  man  with  disheveled  hair  and  in  a  ragged  garment  descended 
from  the  sky  and  comforted  her,  saying,  "Do  not  cry.  Your  mother  has 
killed  the  fish,  and  its  bones  are  buried  under  a  dunghill.  Go  home  and 
carry  the  bones  to  your  room  and  hide  them.  Whatever  you  shall  want, 
pray  to  it  and  your  wish  will  be  granted."  Yeh  Hsien  followed  his 
advice,  and  it  was  not  long  before  she  had  gold  and  jewelry  and  finery 
of  such  costly  texture  that  they  would  have  delighted  the  heart  of  any 
young  maiden. 

The  night  of  the  cave  festival  Yeh  Hsien  was  told  to  stay  at  home 
and  watch  the  fruit  orchard.  When  the  lonely  girl  saw  that  her  mother 
had  gone  a  long  distance,  she  arrayed  herself  in  a  green  silk  jacket  and 
followed  to  the  cave.  Her  sister  who  had  recognized  her  turned  to  the 
mother,  saying,  "Is  that  girl  not  strangely  like  my  elder  sister?"  The 
mother  also  seemed  to  recognize  her.  When  Yeh  Hsien  became  aware 
of  their  glances  she  ran  away,  but  in  such  haste  that  she  dropped  one  of 
her  slippers  which  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  cave  people. 

When  the  mother  came  back  home,  she  found  her  daughter  sleeping 
with  her  arms  around  a  tree;  so  she  put  aside  any  thoughts  she  may 
have  had  (about  the  identity  of  the  finely  dressed  lady). 

Now  near  the  caves,  there  was  an  island  kingdom  called  T'o  Huan. 
Through  its  strong  army,  it  ruled  over  a  couple  of  dozen  islands,  and  its 
territorial  waters  covered  several  thousand  //.  The  cave  people  there- 
fore sold  the  slipper  to  the  T'o  Huan  Kingdom,  where  it  found  its  way 
to  the  King.  The  King  made  (the  women  of)  his  household  try  it  on, 
but  the  slipper  was  an  inch  too  short  for  those  who  had  small  feet.  Then 
he  had  all  of  the  women  of  the  Kingdom  try  it,  and  none  could  fit. 

The  King  then  suspected  the  cave  man  of  getting  the  slipper  from 
dubious  sources  and  imprisoned  and  tortured  him.  But  that  unfortunate 
soul  could  not  tell  where  the  shoe  came  from.  Finally  it  was  placed  by 
the  roadside  and  couriers  were  sent  from  house  to  house  to  arrest  anyone 
who  had  the  slipper.  The  King  was  greatly  puzzled. 


CHINESE    TALES  943 

The  house  was  searched  and  Yeh  Hsien  was  found.  She  was  made  to 
put  the  slippers  on,  and  they  fitted  her  perfectly.  She  then  appeared  in 
her  slippers  and  her  green  silk  dress,  looking  like  a  goddess.  Then  a 
report  was  made  to  the  King,  and  the  King  brought  Yeh  Hsien  to  his 
island  home,  together  with  her  fish  bones. 

After  Yeh  Hsien  had  left  the  cave,  the  mother  and  sister  were  killed 
by  flying  stones.  The  cave  people  pitied  them  and  buried  them  in  a 
pit  and  esected  a  tomb  which  they  called  "The  Tomb  of  Regretful 
Women."  The  cave  people  worshipped  them  as  the  goddesses  of  match- 
makers and  whenever  anyone  asked  them  a  favor  regarding  marriage, 
they  were  sure  to  have  their  prayer  granted. 

The  King  returned  to  his  island  and  made  Yeh  Hsien  his  first  wife. 
But  during  the  first  year  of  their  marriage  he  asked  the  fish  bones  for 
so  many  jades  and  precious  things  that  they  refused  any  longer  to 
grant  his  wishes.  He  then  took  the  bones  and  buried  them  close  by  the 
sea,  with  a  hundred  bushels  of  pearls,  lined  with  a  border  of  gold.  When 
his  soldiers  rebelled  against  him,  he  went  to  the  spot,  but  the  tide  had 
washed  them  away  and  they  have  never  been  found  to  this  day.  This 
story  was  told  me  by  an  old  servant  of  my  family,  Li  Shih-yuan.  He 
comes  from  the  cave  people  of  Yungchow,  and  remembers  many  strange 
stories  of  the  South. 

THE  TALE  OF  CH'IENNIANG 

(A  Tale  of  the  T'ang  Dynasty) 

Ch'ienniang  was  the  daughter  of  Mr.  Chang  Yi,  an  official  in  Hunan. 
She  had  a  cousin  by  the  name  of  Wang  Chou,  who  was  a  brilliant  and 
handsome  young  man.  They  had  grown  up  together  from  childhood, 
and  as  her  father  was  very  fond  of  the  young  boy,  he  had  said  that  he 
would  take  Wang  Chou  as  his  son-in-law.  This  promise  they  had  both 
heard,  and  as  she  was  the  only  child,  and  they  were  very  close  together, 
their  love  grew  from  day  to  day.  They  were  now  grown-up  young  peo- 
ple, and  even  had  intimate  relationships  with  each  other.  Unfortunately, 
her  father  was  the  only  man  who  failed  to  perceive  this.  One  day  a  young 
official  came  to  beg  for  her  hand  from  her  father,  and,  ignoring  or  for- 
getting his  early  promise,  he  consented  Ch'ienniang,  torn  between  love 
and  filial  piety,  was  ready  to  die  with  gi  ief ,  while  the  young  man  was  so 
disgusted  that  he  decided  he  would  go  abroad  rather  than  stay  and  see 
his  sweetheart  become  the  bride  of  another  person.  So  he  made  up  a 


944  SKETCHES   OF   CHINESE   LIFE 

pretext  and  informed  his  uncle  that  he  had  to  go  away  to  the  capital.  As 
the  uncle  could  not  persuade  him  to  stay,  he  gave  him  money  and  presents 
and  prepared  a  farewell  feast  for  him.  Wang  Chou,  sad  to  take  leave  of 
his  lover,  was  thinking  it  all  over  at  the  feast  and  he  told  himself  that  it 
was  best  to  go,  rather  than  remain  to  carry  on  a  hopeless  romance. 

So  Wang  Chou  set  out  on  a  boat  of  an  afternoon,  and  before  he  had 
gone  a  few  miles,  it  was  already  dark.  He  told  the  boatman  to  tie  up  the 
boat  along  shore  and  rest  for  the  night.  That  night  he  could  not  sleep, 
and  toward  midnight  he  heard  the  sound  of  quick  footsteps  approaching. 
In  a  few  minutes  the  sound  had  drawn  near  the  boat.  He  got  up  and 
inquired,  "Who  is  there  at  this  hour  of  the  night?"  "It  is  I,  even 
Ch'ienniang,"  was  the  reply.  Surprised  and  delighted  beyond  measure, 
he  led  her  down  the  boat,  and  there  she  told  him  that  she  had  hoped  to 
be  his  wife,  that  her  father  had  been  unfair  to  him,  and  that  she  could 
not  bear  parting  from  him.  She  was  afraid,  too,  that  he,  lonely  and  travel- 
ing in  strange  parts,  might  be  driven  to  take  his  own  life.  So  she  had 
braved  the  censure  of  society  and  the  anger  of  her  parents  and  come  to 
follow  him  wherever  he  should  go.  Thus  they  were  happy  together  and 
continued  their  journey  to  Szechuen. 

Five  years  passed  happily  and  she  bore  him  two  sons.  But  they  had  no 
news  from  the  family,  and  she  was  daily  thinking  of  her  parents.  It  was 
the  only  thing  that  marred  their  happiness.  She  did  not  know  whether 
her  parents  were  living  and  well  or  not,  and  one  night  she  began  telling 
Wang  Chou  how  unhappy  she  was,  and  that  since  she  was  the  only  child, 
she  felt  guilty  of  great  filial  impiety  to  leave  the  old  parents  in  this  man- 
ner. "You  have  a  good  daughter's  heart,  and  I  am  with  you,"  said  her 
husband.  "Five  years  have  passed;  surely  they  are  not  still  angry  with 
us.  Let's  go  home."  Ch'ienniang  was  overjoyed  to  hear  this,  and  so  they 
made  preparations  to  go  home  with  their  two  children. 

When  the  boat  had  reached  her  home  town,  Wang  Chou  said  to 
Ch'ienniang,  "I  do  not  know  what  state  of  mind  your  parents  are  in. 
So  let  me  go  alone  first  to  find  out."  His  heart  was  palpitating  as  he 
drew  near  his  father-in-law's  house.  On  seeing  his  father-in-law,  Wang 
Chou  knelt  down  and  kowtowed,  and  begged  for  forgiveness.  On  hear- 
ing this,  Chang  Yi  was  greatly  surprised,  and  said,  "What  are  you  talking 
about?  Ch'ienniang  has  been  lying  unconscious  in  bed  for  these  last  five 
years  since  you  left.  She  has  never  even  left  her  bed."  "I  am  not  lying," 
said  Wang  Chou.  "She  is  well  and  waiting  in  the  boat." 

Chang  Yi  did  not  know  what  to  think,  so  he  sent  two  maid-servants 


CHINESE    TALES  945 

to  see  Ch'ienniang.  They  saw  her  sitting,  well  dressed  and  happy  in  the 
boat,  and  she  even  told  the  servants  to  convey  her  love  to  her  parents. 
Bewildered,  the  two  maid-servants  ran  home  to  make  their  report,  and 
Chang  Yi  was  still  more  greatly  puzzled.  Meanwhile,  she  who  was  lying 
in  bed  in  her  chamber  had  heard  of  the  news,  and  it  seemed  her  illness 
was  gone,  and  there  was  light  in  her  eyes.  She  rose  up  from  her  bed  and 
dressed  herself  before  her  mirror.  Smiling  and  without  saying  a  word, 
she  came  straight  to  the  boat.  She  who  was  in  the  boat  was  starting  for 
home,  and  they  met  on  the  river  bank.  When  the  two  came  close  together, 
their  bodies  melted  into  one  shape,  and  their  dresses  were  double,  and 
there  appeared  the  old  Ch'ienniang,  as  young  and  as  lovely  as  ever. 

Both  her  parents  were  overjoyed,  but  they  bade  their  servants  keep  the 
secret  and  not  tell  their  neighbors  about  it,  in  order  to  avoid  gossip.  So 
no  one,  except  the  close  relatives  of  the  Chang  family,  ever  knew  of  this 
strange  happening. 

Wang  Chou  and  Ch'ienniang  lived  on  as  husband  and  wife  for  over 
forty  years  before  they  died.0 

THE  MAN  WHO  SOLD  GHOSTS 
(From  Soushenchi,  Fourth  Century) 

When  Sung  Tingpo  of  Nanyang  was  a  young  man,  he  was  walking  one 
night  when  he  met  a  ghost.  He  asked  the  ghost  who  he  was  and  the 
ghost  said  he  was  a  ghost.  "Who  are  you?"  asked  the  ghost  in  return, 
and  Tingpo  lied  to  him  and  answered,  "I  am  a  ghost,  too."  The  ghost 
then  asked  him  where  he  was  going,  and  Tingpo  replied,  "I  am  going 
to  Wanshih  town."  "I  am  going  there,  too,"  said  the  ghost.  So  they  went 
along  together.  After  a  mile  or  so,  the  ghost  said  it  was  stupid  for  both  of 
them  to  walk,  when  they  could  carry  one  another  by  turn.  "That  is  a 
good  idea,"  said  Tingpo.  The  ghost  carried  Tingpo  first,  and  after  a 
mile  he  said,  "You  are  too  heavy  for  a  ghost.  Are  you  one  really?" 
Tingpo  explained  that  he  was  a  new  ghost  and  was  therefore  some- 
what heavier.  Tingpo  then  began  to  carry  the  ghost,  but  it  was  very 
light  as  if  he  were  carrying  no  weight  at  all.  They  thus  carried  one 
another  by  turns  and  Tingpo  began  to  ask  the  ghost  what  ghosts  were 
afraid  of.  "What  ghosts  are  most  afraid  of  is  human  saliva,"  the  ghost 
replied.  They  then  went  along  until  they  came  to  a  stream.  Tingpo  let 
the  ghost  go  ahead  and  observed  that  the  ghost  made  no  noise  in  the 

°Thc  story  is  supposed  to  ha\c  happened  around  the  year  A.D.  690. 


946  SKETCHES   OF   CHINESE   LIFE 

water  at  all,  but  when  he  went  in,  the  ghost  heard  the  swish-swash  in 
the  water  and  asked  him  for  an  explanation.  Tingpo  again  explained, 
"Don't  be  surprised,  for  I  am  a  new  ghost  and  am  not  quite  used  to 
getting  across  the  water  yet."  When  they  were  approaching  the  town, 
Tingpo  began  to  carry  the  ghost  on  his  back  and  gripped  him  very 
tight.  The  ghost  began  to  shout  and  cry  and  struggled  to  get  down, 
but  Tingpo  gripped  him  still  more  tightly.  When  he  reached  the  streets, 
he  let  the  ghost  down,  when  it  changed  itself  into  a  goat.  Tingpo  spat 
on  the  goat  so  that  it  could  not  change  itself  again,  and  sold  it  for 
fifteen  hundred  cash  and  went  home.  That  was  why  there  was  a  saying 
by  Shih  Ts'ung,  "Tingpo  sold  a  ghost  for  fifteen  hundred  cash." 

IT'S  WONDERFUL  TO  BE  DRUNK 
(From  Soushenchi,  Fourth  Century) 

Ti  Hsi  was  a  native  of  Chungshan  and  he  could  make  "thousand-day 
wine"  which  would  make  a  man  drunk  for  a  thousand  days.  There  was 
a  man  of  the  district  by  the  name  of  Hsiian  Shih  who  wanted  to  taste 
this  wine  at  his  home.  The  next  day,  he  went  to  see  Ti  Hsi  and  asked 
for  a  drink,  and  the  latter  said,  "My  wine  is  not  quite  thoroughly  fer- 
mented, and  I  dare  not  offer  it  to  you."  "Even  so,  let  me  have  a  sip," 
said  Hsiian.  Ti  Hsi  could  not  say  "no"  and  he  gave  him  a  cup.  "That's 
wonderful,"  said  Hsiian,  "give  me  another  cup."  "You  should  go  home 
now,"  replied  Ti  Hsi.  "Come  back  another  day.  This  cup  alone  will 
enable  you  to  get  drunk  for  a  thousand  days."  Hsiian  left,  looking  a  little 
foolish,  and  when  he  went  home,  he  died  under  the  influence  of  the 
wine.  His  family  never  suspected  it  and  wept  and  buried  him. 

After  three  years  had  passed,  Ti  Hsi  said  to  himself,  "Hsiian  must  be 
awake  by  this  time.  I  must  go  to  see  him."  When  he  reached  Hsiian's 
home,  he  inquired  if  Hsiian  was  at  home.  His  family  was  greatly  sur- 
prised and  said,  "He  has  been  dead  for  a  long  time.  We  have  already 
taken  off  the  mourning."  Ti  Hsi  was  frightened  and  said,  "Why,  it's 
my  wonderful  wine  which  can  make  one  drunk  for  a  thousand  days. 
He  ought  to  be  ready  to  wake  up  just  about  now."  He  then  ordered 
Hsiian's  family  to  dig  up  the  grave  and  open  the  coffin  to  see  what  was 
happening.  There  was  a  mist  of  vapor  shooting  up  from  the  grave 
high  into  the  sky,  and  accordingly  he  ordered  the  work  to  be  begun. 
When  the  coffin  top  was  taken  off,  the  man  was  seen  to  be  opening 
his  eyes  and  yawning  and  said,  "Oh,  it's  wonderful  to  be  drunk!"  Then 


CHINESE    TALES  947 

he  asked  Ti  Hsi,  "What  kind  of  wine  is  it  that  you  make?  Just  one 
cup  has  such  an  effect.  I  have  just  waked  up.  What  time  of  the  day  is 
it?"  The  people  standing  on  top  of  the  grave  laughed  at  him,  but  a 
strong  smell  from  the  grave  assailed  their  nostrils,  and  all  of  them  fell 
drunk  for  three  months. 

IT'S  GOOD  TO  BE  HEADLESS 
(From  Luyichi,  Ninth  Century) 

In  the  time  of  Han  Wuti  (B.C.  140-87),  Chia  Yung  of  Ts'angwu  wa* 
serving  as  magistrate  of  Yuchang.  One  day  he  went  out  to  fight  ban- 
dits.  He  was  wounded  and  lost  his  head.  Yung  mounted  his  horse  and 
returned  to  the  camp.  The  soldiers  and  people  of  the  camp  all  came  to 
look  at  him,  and  Yung  spoke  from  his  chest,  "I  was  defeated  by  the 
bandits  and  they  cut  off  my  head.  Tell  me,  in  your  opinion,  does  it 
look  better  to  have  a  head  or  be  without  a  head?"  The  officers  wept  and 
said,  "It's  better  to  have  a  head."  And  Yung  replied,  "I  don't  think  so. 
It's  just  as  good  to  be  without  a  head." 

THE  BROTHERS'  SEARCH  FOR  THEIR  FATHER 

(Eighteenth  Century) 

(The  "Search  of  Two  Filial  Sons  of  Yiiyao  for  Their  Father  across  a  Thou- 
sand Miles,"  is  a  true  story  written  by  Weng  Kwangp'ing  of  Wukiang,  and 
is  attached  to  a  book  of  genealogy  of  the  Clan  of  Wcng  of  Yiiyao,  in 
Chekiang.  The  style  is  that  of  the  usual  biography  of  ancestors,  with  which 
Chinese  literature  abounds,  though  few  searches  for  relatives  are  quite  so 
dramatic  as  this  one.  It  is  included  here  as  showing  the  part  which  the  family 
plays  in  Chinese  society.  It  may  make  some  thinking  Christian  missionaries 
hesitate  to  destroy  Chinese  ancestral  worship  and  break  up  both  the  corner- 
stone of  the  Chinese  social  system  and  their  living,  concrete  sense  of  continuity 
with  the  past.  According  to  Confucian  teachings,  filial  piety  is  the  basis  of 
moral  character,  and  as  will  be  seen  in  this  sketch,  good  moral  habits  are  first 
formed  in  the  family  during  childhood. — Ed.) 

This  record  of  two  sons'  search  for  their  father  across  a  thousand 
miles  is  written  concerning  the  efforts  of  granduncles  of  our  clan 
Chishan  and  Luyeh  to  search  for  their  father.  Chishan's  posthumous 
name7  was  Yiinhuai,  and  his  literary  name  was  Chihshan.  Luyeh's 

7  Name  of  a  deceased  ancestor. 


948  SKETCHES   OF   CHINESE   LIFE 

posthumous  name  was  Yiinpiao  and  his  literary  name  was  Chinkung. 
Their  family  had  lived  for  generations  in  Yiiyao  Hsien  in  eastern  Che- 
kiang.  Their  father  was  Ancestor  Tahuan,  whose  posthumous  name 
was  Ying.  He  was  one  of  the  Confucian  scholars  of  the  town,  deep  in 
his  scholarship  and  quiet  in  temperament.  He  used  to  sit  silently  the 
whole  day,  and  whenever  he  passed  a  beautiful  mountain  landscape,  his 
mind  dwelled  on  poetic,  unearthly  thoughts.  All  his  writings  were  de- 
voted to  expounding  the  (Sung)  Confucian  philosophy  of  reason,  free 
of  Buddhist  or  Taoist  ideas.  Thus  he  was  much  admired  as  a  pure  Con- 
fucianist  in  his  village. 

Ancestor  Tahuan's  wife  had  a  brother,  surnamed  Wu,  who  was 
appointed  magistrate  of  Kungch'eng  in  Kwangsi.  When  he  was  going 
to  his  office,  he  mortgaged  his  land  to  the  clan  relatives  of  Ancestor 
Tahuan.  The  mortgagee,  however,  considered  it  poor  land  and  insisted 
on  having  Ancestor  Tahuan's  land  instead,  and  Ancestor  Tahuan  gen- 
erously changed  the  deed  and  gave  him  his  own  land  in  exchange.  The 
interest  he  had  to  pay  on  this  mortgage  was  fifteen  hundred  bushels  a 
year.  In  the  years  1690  and  1691,  there  was  a  drought,  and  the  clan  rela- 
tives pressed  for  payment  of  capital  and  interest  very  hard.  Ancestor 
did  not  know  what  to  do  but  was  urged  by  the  man  to  go  to  Kwangsi. 
If  he  did  not  go,  he  would  give  the  impression  of  being  not  willing  to 
do  his  best.  At  last  he  was  compelled  to  take  the  journey,  but  he  sang  on 
the  way  while  tapping  on  the  side  of  the  boat.  On  the  fifth  day  of  the 
eleventh  month,  1692,  when  his  boat  was  stopping  at  Hsint'angchan,  in 
Ch'iyang  Hsien  of  Yungchow,  Hunan,  he  suddenly  disappeared  at 
night.  The  son  of  the  magistrate  of  Kungch'eng  (his  brother-in-law), 
who  was  with  him  on  the  same  boat,  reported  it  to  the  magistrate,  and 
a  great  search  was  instituted  for  him  for  five  days  in  vain.  A  messenger 
was  then  sent  home  to  report  the  news,  when  Madame  Wu "  heard  the 
news,  she  bit  her  finger  until  it  bled  and  fell  unconscious.  When  she 
came  to  again,  she  looked  up  and  sighed,  "Alas!  My  husband  is  calling 
me.  He  didn't  want  to  go  at  first,  and  when  he  was  about  to  start,  he 
called  for  a  lamp  and  lifted  the  bed  curtain  to  look  at  his  two  sons.  The 
brothers  were  fast  asleep,  but  he  turned  round  to  look  again  and  with 
sighs  and  tears  in  his  eyes  he  left  the  room.  I  saw  him  to  the  door,  and 
he  said  to  me,  'Don't  think  about  me.  It  will  be  your  responsibility  to 

*That  is,  Madame  Wcng,  wife  of  the  missing  person.  In  literary  Chinese,  the  wife  is 
designated  by  her  own  family  name. 


CHINESE    TALES  949 

bring  them  up.'  As  I  think  of  them  now,  these  were  inauspicious 
words." 

She  then  sent  an  old  servant  to  Kwangsi.  In  1693,  the  magistrate  of 
Kungch'eng  (her  brother)  died  in  his  office,  and  his  son  was  bringing 
his  coffin  home  together  with  the  old  servant.  On  their  way,  they  passed 
Hsint'angchan,  where  their  boat  stopped,  and  a  public  notice  was  posted, 
describing  Ancestor  Tahuang's  appearance  and  giving  details  of  his 
native  place,  his  names  and  the  date  of  his  disappearance.  They 
searched  for  several  days  without  results.  When  the  old  servant  returned 
with  the  report  to  Madame  Wu,  she  again  wept  until  she  became  un- 
conscious. When  she  came  to,  she  said,  "Now  there  is  no  more  hope." 
And  she  took  the  cap  and  gown  of  her  husband  and  placed  them  on  the 
altar  and  the  relatives  put  on  the  regular  dress  of  mourning  and  wept 
and  poured  the  wine  of  sacrifice  morning  and  night.  A  divination  was 
made  at  the  Temple  to  Kuankung  with  the  following  verse  as  the 
oracle: 

A  small  boat  stops  at  the  river  ban/{  in  rain  and  wind. 
The  brothers  loot^  at  one  another  in  their  dreams. 
Already  torn  apart  by  death  at  the  ends  of  the  earth, 
yet  there  comes  the  unexpected  news  of  returning  alive. 

The  divination  was  taken  three  times  and  each  time  the  oracle  came 
out  the  same,  which  very  much  surprised  the  family.  At  the  time  of  the 
disappearance,  Chishan  was  eight  years  old,  and  Luyeh  was  only  three. 
Since  they  had  this  divination  corroborated  three  times,  their  mother 
used  to  carry  Luyeh  on  her  breast  and  wept  in  the  courtyard,  saying, 
"Son,  can  you  grow  up  to  search  for  your  father?"  and  was  satisfied 
only  when  the  child  nodded. 

After  three  years,  the  mother  died  with  that  regret  in  her  breast. 
While  she  was  still  alive,  she  called  to  her  two  daughters,  and  pointing 
to  her  two  sons,  said,  "The  reason  why  I  did  not  die  after  I  heard  the 
news  in  the  year  jenshen  (1692)  was  the  hope  that  when  they  grew  up 
I  might- be  able  to  bring  them  along  and  personally  search  for  him  in 
the  districts  of  Yungchow  and  Hengchow.  Even  if  I  could  not  see  him 
alive  again,  I  might  be  buried  in  the  same  grave  with  him.  But  now 
there  is  no  more  hope."  The  four  children  wept  by  her  side  and  received 
her  last  instructions.  Afterwards  the  two  sons  often  embraced  each 
other  and  wept,  as  if  they  didn't  want  to  live.  Again  they  inquired 
from  people  who  had  gone  with  their  father  to  Kwangsi,  but  none 


95O  SKETCHES    OF    CHINESE   LIFE 

could  give  any  clue.  Their  cousin-sister  still  remembered  the  verse 
which  Ancestor  Tahuan  wrote  when  his  boat  was  stopping  at  Hsint'ang- 
chan,  the  last  two  lines  of  which  ran : 

From  where  could  be  seen  in  cold  frost  the  ancient  temple  bell 
A  specif  of  translucent  light  shone  from  the  Buddhist  lamp. 

The  family  accordingly  conjectured  together,  believing  that  since  he 
was  writing  verse  in  the  boat  at  night,  he  could  not  have  been  lost  on 
shore.  When  they  inquired  further  from  people  who  had  again  visited 
Kungch'eng,  these  people  had  forgotten  even  the  name  of  the  location 
of  the  mishap.  The  two  sons  were  greatly  distressed,  and  said  to  one 
another,  "Are  we  brothers  to  lose  by  comparison  with  Miss  Ts'ao  O?" " 

In  the  year,  1697,  Chishan  was  already  thirteen,  and  he  went  to 
Kwangsi,  bringing  along  an  old  servant  with  him.  At  Liuchow,  both 
young  master  and  servant  fell  ill,  and  the  servant  soon  died.  The  boy 
carried  his  own  bedding  and  crossed  the  Hsiang  River  to  Hunan,  and 
nearly  died  in  the  waves.  Alone  and  sick  at  heart,  he  used  to  cry  in  the 
journey,  and  it  happened  that  a  merchant  of  his  district  met  him  and 
brought  him  home.  His  cousin-sister  welcomed  him  home  and  said  with 
tears  in  her  eyes,  "I  know  you  are  taking  this  trip  in  accordance  with 
your  mother's  wish.  However,  is  that  all  your  mother  expected  of  you 
brothers?  Have  you  forgotten  what  your  mother  said  your  father  had 
said  at  his  departure?  Have  you  forgotten  what  she  said  when  she  was 
living?  Your  parents  wanted  you  to  grow  up  and  be  independent.  Now 
are  you  already  independent?  You  have  undertaken  a  journey  of  a 
thousand  miles  at  your  age,  without  thinking  of  the  true  wish  of  your 
father  and  mother.  Should  you  deprive  them  of  their  ancestral  sacri- 
fices without  accomplishing  anything,  would  you  not  grieve  them  in 
their  graves?"  Thereupon  the  two  brothers  wept  and  took  her  advice 
to  heart,  giving  up  the  idea  of  going  abroad  again. 

At  this  time,  Ancestor  Tahuan's  family  fortune  was  all  used  up  and 
they  could  not  support  themselves.  Chishan  therefore  worked  as  an 
apprentice  in  a  pharmacist  shop,  while  Luyeh  was  adopted  as  son  by  a 
certain  uncle;  but  when  the  said  uncle  had  two  sons  of  his  own  later, 
Luyeh  became  superfluous  and  his  brother  took  him  home.  Chishan 

*  Ts'ao  O  was  a  girl  who  went  in  search  of  her  father  who  had  been  drowned  and  finally 
drowned  herself.  It  was  said  that  after  five  days  her  corpse  was  found  holding  her  father's 
corpse.  The  story  is  well  preserved  in  a  famous  stone  inscription  now  very  much  prized 
as  a  model  for  calligraphy. 


CHINESE    TALES  951 

asked  his  younger  brother  what  he  wanted  to  do,  and  Luyeh  replied 
that  he  would  like  to  be  a  scholar.  "Good,"  said  the  brother.  "Your 
sister-in-law  and  I  will  take  care  of  your  board  and  tuition  and  ex- 
penses." Luyeh  began  then  to  work  hard  at  his  studies  and  train  his 
character  under  a  teacher,  and  the  people  of'the  village  began  to  say, 
"Tahuan  has  a  worthy  son.  The  orphans  are  coming  up,  and  his  progeny 
will  prosper."  When  Luyeh  was  nineteen  (in  1711),  he  was  studying  at 
his  village*  and  was  going  to  attend  the  district  examinations.  There 
was  a  flood,  and  Chishan  made  a  raft  and  rowed  him  home  himself. 
When  the  results  were  published,  his  name  came  out  first,  and  thus  he 
became  a  "student  of  the  district." 

Three  years  thereafter,  Luyeh  brought  a  servant  and  went  to  Hunan 
to  search  for  his  missing  father,  but  without  finding  any  trace.  On  his 
way  to  Kwangsi,  he  passed  rivers  and  climbed  over  high  peaks.  The 
servant's  expression  suddenly  changed  and  he  rushed  towards  Luyeh 
with  a  knife.  The  latter  dodged  and  the  servant  rolled  down  the  precipice 
and  died.  He  then  carried  his  own  baggage  on  his  shoulder  and  begged 
his  way  about.  After  going  through  many  hardships,  he  came  home  with- 
out finding  anything.  At  this  time,  his  elder  brother  had  by  thrift  and 
hard  work  saved  up  enough  to  buy  a  land  of  a  hundred  mu  (sixteen 
acres),  so  that  he  could  continue  to  pay  for  his  brother's  tuition  and 
expenses. 

In  the  year  1723,  Luyeh  was  successful  at  the  national  examinations 
and  became  a  chinshth,10  and  returned  home.  Chishan  already  had  a  son, 
and  the  brothers  were  both  happy  and  sad  when  they  met,  and  discussed 
together  how  they  might  find  traces  of  their  missing  father.  They  then 
pricked  their  arms  with  a  needle  and  wrote  in  blood  a  prayer  of  several 
hundred  words,  with  which  they  asked  again  for  divination  at  the  Tem- 
ple to  Kuankung.  The  oracle  again  spoke  of  "returning  alive,"  and  they 
said  to  each  other,  "Can  the  god  lie  to  us?"  They  swore  to  find  their 
father,  and  would  not  return  until  they  had  found  him.  It  was  therefore 
planned  that  they  should  leave  their  families  in  the  care  of  the  two 
sisters.  But  there  was  high  water  in  the  sea,  and  the  fields  were  flooded, 
and  thinking  it  impossible  to  burden  their  sisters  with  the  extra  expense 
at  such  a  time,  they  gave  up  the  idea. 

In  the  winter  of  the  following  year,  the  two  brothers  secretly  made  up 
a  traveling  luggage  and,  behind  closed  doors,  practised  carrying  it  on 

10  Scholar  of  the  third  rank,  who  had  passed  successively  the  district,  the  provincial  and  the 
national  examinations. 


952  SKETCHES   OF    CHINESE   LIFE 

their  shoulders  for  a  long  journey  without  letting  even  their  families 
know  about  it.  In  the  second  month  of  1725,  Luyeh  also  had  a  son  born 
to  him,  and  on  the  third  day  of  the  baby's  birth,  the  two  brothers  left 
their  homes  without  letting  any  one  know.  For  two  years,  they  wandered 
in  Hunan  and  Kwangsi  and  even  went  up  the  Lushan  and  the  ghost 
valleys  of  Nanchang  district,  roaming  in  the  thick  forests  amidst  roaring 
tigers  and  wolves.  Disregarding  all  danger,  they  went  all  over  the  moun- 
tains and  whenever  there  was  a  Buddhist  temple,  they  would!  stop  and 
pray  to  the  Buddhas.  The  people  of  Nanchang  were  greatly  touched  by 
the  conduct  of  these  filial  sons  and  felt  sorry  for  them. 

Their  two  sisters  thought  of  the  long  absence  of  the  brothers,  and  sent 
a  servant  to  Yimgchow  to  look  for  them.  Luyeh's  friend,  Shao  Hung- 
chieh, was  also  sojourning  at  Yungchow  at  this  time  and  met  their  serv- 
ant. He  inquired  about  the  situation  and  the  servant  replied  that  he  knew 
nothing,  but  that  he  had  heard  a  monk  of  Feiyuntu  say  that  Mr.  Weng's 
two  filial  sons  had  gone  one  to  the  Tungtmg  Lake,  and  the  other  to 
Hengshan.  In  the  eleventh  month  of  1726,  the  two  brothers  met  at  the 
Hsiangshan  Temple  in  Chuanchow,  Kwangsi,  by  previous  agreement. 
Hungchieh  went  at  once  to  see  them,  and  saw  that  the  brothers'  faces 
were  tanned  and  their  bones  stuck  out.  They  were  wearing  straw  sandals 
and  carrying  dry  food,  as  if  intending  to  start  for  some  other  place. 
Hungchieh  tried  to  dissuade  them  and  said  to  them,  "Now  you  two  are 
making  a  mistake.  I  have  read  your  father's  writings;  they  are  strictly 
Confucianist  without  any  taint  of  Buddhist  or  Taoist  thoughts.  On 
account  of  the  verse  he  left  referring  to  the  Buddhist  lamp,  you  are 
searching  for  him  among  the  Buddhist  and  Taoist  priests.  I  am  afraid 
you  are  misjudging  your  father.  Moreover,  he  merely  happened  to  write 
his  last  lines  at  Hsint'angchan.  You  must  trace  the  matter  back  to  where 
it  took  place,  instead  of  going  all  over  the  country  to  look  for  him. 
You  are  wearing  yourselves  out  to  no  good  purpose.  Why  not  have  a 
boat  made  to  order,  to  be  used  as  your  home?  Go  up  and  down  the  dis- 
tricts of  Yungchow  and  Hengchow,  and  stop  at  whatever  islet,  rocky 
shore,  or  branch  stream,  or  hamlet  or  valley  or  town  or  highroads.  After 
acquainting  yourselves  with  the  general  topography  of  the  place  and  the 
nature  of  the  roads  and  rivers,  then  make  inquiries  among  the  farmers 
and  fishermen  and  woodcutters.  Then  again  in  the  quiet  hours  of  the 
early  dawn  or  when  the  moon  is  setting  and  the  ravens  are  crying,  sing 
the  last  verse  your  father  wrote  before  he  disappeared.  I  know  that  the 


CHINESE    TALES  953 

celestial  and  earthly  spirits  will  listen  to  your  prayer  and  show  you 
the  way." 

The  brothers  thought  it  good  advice,  and  accordingly  had  a  carpenter 
get  ready  the  timber  for  making  a  boat.  In  the  first  month  of  1727,  the 
boat  was  completed,  and  on  its  mast  hung  a  flag  with  the  words,  "The 
boat  of  certain  Weng  brothers  of  Yiiyao  in  search  of  their  father."  Thus 
they  went  up  and  down  between  Yungchow  and  Hcngchow  for  over 
a  half  yeay. 

Toward  the  end  of  the  eighth  month,  their  boat  was  stopping  at  White 
Sand  Islet  in  Kiangkan.  The  brothers  were  weeping  with  their  faces 
toward  the  river.  An  old  man  carrying  a  cane  came  to  Kiangkan.  His 
name  was  Cheng  Haihuan  (Sea-Returned),  and  he  came  up  to  the  two 
brothers  and  said  to  them,  "If  you  are  searching  for  a  living  father,  then 
I  dare  not  say  a  word.  If  the  contrary,  he  is  buried  there  in  this  islet." 
The  brothers  were  greatly  surprised  and  asked  for  details,  and  Haihuan 
said,  "My  home  is  at  Niaowotang,  about  seven  miles  from  Kiangkan. 
My  brother  was  called  Haisheng  (Sea-Born,  or  Sea-Alwe).  My  brother's 
wife  gave  birth  to  a  son  on  the  seventh  of  the  eleventh  month  in  1692. 
Haisheng  was  going  to  inform  his  wife's  family  and  was  drowned  on 
the  way  while  crossing  the  river.  He  was  prevented  from  sinking  by 
decaying  reeds  in  the  water,  and  was  thus  saved.  Among  the  reeds,  he 
saw  a  corpse  and  told  me  about  it  on  his  return.  I  went  with  him  to  see 
the  corpse  and  pulled  it  ashore.  The  body  was  clothed  in  silk  and  was 
thin  and  white.  We  chose  a  spot  and  buried  it,  thinking  it  was  a  fellow 
sufferer  like  my  brother.  When  the  family  of  the  magistrate  of  Kung- 
ch'cng  was  returning  home  and  searching  for  your  father,  I  read  the 
notice  and  thought  the  details  agreed,  and  was  going  to  report  when 
an  old  man  of  the  village  stopped  me,  saving,  The  notice  does  not  speak 
of  drowning.  They  arc  looking  for  a  living  person  and  vou  come  with 
a  report  of  a  dead  man.  How  arc  you  going  to  ask  the  corpse  to  rise  from 
its  grave  and  identify  himself'1  I  am  afraid  it  will  be  difficult  for  you 
brothers  to  answer  their  questions  satisfactorily.'  I  therefore  gave  up, 
and  when  Haisheng  heard  about  it,  he  ran  after  the  official  messenger, 
but  the  latter  had  already  gone  far  away.  For  over  thirty  years  now  since 
that  time,  no  one  has  mentioned  this  affair  again.  Now  Haisheng,  my 
brother,  is  dead,  and  I  am  old.  I  heard  that  you  filial  sons  are  looking 
for  your  father  abroad  and  the  wayfarers  who  heard  of  it  all  shed  tears. 
How  can  I  bear  not  to  tell  you  what  I  know?  When  I  pulled  your 
father's  body  from  the  water,  it  was  only  two  days  after  he  was  drowned 


954  SKETCHES    OF    CHINESE   LIFE 

at  Hsint'ang.  Haisheng's  son,  who  was  born  then,  is  called  Jusheng,  and 
still  living.  Otherwise,  I  should  not  be  able  to  remember  the  exact  date." 

The  two  brothers  then  followed  the  old  man  to  his  home  and  asked 
how  it  all  happened.  Haisheng's  wife  was  still  living  and  they  said  that 
at  the  time  of  the  burial,  they  had  picked  up  several  articles  found  on 
the  body,  and  that  now  only  a  key  and  a  key-case  still  remained.  The 
two  brothers  at  once  asked  for  the  key  and  key-case  and  sent  a  good 
walker  to  take  them  home  to  their  cousin-sister.  When  the  clatter  saw 
it,  she  was  greatly  touched  and  said,  "This  case  was  my  present  to  uncle, 
embroidered  by  my  own  hand.  When  his  trunk  was  sent  home,  there 
was  a  lock  without  the  key  to  it.  We  opened  it  somehow  and  it  was  thus 
that  we  found  the  verse  he  wrote  at  Hsint'ang." 

After  three  months,  the  good  runner  came  back  with  the  lock  for  the 
trunk,  and  the  key  was  found  to  fit  perfectly.  The  two  brothers  were 
then  certain11  it  was  indeed  their  father  who  had  been  drowned  at 
Hsint'angchan  and  buried  at  the  White  Sand  Islet.  If  it  had  not  been  for 
the  information  furnished  by  Haihuan,  they  would  not  have  been  able 
to  clear  up  this  eternal  regret  of  their  lives.  And  the  oracle  spoke  of 
"returning  alive,"  which  fitted  in  with  the  names  of  brothers  Haisheng 
and  Haihuan  (Sea-Returned  and  Sea- Alive).  The  god's  oracle  really  fits 
in  marvelously. 

The  brothers  then  requested  from  the  magistrate  permission  for  remov- 
ing the  remains  of  their  father  for  burial  in  their  native  place  in  Chc- 
kiang.  The  magistrate  showed  great  consideration  for  their  feelings  and 
gave  the  permission,  but  the  inhabitants  of  the  islet  all  came  to  the  magis- 
trate and  said  that  the  islet  was  formerly  deserted  but  had  now  grown 
into  quite  a  hamlet,  all  because  of  the  protecting  power  of  this  grave. 
They  asked  therefore  that  the  remains  should  not  be  removed.  The 
magistrate  respected  their  opinion  and  said  to  the  brothers,  "Your  father's 
spirit  has  been  enjoying  peace  in  this  soil.  I  think  you  had  better  not 
disturb  his  bones.  Besides,  the  hamlet  has  grown  up  because  of  the  grave, 
and  every  spring  and  autumn,  it  will  receive  sacrifices  like  a  god.  I  think 
your  father  should  be  well  satisfied  with  it." 

The  brothers  then  built  a  hut  by  the  grave  and  stayed  in  it  for  three 
months,  after  which  they  invoked  the  spirit  and  brought  a  small  model 
coffin  home.  Several  years  afterwards,  Chishan  died,  and  Luyeh  was 
appointed  magistrate  of  Tungpo  (in  Honan),  where  he  sent  for  his 

"Without  absolute  certainty,  the  brothers  could  not,  according  to  custom,  pay  due  cere- 
mony to  the  grave  as  that  of  their  father. 


CHINESE    TALES  955 

brother's  family  and  looked  after  them  in  his  official  residence  like  his 
own.  Soon  he  was  transferred  to  Wuning,  which  was  only  about  thirty 
miles  from  Ch'iyang  Hsien  (in  which  lay  Hsint'angchan),  and  he  there- 
fore erected  a  Memorial  Temple  at  Hoput'ang  near  the  site  of  his  father's 
grave.  He  purchased  some  land,  whose  produce  was  to  be  used  for  keep- 
ing up  the  sacrifices,  and  appointed  some  inhabitants  and  the  descendants 
of  Cheng  Haihuan  to  look  after  the  Temple  generation  after  generation. 
The  magistrate  of  Ch'iyang,  Chtiehlo  Cho-erh-pu,13  set  up  a  stone  in- 
scription telling  the  story.  Luyeh  ended  up  as  district  magistrate  of  Tao- 
chow  (Yungchow)  and  left  a  good  name  for  his  administration,  which  is 
recorded  in  the  Chapter  on  Famous  Officials  in  the  Provincial  Records 
(Fuchih)  of  Hunan.  There  are  the  following  records  of  the  life  of  the 
two  brothers:  "The  Story  of  a  Search  for  Father"  by  Shao  Hungchieh 
and  Wu  Hsiwen,18  "History  of  the  White  Sand  Islet"  by  Ch'iu  Yinyii, 
"Story  of  Seeking  for  Father"  by  Chang  Ts'anchih  (which  is  a  mere 
outline  of  events),  the  record  of  Shih  Yuhuei,  the  biographical  sketches 
by  Li  Tsuhuei  and  Chang  Kengchih.  They  vary  in  some  details  and  in 
omissions,  and  I,  Kuangp'ing,  have  therefore  made  use  of  all  this  material 
to  write  this  sketch,  in  order  to  show  that  the  filial  conduct  of  the  two 
men  was  enough  to  touch  the  gods'  heart  and  make  the  spirits  weep. 
For  this  reason,  they  went  through  the  dangers  of  the  waves  and  the 
wild  beasts  and  yet  were  preserved  and  able  to  find  the  location  of  their 
father's  grave.  Therefore  I  have  taken  the  liberty  to  edit  it  and  put  it  at  the 
back  of  the  genealogy  book  of  the  clan,  in  order  not  only  to  let  him 
serve  as  a  model  for  our  whole  clan,  but  also  to  tell  the  story  to  all  who 
are  yet  to  be  born  as  sons  of  men  in  the  world. 

THE  PRIVATE  HISTORY  OF  QUEEN  FEIYEN 
(First  Century,  B.C.) 

(The  "Private  History  of  Queen  Feiycn"  is  written  by  one  Ling  Yuan, 
Commander  of  Hotung  in  Han  Dynasty,  a  contemporary  of  Yang  Hsiung 
(first  decades  of  the  Christian  era).  It  belongs  to  that  vast  storehouse  of 
private  notes  on  current  or  historical  events  in  Chinese  literature,  of  the 
nature  of  Pepys'  Diaries,  that  are  not  found  in  official  histories.  It  is  apparently 
a  story  told  by  some  old  woman  in  the  palace,  possibly  Fanyi  in  the  story, 
and  has  all  the  faults  and  virtues  of  old-womanish  gossip,  which  belongs  to 

M  A  Manchu,  as  indicated  by  the  Manchu  name. 
18  Friend  and  relative  mentioned  above. 


956  SKETCHES   OF    CHINESE   LIFE 

the  school  of  unconscious  realism.  The  style  is  that  of  a  half-educated  clerk, 
with  what  might  be  called  "misspellings"  and  "ungrammaticar'  passages, 
and  there  is  utterly  no  sense  of  composition.  But  it  gives  us  a  very  intimate 
glimpse  into  the  licentious  court  life  of  China,  which  probably  has  not 
varied  in  the  last  two  thousand  years.  The  unconscious  realists  beat  the  con- 
scious realists  in  realism,  and  I  have  had  to  delete  passages  that  would  be 
considered  downright  obscene  by  Western  literary  standards.  It  is  a  pity, 
because  if  sex  were  not  so  much  hedged  about,  there  might  be  less  psychosis. 
On  the  other  hand,  I  do  not  want  the  book  to  be  banned  in  Boston.  Apart  from 
the  light  it  throws  incidentally  on  court  life  and  ancient  beauty  aids,  the 
interest  of  the  story  lies  in  the  jealousy  of  two  sisters,  and  there  is  no  question 
but  that  the  real  heroine  of  the  story  is  not  Feiyen,  but  her  younger 
sister. — Ed.) 

Queen  Chao  Feiyen 's 14  father  Feng  Wanchin  and  grandfather  Feng  Tali 
were  makers  of  musical  instruments  and  musicians  in  the  employ  of 
the  Prince  of  Kiangtu.  Wanchin  was  not  content  to  carry  on  the  musical 
lore  handed  down  in  his  family,  but  composed  a  type  of  music  without 
the  regular  verse  form,  with  many  embellishments  and  sad  airs.  This 
he  called  poignant  or  mad  melodies,  and  it  was  very  touching  to  hear. 
The  granddaughter  of  the  Prince,  Princess  of  Kusu,  who  was  married 
to  Commander  Chao  Manman  of  Kiangtu,  fell  in  love  with  Wanchin. 
She  was  not  happy  at  dinner  unless  she  was  sharing  the  same  bowl  with 
Wanchin,  and  they  had  relations  with  one  another.  Chao  Manman  was 
a  jealous  man,  and  besides  had  been  suffering  from  a  secret  disease  and 
so  had  abstained  from  sleeping  with  his  wife.  So  when  the  Princess  con- 
ceived, she  was  very  much  frightened  and  retired  to  her  palace  on  pre- 
text of  illness.  She  gave  birth  to  two  daughters,  the  elder  one  called 
Yichu  and  the  second  one  called  Hoteh,  whom  she  sent  to  Wanchin's 
home,  but  they  took  the  family  name  of  Chao  (The  Princess's  husband). 

Yichu  was  a  very  intelligent  child,  and  she  studied  a  copy  of  Peng 
Tsu's  "Treatise  on  Circulation  Systems"  and  mastered  the  art  of  regu- 
lating circulations.  When  she  grew  up,  she  was  very  pretty  with  a  slender, 
lithesome  figure,  and  people  called  her  Feiyen  ("Flying  Swallow"). 
Hoteh's  skin  was  so  smooth  that  water  would  not  stay  on  it  when  she 
came  out  of  the  bath.  She  was  good  at  singing  and  had  a  soft,  low  voice. 
Both  sisters  were  distinguished  beauties. 

When  Wanchin  died,  their  family  had  lost  its  fortune,  and  the  sisters 
moved  on  to  the  capital  Ch'angan,  where  they  were  known  as  the  daugh- 

14 Empress  Chao  of  Han  Ch'engti,  who  ruled  in  B.C.  32-17. 


CHINESE    TALES  957 

ters  of  Chao,  or  as  some  say,  the  "other  children"  of  Manman.  They  were 
then  staying  in  the  same  alley  with  Chao  Lin,  who  was  an  officer  in  the 
household  of  Princess  of  Yang-o.  Thus  coming  under  his  protection, 
they  often  presented  Lin  with  their  own  embroidery  work,  and  soon 
they  were  staying  in  Lin's  home  and  were  accepted  as  his  daughters. 
Lin's  eldest  daughter  was  serving  in  the  palace,  and  she  returned  home 
on  account  of  sickness  and  later  died.  In  this  way,  Feiyen  and  her  sister 
often  went  to  serve  in  the  home  of  the  Princess  of  Yang-o,  taking  the 
opportunity  to  learn  song  and  dance.  Sometimes  they  would  be  so  occu- 
pied with  it  that  they  forgot  their  meals.  They  got  very  little  pay  for 
their  service  and  were  often  short  of  money,  but  they  would  spend  on 
powder  and  cream  and  beauty  aids  without  regard  of  cost,  for  which  they 
were  laughed  at. 

Feiyen  had  relations  with  a  neighbor  who  was  an  archer  of  the  Im- 
perial Park.  She  was  poor  and  shared  the  same  bed  with  Hoteh.  On  a 
snowy  night,  she  would  stand  by  her  house,  waiting  in  the  open  for  the 
archer.  By  regulating  her  breath,  she  could  keep  her  body  warm  and 
remain  without  shiver,  so  that  the  archer  thought  she  was  a  fairy. 
Through  the  influence  of  her  mistress's  family,  she  was  sent  up  to  the 
palace.  Her  cousin,  Fanyi,  who  was  a  keeper  of  curtains  at  the  palace, 
knew  of  Feiyen's  affair  with  the  archer,  and  was  afraid  for  her.  When 
.she  received  the  Emperor's  favor,  Feiyen  denied  him;  she  closed  her  eyes 
and  wept  till  her  tears  wetted  her  cheeks  and  kept  her  legs  shivering. 
For  three  nights,  the  Emperor  was  thus  denied,  but  he  did  not  feel 
offended.  Some  of  the  palace  favorites  asked  the  Emperor,  and  the  latter 
replied,  "She  is  full  and  soft  as  if  without  bones,  and  is  very  modest  and 
shy,  unlike  you  wenches.  She  is  a  virtuous  girl."  .  .  .  From  then  on,  she 
stayed  in  the  inner  palace  and  was  made  Empress  Chao. 

The  Emperor  was  in  his  private  room  in  the  Wanyang  Hall,  looking 
over  the  list,  and  Fanyi,  who  was  close  by,  took  the  opportunity  to  tell 
him  that  Feiyen  had  a  sister  by  the  name  of  Hoteh,  who  was  both  beau- 
tiful and  had  a  much  gentler  temper  than  her  sister.  The  Emperor  sent 
a  servant,  Lii  Yenfu,  with  a  jewelled  hand-cart  to  welcome  her.  Hoteh 
declined,  saying,  "Unless  my  sister  calls  me,  I  dare  not  go.  You  can 
return  to  the  palace  with  my  head."  Upon  Yenfu's  report,  Fanyi  took 
the  Empress's  silk-covered  order  book  and  sent  for  Hoteh.  The  Emperor 
prepared  to  receive  her  in  his  bedroom  in  the  Yiinkuang  Hall.  Hoteh 
had  come  with  a  fresh  ointment  of  aloes  wood  perfume;  her  hair 
was  done  up  in  the  "new  coiffure"  and  her  eyebrows  were  painted 


958  SKETCHES    OF    CHINESE    LIFE 

in  the  "distant  hill-line"  style,  with  a  small  red  beauty  spot  painted  on 
her  face.  She  was  wearing  the  "lazy  suit,"  with  a  short  embroidered 
skirt,  narrow  sleeves  and  plum-patterned  socks.  When  she  was  presented 
through  Fanyi,  she  said,  "My  sister  is  terribly  jealous,  and  she  can  easily 
ruin  and  disgrace  me.  I  am  not  afraid  of  death,  but  unless  it  is  with 
my  sister's  consent,  I  would  rather  die  than  suffer  disgrace."  Without 
looking  up,  she  retired.  Her  voice  was  soft  and  clear,  and  those  present 
sighed  in  admiration.  The  Emperor  therefore  sent  her  back  to  her  home. 

Now  there  was  one  Lady  Chao,  who  used  to  serve  Emperor  Hsiian 
as  a  keeper  of  incense  but  who  was  now  a  white-haired  woman  serving 
as  a  teacher  of  the  palace  maids.  She  spat  when  she  spoke  of  the  Em- 
press, "She  is  a  flood  which  is  going  to  overwhelm  us."  l&  The  Emperor 
therefore  followed  Fanyi's  advice  and  opened  up  the  Yiiant'iao  Hall  for 
the  Empress's  residence,  presenting  her  with  a  cloud-pattern  curtain, 
marble  tables  and  a  gold  nine-paneled  collapsible  screen.  And  Fanyi 
said  to  the  Empress,  "The  Emperor  is  without  an  heir,  and  Your  Majesty 
should  be  thinking  of  the  Imperial  line.  Why  not  speak  to  the  Emperor 
and  ask  him  to  take  one  who  can  give  him  a  son  ?"  The  Empress  approved 
and  that  night,  Hoteh  was  presented  to  the  Emperor,  who  was  greatly 
pleased  with  her.  He  felt  all  over  her  body  and  called  her  the  Land  of 
Voluptuousness,  and  said  to  Fanyi,  "I  am  going  to  live  and  die  in  this 
Land,  rather  than  imitate  Emperor  Wuti  who  sought  the  Land  of  Im- 
mortality." Fanyi  cried  "Ten  Thousand  Years!"  and  congratulated  him, 
saying,  "Your  Majesty  now  has  met  a  fairy."  The  Emperor  immediately 
gave  her  twenty-four  pieces  of  fish-scale,  gold-spotted  brocade.  Hoteh 
thus  received  the  special  favor  of  the  Emperor,  and  she  was  given  the 
official  title  of  Lady  (Chiehyu)  Chao. 

Hoteh  used  to  go  to  see  her  sister,  greeting  her  with  the  ceremony  of 
a  child  to  its  parent.  One  day,  the  sisters  were  sitting  together,  and 
apparently  by  mistake,  the  Empress  spat  on  the  sleeve  of  Hoteh's  dress. 
"See,  Sister,"  the  latter  said,  "you  have  made  marks  on  my  purple 
sleeve,  looking  just  like  mosses  on  rocks.  The  Imperial  Tailors  ie  would 
not  be  able  to  make  a  sleeve  with  such  a  design."  The  Empress  in  her 
own  court  had  relations  with  palace  attendants  and  servants  who  had 
many  children,  and  Hoteh  tried  her  best  to  protect  her  by  often  saying 


Han  Imperial  House  was  supposed  to  have  risen  to  power  on  the  strength  of  the 
fire  element. 

"Strictly,  officers  in  charge  of  the  furniture,  upholstery  and  dresses  of  the  Imperial 
Household. 


CHINESE    TALES  959 

to  the  Emperor  with  tears  in  her  eyes,  "My  sister  has  a  bad  temper.  If 
enemies  should  ever  frame  her  up,  we  sisters  should  be  dead."  For  that 
reason,  those  who  informed  the  Emperor  of  the  Empress's  conduct  were 
killed.  And  the  attendants  and  servants  wore  fancy-colored  trousers  and 
did  what  they  pleased  at  Yuant'iao  Hall  with  complete  freedom.  But  the 
Empress  still  failed  to  produce  an  heir  to  the  throne. 

The  Empress  used  to  bathe  herself  with  a  bath  of  five  ingredients  and 
seven  perfumes,  sit  in  the  seat  of  perfumed  aquilaria  agallocha  wood, 
and  drench  herself  with  the  etherean  hundred-ingredient  perfume  water. 
Her  sister  bathed  herself  simply  with  nutmeg  and  used  the  powder  of 
flower  essence,  but  the  Emperor  once  told  Fanyi,  "Although  the  Em- 
press breathes  an  exotic  perfume,  it  cannot  be  compared  with  the  natural 
fragrance  of  the  Lady  Chao's  flesh."  There  was  one  Li  Yanghua,  who 
used  to  serve  in  Prince  Yi  of  Kiangtu's  court,  and  who  was  the  niece  of 
the  sisters*  grandfather.  In  her  old  age,  she  came  to  live  with  the  sisters' 
family  as  their  aunt.  Yanghua  was  an  expert  in  beauty  aids,  and  she  used 
to  advise  the  Empress  to  use  the  nine-curved  aloes  wood  ointment  and 
take  a  medicine  from  the  navel  of  the  male  muskdeer  for  relaxing  the 
muscles.  This  latter  was  also  taken  by  Hoteh,  but  when  often  taken  by 
women,  the  monthly  flow  would  become  thin.  One  day,  the  Empress 
spoke  about  this  to  the  Court  Pharmacist,  Shangkuan  Wu,  and  Wu  said, 
"If  this  is  the  case,  how  can  you  have  children?"  She  taught  her  to 
douche  herself  with  a  kind  of  fern,17  but  still  it  did  not  work. 

The  tribes  of  Cambodia  sent  a  tribute  of  a  giant  mother-of-pearl  and 
a  Nightless.  Pearl,  which  shone  like  moonlight.  Their  soft  glow  made 
anyone  look  beautiful  in  it.  The  Emperor  gave  the  mother-of-pearl  to 
the  Empress  and  the  pearl  to  Hoteh.  The  Empress  fixed  the  shell  in  a 
curtain  of  golden  threads,  which  gave  a  light  like  the  full  moon.  Some 
time  afterwards,  the  Emperor  remarked  to  Lady  Chao,  "The  Empress 
does  not  look  so  beautiful  in  daytime  as  she  does  at  night.  One  feels  like 
being  transported  into  a  different  world."  When  she  heard  this,  she 
decided  to  give  the  Nightless  Pearl  to  the  Empress  as  a  birthday  present, 
but  did  not  tell  her  about  it.  When  Lady  Chao  heard  from  the  Em- 
peror that  a  new  title  was  going  to  be  conferred  upon  the  Empress,  she 
sent  in  her  presents  to  the  Empress  with  the  following  memorandum: 
"On  this  auspicious  day  when  the  spirits  of  Heaven  and  Earth  blend  in 
harmony  and  when  my  sister  ascends  the  Empress's  throne,  our  ancestors 
are  greatly  honored  and  I  am  extremely  delighted,  and  beg  to  present 

IT  Yanghua,  not  known  in  present  Chinese  Materia  Mtdtca;  possibly  aspidmm  filtx-mas. 


960  SKETCHES   OF   CHINESE    LIFE 

the  following  twenty-seven  articles  in  congratulation:  i  gold-sprinkled 
stitched  mattress,  i  aquilaria  agallocha  lotus  bowl,  i  five-colored  con- 
centric knot,  i  piece  of  mandarin-duck  designed  gold-thread  brocade, 
i  crystal  screen,  i  Nightless  Pearl,  i  perfumed  wild-cat-skin  cushion,  i 
perfumed  tiger-skin  with  sandalwood  statue,  2  carved  ambergris  fish, 
i  single  stalk  precious  lotus,  i  seven-paneled  water-calthrop-shaped  mir- 
ror, 4  pure  gold  finger  rings,  i  vanishing  gauze  dress,  3  perfumed  wenlo 
silk  hand  rests,  i  jar  glamor  hair  ointment,  3  bed  incense  cases,  2  pairs 
ivory  antiseptic  chopsticks,18 1  case  white  jade  cream.  I  am  asking  my  maid 
Kuo  Yiichiung  to  bring  them  to  you."  The  Empress  gave  her  in  return 
a  colored  bed  curtain  of  cloud  brocade,  a  jade  pot  and  aloes  wood  incense. 
Lady  Chao  said  she  would  not  think  of  taking  these  things  if  they  were 
not  given  her  by  her  sister,  and  the  Emperor  showed  his  appreciation. 
It  was  then  ordered  that  the  Emperor  was  to  go  and  stay  at  Yichow 
for  three  years,  and  a  special  brocade  curtain  and  bed  decorated  with 
ctquilaria  agallocha  wood  was  ordered  for  the  Lady  Chao.  The  latter 
received  His  Majesty  at  the  Taiyi  Lake,  and  a  great  boat  was  made,  sup- 
posed to  contain  the  whole  palace  household.  A  tower  was  erected  in 
the  middle  of  the  lake  forty  feet  high.  The  Emperor  was  wearing  a 
flowing-line  seamless  gown,  and  the  Empress  was  wearing  a  purple  skirt 
sent  as  tribute  from  Annam  and  a  light-green  gauze  dress.  She  was 
singing  the  song,  "Oh,  Waft  the  Wind"  in  the  high  towers,  and  the 
Emperor  was  beating  time  by  striking  a  jade  bowl  with  an  ivory  hair 
brooch,  while  the  Empress's  favorite  attendant,  Feng  Wufang,  was  asked 
to  play  the  hand-pipes  (sheng)  in  accompaniment.  When  the  Empress 
was  singing  the  song,  "Down  the  Stream"  dreamily,  a  sudden  gust  of 
wind  arose,  and  her  voice  rose  with  the  wind,  while  Wufang  whistled 
gently  along  with  it.  The  wind  blew  up  her  skirt,  and  she  cried,  "Look  at 
me,  look  at  me!"  and  she  raised  her  flowing  sleeves  and  said,  "Oh,  fairy, 
oh,  fairy!  You  have  forsaken  the  old  for  the  new.  Have  you  forgotten 
me?"  And  the  Emperor  (seeing  that  the  wind  was  blowing  her  off),  said 
to  Wufang,  "Hold  her!"  Wufang  stopped  playing  and  caught  the  Em- 
press by  her  shoe.  After  a  while,  the  wind  stopped  and  the  Empress  wept 
and  said,  "Your  Majesty  was  kind  to  me  and  saved  me  from  becoming 
a  fairy."  And  she  felt  very  sad,  and  tears  came  down  her  cheeks,  and  the 
Emperor  loved  her  the  more.  He  gave  Wufang  thousands  of  pieces  of 
silver  and  granted  him  permission  to  enter  the  Empress's  bedroom. 

18  That  changed  color  after  contact  with  poison. 


CHINESE    TALES  961 

Some  days  afterwards,  some  court  favorites  sph:  their  skirts  and  called 
it  "the  skirt  for  holding  the  fairy." 

Lady  Chao  was  growing  in  the  favor  of  the  Emperor,  and  received 
the  title  of  Chaoyi.  She  wished  to  live  near  her  sister,  and  the  Emperor 
built  for  her  the  Shaopin  Studio,  the  Luhua  Hall,  the  Hanfeng  Hall, 
the  P'och'ang  Hall,  the  Ch'iu-an  Hall,  all  with  front  and  back  courts. 
He  also  built  for  her  a  heated  room,  a  room  of  ice  jars,  an  orchid  bath 
room,  with  many  inner  chambers  and  connecting  corridors,  decorated 
with  gold  and  jade,  with  the  wall  covered  with  white  jade  in  a  multitude 
of  designs.  Her  quarters  were  connected  with  those  of  her  sister's, 
through  a  gate  called  the  "Approach  to  the  Fairies." 

Now  the  Empress,  being  secure  in  the  Emperor's  favor,  grew  more 
licentious  every  day,  and  she  asked  magicians  to  secure  for  her  drugs 
for  staying  old  age.  An  emissary  from  the  P'oyi  tribes  of  the  Southwest 
had  come  with  tributes  to  the  Emperor,  and  he  was  a  man  who  after 
a  wine  feast  could  go  without  sleep  for  twenty-four  hours.  He  was 
staying  in  the  office  for  foreign  emissaries  and  there  was  a  singular 
glamor  about  his  appearance.  The  Empress  heard  about  it  and  asked 
him  what  special  magic  he  had.  And  the  foreigner  replied,  "My  magic 
consists  in  regarding  heaven  and  earth  and  life  and  death  all  alike  and 
leveling  the  differences  between  existence  and  non-existence,  so  that 
through  all  transformations  I  remain  unchanged."  The  Empress  asked 
Fanyi's  follower  Puchou  to  give  him  a  thousand  pieces  of  silver,  but  the 
foreigner  said,  "Who  wishes  to  learn  my  teachings  must  refrain  from 
licentious  living  and  telling  lies."  Accordingly,  the  Empress  was  dis- 
couraged. One  day,  Fanyi  was  serving  the  Empress  at  bath,  and  they 
were  chatting  happily  together.  The  Empress  told  her  what  the  for- 
eigner had  said,  and  Fanyi  slapped  her  hands  and  said  with  a  laugh,  "I 
remember  that  when  I  was  in  Kiangtu,  Aunt  Li  Yanghua  used  to  keep 
some  fighting  ducks  in  a  pond,  but  was  worried  on  account  of  the  beavers 
that  came  to  prey  upon  them.  A  woman,  Nuei,  of  Chuli,  got  a  wildcat 
that  preyed  upon  the  beavers  and  gave  it  to  our  aunt,  but  said  that  the 
wildcat  itself  had  to  be  fed  with  ducks.  Aunt  was  angry  and  strangled 
the  wildcat.  This  is  just  like  what  the  foreigner  says."  The  Empress  broke 
into  a  loud  laughter  and  said,  "The  dirty  foreigner!  He  is  not  worth 
my  strangling." 

There  was  one  attendant  who  had  intimate  relations  with  the  Em- 
press, by  the  name  of  Yen  Red-Phoenix,  who  could  scale  walls  and 
houses.  He  also  had  relations  with  the  younger  sister,  now  called  Chaoyi. 


962  SKETCHES   OF    CHINESE    LIFE 

He  was  just  leaving  Chaoyi's  house,  when  the  Empress  happened  to 
come  in.  Now  it  was  the  custom  that  on  the  fifth  of  October,  the  Em- 
peror was  to  go  to  the  Lingan  Temple  for  worship.  On  this  day,  people 
played  the  clay  pipe  and  beat  the  drum,  and  danced  and  sang  with  their 
arms  joined  together  while  their  feet  tapped  the  ground.  When  Red 
Phoenix  came  to  assist  in  the  music,  the  Empress  said  to  Chaoyi,  "Who 
does  Red  Phoenix  come  for?"  And  Chaoyi  replied,  "He  comes  for  you. 
Can  it  be  for  anybody  else?"  The  Empress  was  angry  and  pushed  her 
cup  at  Chaoyi's  face  and  replied,  "Can  a  mouse  bite  a  human  being?" 
And  Chaoyi  replied,  "He  wears  your  clothes  and  has  seen  your  under- 
wear. That  is  quite  enough.  He  does  not  have  to  bite  anybody."  Now 
Chaoyi  had  always  been  humble  toward  her  sister  and  the  Empress 
was  completely  surprised  by  her  insolent  tone,  and  she  stared  for  a  long 
time  without  reply.  Fanyi  took  off  her  hair  brooch  and  kowtowed  on 
the  ground  until  she  bled,  and  pulled  Chaoyi  to  apologize  to  her  sister. 
Chaoyi  performed  the  bow  and  said,  weeping,  "Sister,  have  you  for- 
gotten how  we  used  to  share  the  bed  together  and  how  we  could  not 
sleep  for  the  cold  and  you  asked  me  to  snuggle  close  to  your  back  ?  Now 
we  have  been  lucky  and  are  honored  far  above  all  the  others.  Besides, 
there  is  no  rival  from  the  outside.  Can  we  bear  to  quarrel  between  our- 
selves?" Then  the  Empress  also  shed  tears  and  held  Chaoyi's  hand  and 
she  took  a  brooch  of  purple  jade  with  nine  young  birds  and  put  it  in 
her  sister's  hair.  Thus  the  sisters  were  reconciled.  The  Emperor  came 
to  hear  about  the  affair,  but  he  was  afraid  of  the  Empress's  temper  and 
dared  not  ask  her,  but  asked  Chaoyi.  The  latter  replied,  "She  was  merely 
jealous  of  me.  The  Han  Imperial  House  rose  by  the  power  of  the  fire 
element;  that  was  why  she  referred  to  Your  Majesty  as  Red  Dragon 
and  Phoenix."  The  Emperor  believed  her  and  was  greatly  pleased. 

Once  the  Emperor  went  out  to  hunt  on  an  early  snowy  morning  and 
caught  an  illness.  He  became  impotent,  and  nothing  availed  except  by 
holding  Chaoyi's  legs  .  .  .  but  Chaoyi  would  not  keep  still,  but  turned 
about,  which  prevented -His  Majesty  from  holding  her  leg  for  long. 
Fanyi  said  to  Chaoyi,  "His  Majesty  has  tried  all  medicines  brought  by 
the  magicians  without  avail,  but  Your  Majesty's  leg  alone  has  worked. 
God  has  given  you  a  great  blessing.  Why  do  you  turn  about  to  defy 
the  Emperor?"  And  Chaoyi  replied,  "Fortunately  I  do  turn  about,  and 
that  is  how  I  can  still  hold  his  affection.  If  I  do  as  my  sister  does  and 
ask  him  to  hold  my  leg,  he  would  be  tired  of  me  soon.  How  then  shall  I 
be  able  to  excite  him?"  She  was  spoiled  by  the  Emperor  and,  when  she 


CHINESE    TALES  963 

was  ill,  would  not  take  food  or  drink  unless  the  Emperor  fed  her  with 
a  spoon  or  chopsticks,  and  when  she  had  to  take  bitter  medicine,  she 
would  take  it  only  from  the  Emperors  own  mouth. 

When  Chaoyi  took  a  bath  at  night  in  the  Orchid  Bathroom,  her  body 
shone  in  the  candle  light.  The  Emperor  used  to  take  a  peep  at  her,  and 
a  maid  told  Chaoyi  about  it,  and  Chaoyi  wrapped  herself  in  a  towel  and 
had  the  candles  removed.  Another  day,  the  Emperor  promised  the  maids 
gold 18  if  uhey  would  keep  quiet.  Some  maid  coming  out  through  the 
curtain  chanced  upon  the  Emperor  and  went  in  and  informed  Chaoyi, 
and  Chaoyi  hid  herself.  From  then  on,  His  Majesty  used  to  peep  at  her 
from  behind  the  curtains  of  the  Orchid  Bath,  and  he  carried  about  him 
a  lot  of  gold  so  that  whenever  he  saw  a  maid  passing  by,  he  would  stop 
her  and  give  her  some  gold.  The  maids  were  greedy  for  gold  and  passed 
out  and  in  one  after  another  without  stop.  He  gave  the  night  attendants 
as  much  as  over  a  hundred  pieces  of  gold  in  one  night. 

The  Emperor  then  became  deprived  of  his  sexual  powers,  and  the 
Chief  Physician  could  not  do  anything  about  it.  He  searched  for  rare 
medicines  and  obtained  shensuchtao  ("Carefully  Use  Gum"),  which  was 
given  to  Chaoyi.  Chaoyi  used  to  give  the  Emperor  one  pill  for  one  occa- 
sion. One  night  Chaoyi  was  drunk  and  gave  him  seven  pills.  His 
Majesty  embraced  her  all  night  .  .  .  and  laughed  hysterically.  The  next 
morning  .  .  .  His  Majesty  fell  unconscious  .  .  .  and  soon  he  died.*0  The 
attendants  reported  this  to  the  Empress,  and  the  Empress  wanted  to  have 
Chaoyi  tried.  Chaoyi  said,  "I  have  handled  His  Majesty  as  a  mother 
handles  a  child.  And  of  all  women  in  the  world,  he  has  loved  and 
honored  me.  How  can  I  stand  with  my  hands  at  my  back  like  a  prisoner 
in  court  to  explain  intimate  details?"  She  then  beat  her  chest  and  cried, 
"Your  Majesty!  Where  have  you  gone?"  Then  she  thr:w  up  blood  and 
died. 

19  Chin  can  also  refer  to  silver. 

20  The  details  of  Ch'cngti's  death  agree  with  the  Biographies  of  the  Empresses  in  Han 
History. 


Six  Chapters 
of  a  Floating  Life 


INTRODUCTION 

Yiin,  I  think,  is  one  of  the  loveliest  women  in  Chinese  literature.  She  is 
not  the  most  beautiful,  for  the  author,  her  husband,  does  not  make  that 
claim,  and  yet  who  can  deny  that  she  is  the  loveliest?  She  is  just  one  of 
those  charming  women  one  sometimes  sees  in  the  homes  of  one's  friends, 
so  happy  with  their  husbands  that  one  cannot  fall  in  love  with  them. 
One  is  glad  merely  to  know  that  such  a  woman  exists  in  the  world  and 
to  know  her  as  a  friend's  wife,  to  be  accepted  in  her  household,  to  be 
able  to  come  uninvited  to  her  home  for  lunch,  or  to  have  her  put  a 
blanket  around  one's  legs  when  one  falls  asleep  while  she  is  discussing 
painting  and  literature  and  cucumbers  in  her  womanish  manner  with 
her  husband.  I  daresay  there  are  a  number  of  such  women  in  every 
generation,  except  that  in  Yiin  I  seem  to  feel  the  qualities  of  a  cultivated 
and  gentle  wife  combined  to  a  greater  degree  of  perfection  than  falls 
within  our  common  experience.  For  who  would  not  like  to  go  out  secretly 
with  her  against  her  parents'  wish  to  Taihu  Lake  and  see  her  elated  at 
the  sight  of  the  wide  expanse  of  water,  or  watch  the  moon  with  her  by 
the  Bridge  of  Ten  Thousand  Years?  And  who  would  not  like  to  go  with 
her,  if  she  were  living  in  England,  and  visit  the  British  Museum,  where 
she  would  see  the  mediaeval  illuminated  manuscripts  with  tears  of 
delight  ?  Therefore,  when  I  say  that  she  is  one  of  the  loveliest  women  in 
Chinese  literature  and  Chinese  history — for  she  was  a  real  person — I 
do  not  think  I  have  exaggerated. 

Her  life,  in  the  words  of  Su  Tungp'o,  "was  like  a  spring  dream  which 
vanished  without  a  trace."  Had  it  not  been  for  a  literary  accident,  we 

964 


SIX    CHAPTERS    OF    A    FLOATING    LIFE  965 

might  not  have  known  that  such  a  woman  lived,  loved  and  suffered. 
I  am  translating  her  story  just  because  it  is  a  story  that  should  be  told 
the  world;  on  the  one  hand,  to  propagate  her  name,  and  on  the  other, 
because  in  this  simple  story  of  two  guileless  creatures  in  their  search  for 
beauty,  living  a  life  of  poverty  and  privations,  decidedly  outwitted  by 
life  and  their  cleverer  fellowmen,  yet  determined  to  snatch  every  moment 
of  happiness  and  always  fearful  of  the  jealousy  of  the  gods,  I  seem  to  see 
the  essence  of  a  Chinese  way  of  life  as  really  lived  by  two  persons  who 
happened  to  be  husband  and  wife.  Two  ordinary  artistic  persons  who 
did  not  accomplish  anything  particularly  noteworthy  in  the  world,  but 
merely  loved  the  beautiful  things  in  life,  lived  their  quiet  life  with  some 
good  friends  after  their  own  heart — ostensibly  failures,  and  happy  in 
their  failure.  They  were  too  good  to  be  successful,  for  they  were  retiring, 
cultivated  souls,  and  the  fact  that  they  were  disowned  by  their  elders 
could  not  be  counted  against  them,  but  was  all  to  their  credit.  The 
cause  of  the  tragedy  lay  simply  in  the  fact  that  she  knew  how  to  read 
and  write  and  that  she  loved  beauty  too  much  to  know  that  loving 
beauty  was  wrong.  As  a  daughtcr-m-law  who  could  read  and  write,  she 
had  the  unpleasant  task  of  writing  letters  for  her  mother-in-law  to  her 
father-in-law  abroad  who  wanted  to  marry  a  concubine,  and  she  got  so 
excited  over  a  sing-song  girl  that  she  secretly  arranged  to  have  her  hus- 
band take  her  as  his  concubine,  and  fell  seriously  ill  because  a  more 
powerful  young  man  snatched  her  away.  There  we  see  an  elementary, 
though  entirely  innocent,  conflict  between  her  artistic  temperament  and 
the  world  of  reality,  a  conflict  further  seen  in  her  disguising  herself  as 
a  man  in  order  to  see  the  "illuminated  flowers"  on  a  god's  birthday. 
Was  it  morally  wrong  for  a  woman  to  disguise  herself  as  a  man  or  to 
take  a  passionate  interest  in  a  beautiful  sing-song  girl?  If  so,  she  could 
not  have  been  conscious  of  it.  She  merely  yearned  to  see  and  know,  the 
beautiful  things  in  life,  beautiful  things  which  lay  not  within  the  reach 
of  moral  women  in  ancient  China  to  see.  It  was  the  same  artistically 
innocent,  but  morally  indecorous,  urge  that  made  her  wish  to  visit  like 
a  man  all  the  famous  mountains  in  China  which,  since  she  could  not 
do  as  a  moral  young  woman,  she  was  willing  to  look  forward  to  in  her 
old  age.  But  she  did  not  see  the  mountains,  for  she  had  already  seen 
a  beautiful  sing-song  girl,  and  that  was  indecorous  enough  for  her 
parents  to  disown  her  as  a  sentimental  young  fool,  and  the  rest  of  her 
life  had  to  be  spent  in  a  struggle  with  poverty,  with  too  little  leisure 
an4  monev  for  such  delights  as  climbing  famous  mountains. 


966  SKETCHES   OF    CHINESE   LIFE 

Did  Shen  Fu,  her  husband,  perhaps  idealize  her?  I  hardly  think  so. 
The  reader  will  be  convinced  of  this  when  he  reads  the  story  itself.  He 
made  no  effort  to  whitewash  her  or  himself.  In  him,  too,  lived  the  spirit 
of  truth  and  beauty  and  the  genius  for  resignation  and  contentment  so 
characteristic  of  Chinese  culture.  I  cannot  help  wondering  what  this 
commonplace  scholar  must  have  been  like  to  inspire  such  a  pure  ancl 
loyal  love  in  his  wife,  and  to  be  able  to  appreciate  it  so  much  as  to  write 
for  us  one  of  the  tenderest  accounts  of  wedded  love  we  have  ever  come 
across  in  literature.  Peace  be  to  his  soul!  His  ancestral  tomb  is  some- 
where in  the  neighbourhood  of  Soochow,  and  if  we  are  lucky,  we  may 
still  be  able  to  find  it.  I  do  not  think  it  would  be  wrong  to  prepare  some 
incense  and  fruits  and  say  some  prayers  on  our  knees  to  these  two  sweet 
souls.  If  I  were  there,  I  would  whistle  the  melodies  of  Maurice  Ravel's 
"Pavane,"  sad  as  death,  yet  smiling,  or  perhaps  Massenet's  "Melodic," 
tender  and  resigned  and  beautiful  and  purged  of  all  exciting  passions. 
For  in  the  presence  of  these  souls,  one's  spirit  also  becomes  humble,  not 
before  the  great,  but  before  the  small  things  of  life,  for  I  truly  believe 
that  a  humble  life  happily  lived  is  the  most  beautiful  thing  in  the  uni- 
verse. Inevitably,  while  reading  and  re-reading  and  going  over  this  little 
booklet,  my  thoughts  are  led  to  the  question  of  happiness.  For  those  who 
do  not  know  it,  happiness  is  a  problem,  and  for  those  who  do  know  it, 
happiness  is  a  mystery.  The  reading  of  Shen  Fu's  story  gives  one  this 
sense  of  the  mystery  of  happiness,  which  transcends  all  bodily  sorrows 
and  actual  hardships — similar,  I  think,  to  the  happiness  of  an  innocent 
man  condemned  to  a  life-long  sentence  with  the  consciousness  of  having 
done  no  wrong,  the  same  happiness  that  is  so  subtly  depicted  for  us  in 
Tolstoy's  "Resurrection,"  in  which  the  spirit  conquers  the  body.  For  this 
reason,  I  think  the  life  of  this  couple  is  one  of  the  saddest  and  yet  at  the 
same  time  "gayest"  lives,  the  type  of  gaiety  that  bears  sorrow  so  well. 

The  Chinese  title  for  this  book  is  "Fousheng  Liu  Chi"  or  "Six  Chapters 
of  a  Floating  Life,"  of  which  only  four  remain.  (The  reference  is  to  a 
passage  in  Li  Po's  poem,  "Our  floating  life  is  like  a  dream;  how  many 
times  can  one  enjoy  oneself?")  In  form,  it  is  unique,  an  autobiographical 
story  mixed  with  observations  and  comments  on  the  art  of  living,  the 
little  pleasures  of  life,  some  vivid  sketches  of  scenery  and  literary  and 
art  criticism.  The  extant  version  was  first  published  in  1877  by  Yang 
Yinch'iian,  who  picked  it  up  from  a  secondhand  bookstore,  with  the 
two  last  chapters  missing.  According  to  the  author's  own  testimony,  he 
was  born  in  1763,  and  the  fourth  chapter  could  not  have  been  written 


SIX    CHAPTERS    OF    A    FLOATING    LIFE  967 

before  1808.  A  brother-in-law  of  Yang's  and  a  well-known  scholar,  by 
the  name  of  Wang  T'ao,1  had  seen  the  book  in  his  childhood,  so  that  it 
is  likely  that  the  book  was  known  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Soochow  in 
the  second  or  third  decade  of  the  nineteenth  century.  From  Kuan  Yi-ngo's 
poems  and  from  the  known  headings  of  the  last  chapters,  we  know  that 
the  Fifth  Chapter  recorded  his  experiences  in  Formosa,  while  the  Sixth 
Chapter  contained  the  author's  reflections  on  the  Way  of  Life.  I  have 
the  fond^hope  that  some  complete  copy  of  the  book  is  still  lying  some- 
where in  some  private  collections  or  secondhand  shops  of  Soochow,  and 
if  we  are  lucky,  it  is  not  altogether  impossible  that  we  may  discover  it 
still. 

1  Wang  T'ao  was  the  Chmrsc  scholar  who  assisted  James  Leggc  in  his  translation  of 
Chinese  Classics  at  Hong  Kong. 


Six  Chapters 
of  a  Floating  Life 

by  Shen  Fu 
Translated  by  Lin  Yutang 


Chap.     I     Wedded  Bliss 

Chap.    II     The  Little  Pleasures  of  Life 

Chap.  Ill     Sorrow 


Chap.  IV     The  Joys  of  Travel 
Chap.    V     Experience  (missing) 
Chap.  VI     The  Way  of  Ltfe  (missing) 


CHAPTER  I:  WEDDED  BLISS 

I  WAS  BORN  in  1763,  under  the  reign  of  Ch'ienlung,  on  the  twenty-second 
day  of  November.  The  country  was  then  in  the  heydey  of  peace  and, 
moreover,  I  was  born  in  a  scholars'  family,  living  by  the  side  of  Ts'ang- 
lang  Pavilion  in  Soochow.  So  altogether  I  may  say  the  gods  have  been 
unusually  kind  to  me.  Su  Tungp'o  said:  "Life  is  like  a  spring  dream 
which  vanishes  without  a  trace."  I  should  be  ungrateful  to  the  gods  if 
I  did  not  try  to  put  my  life  down  on  record. 

Since  the  Boof{  of  Poems  begins  with  a  poem  on  wedded  love,  I 
thought  I  would  begin  this  book  by  speaking  of  my  marital  relations 
and  then  let  other  matters  follow.  My  only  regret  is  that  I  was  not  prop- 
erly educated  in  childhood;  all  I  know  is  a  simple  language  and  I  shall 
try  only  to  record  the  real  facts  and  real  sentiments.  I  hope  the  reader 
will  be  kind  enough  not  to  scrutinize  my  grammar,  which  would  be 
like  looking  for  brilliance  in  a  tarnished  mirror. 

I  was  engaged  in  my  childhood  to  one  Miss  Yu,  of  Chinsha,  who  died 
in  her  eighth  year,  and  eventually  I  married  a  girl  of  the  Ch'en  clan. 
Her  name  was  Yiin  and  her  literary  name  Suchen.  She  was  my  cousin, 
being  the  daughter  of  my  maternal  uncle,  Hsinyti.  Even  in  her  child- 
hood, she  was  a  very  clever  girl,  for  while  she  was  learning  to  speak, 

968 


SIX    CHAPTERS    OF    A    FLOATING    LIFE  969 

she  was  taught  Po  Chiiyi's  poem,  The  P'i  P'a  Player,  and  could  at  once 
repeat  it.  Her  father  died  when  she  was  four  years  old,  and  in  the  family 
there  were  only  her  mother  (of  the  Chin  clan)  and  her  younger  brother 
K'ech'ang  and  herself,  being  then  practically  destitute.  When  Yiin 
grew  up  and  had  learnt  needle-work,  she  was  providing  for  the  family 
of  three,  and  contrived  always  to  pay  K'ech'ang's  tuition  fees  punctually. 
One  day,  she  picked  up  a  copy  of  the  poem  The  P'l  P'a  Player  from 
a  paper  basket,  and  from  that,  with  the  help  of  her  memory  of  the  lines, 
she  learnt  to  read.  Between  her  needlework,  she  gradually  learnt  to 
write  poetry.  One  of  her  poems  contained  the  two  lines: 

"Soaked  in  autumn,  one's  figure  becomes  thin, 
Touched  by  frost,  the  chrysanthemum  grows  fat." 

When  I  was  thirteen  years  old,  I  went  with  my  mother  to  her  maiden 
home  and  there  we  met.  As  we  were  two  young  innocent  children,  she 
allowed  me  to  read  her  poems.  I  was  quite  struck  by  her  talent,  but 
feared  she  was  too  clever  to  be  happy.  Still  I  could  not  help  thinking  of 
her  all  the  time,  and  once  I  told  my  mother,  "If  you  choose  a  girl  for 
me,  I  won't  marry  any  one  except  cousin  Su."  My  mother  also  liked  her 
for  being  so  gentle,  and  gave  her  her  gold  ring  as  a  token  for  the 
betrothal. 

This  was  on  July  16  in  the  year  1775.  In  the  winter  of  this  year  one  of 
my  girl  cousins  was  going  to  get  married  and  I  again  accompanied  my 
mother  to  her  maiden  home.  Yun  was  of  the  same  age  as  myself,  but 
ten  months  older,  and  as  we  had  been  accustomed  to  calling  each  other 
'elder  sister'  and  'younger  brother'  from  childhood,  I  continued  to  call 
her  'Sister  Su.1 

At  this  time  the  guests  in  the  house  all  wore  bright  dresses,  but  Yiin 
alone  was  clad  in  a  dress  of  quiet  colour,  and  had  on  a  new  pair  of  shoes. 
I  noticed  that  the  embroidery  on  her  shoes  was  very  fine,  and  learnt 
that  it  was  her  own  work,  so  that  I  began  to  realize  that  she  was  gifted 
at  other  things,  too,  besides  reading  and  writing. 

Of  a  slender  figure,  she  had  drooping  shoulders,  and  a  rather  long 
neck,  slim  but  not  to  the  point  of  being  skinny.  Her  eye-brows  were 
arched  and  in  her  eyes  there  was  a  look  of  quick  intelligence  and  soft 
refinement.  The  only  defect  was  that  her  two  front  teeth  were  slightly 
inclined  forward,  which  was  not  a  mark  of  good  omen.  There  was  an 
air  of  tenderness  about  her  which  completely  fascinated  me. 

I  asked  for  the  manuscripts  of  her  poems  and  found  that  they  con 


970  SKETCHES   OF   CHINESE   LIFE 

sisted  mainly  of  couplets  and  three  or  four  lines,  being  unfinished 
poems,  and  I  asked  her  the  reason.  She  smiled  and  said:  "I  have  had  no 
teacher  in  poetry,  and  wish  to  have  a  good  teacher-friend  who  could 
help  me  to  finish  these  poems."  I  wrote  playfully  on  the  label  of  this 
book  of  poems  the  words:  "Beautiful  Lines  in  an  Embroidered  Case," 
and  did  not  realize  that  in  this  case  lay  the  cause  of  her  short  life. 

That  night,  when  I  came  home  from  my  relatives'  place  in  the  coun- 
try, whither  I  had  accompanied  my  female  cousin  the  bride,  it  was 
already  midnight,  and  I  felt  very  hungry  and  asked  for  something  to 
eat.  A  maid-servant  gave  me  some  dried  dates,  which  were  too  sweet 
for  me.  Yiin  secretly  pulled  me  by  the  sleeve  into  her  room,  and  I  saw 
that  she  had  hidden  away  a  bowl  of  warm  congee  and  some  dishes  to 
go  with  it.  I  was  beginning  to  take  up  the  chopsticks  and  eat  it  with 
great  gusto  when  Yiin's  cousin  Yiiheng  called  out:  "Sister  Su,  come 
quickly!"  Yiin  quickly  shut  the  door  and  said:  "I  am  very  tired  and 
going  to  bed."  Yiiheng  forced  the  door  open  and  seeing  the  situation, 
said  with  a  malicious  smile  at  Yiin,  "So,  that's  it!  A  while  ago  I  asked 
for  congee  and  you  said  there  was  no  more,  but  you  really  meant  to 
keep  it  for  your  future  husband."  Yiin  was  greatly  embarrassed  and 
everybody  laughed  at  her,  including  the  servants.  On  my  part,  I  rushed 
away  home  with  an  old  servant  in  a  state  of  excitement. 

Since  the  affair  of  the  congee  happened,  she  always  avoided  me  when 
I  went  to  her  home  afterwards,  and  I  knew  that  she  was  only  trying  to 
avoid  being  made  a  subject  of  ridicule. 

On  the  twenty-second  of  January  in  1780,  I  saw  her  on  our  wedding 
night,  and  found  that  she  had  the  same  slender  figure  as  before.  When 
her  bridal  veil  was  lifted,  we  looked  at  each  other  and  smiled.  After 
the  drinking  of  the  customary  twin  cups  between  groom  and  bride,  we 
sat  down  together  at  dinner  and  I  secretly  held  her  hand  under  the 
table,  which  was  warm  and  small,  and  my  heart  was  palpitating.  I 
asked  her  to  eat  and  learnt  that  she  had  been  keeping  fast  for  several 
years  already.  I  found  that  the  time  when  she  began  her  fast  coincided 
with  my  small-pox  illness,  and  said  to  her  laughingly :  "Now  that  my 
face  is  clean  and  smooth  without  pock-marks,  my  dear  sister,  will  you 
break  your  fast?"  Yiin  looked  at  me  with  a  smile  and  nodded  her  head. 

This  was  on  the  twenty-second,  my  wedding  night.  On  the  twenty- 
fourth,  my  own  sister  was  going  to  get  married,  and  as  there  was  to  be 
a  national  mourning  and  no  music  was  to  be  allowed  on  the  twenty- 
third,  we  gave  my  sister  a  send-off  dinner  on  the  night  of  the  twenty- 


SIX    CHAPTERS    OF    A    FLOATING    LIFE  971 

second,  and  Yiin  was  present  at  table.  I  was  playing  the  finger-guessing 
game  with  the  bridesmaids  in  the  bridal  chamber  and  being  a  loser  all 
the  time,  fell  asleep  drunk  like  a  fish.  When  I  woke  up  the  next  morn- 
ing, Yiin  had  not  quite  finished  her  morning  toilet. 

That  day,  we  were  kept  busy  entertaining  guests  and  towards  evening, 
music  was  played.  After  midnight,  on  the  morning  of  the  twenty- 
fourth,  I,  as  the  bride's  brother,  sent  my  sister  away  and  came  back 
towards  three  o'clock.  The  room  was  then  pervaded  with  quietness, 
bathed  in  the  silent  glow  of  the  candle-lights.  I  went  in  and  saw  Yiin's 
woman  servant  taking  a  nap  behind  the  bed,  while  Yiin  had  taken  off 
her  bridal  costume,  but  had  not  yet  gone  to  bed.  Her  beautiful  white 
neck  was  bent  before  the  bright  candles,  and  she  was  absorbed  reading 
a  book.  I  patted  her  on  the  shoulder  and  said :  "Sister,  why  are  you  still 
working  so  hard?  You  must  be  quite  tired  with  the  full  day  we've  had." 

Quickly  Yiin  turned  her  head  and  stood  up  saying:  "I  was  going  to 
bed  when  I  opened  the  book-case  and  saw  this  book  and  have  not  been 
able  to  leave  it  since.  Now  my  sleepiness  is  all  gone.  I  have  heard  of  the 
name  of  Western  Chamber  for  a  long  time,  but  to-day  I  see  it  for  the 
first  time.  It  is  really  the  work  of  a  genius,  only  I  feel  that  its  style  is  a 
little  bit  too  biting." 

"Only  geniuses  can  write  a  biting  style,"  I  smiled  and  said. 

The  woman  servant  asked  us  to  go  to  bed  and  left  us  and  shut  the 
door.  I  began  to  sit  down  by  her  side  and  we  joked  together  like  old 
friends  after  a  long  separation.  I  touched  her  breast  in  fun  and  felt  that 
her  heart  was  palpitating  too.  "Why  is  Sister's  heart  palpitating  like 
that?"  I  bent  down  and  whispered  in  her  ear.  Yiin  looked  back  at  me 
with  a  smile  and  our  souls  were  carried  away  in  a  mist  of  passion. 
Then  we  went  to  bed,  when  all  too  soon  the  dawn  came. 

As  a  bride,  Yiin  was  very  quiet  at  first.  She  was  never  sullen  or  dis- 
pleased, and  when  people  spoke  to  her,  she  merely  smiled.  She  was 
respectful  towards  her  superiors  and  kindly  towards  those  under  her. 
Whatever  she  did  was  done  well,  and  it  was  difficult  to  find  fault  with 
her.  When  she  saw  the  grey  dawn  shining  through  the  window,  she 
would  get  up  and  dress  herself  as  if  she  had  been  commanded  to  do  so. 
"Why?"  I  asked.  "You  don't  have  to  be  afraid  of  gossip,  like  the  days 
when  you  gave  me  that  warm  congee."  "I  was  made  a  laughing-stock 
on  account  of  that  bowl  of  congee,"  she  replied,  "but  now  I  am  not 
afraid  of  people's  talk;  I  only  fear  that  our  parents  might  think  their 
daughter-in-law  lazy." 


972  SKETCHES   OF    CHINESE    LIFE 

Although  I  wanted  her  to  lie  in  bed  longer,  I  could  not  help  admiring 
her  virtue,  and  so  got  up  myself,  too,  at  the  same  time  with  her.  And 
so  every  day  we  rubbed  shoulders  together  and  clung  to  each  other 
like  an  object  and  its  shadow,  and  the  love  between  us  was  something 
that  surpassed  the  language  of  words. 

So  the  time  passed  happily  and  the  honeymoon  was  too  soon  over. 
At  this  time,  my  father  Chiafu  was  in  the  service  of  the  Kueich'i  district 
government,  and  he  sent  a  special  messenger  to  bring  me  thare,  for,  it 
should  be  noted  that,  during  this  time,  I  was  under  the  tutorship  of 
Chao  Shengtsai  of  Wulin.  Chao  was  a  very  kindly  teacher  and  to-day 
the  fact  that  I  can  write  at  all  is  due  entirely  to  his  credit. 

Now,  when  I  came  home  for  the  wedding,  it  had  been  agreed  that  I 
could  go  back  any  time.  So  when  I  got  this  news,  I  did  not  know 
what  to  do.  I  was  afraid  Yiin  might  break  into  tears,  but  on  the  other 
hand  she  tried  to  look  cheerful  and  comforted  me  and  urged  me  to  go, 
and  packed  up  things  for  me.  Only  that  night  I  noticed  that  she  did 
not  look  quite  her  usual  self.  At  the  time  of  parting,  she  whispered  to 
me :  "Take  good  care  of  yourself,  for  there  will  be  no  one  to  look  after 
you." 

When  I  went  up  on  board  the  boat,  the  peach  and  pear  trees  on  the 
banks  were  in  full  bloom,  but  I  felt  like  a  lonely  bird  that  had  lost  its 
companions  and  as  if  the  world  was  going  to  collapse  around  me.  As 
soon  as  I  arrived,  my  father  left  the  place  and  crossed  the  river  for  an 
eastward  destination. 

Thus  three  months  passed,  which  seemed  to  me  like  ten  insufferable 
long  years.  Although  Yun  wrote  to  me  regularly,  still  for  two  letters 
that  I  sent  her,  I  received  only  one  in  reply,  and  these  letters  contained 
only  words  of  exhortation  and  the  rest  was  filled  with  airy,  conven- 
tional nothings,  and  I  felt  very  unhappy.  Whenever  the  breeze  blew  past 
my  bamboo  courtyard,  or  the  moon  shone  upon  my  window  behind 
the  green  banana  leaves,  I  thought  of  her  and  was  carried  away  into  a 
region  of  dreams. 

My  teacher  noticed  this,  and  sent  word  to  my  father,  saying  that  he 
would  give  me  ten  subjects  for  composition  and  let  me  go  home.  I  felt 
like  an  exiled  prisoner  receiving  his  pardon. 

Strange  to  say,  when  I  got  on  to  the  boat  and  was  on  my  way  home, 
I  felt  that  a  quarter  of  an  hour  was  like  a  long  year.  When  I  arrived 
home,  I  went  to  pay  my  respects  to  my  mother  and  then  entered  my 
room.  Yiin  stood  up  to  welcome  me,  and  we  held  each  other's  hands  in 


SIX    CHAPTERS    OF    A    FLOATING    LIFE  973 

silence,  and  it  seemed  then  that  our  souls  had  melted  away  or  evapo- 
rated like  a  mist.  My  ears  tingled  and  I  did  not  know  where  I  was. 

It  was  June,  then,  and  the  rooms  were  very  hot.  Luckily,  we  were 
next  door  to  the  Lotus  Lover's  Lodge  of  the  Ts'anglang  Pavilion  on  the 
east.  Over  the  bridge,  there  was  an  open  hall  overlooking  the  water, 
called  "After  My  Heart" — the  reference  was  to  an  old  poem:  "When 
the  water  is  clear,  I  will  wash  the  tassels  of  my  hat,  and  when  the  water  is 
muddy,  }  will  wash  my  feet."  By  the  side  of  the  eaves,  there  was  an  old 
tree  which  spread  its  green  shade  over  the  window,  and  made  the 
people's  faces  look  green  with  it;  and  across  the  creek,  you  could  see 
people  passing  to  and  fro.  This  was  where  my  father  used  to  entertain 
his  guests.  I  asked  for  permission  from  my  mother  to  bring  Yiin  and 
stay  there  for  the  summer.  She  stopped  embroidery  during  the  summer 
months  because  of  the  heat,  and  the  whole  day  long,  we  were  either 
reading  together,  or  discussing  the  ancient  things,  or  else  enjoying  the 
moon  and  passing  judgments  on  the  flowers.  \un  could  not  drink,  but 
could  take  at  most  three  cups  when  compelled  to,  and  I  taught  her 
literary  games  in  which  the  loser  had  to  drink.  We  thought  there  could 
not  be  a  more  happy  life  on  earth  than  this. 

One  day  Yun  asked  me:  "Of  all  the  ancient  authors,  which  one  should 
we  regard  as  the  master?"  And  I  replied:  "Chankjitots'eh  and  Chuangtse 
are  noted  for  their  agility  of  thought  and  expressiveness  of  style, 
K'uang  Heng  and  Liu  Hsiang  are  known  for  their  classic  severity, 
Szema  Ch'ien  and  Pan  Ku  are  known  for  their  breadth  of  knowledge, 
Han  Yii  is  known  for  his  mellow  qualities,  Liu  Tsungyiian  for  his 
rugged  beauty,  Ouyang  Hsm  for  his  romantic  abandon,  and  the  Su's, 
father  and  sons,  arc  known  for  their  sustained  eloquence.  There  are, 
besides,  writings  like  the  political  essays  of  Chia  Yi  and  Tung  Chung- 
shu,  the  euphuistic  prose  of  Hsu  Ling  and  Yii  Hsin,  the  memorandums 
of  Lu  Chih,  and  others  more  than  one  can  enumerate.  True  apprecia- 
tion, however,  must  come  from  the  reader  himself." 

"The  ancient  literature,"  Yun  said,  "depends  for  its  appeal  on  depth 
of  thought  and  greatness  of  spirit,  which  I  am  afraid  it  is  difficult  for  a 
woman  to  attain.  I  believe,  however,  that  I  do  understand  something  of 
poetry." 

"Poetry  was  used,"  I  said,  "as  a  litcrarv  test  in  the  imperial  examina- 
tions of  the  T'ang  Dynasty,  and  people  acknowledge  Li  Po  and  Tu  Fu 
as  the  master  poets.  Which  of  the  two  do  you  like  better?" 

"Tu's  poems,"  she  said,  "are  known  for  their  workmanship  and  ar- 


974  SKETCHES   OF   CHINESE   LIFE 

tistic  refinement,  while  Li's  poems  are  known  for  their  freedom  and 
naturalness  of  expression.  I  prefer  the  vivacity  of  Li  Po  to  the  severity 
of  Tu  Fu." 

"Tu  Fu  is  the  acknowledged  king  of  poets,"  said  I,  "and  he  is  taken 
by  most  people  as  their  model.  Why  do  you  prefer  Li  Po?" 

"Of  course,"  said  she,  "as  for  perfection  of  form  and  maturity  of 
thought,  Tu  is  the  undisputed  master,  but  Li  Po's  poems  have  the  way- 
ward charm  of  a  nymph.  His  lines  come  naturally  like  falling  flowers 
and  flowing  water,  and  are  so  much  lovelier  for  their  spontaneity.  I  am 
not  saying  that  Tu  is  second  to  Li;  only  personally  I  feel,  not  that  I 
love  Tu  less,  but  that  I  love  Li  more." 

"I  say,  I  didn't  know  that  you  are  a  bosom  friend  of  Li  Po!" 

"I  have  still  in  my  heart  another  poet,  Po  Chiiyi,  who  is  my  first  tutor, 
as  it  were,  and  I  have  not  been  able  to  forget  him." 

"What  do  you  mean?"  I  asked. 

"Isn't  he  the  one  who  wrote  the  poem  on  The  Pi  P'a  Player?" 

"This  is  very  strange,"  I  laughed  and  said.  "So  Li  Po  is  your  bosom 
friend,  Po  Chiiyi  is  your  first  tutor  and  your  husband's  literary  name  is 
Sanpo.  It  seems  that  your  life  is  always  bound  up  with  the  PoV" 

"It  is  all  right,"  Yun  smiled  and  replied,  "to  have  one's  life  bound  up 
with  the  Po's,  only  I  am  afraid  I  shall  be  writing  Po  characters  all  my 
life."  (For  in  Soochow  we  call  misspelt  words  "po  characters.")  And  we 
both  laughed. 

"Now  that  you  know  poetry,"  I  said,  "I  should  like  also  to  know  your 
taste  for  fu  poems." 

"The  Ch'uts'e  is,  of  course,  the  fountainhead  of  fu  poetry,  but  I  find 
it  difficult  to  understand.  It  seems  to  me  that  among  the  Han  and  Chin 
fu  poets,  Ssuma  Hsiangju  is  most  sublime  in  point  of  style  and  diction." 

"Perhaps,"  I  said,  "Wenchun  was  tempted  to  elope  with  Hsiangju 
not  because  of  his  ch'in  music,  but  rather  because  of  his  fu  poetry,"  and 
we  laughed  again. 

I  am  by  nature  unconventional  and  straightforward,  but  Yiin  was  a 
stickler  for  forms,  like  the  Confucian  schoolmasters.  Whenever  I  put  on 
a  dress  for  her  or  tidied  up  her  sleeves,  she  would  say  "So  much 
obliged"  again  and  again,  and  when  I  passed  her  a  towel  or  a  fan,  she 
must  receive  it  standing  up.  At  first  I  disliked  this  and  said  to  her:  "Do 
you  mean  to  tie  me  down  with  all  this  ceremony?  There  is  a  proverb 
which  says,  'One  who  is  overcourteous  is  crafty.' "  Yiin  blushed  all 
over  and  said:  "I  am  merely  trying  to  be  polite  and  respectful;  why  do 


SIX    CHAPTERS    OF    A    FLOATING    LIFE  975 

you  charge  me  with  craftiness?"  "True  respect  is  in  the  heart,  and  does 
not  require  such  empty  forms,"  said  I,  but  Yiin  said,  "There  is  no  more 
intimate  relationship  than  that  between  children  and  their  parents.  Do 
you  mean  to  say  that  children  should  behave  freely  towards  their  par- 
ents and  keep  their  respect  only  in  their  heart?"  "Oh!  I  was  only  joking," 
I  said.  "The  trouble  is,"  said  Yiin,  "most  marital  troubles  begin  with 
joking.  Don't  you  accuse  me  of  disrespect  later,  for  then  I  shall  die  of 
grief  without  being  able  to  defend  myself."  Then  I  held  her  close  to  my 
breast  ano!  caressed  her  and  then  she  smiled.  From  then  on  our  conversa- 
tions were  full  of  Tm  sorry Y  and  'I  beg  your  pardon's.'  And  so  we  re- 
mained courteous  to  each  other  for  twenty-three  years  of  our  married 
life  like  Liang  Hung  and  Meng  Kuang  of  old,  and  the  longer  we  stayed 
together,  the  more  passionately  attached  we  became  to  each  other. 
Whenever  we  met  each  other  in  the  house,  whether  it  be  in  a  dark  room 
or  in  a  narrow  corridor,  we  used  to  hold  each  other's  hands  and  ask- 
'Where  are  you  going?'  and  we  did  this  on  the  sly  as  if  afraid  that  people 
might  see  us.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  we  tried  at  first  to  avoid  being  seen 
sitting  or  walking  together,  but  after  a  while,  we  did  not  mind  it  any 
more.  When  Yiin  was  sitting  and  talking  with  somebody  and  saw  me 
come,  she  would  rise  and  move  sideways  for  me  to  sit  down  together 
with  her.  All  this  was  done  naturally  almost  without  any  consciousness, 
and  although  at  first  we  felt  uneasy  about  it,  later  on  it  became  a  matter 
of  habit.  I  cannot  understand  why  all  old  couples  must  hate  each  other 
like  enemies.  Some  people  say  'if  they  weren't  enemies,  they  would  not 
be  able  to  live  together  until  old  age.'  Well,  I  wonder! 

On  the  seventh  night  of  the  seventh  moon  of  that  year  [1780],  Yiin 
prepared  incense,  candles  and  some  melons  and  fruits,  so  that  we  might 
together  worship  the  Grandson  of  Heaven  *  in  the  Hall  called  "After 
My  Heart."  I  had  carved  two  seals  with  the  inscription  "That  we  might 
remain  husband  and  wife  from  incarnation  to  incarnation."  I  kept  the 
seal  with  positive  characters,  while  she  kept  the  one  with  negative  char- 
acters, to  be  used  in  our  correspondence.  That  night,  the  moon  was 
shining  beautifully  and  when  I  looked  down  at  the  creek,  the  ripples 
shone  like  golden  chains.  We  were  wearing  light  silk  dresses  and  sitting 
together  with  a  small  fan  in  our  hands,  before  the  window  overlooking 
the  creek.  Looking  up  at  the  sky,  we  saw  the  clouds  sailing  through  the 

xThc  seventh  day  of  the  seventh  moon  is  the  only  day  in  the  year  when  the  pair  of 
heavenly  lovers,  the  Cowherd  ("grandson  of  heaven")  and  the  Spinning  Maid  are 
allowed  to  meet  each  other  across  the  Milky  Way. 


976  SKETCHES    OF    CHINESE    LIFE 

heavens,  changing  at  every  moment  into  a  myriad  forms,  and  Yiin  said : 
"This  moon  is  common  to  the  whole  universe.  I  wonder  if  there  is  an- 
other pair  of  lovers  quite  as  passionate  as  ourselves  looking  at  the  same 
moon  to-night?"  And  I  said:  "Oh!  there  are  plenty  of  people  who  will 
be  sitting  in  the  cool  evening  and  looking  at  the  moon,  and  perhaps 
also  many  women  criticising  or  enjoying  the  clouds  in  their  chambers; 
but  when  a  husband  and  wife  are  looking  at  the  moon  together,  I 
hardly  think  that  the  clouds  will  form  the  subject  of  their  conversation." 
By  and  by,  the  candle-lights  went  out,  the  moon  sank  in  the*  sky,  and 
we  removed  the  fruits  and  went  to  bed. 

The  fifteenth  of  the  seventh  moon  was  All  Souls'  Day.  Yiin  prepared 
a  little  dinner,  so  that  we  could  drink  together  with  the  moon  as  our 
company,  but  when  night  came,  the  sky  was  suddenly  overcast  with 
dark  clouds.  Yiin  knitted  her  brow  and  said :  "If  it  be  the  wish  of  God 
that  we  two  should  live  together  until  there  are  silver  threads  in  our 
hair,  then  the  moon  must  come  out  again  to-night."  On  my  part  I  felt 
disheartened  also.  As  we  looked  across  the  creek,  we  saw  will-o'-the- 
\visps  flitting  in  crowds  hither  and  thither  like  ten  thousand  candle- 
lights, threading  their  way  through  the  willows  and  smartweeds.  And 
then  we  began  to  compose  a  poem  together,  each  saying  two  lines  at  a 
time,  the  first  completing  the  couplet  which  the  other  had  begun,  and 
the  second  beginning  another  couplet  for  the  other  to  finish,  and  after  a 
few  rhymes,  the  longer  we  kept  on,  the  more  nonsensical  it  became, 
until  it  was  a  jumble  of  slapdash  doggerel.  By  this  time,  Yiin  was  buried 
amidst  tears  and  laughter  and  choking  on  my  breast,  while  I  felt  the 
fragrance  of  the  jasmine  in  her  hair  assail  my  nostrils.  I  patted  her  on 
the  shoulder  and  said  jokingly,  "I  thought  that  the  jasmine  was  used  for 
decoration  in  women's  hair  because  it  was  round  like  a  pearl;  I  did  not 
know  that  it  is  because  its  fragrance  is  so  much  finer  when  it  is  mixed 
with  the  smell  of  women's  hair  and  powder.  When  it  smells  like  that, 
even  the  citron  cannot  remotely  compare  with  it."  Then  Yiin  stopped 
laughing  and  said:  "The  citron  is  the  gentleman  among  the  different 
fragrant  plants  because  its  fragrance  is  so  slight  that  you  can  hardly 
detect  it;  on  the  other  hand,  the  jasmine  is  a  common  fellow  because  it 
borrows  its  fragrance  partly  from  others.  Therefore,  the  fragrance  of 
the  jasmine  is  like  that  of  a  smiling  sycophant."  "Why,  then,"  I  said, 
"do  you  keep  away  from  the  gentleman  and  associate  with  the  common 
fellow?"  And  Yiin  replied,  "I  am  amused  at  the  gentleman  that  loves 
the  common  fellow."  While  we  were  thus  bandying  words  about,  it 


SIX    CHAPTERS    OF    A    FLOATING    LIFE  977 

was  already  midnight,  and  we  saw  the  wind  had  blown  away  the  clouds 
in  the  sky  and  there  appeared  the  full  moon,  round  like  a  chariot  wheel, 
and  we  were  greatly  delighted.  And  so  we  began  to  drink  by  the  side  of 
the  window,  but  before  we  had  tasted  three  cups,  we  heard  suddenly  the 
noise  of  a  splash  under  the  bridge,  as  if  some  one  had  fallen  into  the 
water.  We  looked  out  through  the  window  and  saw  there  was  not  a 
thing,  for  the  water  was  as  smooth  as  a  mirror,  except  that  we  heard 
the  noise  of  a  duck  scampering  in  the  marshes.  I  knew  that  there  was 
a  ghost  of  some  one  who  had  been  drowned  by  the  side  of  the  Ts'ang- 
lang  Pavilion,  but  knowing  that  Yun  was  very  timid,  dared  not  men- 
tion it  to  her.  And  Yiin  sighed  and  said:  "Alas!  Whence  cometh  this 
noise?'*  and  we  shuddered  all  over.  Quickly  we  shut  the  window  and 
carried  the  wine  pot  back  into  the  room.  A  lamp  light  was  then  burning 
as  small  as  a  pea,  and  the  curtains  moved  in  the  dark,  and  we  were 
shaking  all  over.  We  then  put  out  the  light  and  went  inside  the  bed 
curtain,  and  Yiin  already  ran  up  a  high  fever.  Soon  I  had  a  high  tem- 
perature myself,  and  our  illness  dragged  on  for  about  twenty  days. 
True  it  is  that  when  the  cup  of  happiness  overflows,  disaster  follows,  as 
the  saying  goes,  and  this  was  also  an  omen  that  we  should  not  be  able 
to  live  together  until  old  age. 

On  the  fifteenth  of  the  eighth  moon,  or  the  Mid-Autumn  Festival,  I 
had  just  recovered  from  my  illness.  Yiin  had  now  been  a  bride  in  my 
home  for  over  a  year,  but  still  had  never  been  to  the  Ts'anglang  Pavilion 
itself  next  door.  So  I  first  ordered  an  old  servant  to  tell  the  watchman 
not  to  let  any  visitors  enter  the  place.  Toward  evening,  I  went  with 
Yiin  and  my  younger  sister,  supported  by  an  amah  and  a  maid-servant 
and  led  by  an  old  attendant.  We  passed  a  bridge,  entered  a  gate,  turned 
eastwards  and  followed  a  zigzag  path  into  the  place,  where  we  saw 
huge  grottoes  and  abundant  green  trees.  The  Pavilion  was  situated  on 
the  top  of  a  hill.  Going  up  by  the  steps  to  the  top,  one  could  look  around 
for  miles,  where  in  the  distance  chimney  smoke  arose  from  the  cottages 
against  the  background  of  clouds  of  rainbow  hues.  Over  the  bank, 
there  was  a  grove  called  the  "Forest  by  the  Hill"  where  the  great  offi- 
cials used  to  entertain  their  guests.  Later  on,  the  Chengyi  College  was 
erected  on  this  spot,  but  it  wasn't  there  yet.  We  brought  a  blanket  which 
we  spread  on  the  Pavilion  floor,  and  then  sat  round  together,  while  the 
watchman  served  us  tea.  After  a  while,  the  moon  had  already  arisen 
from  behind  the  forest,  and  the  breeze  was  playing  about  my  sleeves, 


978  SKETCHES   OF   CHINESE   LIFE 

while  the  moon's  image  sparkled  in  the  rippling  water,  and  all  worldly 
cares  were  banished  from  our  breasts.  "This  is  the  end  of  a  perfect  day," 
said  Yiin.  "Wouldn't  it  be  fine  if  we  could  get  a  boat  and  row  around 
the  Pavilion  I"  At  this  time,  the  lights  were  already  shining  from  peo- 
ple's homes,  and  thinking  of  the  incident  of  the  fifteenth  night  of  the 
seventh  moon,  we  left  the  Pavilion  and  hurried  home.  According  to 
the  custom  at  Soochow,  the  women  of  all  families,  big  and  small,  came 
out  in  groups  on  the  Mid-Autumn  night,  a  custom  which  was  called 
"pacing  the  moonlight."  Strange  to  say,  no  one  came  to  such  a  beautiful 
neighbourhood  as  the  Ts'anglang  Pavilion. 

My  father  Chiafu  was  very  fond  of  adopting  children;  hence  I  had 
twenty-six  adopted  brothers.  My  mother,  too,  had  nine  adopted  daugh- 
ters, of  whom  Miss  Wang,  the  second,  and  Miss  Yii,  the  sixth,  were 
Yiin's  best  friends.  Wang  was  a  kind  of  a  torn-boy  and  a  great  drinker 
while  Yii  was  straightforward  and  very  fond  of  talking.  When  they 
came  together,  they  used  to  chase  me  out,  so  that  the  three  of  them 
could  sleep  in  the  same  bed.  I  knew  Miss  Yii  was  responsible  for  this, 
and  once  I  said  to  her  in  fun:  "When  you  get  married,  I  am  going  to 
invite  your  husband  to  come  and  keep  him  for  ten  days."  "I'll  come 
here,  too,  then,"  said  Miss  Yii,  "and  sleep  in  the  same  bed  with  Yiin. 
Won't  that  be  fun?"  At  this  Yiin  and  Wang  merely  smiled. 

At  this  time,  my  younger  brother  Ch'it'ang  was  going  to  get  married, 
and  we  moved  to  Ts'angmi  Alley  by  the  Bridge  of  Drinking  Horses. 
The  house  was  quite  big,  but  not  so  well  furnished  as  the  one  by  the 
Ts'anglang  Pavilion.  On  the  birthday  of  my  mother,  we  had  theatrical 
performances  at  home,  and  Yiin  at  first  thought  them  quite  wonderful. 
Scorning  all  taboos,  my  father  asked  for  the  performance  of  a  scene 
called  "Sad  Parting,"  and  the  actors  played  so  realistically  that  the  audi- 
ence were  quite  touched.  I  noticed  across  the  screen  that  Yiin  suddenly 
got  up  and  disappeared  inside  for  a  long  time.  I  went  in  to  see  her  and 
the  Misses  Yii  and  Wang  also  followed  suit.  There  I  saw  Yiin  sitting 
alone  before  her  dressing  table,  resting  her  head  on  an  arm.  "Why  are 
you  so  sad?"  I  asked.  "One  sees  a  play  for  diversion,"  Yiin  said,  "but 
to-day's  play  only  breaks  my  heart."  Both  Wang  and  Yii  were  laughing 
at  her,  but  I  defended  her.  "She  is  touched  because  hers  is  a  profoundly 
emotional  soul."  "Are  you  going  to  sit  here  all  day  long?"  asked  Miss 
Yii.  "I'll  stay  here  until  some  better  selection  is  being  played,"  Yiin 
replied.  Hearing  this,  Miss  Wang  left  first  and  asked  my  mother  to 
select  more  cheerful  plays  like  Ch'ihliang  and  Househ.  Then  Yiin  was 


SIX    CHAPTERS    OF    A    FLOATING    LIFE  979 

persuaded  to  come  out  and  watch  the  play,  which  made  her  happy 
again. 

My  uncle  Such'un  died  early  without  an  heir,  and  my  father  made 
me  succeed  his  line.  His  tomb  was  situated  on  Longevity  Hill  in  Hsi- 
k'uatang  by  the  side  of  our  ancestral  tombs,  and  it  was  our  custom  to 
go  and  visit  the  grave  every  spring.  As  there  was  a  beautiful  garden  called 
Koyiian  in  its  neighbourhood,  Miss  Wang  begged  to  come  with  us. 
Yun  saw  jthat  the  pebbles  on  this  hill  had  beautiful  grains  of  different 
colours,  and  said  to  me:  "If  we  were  to  collect  these  pebbles  and  make 
them  into  a  grotto,  it  would  be  even  more  artistic  than  one  made  of 
Hsiianchow  stones."  I  expressed  the  fear  that  there  might  not  be  enough 
of  this  kind.  "If  Yiin  really  likes  them,  I'll  pick  them  for  you,"  said  Miss 
Wang.  So  we  borrowed  a  bag  from  the  watchman,  and  went  along  col- 
lecting them.  Whenever  she  saw  one,  she  would  ask  for  my  opinion.  If 
I  said  'good,'  she  would  pick  it;  and  if  I  said  'no,'  she  would  discard  it. 
Very  soon  we  had  a  fairly  full  bag  and  Miss  Wang  was  perspiring  ail 
over.  "If  we  get  any  more,  we  shan't  be  able  to  carry  them  home,"  she 
said.  "I  have  been  told,"  said  Yiin,  as  we  were  going  along,  "that  moun- 
tain fruits  must  be  gathered  by  monkeys,  which  seems  quite  true."  Miss 
Wang  was  furious  and  stretched  both  hands  as  if  to  scratch  her.  I 
stopped  her  and  said  to  Yiin  by  way  of  reproof:  "You  cannot  blame  her 
for  being  angry,  because  she  is  doing  all  the  work  and  you  stand  by  and 
say  such  unkind  things."  Then  on  our  way  back,  we  visited  the 
Koyiian  Garden,  in  which  we  saw  a  profusion  of  flowers  of  all  colours. 
Wang  was  very  childish;  she  would  break  a  flower  branch  for  no  reason, 
and  Yiin  scolded  her,  saying:  "You  are  not  going  to  put  it  in  a  vase  or 
in  your  hair.  Why  destroy  flowers  like  that?"  "Oh!  what's  the  harm? 
These  flowers  don't  feel  anything."  "All  right,"  I  said,  "you  will  be 
punished  for  this  one  day  by  marrying  a  pock-marked  bearded  fellow 
for  your  husband  to  avenge  the  flowers."  Wang  looked  at  me  in  anger, 
threw  the  flowers  to  the  ground,  and  kicked  them  into  the  pond.  "Why 
do  you  all  bully  me?"  she  said.  However,  Yiin  made  it  up  with  her, 
and  she  was  finally  pacified. 

Yiin  was  at  first  very  quiet  and  loved  to  hear  me  talk,  but  I  gradually 
taught  her  the  art  of  conversation  as  one  leads  a  cricket  with  a  blade  of 
grass.  She  then  gradually  learnt  the  art  of  conversation.  For  instance,  at 
meals,  she  always  mixed  her  rice  with  tea,  and  loved  to  eat  stale  pickled 
bean-curd,  called  'stinking  bean-curd'  in  Soochow.  Another  thing  she 
liked  to  eat  was  a  kind  of  small  pickled  cucumber.  I  hated  both  of  these 


980  SKETCHES   OF    CHINESE    LIFE 

things,  and  said  to  her  in  fun  one  day :  "The  dog,  which  has  no  stomach, 
eats  human  refuse  because  it  doesn't  know  that  refuse  stinks,  while  the 
beetle  rolls  in  dunghills  and  is  changed  into  a  cicada  because  it  wants  to 
fly  up  to  heaven.  Now  are  you  a  dog  or  a  beetle?"  To  this  Yiin  replied: 
"One  eats  bean-curd  because  it  is  so  cheap  and  it  goes  with  dry  rice  as 
well  as  with  congee.  I  am  used  to  this  from  childhood.  Now  I  am  mar- 
ried into  your  home,  like  a  beetle  that  has  been  transformed  into  a 
cicada,  but  I  am  still  eating  it  because  one  should  not  forget  old  friends. 
As  for  pickled  cucumber,  I  tasted  it  for  the  first  time  in  your  home." 
"Oh,  then,  my  home  is  a  dog's  kennel,  isn't  it?"  Yiin  was  embarrassed 
and  tried  to  explain  it  away  by  saying:  "Of  course  there  is  refuse  in 
every  home;  the  only  difference  is  whether  one  eats  it  or  not.  You  your- 
self eat  garlic,  for  instance,  and  I  have  tried  to  eat  it  with  you.  I  won't 
compel  you  to  eat  stinking  bean-curd,  but  cucumber  is  really  very  nice, 
if  you  hold  your  breath  while  eating.  You  will  see  when  you  have  tasted 
it  yourself.  It  is  like  Wuyien,  an  ugly  but  virtuous  woman."  "Are  you 
going  to  make  me  a  dog?"  I  asked.  "Well,  I  have  been  a  dog  for  a  long 
time,  why  don't  you  try  to  be  one?"  So  she  picked  one  with  her  chop- 
sticks and  pushed  it  into  my  mouth.  I  held  my  breath  and  ate  it  and 
found  it  indeed  delicious.  Then  I  ate  it  in  the  usual  way  and  found  it 
to  have  a  marvellous  flavour.  And  from  that  time  on,  I  loved  the  cucum- 
ber also.  Yiin  also  prepared  pickled  bean-curd  mixed  with  sesame  seed 
oil  and  sugar,  which  I  found  also  to  be  a  delicacy.  We  then  mixed 
pickled  cucumber  with  pickled  bean-curd  and  called  the  mixture  'the 
double-flavoured  gravy.'  I  said  I  could  not  understand  why  I  disliked  it 
at  first  and  began  to  love  it  so  now.  "If  you  are  in  love  with  a  thing, 
you  will  forget  its  ugliness,"  said  Yiin. 

My  younger  brother  Ch'it'ang  married  the  daughter  of  Wang  Hsii- 
chou.  It  happened  that  on  the  wedding  day,  she  wanted  some  pearls. 
Yiin  took  her  own  pearls,  which  she  had  received  as  her  bridal  gift,  and 
gave  them  to  my  mother.  The  maid-servant  thought  it  a  pity,  but  Yiin 
said:  "A  woman  is  an  incarnation  of  the  female  principle,  and  so  are 
pearls.  For  a  woman  to  wear  pearls  would  be  to  leave  no  room  for  the 
male  principle.  For  that  reason  I  don't  prize  them."  She  had,  however, 
a  peculiar  fondness  for  old  books  and  broken  slips  of  painting.  When- 
ever she  saw  odd  volumes  of  books,  she  would  try  to  sort  them  out, 
arrange  them  in  order,  and  have  them  rebound  properly.  These  were 
collected  and  labelled  "Ancient  Relics."  When  she  saw  scrolls  of  cal- 
ligraphy or  painting  that  were  partly  spoilt,  she  would  find  some  old 


SIX    CHAPTERS    OF    A    FLOATING    LIFE  981 

paper  and  paste  them  up  nicely,  and  ask  me  to  fill  up  the  broken  spaces.1 
These  were  kept  rolled  up  properly  and  called  "Beautiful  Gleanings." 
This  was  what  she  was  busy  about  the  whole  day  when  she  was  not 
attending  to  the  kitchen  or  needle-work.  When  she  found  in  old  trunks 
or  piles  of  musty  volumes  any  writing  or  painting  that  pleased  her,  she 
felt  as  if  she  had  discovered  some  precious  relic,  and  an  old  woman 
neighbour  of  ours,  by  the  name  of  Feng,  used  to  buy  up  old  scraps  and 
sell  them»to  her.  She  had  the  same  tastes  and  habits  as  myself,  and 
besides  had  the  talent  of  anticipating  my  wishes,  doing  things  without 
being  told  and  doing  them  to  my  perfect  satisfaction. 

Once  I  said  to  her:  "It  is  a  pity  that  you  were  born  a  woman.  If  you 
were  a  man,  we  could  travel  together  and  visit  all  the  famous  places  of 
the  world." 

"Oh!  this  is  not  so  very  difficult,"  said  Yiin.  "Wait  till  I  am  middle- 
aged.  Even  if  I  cannot  accompany  you  to  the  five  sacred  mountains  then, 
we  can  travel  to  the  nearer  places,  like  Huch'iu  and  Lingyen,  as  far 
south  as  the  West  Lake  and  as  far  north  as  P'mgshan  [in  Yangchowj." 

"Of  course  this  is  all  right,  except  that  I  am  afraid  when  you  are 
middle-aged,  you  will  be  too  old  to  travel." 

"If  I  can't  do  it  in  this  life,  then  I  shall  do  it  in  the  next." 

"In  the  next  life,  you  must  be  born  a  man  and  I  will  be  your  wife  " 

"It  will  be  quite  beautiful  if  we  can  then  still  remember  what  has 
happened  in  this  life." 

"That's  all  very  well,  but  even  a  bowl  of  congee  has  provided  material 
for  so  much  conversation.  We  shan't  be  able  to  sleep  a  wink  the  whole 
wedding  night,  but  shall  be  discussing  what  we  have  done  in  the  pre- 
vious existence,  if  we  can  still  remember  what's  happened  in  this  life 
then." 

"It  is  said  that  the  Old  Man  under  the  Moon  is  in  charge  of  matri- 
mony," said  Yiin.  "He  was  good  enough  to  make  us  husband  and  wife 
in  this  life,  and  we  shall  still  depend  on  his  favour  in  the  affair  of  mar- 
riage in  the  next  incarnation.  Why  don't  we  make  a  painting  of  him 
and  worship  him  in  our  home?" 

So  we  asked  a  Mr.  Ch'i  Liut'i,  who  specialised  in  portraiture,  to  make 
a  painting  of  the  Old  Man  under  the  Moon,  which  he  did.  It  was  a  pic- 
ture of  the  Old  Man  holding  a  red  silk  thread  in  one  hand  and  a  walk- 
ing-stick with  the  Book  of  Matrimony  suspended  from  it  in  the  other. 

*Thc  author  was  a  painter,  and  for  a  time  painted  for  his  living.  Some  of  his  paintings 
still  remain. 


902  SKETCHES   OF   CHINESE   LIFE 

He  had  white  hair  and  a  ruddy  complexion,  apparently  bustling  about 
in  a  cloudy  region.  Altogether  it  was  a  very  excellent  painting  of  Ch'i's. 
My  friend  Shih  Chot'ang  wrote  some  words  on  it  and  we  hung  the 
picture  in  our  chamber.  On  the  first  and  fifteenth  of  every  month,  we 
burnt  incense  and  prayed  together  before  him.  I  do  not  know  where 
this  picture  is  now,  after  all  the  changes  and  upsets  in  our  family  life. 
"Ended  is  the  present  life  and  uncertain  the  next,"  as  the  poet  says.  I 
wonder  if  God  will  listen  to  the  prayer  of  us  two  silly  lovers. r 

After  we  had  moved  to  Ts'angmi  Alley,  I  called  our  bedroom  the 
"Tower  of  Guests'  Fragrance,"  with  a  reference  to  Yiin's  name,8  and  to 
the  story  of  Liang  Hung  and  Meng  Kuang  who  as  husband  and  wife 
were  always  courteous  to  each  other  "like  guests."  We  rather  disliked 
the  house  because  the  walls  were  too  high  and  the  courtyard  was  too 
small.  At  the  back,  there  was  another  house,  leading  to  the  library.  Look- 
ing out  of  the  window  at  the  back,  one  could  see  the  old  garden  of  Mr. 
Lu,  then  in  a  dilapidated  condition.  Yiin's  thoughts  still  hovered  about 
the  beautiful  scenery  of  the  Ts'anglang  Pavilion. 

At  this  time,  there  was  an  old  peasant  woman  living  on  the  east  of 
Mother  Gold's  Bridge  and  the  north  of  Kenghsiang.  Her  little  cottage 
was  surrounded  on  all  sides  by  vegetable  fields  and  had  a  wicker  gate. 
Outside  the  gate,  there  was  a  pond  about  thirty  yards  across,  surrounded 
by  a  wilderness  of  trees  on  all  sides.  This  was  the  old  site  of  the  home  of 
Chang  Shihch'eng  of  the  Yuan  Dynasty.  A  few  paces  to  the  west  of  the 
cottage,  there  was  a  mound  filled  with  broken  bricks,  from  the  top  of 
which  one  could  command  a  view  of  the  surrounding  territory,  which 
was  an  open  country  with  a  stretch  of  wild  vegetation.  Once  the  old 
woman  happened  to  mention  the  place,  and  Yim  kept  on  thinking 
about  it.  So  she  said  to  me  one  day:  "Since  leaving  the  Ts'anglang 
Pavilion,  I  have  been  dreaming  about  it  all  the  time.  As  we  cannot  live 
there,  we  must  put  up  with  the  second  best.  I  have  a  great  idea  to  go 
and  live  in  the  old  woman's  cottage."  "I  have  been  thinking,  too,"  I 
said,  "of  a  place  to  go  to  and  spend  the  long  summer  days.  If  you  think 
you'll  like  the  place,  I'll  go  ahead  and  take  a  look.  If  it  is  satisfactory,  we 
can  carry  our  beddings  along  and  go  and  stay  there  for  a  month.  How 
about  it?"  "I'm  afraid  mother  won't  allow  us."  "Oh!  I'll  see  to  that,"  I 
told  her.  So  the  next  day,  I  went  there  and  found  that  the  cottage  con- 
sisted only  of  two  rooms,  which  could  be  partitioned  into  four.  With 
paper  windows  and  bamboo  beds,  the  house  would  be  quite  a  delight- 

*  "Yiin"  in  Chinese  means  a  fragrant  weed. 


SIX    CHAPTERS    OF    A    FLOATING   LIFE  983 

fully  cool  place  to  stay  in.  The  old  woman  knew  what  I  wanted  and 
gladly  rented  me  her  bedroom,  which  then  looked  quite  new,  when  1 
had  repapered  the  walls.  I  then  informed  my  mother  of  it  and  went  to 
stay  there  with  Yiin. 

Our  only  neighbours  were  an  old  couple  who  raised  vegetables  foi 
the  market.  They  knew  that  we  were  going  to  stay  there  for  the  sum- 
mer, and  came  and  called  on  us,  bringing  us  some  fish  from  the  pond 
and  vegetables  from  their  own  fields.  We  offered  to  pay  for  them,  but 
as  they  wouldn't  take  any  money,  Yiin  made  a  pair  of  shoes  for  them, 
which  they  were  finally  persuaded  to  accept.  This  was  in  July  when  the 
trees  cast  a  green  shade  over  the  place.  The  summer  breeze  blew  over 
the  water  of  the  pond,  and  cicadas  filled  the  air  with  their  singing  the 
whole  day.  Our  old  neighbour  also  made  a  fishing  line  for  us,  and  we 
used  to  angle  together  under  the  shade.  Late  in  the  afternoons,  we 
would  go  up  on  the  mound  to  look  at  the  evening  glow  and  compose 
lines  of  poetry,  when  we  felt  so  inclined.  Two  of  the  lines  were: 

"Beast-clouds  swallow  the  sinking  sun, 
And  the  bow-moon  shoots  the  falling  stars." 

After  a  while,  the  moon  cut  her  image  in  the  water,  insects  began  to 
cry  all  round,  and  we  placed  a  bamboo  bed  near  the  hedgerow  to  sit  or 
lie  upon.  The  old  woman  then  would  inform  us  that  wine  had  been 
warmed  up  and  dinner  prepared,  and  we  would  sit  down  to  have  a  little 
drink  under  the  moon.  After  we  had  a  bath,  we  would  put  on  our 
slippers  and  carry  a  fan,  and  he  or  sit  there,  listening  to  old  tales  of 
retribution  told  by  our  neighbour.  When  we  carne  in  to  sleep  about 
midnight,  we  felt  our  whole  body  nice  and  cool,  almost  forgetting  that 
we  were  living  in  a  city. 

There  along  the  hedgerow,  we  asked  the  gardener  to  plant  chrysan- 
themums. The  flowers  bloomed  in  the  ninth  moon,  and  we  continued 
to  stay  there  for  another  ten  days.  My  mother  was  also  quite  delighted 
and  came  to  see  us  there.  So  we  ate  crabs  in  the  midst  of  chrysanthemums 
and  whiled  away  the  whole  day.  Yiin  was  quite  enchanted  with  all  this 
and  said:  "Some  day  we  must  build  a  cottage  here.  We'll  buy  ten  mu 
of  ground,  and  around  it  we'll  plant  vegetables  and  melons  for  our  food. 
Y'ou  will  paint  and  I  will  do  embroidery,  from  which  we  could  make 
enough  money  to  buy  wine  and  compose  poems  over  dinners.  Thus, 
clad  in  simple  gowns  and  eating  simple  meals,  we  could  live  a  very 
happy  life  together  without  going  anywhere."  I  fully  agreed  with  her. 


984  SKETCHES   OF    CHINESE   LIFE 

Now  the  place  is  still  there,  while  the  one  who  knows  my  heart  is  dead. 
Alas!  such  is  life! 

About  half  a  //  from  my  home,  there  was  a  temple  to  the  God  of 
Tungt'ing  Lake,  popularly  known  as  the  Narcissus  Temple,  situated 
in  the  Ch'uk'u  Alley.  It  had  many  winding  corridors  and  a  small  gar- 
den with  pavilions.  On  the  birthday  of  the  God,  every  clan  would  be 
assigned  a  corner  in  the  Temple,  where  they  would  hang  beautiful  glass 
lamps  of  a  kind,  with  a  table  in  the  centre,  on  which  were  place/i  vases  on 
wooden  stands.  These  vases  were  decorated  with  flowers  for  competi- 
tion. In  the  day  time,  there  would  be  theatrical  performances,  while  at 
night  the  flower-vases  were  brilliantly  illuminated  with  candlelights,  a 
custom  which  was  called  "Illuminated  Flowers."  With  the  flowers  and 
the  lanterns  and  the  smell  of  incense,  the  whole  place  resembled  a  night 
feast  in  the  Palace  of  the  Dragon  King.  The  people  there  would  sing  or 
play  music,  or  gossip  over  their  tea-cups.  The  audience  stood  around  in 
crowds  to  look  at  the  show  and  there  was  a  railing  at  the  curb  to  keep 
them  within  a  certain  limit. 

I  was  asked  by  my  friend  to  help  in  the  decorations  and  so  had  the 
pleasure  of  taking  part  in  it.  When  Ytin  heard  me  speaking  about  it  at 
home,  she  remarked:  "It  is  a  pity  that  I  am  not  a  man  and  cannot  go 
to  see  it."  "Why,  you  could  put  on  my  cap  and  gown  and  disguise  your- 
self as  a  man,"  I  suggested.  Accordingly  she  changed  her  coifTure  into 
a  queue,  painted  her  eyebrows,  and  put  on  my  cap.  Although  her  hair 
showed  slightly  round  the  temples,  it  passed  off  tolerably  well.  As  my 
gown  was  found  to  be  an  inch  and  a  half  too  long,  she  tucked  it  round 
the  waist  and  put  on  a  tnafaa  on  top.  "What  am  I  going  to  do  about  my 
feet?"  she  asked.  I  told  her  there  was  a  kind  of  shoes  called  "butterfly 
shoes,"  which  could  fit  any  size  of  feet  and  were  very  easy  to  obtain  at 
the  shops,  and  suggested  buying  a  pair  for  her,  which  she  could  also  use 
as  slippers  later  on  at  home.  Yiin  was  delighted  with  the  idea,  and  after 
supper,  when  she  had  finished  her  make-up,  she  paced  about  the  room, 
imitating  the  gestures  and  gait  of  a  man  for  a  long  time,  when  all  of  a 
sudden  she  changed  her  mind  and  said:  "I  am  not  going!  It  would  be 
so  embarrassing  if  somebody  should  discover  me,  and  besides,  our  parents 
would  object."  Still  I  urged  her  to  go.  "Who  doesn't  know  me  at  the 
Temple?"  I  said.  "Even  if  they  should  find  it  out,  they  would  laugh  it 
off  as  a  joke.  Mother  is  at  present  in  the  home  of  the  ninth  sister.  We 
could  steal  away  and  back  without  letting  anyone  know  about  it." 

Yiin  then  had  such  fun  looking  at  herself  in  the  mirror.  I  dragged  her 


SIX    CHAPTERS    OF    A    FLOATING    LIFE  985 

along  and  we  stole  away  together  to  the  Temple.  For  a  long  time  no- 
body in  the  Temple  could  detect  it.  When  people  asked,  I  simply  said 
she  was  my  boy  cousin,  and  people  would  merely  curtsy  with  their 
hands  together  and  pass  on.  Finally,  we  came  to  a  place  where  there 
were  some  young  women  and  girls  sitting  behind  the  flower  show. 
They  were  the  family  of  the  owner  of  that  show,  by  the  name  of  Yang. 
Yiin  suddenly  went  over  to  talk  with  them,  and  while  talking,  she  casu- 
ally leanttover  and  touched  the  shoulder  of  a  young  woman.  The  maid- 
servants near  by  shouted  angrily:  "How  dare  the  rascal!"  I  attempted 
to  explain  and  smooth  the  matter  over,  but  the  servants  still  scowled 
ominously  on  us,  and  seeing  that  the  situation  was  desperate,  Yiin  took 
off  her  cap  and  showed  her  feet,  saying  "Look  here,  I  am  a  woman, 
too!"  They  all  stared  at  each  other  in  surprise,  and  then,  instead  of  being 
angry,  began  to  laugh.  We  were  then  asked  to  sit  down  and  have  some 
tea.  Soon  afterwards  we  got  sedan  chairs  and  came  home. 

When  Mr.  Ch'ien  Shihcho  of  Wukiang  died  of  an  illness,  my  father 
wrote  a  letter  to  me,  asking  me  to  go  and  attend  the  funeral.  Yiin  secretly 
expressed  her  desire  to  come  along,  since  on  our  way  to  Wukiang,  we 
would  pass  the  Taihu  Lake,  which  she  wished  very  much  to  see.  I  told 
her  that  I  was  just  thinking  it  would  be  too  lonely  for  me  to  go  alone, 
and  that  it  would  be  excellent,  indeed,  if  she  could  come  along,  except 
that  I  could  not  think  of  a  pretext  for  her  going.  "Oh!  I  could  say  that 
I  am  going  to  see  my  mother,"  Yiin  said.  "You  can  go  ahead,  and  I 
shall  come  along  to  meet  you."  "If  so,"  I  said,  "we  can  tie  up  our  boat 
beneath  the  Bridge  of  Ten  Thousand  Years  on  our  way  home,  where  we 
shall  be  able  to  look  at  the  moon  again  as  we  did  at  the  Ts'anglang 
Pavilion." 

This  was  on  the  eighteenth  day  of  the  sixth  moon.  That  day,  I  brought 
a  servant  and  arrived  first  at  Hsiikiang  Ferry,  where  I  waited  for  her  in 
the  boat.  By  and  by,  Yiin  arrived  in  a  sedan  chair,  and  we  started  off, 
passing  by  the  Tiger's  Roar  Bridge,  where  the  view  opened  up  and  I 
saw  sailing  boats  and  birds  on  the  sand-banks.  The  water  was  a  white 
stretch,  joining  the  sky  at  the  horizon.  "So  this  is  Taihu!"  Yiin  ex- 
claimed. "I  know  now  how  big  the  universe  is,  and  I  have  not  lived  in 
vain!  I  think  a  good  many  ladies  never  see  such  a  view  in  their  whole 
life-time."  As  we  were  occupied  in  conversation,  it  wasn't  very  long 
before  we  saw  swaying  willows  on  the  banks,  and  we  knew  we  had 
arrived  at  Wukiang. 

I  went  up  to  attend  the  funeral  ceremony,  but  when  I  came  back,  Yiin 


986  SKETCHES    OF    CHINESE   LIFE 

was  not  in  the  boat.  I  asked  the  boatman  and  he  said:  "Don't  you  see 
some  one  under  the  willow  trees  by  the  bridge,  watching  the  cormo- 
rants catching  fish?"  Yiin,  then,  had  gone  up  with  the  boatman's  daugh- 
ter. I  followed  her  there,  and  saw  that  she  was  perspiring  all  over,  still 
leaning  on  the  boatman's  daughter  and  standing  there  absorbed  looking 
at  the  cormorants.  I  patted  her  shoulder  and  said,  "You  are  wet  through." 
Yiin  turned  her  head  and  said,  "I  was  afraid  that  your  friend  Ch'ien 
might  come  to  the  boat,  so  I  left  to  avoid  him.  Why  did  you  come  back 
so  early?"  "In  order  to  catch  the  renegade!"  I  replied. 

We  then  came  back  hand-in-hand  to  the  boat,  and  when  we  stopped 
at  the  Bridge  of  Ten  Thousand  Years,  the  sun  had  not  yet  gone  down. 
And  we  let  down  all  the  windows  to  allow  the  river  breeze  to  come  in, 
and  there,  dressed  in  light  silk  and  holding  a  fan,  we  sliced  a  melon  to 
cool  ourselves.  Soon  the  evening  glow  was  casting  a  red  hue  over  the 
bridge,  and  the  distant  haze  enveloped  the  willow  trees  in  darkness. 
The  moon  then  came  up,  and  all  along  the  river  we  saw  a  stretch  of 
lights  coming  from  the  fishing  boats.  I  asked  my  servant  to  go  astern  and 
have  a  drink  with  the  boatman. 

The  boatman's  daughter  was  called  Suyiin.  She  was  quite  a  likeable 
girl,  and  I  had  known  her  before.  I  beckoned  her  to  come  and  sit  to- 
gether with  Yiin  on  the  bow  of  the  boat.  We  did  not  put  on  any  light, 
so  that  we  could  the  better  enjoy  the  moon,  and  there  we  sat  drinking 
and  playing  literary  games  with  wine  as  forfeit.  Suyiin  just  stared  at  us, 
listening  for  a  long  time  before  she  said :  "Now  I  am  quite  familiar  with 
all  sorts  of  wine-games,  but  have  never  heard  of  this  one.  Will  you  ex- 
plain it  to  me?"  Yiin  tried  to  explain  it  by  all  sorts  of  analogies  to  her, 
but  still  she  failed  to  understand.  Then  I  laughed  and  said:  "Will  the 
lady  teacher  please  stop  a  moment?  I  have  a  parable  for  explaining  it, 
and  she  will  understand  at  once."  "You  try  it,  then!"  "The  stork,"  I 
said,  "can  dance,  but  cannot  plow,  while  the  buffalo  can  plow,  but 
cannot  dance.  That  lies  in  the  nature  of  things.  You  are  making  a  fool 
of  yourself  by  trying  to  teach  the  impossible  to  her."  Suyiin  pummelled 
my  shoulder  playfully,  and  Yiin  said :  "Hereafter  let's  make  a  rule :  let's 
have  it  out  with  our  mouths,  but  no  hands!  One  who  breaks  the  rule 
will  have  to  drink  a  big  cup."  As  Suyiin  was  a  great  drinker,  she  filled 
a  cup  full  and  drank  it  up  at  a  draught.  "I  suggest  that  one  may  be 
allowed  to  use  one's  hands  for  caressing,  but  not  for  striking,"  I  said. 
Yiin  then  playfully  pushed  Suyiin  into  my  lap,  saying,  "Now  you  can 
caress  her  to  your  full."  "How  stupid  of  you!"  I  laughed  in  reply.  "The 


SIX    CHAPTERS    OF    A    FLOATING    LIFE  987 

beauty  of  caressing  lies  in  doing  it  naturally  and  half  unconsciously. 
Only  a  country  bumpkin  will  hug  and  caress  a  woman  roughly."  I 
noticed  that  the  jasmine  in  her  hair  gave  out  a  strange  fragrance,  mixed 
with  the  flavour  of  wine,  powder  and  hair  lotion,  and  remarked  to  her : 
"The  'mean  little  fellow'  stinks  all  over  the  place.  It  makes  me  sick." 
Hearing  this,  Suyiin  struck  me  with  her  fist  in  a  rage,  saying: 

"Who  told  you  to  smell  it?" 

"She  breaks  the  rule!  Two  cups!"  Yiin  shouted. 

"He  called  me  'mean  little  fellow.1  Why  shouldn't  I  strike  him?"  ex- 
plained Suyiin. 

"He  really  means  by  the  'mean  little  fellow*  something  which  you 
don't  understand.  You  finish  these  two  cups  first  and  I'll  tell  you." 

When  Suyiin  had  finished  the  two  cups,  Yiin  told  her  of  our  discus- 
sion about  the  jasmine  at  the  Ts'anglang  Pavilion. 

"Then  the  mistake  is  mine.  I  must  be  penalised  again,"  said  Suyiin, 
And  she  drank  a  third  cup. 

Yun  said  then  that  she  had  long  heard  of  her  reputation  as  a  singer 
and  would  like  to  hear  her  sing.  This  Suyun  did  beautifully,  beating 
time  with  her  ivory  chop-sticks  on  a  little  plate.  Yiin  drank  merrily 
until  she  was  quite  drunk,  when  she  took  a  sedan-chair  and  went 
home  first,  while  I  remained  chatting  with  Suyiin  for  a  moment,  and 
then  walked  home  under  the  moonlight. 

At  this  time,  we  were  staying  in  the  home  of  our  friend  Lu  Panfang, 
in  a  house  called  Hsiaoshuanglou.  A  few  days  afterwards,  Mrs.  Lu 
heard  of  the  story  from  someone,  and  secretly  told  Yun:  "Do  you 
know  that  your  husband  was  drinking  a  few  days  ago  at  the  Bridge 
of  Ten  Thousand  Years  with  two  sing-song  girls?"  "Yes,  I  do,"  re- 
plied Yun,  "and  one  of  the  sing-song  girls  was  myself."  Then  she  told 
her  the  whole  story  and  Mrs.  Lu  had  a  good  laugh  at  herself. 

When  I  came  back  from  eastern  Kwangtung  in  July,  1794,  there  was 
a  cousin  of  mine,  by  the  name  of  Hsu  Hsiufeng,  who  had  brought  home 
with  him  a  concubine.  He  was  crazy  about  her  beauty  and  asked  Yiin 
to  go  and  see  her.  After  seeing  her,  Yun  remarked  to  Hsiufeng  one  day, 
"She  has  beauty,  but  no  charm."  "Do  you  mean  to  say  that  when  your 
husband  takes  a  concubine,  she  must  have  both  beauty  and  charm?" 
answered  Hsiufeng.  Yiin  replied  in  the  affirmative.  So  from  that  time 
on,  she  was  quite  bent  on  finding  a  concubine  for  me,  but  was  short 
of  cash. 

At  this  time  there  was  a  Chekiang  sing-song  girl  by  the  name  of  Wen 


900  SKETCHES   OF    CHINESE   LIFE 

Lenghsiang,  who  was  staying  at  Soochow.  She  had  composed  four  poems 
on  the  Willow  Catkins  which  were  talked  about  all  over  the  city,  and 
many  scholars  wrote  poems  in  reply,  using  the  same  rhyme-words  as 
her  originals,  as  was  the  custom.  There  was  a  friend  of  mine,  Hsienhan 
of  Wukiang,  who  was  a  good  friend  of  Lenghsiang  and  brought  her 
poems  to  me,  asking  me  to  write  some  in  reply.  Yiin  wasn't  interested 
because  she  did  not  think  much  of  her,  but  I  was  intrigued  and  com- 
posed one  on  the  flying  willow  catkins  which  filled  the  air  in  May.  Two 
lines  which  Yiin  liked  very  much  were : 

"They  softly  touch  the  spring  sorrow  in  my  bosom, 
And  gently  stir  the  longings  in  her  heart." 

On  the  fifth  day  of  the  eighth  moon  in  the  following  year,  my  mother 
was  going  to  see  Huch'iu  with  Yiin,  when  Hsienhan  suddenly  appeared 
and  said:  "I  am  going  to  Huch'iu,  too.  Will  you  come  along  with  me 
and  see  a  beautiful  sing-song  girl?"  I  told  my  mother  to  go  ahead  and 
agreed  to  meet  her  at  Pant'ang  near  Huch'iu.  My  friend  then  dragged  me 
to  Lenghsiang's  place.  I  saw  that  Lenghsiang  was  already  in  her  middle- 
age,  but  she  had  a  girl  by  the  name  of  Hanyiian,  who  was  a  very  sweet 
young  maiden,  still  in  her  'teens.  Her  eyes  looked  like  an  autumn  lake 
that  cooled  one  by  its  cold  splendour.  After  talking  with  her  for  a  while, 
I  learnt  that  she  knew  how  to  read  and  write.  There  was  also  a  younger 
sister  of  hers,  by  the  name  of  Wenyuan,  who  was  still  a  mere  child.  I 
had  then  no  thought  of  going  with  a  sing-song  girl,  fully  realizing  that, 
as  a  poor  scholar,  I  could  not  afford  to  give  a  feast  in  return.  But  since 
I  was  there  already,  I  tried  to  get  along  as  best  I  could. 

"Are  you  trying  to  seduce  me?"  I  said  to  Hsienhan  secretly. 

"No,"  he  replied,  "someone  had  invited  me  to-day  to  a  dinner  in  Han- 
yiian's  place  in  return  for  a  previous  dinner.  It  happened  that  the  host 
himself  was  invited  by  an  important  person,  and  I  am  acting  in  his  place. 
Don't  you  worry!'* 

I  felt  then  quite  relieved.  Arriving  at  Pant'ang,  we  met  my  mother's 
boat,  and  I  asked  Hanyiian  to  go  over  to  her  boat  and  meet  Yiin.  When 
Yiin  and  Han  met  each  other,  they  instinctively  took  to  each  other  like 
old  friends,  and  later  they  went  hand-in-hand  to  see  the  famous  hill. 
Yiin  was  especially  fond  of  a  place  called  "A  Thousand  Acres  of  Clouds," 
and  she  remained  there  for  a  long  time,  lost  in  admiration  of  the  scenery. 
We  returned  to  the  Bank  of  Rural  Fragrance  where  we  tied  up  the  boats 
and  had  a  jolly  drinking  party  together. 


SIX    CHAPTERS    OF    A    FLOATING    LIFE  989 

When  we  started  on  our  way  home,  Yiin  said:  "Will  you  please  go 
over  to  the  other  boat  with  your  friend,  while  I  share  this  one  with  Han  ?" 
We  did  as  she  suggested,  and  I  did  not  return  to  my  boat  until  we  had 
passed  the  Tut'ing  Bridge,  where  we  parted  from  my  friend  and  Han- 
yuan.  It  was  midnight  by  the  time  we  returned  home. 

"Now  I  have  found  a  girl  who  has  both  beauty  and  charm,"  Yiin 
said  to  me.  "I  have  already  asked  Hanyiian  to  come  and  see  us  to-mor- 
row, and  I'll  arrange  it  for  you."  I  was  taken  by  surprise. 

"You  know  we  are  not  a  wealthy  family.  We  can't  afford  to  keep  a 
girl  like  that,  and  we  are  so  happily  married.  Why  do  you  want  to  find 
somebody  else?" 

"But  I  love  her,"  said  Yiin  smilingly.  "You  just  leave  it  to  me." 

The  following  afternoon,  Hanyiian  actually  came.  Yiin  was  very 
cordial  to  her  and  prepared  a  feast,  and  we  played  the  finger-guessing 
game  and  drank,  but  during  the  whole  dinner,  not  a  word  was  men- 
tioned about  securing  her  for  me.  When  Hanyiian  had  gone,  Yiin  said, 
"I  have  secretly  made  another  appointment  with  her  to  come  on  the 
eighteenth,  when  we  will  pledge  ourselves  as  sisters.  You  must  prepare 
a  sacrificial  offering  for  the  occasion";  and  pointing  to  the  bracelet  on 
her  arm,  she  continued,  "if  you  see  this  bracelet  appear  on  Hanyiian's 
arm,  you'll  understand  that  she  has  consented.  I  have  already  hinted  at 
it  to  her,  but  we  haven't  got  to  know  each  other  as  thoroughly  as  I 
should  like  to  yet."  I  had  to  let  her  have  her  own  way. 

On  the  eighteenth,  Hanyiian  turned  up  in  spite  of  a  pouring  rain.  She 
disappeared  in  the  bedroom  for  a  long  time  before  she  came  out  hand- 
in-hand  with  Yiin.  When  she  saw  me,  she  felt  a  little  shy,  for  the  bracelet 
was  already  on  her  arm.  After  we  had  burnt  incense  and  pledged  an 
oath,  we  continued  to  drink  again.  It  happened  that  Hanyiian  had  an 
engagement  to  go  and  visit  Shih-hu  Lake,  and  soon  she  left. 

Yiin  came  to  me  all  smiles  and  said,  "Now  that  I  have  found  a  beauty 
for  you,  how  are  you  going  to  reward  the  go-between?"  I  asked  her  for 
the  details. 

"I  had  to  broach  the  topic  delicately  to  her,"  she  said,  "because  I  was 
afraid  that  she  might  have  someone  else  in  mind.  Now  I  have  learnt 
that  there  isn't  anyone,  and  I  asked  her,  'Do  you  understand  why  we 
have  this  dinner  today?'  'I  should  feel  greatly  honoured  if  I  cojjld  come 
to  your  home,  but  my  mother  is  expecting  a  lot  of  me  and  I  can't  decide 
by  myself.  We  will  watch  and  see,'  she  replied.  As  I  was  putting  on  the 
bracelet,  I  told  her  again,  'The  jade  is  chosen  for  its  hardness  as  a  token 


990  SKETCHES   OF    CHINESE   LIFE 

of  fidelity  and  the  bracelet's  roundness  is  a  symbol  of  everlasting  faith- 
fulness. Meanwhile,  please  put  it  on  as  a  token  of  our  pledge.'  She  replied 
that  everything  depended  on  her  mother.  So  it  seems  that  she  is  willing 
herself.  The  only  difficulty  is  her  mother,  Lenghsiang.  We  will  wait  and 
see  how  it  turns  out." 

"Are  you  going  to  enact  the  comedy  Linhsiangpan  of  Li  Liweng  right 
in  our  home?" 

"Yes! "Yim  replied. 

From  that  time  on,  not  a  day  passed  without  her  mentioning  Han- 
yiian's  name.  Eventually  Hanyiian  was  married  by  force  to  some  in- 
fluential person,  and  our  arrangements  did  not  come  off.  And  Yiin 
actually  died  of  grief  on  this  account. 

CHAPTER  II:  THE  LITTLE  PLEASURES  OF  LIFE 

I  REMEMBER  that  when  I  was  a  child,  I  could  stare  at  the  sun  with  wide, 
open  eyes.  I  could  see  the  tiniest  objects,  and  loved  to  observe  the  fine 
grains  and  patterns  of  small  things,  from  which  I  derived  a  romantic, 
unworldly  pleasure.  When  mosquitoes  were  humming  round  in  sum- 
mer, I  transformed  them  in  my  imagination  into  a  company  of  storks 
dancing  in  the  air.  And  when  I  regarded  them  that  way,  they  were  real 
storks  to  me,  flying  by  the  hundreds  and  thousands,  and  I  would  look 
up  at  them  until  my  neck  was  stiff.  Again,  I  kept  a  few  mosquitoes  inside 
a  white  curtain  and  blew  a  puff  of  smoke  round  them,  so  that  to  me  they 
became  a  company  of  white  storks  flying  among  the  clouds,  and  their 
humming  was  to  me  the  song  of  storks  singing  in  high  heaven,  which 
delighted  me  intensely.  Sometimes  I  would  squat  by  a  broken,  earthen 
wall,  or  by  a  little  bush  on  a  raised  flower-bed,  with  my  eyes  on  the  same 
level  as  the  flower-bed  itself,  and  there  I  would  look  and  look,  trans- 
forming in  my  mind  the  little  plot  of  grass  into  a  forest  and  the  ants 
and  insects  into  wild  animals.  The  little  elevations  on  the  ground  be- 
came my  hills,  and  the  depressed  areas  became  my  valleys,  and  my 
spirit  wandered  in  that  world  at  leisure.  One  day,  I  saw  two  little  insects 
fighting  among  the  grass,  and  while  I  was  all  absorbed  watching  the 
fight,  there  suddenly  appeared  a  big  monster,  overturning  my  hills  and 
tearing  up  my  forest — it  was  a  little  frog.  With  one  lick  of  his  tongue, 
he  swallowed  up  the  two  little  insects.  I  was  so  lost  in  my  young  imagi- 
nary world  that  I  was  taken  unawares  and  quite  frightened.  When  I 
had  recovered  myself,  I  caught  the  frog,  struck  it  several  dozen  times 


SIX    CHAPTERS    OP    A    FLOATING    LIFE  99! 

and  chased  it  out  of  the  courtyard.  Thinking  of  this  incident  afterwards 
when  I  was  grown  up,  I  understood  that  these  two  little  insects  were 
committing  adultery  by  rape.  "The  wages  of  sin  is  death,"  so  says  an 
ancient  proverb,  and  I  wondered  whether  it  was  true  of  the  insects  also. 
I  was  a  naughty  boy,  and  once  my  ball  (for  we  call  the  genital  organ  a 
'ball'  in  Soochow)  was  bitten  by  an  earthworm  and  became  swollen. 
[Believing  that  the  duck's  saliva  would  act  as  an  antidote  for  insect 
bites,]  th<jy  held  a  duck  over  it,  but  the  maid-servant,  who  was  holding 
the  duck,  accidentally  let  her  hand  go,  and  the  duck  was  going  to 
swallow  it.  I  got  frightened  and  screamed.  People  used  to  tell  this  story 
to  make  fun  of  me.  These  were  the  little  incidents  of  my  childhood  days. 
When  I  was  grown  up,  I  loved  flowers  very  much  and  was  very  fond 
of  training  pot  flowers  and  flower  trees.  When  I  knew  Chang  Lanp'o, 
I  learnt  from  him  the  secrets  of  trimming  branches  and  protecting  joints, 
and  later  the  art  of  grafting  trees  and  making  rockeries.  The  orchid  was 
prized  most  among  all  the  flowers  because  of  its  subdued  fragrance  and 
graceful  charm,  but  it  was  difficult  to  obtain  really  good  classic  varieties. 
When  Lanp'o  died,  he  presented  me  with  a  pot  of  spring  orchids,  whose 
flowers  had  lotus-shaped  petals;  the  centre  of  the  flowers  was  broad  and 
white,  the  petals  were  very  neat  and  even  at  the  "shoulders,"  and  the 
stems  were  very  slender.  This  type  was  classical,  and  I  prized  it  like  a 
piece  of  old  jade.  When  I  was  working  away  from  home,  Yiin  used  to 
take  care  of  it  personally  and  it  grew  beautifully.  After  two  years,  it  died 
suddenly  one  day.  I  dug  up  its  roots  and  found  that  they  were  white 
like  marble,  while  nothing  was  wrong  with  the  sprouts,  either.  At  first, 
I  could  not  understand  this,  but  ascribed  it  with  a  sigh  merely  to  my 
own  bad  luck,  which  might  be  unworthy  to  keep  such  flowers.  Later 
on,  I  found  out  that  some  one  had  asked  for  some  of  the  flowers  from 
the  same  pot,  had  been  refused,  and  had  therefore  killed  it  by  pouring 
boiling  water  over  it.  Thenceforth  I  swore  I  would  never  grow  orchids 
again. 

Next  in  preference  came  the  azalea.  Although  it  had  no  smell,  its 
flowers  lasted  a  long  time  and  were  very  beautiful  to  look  at,  in  addition 
to  its  being  easy  to  train  up.  Because  Yiin  loved  these  flowers  so  much, 
she  would  not  stand  for  too  much  cutting  and  trimming,  and  that  was 
the  reason  why  it  was  difficult  to  make  them  grow  into  trees.  The  same 
thing  was  true  of  the  other  pot  flowers. 

The  chrysanthemum,  however,  was  my  passion  in  the  autumn  of  every 
year.  I  loved  to  arrange  these  flowers  in  vases,  but  not  to  raise  them  in 


99^  SKETCHES   OF    CHINESE   LIFE 

pots,  not  because  I  did  not  want  to  have  them  that  way,  but  because 
I  had  no  garden  in  my  home  and  could  not  take  care  of  them  myself. 
What  I  bought  at  the  market  were  not  properly  trained  and  not  to  my 
liking.  When  arranging  chrysanthemum  flowers  in  vases,  one  should 
take  an  odd,  not  an  even,  number,  and  each  vase  should  have  flowers 
of  only  one  colour.  The  mouth  of  the  vase  should  be  broad,  so  that  the 
flowers  can  lie  easily  together.  Whether  there  be  half  a  dozen  flowers 
or  even  thirty  or  forty  of  them  in  a  vase,  they  should  be  so  arranged  as 
to  come  up  together  straight  from  the  mouth  of  the  vase,  neither  over- 
crowded, nor  too  much  spread  out,  nor  leaning  against  the  mouth  of 
the  vase.  This  is  called  "keeping  the  handle  firm."  Sometimes  they  can 
stand  gracefully  erect,  and  sometimes  spread  out  in  different  directions. 
In  order  to  avoid  a  bare  monotonous  effect,  they  should  be  mixed  with 
some  flower  buds  and  arranged  in  a  kind  of  studied  disorderlmess.  The 
leaves  should  not  be  too  thick  and  the  stems  should  not  be  too  stiff.  In 
using  pins  to  hold  the  stems  up,  one  should  break  the  long  pins  off, 
rather  than  expose  them.  This  is  called  "keeping  the  mouth  of  the  vase 
clear."  Place  from  three  to  seven  vases  on  a  table,  depending  on  the 
size  of  the  latter,  for  if  there  were  too  many  of  them,  they  would  be 
overcrowded,  looking  like  chrysanthemum  screens  at  the  market.  The 
stands  for  the  vases  should  be  of  different  height,  from  three  or  four 
inches  to  two  and  a  half  feet,  so  that  the  different  vases  at  different 
heights  would  balance  one  another  and  belong  intimately  to  one  an- 
other as  in  a  picture  with  unity  of  composition.  To  put  one  vase  low  in 
the  centre  with  two  high  at  the  sides,  or  to  put  a  low  one  in  front  and 
a  tall  one  behind,  or  to  arrange  them  in  symmetrical  pairs,  would  be  to 
create  what  is  vulgarly  called  "a  heap  of  gorgeous  refuse."  Proper  spacing 
and  arrangement  must  depend  on  the  individual  who  has  an  under- 
standing of  pictorial  composition. 

In  the  case  of  flower  bowls  or  open  dishes,  the  method  of  making  a 
support  for  the  flowers  is  to  mix  refined  resin  with  elm  bark,  flour  and 
oil,  and  heat  up  the  mixture  with  hot  hay  ashes  until  it  becomes  a  kind 
of  glue,  and  with  it  glue  some  nails  upside  down  on  to  a  piece  of  copper. 
This  copper  plate  can  then  be  heated  up  and  glued  on  to  the  bottom  of 
the  bowl  or  dish.  When  it  is  cold,  tie  the  flowers  in  groups  by  means  of 
wire  and  stick  them  on  those  nails.  The  flowers  should  be  allowed  to 
incline  sideways  and  not  shoot  up  from  the  centre;  it  is  also  important 
that  the  stems  and  leaves  should  not  come  to  closely  together.  After  this 
is  done,  put  some  water  in  the  bowl  and  cover  up  the  copper  support 


SIX    CHAPTERS    OF    A    FLOATING    LIFE  993 

with  some  clean  sand,  so  that  the  flowers  will  seem  to  grow  directly  from 
the  bottom  of  the  bowl. 

When  picking  branches  from  flower  trees  for  decoration  in  vases,  it 
is  important  to  know  how  to  trim  them  before  putting  them  in  the  vase, 
for  one  cannot  always  go  and  pick  them  oneself,  and  those  picked  by 
others  are  often  unsatisfactory.  Hold  the  branch  in  your  hand  and  turn 
it  back  and  forth  in  different  ways  in  order  to  see  how  it  lies  most  ex- 
pressively. After  one  has  made  up  one's  mind  about  it,  lop  off  the  super- 
fluous branches,  with  the  idea  of  making  the  twig  look  thin  and  sparse 
and  quaintly  beautiful.  Next  think  how  the  stem  is  going  to  lie  in  the 
vase  and  with  what  kind  of  bend,  so  that  when  it  is  put  there,  the  leaves 
and  flowers  can  be  shown  to  the  best  advantage.  If  one  just  takes  any 
old  branch  in  hand,  chooses  a  straight  section  and  puts  it  in  the  vase,  the 
consequence  will  be  that  the  stem  will  be  too  stiff,  the  branches  will  be 
too  close  together  and  the  flowers  and  leaves  will  be  turned  in  the  wrong 
direction,  devoid  of  all  charm  and  expression.  To  make  a  straight  twig 
crooked,  cut  a  mark  half  way  across  the  stem  and  insert  a  little  piece 
of  broken  brick  or  stone  at  the  joint;  the  straight  branch  will  then 
become  a  bent  one.  In  case  the  stem  is  too  weak,  put  one  or  two  pins  to 
strengthen  it.  By  means  of  this  method,  even  maple  leaves  and  bamboo 
twigs  or  even  ordinary  grass  and  thistles  will  look  very  well  for  deco- 
ration. Put  a  twig  of  green  bamboo  side  by  side  with  a  few  berries  of 
Chinese  matrimony  vines,  or  arrange  some  fine  blades  of  grass  together 
with  some  branches  of  thistle.  They  will  look  quite  poetic,  if  the  arrange- 
ment is  correct. 

In  planting  new  trees,  it  does  not  matter  if  the  trunk  comes  up  from 
the  ground  at  an  angle,  for  if  let  alone  for  a  year,  it  will  grow  upwards 
by  itself.  On  the  other  hand,  if  one  lets  the  stem  come  up  in  a  perpen- 
dicular line,  it  will  be  difficult  later  on  for  it  to  have  a  dynamic  posture. 
As  to  the  training  of  pot  flowers,  one  should  choose  those  with  claw- 
like  roots  coming  above  the  surface  of  the  ground.  Lop  off  the  first  three 
branches  from  the  ground  before  allowing  the  next  one  to  grow  up, 
making  a  bend  at  every  point  where  a  new  branch  starts  off.  There 
should  be  seven  such  bends,  or  perhaps  nine,  from  the  lower  end  of  a 
tree  to  its  top.  It  is  against  good  taste  to  have  swollen  joints  at  these 
bends,  or  to  have  two  branches  growing  directly  opposite  each  other  at 
the  same  point.  These  must  branch  off  in  all  directions  from  different 
points,  for  if  one  only  allows  those  on  the  right  and  left  to  grow  up,  the 
effect  will  be  very  bare,  or  "the  chest  and  back  will  be  exposed,"  as  we 


994  SKETCHES   OF   CHINESE  LIFE 

say.  Nor,  for  instance,  should  they  grow  straight  from  the  front  or 
behind.  There  are  "doublc-trunked"  and  "treble-trunked"  trees  which 
all  spring  from  the  same  root  above  the  ground.  If  the  root  were  not 
claw-shaped,  they  would  look  like  planted  sticks  and  would  on  that 
account  be  disqualified. 

The  proper  training  of  a  tree,  however,  takes  at  least  thirty  to  forty 
years.  In  my  whole  life,  I  have  seen  only  one  person,  old  Wan  Ts'aichang 
of  my  district,  who  succeeded  in  training  several  trees  in  his  Hfe.  Once 
I  also  saw  at  the  home  of  a  merchant  at  Yangchow  two  pots,  one  of 
boxwood  and  one  of  cypress,  presented  to  him  by  a  friend  from  Yiishan, 
but  this  was  like  casting  pearls  before  swine.  Outside  these  cases,  I  have 
not  seen  any  really  good  ones.  Trees  whose  branches  are  trained  in 
different  horizontal  circles  going  up  like  a  pagoda  or  whose  branches 
turn  round  and  round  like  earthworms  are  incurably  vulgar. 

When  arianging  miniature  sceneries  with  flowers  and  stones  in  a 
pot,  design  so  that  a  small  one  could  suggest  a  painting,  and  a  big  one 
the  infinite.  One  should  make  it  so  that,  with  a  pot  of  tea,  one  could 
lose  oneself  in  a  world  of  imagination;  and  only  this  kind  should  be 
kept  in  one's  private  studio  for  enjoyment.  Once  I  planted  some  nar- 
cissus and  could  not  find  any  pebbles  from  Lingpi  for  use  in  the  pot, 
and  I  substituted  them  with  pieces  of  coal  that  looked  like  rocks.  One 
can  also  take  five  or  seven  pea  sprouts  of  different  size,  and  plant  them 
in  sand  in  an  oblong  earthen  basin,  decorated  with  charcoal  instead  of 
pebbles.  The  black  of  the  charcoal  will  then  contrast  vividly  with  the 
white  of  the  pea  sprouts,  quite  interesting  to  look  at.  It  is  impossible  to 
enumerate  all  the  possible  variations,  but  if  one  exercises  one's  ingenuity, 
it  will  be  found  to  be  an  endless  source  of  pleasure.  For  instance,  one 
can  take  some  calamus  seeds  in  the  mouth,  chew  them  together  with 
cold  rice  soup,  and  blow  them  on  to  pieces  of  charcoal.  Keep  them  in 
a  dark  damp  place  and  fine  little  calamus  will  grow  from  them.  These 
pieces  of  charcoal  can  then  be  placed  in  any  flower  basin,  looking  like 
moss-covered  rocks.  Or  one  can  take  some  old  lotus  seeds,  grind  off 
slightly  both  ends,  and  put  them  in  an  egg-shell,  making  a  hen  sit  on 
it  together  with  other  eggs.  When  the  little  chickens  are  hatched,  take 
the  egg  out  also  and  plant  the  old  lotus  seeds  in  old  clay  from  swallows' 
nests,  prepared  with  twenty  per  cent  of  ground  asparagus.  Keep  these 
then  in  a  small  vessel  filled  with  river  water,  and  expose  them  to  the 
morning  sun.  When  the  flowers  bloom,  they  will  be  only  the  size  of 


SIX    CHAPTERS    OF    A    FLOATING    LIFE  995 

a  wine  cup,  while  the  leaves  will  be  about  the  size  of  a  bowl,  very  cute 
and  beautiful  to  look  at. 

As  to  the  planning  of  garden  pavilions,  towers,  winding  corridors 
and  out-houses,  the  designing  of  rockery  and  the  training  of  flower- 
trees,  one  should  try  to  show  the  small  in  the  big,  and  the  big  in  the 
small,  and  provide  for  the  real  in  the  unreal  and  for  the  unreal  in  the 
real.  One  reveals  and  conceals  alternately,  making  it  sometimes  apparent 
and  sometimes  hidden.  This  is  not  just  rhythmic  irregularity,  nor  does 
it  depend  on  having  a  wide  space  and  great  expenditure  of  labour  and 
material.  Pile  up  a  mound  with  earth  dug  from  the  ground,  and  deco- 
rate it  with  rocks,  mingled  with  flowers;  use  live  plum-branches  for  your 
fence,  and  plant  creepers  over  the  walls.  Thus  one  can  create  the  effect 
of  a  hill  out  of  a  flat  piece  of  ground.  In  the  big,  open  spaces,  plant 
bamboos  that  grow  quickly  and  train  plum-trees  with  thick  branches  to 
screen  them  off.  This  is  to  show  the  small  in  the  big.  When  a  courtyard 
is  small,  the  wall  should  run  in  convex  and  concave  lines,  decorated 
with  green,  covered  with  ivy  and  inlaid  with  big  slabs  of  stone  with 
inscriptions  on  them.  Thus  when  you  open  your  window,  you  seem  to 
face  a  rocky  hillside,  alive  with  rugged  beauty.  This  is  to  show  the  big 
in  the  small.  Contrive  so  that  an  apparently  blind  alley  leads  suddenly 
into  an  open  space  and  a  kitchen  leads  through  a  backdoor  into  an 
unexpected  courtyard.  This  is  to  provide  for  the  real  in  the  unreal.  Let 
a  door  lead  into  a  blind  courtyard  and  conceal  the  view  by  placing  a 
few  bamboo  trees  and  a  few  rocks  before  it.  Thus  you  suggest  some- 
thing which  is  not  there.  Place  low  balustrades  along  the  top  of  a  wall 
so  as  to  suggest  a  roof  garden.  This  is  to  provide  for  the  unreal  in  the  real. 

Poor  scholars  who  live  in  crowded  houses  should  follow  the  method  of 
the  boatmen  in  our  native  district  who  make  clever  arrangements  with 
their  limited  space  on  the  bows  of  their  boats  by  devising  certain  modi- 
fications, such  as  making  a  series  of  successive  elevations  one  after  an- 
other, and  using  them  as  beds,  of  which  there  may  be  three  in  a  little 
room,  and  separating  them  with  papered  wooden  partitions.  The  effect 
will  be  compact  and  wonderful  to  look  at,  like  surveying  a  long  stretch 
of  road,  and  one  will  not  feel  the  cramping  of  space.  When  my  wife  and 
I  were  staying  at  Yangchow,  we  lived  in  a  house  of  only  two  beams,  but 
the  two  bedrooms,  the  kitchen  and  the  parlour  were  all  arranged  in 
this  method,  with  an  exquisite  effect  and  great  saving  of  space.  Yiin 
once  said  to  me  laughingly,  "The  arrangements  are  exquisite  enough, 


996  SKETCHES    OF    CHINESE    LIFE 

but  after  all,  they  lack  the  luxurious  atmosphere  of  a  rich  man's  house." 
It  was  so  indeed. 

Once  I  visited  my  ancestral  tombs  on  the  hill  and  found  some  pebbles 
of  great  beauty,  with  faint  tracings  on  them.  On  coming  back,  I  talked 
it  over  with  Yun,  and  said :  "People  mix  putty  with  Hsiianchow  stones 
in  white  stone  basins,  because  the  colours  of  the  two  elements  blend. 
These  yellow  pebbles  of  this  hill,  however,  are  different,  and  although 
they  are  rugged  and  simple,  they  will  not  blend  in  colour  wtith  putty. 
What  can  we  do?"  "Take  some  of  the  worse  quality,"  she  said,  "pound 
them  into  small  pieces  and  mix  them  in  the  putty  before  it  is  dry,  and 
perhaps  when  it  is  dry,  the  colour  will  be  uniform."  So  we  did  as  she 
suggested,  and  took  a  rectangular  Yihsing  earthen  basin,  on  which  w* 
piled  up  a  mountain  peak  on  the  left  coming  down  in  undulation. 
to  the  right.  On  its  back,  we  made  rugged  square  lines  in  the  style  of 
rock  paintings  of  Ni  Yiinlm,  so  that  the  whole  looked  like  a  rocky 
precipice  overhanging  a  river.  At  one  corner  we  made  a  hollow 
place,  which  we  filled  with  mud  and  planted  with  multi-leaf  white 
duckweed,  while  the  rocks  were  planted  with  dodder.  This  took  us 
quite  a  few  days  to  finish.  In  late  autumn,  the  dodder  grew  all  over 
the  hill,  like  wistarias  hanging  down  from  a  rock.  The  red  dodder 
flowers  made  a  striking  contrast  to  the  white  duckweed,  which  had 
grown  luxuriantly,  too,  from  the  pond  underneath.  Looking  at  it,  one 
could  imagine  oneself  transported  to  some  fairy  region.  We  put  this 
under  the  eaves,  and  discussed  between  ourselves  where  we  should 
build  a  pavilion  by  the  water,  where  we  should  put  a  farmer's  hut,  and 
where  we  should  put  a  stone  inscription :  "Where  petals  fall  and  waters 
flow."  And  Yiin  further  discussed  with  me  where  we  could  build  our 
home,  where  we  could  fish,  and  where  we  could  go  up  for  a  better  view 
of  the  distance,  all  so  absorbed  in  it  as  if  we  were  moving  to  live  in  that 
little  imaginary  universe.  One  night,  two  cats  were  fighting  for  food  and 
the  whole  thing  fell  down  from  the  eaves,  broken  into  pieces,  basin  and 
all.  I  sighed  and  said,  "The  gods  seem  to  be  jealous  of  even  such  a  little 
effort  of  ours."  And  we  both  shed  tears. 

To  burn  incense  in  a  quiet  room  is  one  of  the  cultivated  pleasures  of 
a  leisurely  life.  Yiin  used  to  burn  aloes-wood  and  shuhsiang  [a  kind  of 
fragrant  wood  from  Cambodia].  She  used  to  steam  the  wood  first  in  a 
cauldron  thoroughly,  and  then  place  it  on  a  copper  wire  net  over  a  stove, 
about  half  an  inch  from  the  fire.  Under  the  action  of  the  slow  fire,  the 
wood  would  give  out  a  kind  of  subtle  fragrance  without  any  visible 


SIX    CHAPTERS    OF    A    FLOATING    LIFE  997 

smoke.  Another  thing,  the  "bucldha's  fingers'*  [a  variety  of  citrus] 
should  not  be  smelt  by  a  drunken  man,  or  it  would  easily  rot.  It  is  also 
bad  for  the  quince  to  perspire  [as  under  atmospheric  changes],  and 
when  it  does  so,  one  should  wash  it  with  water.  The  citrus  alone  is  easy 
to  take  care  of,  because  it  is  not  afraid  of  being  handled.  There  are  dif- 
ferent ways  of  taking  care  of  "buddha's  fingers"  and  the  quince  which 
cannot  be  expressed  in  so  many  words.  I  have  seen  people  who  take  one 
of  these  Uiings,  which  have  been  properly  kept,  and  handle  or  smell  it 
carelessly  and  put  it  down  again  roughly,  which  shows  that  they  do  not 
know  the  art  of  preserving  these  things. 

In  my  home  I  always  had  pot  flowers  on  my  desk.  "You  know  very 
well  about  arranging  flowers  in  vases  for  all  kinds  of  weather,"  said 
Yiin  to  me  one  day.  "I  think  you  have  really  understood  the  art,  but 
there  is  a  way  of  sticking  insects  on  to  a  painting  which  you  haven't 
tried  yet.  Why  don't  you  try?" 

"I'm  afraid,"  I  replied,  "that  I  cannot  hold  the  insect's  legs  still.  What 
can  I  do?" 

"I  know  a  way,  except  that  I  am  afraid  it  would  be  too  cruel,"  said 
Yiin. 

"Tell  me  about  it,"  I  asked. 

"You  know  that  an  insect  does  not  change  its  colour  after  death.  You 
can  find  a  mantis  or  cicada  or  a  butterfly;  kill  it  with  a  pin  and  use  a 
fine  wire  to  tie  its  neck  to  the  flowers,  arranging  its  legs  so  that  they 
either  hold  on  to  the  stem  or  rest  on  the  leaves.  It  would  then  look  like 
a  live  one.  Don't  you  think  it  is  very  good  ? " 

I  was  quite  delighted  and  did  as  she  suggested,  and  many  of  our 
friends  thought  it  very  wonderful.  I  am  afraid  it  is  difficult  to  find  ladies 
nowadays  who  show  such  an  understanding  of  things. 

When  I  was  staying  with  my  friend  Mr.  Hua  at  Hsishan  with  Yiin, 
Mrs.  Hua  used  to  ask  Yiin  to  teach  her  two  daughters  reading.  In  that 
country  house,  the  yard  was  wide  open  and  the  glare  of  the  summer 
sun  was  very  oppressive.  Yiin  taught  them  a  method  of  making  movable 
screens  of  growing  flowers.  Every  screen  consisted  of  a  single  piece.  She 
took  two  little  pieces  of  wood  about  four  or  five  inches  long,  and  laid 
them  parallel  like  a  low  stool,  with  the  hollow  top  filled  by  four  hori- 
zontal bars  over  a  foot  long.  At  the  four  corners,  she  made  little  round 
holes  on  which  she  stuck  a  trellis-work  made  of  bamboo.  The  trellis 
was  six  or  seven  feet  high  and  on  its  bottom  was  placed  a  pot  of  peas 
which  would  then  grow  up  and  entwine  round  the  bamboo  trellis.  This 


9pO  SKETCHES   OF    CHINESE   LIFE 

could  be  easily  moved  by  two  persons.  One  can  make  several  of  these 
things  and  place  them  wherever  one  pleases,  before  windows  or  doors, 
and  they  will  look  like  living  plants,  casting  their  green  shade  into  the 
house,  warding  off  the  sun  and  yet  allowing  the  wind  to  come  through. 
They  can  be  placed  in  any  irregular  formation,  adjustable  according 
to  time  and  circumstances,  and  are,  therefore,  called  "movable  flower 
screens."  With  this  method,  one  can  use  any  kind  of  fragrant  weeds  of 
the  creeper  family,  instead  of  peas.  It  is  an  excellent  arrangement  for 
people  staying  in  the  country. 

My  friend  Lu  Panfang's  name  was  Chang  and  his  literary  name 
Ch'unshan.  He  was  very  good  at  painting  pine  trees,  plum  blossoms 
and  chrysanthemums,  as  well  as  writing  the  lishu  style  of  calligraphy, 
besides  specialising  in  carving  seals.  I  stayed  in  his  home  called  Hsiao- 
shuanglou  for  a  year  and  a  half.  The  house  faced  east  and  consisted  of 
five  beams,  of  which  I  occupied  three.  From  it  one  could  get  a  beautiful 
view  of  the  distance  in  rain  or  shine.  In  the  middle  of  the  court,  there 
was  a  tree,  the  osmanthus  jragrans,  which  filled  the  air  with  a  kind  of 
delicate  fragrance.  There  were  corridors  and  living  rooms,  and  the  place 
was  quite  secluded.  When  I  went  there,  I  brought  along  a  man-servant 
and  an  old  woman,  who  also  brought  with  them  a  young  daughter.  The 
man-servant  could  make  dresses  and  the  old  woman  could  spin;  there- 
fore Yiin  did  embroidery,  the  old  woman  spun  and  the  man-servant 
made  dresses  to  provide  for  our  daily  expenses.  I  was  by  nature  very 
fond  of  guests  and  whenever  we  had  a  little  drinking  party,  I  insisted 
on  having  wine  games.  Yiin  was  very  clever  at  preparing  inexpensive 
dishes;  ordinary  foodstuffs  like  melon,  vegetables,  fish  and  shrimps  had 
a  special  flavour  when  prepared  by  her.  My  friends  knew  that  I  was 
poor,  and  often  helped  pay  the  expenses  in  order  that  we  might  get 
together  and  talk  for  the  whole  day.  I  was  very  keen  on  keeping  the 
place  spotlessly  clean,  and  was,  besides,  fond  of  free  and  easy  ways  with 
my  friends. 

At  this  time,  there  were  a  group  of  friends,  like  Yang  Pufan,  also 
called  Ch'anghsu,  who  specialised  in  portrait  sketches;  Yuan  Shaoyii, 
also  called  P'ai,  who  specialised  in  painting  landscape;  and  Wang 
Hsinglan,  also  called  Yen,  good  at  painting  flowers  and  birds.  They  all 
liked  the  Hsiaoshuanglou  because  of  its  seclusion,  so  they  would  bring 
their  painting  utensils  to  the  place  and  I  learnt  painting  from  them. 
They  would  then  either  write  "grass-script"  or  "c-Ma/z-script"  or  carve 
seals,  from  which  we  made  some  money  which  we  turned  over  to  Yiin 


SIX    CHAPTERS    OF    A    FLOATING    LIFE  999 

to  defray  expenses  for  teas  and  dinners.  The  whole  day  long,  we  were 
occupied  in  discussing  poetry  or  painting  only.  There  were,  moreover, 
friends  like  the  brothers  Hsia  Tanan  and  Hsia  Yishan,  the  brothers 
Miao  Shanyin  and  Miao  Chihpo,  Chiang  Yiinhsiang,  Lu  Chuhsiang, 
Chou  Hsiaohsia,  Kuo  Hsiaoyii,  Hua  Hsingfan,  and  Chang  Hsienhan. 
These  friends  came  and  went  as  they  pleased,  like  the  swallows  by  the 
eaves.  Yun  would  take  off  her  hair-pin  and  sell  it  for  wine  without  a 
second's  thought,  for  she  would  not  let  a  beautiful  day  pass  without 
company.  To-day  these  friends  are  scattered  to  the  four  corners  of  the 
earth  like  clouds  dispersed  by  a  storm,  and  the  woman  I  loved  is  dead, 
like  broken  jade  and  buried  incense.  How  sad  indeed  to  look  back  upon 
these  things! 

Among  the  friends  at  Hsiaoshuanglou,  four  things  were  tabooed: 
firstly,  talking  about  people's  official  promotions;  secondly,  gossiping 
about  law-suits  and  current  affairs;  thirdly,  discussing  the  conventional 
eight-legged  essays  for  the  imperial  examinations;  and  fourthly,  play- 
ing cards  and  dice.  Whoever  broke  any  of  these  rules  was  penalized  to 
provide  five  catties  of  wine.  On  the  other  hand,  there  were  four  things 
which  we  all  approved :  generosity,  romantic  charm,  free  and  easy  ways, 
and  quietness.  In  the  long  summer  days  when  we  had  nothing  to  do, 
we  used  to  hold  examinations  among  ourselves.  At  those  parties,  there 
would  be  eight  persons,  each  bringing  two  hundred  cash  along.  We 
began  by  drawing  lots,  and  the  one  who  got  the  first  would  be  the 
official  examiner,  seated  on  top  by  himself,  while  the  second  one  would 
be  the  official  recorder,  also  seated  in  his  place.  The  others  would  then 
be  the  candidates,  each  taking  a  slip  of  paper,  properly  stamped  with 
a  seal,  from  the  official  recorder.  The  examiner  then  gave  out  a  line 
of  seven  words  and  one  of  five  words,  with  which  each  of  us  was  to  make 
the  best  couplet.  The  time  limit  was  the  burning  of  a  joss-stick  and  we 
were  to  tease  our  brains  standing  or  walking  about,  but  were  not  allowed 
to  exchange  words  with  each  other.  When  a  candidate  had  made  the 
couplets,  he  placed  them  in  a  special  box  and  then  returned  to  his  seat. 
After  all  the  papers  had  been  handed  in,  the  official  recorder  then  opened 
the  box  and  copied  them  together  in  a  book,  which  he  submitted  to  the 
examiner,  thus  safeguarding  against  any  partiality  on  the  latter's  part. 
Of  these  couplets  submitted,  three  of  the  seven-word  lines  and  three  of 
the  five-word  lines  were  to  be  chosen  as  the  best.  The  one  who  turned  in 
the  best  of  these  six  chosen  couplets  would  then  be  the  official  examiner 
for  the  next  round,  and  the  second  best  would  be  the  official  recorder. 


1000  SKETCHES    OF    CHINESE    LIFE 

One  who  had  two  couplets  failing  to  be  chosen  would  be  fined  twenty 
cash,  one  failing  in  one  couplet  fined  ten  cash,  and  failures  handed  in 
beyond  the  time  limit  would  be  fined  twice  the  amount.  The  official 
examiner  would  get  one  hundred  cash  "incense  money."  Thus  we  could 
have  ten  examinations  in  a  day  and  provide  a  thousand  cash  with  which 
to  buy  wine  and  have  a  grand  drinking  party.  Yun  alone  was  allowed 
the  privilege  of  thinking  out  her  lines  on  her  seat. 

Once  Yang  Pufan  made  a  sketch  of  Yun  and  myself  wording  at  a 
garden  with  wonderful  likeness.  One  night,  the  moon  was  very  bright 
and  was  casting  a  wonderfully  picturesque  shadow  of  an  orchid  flower 
on  the  wall.  Inspired  by  some  hard  drinking,  Hsinglan  said  to  me, 
"Pufan  can  paint  your  portrait  sketch,  but  I  can  paint  the  shadows  of 
flowers." 

"Will  the  sketch  of  flowers  be  as  good  as  that  of  a  man?"  I  asked. 

Then  Hsinglan  took  a  piece  of  paper  and  placed  it  against  the  wall, 
on  which  he  traced  the  shadow  of  the  orchid  flower  with  ink.  When 
we  looked  at  it  in  the  day  time,  there  was  a  kind  of  haziness  about  the 
lines  of  leaves  and  flowers,  suggestive  of  the  moonlight,  although  it 
could  not  be  called  a  real  painting.  Yun  liked  it  very  much  and  my 
friends  wrote  inscriptions  on  it. 

There  are  two  places  in  Soochow  called  the  South  Garden  and  the 
North  Garden.  We  would  go  there  when  the  rape  flowers  were  in 
bloom,  but  there  was  no  wine  shop  near  by  where  we  could  have  a 
drink.  If  we  brought  eatables  along  in  a  basket,  there  was  little  fun 
drinking  cold  wine  in  the  company  of  the  flowers.  Some  proposed  that 
we  should  look  for  something  to  drink  in  the  neighbourhood,  and 
others  suggested  that  we  should  look  at  the  flowers  first  and  then  come 
back  for  a  drink,  but  this  was  never  quite  the  ideal  thing,  which  should 
be  to  drink  warm  wine  in  the  presence  of  flowers.  While  no  one  could 
make  any  satisfactory  suggestion,  Yiin  smiled  and  said,  "Tomorrow 
you  people  provide  the  money  and  I'll  carry  a  stove  to  the  place  my- 
self." "Very  well,"  they  all  said.  When  my  friends  had  left,  I  asked  Yiin 
how  she  was  going  to  do  it.  "I  am  not  going  to  carry  it  myself,"  she 
said.  "I  have  seen  wonton  sellers  in  the  streets  who  carry  along  a  stove 
and  a  pa'n  and  everything  we  need.  We  could  just  ask  one  of  these 
fellows  to  go  along  with  us.  I'll  prepare  the  dishes  first,  and  when  we 
arrive,  all  we  need  is  just  to  heat  them  up,  and  we  will  have  everything 
ready  including  tea  and  wine." 

"But  what  about  the  kettle  for  boiling  tea?" 


SIX    CHAPTERS    OF    A    FLOATING    LIFE          1001 

"We  could  carry  along  an  earthen  pot,"  she  said,  "remove  the  wonton 
seller's  pan  and  suspend  the  pot  over  the  fire  by  a  spike.  This  will  then 
serve  us  as  a  kettle  for  boiling  water,  won't  it?" 

I  clapped  my  hands  in  applause.  There  was  a  wonton  seller  by  the 
name  of  Pao,  whom  we  asked  to  go  along  with  us  the  following  after- 
noon, agreeing  to  pay  him  a  hundred  cash,  to  which  Pao  agreed.  The 
following  day  my  friends,  who  were  going  to  see  the  flowers,  arrived. 
I  told  the/n  about  the  arrangements,  and  they  were  all  amazed  at  Yiin's 
ingenious  idea.  We  started  off  after  lunch,  bringing  along  with  us 
some  straw  mats  and  cushions.  When  we  had  arrived  at  the  South 
Garden,  we  chose  a  place  under  the  shade  of  willow  trees,  and  sat  to- 
gether on  the  ground.  First  we  boiled  some  tea,  and  after  drinking  it, 
we  warmed  up  the  wine  and  prepared  the  dishes.  The  sun  was  beautiful 
and  the  breeze  was  gentle,  while  the  yellow  rape  flowers  in  the  field 
looked  like  a  stretch  of  gold,  with  people  in  blue  gowns  and  red  sleeves 
passing  by  the  rice  fields  and  butterflies  flitting  to  and  fro — a  sight  which 
could  make  one  drunk  without  any  liquor.  Very  soon  the  wine  and  dishes 
were  ready  and  we  sat  together  on  the  ground  drinking  and  eating. 
The  wonton  seller  was  quite  a  likable  person  and  we  asked  him  to  join 
us.  People  who  saw  us  thus  enjoying  ourselves  thought  it  quite  a  novel 
idea.  Then  the  cups,  bowls  and  dishes  lay  about  in  great  disorder  on 
the  ground,  while  we  were  already  slightly  drunk,  some  sitting  and  some 
lying  down,  and  some  singing  or  shouting.  When  the  sun  was  going 
down,  I  wanted  to  eat  congee,  and  the  wonton  seller  bought  some  rice 
and  cooked  it  for  us.  We  then  came  back  with  a  full  belly. 

"Did  you  enjoy  it  to-day?"  asked  Yiin. 

"We  would  not  have  enjoyed  it  so  much,  had  it  not  been  for  Madame!" 
all  of  us  exclaimed.  Then  merrily  we  parted. 

A  poor  scholar  should  try  to  be  economical  in  the  matter  of  food, 
clothing,  house  and  furniture,  but  at  the  same  time  be  clean  and  artistic. 
In  order  to  be  economical,  one  should  "manage  according  to  the  needs 
of  the  occasion,"  as  the  saying  goes.  I  was  very  fond  of  having  nice  little 
suppers  with  a  little  liquor,  but  did  not  care  for  many  dishes.  Yiin  used 
to  make  a  tray  with  a  plum-blossom  design.  It  consisted  of  six  deep 
dishes  of  white  porcelain,  two  inches  in  diameter,  one  in  the  centre  and 
the  other  five  grouped  round  it,  painted  gray  and  looking  like  a  plum 
flower.  Both  its  bottom  and  its  top  were  bevelled  and  there  was  a  handle 
on  the  top  resembling  the  stem  of  a  plum  flower,  so  that,  when  placed 
on  the  table,  it  looked  like  a  regular  plum  blossom  dropped  on  the  table, 


100:2  SKETCHES  OF   CHINESE  LIFE 

and  on  opening,  the  different  vegetables  were  found  to  be  contained  in 
the  petals  of  the  flower.  A  case  like  this  with  six  different  dishes  would 
be  quite  enough  to  serve  a  dinner  for  two  or  three  close  friends.  If 
second  helping  was  needed,  more  could  be  added.  Besides  this,  we  made 
another  round  tray  with  a  low  border  for  holding  chop-sticks,  cups  and 
the  wine  pot.  These  were  easily  moved  about  and  one  could  have  the 
dinner  served  at  any  place  one  wished.  This  is  an  example  of  economy 
in  the  matter  of  food.  Yiin  also  made  all  my  collars,  socks  and  my  little 
cap.  When  clothes  were  torn,  she  would  cut  out  one  piece  to  mend 
another,  making  it  always  look  very  neat  and  tidy.  I  used  to  choose 
quiet  colours  for  my  clothes,  for  the  reason  that  dirty  spots  would  not 
show  easily,  and  one  could  wear  them  both  at  home  and  abroad.  This 
is  an  instance  of  economy  in  the  matter  of  dress.  When  I  first  took  up 
my  residence  at  the  Hsiaoshuanglou,  I  found  the  rooms  too  dark,  but 
after  papering  the  walls  with  white  paper,  they  were  quite  bright  again. 
During  the  summer  months,  the  ground  floor  was  quite  open,  because 
the  windows  had  all  been  taken  down,  and  we  felt  that  the  place  lacked 
privacy.  "There  is  an  old  bamboo  screen,"  suggested  Yiin,  "why  don't 
we  use  it  and  let  it  serve  in  place  of  a  railing?" 

"But  how?"  I  asked. 

"Take  a  few  pieces  of  bamboo  of  black  colour,"  she  replied,  "and  make 
them  into  a  square,  leaving  room  for  people  to  pass  out  and  in.  Cut  off 
half  of  the  bamboo  screen  and  fasten  it  on  the  horizontal  bamboo,  about 
the  height  of  a  table,  letting  the  screen  come  down  to  the  ground.  Then 
put  four  vertical  pieces  of  short  bamboo  in  the  centre,  fasten  these  in 
place  by  means  of  a  string,  and  then  find  some  old  strips  of  black  cloth 
and  wrap  them  up  together  with  the  horizontal  bar  with  needle  and 
thread.  It  would  give  a  little  privacy  and  would  look  quite  well,  besides 
being  inexpensive."  This  is  an  instance  of  "managing  according  to  the 
needs  of  the  occasion."  This  goes  to  prove  the  truth  of  the  ancient  saying 
that  "slips  of  bamboo  and  chips  of  wood  all  have  their  uses." 

When  the  lotus  flowers  bloom  in  summer,  they  close  at  night  and 
apen  in  the  morning.  Yiin  used  to  put  some  tea  leaves  in  a  little  silk 
bag  and  place  it  in  the  centre  of  the  flower  at  night.  We  would  take  it 
out  the  next  morning,  and  make  tea  with  spring  water,  which  would 
then  have  a  very  delicate  flavour. 


SIX    CHAPTERS    OF    A    FLOATING    LIFE  1003 

CHAPTER  III:  SORROW 

WHY  is  IT  that  there  are  sorrows  and  hardships  in  this  life  ?  Usually  they 
are  due  to  one's  own  fault,  but  this  was  not  the  case  with  me.  I  was  fond 
of  friendship,  proud  of  keeping  my  word,  and  by  nature  frank  and 
straightforward,  for  which  I  eventually  suffered.  My  father  Chiafu,  too, 
was  a  very  generous  man;  he  used  to  help  people  in  trouble,  bring  up 
other  people's  sons  and  marry  off  other  people's  daughters  in  innumer- 
able instances,  spending  money  like  dirt,  all  for  the  sake  of  other  people. 
My  wife  and  I  often  had  to  pawn  things  when  we  were  in  need  of  money, 
and  while  at  first  we  managed  to  make  both  ends  meet,  gradually  our 
purse  became  thinner  and  thinner.  As  the  proverb  says,  "To  run  a  family 
and  mix  socially,  money  is  the  first  essential."  At  first  we  incurred  the 
criticism  of  the  busybodies,  and  then  even  people  of  our  own  family 
began  to  make  sarcastic  remarks.  Indeed  "absence  of  talent  in  a  woman 
is  synonymous  with  virtue,"  as  the  ancient  proverb  says. 

I  was  born  the  third  son  of  my  family,  although  the  eldest;  hence  they 
used  to  call  Yiin  "san  niang"  at  home,  but  this  was  later  suddenly  changed 
into  "san  fait'ai."  This  began  at  first  in  fun,  but  later  became  a  general 
practice,  and  even  relatives  of  all  ranks,  high  and  low,  addressed  her  as 
"san  t'ait'ai"  I  wonder  if  this  was  a  sign  of  the  beginning  of  family 
dissension.* 

When  I  was  staying  with  my  father  at  the  Haining  yamen  in  1785, 
Yiin  used  to  enclose  personal  letters  of  hers  along  with  the  regular 
family  correspondence.  Seeing  this,  my  father  said  that,  since  Yiin  could 
write  letters,  she  should  be  entrusted  with  the  duty  of  writing  letters  for 
my  mother.  It  happened  that  there  was  a  little  family  gossip  and  my 
mother  suspected  that  it  had  leaked  out  through  Yiin's  letters,  and 
stopped  her  writing.  When  my  father  saw  that  it  was  not  Yiin's  hand- 
writing, he  asked  me,  "Is  your  wife  sick?"  I  then  wrote  to  enquire  from 
her,  but  got  no  reply.  After  some  time  had  elapsed,  my  father  was  angry 
with  her  and  spoke  to  me,  "Your  wife  seems  to  think  it  beneath  her  to 
write  letters  for  your  mother!"  Afterwards  when  I  came  home,  I  found 
out  the  reason  and  proposed  to  explain  the  matter,  but  Yiin  stopped  me, 
saying,  "I  would  rather  be  blamed  by  father  than  incur  the  displeasure 
of  mother."  And  the  matter  was  not  cleared  up  at  all. 

*  "San"  means  "number  three."  The  meaning  of  "mang"  and  "t'aif'ai"  vanes  with  local 
usage,  but  generally  "mang"  refers  to  a  young  married  woman  in  a  big  household,  while 
"t'wt'at"  suggests  the  mistress  of  an  independent  home. 


1004  SKETCHES    OF    CHINESE    LIFE 

In  the  spring  of  1790,  I  again  accompanied  my  father  to  the  magis- 
trate's office  at  Hankiang  [Yangchow].  There  was  a  colleague  by  the 
name  of  Yii  Fout'ing,  who  was  staying  with  his  family  there.  One  day, 
my  father  said  to  Fout'ing,  "I  have  been  living  all  my  life  away  from 
home,  and  have  found  it  very  difficult  to  find  some  one  to  look  after  my 
personal  comforts.  If  my  son  would  sympathize  with  me,  he  should  try 
to  look  for  one  from  my  home  district,  so  that  there  will  be  no  dialect 
difficulty."  Fout'ing  passed  on  the  word  to  me,  and  I  secretly  wrote  to 
Yiin,  asking  her  to  look  round  for  a  girl.  She  did,  and  found  one  of  the 
Yao  clan.  As  Yiin  was  not  quite  sure  whether  my  father  would  take  her 
or  not,  she  did  not  tell  mother  about  it.  When  the  girl  was  leaving,  she 
merely  referred  to  her  as  a  girl  in  the  neighbourhood  who  was  going  for 
a  pleasure  trip.  After  learning,  however,  that  my  father  had  instructed 
me  to  bring  the  girl  to  his  quarters  for  good,  she  listened  to  some  one's 
advice  and  invented  the  story  that  this  was  the  girl  my  father  had  had  in 
mind  for  a  long  time.  "But  you  said  she  was  going  for  a  pleasure  trip! 
Now  why  does  he  marry  her?"  remarked  my  mother.  And  so  Yiin  in- 
curred my  mother's  displeasure,  too. 

I  was  staying  at  Chenchow  in  1792.  My  father  happened  to  be  ill  at 
Yangchow,  and  I  went  there  to  see  him,  accompanied  by  my  younger 
brother  Ch'it'ang.  In  her  letter  to  me,  Yun  mentioned  that  Ch'it'ang 
had  borrowed  some  money  from  a  woman  neighbour,  for  which  she 
was  the  guarantor,  and  that  now  the  creditor  was  pressing  for  repay- 
ment. I  asked  Ch'it'ang  about  it,  and  he  was  rather  displeased,  thinking 
that  Yiin  was  meddling  with  his  affairs.  So  I  merely  wrote  a  postscript 
at  the  end  of  a  letter  with  the  words:  "Both  father  and  son  are  sick  and 
we  have  no  money  to  pay  the  loan.  Wait  till  younger  brother  comes 
home,  and  let  him  take  care  of  it  himself."  Soon  my  father  got  well  and 
I  left  for  Chenchow  again.  Y  tin's  reply  came  when  I  was  away  and  was 
opened  by  my  father.  The  letter  spoke  of  Ch'it'ang's  loan  from  the  neigh- 
bouring woman,  and  besides  contained  the  words,  "Your  mother  thinks 
that  old  man's  illness  is  all  due  to  that  Yao  girl.  When  he  is  improving, 
you  should  secretly  suggest  to  Yao  to  say  that  she  is  homesick,  and  I'll 
ask  her  parents  to  come  to  Yangchow  to  take  her  home.  In  this  way  we 
could  wash  our  hands  of  the  matter."  When  my  father  saw  this,  he  was 
furious.  He  asked  Ch'it'ang  about  the  loan  and  Ch'it'ang  declared  that 
he  knew  nothing  about  it.  So  my  father  wrote  a  note  to  me,  "Your  wife 
borrowed  a  loan  behind  your  back  and  spread  scandals  about  your 
brother.  Moreover,  she  called  her  mother-in-law  'your  mother'  and  called 


SIX    CHAPTERS    OF    A    FLOATING    LIFE          I<X>5 

her  father-in-law  'old  man/  This  is  the  height  of  impudence.  I  have 
already  sent  a  letter  home  by  a  special  messenger,  ordering  her  dismissal 
from  home.  If  you  have  any  conscience  at  all,  you  should  realize  your 
own  fault!"  I  received  this  letter  like  a  bolt  from  the  blue,  and  imme- 
diately wrote  a  letter  of  apology  to  him,  hired  a  horse  and  hurried  home, 
afraid  that  Yiin  might  commit  suicide.  I  was  explaining  the  whole 
matter  at  home,  when  the  family  servant  arrived  with  my  father's  letter, 
which  detailed  her  various  points  of  misconduct  in  a  most  drastic  tone. 
Yiin  wept  and  said,  "Of  course  I  was  wrong  to  write  like  that,  but  father- 
in-law  ought  to  forgive  a  woman's  ignorance."  After  a  few  days,  we 
received  another  letter  from  father:  "I  won't  be  too  harsh  on  you.  You 
bring  Yiin  along  and  stay  away  from  home,  and  do  not  let  me  see  your 
face  again." 

It  was  proposed  then  that  Ytin  might  stay  at  her  maiden  home,  but 
her  mother  was  dead  and  her  younger  brother  had  run  away  from  home, 
and  she  was  not  willing  to  go  and  be  a  dependent  on  her  kinsfolk. 
Fortunately,  my  friend  Lu  Panfang  heard  of  the  matter  and  took  pity 
on  us,  and  asked  us  to  go  and  stay  in  his  home  at  Hsiaoshuanglou.  After 
two  years  had  passed,  my  father  began  to  know  the  whole  truth.  It 
happened  that  shortly  after  I  returned  from  Lmgnan  [in  Kwangtung], 
my  father  personally  came  to  the  Hsiaoshuanglou  and  said  to  Yiin, 
"Now  I  understand  everything.  Why  not  come  home?"  Accordingly 
we  returned  happily  to  the  old  home  and  the  family  was  reunited.  Who 
would  suspect  that  the  affair  of  Hanyuan  was  still  brewing  ahead! 

Yiin  used  to  have  woman's  troubles,  with  discharges  of  blood.  The 
ailment  developed  as  a  consequence  of  her  brother  K'ehch'ang  running 
away  from  home  and  her  mother  dying  of  grief  over  it  which  affected 
Yiin's  health  very  much.  Since  coming  to  know  Hanyuan,  however, 
the  trouble  had  left  her  for  over  a  year  and  I  was  congratulating  myself 
that  this  friendship  proved  better  than  all  medicine.  Then  Han  was 
married  to  an  influential  person,  who  had  offered  a  thousand  dollars  for 
her  and,  furthermore,  undertook  to  support  her  mother.  "The  beauty 
had  therefore  fallen  into  the  hands  of  a  barbarian."  I  had  known  of  this 
for  some  time,  but  dared  not  mention  it  to  Yiin.  However,  she  went  to 
see  her  one  day  and  learnt  the  news  for  herself.  On  coming  back,  she 
told  me  amidst  sobs,  "I  did  not  think  that  Han  could  be  so  heartless!" 

"You  yourself  are  crazy,"  I  said.  "What  do  you  expect  of  a  sing-song 
girl?  Besides,  one  who  is  used  to  beautiful  dresses  and  nice  food  like 
her  would  hardly  be  satisfied  with  the  lot  of  a  poor  housewife.  It  were 


1006  SKETCHES   OF   CHINESE   LIFE 

better  like  this  than  to  marry  her  and  find  it  to  one's  cost  afterwards." 

I  tried  my  best  to  comfort  her,  but  Yun  could  never  quite  recover 
from  the  shock  of  being  betrayed  and  her  troubles  came  again.  She  was 
confined  to  bed  and  no  medicine  was  of  any  avail.  The  illness  then  be- 
came chronic  and  she  grew  greatly  emaciated.  After  a  few  years,  our 
debts  piled  up  higher  and  higher,  and  people  began  to  make  unpleasant 
remarks.  My  father  also  began  to  dislike  her  more  and  more  on  account 
of  the  fact  that  she  had  been  a  sworn  sister  to  a  sing-song  girl.  I  was 
placed  in  an  embarrassing  position  between  father  and  wife,  and  from 
that  time  on,  I  did  not  know  what  human  happiness  was. 

Yun  had  given  birth  to  a  daughter,  named  Ch'ingchun,  who  was  then 
fourteen  years  old.  She  knew  how  to  read,  and  being  a  very  under- 
standing child,  quietly  went  through  the  hardships  with  us,  often  under- 
taking the  pawning  of  jewelleries  and  clothing.  We  had  also  a  son  named 
Fengsen,  who  was  then  twelve  and  was  studying  with  a  private  tutor. 
I  was  out  of  job  for  many  years,  and  had  set  up  a  shop  for  selling  books 
and  paintings  in  my  own  home.  The  income  of  the  shop  for  three  days 
was  hardly  sufficient  to  meet  one  day's  expenses,  and  I  was  hard  pressed 
for  money  and  worried  all  the  time.  I  went  through  the  severe  winter 
without  a  padded  gown  and  Ch'ingchun  too  was  often  shivering  in  her 
thin  dress,  but  insisted  on  saying  that  she  did  not  feel  cold  at  all.  For 
this  reason,  Yun  swore  that  she  would  never  see  any  doctor  or  take  any 
medicine. 

It  happened  once  that  she  could  get  up  from  bed,  when  my  friend 
Chou  Ch'unhsu,  who  had  just  returned  from  the  yamen  of  Prince  Fu, 
wanted  to  pay  for  some  one  to  embroider  a  buddhist  book,  the  Prajna- 
paramita  Sutra.  Yiin  undertook  to  do  it,  being  attracted  by  the  handsome 
remuneration  and  besides  believing  that  embroidering  the  text  of  a 
buddhist  sutra  might  help  to  bring  good  luck  and  ward  off  calamities. 
My  friend,  however,  was  in  a  hurry  to  depart  and  could  not  wait,  and 
Yiin  finished  it  in  ten  days.  Such  work  was  naturally  too  much  of  a 
strain  for  a  person  in  her  condition,  and  she  began  to  complain  of  dizzi- 
ness and  back-ache.  How  did  I  know  that  even  Buddha  would  not  show 
mercy  to  a  person  born  under  an  evil  star!  Her  illness  then  became  very 
much  aggravated  after  embroidering  the  buddhist  sutra.  She  needed 
more  attention  and  wanted  now  tea  and  now  medicine,  and  the  people 
in  the  family  began  to  feel  weary  of  her. 

There  was  a  Shansi  man  who  had  rented  a  house  on  the  left  of  my  art 
shop,  and  used  to  lend  money  at  high  interest  for  his  living.  He  often 


SIX    CHAPTERS    OF    A    FLOATING    LIFE          IQ&J 

asked  me  to  do  some  painting  for  him,  and  in  this  way  came  to  know 
me.  There  was  a  friend  of  mine  who  wanted  to  borrow  fifty  dollars  from 
him  and  asked  me  to  guarantee  the  loan.  I  could  not  refuse  him  and 
consented,  but  my  friend  eventually  ran  away  with  the  money.  The 
creditor,  of  course,  came  to  me  as  the  guarantor  for  the  money,  and 
made  a  lot  of  fuss  about  it.  At  first,  I  tried  to  pay  back  a  part  of  the  loan 
with  my  painting,  but  finally  I  just  had  nothing  left  to  offer  him  in  place 
of  cash.  Af.  the  end  of  the  year,  my  father  came  home,  and  one  day  the 
creditor  was  creating  a  lot  of  noise  in  the  house,  demanding  repayment 
of  the  loan.  He  called  me  to  him  and  scolded  me  saying,  "We  belong  to 
a  scholars'  family;  how  could  we  fail  to  repay  a  loan  from  such  common 
people?"  While  I  was  trying  to  explain  the  matter,  there  appeared  a 
messenger  from  Mrs.  Hua,  a  childhood  friend  of  Yim's,  who  had  heard 
about  her  illness  and  had  sent  him  to  inquire  after  her  health.  My  father 
thought  that  this  messenger  was  from  the  sing-song  girl  Han,  and  be- 
came still  more  infuriated.  "Your  wife  does  not  cultivate  the  feminine 
virtues,  but  has  become  sworn  sister  to  a  sing-song  girl.  You  yourself 
do  not  associate  with  good  friends,  but  go  about  with  low-class  people. 
I  cannot  bear  to  put  you  to  death,  but  will  allow  you  three  days.  Make 
up  your  own  mind  what  you  are  going  to  do  in  the  meantime,  or  else 
I  will  prosecute  you  at  court  for  filial  impiety!"  When  Yun  heard  of 
this,  she  wept  and  said,  "It  is  all  my  fault  that  we  have  displeased  our 
parents.  I  know  that  if  I  die,  you  will  not  be  able  to  bear  my  death,  and 
if  we  separate,  you  will  not  be  able  to  bear  the  parting.  Let's  ask  Mrs. 
Hua's  servant  to  come  in,  and  I  will  try  to  get  up  from  bed  and  have  a 
talk  with  him." 

I  then  asked  Ch'ingchun  to  assist  her  mother  to  get  up  and  escort  her 
outside  her  bedroom,  where  we  asked  the  messenger  from  Mrs.  Hua 
whether  his  mistress  had  sent  him  specially  to  enquire  after  her  illness, 
or  he  was  merely  taking  a  message  on  his  way.  "My  mistress  has  long 
heard  of  your  illness,"  replied  the  servant,  "and  was  thinking  of  coming 
personally  to  see  you,  but  refrained  because  she  thought  she  had  never 
been  here  before.  When  I  was  leaving,  she  told  me  to  say  that  if  Madame 
didn't  mind  living  in  a  poor  country  home,  she  would  like  her  to  come 
to  her  place  for  a  rest,  in  order  to  fulfil  a  pledge  of  their  childhood 
days."  The  messenger  was  referring  to  a  girlhood  pledge  between  Yiin 
and  Mrs.  Hua,  when  they  were  doing  embroidery  work  together  under 
the  same  lamplight,  that  they  should  assist  each  other  in  sickness  or 
trouble. 


I008  SKETCHES    OF    CHINESE    LIFE 

"You  go  back  quickly  then,  and  tell  your  mistress  to  send  a  boat 
secretly  for  us  within  two  days,"  she  instructed  the  servant. 

When  the  man  had  retired  from  the  interview  with  her,  he  said  to 
me,  "You  know  that  Mrs.  Hua  is  as  good  to  your  wife  as  to  her  own 
sister  and  she  won't  at  all  mind  your  coming  along  too.  As  for  the  chil- 
dren, I  am  afraid  that  it  will  be  inconvenient  for  you  either  to  bring 
them  along  or  to  leave  them  here  to  trouble  your  parents.  I  should  sug- 
gest that  you  make  some  arrangements  for  them  within  these  jwo  days." 

There  was  a  cousin  of  mine  by  the  name  of  Wang  Chinch'en  who  had 
a  son  called  Yiinshih,  for  whom  he  wished  to  secure  the  hand  of  my 
daughter.  "I  hear,"  said  Yiin,  "that  this  son  of  Wang's  is  rather  weak 
and  useless.  At  best,  he  would  be  good  only  for  carrying  on,  but  not  for 
building  up  a  family  fortune,  but  there  is  no  fortune  in  the  family  for 
him  to  carry  on.  However,  they  are  a  scholars'  family  and  he  is  the  only 
son.  I  don't  mind  giving  Ch'ingchun  to  him."  So  I  said  to  Chinch'en, 
"We  are  cousins  and,  of  course,  I  should  be  glad  to  give  Ch'ingchun  to 
your  son,  but  I  am  afraid  it  is  difficult  under  the  circumstances  for  us 
to  keep  her  until  she  should  grow  up.  I  propose,  therefore,  that  you 
bring  the  matter  up  to  my  parents  after  we  have  gone  to  Hsishan,  and 
take  her  over  as  your  'child  daughter-in-law.'  I  wonder  what  you  think 
of  it?"  Chinch'en  was  very  pleased  and  agreed  to  my  suggestion.  As  for 
my  son  Fengsen,  I  also  asked  a  friend  of  mine  by  the  name  of  Hsia 
Yishan  to  place  him  in  a  shop  as  an  apprentice. 

As  soon  as  these  arrangements  had  been  made,  Mrs.  Hua's  boat  ar- 
rived. This  was  on  the  twenty-fifth  of  December,  1800.  "If  we  should 
leave  like  this,"  said  Yiin,  "I  am  afraid  the  neighbours  will  laugh  at  us, 
and  besides,  we  haven't  repaid  the  loan  due  to  the  Shansi  man.  I  don't 
think  he  will  let  us  off.  We  must  leave  quietly  before  dawn  to-morrow." 

"But  can  you  stand  the  early  damp  of  the  morning  in  your  present 
state  of  health?"  I  asked. 

"Oh!  I  wouldn't  worry  about  that,"  she  said.  "It's  all  a  matter  of  fate 
how  long  one  is  going  to  live!" 

I  secretly  informed  my  father  about  this  arrangement,  which  he  also 
thought  best.  That  night,  I  first  brought  a  little  bag  down  to  the  boat 
and  asked  Fengsen  to  go  to  bed  first.  Ch'ingchun  was  weeping  by  her 
mother's  side,  and  this  was  Yiin's  parting  instruction  to  her :  "Mamma 
was  born  under  an  evil  star  and  is,  besides,  sentimentally  passionate. 
That  is  why  we've  come  to  this.  However,  your  father  is  very  kind  to 
me  and  you  have  nothing  to  worry  on  my  account.  I  am  sure  that,  in 


SIX    CHAPTERS    OF    A    FLOATING    LIFE  lOCK) 

two  or  three  years,  we  shall  be  able  to  manage  so  that  we  can  be  reunited. 
When  you  go  to  your  new  home,  you  must  try  to  be  a  better  daughter-in- 
law  than  your  mother.  I  know  that  your  parents-m-law  will  be  very  kind 
to  you  because  they  are  very  proud  of  this  match.  Whatever  we  have  left 
behind  in  the  trunks  and  bags  are  yours,  and  you  can  bring  them  along. 
Your  younger  brother  is  still  young,  and  therefore  we  have  not  let  him 
know.  At  the  time  of  parting,  we  are  going  to  say  that  mamma  is  going 
away  to  see  a  doctor  and  will  return  in  a  few  days.  You  can  explain  the 
whole  thing  to  him  when  we  have  gone  a  long  distance,  and  just  let 
grandfather  take  care  of  him." 

There  was  with  us  at  this  time  an  old  woman  who  was  the  one  that 
had  let  us  her  country  house,  as  mentioned  in  the  first  chapter.  She  was 
going  to  accompany  us  to  the  country,  and  was  now  sitting  in  the  room, 
silently  and  continually  wiping  her  tears.  In  the  small  hours  of  the 
morning,  we  warmed  up  some  congee  and  ate  it  together.  Yiin  forced 
herself  to  smile  and  joke,  saying,  "We  first  met  round  a  bowl  of  congee 
and  now  we  are  parting  also  round  a  bowl  of  congee.  If  some  one  were 
to  write  a  play  about  it,  it  should  be  entitled,  'The  Romance  of  the 
Congee.*  "  Fengsen  heard  these  words  in  his  sleep,  woke  up  and  asked, 
while  yawning: 

"What  is  mamma  doing?" 

"Mamma  is  going  to  see  a  doctor,"  Yiin  replied. 

"But  why  so  early?" 

"Because  the  place  is  so  far  away.  You  stay  at  home  with  sister  and 
be  a  good  boy  and  don't  annoy  grandmother.  I  am  going  away  with 
papa  and  shall  be  home  within  a  few  days." 

When  the  cock  had  crowed  three  times,  Yiin,  buried  in  tears  and 
supported  by  the  old  woman,  was  going  out  by  the  back  door,  when 
Fengsen  suddenly  wept  aloud  and  cried :  "I  know  mamma  is  not  coming 
back!" 

Ch'ingchiin  hushed  him  up,  afraid  that  the  noise  might  wake  up 
other  people,  and  patted  him.  All  this  time,  I  felt  as  if  my  bowels  were 
torn  to  shreds  and  I  could  not  say  a  single  word  except  asking  him  to 
stop  crying.  After  Ch'ingchiin  had  closed  the  door  on  us,  Yiin  walked 
along  for  just  about  a  dozen  paces  and  found  she  could  no  more,  and 
I  carried  her  on  my  back,  while  the  old  woman  carried  the  lantern 
before  us.  We  were  almost  arrested  by  a  night  sentinel  when  coming 
near  the  river,  but  luckily  through  the  old  woman's  ruse,  Yiin  passed 
oft  as  her  sick  daughter,  and  I  her  son-in-law.  The  boatmen,  who  were 


1010  SKETCHES    OF    CHINESE    LIFE 

all  servants  of  the  Hua  family,  came  to  the  rescue  and  helped  us  down 
to  the  boat.  When  the  boat  was  untied  and  we  were  moving,  Yiin  broke 
down  completely  and  wept  bitterly  aloud.  Actually,  mother  and  son 
never  saw  each  other  again. 

Mr.  Hua,  whose  name  was  Tach'eng,  was  living  on  the  Tungkao  Hill 
at  Wusih,  in  a  house  facing  the  hillside.  He  tilled  the  field  himself  and 
was  a  very  simple,  honest  soul.  Mrs.  Hua,  whose  family  name  was  Hsia, 
was,  as  I  have  mentioned,  Yiin's  sworn  sister.  We  arrived  (hat  day  at 
their  home  about  one  o'clock.  Mrs.  Hua  came  with  her  two  little  daugh- 
ters to  the  boat  to  meet  us,  and  we  were  all  very  happy  to  see  each  other. 
She  supported  Yiin  up  the  river  bank  to  her  home  and  gave  us  a  most 
cordial  welcome.  The  neighbouring  women  and  children  all  came 
crowding  into  the  house  to  look  at  Yiin,  some  enquiring  for  news  and 
some  expressing  their  sympathy  with  her,  so  that  the  whole  house  was 
full  of  their  twitter. 

"Now  I  really  feel  like  the  fisherman  who  went  up  to  the  Peach-Blos- 
som Spring," 6  said  Yiin  to  Mrs.  Hua. 

"I  hope  sister  won't  mind  these  people.  The  country  folk  are  merely 
curious." 

And  so  we  lived  at  the  place  very  happily  and  passed  the  New  Year 
there.  Hardly  twenty  days  had  passed  since  our  arrival  when  the  festival 
of  the  fifteenth  day  of  the  first  moon  came  and  Yiin  was  already  able 
to  leave  her  bed.  That  night  we  watched  a  dragon  lantern  show  in  a  big 
yard  for  threshing  wheat,  and  I  noticed  that  Yiin  was  gradually  becom- 
ing her  normal  self  again.  I  felt  very  happy  and  secretly  discussed  our 
future  plans  with  her. 

"I  don't  think  we  ought  to  be  staying  here  for  ever,  but,  on  the  other 
hand,  we  have  no  money  to  go  elsewhere.  What  shall  we  do?"  I  said. 

"Your  wife  has  thought  about  it  too,"  said  Yiin.  "I  have  an  idea.  You 
know  the  husband  of  your  sister,  Mr.  Fan  Hueilai,  is  now  serving  as 
treasurer  in  the  Salt  Bureau  of  Chingkiang.  Do  you  remember  that, 
ten  years  ago,  we  lent  him  ten  dollars,  and  it  happened  that  we  did  not 
have  sufficient  money  and  I  sold  my  hairbrooch  to  make  up  the  amount  ?" 

"Why,  I'd  forgotten  all  about  it!"  I  replied. 

"Why  don't  you  go  and  see  him?  I  hear  Chingkiang  is  only  a  short 
way  from  here,"  said  Yiin. 

I  took  her  advice  and  started  off  on  the  sixteenth  of  the  first  moon,  in 
1801.  The  weather  was  quite  mild,  and  one  felt  too  warm  even  in  q 

"  Reference  to  an  idyllic  retreat  mentioned  in  an  essay  by  T'ao  Yuanming. 


SIX    CHAPTERS    OF    A    FLOATING    LIFE  IOII 

velvet  gown  and  a  serge  ma\ua.  That  night  I  stayed  at  an  inn  at  Hsishan, 
and  rented  some  bedding  for  my  bed.  Next  morning  I  took  a  sailing 
boat  for  Kiangyin.  The  wind  was  against  us  and  there  was  a  slight  rain. 
At  night,  we  arrived  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  by  Kiangyin.  I  felt  chilled 
to  the  bones  and  bought  some  wine  to  warm  myself  up,  in  that  way 
spending  the  last  cash  I  had  with  me.  I  lay  there  the  whole  night  thinking 
what  I  should  do,  rotating  in  my  mind  the  idea  of  perhaps  pawning  my 
inside  jacket  in  order  to  get  money  for  the  ferry.6 

On  the  nineteenth,  the  north  wind  became  still  severer  and  snow  lay 
about  the  fields  and  I  shed  tears.  I  calculated  the  expenses  for  the  room 
and  the  ferry  boat  and  dared  not  buy  another  drink.  While  I  was  shiver- 
ing both  in  my  body  and  my  heart,  suddenly  I  saw  an  old  man  in  sandals 
and  a  felt  hat  enter  the  shop,  carrying  a  yellow  bag  on  his  back.  He 
looked  at  me  and  seemed  to  know  me. 

"Aren't  you  Mr.  Ts'ao  of  Taichow?"  I  asked. 

"Yes,"  replied  the  old  man.  "Were  it  not  for  you,  I  should  have  died 
long  ago  in  the  gutter.  Now  my  little  daughter  is  still  living  and  well, 
and  she  remembers  you  with  gratitude  all  the  time.  What  a  pleasant 
surprise  for  us  to  meet  here!  What  has  brought  you  to  this  place?" 

It  should  be  explained  that  when  1  was  working  in  the  yamen  of 
Taichow  some  years  ago,  there  was  a  Mr.  Ts'ao  of  a  humble  family 
who  had  a  beautiful  daughter  already  betrothed  to  some  one,  and 
an  influential  person  had  lent  him  money  with  the  object  of  obtaining 
his  daughter.  In  this  way  he  was  involved  in  a  lawsuit.  I  helped  him  in 
:he  affair  and  managed  to  return  his  daughter  to  the  family  of  the  be- 
trothed. Old  Ts'ao  came  to  offer  his  services  at  the  yamen  as  a  token  of 
his  gratitude  and  kowtowed  to  thank  me.  That  was  how  I  came  to  know 
him.  I  told  him  how  I  was  on  my  way  to  see  my  brother-in-law  and  how 
I  had  run  into  the  snow. 

"If  it  clears  up  to-morrow,"  said  Ts'ao,  "I  shall  accompany  you,  for 
I  am  passing  that  way  myself."  And  he  took  out  some  money  to  buy 
wine,  showing  the  greatest  cordiality  toward  me. 

On  the  twentieth,  as  soon  as  the  morning  temple  bell  had  struck,  I 
already  heard  the  ferry-man  crying  at  the  bank  for  passengers  to  come 
aboard.  I  got  up  in  a  hurry  and  asked  Ts'ao  to  go  together.  "No  hurry. 
We  must  eat  something  before  going  down  to  the  boat,"  said  Ts'ao. 
Then  he  paid  the  room  and  board  for  me  and  asked  me  to  come  out 
for  a  drink.  As  I  had  been  delayed  so  long  on  my  way  and  was  anxious 

8  Kiangyin  is  on  the  south  bank  of  the  Yangtse. 


1012  SKETCHES   OF   CHINESE   LIFE 

to  start  off,  I  was  in  no  mood  for  eating,  but  merely  chewed  two  pieces 
of  sesame-seed  cake.  When  I  got  to  the  boat,  there  was  a  piercing  wind 
blowing  over  the  river,  and  I  was  shivering  all  over. 

"I  am  told  there  is  a  native  of  Kiangyin  who  hanged  himself  at 
Chingkiang,  and  his  wife  has  engaged  this  boat  to  go  there,"  said  Ts'ao. 
"We  have  to  wait  till  she  comes,  before  we  can  cross  the  river." 

So  I  waited  there,  hungry  and  cold,  till  noon  before  we  started  off. 
When  we  arrived  at  Chingkiang,  there  was  already  an  evening  haze 
lying  over  the  countryside. 

"There  are  two  yamen  at  Chingkiang,  one  inside  the  city  and  the  other 
outside.  Which  one  is  your  relative  working  in?" 

"I  really  don't  know,"  I  said,  walking  dismally  behind  him. 

"In  that  case  we  might  just  as  well  stop  here  and  call  on  him  tomor- 
row," said  Ts'ao. 

When  I  entered  the  inn,  my  shoes  and  socks  were  already  drenched 
through  and  covered  with  mud,  and  I  had  them  dried  before  the  fire. 
I  was  all  in,  hurried  through  my  meal  and  dropped  into  a  sound  sleep. 
Next  morning  when  I  got  up,  my  socks  were  half  burnt  by  fire.  Ts'ao 
again  paid  for  my  room  and  board.  When  I  arrived  at  Hueilai's  home  in 
the  city,  he  had  not  got  up  yet,  but  hurriedly  put  on  his  gown  and  came 
out  to  see  me.  When  he  saw  the  state  I  was  in,  he  was  quite  astonished 
and  said,  "Why,  what's  the  matter  with  brother-in-law?  You  look  so 
shabby!" 

"Don't  ask  me  questions.  Lend  me  two  dollars  first,  if  you  have  any 
with  you.  I  want  to  pay  back  a  friend  who  came  along  with  me." 

Hueilai  gave  me  two  Mexican  dollars  which  I  gave  to  Ts'ao,  but 
Ts'ao  would  not  take  them;  only  after  my  insistence  did  he  receive  one 
dollar  before  going  away.  I  then  told  Hueilai  about  all  that  had  hap- 
pened, as  well  as  the  purpose  of  my  visit. 

"You  know  we  are  brothers-in-law,"  said  Hueilai,  "I  should  help  you 
even  if  I  did  not  owe  you  the  debt.  The  trouble  is,  our  salt  boats  on  the 
sea  were  recently  captured  by  pirates,  and  we  are  still  trying  to  straighten 
up  the  accounts,  and  I  am  afraid  I  shan't  be  able  to  help  you  much. 
Would  it  be  all  right  if  I  tried  to  provide  twenty  dollars  in  repayment  of 
the  old  debt?"  As  I  was  not  expecting  much  anyway,  I  consented.  After 
staying  there  for  two  days,  the  sky  had  cleared  up  and  the  weather 
became  milder  and  I  came  home,  arriving  at  Mrs.  Hua's  house  on  the 
twenty-fifth. 

"Did  you  run  into  the  snow  on  the  way?"  inquired  Yiin.  I  told  her 


SIX    CHAPTERS    OF    A    FLOATING    LIFE  1013 

what  had  happened  on  the  way  and  she  remarked  sadly,  "When  it 
snowed,  I  thought  you  had  already  arrived  at  Chingkiang,  but  you 
were  then  still  on  the  river!  It  was  very  lucky  of  you  to  have  met  old 
Ts'ao.  Really  Heaven  always  provides  for  good  people." 

After  a  few  days,  we  received  a  letter  from  Ch'ingchun  informing  us 
that  her  younger  brother  had  already  found  a  job  as  apprentice  through 
the  good  offices  of  my  friend  Yishan.  Ch'ingchun  herself  was  also 
brought  t^  Chinch'en's  home  on  the  twenty-fourth  of  January,  with  the 
permission  of  my  father.  Thus  my  children's  affairs  were  all  settled,  but 
it  was  hard  for  parents  and  children  to  part  like  this. 

The  weather  was  clear  and  mild  in  the  beginning  of  February.  With 
the  money  I  had  obtained  from  my  brother-in-law,  I  made  arrangements 
for  a  trip  to  Yangchow,  where  my  old  friend  Hu  K'engt'ang  was  work- 
ing at  the  Salt  Bureau.  I  obtained  a  post  there  as  secretary  at  the  im- 
perial tax  bureau  and  felt  more  settled.  In  the  eighth  moon  of  the  fol- 
lowing year,  1802, 1  received  a  letter  from  Yiin  which  said:  "I  have  com- 
pletely recovered  now.  I  don't  think  it  is  right  for  us  to  be  staying  at  a 
friend's  place  for  ever,  and  wish  very  much  to  come  to  Yangchow,  and 
see  the  famous  P'ingshan."  I  then  rented  a  two-roomed  house  on  a  river 
outside  the  First-m-Spring  Gate  of  Yangchow  city,  and  went  personally 
to  bring  Yiin  to  our  new  home.  Mrs.  Hua  presented  us  with  a  little  boy 
servant,  called  Ah  Shuang,  who  was  to  help  us  in  cooking  and  general 
housework.  She  also  made  an  agreement  with  us  that  some  day  we 
should  live  together  as  neighbours.  As  it  was  already  in  the  tenth  moon 
and  it  was  too  cold  at  P'ingshan,  I  asked  her  to  come  next  spring  for  a 
visit. 

I  was  fully  hoping,  then,  that  we  were  going  to  have  a  quiet  life  and 
Yiin's  health  would  steadily  recover  and  that  eventually  we  might  be 
reunited  with  our  family.  In  less  than  a  month,  however,  the  yamen  was 
reducing  its  staff  and  cut  off  fifteen  persons.  As  I  was  only  indirectly 
recommended  by  a  friend,  naturally  I  was  among  those  sent  away.  Yiin 
at  first  thpught  of  different  plans  for  me;  she  tried  to  be  cheerful  and 
comforted  me,  and  never  said  a  word  of  complaint.  Thus  we  dragged 
on  till  the  second  moon  of  1803,  when  she  had  a  severe  relapse,  with 
profuse  discharges  of  blood.  I  wanted  to  go  again  to  Chingkiang  for 
help,  but  Yiin  said: 

"It  is  better  to  go  to  a  friend  than  to  a  relative  for  help." 

"You  are  quite  right,"  I  said,  "but  all  my  friends  are  themselves  in 
trouble  and  won't  be  able  to  help  us,  however  kind  they  are." 


1014  SKETCHES   OF    CHINESE    LIFE 

"All  right,  then,"  she  said.  "The  weather  is  quite  mild  now  and  I 
don't  think  there  will  be  any  snow.  Go  quickly  and  come  back  quickly, 
but  don't  worry  on  my  account.  Take  good  care  of  yourself  and  in- 
crease not  the  burden  of  my  sins." 

At  this  time,  we  were  already  unable  to  meet  our  daily  expenses,  but 
in  order  to  ease  her  mind,  I  pretended  to  her  that  I  was  going  to  hire  a 
donkey.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  I  took  the  journey  on  foot,  merely  eating 
some  wheat  cakes  in  my  pocket  whenever  I  felt  hungry.  I  <went  in  a 
south-easterly  direction  and  crossed  two  creeks.  After  going  for  eighty 
or  ninety  //,  I  found  a  deserted  country  without  any  houses  around.  As 
night  came,  I  saw  only  a  stretch  of  yellow  sands  under  the  starry  sky. 
There  I  found  a  little  shrine  of  the  God  of  Earth,  about  five  feet  high, 
enclosed  by  a  low  wall,  with  two  little  cypress  trees  in  front.  Then  I 
kowtowed  to  the  God  and  prayed :  "I  am  Mr.  Shen  of  Soochow  on  my 
way  to  a  relative's.  I've  lost  my  bearings  and  intend  to  borrow  thy 
temple  to  pass  a  night  here.  Protect  me,  I  pray!"  I  then  put  away  the 
little  stone  incense  tripod  and  tried  to  crawl  in.  The  shrine,  however, 
was  too  small  for  my  body  by  half  and  I  managed  to  sit  on  the  ground, 
leaving  my  legs  outside.  I  turned  my  travelling  cap  round,  using  the 
back  to  cover  my  face,  and  thus  sat  there  listening  with  my  eyes  closed, 
but  all  I  could  hear  was  the  whistling  of  winds  blowing  by.  My  feet 
were  sore  and  my  spirit  was  tired  and  soon  I  dozed  off. 

When  I  woke  up,  it  was  already  broad  daylight  and  suddenly  I 
heard  people's  footsteps  and  sounds  of  talking  outside  the  low  enclosure. 
Immediately  I  peeped  out  and  saw  that  it  was  the  peasants,  who  were 
going  to  a  fair,  passing  by.  I  asked  them  for  directions  and  they  told 
me  that  I  was  to  go  straight  south  for  ten  li  until  I  should  reach  Taihsing 
City,  and  after  going  through  the  city,  to  go  southeast  for  ten  li  until  I 
should  come  across  an  earthen  mound;  after  passing  eight  such  mounds, 
I  would  then  arrive  at  Chingkiang.  All  I  had  to  do  was  to  follow  the 
main  road.  I  turned  back  then,  put  the  incense  tripod  back  in  its  orig- 
inal place,  thanked  the  God  for  the  night's  rest  and  started  off.  After 
passing  Taihsing,  I  took  a  wheelbarrow  and  arrived  at  Chingkiang 
about  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon. 

I  sent  in  my  card  and  waited  for  a  long  time  before  the  watchman 
came  out  and  said,  "Mr.  Fan  is  away  on  official  business  to  Ch'ang- 
chow."  From  the  way  he  talked,  I  thought  this  was  merely  a  pretext 
for  not  seeing  me.  I  asked  him  when  his  master  was  coming  home. 

"I  don't  know,"  replied  the  servant. 


SIX    CHAPTERS    OF    A    FLOATING    LIFE  1015 

"Then  I  am  going  to  stay  here  until  he  returns,  even  if  I  have  to  wait 
a  year." 

The  watchman  guessed  the  purpose  of  my  visit  and  secretly  asked 
me,  "Is  Mrs.  Fan  really  your  own  sister  by  the  same  mother?" 

"If  she  weren't  my  own  sister,  I  wouldn't  have  decided  to  wait  until 
Mr.  Fan's  return." 

The  watchman  then  asked  me  to  stay.  After  three  days,  I  was  told 
that  Mr.  Fan  had  returned  and  was  given  twenty-five  dollars,  with  which 
I  hurriedly  hired  a  donkey  and  returned  home. 

I  found  Yiin  very  sad  and  sobbing  at  home.  When  she  saw  me,  she 
said  rather  abruptly,  "Do  you  know  that  Ah  Shuang  ran  away  yester- 
day with  our  things?  I  have  asked  people  to  go  about  looking  for  him, 
but  so  far  with  no  results.  I  don't  mind  losing  the  things,  but  the  boy 
was  given  to  me  by  his  own  mother,  who  told  me  repeatedly  on  parting 
to  take  good  care  of  him.  If  he  is  running  home,  he  will  have  to  cross 
the  Yangtse  River,  and  I  don't  know  what  may  happen  to  him.  Or  if 
his  parents  should  hide  him  away  and  ask  me  for  their  son,  what  are 
we  to  do?  And  how  am  I  going  to  face  my  sworn  sister?" 

"Please  calm  yourself,"  I  said.  "I  think  there  is  no  ground  for  such 
anxiety.  One  who  hides  away  his  own  son  must  do  it  for  blackmail,  but 
they  know  perfectly  well  that  we  haven't  got  any  money.  Besides,  since 
the  boy's  coming  here  half  a  year  ago,  we  have  given  him  food  and 
clothing,  and  have  never  struck  him  or  been  harsh  to  him,  as  every- 
body round  here  knows.  I  think  the  real  fact  is  that  the  boy  was  a  rascal 
and,  seeing  that  we  were  in  a  bad  way,  stole  our  things  and  ran  away. 
As  for  Mrs.  Hua,  it  is  she,  rather  than  you,  that  should  feel  uneasy — for 
sending  you  such  a  scamp.  The  thing  to  do  is  for  us  to  report  the  matter 
immediately  to  the  magsitrate,  and  prevent  any  future  complications." 

Yiin  felt  a  little  easier  after  hearing  my  view  of  the  situation,  but  from 
then  on  she  often  cried  out  in  her  sleep  "Ah  Shuang  has  run  away!" 
or  "How  could  Han  be  so  heartless!"  and  her  illness  became  worse  and 
worse  every  day.  I  wanted  to  send  for  a  doctor,  but  Yiin  stopped  me 
saying: 

"You  know  my  illness  started  in  consequence  of  deep  grief  over  my 
mother's  death  following  upon  K'ehch'ang's  running  away,  then  it  was 
aggravated  through  my  passion  for  Han  and  finally  made  worse  by  my 
chagrin  at  this  recent  affair.  Besides,  I  was  often  too  cautious  and 
afraid  of  making  mistakes.  I  have  tried  my  best  to  be  a  good  daughter- 
in-law,  and  have  failed,  and  have  consequently  developed  dizziness  and 


I0l6  SKETCHES    OF    CHINESE   LIFE 

palpitation  of  the  heart.  The  illness  is  now  deep  in  my  system  and  no 
doctor  will  be  of  any  avail,  and  you  may  just  as  well  spare  yourself  the 
expense.  As  I  look  back  upon  the  twenty-three  years  of  our  married  life, 
I  know  that  you  have  loved  me  and  been  most  considerate  to  me,  in 
spite  of  all  my  faults.  I  am  happy  to  die  with  a  husband  and  under- 
standing friend  like  you  and  I  have  no  regrets.  Yes,  I  have  been  as 
happy  as  a  fairy  at  times,  with  my  warm  cotton  clothing  and  frugal 
.but  full  meals  and  the  happy  home  we  had.  Do  you  remember  how  we 
used  to  enjoy  ourselves  amongst  springs  and  rocks,  as  at  the  Ts'anglang 
Pavilion  and  the  Hsiaoshuanglou?  But  who  are  we  to  enjoy  the  good 
luck  of  a  fairy,  for  which  only  those  are  worthy  who  have  lived  a  vir- 
tuous life  from  incarnation  to  incarnation?  We  had,  therefore,  offended 
God  by  trying  to  snatch  a  happiness  that  was  above  our  lot;  hence  our 
various  earthly  troubles.  It  all  comes  of  your  too  great  love,  bestowed 
upon  one  who  is  ill-fated  and  unworthy  of  this  happiness." 

After  a  while  she  spoke  again  amidst  sobs,  "Every  one  has  to  die  once. 
My  only  regret  is,  we  have  to  part  half-way  from  each  other  for  ever, 
and  I  am  not  able  to  be  your  wife  until  the  end  of  your  days  and  see 
with  my  own  eyes  the  wedding  of  Fengsen."  After  saying  this,  tears 
rolled  down  her  eyes  as  big  as  peas.  I  tried  to  comfort  her  by  saying,  "You 
have  been  ill  for  eight  years,  and  this  is  not  the  first  time  that  you  are 
in  a  critical  condition.  Why  do  you  suddenly  say  such  heart-breaking 
words?" 

"I  have  been  dreaming  lately,"  she  said,  "of  my  parents  who  have 
sent  a  boat  to  welcome  me  home.  Whenever  I  close  my  eyes,  I  feel  my 
body  is  so  light,  so  light,  like  one  walking  among  the  clouds.  It  seems 
that  my  spirit  has  already  departed  and  only  my  body  remains." 

"This  is  the  effect  of  your  extreme  weakness,"  I  said.  "If  you  will 
take  some  tonic  and  rest  yourself  properly,  I  am  sure  you  will  get  well." 

Then  Ytin  sighed  again  and  said,  "If  there  were  the  slightest  ray  of 
hope,  I  would  not  have  told  you  all  these  things.  But  now  death  is 
approaching  and  it  is  high  time  I  spoke  my  mind.  I  know  you  have  dis- 
pleased your  parents  all  on  my  account;  therefore  when  I  die,  your 
parents'  attitude  will  change  round,  and  you  yourself  will  feel  more  at 
ease  toward  your  parents.  You  know  they  are  already  very  old,  and 
when  I  die,  you  should  return  to  them  as  soon  as  possible.  If  you  cannot 
bring  my  remains  back  to  the  native  district  for  burial,  you  can  tem- 
porarily keep  my  coffin  here  and  then  see  to  its  removal  afterwards.  I 
hope  you  will  find  another  one  who  is  both  beautiful  and  good  to  take 


SIX    CHAPTERS    OF    A    FLOATING    LIFE  1017 

my  place  and  serve  our  parents  and  bring  up  my  children,  and  then  1 
shall  die  content."  At  this  point,  I  broke  down  completely  and  fell  to 
weeping  as  if  my  bowels  had  been  cut  through. 

"Even  if  you  should  leave  me  half-way  like  this,"  I  said,  "I  shall  never 
marry  again.  Besides,  'it  is  difficult  to  be  water  for  one  who  has  seen 
the  great  seas,  and  difficult  to  be  clouds  for  one  who  has  seen  the 
Yangtse  Gorges/  "  Then  Yiin  held  my  hand  and  was  going  to  say  some- 
thing again,  but  she  could  only  mumble  the  words  "Next  incarnation!" 
half  audibly  again  and  again.  Suddenly  she  began  to  feel  short  of  breath, 
her  chin  was  set,  her  eyes  stared  wide  open,  and  however  I  called  her 
name,  she  could  not  utter  a  single  word.  Two  lines  of  tears  began  to 
roll  down  her  face.  After  a  while,  her  breath  became  weaker,  her  tears 
gradually  dried  up  and  her  spirit  departed  from  this  life  for  ever.  This 
was  on  the  thirtieth  of  the  third  moon,  1803.  A  solitary  lamp  was  shin- 
ing then  in  the  room,  and  a  sense  of  utter  forlornness  overcame  me. 
In  my  heart  opened  a  wound  that  shall  be  healed  nevermore! 

My  friend  Hu  K'engt'ang  kindly  helped  me  with  ten  dollars,  and 
together  with  this  and  what  I  could  obtain  by  selling  what  I  had  in  the 
house,  I  saw  to  her  proper  burial. 

Alas!  Yiin  was  a  woman  with  the  heart  and  talent  of  a  man.  From 
the  time  she  was  married  into  my  home,  I  had  been  forced  to  run  about 
abroad  for  a  living,  while  she  was  left  without  sufficient  money,  and 
she  never  said  a  word  of  complaint.  When  I  could  stay  at  home,  our 
sole  occupation  was  the  discussion  of  books  and  literature.  She  died  in 
poverty  and  sickness  without  being  able  to  see  her  own  children,  and 
who  was  to  blame  but  myself  ?  How  could  I  ever  express  the  debt  I  owe 
to  a  good  chamber  companion?  I  should  like  to  urge  upon  all  married 
couples  in  the  world  neither  to  hate  nor  to  be  too  passionately  attached 
to  each  other.  As  the  proverb  says,  "a  loving  couple  can  never  reach 
grand  old  age  together."  Mine  is  a  case  in  point. 

According  to  custom,  the  spirit  of  the  deceased  is  supposed  to  return 
to  the  house  on  a  certain  day  after  his  death,  and  people  used  to  arrange 
the  room  exactly  as  the  deceased  had  left  it,  putting  his  old  clothes  on 
the  bed  and  his  old  shoes  by  the  bedside  for  the  returning  spirit  to  take 
a  farewell  look.  We  called  this  in  Soochow  "closing  the  spirit's  eyes." 
People  also  used  to  invite  Taoist  monks  to  recite  incantations,  calling 
to  the  spirit  to  visit  the  deathbed  and  then  sending  it  away.  This  was 
called  "welcoming  the  spirit."  At  Yangchow  the  custom  was  to  pre- 
pare wine  and  dishes  and  leave  them  in  the  dead  man's  chamber,  while 


I0l8  SKETCHES   OF    CHINESE   LIFE 

the  whole  family  would  run  away,  in  order  to  "avoid  the  spirit."  It 
often  happened  that  things  were  stolen  while  the  house  was  thus  de- 
serted. On  this  day,  my  landlord,  who  was  staying  with  me,  left  the 
house,  and  my  neighbours  urged  me  to  leave  the  offerings  at  home  and 
get  away  also.  To  this  I  gave  a  cold,  indifferent  reply,  for  I  was  hoping 
to  see  the  spirit  of  Yiin  again.  There  was  a  certain  Chang  Yiimen  of 
the  same  district  who  warned  me  saying,  "One  may  be  very  well  pos- 
sessed by  the  evil  spirit,  when  one's  mind  dwells  on  the  uncanny.  I 
should  not  advise  you  to  try  it,  for  I  rather  believe  in  the  existence  of 
ghosts." 

"This  is  the  very  reason  I  am  going  to  stay — because  I  believe  that 
ghosts  do  exist,"  I  replied. 

"To  encounter  the  spirit  of 'the  deceased  on  its  return  home  has  an 
evil  influence  on  living  men,"  Chang  replied.  "Even  if  your  wife's  spirit 
should  return,  she  is  living  in  a  world  different  from  ours.  I  am  afraid 
you  won't  be  able  to  see  her  form,  but  will,  on  the  other  hand,  be  af- 
fected by  her  evil  influence." 

I  was  so  madly  in  love  with  her  that  I  did  not  care.  "I  don't  care  a  bit 
about  it,"  I  said  to  him.  "If  you  are  so  concerned  about  me,  why  not 
stay  on  and  keep  me  company?" 

"I'll  stay  outside  the  door.  If  you  should  see  anything  strange,  just  call 
for  me." 

I  then  went  in  with  a  lamp  in  my  hand  and  saw  the  room  was  exactly 
as  she  had  left  it,  only  my  beloved  was  not  there,  and  tears  welled  up  in 
my  eyes  in  spite  of  myself.  I  was  afraid  then  that  with  my  wet  eyes,  I 
should  not  be  able  to  see  her  form  clearly,  and  I  held  back  my  tears 
and  sat  on  the  bed,  waiting  for  her  appearance  with  wide  open  eyes. 
Softly  I  touched  her  old  dress  and  smelt  the  odour  of  her  body  which 
still  remained,  and  was  so  affected  by  it  that  I  fainted  off.  Then  I 
thought  to  myself,  how  could  I  let  myself  doze  off  since  I  was  waiting 
for  the  return  of  her  spirit?  I  opened  my  eyes  and  looked  round  and  saw 
the  two  candle-lights  burning  low  on  the  table  as  small  as  little  peas.  It 
gave  me  a  goose-flesh  and  I  shuddered  all  over.  Then  I  rubbed  my 
hands  and  my  forehead  and  looked  carefully  and  saw  the  pair  of  candle- 
lights leapt  higher  and  higher  till  they  were  over  a  foot  long  and  the 
papered  wooden  frame  of  the  ceiling  was  going  to  catch  fire.  The  sud- 
den glow  of  the  lights  illuminated  the  whole  room  and  enabled  me  to 
look  round  clearly,  when  suddenly  they  grew  small  and  dark  as  before. 
At  this  time  I  was  in  a  state  of  excitement  and  wanted  to  call  in  my 


SIX   CHAPTERS    OF   A   FLOATING  LIFE          101$ 

companion,  when  I  thought  that  her  gentle  female  spirit  might  be 
scared  away  by  the  presence  of  another  living  man.  Secretly  and  in  a 
quiet  tone,  I  called  her  name  and  prayed  to  her,  but  the  whole  room 
was  buried  in  silence  and  I  could  not  see  a  thing.  Then  the  candle-lights 
grew  bright  again,  but  did  not  shoot  high  up  as  before.  I  went  out  and 
told  Yiimen  about  it,  and  he  thought  me  very  brave,  but  did  not  know 
that  I  was  merely  in  love. 

After  yiin's  death,  I  thought  of  the  poet  Lin  Hoching  who  "took 
the  plum-trees  for  his  wives  and  a  stork  for  his  son,"  and  I  called  myself 
"Meiyi,"  meaning  "one  bereaved  of  the  plum-tree."  I  provisionally 
buried  Yiin  on  the  Golden  Cassia  Hill  outside  the  West  Gate  of  Yang- 
chow,  at  the  place  which  was  commonly  known  as  "The  Precious 
Pagoda  of  the  Ho  Family."  I  bought  a  lot  and  buried  her  there,  accord- 
ing to  her  dying  wish,  bringing  home  with  me  the  wooden  tablet  for 
worship.  My  mother  was  also  deeply  touched  by  the  news  of  her  death. 
Ch'ingchiin  and  Fengsen  came  home,  wept  bitterly  and  went  into 
mourning. 

"You  know  father  is  still  angry  with  you,"  said  my  brother  Ch'it'ang. 
"You'd  better  stay  away  at  Yangchow  for  some  time  and  wait  till  father 
returns  home,  when  I  shall  speak  for  you  and  then  write  for  you  to 
come  home." 

I  then  kowtowed  to  my  mother  and  parted  from  my  daughter  and 
son  and  wept  aloud  for  a  while,  before  I  departed  again  for  Yangchow, 
where  I  painted  for  my  living.  Thus  I  was  often  enabled  to  loiter  round 
and  weep  over  Yiin's  grave,  forlorn  soul  that  I  was!  And  whenever  I 
passed  our  old  house,  the  sight  was  too  much  for  me  to  bear.  On  the 
festival  of  the  ninth  day  of  the  ninth  moon,  while  all  the  other  graves 
were  yellow,  hers  was  still  green.  The  graveyard  keeper  said  to  me, 
"This  is  a  propitious  place  for  burial,  that  is  why  the  spirit  of  the  earth 
is  so  strong."  And  I  secretly  prayed  to  her,  "O  Yiin!  The  autumn  wind 
is  blowing  high,  and  my  gowns  are  still  thin.  If  you  have  any  influence, 
protect  me  and  arrange  that  I  may  have  a  job  to  pass  the  old  year,  while 
waiting  abroad  for  news  from  home." 

Soon  afterwards  one  Mr.  Chang  Yli-an,  who  had  a  post  as  secretary 
at  the  Kiangtu  yamen,  was  going  to  bury  his  parents  at  home  in  Che- 
kiang,  and  asked  me  to  take  his  place  for  three  months.  And  thus  I 
was  provided  against  the  winter.  After  I  left  that  place,  Chang  Yiimen 
asked  me  to  stay  at  his  home.  He  was  out  of  a  job  too,  and  told  me  that 
he  was  finding  it  hard  to  meet  -the  expenses  at  the  end  of  the  year.  I 


1020  SKETCHES   OF   CHINESE   LIFE 

gave  him  all  the  twenty  dollars  I  had  in  my  pocket,  and  told  him  that 
this  was  the  money  I  had  reserved  for  bringing  Yiin's  coffin  home  and 
that  he  could  pay  me  back  when  I  heard  word  from  my  family. 

So  that  year  I  passed  the  New  Year  at  Chang's  home.  I  was  waiting 
for  mail  from  home  morning  and  night,  but  no  news  came  at  all.  In 
March  of  1804,  I  received  a  letter  from  my  daughter  Ch'ingchun,  in- 
forming me  of  my  father's  illness.  I  wanted  very  much  to  go  home  to 
Soochow,  but  was  afraid  of  father's  anger.  While  I  was  still  hesitating, 
I  received  a  second  letter  from  her,  telling  me  that  father  had  died. 
Sorrow  went  into  my  heart  and  pierced  my  bones  and  I  cried  to  heaven 
in  vain,  for  I  knew  it  was  too  late.  Brushing  aside  all  considerations,  I 
dashed  home  under  the  starry  sky.  I  knocked  my  head  against  the 
coffin  until  I  bled  and  wailed  bitterly.  Alas!  my  father  had  a  hard  time 
all  his  life  working  away  from  home,  and  he  begot  such  an  unfilial  son 
as  I,  who  was  neither  able  to  minister  to  his  pleasure  while  he  was  alive, 
nor  able  to  serve  him  at  his  deathbed.  Great,  indeed,  is  my  sin! 

"Why  didn't  you  come  home  earlier  then?"  said  my  mother,  seeing 
me  weeping  so  bitterly. 

"Had  it  not  been  for  Ch'ingchiin's  letter,"  I  said,  "I  would  not  even 
have  heard  of  it  at  all."  My  mother  cast  a  look  at  my  brother's  wife  and 
kept  silent. 

I  then  kept  watch  over  the  coffin  in  the  hall,  but  for  seven  days  and 
seven  nights  not  one  in  the  whole  family  spoke  to  me  about  family 
affairs  or  discussed  the  funeral  arrangements  with  me.  I  was  ashamed 
of  myself  for  not  fulfilling  a  son's  duties  and  would  not  ask  them  ques- 
tions, either. 

One  day  some  men  suddenly  appeared  at  our  house  to  ask  for  repay- 
ment of  a  loan,  and  made  a  lot  of  noise  in  the  hall.  I  came  out  and  said 
to  them,  "I  don't  blame  you  for  pressing  for  repayment  of  the  debt.  But 
isn't  it  rather  mean  of  you  to  create  such  a  turmoil,  while  my  father's 
remains  are  scarcely  cold  yet?"  One  among  them  then  secretly  explained 
to  me,  "Please  understand  we  have  been  sent  here  by  somebody.  You 
just  get  away  for  a  moment,  and  we  will  ask  for  repayment  directly 
from  the  man  who  called  us  here." 

"I'll  return  myself  what  I  owe!  You  had  better  all  go  away!" 

My  wish  was  immediately  obeyed,  and  the  people  having  left,  I 
called  Ch'it'ang  to  my  presence  and  remonstrated  with  him,  "Although 
elder  brother  is  stupid,  I  have  riever  committed  any  great  wrongs.  If 
you  are  thinking  of  my  being  made  heir  to  uncle,  remember  that  I  did 


SIX    CHAPTERS    OF    A    FLOATING    LIFE          1021 

not  receive  a  single  cent  of  the  family  fortune.  Do  you  suppose  I  came 
home  to  divide  property  with  you  instead  of  for  the  funeral?  A  man 
ought  to  stand  on  his  own  feet;  I  have  come  empty-handed,  and  empty- 
handed  I  will  go!"  After  saying  this,  I  left  him  and  went  behind  the 
curtain  again  and  cried  bitterly  before  the  coffin. 

I  then  said  good-bye  to  my  mother  and  went  to  tell  Ch'ingchun  that 
I  was  going  to  a  mountain  to  become  a  Taoist  monk.  While  Ch'ing- 
chun was* just  trying  to  persuade  me  not  to  do  so,  some  friends  of  mine 
arrived.  They  were  the  brothers  Hsia  Nanhsiin,  literary  name  Tan-an, 
and  Hsia  Fengt'ai,  literary  name  Yishan.  They  remonstrated  with  me 
in  a  very  severe  tone,  and  thus  began: 

"We  don't  blame  you  for  being  angry  with  this  kind  of  a  family,  but 
although  your  father  is  dead,  your  mother  is  still  living,  and  although  - 
your  wife  has  died,  your  son  is  not  independent  yet.  Have  you  really 
the  heart  to  become  a  monk?" 

"What  am  I  going  to  do  then?"  I  replied. 

"For  the  time  being,"  said  Tan-an,  "you  could  put  up  at  our  home. 
I  hear  that  his  honour  Shih  Chot'ang  is  coming  home  on  leave  from  his 
office.  Why  don't  you  wait  till  he  comes  and  see  him  about  it?  I  am  sure 
he  will  be  able  to  give  you  a  position." 

"This  is  hardly  proper,"  I  said.  "I  am  still  in  the  hundred  days  of  my 
mourning,  and  your  parents  are  still  living." 

"Don't  worry  on  that  account,"  said  Yishan,  "for  our  father,  too, 
joins  us  in  the  invitation.  If  you  think  it's  not  quite  proper  to  do  so, 
then  there  is  a  temple  on  the  west  of  our  home  where  the  abbot  is  a 
good  friend  of  mine.  How  about  putting  up  there?"  To  this  I  agreed. 

Then  Ch'ingchun  said  to  me,  "Grandfather  has  left  us  a  family  prop- 
erty certainly  not  less  than  three  or  four  thousand  dollars.  If  you  will 
not  have  a  share  of  the  property,  will  you  not  even  take  along  your  trav- 
elling bag?  I'll  fetch  it  myself  and  bring  it  to  the  temple  for  you."  In 
this  way  not  only  did  I  get  my  travelling  bag,  but  also  found  ingeniously 
stuqk  in  it  some  books,  paintings,  ink  slabs  and  pots  for  holding  writing 
brushes.  The  monk  put  me  up  at  the  Tower  of  Great  Mercy.  The  tower 
faced  south  and  on  its  east  was  a  buddha.  I  occupied  the  western  room 
which  had  a  moon  window  exactly  opposite  the  buddha,  this  being  the 
room  where  pilgrims  used  to  have  their  meals.  At  the  door,  there  was 
a  most  imposing  standing  figure,  representing  the  God  of  War  holding 
a  huge  knife  in  his  hand.  A  big  maiden  hair  tree  stood  in  the  yard, 
three  fathoms  in  circumference,  and  cast  a  heavy  shade  over  the  whole 


1022  SKETCHES   OF    CHINESE   LIFE 

tower.  At  night  the  wind  would  blow  past  the  tree,  making  a  roaring 
noise.  Yishan  often  brought  some  wine  and  fruit  to  the  place  to  have 
a  drink  between  ourselves. 

"Are  you  not  afraid  of  staying  here  alone  on  a  dark  night?"  he  asked. 

"No,"  I  replied.  "I  have  lived  a  straight  life  and  have  a  free  conscience, 
why  should  I  be  afraid?" 

It  happened  that  shortly  after  I  moved  in,  there  was  a  pouring  rain 
which  continued  day  and  night  for  over  a  month.  I  was  always  afraid 
that  some  branch  of  the  maiden  hair  tree  might  break  off  and  crash  on 
to  the  roof,  but,  thanks  to  the  protection  of  the  gods,  nothing  happened. 
In  the  country  around  us,  however,  a  great  number  of  houses  had 
fallen  down  and  all  the  rice  fields  were  flooded.  I  spent  the  days  paint- 
ing with  the  monk  as  if  nothing  had  happened. 

In  the  beginning  of  July,  the  sky  cleared  up  and  I  went  to  the  Ts'ung- 
ming  Island  as  a  personal  secretary  of  Yishan's  father,  whose  name  was 
Shunhsiang  and  who  was  going  there  on  business.  For  this  I  received 
twenty  dollars  as  remuneration.  When  I  returned,  they  were  making 
my  father's  grave  and  Ch'it'ang  asked  Fengsen  to  tell  me  that  he  was  in 
need  of  money  for  the  burial  expenses  and  would  I  lend  him  ten  or 
twenty  dollars?  I  was  going  to  turn  over  the  money  I  had  to  him,  but 
Yishan  would  not  allow  it  and  insisted  on  contributing  half  of  the 
amount.  I  then  went  ahead  to  my  father's  grave,  accompanied  by 
Ch'ingchiin. 

After  the  burial,  I  returned  to  the  Tower  of  Great  Mercy.  At  the  end 
of  September,  Yishan  had  some  rent  to  collect  from  his  crops  at  Yungt'ai 
Beach  in  Tunghai  and  I  accompanied  him  there,  where  I  stayed  for  two 
months.  When  I  returned,  it  was  already  late  winter  and  I  moved  to  his 
home  at  the  Snow-and- Wild-Goose  Hut  to  pass  the  New  Year.  He 
was  better  to  me  than  my  own  kin. 

In  July,  1805,  Chot'ang  returned  home  from  the  capital.  This  was  his 
"fancy  name,"  while  his  real  name  was  Yunyii  and  his  literary  name 
Chihju.  He  was  a  childhood  chum  of  mine,  took  the  first  place  in  the 
imperial  examinations  in  1790  during  the  reign  of  Ch'ienlung,  and 
then  became  magistrate  of  Chungking  in  Szechuen.  During  the  rebel- 
lion of  the  White  Lily  Secret  Society,  he  won  great  merit  for  himself 
fighting  the  rebels  for  three  years.  When  he  returned,  we  were  very 
glad  to  see  each  other.  On  the  ninth  day  of  the  ninth  moon,  he  was 
going  again  to  his  office  at  Chungking  with  his  family  and  asked  me  to 
accompany  him,  I  then  said  good-bye  to  my  mother  at  the  home  of  Lu 


SIX    CHAPTERS    OF    A    FLOATING    LIFE  1023 

Shangwu,  the  husband  of  my  ninth  sister,  for  by  this  time  my  father's 
home  had  already  been  sold.  My  mother  gave  me  parting  instructions  as 
follows:  "You  should  try  your  best  to  glorify  the  name  of  the  family, 
for  your  younger  brother  will  never  amount  to  anything.  Remember  I 
depend  entirely  on  you."  Fengsen  was  seeing  me  off,  but  on  the  way 
he  suddenly  began  to  cry  pitifully,  and  I  bade  him  go  home. 

When  our  boat  arrived  at  Kingk'ou  [ChinkiangJ,  Chot'ang  said  he 
wanted  t»  see  an  old  friend  of  his,  Wang  T'ifu,  who  was  a  chujen  and 
was  working  at  the  Salt  Bureau  in  Yangchow.  He  was  going  out  of  his 
way  to  call  on  him  and  I  accompanied  him  there,  and  thus  had  another 
chance  to  look  at  Yun's  grave.  Then  we  turned  back  and  went  up  the 
Yangtse  River  and  enjoyed  all  the  scenery  on  the  way.  When  we  ar- 
rived at  Kingchow  we  learned  that  my  friend  had  been  promoted  a 
taotai  at  Tungkuan  [in  Honan].  He,  therefore,  asked  me  to  stay  at 
Kingchow  with  his  son  Tunfu  and  family,  while  he  went  to  pass  the 
New  Year  at  Chungking  with  just  a  small  entourage  and  went  directly 
to  his  new  office  via  Chengtu.  In  February  of  the  following  year,  his 
family  at  Szechuen  then  followed  him  there  by  boat  up  the  river  as  far 
as  Fanch'eng.  From  that  point  on,  we  had  to  travel  by  land.  The  way 
was  very  long  and  the  expenses  very  heavy;  with  the  heavy  load  of  men 
and  luggage,  horses  died  and  cartwheels  were  often  broken  on  the  road 
and  it  was  altogether  a  tortuous  journey.  It  was  March  when  we  arrived 
at  Tungkuan,  when  Chot'ang  was  again  transferred  to  Shantung  as 
inspector.  As  he  was  out  of  money  and  his  family  could  not  follow  him 
there,  we  remained  temporarily  at  the  T'ungch'uan  College.  Only  at 
the  end  of  October  did  he  receive  his  salary  from  his  Shantung  office, 
which  enabled  him  to  send  for  his  family.  In  his  letter  he  enclosed  a 
note  from  Ch'ingchun,  which  informed  me  that  Fengsen  had  died  in 
April.  Then  I  began  to  understand  that  the  tears  he  shed  when  sending 
me  off  from  home  were  tears  of  farewell.  Alas!  Yun  had  only  one  son 
and  must  even  he  be  taken  away  and  not  allowed  to  continue  her  line! 
Chot'ang  was  also  greatly  touched  at  the  news,  and  presented  me  with 
a  concubine.  From  that  time  on,  I  was  again  thrown  into  life's  mad 
turmoil,  a  floating  dream  from  which  I  do  not  know  when  I  shall  wake 
upl 

CHAPTER  IV:  THE  JOYS  OF  TRAVEL 

FOR  THIRTY  YEARS  i  WORKED  as  a  government  clerk  in  different  yamens 
and  practically  visited  every  province  except  Szechuen,  Kweichow  and 


1024  SKETCHES   OF    CHINESE   LIFE 

Yunnan.  Unfortunately,  I  was  not  free  to  wander  where  I  liked,  inas- 
much as  I  was  always  attached  to  some  office,  and  could  therefore  only 
hastily  enjoy  such  natural  scenery  as  came  my  way,  getting  at  most  a 
general  impression  of  things  without  the  opportunity  to  explore  the 
more  unfrequented  and  out-of-the-way  spots.  I  am  by  nature  fond  of 
forming  my  own  opinions  without  regard  to  what  others  say.  For  in- 
stance, in  the  criticism  of  painting  and  poetry,  I  would  value  highly 
certain  things  that  others  look  down  upon,  and  think  nothing  of  what 
others  prize  very  highly.  So  it  is  also  with  natural  scenery,  whose  true 
appreciation  must  come  from  one's  own  heart  or  not  at  all.  There  are 
famous  scenic  spots  that  do  not  at  all  appeal  to  me,  and,  on  the  other 
hand,  certain  places  that  are  not  at  all  famous  but  delighted  me  in- 
tensely. I  will  merely  record  here  the  places  that  I  have  visited. 

When  I  was  fifteen,  my  father  Chiafu  was  working  at  the  yamen  at 
Shanyin  with  one  official  Chao,  who  employed  a  certain  old  scholar  of 
Hangchow  by  the  name  of  Chao  Ch'uan,  literary  name  Shengtsai,  as 
private  tutor  for  his  son,  and  I  was  made  by  my  father  to  study  under 
him.  Once  I  had  the  opportunity  of  visiting  Hushan  Hill,  which  was 
over  ten  //'  from  the  city  and  could  be  reached  only  by  a  waterway.  On 
approaching  the  hill,  I  saw  there  was  a  stone  cave  with  a  rock  jutting 
out  horizontally  as  if  it  was  going  to  fall  down.  My  boat  passed  under 
this  and  went  inside  the  cave,  commonly  known  as  "Shuiyiian"  (Water 
Park),  which  was  very  spacious  within  and  surrounded  on  all  sides  by 
perpendicular  rocks.  There  was  a  stone  open  tower  overlooking  the 
water,  consisting  of  five  beams,  and  a  stone  inscription  on  the  opposite 
rock  bearing  the  words,  "Looking  at  Jumping  Fish."  The  water  was 
very  deep  at  this  spot  and  people  said  that  there  were  some  gigantic 
fish  in  it.  I  threw  some  crumbs  down,  but  saw  only  small  ones  hardly  a 
foot  long  come  up  to  nibble  them.  A  road  led  from  the  back  of  the  open 
tower  to  "Hanyiian"  (Land  Park),  where  there  was  a  jumble  of 
rockery,  standing  in  irregular  profusion,  some  of  them  only  as  broad  as 
the  palm  of  a  hand,  and  others  being  stone  pillars  with  their  tops  ground 
even,  and  capped  with  huge  rocks.  The  whole  thing  was  artificial,  the 
workman's  marks  being  too  apparent,  and  nothing  good  could  be  said 
for  them.  After  going  round  the  place,  I  had  a  picnic  in  the  Water 
Park  at  the  open  tower  by  the  waterside.  I  asked  an  attendant  to  fire 
some  crackers,  which  made  a  noise  like  thunder,  reverberating  through- 
out the  whole  valley.  This  was  my  first  taste  of  the  joys  of  travel  in  my 


SIX    CHAPTERS    OF    A    FLOATING    LIFE  1025 

young  days.  Unfortunately  I  was  not  able  to  visit  Lant'ing7  and  Em- 
peror Yiin's  Tomb,  a  sin  of  omission  which  I  very  much  regret  to  this 
day. 

In  the  eighth  moon  of  1781,  my  father  returned  home,  laid  up  with  a 
cold.  He  would  ask  for  fire  when  in  a  cold  fit,  and  ask  for  ice  when  in 
high  fever,  despite  my  repeated  advice  to  the  contrary,  and  in  this  way, 
it  turned  into  typhoid,  which  grew  from  bad  to  worse  every  day.  I 
attended  on  him  day  and  night  and  never  slept  a  wink  for  almost  a 
month.  My  wife,  Yiin-niang,  also  fell  seriously  ill  at  this  time  and  was 
confined  to  bed;  everything  was  in  a  muddle  and  I  felt  very  miserable. 
"I  am  afraid  I  shall  never  get  well,"  said  my  father  to  me  one  day,  calling 
me  to  his  bedside  for  final  instructions.  "I  don't  think  you  can  make  a 
living  with  the  knowledge  derived  from  a  few  books,  and  I  am  going  to 
place  you  in  charge  of  a  sworn  brother  of  mine,  Chiang  Ssutsai,  who  will 
bring  you  up  to  follow  my  profession."  Ssutsai  turned  up  next  day  and 
I  kowtowed  to  him  as  pupil  to  tutor  by  my  father's  bedside.  Soon  after- 
wards, however,  my  father  was  attended  to  by  a  famous  doctor,  Mr. 
Hsu  Kuanhen,  and  gradually  got  well;  Yun,  too,  was  cured  by  the 
same  doctor  and  was  able  to  leave  her  bed.  Thus  I  began  my  training 
as  a  yamen  clerk.  I  mention  this  unpleasant  episode  here  in  my  record 
of  the  joys  of  travel,  because  through  this  change  of  profession,  I  was 
enabled  to  leave  my  studies  and  travel  a  great  deal. 

My  teacher's  name  was  Hsiang.  I  followed  him  in  the  winter  of  that 
year  to  the  yamen  of  Fenghsien.  There  was  a  colleague  of  mine,  also 
learning  the  same  profession  at  the  place;  his  name  was  Ku  Chinchien, 
literary  name  Hungkan  and  "fancy  name"  Purple  Haze.  Ku  was  also  a 
native  of  Soochow  and  was  by  nature  a  bighearted,  frank  and  straight- 
forward fellow.  As  he  was  a  year  older,  I  called  him  'elder  brother,'  and 
he  called  me  'younger  brother1  and  we  became  fast  friends.  Hungkan 
was  in  fact  the  best  friend  I  had  in  this  world.  Unfortunately  he  died  at 
twenty-two,  and  now  in  my  forty-sixth  year  I  doubt  if  I  could  find 
another  friend  like  him  in  this  wide,  wide  world.  I  remember  that  when 
we  began  our  friendship,  our  minds  were  full  of  noble  thoughts  and  we 
often  thought  of  living  a  quiet  life  in  the  mountains. 

In  the  spring  of  1783,  I  accompanied  my  teacher  to  Yangchow  and 
in  this  way  got  a  glimpse  of  the  Chinshan  and  Chiaoshan  Hills  [at 

*  Made  famous  by  Wang  Hsichih's  essay. 


1026  SKETCHES   OF   CHINESE   LIFE 

Chinkiang].  The  former  should  be  looked  at  from  a  distance,  and  the 
latter  at  close  range;  unfortunately  I  failed  to  visit  these  hills,  although 
I  passed  them  many  times.  On  crossing  the  Yangtse  River  to  the  north, 
I  saw  before  my  very  eyes  the  "walls  of  green  willows"  of  Yangchow, 
as  the  poet  Wang  Yiiyang  described  it.  The  P'ingshan  Hall  was  about 
two  or  three  //  from  the  city,  but  was  reached  by  a  winding  route  of 
eight  or  nine  //.  Although  this  entire  landscape  was  built  by  human 
labour  it  was  so  ingeniously  planned  that  it  looked  like  a  bit  9f  nature, 
suggesting  to  me  the  "marble  halls"  and  "emerald  pools"  and  phantom 
gardens  of  Fairyland  itself.  The  beauty  of  the  place  consisted  in  the  fact 
that  over  a  dozen  private  villas  and  home  gardens  combined  to  form 
a  huge  park,  stretching  all  the  way  from  the  city  to  the  hill,  with  a  unity 
all  its  own.  From  the  point  of  view  of  landscape  designing,  the  most 
difficult  part  to  lay  out  satisfactorily  was  a  space  of  over  a  //  that  lay 
close  by  the  city  wall.  A  city  should,  in  order  to  be  picturesque,  be  built 
against  a  background  of  a  vast  countryside  with  ranges  of  hills  in  the 
distance;  it  was,  therefore,  a  most  difficult  problem  to  have  pavilions 
and  parks  around  it  without  achieving  a  stupid,  closed-in  effect.  But  the 
whole  thing  was  so  contrived,  with  a  pavilion  here  and  a  terrace  there, 
and  glimpses  of  walls  and  rocks  and  trees  and  bamboo  groves  so  cleverly 
designed  that  there  was  not  the  slightest  bit  of  obtrusiveness  to  the 
tourist's  eye.  Only  a  master  architect  of  the  mind  could  have  conceived 
and  executed  this. 

The  stretch  began  with  the  Rainbow  Garden  immediately  adjoining 
the  city  wall,  and  after  a  turn  to  the  north,  came  the  Rainbow  Bridge: 
I  do  not  know  whether  the  garden  took  its  name  from  the  bridge  or  the 
bridge  from  the  garden.  Rowing  past  these  places,  one  came  to  the  scene 
called  "Spring  Willows  on  a  Long  Embankment."  It  was  a  jtriking 
proof  of  the  ingenuity  of  the  designer,  that  this  scene^  was  placed  at  this 
spot  and  not  immediately  close  to  the  city  wall.  With  another  turn  to  the 
west,  there  was  an  artificial  mound  with  a  temple  on  it,  called  "The 
Little  Chinshan."8  This  was  also  a  master  stroke,  for  with  this  hill 
blocking  the  view,  the  picture  became  tightened  and  wonderfully  com- 
pact. I  was  told  that  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  soil  here  consisted  mainly 
of  sand,  they  had  tried  several  times  to  build  the  mound  without  success, 
until  wooden  piles  had  to  be  sunk  into  the  ground  at  successive  heights 

8  Or  Little  Gold  Hill,  after  the  Chinshan  of  Chinkiang. 


SIX    CHAPTERS    OF    A    FLOATING    LIFE  1027 

and  then  earth  piled  on  to  them,  the  whole  work  thus  costing  several 
tens  of  thousands  of  dollars.  No  one  except  the  rich  merchants  [of 
Yangchow]  could  have  carried  through  a  project  like  this. 

After  this  we  came  to  the  Tower  of  Triumphal  Delight,  where  the 
waterway  became  broader  and  people  used  to  hold  annual  boat  races  on 
the  Dragon  Boat  Festival.  This  was  spanned  over  by  the  Lotus  Bridge 
running  north  and  south.  The  Bridge  was  situated  on  a  central  point, 
and  on  its*  top  were  five  pavilions,  with  four  at  the  corners  and  one  at 
the  centre,  called  by  the  natives  of  Yangchow  "Four  Dishes  and  One 
Soup."  I  did  not  like  it  because  the  design  was  too  laborious  or  suggested 
too  much  mental  effort.  On  the  south  of  the  Bridge  there  was  the  Lotus- 
Seed  Temple,  with  a  Thibetan  dagoba  rising  straight  up  from  its  midst 
and  its  golden  dome  rising  into  the  clouds;  with  the  terra-cotta  walls 
and  temple  roofs  nestling  under  the  kind  shade  of  pine-trees  and  cy- 
presses and  the  sounds  of  temple  bells  and  ch'ing  [musical  stone]  coming 
to  the  traveller's  ears  intermittently — all  combining  to  achieve  a  unique 
effect  that  could  not  be  duplicated  in  any  other  pleasure  garden  of  the 
world. 

After  passing  by  the  bridge  I  saw  a  .high  three-storeyed  tower  with 
projecting  eaves  and  painted  girders  in  rainbow  hues,  decorated  with 
rocks  from  the  Taihu  Lake  and  surrounded  by  white  marble  balus- 
trades. This  place  was  called  "Where  the  Five  Clouds  Are  Abundant," 
its  position  in  this  picture  suggesting  the  main  turning-point  of  a  liter- 
ary composition.  After  this  we  came  to  a  place  known  as  "Morning  Sun 
on  the  Szechuen  Hill" — rather  commonplace  and  uninteresting  to  me, 
besides  being  artificial.  As  we  were  approaching  the  hill  the  waterway 
narrowed  down  and  lost  itself  in  four  or  five  bends  formed  by  blocking 
the  water's  path  with  earth  piled  on  the  banks  and  planting  them  with 
bamboos. 

It  was  then  as  if  the  spirit  of  the  place  had  spent  itself  when,  all  of  a 
sudden,  a  beautiful  view  opened  up  before  my  eyes  with  the  "Forest  of 
Ten  Thousand  Pines"  of  the  P'ingshan  Hall  before  me.  The  three  char- 
acters "P'ingshant'ang"  were  written  by  Ouyang  Hsiu  himself.*  The 
genuine  spring,  called  the  "Fifth  Best  Spring  East  of  Huai  River"  was 
situated  in  a  grotto,  being  nothing  but  a  well  whose  water  tasted  like 
that  of  natural  mountain  springs,  this  being  usually  confused  with  the 

*  This  was  where  the  Sung  scholar  stayed  and  has  now  been  made  a  temple  to  his  honour. 


1028  SKETCHES   OF    CHINESE   LIFE 

other  well  at  the  Lotus  Pavilion  with  an  iron  cover  on  top  bearing  six 
holes,  whose  water  was  flat  and  tasteless.  The  Garden  of  Nine  Peaks  was 
situated  in  another  secluded  spot  outside  the  South  Gate;  it  had  a  natu- 
ral charm  of  its  own  and  in  my  opinion  should  be  regarded  as  the  best 
of  all  the  gardens  round  the  place.  I  did  not  go  to  K'angshan  and  have 
no  idea  what  it  is  like. 

The  above  is  merely  a  rough  sketch  of  the  place,  with  no  attempt  to 
go  into  its  artistic  beauties  and  details  of  workmanship,  fci  general, 
I  would  say,  the  place  looked  more  like  a  beautiful  woman  in  a  gor- 
geous costume  than  a  pretty  country  maid  washing  on  a  river  bank. 
It  happened  that  I  visited  the  place  shortly  after  it  had  been  done  up 
expressly  for  the  visit  of  Emperor  Ch'ienlung,  and  thus  saw  it  at  its 
best — an  opportunity  which  rarely  comes  to  a  person  in  a  life-time. 

In  the  spring  of  1784,  I  accompanied  my  father  to  the  yamen  of 
Wukiang  under  the  magistrate  Mr.  Ho,  where  I  had  colleagues  like 
Chang  Pinchiang  of  Shanyin,  Chang  Yingmu  of  Wulin,  [Hangchow] 
and  Ku  Aich'iian  of  T'iaoch'i.  There  we  had  the  privilege  of  preparing 
a  provisional  palace  for  the  Emperor  at  Nantouyii,  and  thus  had  the 
honour  of  seeing  His  Majesty  a  second  time.  One  day  [during  this 
occasion],  I  suddenly  thought  of  returning  home  when  it  was  already 
approaching  sundown.  I  got  a  small  "fast  boat,"  which  was  the  kind 
used  for  fast  official  errands  with  two  oars  at  the  sides  and  two  yaolu  at 
the  stern.  This  kind  was  called  in  Kiangsu  "Horse's  Head  on  the  Surf* 
because  it  went  so  fast  on  the  Taihu  water.  Quick  as  riding  upon  a 
stork  in  the  air,  I  reached  the  Wumen  Bridge  in  a  second,  and  reached 
home  before  supper  was  ready. 

The  people  of  my  district  were  usually  given  to  luxuries,  and  on  this 
day  they  were  still  more  extravagant.  I  saw  dazzling  lanterns  and  heard 
music  of  the  flute  and  song  all  over  the  place,  suggesting  to  me  the 
"painted  beams  and  carved  girders,"  "beaded  curtains  and  embroidered 
screens,"  "jade  railings,"  and  "screens  of  [women  in]  embroidered 
shoes"  mentioned  in  ancient  literature.  I  was  dragged  about  by  my 
friends  to  help  them  in  arranging  flowers  and  hanging  silk  sashes.  In 
our  spare  time,  we  would  get  together  and  indulge  ourselves  in  wine 
and  song  or  go  about  the  place.  Like  all  young  people,  we  went  through 
all  this  din  and  commotion  without  feeling  tired.  I  would  not  have 
seen  all  this,  if  I  had  been  living  in  an  out-of-the-way  village,  even 
though  it  was  a  time  of  national  peace  and  order. 


SIX    CHAPTERS    OF    A    FLOATING    LIFE          1029 

That  year  Ho,  the  magistrate,  was  dismissed  for  some  reason  or  other, 
and  my  father  went  to  work  with  another  magistrate  Wang  at  Haining 
[in  Chekiang].  There  was  a  Mr.  Liu  Hueichieh  at  Kashing,  a  devoted 
buddhist,  who  came  to  call  on  my  father.  His  home  was  situated  by  the 
side  of  the  Tower  of  Mist  and  Rain  [at  Kashing],  and  had  an  open 
tower  called  Moon-in-the-Water  Lodge  overlooking  the  river.  This  was 
where  he  used  to  recite  buddhist  books  and  was  arranged  spick  and  span 
like  a  monk's  studio.  The  Tower  of  Mist  and  Rain  was  in  the  middle 
of  the  Mirror  Lake,  and  had  an  open  terrace  looking  out  on  green 
willows  on  the  banks  all  around;  had  there  been  more  bamboos,  the 
view  would  have  been  perfect.  Fishing  boats  lay  about  on  the  stretch 
of  calm  water — a  scene  which  seemed  to  be  best  looked  at  under  the 
moonlight.  The  monks  there  could  prepare  very  excellent  vegetarian 
food. 

At  Haining  I  was  working  with  Shih  Hsinyueh  of  Nanking  and 
Yii  Wuch'iao  of  Shanyin  as  my  colleagues.  Hsinyueh  had  a  son  called 
Choheng,  who  was  gentle  and  quiet  of  disposition,  being  the  second 
best  friend  I  had  in  life.  Unfortunately,  we  met  only  for  a  short  time 
and  then  parted  like  duckweed  on  the  water.  I  also  visited  the  "Garden 
of  Peaceful  Eddies"  of  Mr.  Ch'en,  which  occupied  over  a  hundred  mti 
and  had  any  number  of  towers,  buildings,  terraces  and  winding  cor- 
ridors. There  was  a  wide  pond  with  a  zigzag  bridge  of  six  bends  across 
it;  the  rocks  were  covered  with  ivy  and  creepers  which  helped  to  make 
them  look  so  much  more  natural;  a  thousand  old  trees  reared  their  heads 
to  the  sky,  and  in  the  midst  of  singing  birds  and  falling  flowers,  I  felt 
like  transported  into  a  deep  mountain  forest.  Of  all  the  gardens  I  had 
seen  built  with  artificial  rockeries  and  pavilions  on  a  flat  ground,  this 
was  the  one  which  approached  nature  most.  One  day  we  had  a  dinner 
at  the  Cassia  Tower  and  the  flavours  of  the  food  were  simply  lost  in  the 
fragrance  of  the  flowers  around — with  the  exception  of  pickled  ginger, 
which  remained  sharp  and  pungent.  The  ginger  is  by  its  nature  the 
more  biting  the  older  it  becomes,  and  it  seems  to  me  extremely  appro- 
priate therefore  for  it  to  be  compared  to  old  dour,  veteran  ministers  of 
state,  who  often  have  more  guts  than  the  young  ones. 

Going  out  of  the  South  Gate,  one  came  upon  the  great  sea,  its  white- 
crested  bores  rushing  by  twice  daily  with  the  ebb  and  tide  like  miles- 
long  silvery  embankments.  There  were  surf-riding  boats  lying  in  wait 
with  the  bow  facing  the  on-coming  bore.  At  the  bow  of  the  boat  was 
placed  a  wooden  board  shaped  like  a  big  knife  for  cutting  the  water 


IO30  SKETCHES    OF    CHINESE    LIFE 

when  the  bore  came.  With  a  movement  of  the  cutter,  the  tide  was 
divided  and  the  boat  took  a  dive  into  the  water.  After  a  while  it  came 
up  again,  and  turning  round,  it  followed  the  surf  up  the  bay  for  miles 
with  a  tremendous  speed. 

On  the  embankment,  there  was  a  pagoda  in  an  enclosure  where  I 
once  viewed  the  bore  on  a  mid-autumn  night  with  my  father.  About 
thirty  /;'  eastwards  further  down  the  embankment,  there  was  the  Needle 
Hill,  which  rose  up  abruptly  and  ended  up  in  the  sea.  A  ttfwer  on  its 
top  bore  the  signboard:  "The  Sea  is  Wide  and  the  Sky  Empty,"  from 
which  place  one  could  gain  an  unlimited  view  of  the  universe,  with 
nothing  except  angry  sea  waves  rising  to  meet  the  sky. 

I  received  an  invitation  to  go  to  Chich'i  in  Huichow  [in  Anhui]  from 
the  magistrate  Mr.  K'eh  there,  when  I  was  twenty-five  years  of  age. 
I  took  a  river  junk  from  Hangchow,  sailed  up  the  Fuch'un  River  and 
visited  the  Fishing  Terrace  of  Yen  Tzuling.  This  so-called  "Fishing 
Terrace"  was  located  half-way  up  the  hill  in  the  form  of  an  overhanging 
cliff  over  a  hundred  feet  above  the  water  level.  Could  it  be  that  it  was 
on  the  same  level  with  the  river  in  the  Han  Dynasty?  On  a  moon-lit 
night,  our  boat  anchored  at  Chiehk'ou,  where  there  was  an  inspector's 
office.  The  moon  seemed  so  small  on  the  top  of  the  high  mountain  and 
rocks  stood  up  above  the  surface  of  the  water,  making  a  most  enchanting 
picture.  I  also  got  a  glimpse  of  the  foot  of  Huangshan,  or  the  Yellow 
Mountains,  but  unfortunately  could  not  go  up  and  explore  the  whole 
place. 

The  town  of  Chich'i  is  a  very  small  one,  being  situated  in  a  moun- 
tainous region  and  inhabited  by  a  people  of  very  simple  ways.  .  .  . 
There  was  a  village,  called  the  Benevolence  Village,  thirty  It  from  the 
city,  where  they  had  a  festival  of  flowers  and  fruit-trees  every  twelve 
years,  during  which  a  flower  show  was  held.  I  was  lucky  enough  to  be 
there  at  the  time  and  gladly  undertook  the  journey  to  the  place.  There 
being  no  sedan-chairs  or  horses  for  hire,  I  taught  the  people  to  make 
some  bamboos  into  carrying  poles,  and  tie  a  chair  on  them,  which  served 
as  a  makeshift.  There  was  only  another  colleague  going  along  with  me, 
one  Hsu  Ch'eht'ing,  and  all  the  people  who  saw  us  carried  on  the  con- 
veyance were  greatly  amused.  When  we  reached  the  place,  we  saw  there 
was  a  temple,  but  did  not  know  what  god  they  worshipped.  There  was  a 
wide  open  space  in  front  of  the  temple  where  they  had  erected  a  provi- 
sional theatrical  stage,  with  painted  beams  and  square  pillars,  which 


SIX    CHAPTERS    OF    A    FLOATING    LIFE  103! 

looked  very  imposing  at  a  distance,  but  at  close  range  were  found  to 
consist  of  painted  paper  wrapped  around  the  poles  and  varnished  over 
with  paint.  Suddenly  gongs  were  struck  and  there  were  four  men  carry- 
ing a  pair  of  candles  as  big  as  broken  pillars,  and  eight  persons  carrying 
a  pig  the  size  of  a  young  calf.  This  pig,  it  was  pointed  out  to  me,  had 
been  raised  and  kept  by  the  village  in  common  for  twelve  years  expressly 
for  this  occasion  to  be  used  as  an  offering  to  the  god.  Ch'eht'ing  laughed 
and  said,  ."This  pig's  life  is  long,  isn't  it?  but  the  god's  teeth  are  also 
sharp,  aren't  they  ?  I  don't  think  I  could  enjoy  such  a  huge  pig,  if  I  were 
a  god."  "However,  it  shows  the  religious  devotion  of  the  villagers," 
said  I. 

We  entered  the  temple  and  saw  the  court  and  corridors  were  filled 
up  with  potted  flowers  and  trees.  These  had  not  been  artificially  trained, 
but  were  chosen  for  their  rugged  and  strange  lines  in  their  natural  state, 
being  mostly  pine-trees  from  the  Yellow  Mountains,  I  believe.  Then  the 
theatrical  performances  began  and  the  place  was  crowded  full  with  peo- 
ple and  we  went  away  to  avoid  the  noise  and  commotion.  In  less  than 
two  years,  however,  I  left  the  place  owing  to  differences  of  opinion  with 
my  colleagues,  and  returned  home. 

During  my  stay  at  Chich'i,  I  saw  how  unspeakably  dirty  politics  was 
and  how  low  men  could  stoop  in  official  life,  which  made  me  decide  to 
change  my  profession  from  scholar  to  business  man.  I  had  a  paternal 
uncle  by  marriage  by  the  name  of  Yuan  Wanchiu,  who  was  a  wine 
brewer  by  profession,  living  at  the  Fairy  Pond  of  P'anch'i.  I  then  went 
into  this  business  with  Shih  Hsinching  as  partner.  Yiian's  wines  were 
sold  chiefly  overseas,  and  after  a  year  there  came  the  rebellion  of  Lin 
Shuangwen  in  Formosa,  traffic  on  the  sea  was  interrupted,  and  we  lost 
money.  I  was  then  compelled  to  return  to  my  profession  as  a  salaried 
man,  in  which  capacity  I  stayed  four  years  in  Kiangpei  [northern 
Kiangsu],  during  which  period  I  did  not  enjoy  any  travel  worth 
recording. 

Afterwards  we  were  staying  at  the  Hsiaoshuanglou,  living  like  fairies 
on  earth.  The  husband  of  my  female  cousin,  Hsu  Hsiufcng,  then  hap- 
pened to  return  from  Eastern  Kwangtung.  Seeing  that  I  was  out  of  a 
job,  he  said  to  me,  "I  don't  sec  how  you  can  get  along  forever  living 
by  your  pen  and  making  your  breakfast  out  of  morning  dew.  Why 
don't  you  come  along  with  me  to  Lingnan?  I  am  sure  you  can  make  a 
lot  of  money  there."  Yiin  also  approved  and  said  to  me,  "I  think  you 


1032  SKETCHES    OF    CHINESE   LIFE 

should  go  while  our  parents  are  still  strong  and  you  are  still  in  your 
prime.  It  is  better  to  make  some  money  once  for  all  than  to  live  from 
hand  to  mouth  like  this." 

I  then  got  together  some  capital  with  the  help  of  my  friends  for  this 
venture,  and  Yun  also  personally  attended  to  the  purchase  of  embroi- 
dered goods,  Soochow  wine  and  wine-treated  crabs,  things  that  were 
not  produced  in  Kwangtung.  With  the  permission  of  my  parents,  I 
started  on  the  tenth  of  October  with  Hsiufeng,  going  by  way  et  Tungpa 
and  coming  upon  the  Yangtse  at  Wuhu.  This  being  my  first  trip  up 
the  Yangtse,  it  gave  me  quite  a  thrill.  Every  night  when  the  boat  lay 
at  anchor,  I  would  have  a  little  drink  on  the  bow  of  the  boat.  Once  I 
saw  a  fisherman  carrying  a  little  net  hardly  three  feet  wide;  the  meshes 
were  about  four  inches  wide  and  its  four  corners  were  tied  with  strips 
of  iron,  which  were  apparently  used  as  sinkers.  "Although  Mencius 
told  us  that  a  fishing  net  should  not  be  too  fine,"  I  said,  chuckling, 
"I  don't  see  how  they  are  going  to  catch  any  fish  with  such  big  meshes 
and  a  tiny  net."  Hsiufeng  explained  that  this  kind  was  made  specially 
for  catching  pien  fish.  I  noticed  the  net  was  tied  to  a  long  rope  and  let 
down  into  the  water  every  now  and  then,  as  if  trying  to  see  if  there 
was  any  fish  around.  After  a  while,  the  fisherman  gave  a  sudden  pull 
and  there  was  a  big  pien  fish  right  enough  caught  in  it.  "It  is  true  that 
one  is  never  too  old  to  learn!"  I  remarked  with  a  sigh. 

One  day  I  saw  a  solitary  hilly  island  rising  abruptly  from  the  middle 
of  the  river,  and  learned  from  Hsiufeng  that  this  was  the  famous  "Little 
Orphan."  There  were  temples  and  towers  hidden  among  the  frost- 
covered  wood,  but  unfortunately  we  were  prevented  from  visiting  the 
place,  as  our  boat  was  passing  by  very  fast  with  the  wind.  When  arriv- 
ing at  the  famous  Tower  of  Prince  T'en,  I  realized  that  the  geographical 
reference  to  this  Tower  contained  in  the  sketch  by  Wang  Tzu-an  was 
entirely  erroneous,  just  as  the  location  of  Chunching  Tower  of  Soochow 
was  changed  to  the  Main  Wharf  of  Hsiimen  Gate. 

We  then  embarked  at  the  Tower  on  a  "sampan"  with  upturned  bow 
and  stern,  and  sailed  up  past  Kungkuan  as  far  as  Nanan,  where  we  left 
the  boat.  The  day  of  my  arrival  there  happened  to  be  my  thirtieth  birth- 
day and  Hsiufeng  prepared  a  dinner  of  noodles  in  my  honour.  Next 
day  we  passed  the  Tayii  Pass.  On  the  top  of  the  Pass  there  was  a  pavilion 
with  a  signboard  reading:  "I  look  up  and  the  sun  seems  near,"  referring 
to  the  height  of  the  place.  The  peak  here  was  split  in  twain  by  a  per- 
pendicular cleavage  in  the  cliffs  which  rose  up  like  walls,  leaving  a  path 


SIX    CHAPTERS    OF    A    FLOATING    LIFE  1033 

in  the  centre  like  a  stone  alleyway.10  There  were  two  stone  inscriptions 
at  the  entrance  to  the  Pass,  one  bearing  the  words,  "Retreat  heroically 
before  a  rushing  torrent"  and  the  other  containing  the  wise  counsel: 
"Be  satisfied  with  your  luck  this  time."  There  was  a  temple  on  top  in 
honour  of  a  certain  General  Mei,  I  do  not  know  of  what  dynasty.11 
I  do  not  know  what  people  mean  by  speaking  of  "plum  flowers  on 
the  Pass,"  because  I  did  not  see  a  single  plum-tree  there;  perhaps  it  was 
called  the  ^Mei  (plum)  Peak"  after  General  Mei.  December  was  there 
and  the  pots  of  plum  flowers  which  I  had  brought  along  as  gifts  to 
friends  had  already  blossomed  and  the  flowers  had  fallen  off  and  the 
leaves  turned  yellow. 

Coming  out  on  the  other  side  of  the  Pass,  I  saw  an  entirely  different 
type  of  scenery.  On  the  left,  there  was  a  hill  with  beautiful  rocks,  whose 
name  I  have  forgotten,  and  I  was  informed  by  my  sedan-chair  bearers 
that  there  was  a  "Fairy's  Bed"  on  it,  which  I  had  to  forego  the  pleasure 
of  visiting,  as  I  was  in  a  hurry  to  proceed  on  my  way. 

On  reaching  Nanhsiung,  we  engaged  an  old  "dragon  boat."  At  the 
Buddhist  Hill  Hamlet,  I  saw  that  over  the  walls  of  people's  homes  were 
placed  many  potted  flowers,  whose  leaves  were  like  ilex  pedunculosa 
and  whose  flowers  were  like  peony,  in  three  different  colours  of  red, 
pink  and  white.  These  were  camelias. 

We  reached  Canton  on  the  fifteenth  of  December  and  stayed  inside 
the  Chmghai  Gate,  where  we  rented  a  three-roomed  flat  on  the  street 
from  one  Mr.  Wang.  Hsiufeng's  customers  were  all  local  officials,  and 

I  accompanied  him  on  his  rounds  of  official  calls.  There  were  then  many 
people  who  came  to  buy  our  goods  for  weddings  and  other  ceremonial 
occasions,  and  in  less  than  ten  days  all  my  stocks  were  sold.  On  the  New 
Year's  Eve,  there  were  still  plenty  of  mosquitoes  humming  like  thunder. 
People  wore  padded  gowns  with  crape  gowns  on  top  during  the  New 
Year  calls,  and  I  noticed  that  not  only  was  the  climate  here  so  different, 
but  that  even  the  native  inhabitants,  who  had  assuredly  the  same  anat- 
omy as  ours,  had  such  a  different  facial  expression. 

On  the  sixteenth  of  January,  I  was  asked  by  three  friends  of  my  native 
district  working  in  the  yamen  to  go  and  see  the  sing-song  girls  on  the 
river — a  custom  which  was  called  "making  rounds  on  the  river."  The 

10  This  is  the  pass  on  the  f rentier  between  Kiangsi  and  Kwangtung. 

II  This  was  General  Mei  Chuan  who  was  one  of  the  first  Chinese  colonizers  of  Kwangtung 
at  the  beginning  of  Han  Dynasty. 


1034  SKETCHES   OF   CHINESE   LIFE 

• 

prostitutes  were  called  "laochii."  Coming  out  by  the  Chinghai  Gate,  w^ 
went  down  little  boats  which  looked  like  egg-shells  cut  in  two,  covered 
with  a  roof-matting.  First  we  came  to  Shamen  where  the  sing-song 
boats,  called  "flower  boats,"  were  anchored  in  two  parallel  rows  with 
a  clear  space  in  the  centre  for  small  boats  to  pass  up  and  down.  There 
were  about  twenty  boats  in  one  group,  which  were  all  tied  up  to  hori- 
zontal logs  to  secure  them  against  high  wind.  Between  the  boats,  there 
were  wooden  piles  sunk  into  the  bottom  of  the  river,  with  moveable 
rattan  rings  on  top  allowing  the  boats  to  rise  and  fall  with  the  tide.  The 
women  keepers  of  these  sing-song  girls  were  called  "shut'oup'o,"  whose 
hair  was  done  up  in  a  high  coiffure  by  being  wound  round  a  hollow 
rack  of  silver  wires  over  four  inches  high.  Their  temples  were  decorated 
with  flowers  held  there  by  means  of  long  "ear  picks,"  and  they  wore 
black  jackets  and  long  black  trousers  coming  down  to  the  instep  of  the 
foot,  set  in  contrast  by  sashes  of  green  or  red  tied  round  their  waists. 
They  wore  slippers  without  stockings  like  actresses  on  the  stage,  and 
when  people  came  down  to  the  boats,  they  would  personally  welcome 
them  with  a  smile  and  lift  the  curtain  for  them  to  enter  the  cabin. 
There  were  chairs  and  tea  tables  on  the  sides  and  a  big  divan  in  the 
centre,  with  a  door  leading  into  the  stern  of  the  boat. 'As  soon  as  the 
woman  shouted  "Welcome  guests!"  we  heard  a  confusion  of  footsteps 
of  girls  coming  out.  Some  had  regular  coiffures,  and  some  had  their 
queues  done  up  on  top  of  their  heads,  all  powdered  like  white-washed 
walls  and  rouged  like  the  pomegranate  flowers;  some  in  red  jackets 
and  green  trousers  and  others  in  green  jackets  and  red  trousers;  some 
bare-footed  and  wearing  silver  bracelets  on  their  ankles  and  others  in 
short  socks  and  embroidered  "butterfly  shoes";  again  some  squatting 
on  the  divan  and  some  leaning  against  the  door,  and  all  looking  atten- 
tively but  silently  at  us.  I  turned  to  Hsiufeng  and  said,  "What  is  all  this 
for?"  "They  are  for  you  to  choose,"  said  Hsiufeng.  "Call  any  one  of 
them  that  you  like  and  she  will  come  up  to  you."  I  then  beckoned  to 
one,  and  she  came  forward  with  a  smiling  face  and  offered  me  a  betel - 
nut.  I  took  a  bite  and  finding  it  to  be  most  harsh  and  unpalatable,  spar 
it  out.  While  attempting  to  clean  my  lips  with  a  piece  of  paper,  I  saw  it 
was  besmeared  with  red  like  blo'od,  and  this  conduct  of  mine  aroused 
a  great  laughter  from  the  whole  company. 

We  then  passed  on  to  the  Arsenal,  and  found  the  girls  at  the  latter 
place  to  be  dressed  in  the  same  costume,  except  that  all  of  them,  old  and 


SIX    CHAPTERS    OF    A    FLOATING    LIFE  1035 

young,  could  play  the  p'ip'a.  When  I  spoke  to  them,  they  would  answer 
"Mi-eh?"  which  means  "What  is  it?" 

"People  say  that  one  should  not  come  to  Kwangtung  in  one's  youth, 
only  for  fear  of  being  enticed  by  sing-song  girls,"  I  said.  "But  when  I 
look  at  these  with  their  uncouth  dresses  and  their  barbarian  dialect, 
I  don't  see  where's  the  danger." 

"The  Swatow  girls,"  said  a  friend  of  mine,  "are  dressed  exquisitely. 
You  might  have  a  look  there." 

When  we  went  there,  we  found  the  boats  to  be  tied  up  in  rows  as  at 
Shamen.  There  was  a  well-known  brothel  keeper  called  Suniang,  who 
was  dressed  like  a  woman  in  a  Chinese  circus.  The  girls'  dresses  had 
high  collars,  with  silver  locks  hanging  from  their  necks;  their  hair  came 
down  as  far  as  the  eyebrows  in  front  and  reached  the  shoulders  at  the 
back,  with  a  coiffure  on  top  looking  like  a  maid-servant's  coils;  those 
with  bound  feet  wore  petticoats  and  the  others  wore  short  socks  and  also 
"butterfly  shoes"  beneath  their  long  slim  pants.  Their  dialect  was  barely 
intelligible  to  me,  but  I  disliked  the  strange  costume  and  was  not 
interested. 

"You  know  there  are  Yangchow  sing-song  girls  across  the  river  from 
Chinghai  Gate,"  said  Hsiufeng,  "and  they  are  all  in  Soochow  dress. 
I  am  sure  if  you  go,  you  will  find  some  one  to  your  liking." 

"This  so-called  Yangchow  group,"  explained  a  friend,  "consists  only 
of  a  brothel  keeper  called  'Widow  Shao'  and  her  daughter-in-law  called 
Big  Missie,  who  really  come  from  Yangchow;  the  rest  all  come  from 
Kiangsi,  Hunan,  Hupeh  and  Kwangtung." 

We  then  went  to  see  these  Yangchow  girls,  and  saw  that  there  were 
only  about  a  dozen  boats  tied  up  in  two  rows  opposite  each  other.  The 
women  here  had  all  puffy  coiffures,  broad  sleeves  and  long  petticoats, 
were  slightly  powdered  and  rouged  and  spoke  an  intelligible  dialect  to 
me.  This  so-called  'Widow  Sha»'  was  very  cordial  to  us.  One  of  my 
friends  then  called  a  "wine  boat,"  of  which  the  bigger  kind  were  called 
"henglou"  and  the  smaller  kind  "shakut'mg."  He  wanted  to  be  the  host 
and  asked  me  to  choose  my  girl.  I  chose  a  very  young  one,  called  Hsi-erh, 
who  had  a  pair  of  very  small  feet  and  whose  figure  and  expression 
resembled  Yun,  while  Hsiufeng  called  a  girl  by  the  name  of  Ts'uiku, 
and  the  rest  of  the  company  asked  for  their  old  acquaintances.  We  then 
let  the  boat  anchor  in  the  middle  of  the  river  and  had  a  wine  feast 
lasting  until  about  nine  o'clock.  I  was  afraid  that  I  might  not  be  able 
to  control  myself  and  insisted  on  going  home,  but  the  city  gate  had  been 


1036  SKETCHES   OF   CHINESE   LIFE 

locked  up  at  sundown,  in  accordance  with  the  custom  on  the  coast 
cities,  of  which  I  was  informed  for  the  first  time. 

At  the  end  of  the  dinner,  some  were  lying  on  the  couch  smoking 
opium,  and  some  were  fooling  round  with  the  girls.  Amahs  began  to 
bring  in  bedding  and  were  going  to  make  the  beds  for  us  to  put  up 
there  for  the  night — all  in  the  same  cabin.  I  secretly  asked  Hsi-erh  if 
she  could  put  up  there  for  the  night.  She  suggested  a  "loft" — which 
was  a  cabin  on  the  top  of  a  boat — but  did  not  know  whether  it  was 
occupied.  I  proposed  then  that  we  go  and  take  a  look,  and  got  a  sampan 
to  row  us  over  to  Widow  Shao's  boat,  where  I  saw  the  boat  lights  shining 
in  two  parallel  rows  like  a  long  corridor.  The  loft  was  unoccupied  then 
and  the  woman  welcomed  me  saying,  "I  knew  that  our  honourable 
guest  was  coming  to-night  and  have  purposely  reserved  it  for  you." 
"You  are  indeed  the  Tairy  under  the  Lotus  Leaves',"  I  said,  compli- 
menting her  with  a  smile.  An  amah  then  led  the  way  with  a  candle 
in  her  hand  up  the  ladder  at  the  stern  and  came  to  the  cabin,  which  was 
very  small  like  a  garret  and  was  provided  with  a  long  couch  and  tables 
and  chairs.  Going  through  another  curtained  door,  I  entered  what  was 
the  inner  room,  this  being  directly  above  the  main  cabin  below.  There 
was  a  bed  at  the  side,  and  a  square  glass  window  in  the  centre  admitted 
light  from  the  neighbouring  boats,  so  that  the  room  was  quite  bright 
without  a  lamp  of  its  own.  The  bedding,  curtains  and  the  dressing- 
table  were  all  of  a  fine  quality. 

"We  can  get  a  beautiful  view  of  the  moon  from  the  terrace,"  Hsi-erh 
suggested  to  me.  I  then  crawled  out  through  a  window  over  the  hatch- 
way and  reached  what  was  the  top  of  the  stern.  The  deck  was  bounded 
on  three  sides  with  low  railings.  A  full  moon  was  shining  from  a  clear 
sky  on  the  wide  expanse  of  water,  wine  boats  were  lying  here  and  there 
like  floating  leaves,  and  their  lights  dotted  the  water  surface  like  stars 
in  the  firmament.  Through  this  picture,  small  sampans  were  threading 
their  way  and  the  music  of  string  instruments  and  song  was  mixed  with 
the  distant  rumble  of  the  waves.  I  felt  quite  moved  and  said,  "This  is 
the  reason  why  'one  shouldn't  visit  Kwangtung  in  one's  youth!'  "  Unfor- 
tunately my  wife  Yiin  was  not  able  to  accompany  me  here.12  I  turned 
round  and  looked  at  Hsi-erh  and  saw  that  her  face  resembled  Yiin's 
under  the  hazy  moonlight,  and  I  escorted  her  back  to  the  cabin,  put  out 
the  light  and  went  to  bed. 

wYun  was  living  then,  for  the  story  is  not  told  in  chronological  order  from  chapter  to 
chapter,  as  the  reader  might  suppose. 


SIX    CHAPTERS    OF    A    FLOATING    LIFE  1037 

Next  morning  Hsiufeng  and  the  other  friends  appeared  at  the  cabin 
early  at  dawn.  I  hastily  put  on  my  gown  and  got  up  to  meet  them,  but 
was  scolded  by  everyone  for  deserting  them  last  night.  "I  was  afraid 
of  you  people  teasing  me  at  night  and  was  only  trying  to  get  a  little 
privacy,"  I  explained.  Then  we  went  home  together. 

A  few  days  after  this,  I  went  with  Hsiufeng  to  visit  the  Sea  Pearl 
Temple.  This  was  situated  in  the  middle  of  the  river  and  surrounded 
like  a  cit}»  by  walls  with  gun-holes  about  five  feet  from  the  water  in 
which  were  placed  cannon  for  defence  against  pirates.  As  the  tide  rose 
and  fell  the  gun-holes  seemed  to  shift  up  and  down  above  the  water 
level — an  optical  illusion  which  was  truly  amazing.  The  "Thirteen 
Foreign  Firms"  were  situated  on  the  west  of  the  Yubnmen  or  Secluded 
Orchid  Gate,  the  building  structures  looking  just  like  those  in  a  foreign 
painting.  Across  the  water  was  a  place  called  the  "Garden  Patch,"  being 
full  of  flower  trees,  for  it  was  the  flower  market  of  Canton.  I  had  always 
prided  myself  on  knowing  every  variety  of  flower,  but  here  I  found  that 
thirty  or  forty  per  cent  of  the  flowers  were  unknown  to  me.  I  asked  for 
their  names  and  found  that  some  of  them  were  never  recorded  in  the 
Ch'iinfangp'ii  ("Dictionary  of  Flowers"),  perhaps  accountable  through 
the  difference  of  dialects. 

The  Sea  Screen  Temple  was  built  on  a  gigantic  scale.  Inside  the  temple 
gate,  there  was  a  banyan  tree  over  ten  fathoms  in  circumference,  whose 
thick  evergreen  foliage  looked  like  a  green  umbrella.  The  railings  and 
pillars  of  this  temple  were  all  made  of  "iron-pearwood."  There  was  a 
linden  tree  whose  leaves  resembled  those  of  the  persimmon.  One  could 
scrape  off  the  outer  surface  of  these  leaves  after  immersing  them  in  water 
for  some  time,  when  the  network  of  the  fibre  could  be  seen  as  fine  as 
the  wings  of  a  cicada,  and  have  them  bound  up  into  little  volumes  for 
the  purpose  of  copying  Buddhist  texts. 

We  looked  for  Hsi-erh  among  the  flower  boats  on  our  way  home,  and 
it  happened  that  both  Ts'uiku  and  Hsi-erh  were  free.  After  having  a  cup 
of  tea,  we  were  going  to  leave  but  were  begged  again  and  again  to  stay. 
I  had  a  mind  to  go  to  the  loft  again,  but  it  was  occupied  at  the  time  by  a 
guest  of  Big  Missie's,  the  widow's  daughter-in-law.  So  I  suggested  to  the 
widow  that  if  the  girls  could  come  along  to  our  house,  I  would  be  glad 
to  spend  an  evening  with  them.  The  widow  agreed,  and  Hsiufeng 
returned  home  first  to  order  a  dinner,  while  I  followed  later  with  the 
girls.  While  we  were  chatting  and  joking  together,  our  landlord  Wang 


1038  SKETCHES   OF  CHINESE  LIFE 

Moulao  unexpectedly  turned  up  and  was  therefore  asked  to  join  us.  We 
were  just  raising  the  wine-cups  to  our  lips,  when  we  heard  a  great  noise 
of  people  downstairs,  as  if  some  men  were  attempting  to  come  up. 
What  really  happened  was  that  our  landlord  had  a  ne'er-do-well  nephew 
who  had  learnt  that  we  had  invited  sing-song  girls  to  the  house  and  was 
trying  to  blackmail  us.  Hsiufeng  said  regretfully,  "This  all  comes  of 
Sanpo's18  sudden  desire  for  some  fun.  I  shouldn't  have  followed  his 
example."  "This  is  no  time  for  argument,"  I  said.  "We  must  think  of 
some  ways  and  means  to  get  out  of  the  situation."  Moulao  offered  to  go 
down  and  speak  to  the  people  while  I  instructed  the  servants  to  order 
two  sedan-chairs  for  the  girls  to  slip  away  first,  and  then  see  how  we 
could  manage  to  get  out  of  the  city.  We  learnt  that  the  people  could  not 
be  persuaded  to  leave  the  house,  nor  were  they  coming  up.  Meanwhile, 
the  two  sedan-chairs  were  ready,  and  I  ordered  my  servant,  who  was  a 
strong,  agile  fellow,  to  lead  the  way;  Hsiufeng  followed  him  with 
Ts'uiku,  while  I  and  Hsi-erh  brought  up  the  rear;  thus  we  rushed  down- 
stairs, intending  to  break  through.  With  the  help  of  the  servant,  Hsiu- 
feng and  Ts'uiku  disappeared  outside  the  door,  but  Hsi-erh  was  caught 
by  someone.  I  raised  my  leg  and  kicked  the  fellow's  arm.  Released  from 
the  hold,  Hsi-erh  dashed  out  and  I  escaped  after  her.  My  servant  was 
btanding  guard  at  the  door  to  prevent  the  rascals  from  pursuing  us. 

"Have  you  seen  Hsi-erh?"  I  asked  my  servant. 

"Ts'uiku  has  gone  ahead  in  a  sedan-chair,"  replied  the  servant,  "and 
I  have  seen  Hsi-erh  come  out  also,  but  haven't  seen  her  going  into  a 
sedan-chair." 

I  then  lighted  a  torch  and  saw  that  the  empty  sedan-chair  was  still 
standing  there.  Hurriedly  I  rushed  to  the  Chinghai  Gate  and  saw 
Hsiufeng  standing  there  by  the  side  of  Ts'uiku's  sedan-chair.  In  answer 
to  my  enquiry  about  Hsi-erh,  he  said  that  she  might  have  gone  off  in 
an  opposite  direction  by  mistake.  Quickly  I  turned  back  and  passed  a 
dozen  houses  before  I  heard  somebody  calling  to  me  from  a  dark  corner. 
I  held  up  the  light  and  saw  it  was  indeed  herself.  I  then  put  her  in  a 
sedan-chair  and  was  starting,  when  Hsiufeng  rushed  to  the  place  and 
informed  me  that  there  was  a  water-gate  at  the  Yulanmen,  and  that 
he  had  asked  somebody  to  bribe  the  gate-keeper. 

"Ts'uiku  has  gone  ahead,  and  Hsi-erh  should  follow  immediately," 
he  said. 

13  Author's  Dame. 


SIX    CHAPTERS    OF    A    FLOATING    LIFE  1039 

"You  leave  the  girls  in  my  care,  while  you  go  home  and  try  to  talk 
the  rascals  down,"  I  told  Hsiufeng. 

When  we  arrived  at  the  water-gate,  it  had  indeed  been  opened  for  us, 
and  Ts'uiku  had  been  waiting  there.  Holding  Hsi-erh  with  my  left  arm 
and  Ts'uiku  with  my  right,  I  crawled  out  of  the  water-gate  with  them 
like  fugitives.  There  was  a  light  shower  and  the  roads  were  slippery, 
and  when  we  reached  Shamen,  the  place  was  still  full  of  music  and 
song.  Someone  in  a  sampan  knew  Ts'uiku  and  called  out  to  her  to  come 
aboard. 

Only  after  going  down  the  boat  did  I  discover  that  Hsi-erh's  hair 
was  all  dishevelled  and  all  her  hairpins  and  bangles  had  disappeared. 

"Why,  have  you  been  robbed?"  I  asked. 

"No,"  she  smiled.  "I  was  told  that  they  are  all  solid  gold  and  they 
belong  to  my  adopted  mother.  I  secretly  put  them  away  in  my  pocket 
as  we  were  coming  downstairs.  It  would  be  awful  if  I  were  robbed  and 
you  had  to  pay  for  the  loss." 

I  heard  what  she  said  and  felt  very  grateful  to  her.  I  then  asked  her 
to  dress  up  again  and  not  to  tell  her  adopted  mother  about  the  whole 
incident,  but  merely  to  say  that  there  were  too  many  people  in  our 
house  and  that  she  preferred  to  come  back  to  the  boat.  Ts'uiku  told 
this  to  her  mother  accordingly,  adding  that  they  had  had  a  full  dinner 
and  wanted  only  some  congee. 

By  this  time  the  guest  at  the  loft  had  already  left  and  the  widow  asked 
Ts'uiku  also  to  accompany  me  to  the  room.  I  noticed  that  Ts'uiku's 
and  Hsi-erh's  embroidered  shoes  were  already  wet  through  and  covered 
with  mud.  We  three  then  sat  down  to  have  some  congee  together,  in 
default  of  a  proper  evening  meal.  During  the  conversation  under  the 
candle-light,  I  learned  that  Ts'uiku  came  from  Hunan  and  Hsi-erh 
from  Honan,  and  that  Hsi-erh's  real  family  name  was  Ouyang,  but  that 
after  the  death  of  her  father  and  the  remarriage  of  her  mother,  she  had 
been  sold  by  a  wicked  uncle  of  hers.  Ts'uiku  told  me  how  hard  the 
sing-song  girls'  life  was:  they  had  to  smile  when  not  happy,  had  to 
drink  when  they  couldn't  stand  the  wine,  had  to  keep  company  when 
they  weren't  feeling  well,  and  had  to  sing  when  their  throats  were  tired; 
besides,  there  were  people  of  a  rough  sort  who  would,  at  the  slightest 
dissatisfaction,  throw  wine-pots,  overturn  tables  and  indulge  in  loud 
abuse  and  on  top  of  that,  the  girls  might  receive  all  the  blame,  as  far  as 
the  woman  keeper  was  concerned.  There  were  also  ill-bred  customers 
who  must  continue  their  horse-play  throughout  the  night  until  it  was 


1040  SKETCHES   OF   CHINESE   LIFE 

quite  unbearable.  She  said  that  Hsi-erh  was  young  and  had  just  arrived, 
and  the  woman  was  very  kind  to  her  on  that  account.  While  recount- 
ing all  her  troubles,  some  tears  had  unconsciously  rolled  down  Ts'uiku's 
cheeks,  and  Hsi-erh  was  also  weeping  silently.  I  then  took  Hsi-erh  in 
my  lap  and  comforted  her,  while  I  asked  Ts'uiku  to  sleep  in  the  outer 
room  because  she  was  a  friend  of  Hsiufeng's. 

From  this  time  on,  they  would  send  for  us  every  five  or  ten  days,  and 
sometimes  Hsi-erh  would  come  personally  in  a  sampan  to  the,river  bank 
to  welcome  me.  Every  time  I  went,  I  had  Hsiufeng  for  company,  with- 
out asking  any  other  guests  or  hiring  another  boat,  and  this  cost  us 
only  four  dollars  a  night.  Hsiufeng  used  to  go  from  one  girl  to  another, 
or  "jump  the  trough,"  in  the  sing-song  slang,  and  sometimes  even  had 
two  girls  at  the  same  time,  while  I  stuck  only  to  Hsi-erh.  Sometimes  I 
went  alone  and  either  had  a  little  drink  on  the  deck  or  a  quiet  talk  at 
the  loft.  I  did  not  ask  her  to  sing,  or  compel  her  to  drink,  being  most 
considerate  to  her,  and  we  felt  very  happy  together.  The  other  girls 
all  envied  her,  and  some  of  them,  while  unoccupied  and  learning  that 
I  was  at  the  loft,  would  come  and  visit  me.  Thus  I  came  to  know  every 
single  one  of  them  there,  and  when  I  went  up  the  boat,  I  was  greeted 
with  a  chorus  of  welcome.  I  had  enough  to  do  to  give  each  a  courteous 
reply,  and  this  was  a  welcome  that  could  not  be  bought  with  tens  of 
thousands  of  dollars. 

For  four  months  I  stayed  there,  spending  altogether  over  a  hundred 
dollars.  I  always  regarded  the  experience  of  eating  fresh  lichi  there  as 
one  of  the  greatest  joys  in  my  life.  Later  on,  the  woman  wanted  me  to 
marry  Hsi-erh  for  the  sum  of  five  hundred  dollars.  Her  insistence  rather 
annoyed  me  and  I  planned  to  return  home.  Hsiufeng,  on  the  other  hand, 
was  very  far  gone  with  the  girls,  and  I  persuaded  him  to  buy  a  con- 
cubine and  returned  to  Soochow  by  the  original  route.  Hsiufeng  went 
back  the  following  year,  but  my  father  forbade  me  to  accompany  him. 
After  that  I  accepted  an  invitation  to  work  under  magistrate  Yang  of 
Ch'ingp'u.  On  coming  home,  Hsiufeng  recounted  to  me  how  Hsi-erh 
had  several  times  attempted  suicide  because  I  didn't  go  back.  Alas! 
Awaking  from  a  half  year's  Yang-group  dream, 
I  acquired  a  fickle  name  among  the  girls.14 

During  the  two  years  at  Ch'ingp'u,  after  my  return  from  Kwang- 
tung,  I  did  not  visit  any  place  worthy  of  mention.  It  was  soon  after  thi/ 
14  This  is/ an  adaptation  from  two  famous  lines  by  Tu  Mu. 


SIX    CHAPTERS    OF    A    FLOATING    LIFE  104! 

that  Yiin  and  Han  met  each  other  and  caused  a  great  sensation  among 
our  relatives  and  friends,  and  Y  tin's  health  broke  down  on  account  of 
disappointment  in  Han.  I  had  set  up,  with  one  Mr.  Ch'eng  Mo-an,  a 
shop  for  selling  books  and  paintings  next  door  to  our  house,  which 
helped  somewhat  to  pay  for  the  expenses  of  the  doctor  and  medicine. 

Two  days  after  the  Mid-Autumn  Festival,  I  was  invited  by  Wu 
Ylink'eh  together  with  Mao  Yihsiang  and  Wang  Hsinglan  to  go  and 
visit  the  Ltftle  Quiet  Lodge  at  the  Western  Hill.  It  happened  that  I 
had  an  order  to  execute  and  asked  them  to  go  ahead  first.  "If  you  will 
come  along,"  said  Wu,  "we  shall  wait  for  you  to-morrow  noon  at  the 
Come  Ye  Storks  Temple  by  the  Shuita  Bridge  at  the  foot  of  the  hill." 
To  this  proposition  I  agreed,  and  on  the  following  day,  I  asked  Ch'eng 
to  stay  behind  and  keep  shop  for  me,  while  I  went  on  foot  alone.  Pass- 
ing through  the  Ch'angmen  Gate,  I  reached  the  foot  of  the  hill,  went 
over  the  Shuita  Bridge  and  followed  the  country  path  westwards  until 
I  saw  a  temple  facing  south,  girdled  by  a  clear  stream  outside  its  walls. 
Someone  answered  the  door  and  asked  me  where  I  had  come  from.  On 
being  told  the  purpose  of  my  visit,  he  informed  me  with  an  amused 
smile  that  this  was  the  Tehyun  Temple,  as  I  might  see  from  the  char- 
acters above  the  gate,  and  that  I  had  already  passed  the  Come  Ye 
Storks.  I  said  that  I  had  not  seen  any  temple  this  side  of  the  bridge, 
and  then  he  pointed  out  to  me  a  mud  wall  enclosing  a  bamboo  thicket. 
I  then  retraced  my  steps  to  the  foot  of  the  wall,  where  I  saw  a  small 
closed  door.  Peeping  through  a  hole,  in  the  door,  I  saw  some  winding 
paths,  a  low  fence  and  some  delightfully  green  bamboo  trees  in  the 
yard,  but  not  a  soul  in  the  place.  I  knocked  and  there  was  no  reply. 
Someone  passed  by  and  said  to  me,  "There  is  a  stone  in  a  hole  in  the 
wall  which  is  used  for  knocking."  I  followed  his  instruction  and  after 
repeated  knocking,  indeed  an  acolyte  appeared. 

I  then  went  in  along  the  path,  passed  a  little  stone  bridge,  and  after 
turning  west,  saw  a  monastery  door  with  a  black-varnished  signboard 
bearing  characters  in  white  "Come  Ye  Storks,"  with  a  long  postscript 
which  I  did  not  stop  to  read.  Entering  it  and  passing  through  the  first 
hall,  I  was  struck  by  the  extreme  neatness  and  cleanliness  of  the  place, 
and  realized  that  its  owner  must  be  a  person  who  loved  quiet  and  soli- 
tude. Suddenly  I  saw  another  acolyte  appear  down  the  corridor  on  the 
left  with  a  wine-pot  in  his  hand.  I  shouted  to  him  in  a  loud  voice  and 
demanded  to  know  where  my  friends  were.  Then  I  heard  Hsinglan's 
voice  chuckling  in  the  room:  "How  about  it  now?  I  knew  that  Sanpo 


1042  SKETCHES   OF   CHINESE   LIFE 

would  keep  his  word!"  Then  Yiink'eh  came  out  to  welcome  me  and 
said  "We  have  been  waiting  for  you  to  have  breakfast  with  us.  Why 
do  you  come  so  late?"  Behind  him  stood  a  monk  who  nodded  to  me, 
and  I  learned  his  monastic  name  was  Chuyi. 

I  entered  the  room,  which  consisted  merely  of  three  beams,  with  a 
signboard  reading  "The  Cassia  Studio."  Two  cassia  trees  were  standing 
in  full  bloom  in  the  courtyard.  Both  Hsinglan  and  Yihsiang  got  up 
and  shouted  to  me,  "You  must  be  penalized  three  cups  <for  coming 
late!"  On  the  table,  there  were  very  nice,  pretty  vegetarian  and  non- 
vegetarian  dishes,  with  both  yellow  and  white  wine.  I  inquired  how 
many  places  they  had  visited,  and  Yiink'eh  told  me  that  it  was  already 
late  when  they  arrived  the  night  before,  and  that  they  had  visited  only 
the  two  places  Tehyiin  and  Hot'ing  that  morning.  We  then  had  a  very 
enjoyable  drinking  party  for  a  long  time,  and  after  dinner  we  went 
again  in  the  direction  of  Tehyiin  and  Hot'ing  and  visited  eight  or  nine 
places  as  far  as  the  Huashan  Hill,  all  beautiful  in  their  own  ways,  but 
impossible  to  go  into  with  full  details  here. 

There  was  a  Lotus  Peak  on  top  of  the  Huashan  Hill,  but  as  it  was 
already  getting  late,  we  promised  ourselves  we  would  visit  it  another 
time.  At  this  spot,  the  cassia  flowers  reached  the  greatest  profusion. 
We  had  a  nice  cup  of  tea  under  the  flowers  and  then  took  mountain 
sedan-chairs  back  to  the  Come  Ye  Storks  Temple.  A  table  was  already 
laid  in  a  little  open  hall  on  the  east  of  the  Cassia  Studio.  Monk  Chuyi 
was  by  nature  reticent,  but  a  great  drinker  and  very  fond  of  company. 
At  first  we  played  a  game  with  a  twig  of  cassia,15  and  later  each  one  was 
required  to  drink  one  round,  and  we  did  not  break  up  till  the  second 
watch  in  the  night. 

"The  moon  is  so  beautiful  to-night,"  I  said.  "It  would  be  a  pity  to 
sleep  in  here.  Can't  we  find  a  nice  and  high  place,  where  we  could  enjoy 
the  moon  and  spend  the  time  in  a  way  worthy  of  a  night  like  this?" 

"Let's  go  up  to  the  Flying  Stork  Pavilion,"  suggested  Chuyi. 

"Hsinglan  has  brought  a  ch'in  along,"  said  Yiink'eh,  "but  we  haven't 
heard  him  play  on  it  yet.  How  about  going  there  and  playing  it  for  us?" 

We  then  started  together  and  saw  on  our  way  a  stretch  of  trees 
enveloped  in  the  silvery  shadows  of  the  night  and  buried  in  the  fra- 
grance of  osmanthus  fragrans.  All  was  peace  and  quiet  under  the  moon- 

15  This  is  a  game  similar  to  "Going  to  Jerusalem."  A  twig  of  cassia  blossoms  was  passed 
round  from  hand  to  hand  as  long  as  the  beat  of  the  drum  continued.  The  one  found  with 
the  twig  in  his  hand  when  the  drum  stopped  beating  was  required  to  drink. 


SIX    CHAPTERS    OF    A    FLOATING    LIFE  1043 

light  and  the  universe  seemed  a  stretch  of  long  silence.  Hsinglan  played 
for  us  the  "Three  Stanzas  of  Plum-Blossoms"  with  ethereal  lightness. 
Caught  by  the  gaiety  of  the  moment,  Yihsiang  also  took  out  his  iron 
flute  and  played  a  low,  plaintive  melody.  "I  am  sure,"  remarked 
Yiink'eh,  "of  all  the  people  who  are  enjoying  the  moon  to-night  at 
Shih-hu  Lake,  none  can  be  quite  as  happy  as  we."  This  was  true  enough 
because  it  was  the  custom  at  Soochow  for  people  to  gather  together 
under  the  Pacing  Spring  Bridge  at  the  Shih-hu  Lake  "on  the  eighteenth 
of  the  eighth  moon  and  look  at  the  golden  chain  of  the  .moon's  image 
in  the  water;  the  place  was  packed  full  with  people  in  pleasure  boats, 
and  music  and  song  were  kept  up  throughout  the  night,  but  although 
they  were  supposed  to  be  enjoying  the  moon,  actually  they  were  only 
having  a  night  of  carousal  in  the  company  of  prostitutes.  Soon  the  moon 
went  down  and  the  night  was  cold,  and  we  retired  to  sleep  after  having 
thoroughly  enjoyed  ourselves. 

The  next  morning,  Yunk'eh  said  to  all  of  us,  "There  is  a  Temple  of 
Candour  round  about  here  in  a  very  secluded  spot.  Have  any  of  you 
been  there?"  We  all  replied  that  we  had  not  even  heard  of  the  name, 
not  to  speak  of  having  been  to  the  place. 

"This  Temple  of  Candour  is  surrounded  by  hills  on  all  sides,"  ex- 
plained Chuyi,  "and  it  is  so  entirely  out-of-the-way  that  even  monks 
cannot  stay  there  for  a  long  time.  The  last  time  I  was  there  several  years 
ago,  the  place  was  in  rums.  I  hear  it  has  been  rebuilt  by  the  scholar 
P'eng  CrTihmu,  but  have  not  seen  it  since.  I  suppose  I  could  still  locate 
the  place,  and  if  you  all  agree,  I'll  be  your  guide." 
"Are  we  going  there  on  an  empty  stomach?"  asked  Yihsiang. 
"I  have  already  prepared  some  vegetarian  noodle,"  said  Chuyi  laugh- 
ingly, "and  we  can  ask  the  Taoist  monk  to  follow  us  with  a  case  of 
wine." 

After  eating  the  noodle,  we  started  off  on  foot.  As  we  passed  the  Gar- 
den of  High  Virtue,  Yunk'eh  wanted  to  go  into  the  White  Cloud  Villa. 
We  entered  the  place  and  had  seated  ourselves,  when  a  monk  came  out 
gracefully  and  curtsied  to  Yunk'eh  saying,  "Haven't  seen  you  for  two 
months!  And  what's  the  news  from  the  city?  And  is  the  Governor  still 
in  his  yamen?" 

"The  baldhead  snob!"  said  Yihsiang,  and  got  up  abruptly  and  swept 
out  of  the  room.  Hsinglan  and  I  followed  him  out,  barely  able  to  con- 
ceal our  laughter.  Yunk'eh  and  Chuyi  remained  behind  to  exchange  a 


1044  SKETCHES   OF    CHINESE   LIFE 

few  words  with  the  monk  out  of  mere  politeness  and  then  also  took 
leave.  .  .  . 

In  the  spring  of  1804  during  the  reign  of  Chiach'ing,  I  was  about  to 
leave  home  and  become  a  recluse  consequent  upon  the  death  of  my 
father,  when  my  friend  Hsia  Yishan  kindly  invited  me  to  stay  at  his 
home.  In  the  eighth  moon  of  that  year  he  asked  me  to  accompany  him 
to  Tunghai,  where  he  was  going  to  collect  crops  from  his  farms  at  the 
Yungt'ai  Beach.  This  sandy  beach  belonged  to  Ts'ungmmgnhsien  and 
was  reached  by  the  sea  over  a  hundred  //  from  Liuho.  The  beach  had 
newly  arisen  from  the  bottom  of  the  Yangtse  River  and  been  only 
recently  cultivated;  there  were  no  streets  yet  and  very  little  human 
habitation,  and  the  place  was  covered  with  reeds  for  miles  round.  There 
was,  besides  Mr.  Hsia,  only  one  Mr.  Ting  who  owned  property  there 
and  had  a  grainage  with  over  a  score  of  rooms,  which  was  surrounded 
on  all  sides  by  a  moat  and  outside  this,  by  an  embankment  grown  over 
with  willows. 

Ting's  personal  name  was  Shihch'u;  he  came  from  Ts'ungming  and 
was  the  head  of  the  whole  beach  settlement.  He  had  a  shroff  by  the 
name  of  Wang  and  these  two  were  frank,  jolly  souls,  being  very  fond  of 
company,  and  treated  us  like  old  friends  soon  after  our  arrival.  He  used 
to  kill  a  pig  and  provide  a  whole  jar  of  wine  to  entertain  us  at  dinner; 
at  such  drinking  parties,  he  always  played  the  finger  guessing  game, 
being  ignorant  of  any  games  of  poetry,  and  being  equally  innocent  of 
any  musical  knowledge,  used  to  crow  when  he  felt  like  singing.  After 
treating  himself  to  a  generous  drink,  he  would  call  the  farm-hands 
together  and  make  them  hold  wrestling  or  boxing  matches  for  a  pastime. 
He  kept  over  a  hundred  head  of  cattle  which  stayed  unsheltered  on 
the  embankments  at  night,  and  also  a  pack  of  geese  for  the  purpose 
of  raising  an  alarm  against  pirates.  In  the  day-time,  he  would  go  hunt- 
ing with  his  eagle  and  his  dogs  among  the  reeds  and  marshes,  and  return 
with  a  good  bag  of  game.  I  used  to  accompany  him  in  these  hunts  and 
lie  down  anywhere  to  sleep  when  tired. 

Once  he  took  me  to  the  farms  where  the  grains  were  ripe;  these  were 
all  serially  numbered  and  around  each  farm  was  built  a  high  embank- 
ment for  protection  against  the  tides.  This  was  provided  with  a  lock 
for  regulating  the  water  level,  being  opened  during  high  tide  to  let  in 
the  water  when  the  field  was  too  dry,  and  at  low  tide  to  let  the  water 
out  when  it  was  overflooded.  The  farm-hands'  cottages  were  scattered 
all  over  the  place,  but  the  men  could  gather  together  at  instant  notice. 


SIX    CHAPTERS    OF    A    FLOATING    LIFE  1045 

These  men  addressed  their  employer  as  "master  of  the  property,"  and 
were  very  obedient  and  charmingly  simple  and  honest.  Roused  by  any 
act  of  injustice,  they  could  be  fiercer  than  wild  beasts,  but  if  you  said 
a  word  that  appealed  to  their  fair  play,  they  could  be  just  as  quickly 
pacified.  It  was  a  life  of  simple  struggle  with  the  elements  of  nature, 
dreary  and  powerful  and  wild,  like  that  of  primaeval  times. 

There  one  could  see  the  sea  from  one's  bed,  and  listen  to  the  roaring 
waves  that  sounded  like  war-drums  from  one's  pillow.  One  night  I 
suddenly  saw  miles  and  miles  away  a  red  light,  about  the  size  of  a  big 
basket,  bobbing  up  and  down  upon  the  high  sea,  and  the  horizon  red- 
dened as  if  illuminated  by  a  great  fire.  "There  is  a  'spirit  fire,' "  said 
Shihch'u  to  me.  "Its  appearance  is  an  omen  that  very  soon  more  land 
will  rise  up  from  the  bottom  of  the  river."  Yishan  was  usually  of  a 
romantic  turn  of  mind,  and  he  became  all  the  more  abandoned  and 
carefree  in  his  ways  here.  In  the  absence  of  all  conventional  restraints, 
I  would  yell  and  sing  on  the  back  of  a  buffalo  or,  inspired  by  alcohol, 
dance  and  cavort  on  the  beach  and  do  anything  my  fancy  dictated. 
This  was  the  pleasantest  and  most  romantic  bit  of  travel  that  I  ever 
enjoyed  in  my  life.  Business  done,  we  left  the  place  and  came  home  in 
October. 

Of  all  the  scenic  beauties  of  Soochow  I  like  best  "A  Thousand  Acres 
of  Clouds,"  and  next  the  Sword  Pond.  With  the  exception  of  these  two 
places,  they  are  all  too  much  belaboured  by  human  effort  and  contami- 
nated by  the  atmosphere  of  social  luxury,  thereby  losing  all  the  quiet 
native  charm  of  nature.  Even  the  newly  erected  Pagoda  Shadows  Bridge 
and  the  Temple  of  Pokung  are  only  interesting  as  preserving  an  his- 
torical interest.  The  Yehfangpin,  which  I  playfully  wrote  with  another 
three  characters  meaning  the  "Bank  of  Rural  Fragrance"  is  only  u 
place  for  sing-song  girls  to  flirt  with  passers-by  in  their  promenades. 
Inside  the  city,  there  is  the  famous  Shihtsulin  ("Lion's  Forest"),  sup- 
posed to  be  in  the  style  of  the  famous  painter  Ni  Yunlin,  which,  despite 
its  many  old  trees  and  elegant  rocks,  resembles  on  the  whole  more  a 
refuse  heap  of  coal  ashes  bedecked  with  moss  and  ant-holes,  without  any 
suggestion  of  the  natural  rhythm  of  sweeping  hills  and  towering 
forests.  For  an  uncultivated  person  like  myself,  I  just  fail  to  see  where 
its  beauty  lies. 

The  Lingyenshan lfl  is  associated  with  the  famous  beauty  of  old, 
16  This  and  the  following  hills  arc  all  within  a  short  distance  of  Soochow. 


1046  SKETCHES    OF    CHINESE   LIFE 

Hsishih,  who  lived  here  as  the  court  favourite  of  the  King  of  Wu.  There 
are  places  of  interest  on  top  like  Hsishih's  Cave,  the  Corridor  of  Musical 
Shoes  and  the  Canal  for  Picking  Fragrance.  However,  it  is  a  straggling 
type  of  landscape,  in  need  of  some  tightening,  and  is  therefore  not  to  be 
compared  with  the  T'lenp'mg  and  Chihhsing  hills  in  charm  and  beauty. 
The  Tengweishan  is  also  known  as  'Yuan  Tomb';  it  faces  the  Chinfeng 
Peak  on  the  east  and  the  Taihu  Lake  on  the  west,  and  with  its  red  cliffs 
and  green  towers,  the  whole  hill  looks  like  a  painting.  The  inhabitants 
here  plant  plums  for  their  living,  and  when  these  flowers  are  in  bloom, 
there  is  a  stretch  of  white  blossoms  for  miles  and  miles  looking  like 
snow,  which  is  the  reason  why  the  place  is  called  "The  Sea  of  Fragrant 
Snow."  There  are  four  old  cypress  trees  on  the  left  of  the  hill  which 
have  been  given  the  four  respective  names,  "Pure,"  "Rare,"  "Antique" 
and  "Quaint."  "Pure"  goes  up  by  a  long  straight  trunk,  spreading  out 
a  foliage  on  top  resembling  a  parasol;  "Rare"  couches  on  the  ground 
and  rolls  itself  into  three  zigzag  bends  resembling  the  character  chih 
(Z);  "Antique"  is  baldheaded  at  the  top  and  broad  and  stumpy,  with 
its  straggling  limbs  half  dried-up  and  resembling  a  man's  fingers;  and 
"Quamt's"  trunk  twists  round  spirally  all  the  way  up  to  its  highest 
branches.  According  to  tradition,  these  trees  are  older  than  the  Han 
Dynasty.  In  January  of  1805,  Yishan's  father  Shuhsiang,  his  uncle 
Chiehshih  and  four  of  the  younger  generation  went  to  P'ushan  for  the 
spring  sacrifice  at  their  ancestral  temple  as  well  as  to  visit  their  ancestral 
tombs,  and  I  was  invited  to  accompany  them.  We  first  visited  Ling- 
yenshan  on  our  way,  came  out  by  the  Hushan  Bridge  and  arrived  at 
the  Sea  of  Fragrant  Snow  by  way  of  Feichia  River  to  look  at  the  plum 
blossoms  there.  Their  ancestral  temple  at  P'ushan  was  buried  in  this 
"Sea  of  Fragrant  Snow"  and  in  the  all-pervading  glory  of  the  plum- 
flowers,  even  our  coughs  and  spittings  seemed  perfumed.  I  painted 
twelve  pictures  of  the  trees  of  P'ushan  and  presented  them  to  Chiehshih 
as  a  souvenir. 

In  September  of  the  same  year,  I  accompanied  His  Honour  Shih 
Chot'ang  on  the  voyage  to  his  office  at  Chungking  in  Szechuen.  Fol- 
lowing the  Yangtse  up,  we  came  to  Yiianshan  Hill,  where  was  Yii's 
Tomb,  belonging  to  a  loyal  Chinese  minister  at  the  end  of  the  Mongol 
Dynasty.  By  the  side  of  his  tomb,  there  was  a  hall  called  the  Majestic 
View  Pavilion,  a  three-roomed  affair,  facing  the  South  Lake  in  front 
and  looking  out  on  the  Ch'ienshan  Hill  at  its  back.  The  Pavilion  was 


SIX    CHAPTERS    OF    A    FLOATING    LIFE  1047 

situated  on  a  knoll  and  therefore  commanded  an  open  view  of  the 
distance.  It  was  open  on  the  north  side,  and  by  its  side  was  a  long  cov- 
ered corridor.  The  tree  leaves  were  just  turning  red,  resplendent  like 
peach  and  pear  blossoms. 

At  this  time  Chiang  Shoupeng  and  Ts'ai  Tsech'in  were  travelling 
with  me.  Outside  the  South  Gate  there  was  Wang's  Garden,  which 
consisted  of  a  long  narrow  strip  of  land  running  east  and  west,  being 
limited  or?  the  south  by  the  lake  and  on  the  north  by  the  city  wall,  pre- 
senting a  most  difficult  problem  for  the  architect.  The  problem  was 
ingeniously  solved,  however,  by  having  serried  terraces  and  storeyed 
towers.  By  'serried  terraces'  is  meant  building  of  courtyards  on  the  root 
gardens,  provided  with  rockeries  and  flower  trees  in  such  a  manner  that 
visitors  would  hardly  suspect  a  house  underneath;  the  rockeries  standing 
on  what  was  solid  ground  below  and  the  courtyards  on  tops  of  build- 
ings, so  that  the  flowers  actually  grew  upon  the  soil.  And  by  'storeyed 
towers'  is  meant  crowning  an  upper  storey  with  an  open  tower  on  top, 
and  again  crowning  the  latter  with  an  open  terrace,  so  that  the  whole 
consisted  of  four  storeys  going  from  one  to  another  in  an  artfully  irreg- 
ular manner;  there  were  also  small  pools  actually  holding  water  at 
different  levels  so  that  one  could  hardly  tell  whether  one  was  standing 
on  solid  ground  or  on  a  top  floor.  The  basic  structures  consisted  entirely 
of  bricks  and  stone,  with  the  supports  made  in  the  western  style.  It  was 
fortunately  situated  on  the  lake,  so  that  one  actually  gained  a  better 
unobstructed  view  of  the  surrounding  country  than  from  an  ordinary 
garden  on  a  piece  of  flat  ground.  This  garden  seemed  to  me  to  show  a 
marvellous  human  ingenuity. 

The  Tower  of  Yellow  Stork  at  Wuchang  is  situated  on  the  Yellow 
Stork  Cliff,  being  connected  with  the  Yellow  Stork  Hill  at  the  back, 
popularly  known  as  the  Snake  Hill.  The  three-storeyed  Tower  with  its 
beautifully  painted  eaves  and  girders,  stood  on  top  of  the  city  overlook- 
ing the  Han  River  in  a  way  that  counterbalanced  the  Ch'ingch'uan 
Tower  at  Hanyang  on  the  opposite  shore.  I  went  up  the  Tower  one 
snowy  day  with  Chot'ang;  the  beautiful  snow  flakes  dancing  in  the 
sky  above  and  silver-clad  hills  and  jade-bedraggled  trees  below  gave 
one  the  impression  of  a  fairy  world.  Little  boats  passed  up  and  down 
the  river,  tossed  about  by  the  waves  like  falling  leaves  in  a  storm. 
Looking  at  a  view  like  this  somehow  made  one  feel  the  vanity  of  life 
and  the  futility  of  its  struggles.  There  were  a  lot  of  poems  written  on 


1048  SKETCHES   OF   CHINESE   LIFE 

the  walls  of  the  Tower,  which  I  have  all  forgotten  with  the  exception 
of  a  couplet  running  as  follows: 17 

"When  the  yellow  stork  comes  again, 
let's  together  empty  the  golden  goblet, 
pouring  wine-offering 
over  the  thousand-year  green  meadow 
on  the  isle. 

"Just  look  at  the  white  clouds  sailing  off, 
and  who  will  play  the  jade  flute, 
sending  its  melodies 
down  the  fifth-moon  plum-blossoms 
in  the  city?" 

That  year  in  November  we  reached  Kingchow.  Chot'ang  had  then 
received  the  news  of  his  promotion  to  taot'at  at  Tungkuan,  and  I  was 
asked  to  stay  behind  at  Kingchow,  thus  forfeiting  an  opportunity  to  see 
the  beautiful  hills  and  waters  of  Szechuen,  to  my  great  regret.  Chot'ang 
went  there  alone,  leaving  me  with  Ts'ai  Tzuch'm  and  Hsi  Chiht'ang 
and  his  son  Tunfu  and  family.  .  .  . 

Towards  New  Year's  Eve  it  snowed,  and  the  weather  was  very 
severe.  During  the  New  Year  festival  we  were  free  from  the  red-tape 
of  New  Year  calls,  but  spent  the  days  firing  fire-crackers,  flying  kites 
and  making  paper  lanterns  to  amuse  ourselves.  Soon  the  warm  wind 
of  spring  awakened  all  the  flowers  and  the  spring  showers  moistened 
the  earth,  and  Chot'ang's  concubines  arrived  from  up-river  with  his 
young  daughter  and  baby  boy.  Tunfu  then  began  to  pack  up  and  we 
started  on  the  voyage  north  together,  going  on  land  from  Fanch-eng, 
and  went  straight  to  Tungkuan. 

Passing  from  the  west  of  Wenhsiang  hsien  of  Honan,  we  came  to 
the  Hankukuan  Pass,  which  Laotzu  passed  through  on  the  back  of  a 
black  cow  when  he  was  retiring  from  the  world.  There  was  an  inscrip- 
tion which  bore  the  words,  "The  Purple  Air  Comes  from  the  East." 
The  Pass  consisted  of  a  narrow  foot-path  between  two  high  mountains, 
barely  allowing  two  horses  to  go  together.  About  ten  //'  from  Han- 

i7In  a  Chinese  couplet,  which  one  sees  everywhere  in  halls  and  parlours  and  temples, 
every  word  in  one  member  must  have  a  word  of  the  same  class  and  reversed  tone  in  the 
corresponding  position  in  the  other  member.  With  the  exception  of  "thc's,"  this  can  be 
seen  in  the  translation  given  herewith. 


SIX    CHAPTERS    OF    A    FLOATING    LIFE  1049 

kukuan  was  the  Tungkuan  Pass,  with  a  perpendicular  cliff  on  one  side 
and  the  Yellow  River  on  the  other.  A  fortress  was  erected  at  this  strategic 
spot  with  a  series  of  most  imposing  towers  and  ramparts,  but  there  were 
few  inhabitants  around  the  place  and  hardly  any  traffic.  The  line  which 
Han  Yii  wrote,  "The  sun  is  shining  upon  Tungkuan  with  its  doors  all 
open"  seems  also  to  refer  to  the  desolate  appearance  of  the  place.  .  .  . 

I  stayed  in  the  southern  part  of  the  garden  in  a  boat-shaped  house, 
where  there  was  a  courtyard  with  a  pavilion  on  top  of  a  mound,  from 
which  one  could  obtain  a  general  view  of  the  whole  garden.  The  house 
was  protected  by  the  green  shade  of  trees  on  all  sides  so  that  one  did 
not  feel  the  heat  in  summer.  Chot'ang  kindly  named  the  studio  for  me: 
"An  Unanchored  Boat."  This  was  the  best  house  I  evephved  in  during 
the  period  I  served  as  a  yamen  secretary.  There  were  scores  of  varieties 
of  cultivated  chrysanthemums  around  the  mound,  but  unfortunately 
Chot'ang  was  promoted  to  an  inspectorship  in  Shantung  before  the 
season  for  chrysanthemums  came. 

It  was  then  that  this  family  moved  to  the  T'ungch'uan  College  where 
I  accompanied  them,  while  Chot'ang  went  to  his  office  first.  Tsech'm, 
Chiht'ang  and  myself  were  left  without  anything  to  do  then  and  we 
often  went  for  an  outing.  One  day  we  went  on  horseback  to  the  Huayin 
Temple,  passing  through  the  Huafeng  village,  the  place  where  old 
Emperor  Yao  prayed  three  times  for  his  people.  There  were  at  the 
Temple  many  locust  trees  dating  back  to  the  Ch'm  Dynasty  and  cypress 
trees  of  the  Han  Dynasty,  mostly  three  or  four  fathoms  in  circumfer- 
ence, some  locust  trees  growing  inside  a  cypress,  and  some  cypresses 
growing  inside  a  locust  tree.  There  were  any  number  of  old  stone  in- 
scriptions in  the  different  courtyards,  with  one  in  particular  consist- 
ing of  the  characters  for  "Good  Luck"  and  "Longevity"  written  by 
Ch'en  Hsiyi.  There  was  a  Jade  Fountain  Court  at  the  foot  of  the 
Huashan  where  Ch'en  had  departed  from  this  earth  as  a  Taoist  fairy. 
His  image,  in  a  couching  position,  lay  on  a  stone  bed  in  a  very  small 
cave.  At  this  place,  the  water  was  very  clear  and  the  sands  nice  and 
clean;  most  of  the  vegetation  was  of  a  deep  red  colour  and  there 
was  a  very  rapid  mountain  stream  flowing  through  a  thick  bam- 
boo grove.  A  square  pavilion  stood  outside  the  cave  with  the  sign- 
board: "Carefree  Pavilion."  By  its  side  were  three  old  trees,  whose 
barks  were  cracked  like  broken  coal  and  whose  leaves  resembled  those 
of  the  locust  tree,  but  were  of  a  deeper  colour.  I  did  not  know  their  name, 
but  the  natives  aptly  and  conveniently  called  them  "carefree  trees." 


1050  SKETCHES   OF   CHINESE   LIFE 

I  have  no  idea  how  many  thousand  feet  high  the  Huashan  moun- 
tains are  and  regret  very  much  not  having  been  able  to  pack  up  some 
dry  provisions  and  go  exploring  them  for  a  few  days.  On  my  way  back 
I  saw  some  wild  persimmons,  which  were  of  a  ripe  colour.  I  picked  one 
from  the  tree  while  on  horseback,  and  was  going  to  eat  it  then  and 
there.  The  native  people  tried  to  stop  me,  but  I  wouldn't  listen  to  them. 
Only  after  taking  a  bite  did  I  find  it  to  have  a  very  harsh  flavour.  So 
much  so  that  I  quickly  spat  it  out  and  had  to  come  down  from  horse- 
back and  rinse  my  mouth  at  a  spring  before  I  could  speak,  to  the  great 
merriment  of  my  native  advisers.  For  persimmons  should  be  boiled  in 
order  to  take  away  their  harsh  flavour,  but  I  learned  this  a  little  too  late. 

In  the  beginning  of  October,  Chot'ang  sent  a  special  messenger  to 
bring  his  family  to  Shantung,  and  we  left  Tungkuan  and  came  to  Shan- 
tung by  way  of  Honan.  The  Taming  Lake  is  in  the  western  part  of 
Tsinan  city  in  Shantung,  with  places  of  interest  like  the  Lihsia  and 
Shuihsiang  Pavilions.  It  was  most  enjoyable  to  go  boating  around  the 
lake  with  a  few  bottles  of  wine,  and  enjoy  the  fragrance  of  lotus  flowers 
under  the  cool  shade  of  willow  trees  in  summer.  I  went  there,  however, 
on  a  winter  day  and  saw  only  a  stretch  of  cold  water  against  some  sparse 
willow  trees  and  a  frosty  sky.  The  Paotu  Spring  ranks  first  among  the 
seventy-two  springs  of  Tsinan.  The  spring  consists  of  three  holes  with 
water  gushing  forth  from  underneath  and  bubbling  up  like  a  boiling 
cauldron,  in  strange  contrast  to  other  springs  whose  water  usually  flows 
downwards.  There  is  a  storeyed  building  on  the  pond,  with  an  altar  to 
Liichu  inside,  where  the  tourists  used  to  stop  and  taste  tea  made  from 
the  spring  water. 

In  the  second  month  of  the  following  year,  I  went  to  my  office  at 
Laiyang  (Shantung).  In  1807,  Chot'ang  was  demoted  to  be  Hanlin,  and 
I  followed  him  to  the  capital  (Peking).  I  never  saw  the  reputed  mirage 
on  the  coast  of  Tengchow. 


.  CHINESE 
WIT  AND 
WISDOM 


Parables  of 

J 

Ancient  Philosophers 

INTRODUCTION 

ALL  ANCIENT  CHINESE  PHILOSOPHERS  spoke  parables  and  drew  stories 
from  actual  life  or  invented  them  to  illustrate  their  points.  It  will  be 
seen  from  the  parables  contained  in  the  selections  from  Chuangtse  that 
this  was  a  typical  and  habitual  mode  of  expression  with  the  early  phi- 
losophers of  the  fourth  and  third  centuries,  B.C.,  and  that  the  narrator 
could  invent  conversations  by  Confucius,  Laotse,  Ts'angwutse  and  the 
Yellow  Emperor  with  absolute  freedom.  I  have  included  here  some  of 
the  best  and  most  popular  ones  from  the  ancient  texts.  The  first  two  are 
by  Chuangtse  which  are  not  included  in  the  preceding  selections  from 
that  philosopher.  The  great  majority  come  from  the  book  of  Liehtse; 
very  little  is  known  about  this  person,  who  was  alleged  to  have  lived 
at  the  time  of  or  before  Chuangtse  (who  died  about  B.C.  275),  and  the 
books  under  his  name  are  generally  considered  to  be  of  a  much  earlier 
date,  but  contain  the  same  Taoist  point  of  view.  Han  Fei,  or  Hanfeitse, 
who  died  in  B.C.  234,  was  one  of  the  great  philosophers  of  the  Legalist 
School,  with  traces  of  Taoist  influence.  Lm  Hsiang  was  a  famous  and 
important  author  and  editor^ of  Han  Dynasty  and  lived  in  B.C.  77-6. 
The  Chankuots'eh  is  a  well-known  book  containing  the  clever  speeches 
and  strategies  of  scholars  of  the  Warring  Kingdoms  (fourth  and  third 
centuries,  B.C.).  It  is  a  book  full  of  witticisms  and  profound  or  clever 
speeches  used  by  scholars  who  traveled  about  to  counsel  the  kings  during 
that  period  of  wars  and  alliances  and  counter-alliances.  Finally  I  have 
included  one  parable  ("The  Blind  Man's  Idea  of  the  Sun")  by  the  great 
genial  poet  of  Sung  Dynasty,  Su  Tungp'o.  This  parable  has  been  used 
by  Albert  Einstein  to  illustrate  the  average  man's  idea  of  his  theory  of 
relativity. 

1053 


Parables  of 
Ancient  Philosophers 

Translated  by  Lin  Yutang 

THE  MAN  WHO  SPURNED  THE  MACHINE 

WHEN  TSEKUNG,  the  disciple  of  Confucius,  came  south  to  the  state  of 
Ch'u  on  his  way  to  Chin,  he  passed  through  Hanyin.  There  he  saw  an 
old  man  engaged  in  making  a  ditch  to  connect  his  vegetable  garden 
with  a  well.  He  carried  a  pitcher  in  his  hand,  with  which  he  was 
bringing  up  water  and  pouring  it  into  the  ditch,  with  very  great  labor 
and  little  results. 

"If  you  had  a  machine  here,"  said  Tsekung,  "in  a  day  you  could  irri- 
gate a  hundred  times  your  present  area  The  labor  required  is  trifling 
compared  with  the  work  done.  Would  you  not  like  to  have  one?" 

"What  is  it?"  asked  the  gardener,  looking  up  at  him. 

"It  is  a  contrivance  made  of  wood,  heavy  behind  and  light  in  front. 
It  draws  water  up  smoothly  in  a  continuous  flow,  which  bubbles  forth 
like  boiling  soup.  It  is  called  a  well-sweep." 

Thereupon  the  gardener  flushed  up  and  said  with  a  laugh,  "I  have 
heard  from  my  teacher  that  those  who  have  cunning  implements  are 
cunning  in  their  dealings,  and  those  who  are  cunning  in  their  dealings 
have  cunning  in  their  hearts,  and  those  who  have  cunning  in  their 
hearts  cannot  be  pure  and  incorrupt,  and  those  who  are  not  pure  and  in- 
corrupt in  their  hearts  are  restless  in  spirit.  Those  who  are  restless  in 
spirit  are  not  fit  vehicles  for  Tao.  It  is  not  that  I  do  not  know  of  these 
things.  I  should  be  ashamed  to  use  them." 

Tsekung's  countenance  fell,  humiliated,  and  he  felt  discomfited  and 
abashed.  It  was  not  till  they  had  gone  thirty  K  that  he  recovered  his 
composure. 

1054 


PARABLES    OF    ANCIENT    PHILOSOPHERS       1055 

"Who  was  that  man?"  asked  his  disciples.  "Why  did  your  face  change 
color  after  seeing  him  and  why  did  you  seem  lost  for  a  whole  day?" 

"I  thought,"  replied  Tsekung,  "there  was  only  one  man  (Confucius) 
in  this  world.  But  I  did  not  know  there  was  this  man.  I  have  heard  from 
the  Master  that  the  test  of  a  scheme  is  its  practicability  and  the  goal  of 
effort  is  success,  and  that  we  should  achieve  the  greatest  results  with 
the  least  labor.  Not  so  this  manner  of  man.  Coming  into  life,  he  lives 
among  the  people,  not  knowing  whither  he  is  bound,  infinitely  com- 
plete in  himself.  Success,  utility  and  the  knowledge  of  skills  would 
certainly  make  man  lose  the  human  heart.  But  this  man  goes  nowhere 
against  his  will  and  does  nothing  contrary  to  his  heart,  master  of  himself, 
above  the  praise  and  blame  of  the  world.  He  is  a  perfect  man." 

— CHUANGTSE 


DO-NOTHING  SAY-NOTHING 

When  Knowledge  traveled  north,  across  the  Black  Water  and  ovei 
the  Dark  Steep  Mountain,  he  met  Do-nothing  Say-nothing  and  asked 
him  about  Tao,  and  Do-nothing  Say-nothing  did  not  reply. 

He  turned  back  and  went  to  the  south  of  the  White  Water,  up  the 
Fox  Hill  and  asked  All-m-extremes  about  Tao.  "Ha!  I  know.  I  will 
tell  you  .  .  ."  But  just  as  he  was  about  to  speak,  he  seemed  to  forget 
what  he  was  going  to  say  and  Knowledge  also  received  no  reply. 

Then  he  came  back  to  the  royal  palace  and  asked  the  Yellow  Emperor 
concerning  Tao.  And  the  latter  said,  "Man  becomes  alive  from  the 
collection  of  the  vital  spirit.  When  the  vital  spirit  collects,  he  is  alive, 
and  when  it  scatters,  he  dies.  If  life  and  death  are  steady  companions, 
why  should  I  care? 

"Therefore  all  things  are  one.  What  we  love  is  the  mystery  of  life. 
What  we  hate  is  corruption  in  death.  But  the  corruptible  in  turn  be- 
comes mysterious  life,  and  mysterious  life  once  more  becomes  corrupti- 
ble. The  world  is  permeated  by  one  spirit.  Therefore  the  Sage  places 
value  upon  Unity." 

"Then  you  and  I  know  Tao,  and  they  don't,"  said  Knowledge. 

"Do-nothing  Say-nothing  was  right,"  replied  the  Yellow  Emperor. 
"All-in-extremes  was  quite  near  it.  But  you  and  I  are  still  far  from  Tao. 
He  who  knows  does  not  speak,  and  he  who  speaks  does  not  know." 

"I  asked  Do-nothing  Say-nothing  about  Tao,"  said  Knowledge,  "but 


1056  CHINESE   WIT   AND   WISDOM 

he  did  not  answer  me.  Not  that  he  would  not,  but  he  could  not.  So  1 
asked  All-in-extremes.  He  was  just  going  to  tell  me,  but  he  did  not  tell 
me.  Not  that  he  would  not,  but  just  as  he  was  going  to  do  so,  he  forgot 
what  he  wanted  to  say.  Now  I  ask  you  and  you  are  able  to  tell  me.  Why 
do  you  say,  therefore,  that  you  are  far  from  Tao?" 

"Of  the  two,"  replied  the  Yellow  Emperor,  "the  former  was  genu- 
inely right,  because  he  really  did  not  know.  The  latter  was  quite  near 
it,  because  he  had  forgotten.  You  and  I  are  still  far  from  Tao,  because 
we  know.*' 

When  All-in-extremes  heard  this  remark,  he  praised  the  Yellow 
Emperor  for  knowing  what  he  was  talking  about. 

— CHUANGTSE 


THE  CONCEALED  DEER 

There  was  a  woodcutter  in  Cheng  who  came  across  a  frightened  deer 
in  the  country  and  shot  and  killed  it.  Afraid  that  other  people  might 
see  it,  he  hid  it  in  a  grove  and  covered  it  with  chopped  wood  and 
branches,  and  was  greatly  delighted.  Soon  afterwards,  however,  he  for- 
got where  he  had  hid  the  deer,  and  believed  it  must  have  all  happened 
in  a  dream.  As  a  dream,  he  told  it  to  everybody  in  the  streets.  Now 
among  the  listeners  there  was  one  who  heard  the  story  of  his  dream  and 
went  to  search  for  the  concealed  deer  and  found  it.  He  brought  the 
deer  home  and  told  his  wife,  "There  is  a  woodcutter  who  dreamed  he 
had  killed  a  deer  and  forgot  where  he  hid  it,  and  here  I  have  found  it. 
He  is  really  a  dreamer." 

"You  must  have  dreamed  yourself  that  you  saw  a  woodcutter  who 
had  killed  a  deer.  Do  you  really  believe  that  there  was  a  real  woodcutter  ? 
But  now  you  have  really  got  a  deer,  so  your  dream  must  have  been  a 
true  one,"  said  his  wife. 

"Even  if  I've  found  the  deer  by  a  dream,"  answered  the  husband, 
"what's  the  use  of  worrying  whether  it  is  he  who  was  dreaming,  or  I?" 

That  night,  the  woodcutter  went  home,  still  thinking  of  his  deer,  and 
he  really  had  a  dream,  and  in  that  dream,  he  dreamed  back  the  place 
of  hiding  of  the  deer  and  also  its  finder.  Early  at  dawn,  he  went  to  the 
finder's  house  and  found  the  deer.  The  two  then  had  a  dispute  and 
they  went  to  a  judge  to  settle  it.  And  the  judge  said  to  the  woodcutter: 

"You  really  killed  a  deer  and  thought  it  was  a  dream.  Then  you  really 


PARABLES    OF    ANCIENT    PHILOSOPHERS       1057 

had  a  dream  and  thought  it  was  reality.  He  really  found  the  deer  and  is 
now  disputing  with  you  about  it,  but  his  wife  thinks  that  he  had  dreamt 
that  he  had  found  a  deer  shot  by  someone  else.  Hence  no  one  really  shot 
the  deer.  Since  we  have  the  deer  before  our  eyes,  you  may  divide  it  be- 
tween you  two." 

The  story  was  brought  to  the  ears  of  the  King  of  Cheng,  and  the  King 
of  Cheng  said,  "Ah,  ah!  Isn't  the  judge  dreaming  again  that  he  is  divid- 
ing the  dter  for  people?'* 

— LIEHTSE 


THE  MAN  WHO  FORGOT 

There  was  a  man  in  Sung  by  the  name  of  Huatse,  who  developed  in  his 
middle  age  a  peculiar  malady  of  forgetting  everything.  He  would  take 
a  thing  in  the  morning  and  forget  about  it  at  night,  and  receive  a  thing 
at  night  and  forget  about  it  in  the  morning.  While  in  the  streets  he 
forgot  to  walk,  and  while  standing  in  the  house,  he  forgot  to  sit  down. 
He  could  not  remember  the  past  in  the  present,  and  could  not  remem- 
ber the  present  in  the  future.  And  the  whole  family  were  greatly  an- 
noyed by  it.  They  consulted  the  soothsayer  and  they  could  not  divine  it, 
and  they  consulted  the  witch  and  prayers  could  not  cure  it,  and  they 
consulted  the  physician  and  the  physician  was  helpless.  But  there  was  a 
Confucian  scholar  in  the  country  of  Lu  who  said  he  could  cure  him. 
So  the  family  of  Huatse  offered  him  the  half  of  their  property  if  he 
should  cure  him  of  this  strange  malady.  And  the  Confucian  scholar 
said: 

"His  malady  is  not  something  which  can  be  cured  by  soothsaying  or 
prayer  or  medicine.  I  shall  try  to  cure  his  mind  and  change  the  objects 
of  his  thought,  and  maybe  he'll  be  cured." 

So  he  exposed  Huatse  to  cold  and  Huatse  asked  for  clothing,  exposed 
Huatse  to  hunger,  and  Huatse  asked  for  food,  and  shut  Huatse  up  in  a 
dark  room,  and  Huatse  asked  for  light.  He  kept  him  in  a  room  all  by 
himself  for  seven  days  and  cared  not  what  he  was  doing  all  this  time. 
And  the  illness  of  years  was  cured  in  a  day. 

When  Huatse  was  cured  and  learned  about  it,  he  was  furious.  He 
scolded  his  wife  and  punished  his  children  and  drove  away  the  Confu- 
cian scholar  from  his  house  with  a  spear.  The  people  of  the  country 
asked  Huatse  why  he  did  so,  and  Huatse  replied : 


1058  CHINESE    WIT   AND   WISDOM 

"When  I  was  submerged  in  the  sea  of  forgetfulness,  I  did  not  know 
whether  the  heaven  and  earth  existed  or  not.  Now  they  have  waked 
me  up,  and  all  the  successes  and  disappointments  and  joys  and  sor- 
rows and  loves  and  hatreds  of  the  past  decades  have  come  back  to  dis- 
turb my  breast.  I  am  afraid  that  in  the  future,  the  successes  and  disap- 
pointments and  joys  and  sorrows  and  loves  and  hatreds  will  continue 
to  oppress  my  mind  as  they  are  oppressing  me  now.  Can  I  ever  recover 
even  a  moment  of  forgetfulness?"  c 

— LIEHTSE 


CHI  LIANG'S  PHYSICIANS 

Yang  Chu  had  a  friend  by  the  name  of  Chi  Liang.  One  day  Chi  Liang 
fell  ill,  and  after  seven  days,  he  became  very  serious.  His  sons  wept  by 
his  bedside  and  asked  for  a  doctor. 

"I  have  such  unworthy  sons,"  said  Chi  Liang  to  Yang  Chu.  "Will 
you  not  sing  a  song  to  make  them  understand?" 

So  Yang  Chu  sang  : 


Heaven  does  not  ty 

Why  it  is  so, 
How  can  we  men 

Divine  it  then? 
Misfortune  comes 

In  heaven  s  ways, 
Fare  well  or  ill, 

It's  man  who  pays. 
Neither  you  nor  1 

Know  what  is  gout, 
Can  then  the  witch 

Or  the  doctor 
Know  what  it's  all  about? 

Chi  Liang's  sons  still  failed  to  understand,  and  asked  for  three  doctors. 
One's  name  was  Chiao,  the  second  was  called  Yu  and  the  third  was 
called  Lu.  And  the  physician  Chiao  said  to  Chi  Liang. 

"You  do  not  live  properly.  Your  sickness  comes  from  hunger  and 
overeating  and  sexual  indulgence.  Your  spirit  is  distracted.  This  is  not 
due  to  heaven  or  to  the  evil  spirits.  Although  the  case  is  serious,  it  can 


PARABLES    OF    ANCIENT    PHILOSOPHERS       1059 

be  cured."  Chi  Liang  said,  "He  is  a  common  doctor,"  and  sent  him 
away. 

The  doctor  Yu  said,  "You  are  suffering  from  a  weak  constitution  and 
you  were  not  properly  nursed  at  infancy.  It's  not  a  matter  of  days,  but 
of  years.  It  cannot  be  cured."  And  Chi  Liang  said,  "He  is  a  good  doctor, 
Feed  him." 

The  doctor  Lu  said,  "Your  sickness  comes  neither  from  heaven,  nor 
from  men*,  nor  from  the  evil  spirits.  There  was  one  who  controlled  it, 
when  you  were  first  conceived  in  your  mother's  womb,  and  there  was 
one  knew  about  it.  What's  the  use  of  medicine'5"  Chi  Liang  said,  "He 
is  a  divine  doctor,"  and  sent  him  away  with  costly  presents. 

And  Chi  Liang  soon  got  well  by  himself. 

— LIEHTSE 


HONEST  SHANGCH'IU  KAI 

Mr.  Fan  *  had  a  son  by  the  name  of  Tsehua,  who  succeeded  very  well  in 
establishing  his  personal  influence,  and  was  very  much  admired  by  the 
whole  kingdom.  He  was  a  good  friend  of  the  King  of  Chin,  and  al- 
though he  refused  office,  his  power  was  higher  than  that  of  the  Three 
Chief  Ministers.  When  the  light  of  his  eyes  lighted  upon  a  person,  the 
government  at  once  honored  him,  and  when  he  spoke  ill  of  a  person, 
the  government  at  once  degraded  him.  The  scholars  who  congregated 
in  his  house  equalled  those  at  the  court.  He  made  his  warriors  fight 
duels  of  wit  or  of  strength,  even  to  the  point  of  hurting  each  other, 
which  he  did  not  try  to  stop.  Thus  day  and  night  they  amused  them- 
selves so  that  such  customs  grew  up  in  the  country. 

Among  the  "guests"  of  the  house  of  the  Fan  family  were  Hosheng 
and  Tsepo.  One  day  the  two  men  were  walking  in  the  countryside  and 
stopped  at  the  hut  of  a  farmer  by  the  name  of  Shangch'iu  K'ai.  During 
the  night,  Hosheng  and  Tsepo  talked  about  the  great  power  of  Tsehua, 
and  said  that  he  could  make  or  ruin  a  man  and  make  a  rich  man  poor 
and  a  poor  man  rich  at  his  will.  The  farmer,  Shangch'iu  K'ai,  had 
known  starvation  and  cold  and  he  overheard  the  conversation  against 

1A  very  powerful  family  of  the  Chin  State.  In  the  time  of  the  Warring  Kingdoms,  a 
wealthy  class  had  grown  up,  and  it  was  the  custom  for  many  wealthy  families  to  keep 
a  great  many  scholars,  swordsmen  and  warriors  in  their  hpmcs.  Some  had  as  many  as 
three  thousand  such  "guests"  and  they  acquired  a  tremendous  political  influence,  being 
sometimes  able  to  influence  the  fortunes  of  war  and  the  fate  of  kingdoms. 


I06o  CHINESE    WIT   AND   WISDOM 

the  north  wall.  Therefore  he  borrowed  some  food  and  putting  it  in  a 
basket  across  his  shoulder,  started  out  for  the  home  of  Tsehua. 

Now  the  followers  of  Tsehua  were  all  from  well-known  families. 
They  wore  white  jackets  and  rode  in  carriages,  walked  with  a  leisurely 
pace  and  held  their  heads  high.  When  they  saw  the  farmer  was  shabby 
and  old,  a  feeble  fellow  with  a  dark  face,  they  thought  him  a  fool,  and 
soon  began  to  tease  and  cheat  him  and  make  fun  of  him.  They  would 
strike  and  pummel  him  and  push  and  pull  him  about  and  db  anything 
they  liked  with  him,  but  Shangch'iu  K'ai  did  not  show  any  feeling  of 
offense.  When  the  followers  were  tired  of  this  teasing,  they  went  up 
with  him  to  a  high  tower  and  said  among  themselves,  "Whoever  can 
jump  down  from  the  tower  shall  be  rewarded  with  a  hundred  pieces 
of  silver."  Many  people  offered  to  try,  and  Shangch'iu,  innocently  be- 
lieving in  their  words,  jumped  down  first.  He  flew  down  like  a  bird  and 
alighted  on  the  ground,  without  hurting  himself.  The  followers 
thought  it  was  just  a  stroke  of  luck,  and  were  not  surprised  by  it.  Again 
they  pointed  to  a  deep  bend  of  the  river  and  said,  "There  is  a  precious 
pearl  in  the  water.  You  can  dive  in  and  get  it."  Shangch'iu  K'ai  indeed 
took  their  word  for  it  and  dived  into  the  water  and  soon  emerged  with 
a  real  pearl.  Only  then  did  they  begin  to  suspect  there  was  something  in 
the  farmer,  and  Tsehua  ordered  that  he  be  placed  among  those  entitled 
to  eat  meat  and  wear  silk.  Soon  a  fire  broke  out,  and  Tsehua  said,  "If 
you  can  go  through  the  fire  and  rescue  some  of  the  brocades,  whatever 
you  can  bring  out  shall  be  yours."  Shangch'iu  K'ai  placidly  walked  to- 
ward the  fire  and  went  back  and  forth  through  the  flames.  He  came  out 
without  being  scorched  by  the  flames  or  blackened  by  the  ashes. 

The  followers  of  the  Fan  family  then  believed  he  was  a  man  of  God 
and  apologized  to  him,  saying,  "We  did  not  know  that  you  were  a 
man  of  God,  and  have  cheated  you.  We  did  not  know  that  you  were  a 
divine  saint  and  have  abused  you.  Do  you  regard  us  as  fools,  or  do  you 
consider  us  blind  or  deaf?  Please  explain  to  us  your  secret  doctrine." 

"I  have  no  secret  doctrine,"  replied  the  farmer.  "Even  my  mind  does 
not  know  how  I  have  done  it.  However,  there  is  a  point  which  I  will 
tell  you.  When  you  two  were  stopping  at  my  house,  I  heard  you  talking 
about  the  power  of  the  Fan  family,  saying  that  they  could  make  or 
ruin  a  man  and  make  a  rich  man  poor  and  a  poor  man  rich.  And  I 
had  no  doubts  in  mind,  but  sincerely  believed  you.  That  was  why  I  was 
willing  to  come  such  a  long  distance.  And  I  thought  all  that  you  people 
said  was  sincere.  I  was  only  worried  that  I  might  not  have  enough 


PARABLES    OF    ANCIENT    PHILOSOPHERS       I()6l 

faith  in  me  and  might  not  do  all  that  was  in  my  power.  I  was  not  con- 
scious where  my  body  was  and  what  was  good  and  what  was  bad  for 
me.  I  had  only  this  sincere  mind,  and  matter  could  not  go  against  it.  Now 
that  I  know  you  people  are  cheating  me,  my  mind  is  full  of  suspicions 
and  I  have  to  be  constantly  on  the  look  out.  When  I  think  of  how  I 
escaped  being  burned  or  drowned  in  the  water,  I  am  still  trembling  and 
excited.  How  dare  I  go  near  the  fire  or  water  now?" 

From  that  time  on,  the  followers  of  Fan  dared  not  abuse  beggars 
or  horse  doctors  they  met  on  the  way,  but  always  came  down  from  their 
carriage  and  bowed  to  them.  When  Tsai  Wo  heard  the  story,  he  told 
Confucius  about  it,  and  Confucius  said,  "Don't  you  know?  The  abso- 
lutely sincere  man  can  influence  matter,  his  power  can  move  heaven 
and  earth  and  influence  the  spirits,  and  he  can  go  through  the  universe 
without  meeting  any  obstruction,  not  to  speak  of  going  through  fire 
and  water  and  such  common  dangers.  Shangch'm  K'ai  was  able  to 
overcome  matter  even  when  he  was  being  cheated;  how  much  more 
when  you  and  I  are  both  sincere?  Remember  it,  young  man." 

— LIEHTSE 


THE  MAN  WHO  WORRIED  ABOUT  HEAVEN 

There  was  a  man  of  the  country  of  Cru  who  was  worrying  that  the  sky 
might  one  day  fall  down,  and  he  would  not  know  where  to  hide  himself. 
This  so  much  troubled  him  that  he  could  not  eat  or  sleep.  There  was 
another  who  was  worried  about  this  man's  worry,  and  he  went  to  ex- 
plain it  to  him,  saying,  "The  sky  is  only  formed  of  accumulated  air. 
There  is  no  place  where  there  is  no  air.  Whenever  you  move  or  breathe, 
you  are  living  right  in  this  sky.  Why  do  you  need  ever  to  worry  that 
the  sky  will  fall  down?"  The  other  man  said,  "If  the  sky  were  really 
nothing  but  air,  would  not  the  sun  and  moon  and  the  stars  fall  down?" 
And  the  man  who  was  explaining  said,  "But  the  sun,  the  moon  and  the 
stars  are  also  nothing  but  accumulated  air  (gases)  *  which  has  become 
bright.  Even  if  they  should  fall  down,  they  would  not  hurt  anybody." 
"But  what  if  the  earth  should  be  destroyed?"  And  the  other  replied, 

1  Ch'i  in  Chinese  means  ether,  air,  breath,  gas  and  any  invisible  spiritual  force.  "Gas" 
would  make  better  reading  here,  but  the  Taoist  conception  is  that  all  the  universe  is 
formed  of  a  certain  spiritual  force.  It  is  an  extremely  useful  word,  bridging  the  diffi- 
culty between  material  and  immaterial  concepts,  such  as  we  find  in  the  theories  of  light. 


1062  CHINESE   WIT  AND   WISDOM 

"The  earth  is  also  only  formed  of  accumulated  solids,  which  fill  all 
space.  There  is  no  place  where  there  are  no  solids.  As  you  walk  and 
stamp  on  the  ground,  you  are  moving  the  whole  day  on  this  earth. 
Why  do  you  ever  need  to  worry  that  it  may  be  destroyed?"  Then  that 
man  seemed  to  understand  and  was  greatly  pleased,  and  the  one  who 
was  explaining  it  to  him  also  felt  he  understood  and  was  greatly  pleased. 

When  Ch'anglutse  heard  about  it,  he  laughed  and  said,  "The  rain- 
bow, the  clouds  and  mists,  the  winds  and  rains  and  the  fout  seasons — 
are  all  these  not  formed  of  accumulated  air  in  the  sky?  The  mountains 
and  high  peaks,  the  rivers  and  seas,  metal  and  stone,  water  and  fire — 
are  these  not  formed  of  accumulated  solids  on  the  earth?  Since  we 
know  they  are  formed  of  accumulated  air  and  accumulated  solids,  how 
can  we  say  then  that  they  are  indestructible?  The  infinitely  great  and 
the  infinitesimally  small  cannot  be  exhaustively  known  or  explored,  or 
conjectured  about — that  is  a  matter  taken  for  granted.  Those  who  worry 
about  the  destruction  of  the  universe  are  of  course  thinking  too  far 
ahead,  but  those  who  say  they  cannot  be  destroyed  are  also  mistaken. 
Since  the  heaven  and  earth  must  be  destroyed,  they  will  end  finally  in 
destruction.  And  when  they  are  destroyed,  why  shouldn't  one  worry 
about  it?" 

Liehtse  heard  about  what  Ch'anglutse  had  said,  and  laughed  and 
said,  "Those  who  say  that  heaven  and  earth  are  destructible  are  wrong, 
and  those  who  say  they  are  indestructible  are  also  wrong.  Destruction 
and  indestructibility  are  not  things  we  know  anything  about.  How- 
ever, they  are  both  the  same.  Therefore  one  lives  and  does  not  know 
about  death;  one  dies  and  does  not  know  about  life;  one  comes  and 
does  not  know  about  going  away;  and  one  goes  away  and  does  not 
know  about  coming.  Why  should  the  question  of  destruction  or  non- 
destruction  ever  bother  our  minds?" 

— LIEHTSE 

THE  OLD  MAN  WHO  WOULD  MOVE  MOUNTAINS 

The  two  mountains  Taihang  (in  Shansi)  and  Wangwu  cover  a  terri- 
tory of  seven  hundred  square  It,  and  are  ten  thousand  cubits  high. 
They  were  formerly  situated  in  the  south  of  Chichou  and  north  of 
Hoyang.  Old  Man  Fool  of  the  North  Mountain  was  about  ninety  years 
old  and  he  lived  in  a  house  facing  the  mountain.  He  did  not  like  to  go 
up  and  down  the  mountain  when  he  left  home,  and  asked  his  family 


PARABLES    OF    ANCIENT   PHILOSOPHERS      1063 

to  come  together  and  said  to  them,  "You  and  I  shall  set  to  work  with  all 
our  strength  and  level  this  mountain  so  that  we  may  have  a  level  path 
leading  straight  to  Yiinan  (Honan),  and  reaching  clear  to  the  northern 
bank  of  the  Han  River  (in  Hupeh).  What  do  you  say?"  The  family 
agreed,  but  his  wife  said,  "With  your  strength,  you  can't  even  do  any- 
thing with  the  K'ueifu  Hill.  How  can  you  do  anything  with  the  Tai- 
hang  and  Wangwu  ?  Besides,  where  are  ^ou  going  to  put  away  all  the 
rocks  and«oil?"  The  various  people  said,  "We  can  throw  them  into  the 
end  of  the  Puhai  (Gulf  of  Peichili,  south  of  Manchuria)  and  north  of 
Yintu  (Siberia)." 

He  then  led  three  of  his  children  and  grandchildren  who  could  carry 
loads,  and  began  to  chip  the  rocks  and  shovel  the  soil,  and  carried  them 
in  baskets  to  the  end  of  Puhai.  An  orphan  boy  of  the  neighbor's  widow 
by  the  name  of  Chmgch'eng,  who  had  just  shed  his  milk  teeth,  jumped 
along  and  came  to  help  them,  and  returned  home  only  once  a  season. 

The  wise  man  of  Hoch'ii  laughed  at  the  old  man  and  tried  to  stop 
him,  saying,  "What  a  fool  you  are!  With  all  the  strength  and  years 
left  to  you,  you  can't  even  scratch  the  surface  of  this  mountain.  What 
can  you  do  about  the  rocks  and  soil?"  Old  Man  Fool  of  North  Moun- 
tain drew  a  deep  sigh  and  said,  "It's  only  your  mind  that  is  not  made 
up;  when  it  is  made  up,  nothing  can  stop  it.  You  are  of  less  use  than  the 
widow's  son.  When  I  die,  there  will  be  my  children  (to  carry  on  the 
work),  and  the  children  will  have  grandchildren,  and  the  grandchil- 
dren will  again  have  children,  and  the  children  will  again  have  chil- 
dren, and  the  children  will  again  have  grandchildren.  So  my  children 
and  grandchildren  are  endless,  while  the  mountain  cannot  grow  bigger 
in  size.  Why  shouldn't  it  be  leveled  some  day?" 

The  wise  man  could  not  make  any  reply.  Now  the  Snake  Spirit  heard 
about  it  and  was  worried  about  his  own  safety,  and  he  went  to  speak 
to  God.  God  had  pity  on  the  old  man's  sincerity  of  heart  and  ordered  the 
two  sons  of  K'uafu  to  carry  the  two  mountains  and  placed  one  in  Su- 
tung  and  one  in  Yungnan.  From  then  on,  the  south  of  Chichow  and 
north  of  Han  River  became  level  ground. 

— LIEHTSE 

CONFUCIUS  AND  THE  CHILDREN 

Confucius  was  traveling  east  and  met  two  children  arguing  with  one 
another.  He  asked  them  what  they  were  arguing  about,  and  one  child 


1064  CHINESE    WIT  AND    WISDOM 

said,  "I  say  the  sun  is  nearer  to  us  in  the  morning  and  farther  away 
from  us  at  noon,  and  he  says  the  sun  is  farther  away  from  us  in  the 
morning  and  nearer  to  us  at  noon."  One  child  said,  "When  the  sun 
begins  to  come  up,  it  is  big  like  a  carriage  cover,  and  at  noon  it  is  like 
a  dinner  plate.  So  it  must  be  farther  away  when  it  looks  smaller,  and 
nearer  us  when  it  looks  bigger."  The  other  child  said,  "When  the  sun 
comes  up,  the  air  is  very  cool,  and  at  noon  it  burns  like  hot  soup.  So 
it  must  be  nearer  when  it  is  hot  and  farther  away  when  it  is  cool."  Con- 
fucius could  not  decide  who  was  right,  and  the  children  laughed  at  him 
and  said,  "Whoever  said  that  you  were  a  wise  guy?" 

— LIEHTSE 


THE  MAN  WHO  SAW  ONLY  GOLD 

There  was  a  man  of  Ch'i  who  desired  to  have  gold.  He  dressed  up 
properly  and  went  out  in  early  morning  to  the  market.  He  went  straight 
to  the  gold  dealer's  shop  and  snatched  the  gold  away  and  walked  off. 
The  officers  arrested  him  and  questioned  him:  "Why,  the  people  were 
all  there.  Why  did  you  rob  them  of  gold  (in  broad  daylight)  ?"  And  the 
man  replied,  "I  only  saw  the  gold.  I  didn't  see  any  people." 

—LIEHTSE 


LOOKS  LIKE  A  THIEF 

There  was  a  man  who  had  lost  money,  and  thought  that  his  neighbor's 
son  had  stolen  it.  He  looked  at  him  and  it  seemed  his  gait  was  that  of  a 
thief,  his  expression  was  that  of  a  thief,  and  all  his  gestures  and  move- 
ments were  like  those  of  a  thief.  Soon  afterwards  he  found  the  money 
in  a  bamboo  drain-pipe.  Again  he  looked  at  the  neighbor's  son  and 
neither  his  movements  nor  his  gestures  were  those  of  a  thief. 

— LIEHTSE 


MEASUREMENTS  FOR  SHOES 

A  certain  man  of  Cheng  was  going  to  buy  himself  a  new  pair  of  shoes. 
First  he  took  measurements  of  his  feet,  and  left  them  in  his  seat.  These 


PARABLES    OF    ANCIENT   PHILOSOPHERS      1065 

he  forgot  to  bring  along  when  he  went  to  the  streets,  and  after  entering 
a  shoe  shop,  he  said  to  himself,  "Oh,  I  have  forgotten  to  bring  along 
the  measurements,  and  must  go  back  to  bring  them."  So  he  did.  But 
when  he  returned,  the  shop  was  closed  already  and  he  failed  to  buy 
any  shoes.  Someone  said  to  him,  "Why  didn't  you  let  them  try  the  shoes 
on  your  feet?"  And  the  man  replied,  "I  would  rather  trust  the  measure- 
ments than  trust  myself." 

— HANFEITSE 


KING  HUAN  LOST  HIS  HAT 

King  Huan  of  Ch'i  was  drunk  one  day  and  lost  his  hat.  For  three  days 
he  shut  himself  up  for  shame,  without  giving  audience.  Kuan  Chung 
said  to  the  King,  "This  is  disgrace  for  a  ruler.  Why  don't  you  make 
amends  by  some  generous  act?"  Accordingly,  the  King  opened  the 
granary  and  distributed  grains  to  the  poor  for  three  days.  The  people 
praised  the  King  for  his  generosity,  and  said,  "Why  does  not  he  lose 
his  hat  again?" 

—-HANFEITSE 


HOW  THE  TONGUE  SURVIVED  THE  TEETH 

Ch'ang  Ch'uang  was  sick  and  Laotse  went  to  see  him.  The  latter  said 
to  Ch'ang  Ch'uang,  "You  are  very  ill.  Have  you  not  something  to  say 
to  your  disciple?"  "Even  if  you  did  not  ask  me,  I  was  going  to  tell 
you,"  replied  Ch'ang  Ch'uang.  "Do  you  know  why  one  has  to  get  down 
from  one's  carriage  when  coming  to  one's  old  village?"  And  Laotse 
replied,  "Doesn't  this  custom  mean  that  one  should  not  forget  one's 
origins?"  "Ah,  yes,"  said  Ch'ang  Ch'uang. 

Then  the  sick  man  asked  again,  "Do  you  know  why  one  should  run 
when  passing  under  a  tall  tree?"  "Doesn't  this  custom  mean  we  should 
respect  what  is  old?"  "Ah.  yes,"  said  Ch'ang  Ch'uang. 

Then  Ch'ang  Ch'uang  opened  his  mouth  wide  and  asked  Laotse  to 
look  into  it,  and  said,  "Is  my  tongue  still  there?"  "It  is,"  replied  Laotse. 
"Are  my  teeth  still  there?"  asked  the  old  man.  "No,"  replied  Laotse. 


1066  CHINESE   WIT  AND   WISDOM 

"And  do  you  know  why?"  asked  Ch'ang  Ch'uang.  "Does  not  the  tongue 
last  longer  because  it  is  soft?  And  is  it  not  because  the  teeth  are  hard 
that  they  fall  off  earlier?"  replied  Laotse.1  "Ah,  yes,"  said  Ch'ang 
Ch'uang.  "There  you  have  learned  all  the  principles  concerning  the 
world.  I  have  nothing  else  to  teach  you." 

—LIU  HSIANG 


THE  OWL  AND  THE  QUAIL 

An  owl  met  a  quail,  and  the  quail  asked,  "Where  are  you  going?"  "I 
am  going  east,"  was  the  owl's  reply.  "May  I  ask  why?"  then  asked  the 
quail.  "The  people  of  the  village  hate  my  screeching  noise,"  replied  the 
owl.  "That  is  why  I  am  going  east."  Then  said  the  quail,  "What  you 
should  do  is  to  change  that  screeching  noise.  If  you  can't,  you  will  be 
hated  for  it  even  if  you  go  east." 

—LIU  HSIANG 


THE  TIGER  AND  THE  FOX 

King  Hsiian  of  Ch'u  asked  his  ministers,  "I  hear  that  the  people  in  the 
north  are  afraid  of  Chao  Hsisii.  Is  this  true?"  The  ministers  did  not 
make  any  reply,  but  Chiang  Yi  said  to  the  King,  "There  was  a  tiger  that 
was  looking  for  animals  for  food  and  got  hold  of  a  fox.  And  the  fox 
said,  'How  dare  you  eat  me?  God  of  Heaven  has  made  me  the  chief  of 
the  animal  kingdom.  If  you  eat  me,  you  will  be  sinning  against  God. 
If  you  do  not  believe  what  I  say,  come  along.  I  shall  walk  in  front,  and 
you  follow  behind.'  The  tiger  went  along  with  the  fox  accordingly, 
and  the  animals  fled  at  their  approach.  The  tiger  was  not  aware  that 
the  animals  were  not  afraid  of  the  fox,  but  of  himself.  Now  Your  Royal 
Highness  has  a  territory  of  five  thousand  square  li  and  an  army  of  a 
million  soldiers,  and  you  gave  the  entire  power  to  Chao  Hsisii.  There- 
fore the  people  of  the  north  are  afraid  of  his  power  while  they  are  really 
afraid  of  the  King's  army,  as  the  animals  were  afraid  of  the  tiger." 

— CHANKUOTS'EH 

1  Gentleness  overcomes  strength,  typically  Taoist  idea. 


PARABLES    OF    ANCIENT    PHILOSOPHERS       1067 

THE  CRANE  AND  THE  CLAM 

Chao  was  going  to  invade  Yen.  Su  Tai  went  to  speak  to  King  Huei  of 
Chao  on  Yen's  behalf.  "This  morning,"  said  Su  Tai,  "when  I  was 
coming  on  my  way,  I  was  passing  the  Yi  River.  There  I  saw  a  clam 
sunning  itself  in  the  sun,  and  a  crane  came  along  to  peck  at  its  flesh,  and 
the  clam  shut  its  shell  on  the  crane's  beak  tightly.  The  crane  said,  "If 
it  doesn't  rain  today  and  doesn't  rain  tomorrow,  there  will  be  a  dead 
clam."  And  the  clam  also  said,  "If  you  can't  get  out  today  and  can't 
get  out  tomorrow,  there  will  be  a  dead  crane."  Neither  of  the  two  was 
willing  to  let  go,  when  a  fisherman  came  up  and  caught  them  both. 
Now  if  you  go  and  attack  Yen,  the  two  countries  will  be  locked  in  battle 
for  a  long  time  until  the  people  of  both  countries  are  exhausted.  I  am 
afraid  the  strong  Ch'm  will  be  the  fisherman.  You  might  think  this  over 
carefully."  "Good,"  said  the  King,  and  he  gave  up  the  idea. 

— CHANKUOTS'EH 


THE  BLIND  MAN'S  IDEA  OF  THE  SUN 

There  was  a  man  born  blind.  He  had  never  seen  the  sun  and  asked  about 
it  of  people  who  could  see.  Someone  told  him,  "The  sun's  shape  is  like 
a  brass  tray."  The  blind  man  struck  the  brass  tray  and  heard  its  sound. 
Later  when  he  heard  the  sound  of  a  bell,  he  thought  it  was  the  sun. 
Again  someone  told  him,  "The  sunlight  is  like  that  of  a  candle,  and  the 
blind  ma'n  felt  the  candle,  and  thought  that  was  the  sun's  shape.  Later 
he  felt  a  (big)  key  and  thought  it  was  a  sun.  The  sun  is  quite  different 
from  a  bell  or  a  key,  but  the  blind  man  cannot  tell  their  difference  be- 
cause he  has  never  seen  the  sun.  The  truth  (Tao)  is  harder  to  see  than 
the  sun,  and  when  people  do  not  know  it  they  are  exactly  like  the  blind 
man.  Even  if  you  do  your  best  to  explain  by  analogies  and  examples,  it 
still  appears  like  the  analogy  of  the  brass  tray  and  the  candle.  From 
what  is  said  of  the  brass  tray,  one  imagines  a  bell,  and  from  what  is 
said  about  a  candle,  one  imagines  a  key.  In  this  way,  one  gets  ever 
further  and  further  away  from  the  truth.  Those  who  speak  about  Tao 
sometimes  give  it  a  name  according  to  what  they  happen  to  see,  or 
imagine  what  it  is  like  without  seeing  it.  These  are  mistakes  in  the 
effort  to  understand  Tao. 

— su  TUNGP'O 


Family  Letters 
of  a  Chinese  Poet 


INTRODUCTION 

THE  FAMILY  LETTERS  of  Cheng  Panch'iao  (A.D.  1693-1765)  and  the  "Six 
Chapters  of  a  Floating  Life"  serve,  I  think,  better  than  anything  else  to 
show  the  kindly  temper  of  the  Chinese  people  and  the  typical  spirit  of 
Chinese  culture  at  its  best,  though  not  idealized,  but  as  it  was  actually 
lived  in  China.  An  ancient  proverb,  quoted  in  Tienlun,  says  "Do  not 
brag  about  yourself;  see  how  you  write  family  letters."  For  it  is  in  such 
family  letters  that  one's  true  character  comes  out.  The  "Six  Chapters  of 
a  Floating  Life"  shows  how  a  Chinese  couple  took  failure;  these  family 
letters  show  how  one  scholar  took  success.  Beside  the  essential  kindliness 
and  spirit  of  democratic  living,  all  talks  of  the  political  machinery  and 
party  machines  for  democratic  government  pale  into  insignificance. 
There  has  been  a  curious  emphasis  on  politics  when  we  speak  of  de- 
mocracy, as  if  Congressmen  made  a  republic,  an  assumption  which  is 
totally  unwarranted.  This  political  emphasis  was  repudiated  by  Con- 
fucius and  the  Chinese  nation  as  a  whole,  long  ago.  I  have  chosen  Cheng 
Panch'iao's  family  letters  rather  than  Tseng  Kuofan's,  because  these  are 
fewer  in  number.  But  the  spirit  revealed  is  the  same  in  both.  Tseng 
Kuofan's  family  letters  could  fill  two  thousand-page  volumes,  and  it  is 
interesting  to  note  that  Tseng  Kuofan,  the  greatest  general  and  most 
honored  man  of  his  time,  whose  letters  deeply  influence  Chiang  Kai-shek, 
constantly  wrote  home  to  find  out  if  his  daughter  already  had  learned 
1068 


FAMILY    LETTERS    OF    A    CHINESE    POET       1069 

to  make  shoes  and  advise  his  "mandarin"  family  to  raise  vegetables  and 
hogs  and  poultry. 

Cheng  Panch'iao  was  a  man  distinguished  equally  in  poetry,  painting 
and  calligraphy,  which  is  a  rare  attainment.  In  all  three  he  achieved 
an  inimitable  style.  He  was  sniffed  at  by  the  Confucian  scholars,  which 
means  he  was  great.  His  ideas  were  strictly  Confucian,  but  he  was  "un- 
usual." As  an  evidence  of  his  "unusualness,"  the  story  is  recorded  of  how 
he  arranged  the  marriage  of  his  elder  daughter.  His  daughter  was  of  mar- 
riageable age  and  not  yet  engaged.  He  had  a  friend  whom  he  greatly 
respected  as  a  scholar,  and  the  friend'had  a  son.  One  day,  after  supper, 
he  said  to  his  daughter,  "Come  along  with  me.  I  will  take  you  to  a  good 
place."  His  daughter  followed  him  to  the  friend's  place,  when  he  said 
to  her,  "Now  you  stay  here  and  be  a  good  daughter-in-law."  He  turned 
round  and  left.  He  was  also  unusual  in  the  sense  that  he  was  different 
from  the  Confucian  Pecksniffs  and  could  not  stand  over-taxation  of 
the  people.  When  he  was  magistrate  in  Weihsien,  Shantung,  there  was 
a  year  of  bad  harvest,  and  he  petitioned  the  Governor  for  relief  of  the 
poor,  which  greatly  angered  the  official.  Thereupon  he  asked  for  sick 
leave  and  returned  home.  His  poetry  is  distinguished  by  great  feeling  for 
the  poor  and  distressed,  couched  in  the  most  homely  terms,  and  if  well 
translated,  would  give  even  a  more  vivid  feeling  of  his  great  heart  than 
these  family  letters.  His  paintings  of  bamboo  and  orchids  were  espe- 
cially distinguished. 

In  his  preface  to  his  poems,  he  said  that  the  book  contained  all  he 
wanted  published.  "If  after  my  death,  someone  should  republish  it  in 
my  name  and  include  in  it  the  nonsense  I  have  written  as  obligations  to 
friends  or  on  social  occasions,  I  shall  be  a  ghost  and  strike  the  fellow's 
skull." 

There  are  only  sixteen  letters  altogether.  I  have  omitted  Letters  HI, 
IV,  IX,  XI,  XII,  the  second  postscript  to  XIII,  and  the  first  part  of  XVI, 
as  being  too  difficult  for  the  average  reader  to  follow  in  his  critical 
opinions  of  Chinese  authors  and  historical  personalities,  The  best  things 
in  the  letters  are  those  concerning  treatment  of  servants'  and  poor  neigh- 
bors' children.  They  are  the  last  word  on  charity  of  spirit  (see  especially 
Letters  XIII,  XIV). 


Family  Letters 
of  a  Chinese  Poet 

by  Cheng  Punch' too 
Translated  by  Lin  Yutang 


I.  TO  BROTHER  MO  FROM  T'AOKUANG  TEMPLE, 
HANGCHOW,  WRITTEN  IN  1732 

THERE  is  NO  ONE  IN  THE  WORLD  who  is  not  a  descendant  of  the  Yellow 
Emperor,  and  Yao  and  Shun.  But  today  some  have  unfortunately  be- 
come slaves,  slave  girls,  concubines  and  poor  laborers,  living  in  poverty 
and  distress  and  unable  to  help  themselves;  it  would  be  wrong  to  assume 
that  their  ancestors  were  slaves,  slave  girls,  concubines  and  poor  laborers 
in  generations  ago.  Once  they  make  up  their  minds  and  are  willing  to 
work  hard,  some  of  them  become  rich  and  honored  in  their  own  life 
time,  and  others  become  so  in  the  next  generation.  Is  there  such  a  thing 
as  blood  among  kings,  dukes,  premiers  and  generals  ? *  Some  scions  of 
former  noble  or  well-known  families  taunt  others  on  their  birth  and 
brag  about  their  previous  generations,  saying,  "Who  is  he,  and  yet  he  is 
high  up?  I  am  such  and  such  a  person,  and  yet  I  am  down  and  out. 
There  is  no  justice  in  heaven  or  in  the  affairs  of  man."  Alas!  they  do 
not  know  that  this  is  exactly  the  justice  of  heaven  and  of  human  affairs. 
Heaven  rewards  the  good  and  punishes  the  licentious;  it  is  in  accord- 
ance with  reason  that  he  is  good  and  therefore  rewarded,  and  you  are 
licentious  and  therefore  poor.  What  is  wrong  with  that?  For  the  way 

1  Current  proverb:  "There  is  no  blood  in  premiers  and  generals." 
IO7O 


FAMILY    LETTERS    OF    A    CHINESE    POET        1071 

of  Heaven  goes  in  a  cycle.  His  ancestors  were  poor,  and  now  it  is  his 
turn  to  be  rich  and  honored;  your  ancestors  were  rich  and  honored,  and 
now  it  is  your  turn  to  be  poor.  Again,  what  is  wrong  about  that?  This 
is  the  way  of  heaven  and  also  of  human  affairs. 

After  I,  your  foolish  brother,  became  a  government  graduate 
(hsiuts'ai),  whenever  I  found  in  the  old  trunks  at  our  home  some  deed 
of  a  slave  sold  into  our  family  in  the  former  generation,  I  at  once 
burned  it  aver  the  oil  lamp.  I  did  not  even  return  it  to  the  person  con- 
cerned, for  I  felt  if  I  did,  it  would  be  an  obvious  act  and  increase  the 
man's  embarrassment.  Since  I  began  to  employ  people,  I  have  never 
required  contracts.  If  we  can  get  along  with  the  servant,  we  keep  him; 
and  if  not,  we  send  him  away.  Why  keep  such  a  p:ece  of  paper  to  pro- 
vide a  pretext  for  our  next  generations  to  use  it  as  a  claim  or  a  means 
of  extortion  ?  To  act  with  such  a  heart  is  to  have  consideration  for  others, 
which  is  to  have  consideration  for  ourselves.  If  we  try  always  to  obtain 
a  legal  hold,  once  we  get  into  the  meshes  of  legality,  we  shall  never  be 
able  to  get  out  again.  We  shall  only  become  poor  more  quickly  and 
disaster  will  follow  immediately.  The  posterity  of  such  people  will  soon 
be  involved  in  scandals  and  meet  with  unexpected  disasters.  You  just 
look  at  the  people  of  the  world  who  are  shrewd  at  calculations;  do  they 
ever  succeed  in  overcoming  others  by  their  shrewd  calculations?  They 
are  only  calculating  toward  their  own  ruin.  What  a  pity!  Remember 
this,  my  younger  brother. 

II.    TO  FOURTH  BROTHER  MO,  WRITTEN  WHILE 
READING  AT  CHIAOSHAN 

The  world  is  filled  with  monks.  But  they  are  not  sent  here  from  Thibet, 
but  are  fathers  and  brothers  of  China  who  have  no  home  to  go  to  or 
who  have  entered  the  faith.  When  we  shave,  we  become  monks,  and 
when  they  let  their  hair  grow  again,  they  become  ourselves.  It  would 
be  a  mistake  to  look  at  them  with  anger,  call  them  heretics  and  treat 
them  with  hatred  and  disgust.  From  the  time  Buddha  was  born  in  the 
reign  of  Emperor  Chao  of  Choua  until  he  passed  away,  he  never  set 
foot  on  Chinese  soil.  Eight  hundred  years  later,  Emperor  Han  Mingti 8 
brought  on  all  this  trouble  through  his  wild  fancies  and  dreams.  Buddha 
himself  had  nothing  to  do  with  it.  Now  instead  of  blaming  Emperor 

"B.C.  1052-1002.  The  chronology  is  bad. 

*  A.D.  58-75,  when  the  first  Buddhist  monks  reached  China. 


1072  CHINESE    WIT   AND   WISDOM 

Han  Mingti,  we  are  all  blaming  Buddha,  who  is  perfectly  innocent. 
Besides,  since  Ts'angli  (Han  Yii)  exposed  the  Buddhist  doctrines,  Con- 
fucianism has  come  back  into  its  own,  and  the  Buddhist  religion  is 
gradually  on  the  wane.  The  rulers  have  followed  the  Six  Classics  and 
Four  Books  as  the  means  of  regulating  family  life  and  governing  the 
empire.  To  denounce  Buddhism  at  this  late  hour  would  be  as  meaning- 
less as  chewing  candle-wax.  The  monks  are  sinners  against  Buddha. 
They  rob  and  kill  and  seek  after  women  and  are  greedy  and  snobbish, 
for  they  have  not  followed  the  doctrines  of  purifying  their  hearts  and 
seeking  their  original  nature.  The  government  graduates  are  also  sin- 
ners against  Confucius,  for  they  are  neither  kind  nor  wise,  and  devoid 
of  courtesy  or  justice.  They  are  no  longer  concerned  with  the  keeping  of 
the  ancient  tradition  and  of  Confucian  teachings.  The  government 
graduates  love  to  abuse  the  monks  and  the  monks  love  to  abuse  the 
government  graduates.  The  proverb  says,  "Let  each  one  sweep  off  the 
snow  at  his  door-step,  and  not  interfere  with  the  frost  on  the  neigh- 
bors' roof."  What  do  you  think  of  this?  The  idea  has  just  occurred  to  me, 
and  I  am  putting  it  down  and  sending  it  for  you  to  read.  I  have  also 
shown  this  to  Monk  Wufang  and  it  gave  him  a  good  laugh. 

V.  TO  BROTHER  MO,  WRITTEN  AT  SHUANGFENGKO, 
CH1AOSHAN 

There  is  a  cemetery  lot  at  Hochiachuang,  which  costs  twelve  ounces  of 
silver.  Father  once  wanted  to  buy  it,  but  on  account  of  a  grave  without 
in  owner  there,  which  had  to  be  removed,  he  said,  "Alas!  How  can 
one  dig  up  another  person's  grave  to  make  room  for  one's  own?"  Father 
therefore  never  did  buy  the  lot.  But  if  we  don't  buy  it,  someone  else 
will,  and  that  ownerless  grave  will  be  dug  up.  I  am  thinking  of  writing 
to  cousin  Ho  to  find  out  what  has  happened  to  it.  If  it's  not  yet  sold,  I 
shall  send  him  twelve  ounces  of  silver  and  buy  it  for  burial  ground  for 
myself  and  my  wife.  We  shall  leave  that  grave  untouched  as  a  place  for 
buffaloes  to  lie  down,  and  set  up  an  inscription  in  stone  asking  our 
posterity  never  to  disturb  that  grave.  Would  this  not  be  in  accordance 
with  our  deceased  father's  kindly  thought  and  an  improvement  upon 
it?  We  shouldn't  believe  in  geomancers.  If  we  always  try  to  retain 
generosity  and  eschew  meanness  of  heart,  even  an  unlucky  grave  will 
turn  into  good  ground.  There  can  be  no  doubt  about  this  point.  When 
our  posterity  visit  our  graves  on  the  annual  ch'ingming  festival,  they 


FAMILY    LETTERS    OF    A    CHINESE    POET       1073 

shall  also  offer  sacrifices  to  that  grave,  with  one  chicken,  a  cup  of  wine, 
a  bowl  of  rice  and  a  hundred  packs  (of  hundred)  of  paper  money.  Let 
this  be  an  established  rule.  June,  10,  1734. 

VI.    TO  BROTHER  MO,  WRITTEN  ON  A  BOAT  AT  HUAIAN 

If  one  loves  other  people,  he  himself  becomes  worthy  of  love;  if  one 
hates  other^people,  he  himself  deserves  hatred.  The  best  point  about  (Su) 
Tungp'o  is  that  he  felt  all  his  life  that  there  was  no  bad  man  in  this  world. 
I,  your  foolish  elder  brother,  have  all  my  life  criticized  people  without 
mincing  words,  but  whenever  someone  has  one  good  point  or  special 
ability,  or  said  one  good  word  or  done  one  good  deed,  I  have  never 
failed  to  praise  it  with  all  my  heart.  It  is  because  I  love  people  that 
whenever  I  have  several  thousand  dollars,  I  must  use  it  all.  And  when 
I  am  in  need  of  help,  other  people  have  often  helped  me.  I  always  love 
criticizing  people,  particularly  the  government  graduates.  But,  come 
to  think  about  it,  the  trouble  with  the  graduates  is  that  they  are  so 
bound  up  with  themselves.  On  the  other  hand,  if  they  were  not  so  bound 
up  with  themselves,  they  wouldn't  be  graduates.  But  I  think  it  is  unfair 
to  criticize  the  graduates  alone — who  nowadays  are  not  bound  up  with 
themselves'3  I  am  an  old  man  now  and  living  alone.  I  must  watch  out 
for  this  habit  of  mine.  It  is  good  to  love  people,  and  a  bad  habit  to  crit- 
icize people.  Su  Tungp'o  suffered  on  account  of  this  habit.4  And  cer- 
tainly a  person  like  myself  should  be  more  careful  than  he.  You  must 
also  often  remind  me  of  this  point,  old  brother. 

VII.  TO  BROTHER  MO,  FROM  THE  MAGISTRATE'S 
RESIDENCE  AT  FANHSIEN 

The  family  cemetery  at  Ch'ayiiansze  belongs  in  common  to  the  East 
Gate  branch  of  our  clan.  Because  there  was  no  other  place,  I  buried  our 
parents  there,  and  thanks  to  its  power,  I  have  become  a  chlnshihf  For 
several  years  now  I  have  occupied  an  official  post  without  any  mishap, 
which  means  that  I  have  robbed  the  clan  of  its  luck  and  monopolized  it 
all  myself.  Can  my  heart  feel  at  ease?  It  is  pitiful  to  see  our  relatives  at 

4  He  was  exiled  to  a  southern  district  because  he  could  not  help  making  fun  of  Wang 
Anshih  who  was  in  power. 

8  One  who  passed  successfully  the  national  examinations,  equivalent  to  a  doctor's  degree, 
but  much  more  highly  honored. 


1074  CHINESE    WIT  AND   WISDOM 

East  Gate  catch  fish  and  shrimps,  working  on  their  boats  and  repairing 
nets,  living  in  huts  and  eating  chaffs  and  wheat  gruel.  They  pick  floating 
heart,  radish  and  water-bamboo  and  boil  them  and  if  they  have  buck- 
wheat cakes  to  go  along  with  them,  they  consider  them  delicacies  and 
the  young  children  fight  for  them.  Whenever  I  think  of  them,  tears  fill 
my  eyes.  When  you  bring  money  from  my  salary  home,  you  should  dis- 
tribute it  from  house  to  house.  Although  the  six  families  at  the  South 
Gate,  the  eighteen  families  at  Chuhuengchiang  and  the  lone  family  at 
Hsiat'ien  are  more  distant  relatives,  they  are  of  the  same  blood,  and 
should  be  given  something  also.  Where  is  young  granduncle  Ch'ilin? 
Such  an  orphan  without  parents  to  depend  upon  is  often  bullied  by  the 
people  of  the  village.  You  should  find  out  where  he  is  and  comfort  him. 
All  relatives  in  the  four  generations  counting  from  our  great-grandfather 
should  be  given  each  two  dollars,  and  it  will  be  easier  later  for  us  to 
get  along  with  them.  Hsu  Tsungyii  and  Lu  Poyi  are  my  college  friends, 
and  we  used  to  go  about  daily  together.  I  still  remember  discussing 
ancient  literatures  with  them  in  an  old  temple  deep  into  the  night  with 
the  falling  leaves  flying  about.  Sometimes  we  sat  on  the  stone  lions  and 
discussed  ancient  warfare  and  all  topics  in  the  universe.  They  have  been 
unfortunate,  and  must  also  be  given  a  share  of  my  money  for  old  friend- 
ship's sake.  People  usually  think  a  great  deal  of  their  own  writings  and 
scholarship  and  believe  that  getting  degrees  is  an  easy  matter  for  them, 
but  do  not  realize  it  is  all  due  to  luck.  Suppose  I  should  happen  to  be 
still  unsuccessful  in  the  examinations,  to  whom  could  I  complain?  This 
is  therefore  not  something  to  make  one  conceited  toward  friends.  The 
principal  thing  is  to  cement  good-will  among  relatives  and  members 
of  the  clan  and  remember  old  friends;  for  the  rest,  you  can  do  what 
you  think  fit  in  the  way  of  helping  the  neighbors  and  people  of  the 
village.  Spend  it  all;  I  shall  spare  the  details. 

VIII.  SECOND  LETTER  TO  BROTHER  MO,  FROM  THE 
MAGISTRATE'S  RESIDENCE  AT  FANHSIEN 

The  house  you  bought  is  well  enclosed  and  indeed  suitable  for  residence, 
except  that  I  feel  the  courtyard  is  too  small,  and  when  you  look  at  the 
sky,  it  is  not  big  enough.  With  my  unfettered  nature,  I  do  not  like  it. 
Only  a  hundred  steps  north  from  this  house,  there  is  the  Parrot  Bridge, 
and  another  thirty  steps  from  the  Bridge  is  the  Plum  Tower,  with  vacant 
spaces  all  around.  When  I  was  drinking  in  this  tower  in  my  young  days, 


FAMILY    LETTERS    OF    A    CHINESE    POET        1075 

I  used  to  look  out  and  see  the  willow  banks  and  the  little  wooden 
bridge  with  decrepit  huts  and  wild  flowers  against  a  background  of  old 
city  walls,  and  was  quite  fascinated  by  it.  If  you  could  get  fifty  thousand 
cash,  you  could  buy  a  big  lot  for  me  to  build  a  cottage  there  for  my  old 
days.  My  plan  is  to  build  an  carthern  house  with  couityard,  and  plant 
bamboos  and  flowers  and  trees  around.  There  will  be  a  pebble  walk 
leading  from  the  gate  to  the  house  door.  There  will  be  two  rooms,  one 
for  the  pailor,  and  the  other  for  study,  where  I  can  keep  books,  paintings, 
brushes,  ink-slabs,  wine-kettle  and  tea  service,  and  where  1  can  discuss 
literature  and  write  poetry  with  some  good  friends  and  the  younger 
generation.  Behind  this  will  be  the  family  living  rooms,  with  three  main 
rooms,  two  kitchens  and  one  room  for  servants.  Altogether  there  will 
be  eight  rooms,  all  covered  with  a  hay-thatch,  and  I  shall  be  quite  con- 
tent. Early  in  the  morning  before  sunrise,  I  shall  be  able  to  see  the  red 
glow  of  morning  clouds  over  the  Eastern  Sea,0  and  at  sunset,  the  sun 
will  shine  from  behind  the  trees.  When  one  stands  upon  a  high  place 
in  the  courtyard,  one  can  already  see  the  haze  and  water  and  the  bridge 
in  the  distance,  and  when  giving  a  party  at  night,  people  outside  will 
be  able  to  see  our  lights  across  the  wall.  It  will  be  only  thirty  steps  to 
your  house  on  the  south,  and  will  be  separated  from  the  little  garden 
only  by  a  small  creek.  So  it  is  quite  ideal. 

Some  may  say,  "It  will  be  indeed  comfortable,  but  there  may  be 
thieves."  They  do  not  know  that  thieves  are  but  poor  people.  I  would 
open  the  door  and  invite  them  to  come  in,  and  discuss  with  them  what 
they  would  like  to  share  with  me.  They  can  take  away  whatever  they 
like,  and  if  really  nothing  will  suit  them,  they  can  take  away  the  great 
Wang  Hsienchih's  antique  carpet  and  pawn  it  for  a  hundred  cash  to 
meet  their  immediate  needs.  Please,  my  younger  brother,  bear  this  in 
mind,  for  this  is  your  stupid  brother's  provision  for  spending  a  happy 
old  age.  I  wonder  whether  I  can  have  what  I  so  desire. 

X.  FOURTH  LETTER  TO  BROTHER  MO,  FROM  THE 
MAGISTRATE'S  RESIDENCE  AT  FANHSIEN 

I  received  a  letter  from  home  on  the  twenty-sixth  of  the  tenth  month, 
and  was  delighted  to  learn  that  we  got  twenty-five  hundred  bushels 
from  the  new  fields  at  the  autumn  harvest.  From  now  on  I  can  afford 

'Cheng's  native  place  is  Hinhua,  in  Eastern  Fukien,  near  the  coast 


1076  CHINESE    WIT  AND   WISDOM 

to  be  a  farmer  during  the  remainder  of  my  days.  We  must  have  all  sorts 
of  things  made — mortars,  grinding-stones,  sieves,  bamboo  pans,  big  and 
small  brooms  and  rice  measures  of  all  kinds.  The  women  of  the  family 
shall  lead  the  maids  in  housework  and  all  learn  to  pound  .rice,  shake 
grains  and  work  with  their  hands  and  feet.  It  will  give  an  atmosphere  of 
living  on  land  and  bringing  up  children  there.  On  a  cold,  icy  day,  when 
poor  relatives  come  to  our  door,  first  give  them  a  big  bowl  of  (boiled) 
toasted  rice,  which,  helped  out  with  a  small  dish  of  pickled 'ginger,  is 
the  best  means  of  warming  up  the  aged  and  the  poor.  In  our  leisure 
days,  we  can  eat  cakes  of  broken  rice  and  cook  "muddle  congee,"  and 
eat  it  sinking  our  head  into  the  bowl  held  between  the  hands.  On  a 
frosty  or  snowy  morning,  this  makes  the  whole  body  warm.  Alas!  I  hope 
to  be  a  farmer  until  the  end  of  my  days! 

I  think  the  best  class  of  people  in  the  world  are  the  farmers.  Scholars 
should  be  considered  the  last  of  the  four  classes.7  The  most  well-to-do 
farmers  have  a  hundred  mu  (about  sixteen  acres),  the  second  seventy 
or  eighty  mu,  and  the  next  fifty  or  sixty  mu.  They  all  toil  and  labor  to 
feed  the  rest  of  the  world.  Were  it  not  for  the  farmers,  we  should  all 
starve.  We  scholars  are  considered  one  class  higher  than  the  farmers 
because  we  are  supposed  to  be  good  sons  at  home  and  courteous  abroad, 
and  maintain  the  ancient  tradition  of  culture;  in  case  of  success,  we  can 
serve  and  benefit  the  people,  and  in  case  of  failure,  we  can  cultivate  our 
personal  lives  as  an  example  to  the  world.  But  this  is  no  longer  true. 
As  soon  as  a  person  takes  a  book  in  hand,  he  is  thinking  of  how  to  pass 
the  examinations  and  become  a  chujen  or  chinshih,  how  to  become  an 
official  arid  get  rich  and  build  fine  houses  and  buy  large  property.  It  is 
all  wrong  from  the  very  start,  and  the  further  one  goes,  the  more  wicked 
one  becomes.  It  will  all  come  to  a  bad  end.  Those  who  are  not  successful 
at  the  examinations  are  still  worse;  they  prey  upon  the  people  of  the 
village,  with  a  small  head  and  thievish  eyes.  True,  there  are  many  who 
hold  firm  to  their  principles,  and  there  are  everywhere  some  who  set 
the  highest  standards  for  themselves.  But  the  good  suffer  on  account  of 
the  bad,  with  the  result  that  we  have  to  shut  up.  The  moment  we  open 
our  mouths,  people  will  say,  "All  you  scholars  know  how  to  talk.  As 
soon  as  you  become  officials,  you  will  not  be  saying  the  same  things." 
That  is  why  we  have  to  keep  quiet  and  accept  the  insults. 

7  Cheng  here  reverses  the  traditional  Chinese  classification  which  is  in  ihe  following  order: 
scholars,  farmers,  artisans  and  business  men. 


FAMILY    LETTERS    OF    A    CHINESE    POET       1077 

The  artisans  make  tools  and  turn  them  to  good  use,  while  the  business 
men  make  possible  the  exchange  of  goods.  They  are  all  of  some  use  to 
the  people,  while  the  scholars  alone  are  a  great  nuisance  to  them.  One 
should  not  be  surprised  to  find  them  considered  the  lowest  of  the  four 
classes  of  jfeople,  and  I  doubt  that  they  are  entitled  to  even  that. 

I  have  always  thought  the  most  of  the  farmers.  The  new  tenants 
should  be  treated  with  courtesy.  They  should  call  us  "hosts"  and  we 
should  call  them  "guests."  The  host-and-guest  relationship  is  reciprocal. 
What  reason  is  there  to  suppose  that  we  are  higher  than  they  ?  We  must 
be  courteous  to  them  and  love  them.  If  they  ask  for  help,  help  them,  and 
if  they  cannot  repay,  make  it  easy  for  them.  It  has  seemed  ludicrous  to 
me  that  all  the  T'ang  poets  who  wrote  poems  about  the  Cowherd  and 
the  Spinning  Maid  described  only  the  parting  of  the  lovers  and  lost 
sight  of  the  original  meaning  of  their  names.  For  the  Spinning  Maid 
reminds  us  where  our  dress  comes  from,  and  the  Cowherd  reminds  us 
where  our  food  comes  from;  therefore  they  are  the  most  honored  among 
the  stars  of  Heaven.  If  Heaven  thinks  a  great  deal  of  them,  shall  man 
look  down  upon  them  ?  The  hard-working  farmers  who  toil  to  give  us 
the  essentials  of  living  may  be  said  to  have  followed  the  example  of  these 
stars. 

The  women  of  our  town  cannot  weave  coarse  silk  or  cotton,  but  they 
can  still  cook  and  sew  and  do  their  part  nobly.  Recently  many  listen  to 
the  drum-stories  or  play  at  cards.  The  manners  are  becoming  loose  and 
should  be  corrected. 

Although  we  have  three  hundred  mu  of  land,  they  are  mortgaged 
property  and  cannot  be  depended  upon.  Hereafter  we  should  buy  two 
hundred  mu,  so  that  we  brothers  shall  have  each  one  hundred  mu,  which 
is  in  accordance  with  the  ancient  teaching  that  each  farmer  was  to  receive 
a  hundred  mu.  More  than  that  will  be  robbery  of  other  people's  property 
and  a  crime.  There  are  many  people  in  this  world  who  have  no  land, 
and  who  are  we  that  we  should  be  so  greedy  ?  Where  shall  the  poor  ones 
be  forced  to  go?  It  may  be  argued  that  there  are  plenty  of  people  whose 
lands  stretch  for  miles  in  thousands  of  mu,  and  what  can  we  do  about 
it?  The  reply  is,  "Let  others  attend  to  their  affairs,  while  we  attend  to 
ours.  When  good  customs  prevail,  unite  around  the  King  in  harmony. 
When  the  customs  degenerate,  abstain  from  walking  in  evil  company." 
Let  this  be  the  family  tradition  of  Panch'iao. 


1078  CHINESE    WIT    AND    WISDOM 

XIII.    SECOND  LETTER  TO  BROTHER  MO  FROM  THE 
MAGISTRATE'S  RESIDENCE  AT  WEIHSIEN 

My  only  son  was  born  to  me  in  my  fifty-second  year.  Of  cofcrse,  I  love 
him,  but  there  is  a  correct  way  of  loving  one's  children.  Even  in  games, 
he  should  be  taught  to  show  the  heart  of  mercy  and  generosity,  and 
avoid  cruelty.  What  I  hate  most  is  to  have  caged  birds;  wec  enjoy  them 
while  they  are  shut  up  in  prison.  What  justification  is  there  that  we  are 
entitled  to  thwart  the  instincts  of  animals  to  please  our  own  nature? 
As  for  tying  up  a  dragon-fly  by  the  hair  or  tying  a  crab  with  a  piece  of 
string,  it  affords  the  children  some  fun  only  for  a  little  while,  and  soon 
the  little  thing  is  dead.  Now  nature  creates  all  .things  and  nourishes  them 
all.  Even  an  ant  or  an  insect  comes  from  the  combination  of  forces  of 
the  ym  and  yang  and  the  five  elements.  God  also  loves  them  dearly  in 
his  heart,  and  we  who  are  supposed  to  be  the  crown  of  all  creation  cannot 
even  sympathize  with  God's  heart.  How  then  is  the  animal  world  going 
to  have  a  place  of  refuge?  Snakes  and  centipedes,  tigers,  leopards  and 
wolves  are  most  dangerous  animals.  But  since  Heaven  has  given  birth 
to  them,  what  right  have  we  to  take  their  lives?  If  they  were  all  meant 
to  be  killed,  then  why  in  the  first  place  did  Heaven  give  them  life  ?  All 
we  can  do  is  to  drive  them  far  away  so  that  they  shall  not  harm  us.  What 
wrong  has  the  spider  committed  by  spinning  its  web?  Some  kill  them 
without  mercy  on  the  fairy-tale  that  they  curse  the  moon  or  that  they 
may  make  the  walls  crumble  down.  On  what  authority  is  such  a  state- 
ment based,  by  which  we  kill  animals'  lives?  Will  this  do?  Will  this  do? 
As  I  am  away  from  home,  you  should  watch  over  my  son.  Develop  his 
heart  of  kindness  and  stop  his  cruelties.  Don't  spare  him  because  he  is 
your  nephew,  and  not  your  son.  The  children  of  our  servants  are  also  a 
part  of  humankind.  We  should  be  equally  kind  to  them  and  should 
not  permit  our  children  to  bully  them.  When  there  are  fish  or  eatables, 
we  must  also  share  them  with  their  children  and  see  them  happy  and 
jump  about.  If  our  own  children  are  eating  and  let  the  servants'  children 
stand  far  away  looking  on,  their  parents  will  see  it  and,  while  pitying 
them  and  being  unable  to  help  them,  will  shout  to  them  to  go  away.  Is 
this  not  heart-rending  for  the  parents?  Now  to  be  a  scholar  and  be  a. 
college  graduate  or  a  doctor  is  a  small  thing;  the  important  thing  is  to 
be  reasonable  and  be  a  good  man.  Read  this  to  sister-in-law  Kuo  and 


FAMILY    LETTERS    OF    A    CHINESE    POET        1079 

sister-in-law  Jao,  and  let  them  know  that  there  is  a  proper  and  an 
improper  way  of  loving  their  children. 

Postscript.  Regarding  what  I  have  just  said  about  not  keeping  birds  in 
cages,  I  must  say  that  I  always  love  birds,  but  that  there  is  a  proper  way 
of  doing  it.  One  who  loves  birds  should  plant  trees,  so  that  the  house 
shall  be  surrounded  with  hundreds  of  shady  branches  and  be  a  country 
and  a  home  for  birds.  Thus,  at  dawn,  when  we  wake  up  from  sleep  and 
are  still  tossing  about  in  bed,  we  hear  a  chorus  of  chirping  voices  like 
a  celestial  harmony.  And  when  we  get  up  and  are  putting  on  our  gowns 
or  washing  our  faces  or  gargling  our  mouths  or  sipping  the  morning 
tea,  we  see  their  gorgeous  plumes  flitting  about.  Before  we  have  time  to 
look  at  one,  we  are  attracted  by  another.  This  is  a  pleasure  that  far 
exceeds  that  of  keeping  one  bird  in  a  cage.  Generally  the  enjoyment 
of  life  should  come  from  a  view  regarding  the  universe  as  a  park,  and 
the  rivers  and  streams  as  a  pond,  so  that  all  beings  can  live  in  accordance 
with  their  nature.  Great  indeed  is  such  happiness!  How  shall  the  keep- 
ing of  a  bird  in  a  cage  or  a  fish  in  a  jar  be  compared  with  it  in  generosity 
of  spirit  and  m  kindness? 

XIV.    THIRD  LETTER  TO  BROTHER  MO  FROM  WEIHSIEN 

The  wealthy  families  usually  do  their  best  to  secure  the  best  teachers 
for  their  children,  but  the  successful  scholars  usually  come  from  the  poor 
children  who  are  invited  to  study  at  their  schools,  and  not  from  their 
own  children.  In  a  few  years,  the  wealthy  families  go  down;  some 
depend  upon  others  for  a  living;  some  become  beggars,  and  some  are 
barely  able  to  carry  on  without  fear  of  want,  but  are  illiterate.  Some- 
times one  out  of  a  hundred  such  rich  children  will  become  a  successful 
scholar,  but  his  writings  will  lack  depth  and  true  feelings,  the  title  to 
immortality.  Is  it  not  true  therefore  that  wealth  can  make  a  man  stupid 
and  poverty  can  strengthen  a  man's  ambition  and  enlighten  his  mind? 
Although  I  am  a  humble  official,  my  son  may  be  already  considered 
heir  of  an  official  family.  I  do  not  know  whether  he  will  make  good  or 
fail,  but  if  the  children  who  are  studying  with  him  in  our  home  can 
become  successful,  I  shall  be  quite  happy  and  contented.  We  should  be 
most  careful  in  regard  to  his  relationships  with  his  teacher  and  school- 
mates. My  son  is  only  six  and  is  the  youngest  at  school.  The  eldest  among 
his  schoolmates  should  be  addressed  as  hiienshcng,  and  the  next  eldest 


I08o  CHINESE    WIT  AND   WISDOM 

should  be  addressed  as  "elder  brothers."  He  should  not  be  permitted  to 
call  them  directly  by  their  names.  We  have  plenty  of  writing  brush  and 
ink  and  paper  at  our  home  and  should  distribute  them  to  the  school 
children.  I  have  often  observed  how  a  son  of  a  poor  widow  tried  for 
ten  days  to  get  money  for  buying  writing  paper  to  make  a  writing  pad 
and  failed.  We  should  keep  an  eye  on  such  a  boy  and  give  it  to  him 
unintentionally.  And  when  it  rains,  and  a  poor  boy  is  not  able  to  go 
home,  we  should  ask  him  to  stay  for  supper,  and  at  dusk  send  him 
home  with  an  old  pair  of  shoes.  His  parents  love  him,  and  though  they 
may  not  be  able  to  make  good  clothes  for  him,  they  generally  provide  a 
good  pair  of  shoes  and  socks  for  him  to  come  to  school.  Once  that  pair 
gets  wet  with  mud,  it  will  be  difficult  for  them  to  get  another  pair. 

It  is  difficult  to  get  a  good  teacher,  but  it  is  more  important  to  respect 
him.  One  should  be  careful  in  selecting  a  teacher  for  the  school,  but 
once  he  is  chosen,  he  must  be  treated  with  due  respect  and  not  found 
fault  with.  Once  in  officialdom,  it  is  impossible  for  us  to  stay  at  home  to 
coach  the  children.  The  teacher  one  invites  is  usually  just  a  better 
scholar  of  the  village,  but  by  no  means  a  famous  writer.  It  is  easy  to 
laugh  secretly  at  his  mistakes  or  openly  point  out  his  errors.  The  teacher 
will  become  ill  at  ease  and  will  not  be  able  to  devote  his  mind  to  teach- 
ing, while  the  pupils  will  lose  respect  for  him  and  not  work  hard  at 
their  lessons.  This  would  be  a  matter  of  regret.  It  would  be  far  better 
to  make  use  of  what  the  teacher  excels  in  and  make  the  pupils  profit 
by  it.  If  he  is  really  not  qualified,  we  should  wait  till  the  next  year  and 
employ  another  teacher,  but  meanwhile  there  should  be  no  decrease  in 
our  courtesy  toward  him. 

XV.    FOURTH  LETTER  TO  BROTHER  MO  FROM 
WEIHSIEN 

When  a  man  goes  to  school,  he  cannot  be  certain  that  he  will  become 
an  official.  But  whether  he  becomes  an  official  or  not,  he  should  not 
forget  the  true  object  of  study.  If  one  fails  in  the  examinations,  the 
knowledge  gained  still  remains  his  own  and  it  should  not  be  regarded 
as  a  losing  investment.  I,  for  instance,  have  become  successful  and  am 
reputed  to  have  a  good  knowledge  of  books.  But  when  I  ask  myself, 
I  cannot  say  how  many  books  I  have  really  absorbed  into  my  heart. 
All  we  do  usually  is  to  borrow  from  one  book  and  adapt  from  others, 


FAMILY    LETTERS    OF    A    CHINESE    POET       Io8l 

thus  gaining  a  reputation  by  cheating.  The  scholars  owe  a  debt  to  the 
books,  while  the  books  owe  nothing  to  them. 

Formerly  someone  asked  Shcn  Chinsze  what  to  do  to  avoid  poverty, 
and  his  reply  was  to  read  books.  The  man  thought  Shen's  advice  was 
impractical,  but  it  is  practical.  A  man  loses  his  character  by  rushing 
about  and  attending  to  worthless  affairs  and  in  the  end  gams  nothing. 
It  would  be  better  for  him  to  wander  about  in  the  land  of  books  and 
history,  Without  any  object  of  seeking  benefit,  but  suddenly  coming  upon 
some  truth  before  his  very  eyes.  Who  believes  in  this  advice  will  become 
successful  and  who  does  not  will  remain  poor.  It  all  depends  on  whether 
one  has  the  wit  to  realize  it  and  whether  he  has  persistence. 

XVI.    FIFTH  LETTER  TO  BROTHER  MO  FROM  THE 
MAGISTRATE'S  RESIDENCE  AT  WEIHSIEN 

Calligraphy  and  painting  are  considered  fine  arts,  but  are  also  vulgar 
occupations.  Is  it  not  a  vulgar  thing  for  a  man  who  cannot  do  some 
service  to  the  country  and  improve  the  life  of  the  people  to  occupy  him- 
self with  pen  and  ink  for  the  amusement  of  other  people?  It  was  harm- 
less for  Su  Tungp'o  who  took  the  entire  universe  into  his  heart  to 
paint  a  tree  or  a  rock  with  a  dry  brush.  But  Wang  Mochieh  (Wang 
Wei)  and  Chao  Tse-ang  (Mengfu)  were  merely  two  painters  in  the 
times  of  T'ang  and  Sung.  If  you  examine  their  poetry  and  prose,  you 
will  not  find  a  single  line  that  has  to  do  with  the  welfare  of  the  people. 
Place  these  two  persons  among  Fang  (Hsuanhng),  Tu  (Juhwei),  Yao 
(Ts'ung)  and  Sung  (Ching),  and  among  Han  (Ch'i),  Fan  (Chung- 
yen),  Fu  (Pi)  and  Ouyang  (Hsiu),"  and  where  will  they  be?  The  talents 
of  proteges  of  officials'  homes  and  the  skills  of  friends  of  leisure  are  good 
only  for  trimming  flowers,  building  pavilions  and  terraces,  and  examin- 
ing curios  and  tasting  tea.  They  are  worthy  to  give  orders  to  the  doormen 
and  butlers,  but  what  are  they  ?  Your  stupid  brother  had  no  profession 
in  youth,  achieved  nothing  in  middle  age  and  lives  in  poverty  in  old  age. 
I  have  therefore  been  forced  to  earn  a  living  by  my  writing  brush,  but 
in  reality  it  may  be  regarded  a  shame  and  a  disgrace.  I  hope  you  will 
have  some  higher  ambition  and  not  fall  into  my  footsteps.  The  ancient 
people  said  of  Chuko  Liang  that  he  was  "indeed  a  famous  scholar," 

8  The  first  four  arc  famous,  pood  ministers  of  T'ang  and  the  last  four  are  famous  ministers 
of  Sun?. 


1082  CHINESE   WIT  AND   WISDOM 

which  means  that  the  term  "famous  scholar"  could  be  applied  worthily 
only  to  him.  Now  the  city  is  full  of  painters  and  writers  of  calligraphy 
who  are  called  "famous  scholars."  Would  this  not  make  Cho  Liang's 
cheeks  burn  and  turn  the  high-minded  ones'  teeth  cold  (make  them 
sneer)  ? 


The  Epigrams  of  Lusin 


INTRODUCTION 

IT  is  DIFFICULT  to  discuss  or  evaluate  a  contemporary  writer  who  died 
only  in  1936.  But  it  is  still  more  difficult  to  talk  of  God,  and  Lusin  is 
God  to  the  leftist  writers  of  China  today.  Whether  he  will  be  pleased 
with  that  position  or  not,  if  his  spirit  is  conscious,  is  not  such  a  simple 
question  to  one  who  is  acquainted  with  the  highly  complicated  involu- 
tions of  Lusm's  ideas.  Anyway,  in  one  of  his  epigrams  he  says,  "By  the 
time  a  great  man  becomes  fossilized  and  is  worshipped  as  great,  he  is 
already  a  puppet."  I  suppose  it  is  quite  harmless  to  discuss  a  Chinese  god 
in  the  English  language  which  he  does  not  understand.  The  reason  for 
including  a  short  selection  from  Lusin  in  this  anthology  of  the  wisdom 
of  China  is  obvious:  he  is  one  of  the  most  biting  satirists  of  Chinese  cul- 
ture, and  even  such  a  short  selection  will  show  the  mood  and  temper 
of  modern  China,  especially  that  of  young  China  in  regard  to  its  ancient 
culture.  Behind  some  of  his  short  epigrams  one  gets  a  glimpse  of  the 
gigantic  spiritual  and  mental  turmoil  of  a  China  in  revolt  against  the 
past.  Lusin  represents  the  Literature  of  Revolt.  But  this  is  in  itself  a 
sign  of  life. 

In  the  following  selection,  I  have  drawn  less  from  his  direct  views  on 
proletarian  literature  and  class  warfare,  which  are  quite  familiar  to  West- 
ern students  of  the  ideas  of  Soviet  Russia,  and  have  concentrated  more 
upon  his  epigrams  on  life  as  epigrams.  It  must  not  be  forgotten  also 
that  the  charm  he  has  cast  upon  his  readers  is  due  to  his  style  and  his 
bitter  sarcasm  and  occasional  wit,  while  as  a  leader  of  the  theory  of 
proletarian  literature,  his  views  of  ancient  Chinese  culture,  his  continual 
cry  of  revolt  and  his  strictly  Marxian  view  of  the  function  of  literature 
are  eagerly  and  uncritically  accepted  as  the  Bible.  That  his  views  o£ 

1083 


1084  CHINESE    WIT   AND   WISDOM 

China's  culture  seem  shallow  and  unsound,  especially  after  the  five 
years  of  war  which  have  opened  the  eyes  of  the  leftists  themselves  to  the 
inner  strength  of  China's  ancient  ideals,  and  that  a  radical  young  China 
is  willing  to  take  Lusin's  word  for  it  when  he  discourages  them  from 
touching  ancient  books  by  calling  them  poison,  must  be  taken  as  neces- 
sary phases  of  the  age  of  revolt.  Behind  it  one  sees  a  heartrending  spirit 
of  repentance  and,  best  of  all,  an  unquestionable  zeal  for  reform.  After 
all,  China  was  a  little  too  placid  and  lethargic  in  accepting  thq  modern 
world.  For  that  reason  he  directed  his  full  venom  at  those  who  would 
preserve  China's  national  heritage,  because,  as  seen  in  actual  circum- 
stances, it  is  these  people  who  stand  in  the  way  of  reform.  But  the  war 
and  the  migration  inland  are  teaching  young  China  about  ancient  China 
in  a  way  that  "critics"  and  "satirists"  cannot.  For  the  strength  of  China's 
sound  peasantry  is  indisputably  the  strength  of  Confucian  morals. 

Lusin  is  a  warrior  more  than  a  "literary  man."  It  always  seems  to  me 
that  he  was  happiest  when  he  saw  or  imagined  his  face  bruised  and 
groggy.  And  it  is  his  uncompromising,  challenging,  fighting  spirit  that 
so  charms  his  readers,  for  the  public  always  loves  a  good  fighter.  When 
teaching  in  the  Amoy  University,  he  once  saw  a  pig  rubbing  its  back 
against  a  tree  associated  with  love  and  romance,  and  he  could  not  help 
stooping  down  to  fight  the  pig.  A  friend  asked  him  why  he  did  so,  and 
he  would  not  explain.  The  following  is  both  characteristic  of  his  style 
and  his  spirit : 

"I  am  sometimes  aware  that  I  am  wicked.  For  instance,  I  stop  drinking 
and  take  cod-liver  oil  to  lengthen  my  life,  not  entirely  for  the  sake  of 
those  who  love  me,  but  principally  because  of  those  who  are  my  enemies 
— so  that  some  regret  may  remain  in  their  too  perfect  world.  ...  I  still 
mean  to  live  in  this  society,  for  a  reason  that  I  have  often  announced, 
and  that  is,  purposely  to  make  the  so-called  gentlemen  uncomfortable 
for  a  few  more  days.  So  I  still  purposely  leave  a  few  pieces  of  armor  on 
my  body  and  stand  erect  to  give  them  some  regret  in  their  world,  until 
I  am  wearied  and  tired,  and  then  I  will  go  away." 

This  is  typical  of  his  style : 

"There  are  two  kinds  of  difficult  crises  in  a  man's  life.  One  is  when 
you  come  to  a  cross-road.  According  to  Motse,  one  ought  to  weep  and 
turn  back.  But  I  would  neither  weep  nor  turn  back,  but  would  first  sit 
down  at  the  cross-road  for  a  little  rest  or  a  little  nap,  and  then  choose  a 
relatively  better  road  to  travel.  If  I  come  across  a  fool,  perhaps  I  will 


THE    EPIGRAMS    OF    LUSIN  1085 

rob  him  of  his  food  to  stop  my  hunger,  but  will  not  ask  him  for  the  way, 
because  I  know  he  cannot  tell  me.  If  I  should  meet  a  tiger,  I  would  climb 
up  a  tree,  and  come  down  only  after  he  could  not  stand  his  hunger  and 
had  gone  away.  If  he  didn't  go  away,  I  would  rather  die  of  hunger  on  the 
top  of  the  tree,  and  moreover  tie  myself  to  a  bough  so  that  he  shall  not 
have  the  pleasure  of  eating  even  my  dead  body.  But  if  there  is  no  tree, 
what  then?  I  will  offer  myself  to  him  and  invite  him  to  eat  me,  but  must 
bite  a  morsel  off  him  first.  The  second  kind  of  crisis  is  when  you  come  to 
an  extremity.  It  is  said  that  Yuan  Tsi  also  wept  and  turned  back  on  his 
way,  as  Motse  advised  on  coming  to  a  cross-road.  One  must  still  go 
on  and  make  one's  way  by  cutting  through  the  brambles  and  under- 
growths.  But  I  have  never  yet  come  to  a  place  where  there  is  no  road, 
but  all  brambles.  I  do  not  know  whether  there  is  such  a  thing  as  an 
extremity,  or  merely  that  I  have  not  come  across  one." 

"Lusin"  is  his  pen  name,  his  real  name  being  Chou  Shujen.  It  is 
because  he  is  more  a  warrior  than  a  "literary  man"  that  in  reading  his 
writings,  one  continually  smells  blood,  gunpowder,  and  sweat  and  tears. 
As  was  said  of  Heinnch  Heine,  his  coffin  should  be  laid,  not  with  a 
pen,  but  with  a  sword.  The  structure  of  his  ideas  is  fairly  simple:  all 
that  belongs  to  China's  ancient  culture  is  putrid  and  poisonous,  and  all 
that  Lunacharsky  says  about  literature  is  perfect.  He  advises  China's 
young  men  to  "read  few,  or  absolutely  no,  Chinese  books,  but  read  for- 
eign books";  he  compares  Chinese  ancient  books  to  "poison"  or  "arsenic" 
and  says  the  reading  of  them  makes  him  sleepy;  he  says  "although  there 
is  a  strain  of  teaching  in  ancient  books  for  taking  up  responsibility 
toward  society,  but  mostly  it  is  the  optimism  of  corpses;  while  although 
there  is  a  strain  of  cynicism  and  decadence  in  foreign  books,  it  is  the 
cynicism  and  decadence  of  living  men."  He  advocates  the  abolition  of 
Chinese  writing,  believes  in  the  "Europeanization  of  Chinese  syntax" 
and  is  for  imitation  of  foreign  grammar.  He  urges  the  young  men  to 
worship  Darwin  and  Ibsen  rather  than  Confucius  and  Kuan  Yii,  and 
sacrifice  to  Apollo  rather  than  to  the  God  of  Pestilence.  These  ideas  are 
incredibly  naive  and  hardly  show  a  sense  of  discernment  either  of  the 
East  or  of  the  West.  They  are  taken  very  seriously,  and  it  is  a  true  fact 
that  "leftist  professors"  advise  China's  young  men  not  to  read  Chinese 
ancient  works,  though  they  themselves  read  them  on  the  sly  to  improve 
their  style,  like  pharmacists  who  are  qualified  to  handle  arsenic.  This 
self-deception  is  going  on  today.  But  China  needed  a  man  like  Lusin 


1086  CHINESE   WIT  AND  WISDOM 

to  wake  the  millions  up  from  the  self-complacency  and  lethargy  and 
accumulated  inertia  of  four  thousand  years.  Perhaps  China  needs  still 
more  Lusins.  But  the  young  China  that  listens  to  Lusin  and  accepts  his 
ideas  is  a  China  no  longer  self-complacent,  but  humble  and  anxious  to 
learn  from  the  West,  and  humility  is  the  beginning  of  wisdom. 


The  Epigrams  of  Lusin 

Translated  by  Lin  Yutang 


1  Those  who  were  officials  in  former  regimes  wish  to  restore  the 
ancient  culture;  those  who  are  officials  now  wish  to  maintain  the  status 
quo\  and  those  who  are  not  yet  officials  cry  for  reform. 

2  When  you  talk  with  famous  scholars,  the  best  thing  is  to  pretend 
that  occasionally  you  do  not  quite  understand  them.  If  you  understand 
too  little,  you  will  be  despised;  if  you  understand  too  much,  you  will 
be  disliked;  if  you  just  fail  occasionally  to  understand  them,  you  will 
suit  each  other  very  well. 

3  Do  not  guard  yourself  against  those  who  call  themselves  thieves, 
for  when  you  find  out  the  opposite,  they  turn  out  to  be  gentlemen. 
Guard  yourself  against  those  who  call  themselves  gentlemen,  for  when 
you  discover  the  opposite,  they  turn  out  to  be  thieves. 

4  The  man  who  is  hated  by  the  man  you  hate  is  a  good  person. 

5  Jesus  said  that  it  is  easier  for  a  camel  to  go  through  the  needle's 
eye  than  for  a  rich  man  to  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  he  had 
to  go  through  Gethsemane.  Now  the  rich  men  of  the  West  are  worship- 
ping Jesus,  and  it  is  the  poor  who  are  going  through  Gethsemane. 

6  The  bourgeosie  love  to  hear  scandals,  particularly  scandals  about 
persons  they  know. 

7  In  the  war  between  the  so-called  celestial  spirits  and  the  devils, 
both  are  fighting  not  for  the  control  of  heaven,  but  for  the  control  of 
hell.  Therefore  irrespective  of  who  wins,  hell  still  remains  hell. 

8  I  think  it  is  difficult  to  say  whether  there  is  such  a  thing  as  hope 
or  not.  Hope  is  like  a  road  in  the  country;  there  was  never  a  road,  but 
when  many  people  walk  on  it,  the  road  comes  into  existence. 

1087 


I088  CHINESE   WIT  AND   WISDOM 

9  The  so-called  "peace"  is  an  interval  between  wars. 

10  One  who  knows  many  subjects  is  liable  to  be  shallow;  one  who 
knows  only  one  subject  is  apt  to  be  perverse. 

11  A  woman  has  a  maternal  instinct  and  a  childish  instinct,  but  not 
the  instinct  of  a  wife.  Her  wife-instinct  is  a  combination  of  her  maternal 
and  childish  instincts. 

12  A  bee  gives  a  sting  and  loses  its  life;  a  satirist  gives  a  sting  and 
preserves  his.  * 

13  I  used  to  think  that  a  man  was  sentenced  to  death  or  imprison- 
ment because  he  was  guilty;  now  I  know  that  he  is  found  guiltv  because 
he  is  disliked. 

14  I  have  hated  too  many  things  in  this  society  and  ought  to  be  hated 
by  others  myself.  This  gives  me  a  feeling  of  living  in  a  human  world. 

15  There  was  a  ruffian  in  Tientsin  during  the  Boxer  trouble  who 
always  demanded  two  dollars  for  carrying  a  person's  luggage.  Even  if 
the  luggage  was  very  light,  he  said  he  wanted  two  dollars.  Even  if  the 
distance  was  very  small,  he  still  wanted  two  dollars.  Even  if  the  person 
didn't  want  him  to  carry  the  luggage  at  all,  he  still  wanted  two  dollars. 
The  ruffian's  conduct  was  execrable,  but  his  insistent  spirit  was  admir- 
able. The  same  may  be  applied  to  demanding  women's  rights.  If  one 
says  to  you,  "This  is  outmoded,"  your  answer  is  "I  want  women's  rights." 
If  one  says  to  you,  "This  is  unworthy  of  you,"  your  answer  still  is,  "1 
want  women's  rights."  If  one  says  to  you,  "Don't  be  so  anxious.  Every- 
thing will  be  well  when  the  economic  system  is  changed,"  your  answer 
still  should  be,  "I  want  women's  rights." 

16  Chinese  people  love  compromise.  If  you  say  to  them,  "This  room 
is  too  dark,  we  must  have  a  window  made,"  they  will  all  oppose  you. 
But  if  you  say,  "Let's  take  off  the  roof, '  they  will  compromise  with  you 
and  say  "Let's  have  a  window." 

17  The  Chinese  people  worship  the  malign  spirits,  like  the  God  of 
Pestilence  and  the  God  of  Fire,  and  bully  the  honest  gods,  like  the  God 
of  the  Earth  and  the  God  of  the  Kitchen.  They  do  the  same  with  their 
emperors. 

18  China  is  like  a  room  with  invisible  walls.  You  are  liable  to  knock 
your  head  against  something.  The  man  who  is  willing  to  fight  these 
walls  and  bump  his  head  without  minding  pain  wins. 

19  I  often  think  that  we  ought  to  apply  the  new  law  to  the  new  and 
the  old  law  to  the  old.  When  old  officials  of  the  Manchu  Dynasty  com- 
mit a  crime,  we  ought  to  flog  their  bottoms. 


THE    EPIGRAMS    OF    LUSIN  1089 

20  The  Chinese  culture  is  the  culture  of  serving  one's  masters, 
achieved  at  the  cost  of  the  misery  of  multitudes.  Those  who  praise 
Chinese  culture,  whether  they  be  Chinese  or  foreigners,  assume  that 
they  belong  to  the  ruling  class. 

21  People  hate  Buddhist  monks  and  nuns,  Mohammedans  and 
Christians,  but  no  one  hates  a  Taoist.  To  understand  the  reason  for  this 
is  to  understand  half  of  China. 

22  Tnere  is  a  favorite  way  with  those  who  know  old  literature. 
When  a  new  idea  is  introduced,  they  call  it  "heresy"  and  must  bend  all 
their  efforts  to  destroy  it.  When  that  new  idea,  after  hard  struggle,  has 
won  a  place  for  itself,  they  then  discover  that  "it's  same  thing  as  what 
was  taught  by  Confucius."  They  object  to  all  imported  things,  saying 
that  this  is  "to  convert  Chinese  into  barbarians,"  but  when  the  barbarians 
become  rulers  of  China,  they  discover  these  "barbarians"   are  also 
descendants  of  the  Yellow  Emperor. 

23  The  Chinese  have  only  two  names  for  foreign  races:  one  is  "for- 
eign races,"  the  other  is  "Your  Majesty." 

24  When  the  Chinese  are  in  power,  and  see  that  others  cannot  do 
anything  to  them  .  .  .  they  are  autocrats  and  have  no  use  for  mod- 
eration; when  they  begin  to  talk  of  "moderation,"  they  know  they  have 
to  be  moderate;  and  when  they  are  out  of  luck,  then  they  begin  to  speak 
of  "fate."  They  would  be  contented  even  with  being  slaves  and  find 
themselves  in  perfect  harmony  with  the  universe. 

25  Who  says  that  the  Chinese  do  not  change?  When  new  things  are 
introduced,  they  want  to  reject  them,  but  when  they  begin  to  see  that 
there  is  something  in  them,  they  begin  to  change.  But  they  do  not 
change  by  adapting  themselves  to  the  new  things,  but  by  adapting  the 
new  things  to  themselves. 

26  Buddhism  was  once  fought  against  in  China.  But  when  the 
(Sung)   philosophers  of  reason  began  to  talk  of  contemplation  and 
monks  learned  to  write  poetry,  then  the  time  was  ripe  for  the  discovery 
that  "the  three  religions  come  from  the  same  source." 

27  A  friend  of  mine  has  said,  "The  question  is  not  whether  we  can 
preserve  our  national  heritage,  but  whether  the  national  heritage  can 
preserve  us."  To  preserve  ourselves  is  the  first  thing.  The  question  is 
whether  it  has  or  has  not  the  power  to  preserve  us,  and  not  whether  it 
is  "national  heritage." 

28  I  think  our  immediate  needs  at  present  are  the  three  things:  first, 
self-preservation,  second,  food  and  clothing,  and  third,  development. 


1090  CHINESE    WIT   AND   WISDOM 

Anything  which  stands  in  the  way  of  these  three  things  ought  to  be 
ruthlessly  trampled  down— be  it  man  or  ghost,  or  the  Three  Scripts  and 
Five  Canons,  or  the  "Hundred  Sung"  or  "Thousand  Yuan"  editions,1 
be  it  the  astrolabe  or  the  Divination  Chart,2  the  golden  statue  or  jade 
Buddha,  or  family  secrets  for  medicines  or  pills  made  by  secret  processes. 

29  Rather  than  worship  Confucius  and  Kuan  Kung,  one  should 
worship  Darwin  and  Ibsen.  Rather  than  Sacrifice  to  the  God  of  Pestilence 
and  the  Five  Classes  of  Spirits,  one  should  worship  Apollo.3     * 

30  The  greatest  and  most  enduring  art  of  China  is  that  of  men  acting 
the  role  of  women  on  the  stage.  .  .  .  The  best  part  about  men  acting  as 
women  is  that  the  men  in  the  audience  see  the  men  are  acting  as  women, 
and  the  women  in  the  audience  see  that  the  women  are  being  acted  by 
men. 

31  Both  talking  and  writing  are  the  signs  of  those  who  have  failed. 
Those  who  are  engaged  in  fighting  the  evil  forces  have  no  time  for  these, 
and  those  who  are  successful  keep  quiet. 

32  We  have  hereafter  only  two  roads  to  choose:  one  is  to  embrace 
the  ancient  literature  and  die,  the  other  is  to  forsake  the  ancient  litera- 
ture and  live. 

33  Immaturity  need  not  be  ashamed  before  maturity  just  as  a  child 
need  not  be  ashamed  before  an  old  man.  This  is  true  of  writing;  a  young 
writer  need  not  be  ashamed  of  his  immaturity,  for  if  his  personality  is 
not  thwarted,  he  will  grow  and  mature  in  time,  while  there  is  no  hope 
for  senility  and  decay. 

34  The  great  judge  of  man's  soul  is  at  the  same  time  its  defendant. 
The  judge  on  his  bench  enumerates  the  crimes  the  soul  has  committed 
while  the  defendant  tries  his  best  to  paint  a  picture  of  its  good  points. 
The  judge  exposes  the  dirt  in  his  soul,  while  the  defendant  reveals  the 
beauty  among  its  dirt.  In  this  way,  the  depths  of  the  human  soul  can  be 
revealed. 

35  The  literature  of  former  days  is  like  watching  a  fire  from  across 
the  water;  in  present-day  literature,  the  author  himself  is  being  scorched 
by  the  fire  and  he  is  bound  to  feel  it  deeply,  and  when  he  begins  to  feel 
it  deeply,  he  is  bound  to  take  part  in  the  social  struggle. 

1  Names  of  two  famous  collections  of  rare  editions. 

*  Both  mentioned  in  the  Book  of  History. 

8  This  has  justified  the  witticism  that  the  American  bug  is  better  than  the  Chinese  bug  and 

the  Amencan  moon  is  better  than  the  Chinese  moon.  Lusm  knew  principally  Japanese 

and  some  German,  besides  Chinese. 


One  Hundred  Proverbs 


INTRODUCTION 

THE  FOLLOWING  COLLECTION  OF  PROVERBS  is  taken  from  a  cheap  edition 
of  a  "popular"  book  of  games,  riddles,  jokes,  verse  oddities  and  anec- 
dotes, by  an  anonymous  author  so  undistinguished  that  its  signatures 
are  at  once  disarming.  It  is  called  "A  Night's  Talk,"  written  by  "Mr. 
Tut-Tut!"  and  revised  by  "Mr.  Pfui-Pfui!"  From  internal  evidence, 
it  appears  to  have  been  written  in  the  seventeenth  century. 

A  word  about  the  moral  elevation  of  this  Mr.  Tut-Tut  is  therefore 
necessary.  Mr.  Tut-Tut  merely  inherited  a  tradition  of  folk  and  literary 
wisdom  and,  like  Benjamin  Franklin,  wrote  some  extremely  good 
proverbs  himself.  Back  of  these  proverbs  are  all  the  subtlety  and  depth 
of  Laotse,  the  common  sense  of  Confucius,  the  practical  shrewdness  of 
Han  Fei,  the  hard  cynicism  of  Yang  Chu,  the  super-mundane  breadth 
of  a  Buddhist  monk  and  the  tender  sensualism  of  a  Chinese  poet, 
blended  together  in  spirit  so  that  they  represent  China's  wisdom  of  the 
ages.  They  seem  to  let  us  look  at  life  through  the  window  of  a  Chinese 
scholar's  hut.  For  the  Chinese  literature  of  the  earliest  times  started  out 
with  an  amazing  fondness  for  moralizations  (witness  Tsochuan  and 
Chan  gouts' eh),  and  through  the  centuries,  every  scholar  was  content 
to  note  down  a  moral  truth,  or  give  it  a  new  expression,  no  matter  how 
often  that  truth  had  been  observed  before.  In  one  sense,  Chinese  litera- 
ture is  strewn  with  proverbs  and  moral  maxims.  Then,  especially  begin- 
ning with  the  Sung  Dynasty,  quite  a  few  writers  began  consciously  to 
write  books  of  maxims  and  observations  on  human  nature  and  human 
life.  Deepened  by  the  Buddhist  outlook  and  refined  by  T'ang  poetry, 
these  maxims  soon  assumed  a  special  form  and  delicacy  of  expression, 
with  all  the  subtleties  of  poetic  diction.  In  the  sixteenth  and  seventeenth 

1091 


1092  CHINESE   WIT   AND   WISDOM 

centuries,  when  the  so-called  hsiaop'in,  or  casual  essays,  reached  special 
perfection,  we  see  a  sudden  growth  of  such  books  of  maxims,  by  Ch'en 
Chiju,  Tu  Lung,  Chang  Ch'ao,  etc.  I  have  already  translated  "The 
Epigrams  of  Chang  Ch'ao"  (about  half  of  the  original  book)  in  The 
Importance  of  Living,  while  the  present  ones  are  more  in  the  nature 
of  proverbs. 

These  hundred  proverbs  I  have  selected  are  distinctly  of  a  popular  type 
and  many  are  culled  from  sources  which  I  can  recognize.  BiK  they  are 
popular  also  in  another  special  sense.  They  represent  the  average  con- 
tent of  couplet  scrolls  that  are  invariably  seen  in  Chinese  households, 
similar  to  the  custom  half  a  century  ago  when  American  homes  used  to 
hang  biblical  maxims  in  the  parlor  or  bedroom.  In  other  words,  they 
are  sayings  which  the  Chinese  call  good,  and  to  which  their  hearts  give 
an  instinctive  assent.  Some  of  these  are  seen  in  couplet  scrolls  and 
almost  all  of  them  can  be  used  for  such  purposes.  Almost  all  of  them 
are  put  in  the  form  of  literary  couplets,  a  form  developed  to  the  last 
degree  of  nicety  in  the  "T'ang  poems,'*  where  in  a  verse  of  eight  lines, 
the  middle  four  lines  must  perforce  be  in  the  form  of  two  couplets. 
And  good  lines  of  poetry  should  be  popular  because  every  perfect  line 
should  have  a  melody  and  inevitableness  of  expression  besides  the 
thought,  like  a  proverb. 

It  is  therefore  singular,  but  not  unintelligible  that  proverbs  of  such 
moral  elevation  should  be  found  in  a  cheap  book  of  games,  riddles  and 
jokes.  One  should  be  surprised  nowadays  to  find  such  proverbs  in  the 
New  Yor^  World-Telegram's  "Year  Book,"  but  one  need  not  be  sur- 
prised at  all  to  find  them  in  'Toor  Richard's  Almanac."  That  is  the  dif- 
ference between  the  past  world  and  the  present  one,  between  the  world 
of  simple  wisdom  and  the  world  of  well-verified,  well-tabulated  and 
well-indexed  Infallible  Sacred  Facts.  These  facts  are  our  god  today. 
They  are  almost  all  we  have. 

There  is  often  a  touch  of  cynicism  in  these  maxims,  but  that  can 
hardly  be  a  fault.  An  idealist  who  has  outgrown  his  idealism  is  a  danger 
to  society,  but  a  cynic  who  has  outgrown  his  cynicism  is  one  of  the  kind- 
est persons  on  earth.  After  reading  these,  one  can  enjoy  the  games  and 
jokes  and  riddles  better. 


One  Hundred  Proverbs 

» 

by  Mr.  Tut-Tut 

Translated  by  Lin  Yutang 

1  Men  and  women  who  know  each  other  easily  are  cheap  lovers; 
persons  who  easily  make  friends  are  not  lifelong  friends. 

2  To  have  a  peace  of  mind  not  quite  perfect  is  to  deepen  the  aware- 
ness of  peace;  to  enjoy  pleasure  not  quite  to  the  limit  is  to  prolong  the 
flavor  of  those  pleasures. 

3  The  silkworm  weaves  its  cocoon  and  stays  inside,  therefore  it  is 
imprisoned;  the  spider  weaves  its  web  and  stays  outside,  therefore  it  U 
free. 

4  An  intelligent  person  often  talks  with  his  eyes;  a  shallow  man 
often  swallows  with  his  ears. 

5  Endure  a  small  insult  and  be  safe  from  a  big  insult;  suffer  some 
small  loss  and  be  safe  from  a  big  loss.  Where  you  miss  an  advantage  in 
a  deal,  you  gain  an  advantage. 

6  There  are  heroes  with  hearts  of  steel  and  beards  of  frost,  and  beau- 
ties with  faces  like  a  flower,  breathing  fragrance  with  their  smiles — the 
same  human  skull,  yet  what  different  acts  of  farce! 

7  Personal  talent  coupled  with  a  slow  temper  becomes  great  talent; 
wisdom  coupled  with  a  pacifist  mind  becomes  true  wisdom. 

8  It  would  be  indeed  an  ideal  world  if  warriors  did  not  have  the  air 
of  the  army,  scholars  did  not  have  the  air  of  bookish  dogmatism,  moun- 
tain recluses  did  not  have  the  smell  of  mists  and  clouds  and  monks  did 
not  smell  of  incense  and  the  altar. 

9  Do  not  open  your  heart  to  the  grim  silent  one;  guard  your  tongue 
before  the  garrulous  fool. 

1093 


1094  CHINESE    WIT   AND   WISDOM 

10  Talk  not  of  your  personal  success  to  one  who  has  failed;  forget 
not  your  failures  in  your  moment  of  success. 

11  Avoid  the  mean  person,  but  do  not  make  him  your  personal 
enemy;  get  close  to  the  gentleman,  but  do  not  always  say  "Yes"  to  him. 

12  Who  cannot  be  of  use  to  society  and  therefore  wears  the  mask 
of  cynics  is  afraid  to  meet  the  true  hero;  who  is  not  fit  to  sit  on  top  but 
insists  on  sitting  on  top  is  safe  among  his  futile  friends. 

13  Who  makes  his  mind  the  slave  of  his  body  is  like  a  plodding 
horse  or  cattle;  who  sacrifices  his  body  to  fame  is  like  a  caged  pheasant 
or  wild  goose. 

14  The  true  hero  hardens  his  nature  and  controls  his  mind;  the  mock 
variety  makes  a  show  of  his  talent  and  flies  off  his  temper. 

15  Who  likes  to  insult  people  through  his  writings  is  like  a  sorceress; 
who  likes  to  flatter  people  through  his  writings  is  like  a  fortune-teller. 

1 6  The  ancients  blamed  Heaven  for  their  mishaps;  the  moderns 
blame  the  earth— that  is  why  they  change  the  sites  of  their  ancestors' 
graves. 

17  A  private  garden  should  have  a  section  of  rustic  wildness;  if  it 
merely  dazzles  by  its  sumptuousness,  the  vulgarity  of  it  suffocates  one's 
breath. 

18  No  one  is  safe  from  flattery,  therefore  the  art  of  flattery  is  infi- 
nitely various;  the  crowd  of  blackmailers  is  legion,  therefore  the  flow 
of  rumors  is  difficult  to  stop. 

19  All  the  universe  is  an  inn;  search  not  specially  for  a  retreat  of 
peace:  all  the  people  are  your  relatives;  expect  therefore  troubles  from 
them. 

20  It  is  most  difficult  for  love  to  last  long,  therefore  who  loves  pas- 
sionately is  in  the  end  cured  of  love;  human  nature  is  eternal,  therefore 
who  follows  his  nature  in  the  end  retains  his  orignial  nature. 

21  The  blessing  of  health  is  realized  on  the  sickbed;  the  blessing  of 
a  peaceful  home  is  realized  when  that  peace  is  upset. 

22  All  people  are  in  financial  troubles  sometimes.  The  failure  to 
realize  the  meaning  of  poverty  must  be  also  considered  a  fault  of  the 
wealthy  and  successful.  Moreover,  there  are  heroes  among  the  poor: 
the  right  thing  is  to  open  your  eyes  and  broaden  your  chest. 

23  Thrift  is  an  aid  to  integrity;  loyalty  guides  one  toward  a  steady 
character.  (Who  lives  within  his  means  is  not  tempted. — Ed.) 

24  To  suffer  an  insult  from  those  one  fears  is  not  true  patience;  to 
suffer  an  insult  from  those  one  does  not  fear  is  true  patience. 


ONE    HUNDRED    PROVERBS  1095 

25  Who  does  not  enjoy  his  happy  moments  cannot  after  all  be  called 
lucky;  who  feels  happy  in  extremities  is  the  real  cultivated  scholar. 

26  To  see  through  fame  and  wealth  is  to  gain  a  little  rest;  to  see 
through  life  and  death  is  to  gam  a  big  rest. 

27  Swim  not  in  the  tides  of  the  world,  and  storms  will  not  beat  upon 
your  breast. 

28  To  be  elated  at  success  and  disappointed  at  failure  is  to  be  the 
child  of  circumstances;  how  can  such  a  one  be  called  master  of  himself? 

29  Stupidity  prevents  one  from  committing  mistakes;  leisure  con- 
fers upon  one  many  privileges.  (A  folk  proverb,  especially  as  a  guide 
to  officialdom:  Do  much,  err  much;  do  little,  err  little;  do  nothing,  err 
nothing.  This,  however,  differs  in  sense  from  the  maxim  which  warns 
against  the  man  with  flighty  ideas  and  unsteady  purpose. — Ed.) 

30  Disasters  arise  from  hatred;  good  luck  comes  from  goodness  of 
heart. 

31  Accumulate  learning  as  you  would  accumulate  wealth;   seek 
moral  goodness  as  you  would  seek  official  rank  and  honor;  love  your 
parents  as  you  would  love  your  wife  and  children;  look  after  the  country 
well  as  you  would  look  after  your  own  official  post. 

32  Who  is  narrow  of  vision  cannot  be  big-hearted;  who  is  narrow  of 
spirit  cannot  take  long,  easy  strides. 

33  Who  gives  me  goods  hurts  my  spirit;  who  gives  me  fame  injures 
my  life. 

34  Do  not  be  cool  toward  a  close  relative  on  account  of  some  small 
quarrel;  do  not  forget  an  old  act  of  kindness  because  of  a  recent  dispute. 

35  In  moments  of  satisfied  conceit,  one  speaks  words  of  untruth; 
in  moments  of  heated  anger,  one  speaks  words  offending  courtesy. 

36  Be  firm  in  your  acts,  but  easy  in  your  heart;  be  strict  with  your- 
self, but  gentle  with  your  fellowmen. 

37  God  gives  me  bad  luck,  I  meet  it  with  a  generous  heart.  God  gives 
me  labor  and  toil,  I  meet  it  with  an  easy-going  mind.  God  gives  me 
trials  and  adversities,  I  understand  them  by  means  of  Tao  (compre- 
hension of  the  rhythm  of  life). 

38  Some  who  do  not  save  in  times  of  plenty  regret  it  in  times  of 
need;  some  who  do  not  study  in  youth  regret  it  on  occasions  when 
knowledge  is  of  use;  some  who  talk  freely  when  drunk  regret  it  when 
they  are  sober;  some  who  do  not  give  themselves  a  little  rest  in  the 
days  of  their  health  regret  it  when  they  are  confined  to  bed. 


1096  CHINESE    WIT   AND    WISDOM 

39  Who  likes  to  spread  secrets  should  not  be  told  a  secret;  who  loves 
to  criticize  affairs  cannot  be  entrusted  with  affairs. 

40  Keep  your  mind  busy  to  accomplish  things;  keep  your  mind 
open  to  understand  things. 

41  If  a  scholar,  being  poor,  cannot  help  people  with  money  but  will 
on  occasions  wake  up  a  man  from  his  folly  or  save  a  man  from  trouble 
with  a  word  of  advice,  that  is  also  a  form  of  (religious)  merit. 

42  The  man  of  real  ability  shows  his  ability  in  his  face;  tfie  happy 
man  conceals  his  talents. 

43  Humility  is  a  good  tning,  but  over-humility  is  near  to  crooked- 
ness; silence  is  a  virtue,  but  undue  silence  bespeaks  a  deceitful  mind. 

44  Who  does  evil  and  is  afraid  of  letting  it  be  known  has  still  a 
seed  of  good  in  his  evil;  who  does  good  and  is  anxious  to  have  it  known 
has  still  a  root  of  evil  in  his  good. 

45  Who  does  not  have  self-respect  invites  disgrace;  who  is  not  on 
the  look-out  against  himself  courts  disaster;  who  is  not  satisfied  with 
himself  will  grow;  who  is  not  sure  of  his  own  correctness  will  learn 
many  things. 

46  One  should  not  miss  the  flavor  of  being  sick,  nor  miss  the  expe- 
rience of  being  destitute. 

47  Who  is  indignant  at  false  gossip  invites  rumor;  who  is  pleased 
with  words  of  praise  attracts  the  flatterers. 

48  By  sometimes  thinking  of  the  period  of  illness,  one's  worldly 
ambitions  become  milder;  by  sometimes  thinking  of  death,  one's  reli- 
gious thoughts  grow. 

49  On  occasions  of  a  great  or  difficult  crisis,  you  see  a  man's  stature; 
on  occasions  of  good  luck  or  mishap,  you  see  a  man's  great  or  small 
mind;  in  moments  of  satisfaction  or  anger,  you  see  a  man's  degree  of 
moral  culture  (hanyang) ;  in  a  man's  refusal  or  acceptance  of  a  course 
of  action  with  or  against  the  crowd,  you  see  a  man's  sense  of  judgment. 

50  When  God  wishes  to  send  disaster  upon  a  person,  He  first  sends 
him  a  little  luck  to  elate  him  and  see  whether  he  can  receive  it  in  a 
worthy  manner;  when  God  wishes  to  send  blessing  upon  a  person, 
He  first  sends  him  a  little  mishap  and  sees  how  well  he  can  take  it. 

51  Talent  grows  strong  through  personal  force;  character  becomes 
firm  through  the  will. 

52  The  noisy  person  cannot  have  calm  judgment;  the  timid  soul 
cannot  have  superior  sense;  the  man  of  inordinate  desires  cannot  do 


ONE    HUNDRED    PROVERBS  1097 

generous  deeds;  the  man  of  many  words  cannot  have  a  steady  mind; 
the  man  of  physical  prowess  cannot  have  refinement. 

53  He  who  is  a  good  judge  of  men  corrects  what  he  hears  by  what 
he  sees;  he  w»»o  is  not  a  good  judge  of  men  corrupts  what  he  sees  by 
what  he  hears. 

54  The  clever  man  often  worries;  the  loyal  person  is  often  over- 
worked. 

55  Trn  great  hypocrite  weeps  to  make  people  believe  him;  women 
and  cowards  weep  to  make  people  pity  them. 

56  A  girl  who  flirts  with  her  looks  is  not  chaste;  a  scholar  who  flirts 
with  his  knowledge  is  not  honest. 

57  When  a  mean  person  plans  to  injure  a  gentleman,  his  heart  is 
^ruel,  his  plans  are  well  laid  out  and  his  action  is  firm;  therefore  the 
gentleman  can  seldom  escape.  When  a  gentleman  intends  to  punish  a 
mean  person,  his  heart  is  kind,  his  plans  are  incomplete,  and  he  cannot 
quite  go  to  the  limit;  therefore  more  citen  he  himself  is  victimized  by  it. 

58  The  amasser  of  wealth  is  rich  materially  and  poor  in  his  mind; 
the  contented  man  is  materially  poor  and  rich  in  his  mind. 

59  Virtue  in  a  rich  person  is  the  ability  to  give,  in  a  poor  man  it  is 
the  refusal  to  beg;  in  a  man  of  high  position  it  is  a  humble  attitude  to- 
ward fellowmen,  and  in  a  man  of  low  position  it  is  the  ability  to  see 
through  life. 

60  There  is  never  a  quarrel  that  cannot  be  settled  when  both  parties 
repent,  never  a  friendship  that  does  not  succeed  when  both  parties  are 
attracted  toward  one  another,  never  a  stroke  of  bad  luck  that  can  be 
avoided  when  both  parties  have  lost  their  temper. 

61  The  braggart  is  seldom  loyal;  the  glib  talker  is  seldom  honest. 

62  The  proud  spirit,  the  chivalric  spirit  and  the  beautiful  spirit  suf- 
fuse fragrance  even  when  their  bones  are  dead;  words  of  cool  detach- 
ment, witty  words  and  words  of  charm  carry  weight  though  their  vol- 
ume be  small. 

63  Such  is  the  power  of  literature:  it  speaks  of  joy  and  makes  one 
dance;  it  speaks  of  sorrow  and  makes  one  weep;  it  speaks  of  retirement 
and  makes  one  detached;  it  speaks  of  love  and  makes  one  tender;  it 
speaks  of  danger  and  makes  one  shiver;  it  speaks  of  pent-up  anger  and 
makes  one  cautious;  it  speaks  of  indignation  and  makes  one  lay  one's 
hand  on  the  sword;  it  speaks  of  incitement  to  action  and  makes  one 
throw  down  the  pen;  it  speaks  of  the  high  and  makes  one  soar  up  to  the 
clouds;  it  speaks  of  the  low  and  makes  one  roll  down  the  rocks.  Ir 


1090  CHINESE    WIT   AND   WISDOM 

shakes  our  heart  and  dazzles  our  eyes,  but  this  has  nothing  to  do  with 
stylistic  embellishments. 

64  Of  the  things  that  are  good,  only  study  is  good  without  accom- 
panying evil;  the  love  of  mountains  and  rivers  is  good  without  accom- 
panying evil;  taking  pleasure  in  the  moon,  the  breeze,  flowers  and 
bamboos  is  good  without  accompanying  evil;  sitting  in  upright  posture 
in  silence  is  good  without  accompanying  evil. 

65  Wine  dispels  sorrow,  and  the  best  part  is  when  one  is  slightly 
drunk;  carefree  fancies  go  into  poems,  and  the  best  lines  are  obtained 
without  effort. 

66  There  are  four  rules  for  living  in  the  mountains :  let  there  be  no 
formation  in  trees,  no  arrangement  of  rocks,  no  sumptuousness  in  the 
living  house,  and  no  contrivance  in  the  human  heart. 

67  One  should  see  the  flowers'  shadow  in  the  water,  the  bamboos' 
shadow  under  the  moon,  and  the  beauty's  shadow  behind  a  door  screen. 

68  There  must  be  no  straining  after  effect  in  the  arts  of  leisure:  to 
go  after  the  fanciful  in  dress,  the  exotic  in  food,  and  quality  in  daily 
utensils  is  uncleanlmess  in  the  pursuit  of  leisure,  and  the  worm  of  cor- 
ruption in  the  pursuit  of  leisure. 

69  To  stay  up  in  the  mountains  is  a  fine  thing,  but  the  slightest 
attachment  turns  it  into  a  market;  the  appreciation  of  old  paintings  is  a 
refined  hobby,  but  the  slightest  greed  of  possession  turns  one  into  a  mer- 
chant; wine  and  poetry  provide  occasions  of  pleasure,  but  the  slightest 
loss  of  freedom  turns  them  into  hell;  generous  hospitality  is  a  magnani- 
mous habit,  but  when  one  is  surrounded  by  common  fellows,  it  is  again 
like  entering  a  sea  of  distress. 

70  If  a  man  can  keep  ten  thousand  volumes  of  rare  books,  have  them 
bound  in  precious  brocade,  and  perfumed  with  rare  incense,  while  he 
himself  lives  in  a  mud  house  with  a  screen  of  reed,  paper  windows  and 
mud  walls,  and  lives  all  his  life  in  simple  cotton  dress,  that  one  might  be 
called  an  extraordinary  person  on  this  earth. 

71  Hide  your  expression  of  personal  dislike  in  the  wine  cup;  conceal 
your  pity  for  mankind  in  your  poems. 

72  The  sun  and  moon  shoot  past  like  a  bullet  in  our  floating  life; 
only  sleep  affords  a  little  extension  of  our  span  of  life.  Business  affairs 
fly  about  like  thick  dust  to  belabor  our  lives;  only  sleep  affords  a  little 
reprieve.  Gorging  oneself  with  fish  and  meat  morning  and  night  be- 
smirches our  taste;  only  sleep  gives  opportunity  for  a  short  fast.  Conten- 
tion and  strife  disturb  our  peace;  only  sleep  restores  for  us  a  short  Golden 


ONE    HUNDRED    PROVERBS  1099 

Age.  As  for  seeing  novel  things  in  our  sleep— travelling  abroad  and  be- 
ing able  to  walk  without  legs  and  fly  without  wings — it  provides  us  also 
with  a  little  fairyland. 

73  Pass  famous  mountains  as  you  read  rare  books,  a  few  steps  at  a 
time  if  you  are  tired,  or  going  a  hundred  miles  when  you  are  feeling  fit. 
One  does  not  go  by  a  schedule,  but  only  stops  at  what  pleases  the  eye  and 
delights  the  mind. 

74  To^o  to  see  the  prune  flowers  after  snow,  pay  a  visit  to  the  chrys- 
anthemums during  frost,  tend  the  orchid  during  rain,  or  listen  to  the 
swaying  bamboos  before  the  breeze — such  are  the  joys  of  leisure  of  a 
rustic  fellow,  but  they  are  also  moments  of  the  greatest  meaning  to  the 
scholar. 

75  When  the  tea  is  well-brewed  and  the  incense  has  a  pure  fragrance, 
it's  a  delight  if  friends  drop  in;  when  birds  twitter  and  flowers  drop  their 
petals,  even  solitude  is  contentment  for  the  soul. 

76  You  are  reading  when  incense  is  burning  and  all  your  human 
obligations  are  fulfilled,  while  outside  the  screen  the  flower  petals  are 
dropping  and  the  moon  has  come  up  to  the  top  of  the  pine  trees,  and 
you  suddenly  hear  the  temple  bell  and  push  open  the  window  and  see 
the  Milky  Way — such  a  moment  is  superior  to  daytime. 

77  If  a  man's  house  is  not  secluded,  his  mind  does  not  wander  far;  if 
a  man's  face  does  not  show  a  little  sadness,  his  thoughts  are  not  deep. 

78  With  the  door  shut  and  living  in  idleness,  I  associate  with  the 
musty  volumes  the  year  round;  meeting  an  old  friend  and  falling  into 
conversation,  we  carry  on  the  discussion  deep  into  the  night. 

79  They  say  there  is  a  devil  in  the  drunkard  and  a  ghost  in  the  poet; 
I  think  these  people  have  perfect  mastery  of  themselves,  so  that  when 
the  spirits  move,  they  give  the  spirits  a  free  hand. 

80  Floating  down  the  stream  in  spring  in  a  small  boat,  even  the  most 
conventional  spirit  feels  emancipated;  listening  to  the  rain  at  night  over 
a  lone  wine  cup,  even  the  most  stout-hearted  will  feel  touched. 

81  Whither  shall  we  dispose  of  the  pure  breeze  and  shining  moon  of 
the  universe?  Into  the  wine  cup  and  bag  of  poetry.  How  shall  we  take 
leave  of  the  changing  elements  of  human  passion  ?  By  closing  the  door 
and  lying  on  a  high  pillow. 

82  Sometimes  plant  bamboos  while  there  is  a  drizzling  rain;  close 
the  gate  and  tend  the  flowers  in  idleness;  take  up  a  pen  and  leisurely 
check  up  mistakes  in  old  editions;  draw  spring  water  and  try  several  pots 
of  the  season's  tea. 


IIOO  CHINESE   WIT  AND   WISDOM 

83  During  a  drizzling  rain,  open  a  volume  leisurely;  against  the 
breeze,  play  the  string  instrument  alone. 

84  Only  watch  how  the  flowers  bloom,  how  the  flowers  fade;  say  not 
this  man  is  right,  that  man  is  Wrong. 

85  Let  the  red  dust  of  the  road  and  the  white  foams  of  the  river  circle 
round  the  southern  city;  lose  not  to  the  bright  moon  among  flowers  and 
the  pure  breeze  among  pines  a  good  nap  in  my  northern  room. 

86  Living  in  the  mountains  has  eight  advantages  over  living  in  the 
city:  no  strict  conventions,  no  strange  visitors,  no  mulling  over  wine 
and  meat,  no  fights  over  property,  no  concerns  over  the  treacherous  hu- 
man heart,  no  quarrels  over  right  and  wrong,  no  pressing  for  literary 
articles,  no  gossip  about  officials. 

87  When  the  ram  is  over  and  the  air  is  cool,  when  your  affairs  are  few 
and  your  mind  is  at  ease,  you  listen  to  the  lingering  notes  of  some  neigh- 
bor's flute  chasing  after  the  clear  clouds  and  the  receding  rain,  and 
every  note  seems  to  drop  and  sink  into  your  soul. 

88  When  wild  geese  cry  in  the  sky,  the  mountain  clouds  touch  your 
tower,  and  a  thousand  peaks  bid  the  rain  proceed,  you  approach  a  couch 
for  an  afternoon  nap,  and  even  your  dreams  will  partake  of  poetry. 

89  Rather  be  laughed  at  by  the  world,  be  not  fooled  by  the  Creator; 
rather  be  disturbed  by  the  gentleman,  be  not  familiar  with  the  petty 
people. 

90  If  indeed  we  can  confer  wealth  and  poverty  upon  ourselves,  then 
God  has  no  control;  if  our  happiness  and  disappointments  depend  on 
what  others*  say  of  us,  then  the  gossip-makers  have  their  way. 

91  Poverty  is  not  a  disgrace;  disgrace  lies  in  poverty  without  ambi- 
tion. A  mean  position  is  not  a  cause  for  contempt;  contempt  belongs  to 
one  in  a  mean  position  without  ability.  Old  age  is  no  cause  for  regret; 
regret  that  one  is  old,  having  lived  in  vain.  Death  is  no  cause  for  sorrow; 
sorrow  that  one  dies  without  benefit  to  the  world. 

92  So  long  as  I  have  legs,  so  long  as  I  have  eyes,  wherever  I  go  I  am 
the  lord  of  the  mountains  and  rivers  and  the  winds  and  the  breeze. 

93  Whenever  you  do  a  thing,  act  so  that  it  will  give  your  friends 
no  occasion  for  regret  and  your  foes  no  cause  for  joy. 

94  Some  one  skill  enables  one  to  make  a  living;  too  many  abilities 
make  one  a  slave. 

95  Poetry  is  for  pleasing  the  spirit,  and  wine  is  for  pleasing  the  soul. 
If  with  poetry  one  becomes  jealous  of  fame,  and  with  wine  one  falls  into 
a  drunken  brawl,  wherefore  does  either  please  the  spirit  or  the  soul? 


ONE    HUNDRED    PROVERBS  IIOI 

96  Talk  not  of  arbitrary  opinions  in  your  mouth,  hang  not  sorrow 
on  the  tip  of  your  eyebrow— this  is  to  be  a  human  fairy.  Plant  flowers 
and  bamboos  where  they  belong,  keep  fish  and  poultry  to  suit  your  own 
pleasure — this  is  economics  of  living  in  the  mountains. 

97  Look  at  a  beauty  as  you  look  at  beautiful  clouds,  and  your  mortal 
passions  will  be  milder;  listen  to  the  song  of  flutes  as  you  listen  to  the 
flowing  water,  what  harm  is  there? 

98  Mbney  sometimes  prevents  trouble;  too  much  money  breeds  it. 

99  Stupid  sons  don't  ruin  a  family;  it  is  the  clever  ones  who  do. 

100  A  hero  may  be  willing  to  lose  the  world,  but  he  will  not  be  will- 
ing  to  lose  his  concubine  and  his  horse. 


The  Pronunciation 
of  Chinese  Names 


1  Every  vowel  in  the  Romanized  spelling  of  Chinese  is  pronounced. 

2  The  vowels  have  as  their  basis  the  usual  Latin  values: 

a  as  in  j 'at her 
e  as  in  eight 
eh  as  in  burr 
erh  as  in  a  Scotch  burr 
i  as  in  machine  and  in 
o  as  in  old 
u  as  in  goose 
u  as  in  German  liigen 

3  The  vowel  sound  in  combinations  like  tse,  sze  does  not  exist  in 
English.  It  is  made  with  difficulty  by  Westerners,  but  is  actually  the 
vowel  sound  produced  when  the  sound  of  z  is  prolonged  and  definitely 
vocalized  ("buzzing"  sound).  In  this  instance,  I  depart  from  the  Wade 
system,  which  renders  it  as  tzu,  because  of  its  cumbersomeness.  It  fre- 
quently appears  in  names  like  Laotse,  Chuangtse,  Tsengtse,  Tse  sze. 

4  The  vowel  sound  indicated  by  the  combination  ih  does  not  exist  in 
English.  It  is  made  when  the  tongue  and  lip  positions  of  the  English  sh 
are  held  unchanged  and  vocalized.  For  practical  purposes,  read  the  th  as 
ee  (or  if  possible  as  a  sound  in  between  she  and  shir) ;  there's  no  use  try- 
ing to  reproduce  the  sound  exactly. 

5  The  important  diphthongs  arc:  ia,  ai,  ou,  no,  ei,  ieh,  ua — all  pro- 
1102 


CHINESE    NAMES  1103 

nounced  with  their  individual  approximate  Latin  values  (h  in  ieh  is  not 
pronounced),  ao  may  be  pronounced  nearly  as  ow  in  owl. 

6  Combinations  like  in,  ing,  an,  ang  are  pronounced  with  the  usual 
Latin  values  for  the  sounds  (in,  ing,  ahn,  ahng).  But  en,  eng  are  pro- 
nounced as  ern,  erng,  or  For  practical  purposes  as  un,  ung  (sun,  sung)  in 
English,  whereas  Chinese  un,  ung  must  be  pronounced  as  oon,  oong. 

7  The  distinction  between  sh  and  hs  is  a  nuisance  for  English  readers : 
read  bo;h  as  sh  for  practical  purposes.  Technically,  the  sound  hs  is  differ- 
ent and  comes  invariably  before  I  and  u.  Since  the  two  groups  are 
clearly  separated  by  the  occurrence  or  absence  of  a  following  /  or  u,  that 
distinction  in  spelling  between  sh  and  hs  is  totally  unnecessary  for  Chinese 
readers,  and  meaningless  for  Westerners. 

8  The  Chinese  language  distinctly  differentiates  between  aspirated 
and  unaspirated  p,  t,  f(,  ch,  ts.  For  practical  purposes  read  p,  t,  \,  ch,  ts  as 
b,  d,  g,  f,  dz,  and  read  p',  t',  {',  ch',  ts'  like  the  regular  English  p,  t,  ^,  ch,  ts. 

9  Remember  therefore  to  follow  the  Latin  values  for  the  vowels  as 
a  general  principle,  and  for  practical  purposes  read : 

hs  as  sh  eh  as  er 

ih  as  ee  (or  />)  en  as  un 

ieh  as  y-ay  eng  as  ung 

10  In  particular,  the  closest  pronunciation  for  the  following  words 
is  as  indicated  below: 

Tao  \totv]  as  in  towel 
Laotse  [loutsi]  lou  as  in  loud 
Chuangtse  f jwahng-tsi] 
Liehtse  [lee-ay-tsi] 


TABLE  OF  CHINESE  DYNASTIES 


NAME 

(Mythical) 
Hsia 

Shang  (Yin) 
Chou 


Chin 


DATES 

2697-2206  B.C. 
2205-1784  B.C. 
1783-1123  B.C. 

1122-222  B.C. 


CENTURIES 
(approximate) 

XXVII-XXIII 
XXII-XIX 
XVIII-XII 
XMII 


Ch'in 

221-207  B.C. 

end  of  III 

Han 

206  B.C.- 

II  B.C.-A.D.  II 

A.D.  219 

Wei 

220-264 

middle  HI 

265-419 


mid.  IIMV 


"North 

and  South" 

Sung 

420-478 

1 

Ch'i 

479-501 

>    V-VI                   * 

Liang 

502-556 

f 

Ch'en 

557-588 

J 

Sui 

589-617 

round  A.D.  600 

T'ang 

618-906 

VII-IX 

"Wutai" 

Liang 

907-922 

1 

T'ang 

923-935 

Chin 

936-946 

y    first  half  X        « 

Han 

947-950 

Chou 

951-959 

J 

Sung 

960-1276 

latter  half  X- 

XIII 

Yuan  (Mongol) 

1277-1367 

end  of  XIII- 

mid.  XIV 

Ming 

1368-1643 

mid.  XlV-mid. 

XVII 

Ch'ing  (Manchu) 

1644-1911 

mid.  XVII-XIX 

Republic 

1911- 

XX 

1104 

REMARKS 

Legendary 

)  Together    with    Chou,    called 
V'Santai"  or  "Three  Dynasties" 

Classic      period;      Ch'unch'iu 

penod      722-481;      Chankuo 

period  403-221 

Reunified  China 

"Eastern  Han"  from  A.D.  25 

Wei,  Wu  and  Shu  forming  the 
"Three  Kingdoms"  from  about 
A.D.  200 

"Eastern  Chin"  from  317.  Bar- 
barians' kingdoms  in  North 
China  304-439 

These  arc  called  "North  and 
South"  Dynasties  for  distinc- 
tion. Together  with  preceding 
Wu  and  Eastern  Chin,  called 
"Six  Dynasties,"  a  term  re- 
ferring to  southern  culture 
Reunified  China 


These  are  called  "Wutai,"  or 
"Five  Dynasties"  for  distinction 
from  other  dynasties  of  the 
same  name 

"Southern  Sung"  from  1127 
onward,  with  Northern  China 
under  Manchus  and  Mongols 
Foreign  rule 

Restored  to  Chinese  rule 
Foreign  rule