A Matter of the Mind

A Matter of the Mind

King Xiang of the state of Zhao learned the skill of driving a carriage from Wang Ziqi. After sometime the king raced with Wang. He changed horses three times but every time he trailed behind Wang.

“In teaching me to drive a carriage you have held something back.” Said the king.

“I have taught you all I know.” Wang replied. “But you have not used my skill in the proper way. The important thing about driving a carriage is that the horses’ bodies should feel comfortable with the carriage and the driver’s mind should be in harmony with the horses. Then you can achieve great speed and go long distance. Now when you are behind me, sire, you want to catch up with me, and when you are in front of me you are afraid I would catch p with you. When driving carriages in long distance races one is either in front or behind. And no matter whether you are leading or trailing your mind is set on me. Then how can it be in harmony with the horses? This is why you could not catch up with me.”

中国古代寓言——赵襄主学御

赵襄子向王子期学习驾车的本领，不久，他和王子期比赛驾车，换了三次马，都落在王子期的后面。赵襄子对王子期说：“您教我驾车，没把本领全教给我。”王子期解释说：“我已经毫无保留地全教给您了，只是大王运用时有所偏差。驾车最关键的是，要把马与车安排合适，人要专心致志地调理马匹，然后才能谈得上纵马飞腾，奔驰千里。而您驾车时，落后时急切地想追上我；争先了，又唯恐被我赶上。本来比赛就有前后之分，而您争先恐后的注意力全放在我的身上，哪里还有心思驾驭车马呢？这才是您落后的原因。”

Ivory Chopsticks for a Start

Ivory Chopsticks for a Start

In the ancient times Emperor Zhou of the Shang dynasty used chopsticks made of ivory. On observing this, Jizi, a respected minister, was filled with anxiety.

He reasoned thus: “ Ivory chopsticks would not be used with earthenware dishes. There would surely be wine cups made from rhinoceros’ horns and jade. Ivory chopsticks and jade cups would not go with simple fare. There would surely be delicacies such as the embryos of the yak, elephant and panther. One who tastes such delicacies would not wear clothes made of rough material or dwell in a thatched cottage. He would be clothed in layers of beautiful brocade and live in a mansion, big and imposing. I am afraid for his end. That is why the beginnings of luxurious living fill me with anxiety.”

After five years, the emperor built a garden where he hung slabs of meat, and set up copper grills, Grains from distilleries pilled up like hillocks and there was enough wine to fill pools. As a result of such extravagances, Emperor Zhou was overthrown.

中国古代寓言——纣为象箸

从前，纣王做了一双象牙筷子，箕子就感到恐惧不幸，他认为：“象牙筷子必定不能放到泥土烧成的碗里去，必然要使用犀牛角、玉石做成的杯。用着象牙筷子、玉石杯子，就必定不会吃豆子和豆叶汤，则必然要吃牦牛，大象和豹的幼胎；吃牦牛、大象和豹的幼胎，就一定不会穿着短小的粗布衣服，坐在茅草屋底下吃，必定要穿多层华美的锦衣，铸造高达壮观的宫室。我害怕如此的结局，所以恐惧这样的开始。”

过了五年，纣王建造了满是肉食的园子，设置了炮烙之刑，登上酒糟堆成的山丘，面对注满美酒的池子，于是纣因此而灭亡了。

The Jade of He

Ancient Chinese Fables--The Jade of He

A man of the state of Chu named Bian He found a piece of uncut jade in the Chu mountain. Holding the jade with both hands he respectfully presented it to King Li. The king ordered a jade craftsman to examine it.

“This is stone,” said the craftsman.

The king thought that Bian He was trying to deceive him so he gave orders to cut off his left foot.

After the death of King Li, King Wu ascended the throne. Again Bian He came with the jade in his hands to present it to King Wu. King Wu ordered a jade craftsman to examine it.

“This is stone,” said the craftsman again.

The king also thought Bian He was trying to deceive him, so he gave orders to cut off his right foot.

After the death of King Wu, King Wen came to the throne. Bian He took the piece of uncut jade in his arms and wept at the foot of the Chu mountain, He wept for three days and three nights. When he had no more tears he wept blood.

This came to the ears of the king and he sent some one to ask Bian He the reason for his grief.

“There are many men who had their feet cut off as punishment,” said the king’s messenger, “why do you weep so bitterly?”

“I am not sad because my feet were cut off,” replied Bian He, “I grive because a precious stone is considered a common rock and an upright. And loyal man is branded a liar. This is the cause of my sorrow.”

The king ordered jade craftsmen to cut open the stone. They discovered a piece of precious jade which was thereupon named the Jade of He.

An Admonitory Vessel

Ancient Chinese Fables--An Admonitory Vessel

On a visit to the temple of Duke Huan of the state of Lu Confucius came upon a “leaning vessel ”. He asked the keeper of the temple about it.

“What vessel is this?”

“This vessel,” replied the keeper,” is put on the right hand side of one’s seat to serve an admonitory purpose.”

“I have heard,” said Confucius, “that such an admonitory vessel would lean to one side when it is empty, stand upright when its contents are just the right amount, and fall down when it is full.”

He turned to his disciples. “Pour water into it.”

His disciples ladled water into the vessel. When the amount was neither too little nor too much the vessel stood upright; When the vessel full it fell down; When it was empty it leaned to one side.

Confucius heaved a sign. “Alas! A fall is inevitable for one who is full of his own worth.”

A Shameless Husband

A man of the state of Qi had a wife and a concubine, and the three of them lived together in the same house. Whenever the husband went out, he would come back satiated with food and wine. Being asked by his wife about the people he ate and drank with, he told her that they were all wealthy men.

His wife said to his concubine, “Whenever our husband goes out, he would come back satiated with food and wine. I asked him about the people he ate and drank with and he said they were all wealthy men. But no distinguished visitor has ever come to our house. I am going to follow him secretly and find out where he goes.”

She got up early one morning and followed her husband stealthily. In the whole capital city no one stopped to talk to him. Eventually he went to the cemetery in the eastern suburbs and begged for leftovers from those who offered food as sacrifices to ancestors in front of their graves. When he did not have enough he would look around for other people offering sacrifices. This was how he became satiated with food and wine.

His wife returned home and told the concubine everything. “ Our husband is the support and stay of our lives, and now he has degraded himself himself to this.”

The two of them abused him and wept together in the courtyard. Their husband, knowing nothing of what had happened, sauntered in and put on airs in front of his wife and concubine.

In the view of men with a sense of decency and honour, of all the means people employ to gain wealth and riches, few would not cause their wives and concubines to weep together in shame.

 

中国文化--齐人妻妾

有个齐国人，他有一个妻子和一个小妾。丈夫每次出门都必定吃饱了酒肉才回来，他的妻子询问与他一起吃饭的人是谁，则都是些有钱有势的人。妻子告诉小妾说：“我们的丈夫每次出门都必定吃饱了酒肉才回来，询问与他一起吃饭的人，都是有钱有势的，但是从来没有地位显赫的人到我们家来，我要暗中看看丈夫到底去了哪里。”

早晨起来，妻子悄悄地跟着丈夫出去。满城中都没有站下来与他交谈的人，最后他去了东郊的墓地，向上坟祭奠的人乞讨剩余的贡品，不够，又张望着向其他人乞讨，原来这就是他吃饱喝足的办法。

妻子回来告诉妾说：“丈夫是我们依靠着过一辈子的人，现在他却做出这样的事情来！”两个人咒骂着她们的丈夫，在厅堂里面对面哭泣。她们的丈夫还不知道这些，洋洋得意的从外面回来，先自己的妻妾炫耀。

在君子看来，人们用来求取富贵腾达的手段，能使他们的妻妾不感到羞耻，不相对哭泣的，是很少见的。

There at Dawn and Four at Dusk

Chinese Culture--There at Dawn and Four at Dusk

In the state of Song there was a man who kept monkeys. He was very fond of monkeys and kept a large number of them. He could understand the monkeys and they could also understand him. He reduced the amount of food for his own family in order to satisfy the monkey’ demands.

After a while his family did not have enough to eat, so he wanted to limit the food for the monkeys. But he was afraid that the monkeys would not submit to him. Before doing that he first played a trick on them.

“If give you three chestnuts in the morning and four in the evening, would that be enough?” he asked the monkeys.

All the monkeys rose up in a fury.

After a short time he said, “If I give you four chestnuts in the morning and three in the evening, would that be enough?”

All the monkeys lay on the floor, very happy with this proposal.

An Argument about the Sun

Chinese Culture--An Argument about the Sun

When Confucius was traveling in the eastern part of the country, he came upon two children in argument, so he asked them to tell him what is was all about.

“I think,” said one child, “that the sun is near to us at daybreak and far away from us at noon.”

The other contended that the sun was far away at dawn and nearby at midday.

“When the sun first appears.” Said one child, “It is as big as the canopy of a carriage, but at noon it is only the size of a plate or a bowl. Well, isn’t it true that objects far away seem smaller while those nearby seem bigger?”

“When the sun comes out,” pointed out the other,  “It is very cool, but at midday it is as hot as putting your hand in boiling water. Well, isn’t it true that what is nearer to us is hotter and what is farther off is cooler?”

Confucius was unable to settle the matter for them.

The two children laughed at him, “Who says you are a learned man?”

The Pot Calling the Kettle Black

The Pot Calling the Kettle Black

“I have spent a lot of time and effort,” stated King Hui of the state of Liang, “ on governing my country. When there is a bad harvest in Henei, north of the Yellow River, I evacuate the people to Hedong, east of the Yellow River and move the grain of Hedong to Henei. When the harvest is bad in Hedong I would do the same for them. As far as I could see, none of the rulers of the neighboring states does not decrease and the number of my subjects does not increase. Why is this so?”

“My lord likes fighting battles,” replied Mencius, “so I will use an analogy from war: imagine battledrums thundering and weapons clashing. At this time some soldiers abandon their armour and run away, dragging their weapons behind them. Some stop after going on hundred paces. Other halt after fifty paces. Those who ran only fifty paces laughed at those who ran a hundred. What do you think?”

“That’s not right. It’s just that they didn’t go a hundred paces, but they did run away all the same.”

“My lord, if you understand this, then you should not cherish hopes of having more subjects than your neighbours.”