Book VI (part 3)

When the springs are dried up, the fishes collect together on the land. Than that they should moisten one another there by the damp about them, and keep one another wet by their slime, it would be better for them to forget one another in the rivers and lakes 2 . And when men praise Yâo and condemn Kieh, it would be better to forget them both, and seek the renovation of the Tâo. 6. There is the great Mass (of nature);--I find the support of my body on it; my life is spent in toil on it; my old age seeks ease on it; at death I find rest in it;--what makes my life a good makes my death also a good 3 . If you hide away a boat in the ravine of a hill, and hide away the hill in a lake, you will say that (the boat) is secure; but at midnight there shall come a strong man and carry it off on his back, while you in the dark know nothing about it. You may hide away anything, whether small or great, in the most suitable place, and yet it shall disappear from it. But if you could hide the world in the world 4 , so that there was nowhere to which it could be removed, this would be the grand reality of the p. 243 ever-during Thing 1 . When the body of man comes from its special mould 2 , there is even then occasion for joy; but this body undergoes a myriad transformations, and does not immediately reach its perfection;--does it not thus afford occasion for joys incalculable? Therefore the sagely man enjoys himself in that from which there is no possibility of separation, and by which all things are preserved. He considers early death or old age, his beginning and his ending, all to be good, and in this other men imitate him;--how much more will they do so in regard to That Itself on which all things depend, and from which every transformation arises! 7. This is the Tâo;--there is in It emotion and sincerity, but It does nothing and has no bodily form 3 . It may be handed down (by the teacher), but may not be received (by his scholars). It may be apprehended (by the mind), but It cannot be seen. It has Its root and ground (of existence) in Itself. Before there were heaven and earth, from of old, there It was, securely existing. From It came the mysterious existences of spirits, from It the mysterious existence of God 4 . It produced heaven; It produced earth. It was before the Thâi-kî 5 , and p. 244 yet could not be considered high 1 ; It was below all space, and yet could not be considered deep 1 . It was produced before heaven and earth, and yet could not be considered to have existed long 1 ; It was older than the highest antiquity, and yet could not be considered old 1 . Shih-wei got It 2 , and by It adjusted heaven and earth. Fû-hsî got It, and by It penetrated to the mystery of the maternity of the primary matter. The Wei-tâu 3 got It, and from all antiquity has made no eccentric movement. The Sun and Moon got It, and from all antiquity have not intermitted (their bright shining). Khan-pei got It, and by It became lord of Khwän-lun 4 . Fäng-î 5 got It, and by It enjoyed himself in the Great River. Kien Wû 6 got It, and by It dwelt on mount Thâi. Hwang-Tî 7 got It, and by It ascended the cloudy sky. Kwan-hsü 8 p.