Iate of Lu there was a man, named Wang Tai, who had had one of his legs cut off. His disciples were as numerous as those of fucius. g Chi asked fucius, saying, "This Wang Tai has been mutilated, yet he has as many followers in the Lu State as you. He her stands up to preaor sits down to give discourse; yet those who go to him empty, depart full. Is he the kind of person who teach without words and influence peoples minds without material means? What manner of man is this?"
"He is a sage," replied fucius, "I wao 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 g Chi, "a people call him Master. He must be very different from the ordinary men. If so, how does he train his mind?"
"Life ah are indeed ges of great moment," answered fucius, "but they ot affect his mind. Heaven ah may collapse, but his mind will remain. Being indeed without flaw, it will not share the fate of all things. It trol the transformation of things, while preserving its sourtact."
"How so?" asked g Chi. "From the point of view of differentiation of things," replied fucius, "we distinguish between the liver and the gall, between the Chu State and the Yueh State. From the point of view of their sameness, all things are One. He whards things in this light does not even trouble about what reaches him through the senses of hearing and sight, 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 g Chi. "He uses his knowledge to perfect his mind, and develops his mind into the Absolute Mind. But how is it that people flock around him?"
"A man," replied fucius, "does not seek to see himself in running water, but in still water. For only what is itself still instill 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 aloained rectitude. Happily he was able to rectify himself and thus bee the means through which all were rectified. For the possession of ones inal (nature) is evidenced in true ce.
A man will, single-handed, brave a whole army. And if such a result be achieved by one in search of fame through self trol, how much greater ce be shown by one who extends his sway over heaven ah and gives shelter to all things, who, lodging temporarily within the fines of a body with pt for the superficialities of sight and sound, brings his knowledge to level all knowledge and whose mind never dies! Besides, he (Wang Tai) is only awaiting his appointed hour to go up to Heaven. Men indeed flo of their own accord. How he take seriously the affairs of this world?"
Shentu Chia had only one leg. He studied under Pohun Wujen (Muddle-Head No-Such-Person") together with Tse {24} of the g State. The latter said to him, "When I leave first, do you remain behind. When you leave first, I will remain behind." day, when they were again together sitting on the same mat in the lecture-room, Tse said, "When I leave first, do you remain behind. Or if you leave first, I will remain behind. I am now about to go. Will you remain or not? I no