Joioes ara fingers seem to e from nature, yet, funally speaking they are superfluous. Goiters and tumors seem to e from the body, yet in their nature, they are superfluous. And (similarly), to have maraneous does of charity and duty and regard them in practice as parts of a mans natural ses is not the true way of Tao. For just as joioes are but useless lumps of flesh, ara fingers but useless growths, so are the many artificial developments of the natural ses of men and the extravagances of charitable and dutiful duct but so many superfluous uses of intelligence. People with superfluous keenness of vision put into fusion the five colors, lose themselves in the forms and designs, and in the distins of greens and yellows for sacrificial robcs. Is this not so? Of such was Li Chu (the clear-sighted). People with superfluous keenness of hearing put into fusion the five notes, exaggerate the tonic differences of the six pitch-pipes, and the various timbres of metal, stone, silk, and bamboo of the Huang-g, and the Ta-lu. {39} Is this not so? Of such was Shih Kuang (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 does. Is this not so? Of such were Tseng and Shih. {40} People who it excess in arguments, like piling up bricks and making knots, analyzing and inquiring into the distins 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 {41}. 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 joioes, the separated is not like extra fingers, what is long is not sidered as excess, and what is short is narded as wanting. For ducks legs, though short, ot be lengthened without dismay to the duck, and a es legs, though long, ot be shortened without misery to the e. That which is long in nature must not be cut off, and that which is short in nature must not be lengthehus 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 joioes and you will howl: bite off your extra finger and you will scream. In the one case, there is too much, and iher too little; but the worries and dismays are the same. Now the charitable men of the present age go about with a look of sorrowing over the ills of the age, while the non-charitable let loose the desire of their nature in their greed after position ah. Therefore I Suppose charity and duty are not included in human nature. Yet from the time of the Three Dynasties downwards what a otion has been raised about them! Moreover, those who rely upon the arc, the line, passes, and the square to make corres ihe natural stitution 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 musid affeg charity aion have lost their inal nature. There is an inal nature in things. Things in their inal nature are curved without the help of arcs, straight without lines, round without passes, aangular without squares; they are joiogether without glue. and hold together withou