[clinton/website/site/unknownlamer.org.git] / Wisdom.html

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    <h1>The Wisdom of the Ancients</h1>
   <div class="contents">
<dl>
<dt>
<a href="#sec1">Mencius</a>
</dt>
<dd>
<dl>
<dt>
<a href="#sec2">III.B.1</a>
</dt>
<dt>
<a href="#sec3">VI.A.10</a>
</dt>
</dl>
</dd>
<dt>
<a href="#sec4">Qohelet</a>
</dt>
<dt>
<a href="#sec5">One</a>
</dt>
</dl>
</div>


<!-- Page published by Emacs Muse begins here --><h2><a name="sec1" id="sec1"></a>
Mencius</h2>

<h3><a name="sec2" id="sec2"></a>
III.B.1</h3>

<blockquote>
<p class="quoted">
Ch'en Tai said, &quot;When you refused even to see them, the feudal lords
appeared insignificant to you. Now that you have seen them, they are
either kings, or, at least, leaders of the feudal lords. Moreover,
it is said in the <em>Records</em>, 'Bend the foot in order to straighten
the yard.' That seems worth doing.&quot;</p>
<p class="quoted">&quot;Once,&quot; said Mencius, &quot;Duke Ching of Ch'i went hunting and summoned
his gamekeeper with a pennon. The gamekeeper did not come, and the
Duke was going to have him put to death. 'A man whose mind is set on
high ideals never forgets that he may end in a ditch; a man of valor
never forgets that he may forfeit his head.' What did Conficius find
praiseworthy in the gamekeeper? His refusal to answer to a form of
summons to which he was not entitled. What can one do about those
who go without even being summoned? Moreover, the saying, 'Bend the
foot in order to straighten the yard' refers to profit. If it is for
profit, I suppose one might just as well bend the yard to straighten
the foot.</p>
<p class="quoted">&quot;Once, Viscount Chien of Chao sent Wang Liang to drive the chariot
for his favorite, Hsi. In the whole day they failed to catch one
single bird. Hsi reported to his master, 'He is the worst charioteer
in the world.' Someone told Wang Liang of this. Liang asked, 'May I
have another chance?' It was with difficulty that Hsi was persuaded,
but in one morning they caught ten birds. Hsi reported to his
master, 'He is the best charioteer in the world.' 'I shall make him
drive for you,' said Viscount Chien. He asked Wang Liang, but
Wang Liang refused. 'I drove for him according to the proper rules,'
said he, 'and we did not catch a single bird all day. Then I used
underhand methods, and we caught ten birds in one morning. The <em>Book
of Odes</em> says,</p>

<p class="verse">
He never failed to drive correctly,<br />
And his arrows went straight for the target<br />
</p><br />
</p>
<p class="quoted">I am not used to driving for small men. May I be excused?'</p>
<p class="quoted">&quot;Even a charioteer is ashamed to be in league with an archer. When
doing so means catching enough birds to pile up like a mountain, he
would still rather not do it. What can one do about those who bend
the Way in order to please others? You are futher mistaken. There
has never been a man who could straighten others by bending
himself.&quot;</p>

</blockquote>


<h3><a name="sec3" id="sec3"></a>
VI.A.10</h3>

<blockquote>
<p class="quoted">
Mencius said, &quot;Fish is what I want; bear's palm is also what I
want. If I cannot have both, I would rather take bear's palm than
fish. Life is what I want; dutifulness is also what I want. If I
cannot have both, I would rather take dutifulness than life. On the
one hand, though life is what I want, there is something I want more
than life. That is why I do not cling to life at all costs. On the
other hand, though death is what I loathe, there is something I
loathe more than death. That is why there are troubles I do not
avoid. If there is nothing a man wants more than life, then why
should he have scruples about any means, so long as it will serve to
keep him alive? if there is nothing a man loathes more than death,
then why should have have scruples about any means, so long as it
helps him to avoid trouble? Yet there are ways of remaining alive
and ways of avoiding death to which a man will not resort. In other
words, there are things a man wants more than life and there are
also things he loathes more than death. This is an attitude not
confined to the moral man but common to all men. The moral man simply
never loses it.</p>
<p class="quoted">&quot;Here is a basketful of rice and a bowful of soup. Getting them will
mean life; not getting them will mean death. When these are given
with abuse, even a wayfarer would not accept them; when these are
given after being trampled upon, even a beggar would not accept
them. Yet when it comes to ten thousand bushels of grain one is
supposed to accept without asking if it is in accordance with the
rites or if it is right to do so. What benefit are then thousand
bushels of grain to me? [Do I accept them] for the sake of beautiful
houses, the enjoyment of wives and concubines, or for the sake of
the gratitude my needy acquaintances will show? What I would not
accept in the first instance when it was a matter of life and death
I now accept for the sake of beautiful houses; what I would not
accept when it was a matter of life and death I now accept for the
enjoyment of wives and concubines; what I would not accept when it
was a matter of life and death I now accept for the sake of the
gratitude my needy acquaintances will show me. Is there no way of
putting a stop to this? This way of thinking is known as losing
one's original heart.&quot;</p>

</blockquote>


<h2><a name="sec4" id="sec4"></a>
Qohelet</h2>


<h2><a name="sec5" id="sec5"></a>
One</h2>

<p class="verse">
&nbsp;&nbsp;1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.<br />
&nbsp;&nbsp;2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.<br />
&nbsp;&nbsp;3 What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?<br />
&nbsp;&nbsp;4 One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth<br />
abideth for ever.<br />
&nbsp;&nbsp;5 The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place<br />
where he arose.<br />
&nbsp;&nbsp;6 The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it<br />
whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his<br />
circuits.<br />
&nbsp;&nbsp;7 All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place<br />
from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.<br />
&nbsp;&nbsp;8 All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not<br />
satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.<br />
&nbsp;&nbsp;9 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done<br />
is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.<br />
&nbsp;&nbsp;10 Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been<br />
already of old time, which was before us.<br />
&nbsp;&nbsp;11 There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any<br />
remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.<br />
&nbsp;&nbsp;12 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.<br />
&nbsp;&nbsp;13 And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things<br />
that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man<br />
to be exercised therewith.<br />
&nbsp;&nbsp;14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is<br />
vanity and vexation of spirit.<br />
&nbsp;&nbsp;15 That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting<br />
cannot be numbered.<br />
&nbsp;&nbsp;16 I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and<br />
have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem:<br />
yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.<br />
&nbsp;&nbsp;17 And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I<br />
perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.<br />
&nbsp;&nbsp;18 For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge<br />
increaseth sorrow.<br />
</p>


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<p class="cke-footer">                   It's no contest, but we still race there                   
                Like the saintly tortoise and the godless hare                
</p>
<p class="cke-timestamp">Last Modified:
    September 28, 2008</p>
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Commit	Line	Data
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	5	<head>
	6	<title>The Wisdom of the Ancients</title>
	7	<meta name="generator" content="muse.el" />
	8	<meta http-equiv="Content-Type"
	9	content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
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2aff8b5c	13	<link rel="stylesheet" href="default.css" media="screen" />
	14	</head>
	15	<body>
	16	<h1>The Wisdom of the Ancients</h1>
	17	<div class="contents">
	18	<dl>
	19	<dt>
	20	<a href="#sec1">Mencius</a>
	21	</dt>
	22	<dd>
	23	<dl>
	24	<dt>
	25	<a href="#sec2">III.B.1</a>
	26	</dt>
	27	<dt>
	28	<a href="#sec3">VI.A.10</a>
	29	</dt>
	30	</dl>
	31	</dd>
	32	<dt>
	33	<a href="#sec4">Qohelet</a>
	34	</dt>
	35	<dt>
	36	<a href="#sec5">One</a>
	37	</dt>
	38	</dl>
	39	</div>
	40
	41
	42	<!-- Page published by Emacs Muse begins here --><h2><a name="sec1" id="sec1"></a>
	43	Mencius</h2>
	44
	45	<h3><a name="sec2" id="sec2"></a>
	46	III.B.1</h3>
	47
	48	<blockquote>
	49	<p class="quoted">
	50	Ch'en Tai said, "When you refused even to see them, the feudal lords
	51	appeared insignificant to you. Now that you have seen them, they are
	52	either kings, or, at least, leaders of the feudal lords. Moreover,
	53	it is said in the <em>Records</em>, 'Bend the foot in order to straighten
	54	the yard.' That seems worth doing."</p>
	55	<p class="quoted">"Once," said Mencius, "Duke Ching of Ch'i went hunting and summoned
	56	his gamekeeper with a pennon. The gamekeeper did not come, and the
	57	Duke was going to have him put to death. 'A man whose mind is set on
	58	high ideals never forgets that he may end in a ditch; a man of valor
	59	never forgets that he may forfeit his head.' What did Conficius find
	60	praiseworthy in the gamekeeper? His refusal to answer to a form of
	61	summons to which he was not entitled. What can one do about those
	62	who go without even being summoned? Moreover, the saying, 'Bend the
	63	foot in order to straighten the yard' refers to profit. If it is for
	64	profit, I suppose one might just as well bend the yard to straighten
	65	the foot.</p>
	66	<p class="quoted">"Once, Viscount Chien of Chao sent Wang Liang to drive the chariot
	67	for his favorite, Hsi. In the whole day they failed to catch one
	68	single bird. Hsi reported to his master, 'He is the worst charioteer
	69	in the world.' Someone told Wang Liang of this. Liang asked, 'May I
	70	have another chance?' It was with difficulty that Hsi was persuaded,
	71	but in one morning they caught ten birds. Hsi reported to his
	72	master, 'He is the best charioteer in the world.' 'I shall make him
	73	drive for you,' said Viscount Chien. He asked Wang Liang, but
	74	Wang Liang refused. 'I drove for him according to the proper rules,'
	75	said he, 'and we did not catch a single bird all day. Then I used
	76	underhand methods, and we caught ten birds in one morning. The <em>Book
77	of Odes</em> says,</p>
78
79	<p class="verse">
80	He never failed to drive correctly,<br />
81	And his arrows went straight for the target<br />
54a817d4	82	</p><br />
2aff8b5c	83	</p>
54a817d4	84	<p class="quoted">I am not used to driving for small men. May I be excused?'</p>
2aff8b5c	85	<p class="quoted">"Even a charioteer is ashamed to be in league with an archer. When
	86	doing so means catching enough birds to pile up like a mountain, he
	87	would still rather not do it. What can one do about those who bend
	88	the Way in order to please others? You are futher mistaken. There
	89	has never been a man who could straighten others by bending
	90	himself."</p>
	91
	92	</blockquote>
	93
	94
	95	<h3><a name="sec3" id="sec3"></a>
	96	VI.A.10</h3>
	97
	98	<blockquote>
	99	<p class="quoted">
	100	Mencius said, "Fish is what I want; bear's palm is also what I
	101	want. If I cannot have both, I would rather take bear's palm than
	102	fish. Life is what I want; dutifulness is also what I want. If I
	103	cannot have both, I would rather take dutifulness than life. On the
	104	one hand, though life is what I want, there is something I want more
	105	than life. That is why I do not cling to life at all costs. On the
	106	other hand, though death is what I loathe, there is something I
	107	loathe more than death. That is why there are troubles I do not
	108	avoid. If there is nothing a man wants more than life, then why
	109	should he have scruples about any means, so long as it will serve to
	110	keep him alive? if there is nothing a man loathes more than death,
	111	then why should have have scruples about any means, so long as it
	112	helps him to avoid trouble? Yet there are ways of remaining alive
	113	and ways of avoiding death to which a man will not resort. In other
	114	words, there are things a man wants more than life and there are
	115	also things he loathes more than death. This is an attitude not
	116	confined to the moral man but common to all men. The moral man simply
	117	never loses it.</p>
	118	<p class="quoted">"Here is a basketful of rice and a bowful of soup. Getting them will
	119	mean life; not getting them will mean death. When these are given
	120	with abuse, even a wayfarer would not accept them; when these are
	121	given after being trampled upon, even a beggar would not accept
	122	them. Yet when it comes to ten thousand bushels of grain one is
	123	supposed to accept without asking if it is in accordance with the
	124	rites or if it is right to do so. What benefit are then thousand
	125	bushels of grain to me? [Do I accept them] for the sake of beautiful
	126	houses, the enjoyment of wives and concubines, or for the sake of
	127	the gratitude my needy acquaintances will show? What I would not
	128	accept in the first instance when it was a matter of life and death
	129	I now accept for the sake of beautiful houses; what I would not
	130	accept when it was a matter of life and death I now accept for the
	131	enjoyment of wives and concubines; what I would not accept when it
	132	was a matter of life and death I now accept for the sake of the
	133	gratitude my needy acquaintances will show me. Is there no way of
	134	putting a stop to this? This way of thinking is known as losing
	135	one's original heart."</p>
	136
	137	</blockquote>
	138
	139
	140
	141	<h2><a name="sec4" id="sec4"></a>
	142	Qohelet</h2>
	143
	144
	145	<h2><a name="sec5" id="sec5"></a>
	146	One</h2>
	147
	148	<p class="verse">
149	1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.<br />
150	2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.<br />
151	3 What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?<br />
152	4 One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth<br />
153	abideth for ever.<br />
154	5 The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place<br />
155	where he arose.<br />
156	6 The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it<br />
157	whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his<br />
158	circuits.<br />
159	7 All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place<br />
160	from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.<br />
161	8 All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not<br />
162	satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.<br />
163	9 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done<br />
164	is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.<br />
165	10 Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been<br />
166	already of old time, which was before us.<br />
167	11 There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any<br />
168	remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.<br />
169	12 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.<br />
170	13 And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things<br />
171	that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man<br />
172	to be exercised therewith.<br />
173	14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is<br />
174	vanity and vexation of spirit.<br />
175	15 That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting<br />
176	cannot be numbered.<br />
177	16 I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and<br />
178	have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem:<br />
179	yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.<br />
180	17 And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I<br />
181	perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.<br />
182	18 For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge<br />
183	increaseth sorrow.<br />
184	</p>
185
186
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212
54a817d4	213	<p class="cke-footer"> It's no contest, but we still race there
54a817d4	214	Like the saintly tortoise and the godless hare
2aff8b5c	215	</p>
2aff8b5c	216	<p class="cke-timestamp">Last Modified:
54a817d4	217	September 28, 2008</p>
2aff8b5c	218	</body>
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