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#title The Wisdom of the Ancients

* Mencius 

** III.B.1

<quote>
Ch'en Tai said, "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 *Records*, 'Bend the foot in order to straighten
the yard.' That seems worth doing."

"Once," said Mencius, "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.

"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 *Book
of Odes* says,
<verse>
He never failed to drive correctly,
And his arrows went straight for the target
</verse>

I am not used to driving for small men. May I be excused?'

"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."
</quote>

** VI.A.10

<quote>
Mencius said, "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.

"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."
</quote>

* Qohelet

* One

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