Chapter XLII
ASKING T`IEN[1]
: TWO DIALOGUES[2]
Hsü Chü once asked T`ien Chiu, saying: "Thy servant
has heard that wise men do not have to start from a low post
before they win the ruler's confidence, nor do sages have to
manifest their merits before they approach the superior. Now
Yang-ch`êng Ih-chü was a famous general, but he rose from
a mere camp
[3]
master; Kung-sun T`an-hui was a great
minister, but he started as a district-magistrate. Why?"
In reply T`ien Chiu said: "It is for no other reason than
this: The sovereign has rules and the superior has tacts.
Moreover, have you never heard that Sung Ku, a general of
Ch`u, disordered the government, and Fêng Li, Premier of
Wey, ruined that state? It was because both their rulers, as
misled by their high-sounding phrases and bewildered by
their eloquent speeches, never tested their abilities as camp
master and district-magistrate that the miseries of misgovernment
and state-ruin ensued. From this viewpoint it is clear
that without making the trial at the camp and the test in the
district the intelligent sovereign cannot provide against
eventualities."
T`ang-ch`i Kung once said to Han Tzŭ[4]
: "Thy servant
has heard that observing rules of propriety and performing
deeds of humility is the art of safeguarding one's own life
and that improving one's conduct and concealing one's
wisdom is the way to accomplish one's own career. Now,
you, my venerable master, propounded principles of law and
tact and established standards of regulations and statistics, thy
servant in private presumes that this will jeopardize your life
and endanger your body. How can thy servant prove[5]
this?
As I have heard, Master in his discussion on tact says: `Ch`u,
not employing Wu Ch`i, was dismembered and disturbed;
Ch`in, practising the Law of Lord Shang, became rich and
strong.' The words of the two philosophers were equally
true, yet Wu Ch`i was dismembered and Lord Shang was
torn to pieces by chariots because they had the misfortune to
miss both the right age and the right master. Nobody can be
certain of meeting the right age and the right master, nor can
anybody repulse misery and disaster. Indeed, to discard the
way of security and accomplishment and indulge in a
precarious living thy servant personally does not consider
it worth Master's while."
In response to the remark Han Tzŭ said: "Thy servant
understands your honourable counsels very well. Indeed,
the exercise of the ruling authority of All-under-Heaven
and the unification of the regulation of the masses is not an
easy task. Nevertheless, the reason why thy servant has given
up your honourable[6]
teachings and is practising his own
creeds is that thy servant personally regards the formulation
of the principles of law and tact and the establishment of the
standards of regulations and measures as the right way to
benefit the masses of people. Therefore, not to fear the threat
and outrage of the violent sovereign and stupid superior but
to scheme definitely for the advantages of unifying the people,
is an act of benevolence and wisdom; whereas to fear the
threat and outrage of the violent sovereign and stupid superior
and thereby evade the calamity of death, is a clear understanding
of personal advantages,[7]
and to ignore the public
benefit of the masses, is an act of greed and meanness. Since
thy servant cannot bear entertaining the act of greed and
meanness and dare not destroy the act of benevolence and
wisdom, though Master[8]
has the kind intention to make thy
servant happy, yet in fact it will be detrimental to thy servant."
