Follow us on Facebook to receive important updates Follow us on Twitter to receive important updates Follow us on sina.com's microblogging site to receive important updates Follow us on Douban to receive important updates
Chinese Text Project
Simplified Chinese version
Back Forward
Daoism -> Zhuangzi -> Miscellaneous Chapters -> Ze-yang -> 10.1

少知问于大公调曰：Shao Zhi asked Da-gong Diao, saying,
“何谓丘里之言？” 'What do we mean by "The Talk of the Hamlets and Villages?"'
大公调曰： The reply was,
“丘里者，'Hamlets and Villages
合十姓百名而以为风俗也。are formed by the union - say of ten surnames and a hundred names, and are considered to be (the source of) manners and customs.
合异以为同， The differences between them are united to form their common character,
散同以为异。 and what is common to them is separately apportioned to form the differences.
今指马之百体而不得马，If you point to the various parts which make up the body of a horse, you do not have the horse;
而马系于前者， but when the horse is before you,
立其百体而谓之马也。and all its various parts stand forth (as forming the animal), you speak of "the horse."
是故丘山积卑而为高，So it is that the mounds and hills are made to be the elevations that they are by accumulations of earth which individually are but low.
江河合水而为大， (So also rivers like) the Jiang and the He obtain their greatness by the union of (other smaller) waters with them.
大人合并而为公。 And (in the same way) the Great man exhibits the common sentiment of humanity by the union in himself of all its individualities.
是以自外入者， Hence when ideas come to him from without,
有主而不执；though he has his own decided view, he does not hold it with bigotry;
由中出者， and when he gives out his own decisions,
有正而不距。which are correct, the views of others do not oppose them.
四时殊气， The four seasons have their different elemental characters,
天不赐， but they are not the partial gifts of Heaven,
故岁成； and so the year completes its course.
五官殊职， The five official departments have their different duties,
君不私， but the ruler does not partially employ any one of them,
故国治； and so the kingdom is governed.
文武大人不赐，(The gifts of) peace and war (are different), but the Great man does not employ the one to the prejudice of the other,
故德备； and so the character (of his administration) is perfect.
万物殊理， All things have their different constitutions and modes of actions,
道不私， but the Dao (which directs them) is free from all partiality,
故无名。 and therefore it has no name.
无名故无为，Having no name, it therefore does nothing.
无为而无不为。Doing nothing, there is nothing which it does not do.
时有终始， Each season has its ending and beginning;
世有变化， each age has its changes and transformations;
祸福淳淳， misery and happiness regularly alternate.
至有所拂者而有所宜；Here our views are thwarted, and yet the result may afterwards have our approval;
自殉殊面，there we insist on our own views, and looking at things differently from others,
有所正者有所差。try to correct them, while we are in error ourselves.
比于大泽， The case may be compared to that of a great marsh,
百材皆度； in which all its various vegetation finds a place,
观于大山， or we may look at it as a great hill,
木石同坛。 where trees and rocks are found on the same terrace.
此之谓丘里之言。” Such may be a description of what is intended by "The Talk of the Hamlets and Villages."'

Enjoy this site? Please help.Site design and content copyright 2006-2024. When quoting or citing information from this site, please link to the corresponding page or to https://ctext.org/ens. Please note that the use of automatic download software on this site is strictly prohibited, and that users of such software are automatically banned without warning to save bandwidth. 沪ICP备09015720号-3Comments? Suggestions? Please raise them here.