| | 庚桑楚: |
老聃之役，有庚桑楚者，偏得老聃之道，以北居畏垒之山。其臣之画然知者去之，其妾之挈然仁者远之，拥肿之与居，鞅掌之为使。居三年，畏垒大壤。畏垒之民相与言曰：“庚桑子之始来，吾洒然异之。今吾日计之而不足，岁计之而有馀。庶几其圣人乎！子胡不相与尸而祝之，社而稷之乎？” |
| Geng-sang Chu: |
Among the disciples of Lao Dan there was a Geng-sang Chu, who had got a greater knowledge than the others of his doctrines, and took up his residence with it in the north at the hill of Wei-lei. His servants who were pretentious and knowing he sent away, and his concubines who were officious and kindly he kept at a distance; living (only) with those who were boorish and rude, and employing (only) the bustling and ill-mannered. After three years there was great prosperity in Wei-lei, and the people said to one another, 'When Mr. Geng-sang first came here, he alarmed us, and we thought him strange; our estimate of him after a short acquaintance was that he could not do us much good; but now that we have known him for years, we find him a more than ordinary benefit. Must he not be near being a sage? Why should you not unite in blessing him as the representative of our departed (whom we worship), and raise an altar to him as we do to the spirit of the grain?' |
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庚桑子闻之，南面而不释然。弟子异之。庚桑子曰：“弟子何异于予？夫春气发而百草生，正得秋而万宝成。夫春与秋，岂无得而然哉？天道已行矣。吾闻至人尸居环堵之室，而百姓猖狂不知所如往。今以畏垒之细民而窃窃欲俎豆予于贤人之闲，我其杓之人邪？吾是以不释于老聃之言。” |
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Geng-sang heard of it, kept his face indeed to the south but was dissatisfied. His disciples thought it strange in him, but he said to them, 'Why, my disciples, should you think this strange in me? When the airs of spring come forth, all vegetation grows; and, when the autumn arrives, all the previous fruits of the earth are matured. Do spring and autumn have these effects without any adequate cause? The processes of the Great Dao have been in operation. I have heard that the Perfect man dwells idly in his apartment within its surrounding walls, and the people get wild and crazy, not knowing how they should repair to him. Now these small people of Wei-lei in their opinionative way want to present their offerings to me, and place me among such men of ability and virtue. But am I a man to be set up as such a model? It is on this account that I am dissatisfied when I think of the words of Lao Dan.' |
