| | 盜跖: |
無足問於知和曰：「人卒未有不興名就利者。彼富則人歸之，歸則下之，下則貴之。夫見下貴者，所以長生、安體、樂意之道也。今子獨無意焉，知不足邪？意知而力不能行邪？故推正不忘邪？」知和曰：「今夫此人以為與己同時而生、同鄉而處者，以為夫絕俗過世之士焉，是專無主正，所以覽古今之時，是非之分也，與俗化世。去至重，棄至尊，以為其所為也，此其所以論長生、安體、樂意之道，不亦遠乎！慘怛之疾，恬愉之安，不監於體；怵惕之恐，欣懽之喜，不監於心。知為為而不知所以為，是以貴為天子，富有天下，而不免於患也。」 |
| The Robber Zhi: |
Mr. Dissatisfied asked Mr. Know-the-Mean, saying, 'There is no man after all who does not strive for reputation and pursue after gain. When men are rich, then others go to them. Going to them, they put themselves beneath them. In that position they do honour to them as nobler than themselves. But to see others taking that position and doing honour to us is the way to prolong life, and to secure the rest of the body and the satisfaction of the mind. You alone, Sir, however, have no idea of this. Is it that your knowledge is deficient? Is it that you have the knowledge, but want the strength to carry it into practice? Or is it that your mind is made up to do what you consider right, and never allow yourself to forget it?' Know-the-Mean replied, 'Here now is this man judging of us, his contemporaries, and living in the same neighbourhood as himself, that we consider ourselves scholars who have abjured all vulgar ways and risen above the world. He is entirely without the thought of submitting to the rule of what is right. He therefore studies ancient times and the present, and the differing questions about the right and wrong, and agrees with the vulgar ideas and influences of the age, abandoning what is most important and discarding what is most honourable, in order to be free to act as he does. But is he not wide of the mark when he thinks that this is the way to promote long life, and to secure the rest of the body and the satisfaction of the mind? He has his painful afflictions and his quiet repose, but he does not inquire how his body is so variously affected; he has his apprehensive terrors, and his happy joys, but he does not inquire how his mind has such different experiences. He knows how to pursue his course, but he does not know why he does so. Even if he had the dignity of the Son of Heaven, and all the wealth of the kingdom were his, he would not be beyond the reach of misfortunes and evils.' |
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無足曰：「夫富之於人，無所不利，窮美究埶，至人之所不得逮，賢人之所不能及，俠人之勇力而不為威強，秉人之知謀以為明察，因人之德以為賢良，非享國而嚴若君父。且夫聲色、滋味、權勢之於人，心不待學而樂之，體不待象而安之。夫欲惡避就，固不待師，此人之性也。天下雖非我，孰能辭之！」知和曰：「知者之為，故動以百姓，不違其度，是以足而不爭，無以為故不求。不足故求之，爭四處而不自以為貪；有餘故辭之，棄天下而不自以為廉。廉貪之實，非以迫外也，反監之度。勢為天子而不以貴驕人，富有天下而不以財戲人。計其患，慮其反，以為害於性，故辭而不受也，非以要名譽也。堯、舜為帝而雍，非仁天下也，不以美害生也；善卷、許由得帝而不受，非虛辭讓也，不以事害己。此皆就其利，辭其害，而天下稱賢焉，則可以有之，彼非以興名譽也。」 |
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Dissatisfied rejoined, 'But riches are in every way advantageous to man. With them his attainment of the beautiful and mastery of every art become what the perfect man cannot obtain nor the sagely man reach to; his appropriation of the bravery and strength of others enables him to exercise a powerful sway; his availing himself of the wisdom and plans of others makes him be accounted intelligent and discriminating; his taking advantage of the virtues of others makes him be esteemed able and good. Though he may not be the holder of a state, he is looked to with awe as a ruler and father. Moreover, music, beauty, with the pleasures of the taste and of power, are appreciated by men's minds and rejoiced in without any previous learning of them; the body reposes in them without waiting for the example of others. Desire and dislike, avoidance and pursuit, do not require any master - this is the nature of man. Though the world may condemn one's indulgence of them, who can refrain from it?' Know-the-Mean replied, 'The action of the wise is directed for the good of the people, but they do not go against the (proper) rule and degree. Therefore when they have enough, they do not strive (for more); they have no further object, and so they do not seek for one. When they have not enough, they will seek for it; they will strive for it in every quarter, and yet not think of themselves as greedy. If they have (already) a superfluity, they will decline (any more); they will decline the throne, and yet not think of themselves as disinterested: the conditions of disinterestedness and greediness are (with them) not from the constraint of anything external. Through their exercise of introspection, their power may be that of the sovereign, but they will not in their nobility be arrogant to others; their wealth may be that of the whole kingdom, but they will not in their possession of it make a mock of others. They estimate the evils to which they are exposed, and are anxious about the reverses which they may experience. They think how their possessions may be injurious to their nature, and therefore they will decline and not accept them - but not because they seek for reputation and praise. Yao and Shun were the sovereigns, and harmony prevailed. It did so, not because of their benevolence towards the people - they would not, for what was (deemed) admirable, injure their lives. Shan Juan and Xu You might have been the sovereigns, but they would not receive the throne - not that they declined it without purpose, but they would not by its occupancy injure themselves. These all followed after what was advantageous to them, and declined what was injurious, and all the world celebrates their superiority. Thus, though they enjoy the distinction, they did what they did, not for the sake of the reputation and praise.' |
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無足曰：「必持其名，苦體絕甘，約養以持生，則亦久病長阨而不死者也。」知和曰：「平為福，有餘為害者，物莫不然，而財其甚者也。今富人耳營鐘鼓筦籥之聲，口嗛於芻豢醪醴之味，以感其意，遺忘其業，可謂亂矣；侅溺於馮氣，若負重行而上也，可謂苦矣；貪財而取慰，貪權而取竭，靜居則溺，體澤則馮，可謂疾矣；為欲富就利，故滿若堵耳而不知避，且馮而不舍，可謂辱矣；財積而無用，服膺而不舍，滿心戚醮，求益而不止，可謂憂矣；內則疑劫請之賊，外則畏寇盜之害，內周樓疏，外不敢獨行，可謂畏矣。此六者，天下之至害也，皆遺忘而不知察，及其患至，求盡性竭財，單以反一日之無故而不可得也。故觀之名則不見，求之利則不得，繚意體而爭此，不亦惑乎！」 |
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Dissatisfied (continued his argument), saying, 'In thus thinking it necessary for their reputation, they bitterly distressed their bodies, denied themselves what was pleasant, and restricted themselves to a bare sustenance in order to sustain their life; but so they had life-long distress, and long-continued pressure till their death arrived.' Know-the-Mean replied, 'Tranquil ease is happiness; a superfluity is injurious: so it is with all things, and especially it is so, where the superfluity is of wealth. The ears of the rich are provided with the music of bells, drums, flageolets and flutes; and their mouths are stuffed with the flesh of fed beasts and with wine of the richest flavour; so are their desires satisfied, till they forget their proper business: theirs may be pronounced a condition of disorder. Sunk deeply in their self-sufficiency, they resemble individuals ascending a height with a heavy burden on their backs: their condition may be pronounced one of bitter suffering. They covet riches, thinking to derive comfort from them; they covet power, and would fain monopolise it; when quiet and retired, they are drowned in luxurious indulgence; their persons seem to shine, and they are full of boasting: they may be said to be in a state of disease. In their desire to be rich and striving for gain, they fill their stores, and, deaf to all admonition, refuse to desist from their course. They are even more elated, and hold on their way: their conduct may be pronounced disgraceful. When their wealth is amassed till they cannot use it, they clasp it to their breasts and will not part with it; when their hearts are distressed with their very fulness, they still seek for more and will not desist: their condition may be said to be sad. In-doors they are apprehensive of pilfering and begging thieves, and out-of-doors they are afraid of being injured by plundering robbers; in-doors they have many chambers and partitions, and out-of-doors they do not dare to go alone: they may be said to be in a state of (constant) alarm. These six conditions are the most deplorable in the world, but they forget them all, and have lost their faculty of judgment. When the evil comes, though they begged it with all the powers of their nature, and by the sacrifice of all their wealth, they could not bring back one day of untroubled peace. When they look for their reputation, it is not to be seen; when they seek for their wealth, it is not to be got. To task their thoughts, and destroy their bodies, striving for (such an end as) this - is it not a case of great delusion ?' |
