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Scope: The Seal of Virtue Complete Request type: Paragraph
Condition 1: Contains text "謷乎大哉" Matched:1.
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德充符 - The Seal of Virtue Complete

English translation: James Legge [?]
Books referencing 《德充符》 Library Resources
5 德充符:
闉跂支離無脤說衛靈公,靈公說之,而視全人,其脰肩肩。甕盎大癭說齊桓公,桓公說之,而視全人,其脰肩肩。故德有所長,而形有所忘,人不忘其所忘,而忘其所不忘,此謂誠忘。故聖人有所遊,而知為孽,約為膠,德為接,工為商。聖人不謀,惡用知?不斲,惡用膠?無喪,惡用德?不貨,惡用商?四者,天鬻也。天鬻者,天食也。既受食於天,又惡用人?有人之形,無人之情。有人之形,故群於人;無人之情,故是非不得於身。眇乎小哉!所以屬於人也。謷乎大哉!獨成其天。
The Seal of Virtue...:
A person who had no lips, whose legs were bent so that he could only walk on his toes, and who was (otherwise) deformed, addressed his counsels to duke Ling of Wei, who was so pleased with him, that he looked on a perfectly formed man as having a lean and small neck in comparison with him. Another who had a large goitre like an earthenware jar addressed his counsels to duke Huan of Qi, who was so pleased with him that he looked on a perfectly formed man as having a neck lean and small in comparison with him. So it is that when one's virtue is extraordinary, (any deficiency in) his bodily form may be forgotten. When men do not forget what is (easily) forgotten, and forget what is not (easily) forgotten, we have a case of real oblivion. Therefore the sagely man has that in which his mind finds its enjoyment, and (looks on) wisdom as (but) the shoots from an old stump; agreements with others are to him but so much glue ; kindnesses are (but the arts of) intercourse; and great skill is (but as) merchants' wares. The sagely man lays no plans; of what use would wisdom be to him? He has no cutting and hacking to do; of what use would glue be to him? He has lost nothing; of what use would arts of intercourse be to him? He has no goods to dispose of; what need has he to play the merchant? (The want of) these four things are the nourishment of (his) Heavenly (nature); that nourishment is its Heavenly food. Since he receives this food from Heaven, what need has he for anything of man's (devising)? He has the bodily form of man, but not the passions and desires of (other) men. He has the form of man, and therefore he is a man. Being without the passions and desires of men, their approvings and disapprovings are not to be found in him. How insignificant and small is (the body) by which he belongs to humanity! How grand and great is he in the unique perfection of his Heavenly (nature)!

Total 1 paragraphs. Page 1 of 1.