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 I.AOTZUS Ti\0 
 
 AND Wa WE 
 
 DNVJGHT OOPDARD 
 
 — --* ANt> 
 
 n HENRI BORHL 
 
 ASIA 
 

The original of tliis book is in 
 tine Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924023066503 
 
Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei / 
 
 3 1924 023 066 503 
 
LAOTZU'S TAO AND WU WEI 
 
 TRANSLATION BY 
 
 DWIGHT GODDARD 
 
 WU WEI 
 
 AN INTERPRETATION BY 
 HENRI BOREL 
 
 TRANSLATED BY 
 
 M. E. REYNOLDS 
 
 NEW YORK 
 
 BRENTANO'S 
 
 PUBLISHERS 
 
w 
 
 COPYRIGHT, I919, BX 
 BRENTANO'S 
 
 ch 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 I LOVE LAOTZU! That is the reason I 
 offer another mterpretative translation, and 
 try to print and bind it attractively. I want 
 you to appreciate this wise and kindly old man, 
 and come to love him. He was perhaps the first 
 of scholars (6th centmy B.C.) to have a vision 
 of spiritual reaUty, and he tried so hard to explain 
 it to others, only, in the end, to wander away 
 into the Great Unknown in pathetic discourage- 
 ment. Everything was against him; his friends 
 misunderstood him; others made fun of him. 
 
 Even the written characters which he must 
 use to preserve his thought conspired against 
 him. They were only five thousand in all, and 
 were ill adapted to express mystical and abstract 
 ideas. When these characters are translated 
 accurately, the translation is necessarily awk- 
 ward and obscvire. Sinologues have uninten- 
 tionally done him an injustice by their very 
 scholarship. I have tried to peer through the 
 clumsy characters into his heart and prayed 
 that love for him would make me wise to under- 
 stand aright. 
 
 I hate scholarship that would deny his exist- 
 ence, or arrogant erudition that says patroniz- 
 ingly, "Oh, yes, there doubtless was some one 
 who wrote some of the characteristic sonnets, 
 
 1 
 
2 INTRODUCTION 
 
 but most of them are an accumulation through 
 the centuries of verses that have similar structure, 
 and all have been changed and amended until 
 it is better to call the book a collection of aphor- 
 isms." 
 
 Shame on scholarship when, sharing the visions 
 of the illuminati, they deride them! 
 
 There are three great facts in China to-day 
 that vouch for Laotzu. First, the presence of 
 Taoism, which was suggested by his teachings, 
 not founded upon them. This is explained 
 by the inability of the scholars, who imme- 
 diately followed him, to understand and appre- 
 ciate the spirituality of his teachings. Second, 
 Confucian dislike for Laotzian ideas, which is 
 explained by their opposition to Confucian ethics. 
 Third, and the greatest fact of all, is the char- 
 acteristic traits of Chinese nature, namely, pas- 
 sivity, submissiveness and moral concern, all of 
 which find an adequate cause and source in the 
 teachings of Laotzu. 
 
 An interesting fact in regard to the thought of 
 Laotzu is this. Although for two thousand years 
 he has been misunderstood and derided, to-day 
 the very best of scientific and philosophic thought, 
 which gathers about what is known as Vitahsm, 
 is in full accord with Laotzu's idea of the Tao. 
 Every reference that is made to-day to a Cosmic 
 Urge, Vital Impulse, and Creative Principle 
 can be said of the Tao. Everything that can 
 be said of Plato's Ideas and Forms and of Cosmic 
 Love as being the creative expression of God can 
 
iiNinuuutJiiUiN 3 
 
 be said of the Tao. When Christian scholars 
 came to translate the Logos of St. John, they 
 were satisfied to use the word "Tao." 
 
 It is true that Laotzu's conception of the Tao 
 was limited to a conception of a universal, cre- 
 ative principle. He apparently had no con- 
 ception of personaUty, which the Christians 
 ascribe to God, in connection with it, but he 
 ascribed so much of wisdom and benevolence 
 to it that his conception fell little short of per- 
 sonality. To Laotzu, the Tao is the universal 
 and eternal principle which forms and condi- 
 tions everything; it is that intangible cosmic 
 influence which harmonizes all things and brings 
 them to fruition; it is the norm and standard of 
 truth and morality. Laotzu did more than 
 entertain an intelligent opinion of Tao as a 
 creative principle; he had a devout and religious 
 sentiment towards it: "He loved the Tao as a 
 son cherishes and reveres his mother." 
 
 There are three key words in the thought of 
 Laotzu: Tao, Teh, and Wu Wei. They are 
 all difl&cult to translate. The simple meaning 
 of Tao is "way," but it also has a wide variety 
 of other meanings Dr. Paul Cams translates it, 
 "Reason," but apologizes for so doing. If forced 
 to offer a translation we would suggest Creative 
 Principle, but much prefer to leave it untrans- 
 lated. 
 
 The character, "Teh," is usually translated 
 "virtue." This is correct as a mere translation 
 of the character, but is in no sense adequate 
 
4 INTRODUCTION 
 
 to the content of the thought in Laotzu's mind. 
 To him, Teh meant precisely what is meant in 
 the account of the healing of the woman who 
 touched the hem of Jesus' robe: "Jesus was 
 conscious that virtue^ had passed from him." 
 Teh includes the meaniag of vitality, of virility, 
 of beauty and the harmony that we think 
 of as that part of life that is abounding and 
 joyous. The third word is the negative ex- 
 pression, "Wu Wei." Translated, this means 
 "not acting," or "non-assertion." When La- 
 otzu urges men to "wu wei," he is not urging 
 them to laziness or asceticism. He means that 
 all men are to cherish that wise humiUty and 
 diffidence and selflessness which comes from a 
 consciousness that the Tao is infinitely wise 
 and good, and that the part of human wisdom 
 is to hold one's self in such a restrained and 
 receptive manner that the Tao may find one 
 a suitable and conforming channel for its piu"- 
 pose. The title of Laotzu's book, Tao Teh 
 King, is carelessly translated. The Way of Virtue 
 Classic, or The Way and Virtue Classic. This 
 is very inadequate. The Vitality of the Tao 
 is very much better. 
 
 Most conamentators think that Laotzu's teach- 
 ings fit in especially well with Buddhist philos- 
 ophy This conclusion is arrived at by the com- 
 mon interpretation of wu wei as submission 
 that will logically end in absorption of the spirit 
 in Tao as Nirvana. This understanding of 
 wu wei, which Henri Borel shares in a meas- 
 
INTRODUCTION 5 
 
 ure, is, we believe, incorrect, inasmuch as Laotzu 
 consistently teaches a finding of life rather than 
 a losing of it. Laotzu's conception of Tao as the 
 underived Source of all things, finding expression 
 through spiritual Teh in universal creative activityj 
 is very close to Plato's doctrine of the good as the 
 One ineffable Source of all things, whose Ideas and 
 Forms of Goodness, Truth and Beauty radiated 
 outward as spiritual logoi in creative activity 
 through Spirit, Soul and Nature to the farthest 
 confines of matter. 
 
 While it is true that Laotzu's teachings would 
 find Uttle in common with the Old Testament 
 anthropomorphic autocracy, and would find almost 
 nothiag in common with the modern Ritschlean 
 system of ethical ideaUsm which has for its basis a 
 naturalistic evolution of human society by means 
 of philanthropy, laws, cultural civilizations, and 
 human governments backed by force of arms, never- 
 theless his teachings are entirely in harmony with 
 that Christian philosophy of the Logos, which is a 
 heritage from the Greeks, through Plato, PhUo, 
 St. Paul, Plottnus, and Augustine, and which is 
 the basis of the mystical faith of the Christian 
 saints of all ages. While Laotzu would find Uttle 
 in common with the busy, impertinent activities 
 of so-called Christian statesman building by 
 statecraft and war, he would find much in com- 
 mon with Apostohc Christianity which held 
 itself aloof from current politics and refused 
 to enter the army, content to live simply, quietly, 
 full of faith and humble benevolence. 
 
6 INTRODUCTION 
 
 And most of all would he find himself in sym- 
 pathy with the teacher of Nazareth. At almost 
 every Sonnet, one thinks of some corresponding 
 expression of Jesus, who had a very similar 
 conception of God, but who recognized in Him 
 that personal element of Love which made God 
 not only Creative Priaciple but Heavenly Father. 
 
 Laotzu's vision of the virile harmony, goodness, 
 and Spirituality of the Tao was what Jesus saw as 
 the Fatherhood of God, self-expressing his love- 
 nature endlessly in all creative effort, and, through 
 universal intuition, endlessly drawing his creation 
 back to himself in grateful and humble affection. 
 Laotzu saw in a glass darkly what Jesus saw face 
 to face in all his glory, the Divine Tao, God 
 as creative and redemptive Love. 
 
 As you read these verses, forget the words and 
 phrases, poor material and poor workmanship 
 at best, look through them for the soul of Laotzu. 
 It is there revealed, but so imperfectly that it 
 is only an apparition of a soul. But if by it, 
 vague as it is, you come to love Laotzu, you will 
 catch beyond him fleeting glimpses of the splen- 
 did visions that so possessed his soul, visions 
 of Infinite Goodness, Humility and Beauty ra- 
 diating from the Heart of creation. 
 
 Davight Goddaed. 
 
ALL WE KNOW ABOUT LAOTZU 
 
 SZE MA-CH'IEN (136-85 b.c.) wrote that 
 Laotzu was born of the Li family of Ch'u- 
 jen Village, Li County, K'u Province, Ch'u 
 State. His proper name was Err, his official 
 name was Poh-yang, his posthumous title was 
 Yueh-tan. He held the position of custodian 
 of the secret archives of the State of Cheu. 
 
 Confucius went to Cheu to consult Laotzu 
 about certain ceremonials; Laotzu told him: 
 "The bones of these sages, concerning whom 
 you inquire, have long since decayed, only their 
 teachings remain. If a superior man is imder- 
 stood by his age, he rises to honor, but not being 
 understood, his name is Hke a vagrant seed blown 
 about by the wind. I have heard it said that 
 a good merchant conceals his treasures, as though 
 his warehouses were empty. The sage of highest 
 worth assumes a countenance and outward mien 
 as though he were stupid. Put aside your 
 haughty airs, your many needs, affected robes 
 and exaggerated importance. These add no 
 real value to your person. That is my advice 
 to you, and it is all I have to offer." 
 
 Confucius departed and when he later de- 
 scribed to his students his visit to Laotzu, he said: 
 "I understand about the habits of birds, how 
 
 7 
 
8 ALL WE KNOW ABOUT LAOTZU 
 
 they can fly; how fish can swim; and animals 
 run. For the running we can make snares, 
 for the swimming we can make nets, for the 
 flying we can make arrows. But for the dragon, 
 I cannot know how he ascends on the winds 
 and clouds to heaven. I have just seen Laotzu. 
 Can it be said, he is as difficult to understand 
 as the dragon? He teaches the vitahty of Tao. 
 His doctrine appears to lead one to aspire after 
 self-effacement and obscurity." 
 
 Laotzu lived in Cheu for a long time; he 
 prophesied the decay of that state and in con- 
 sequence was obliged to depart, and went to 
 the frontier. The officer at the border post 
 was Yin-hi, who said to Laotzu, "If you are 
 going to leave us, will you not write a book 
 by which we may remember you?" Thereupon 
 Laotzu wrote a book of sonnets in two parts, 
 comprising in all about five thousand characters. 
 In this book he discussed his conception of the 
 Vitahty of the Tao. He left this book with 
 the soldier, and departed, no one knows whither. 
 
TAO TEH KING 
 
TAO TEH KING 
 
 "WHAT IS THE TAO 
 
 The Tao that can be understood cannot be 
 the prunal, or cosmic, Tao, just as an idea that 
 can be expressed in words cannot be the infinite 
 idea. 
 
 And yet this ineffable Tao was the source of 
 all spirit and matter, .and being expressed was the 
 mother of all created things. 
 
 Therefore not to desire the things of sense is 
 to know the freedom of spirituality; and to desire 
 is to learn the limitation of matter. These two 
 things spirit and matter, so different in nature, 
 have the same origin. This unity of origin is 
 the mystery of mysteries, but it is the gateway to 
 spirituaUty. 
 
 II 
 
 SELF-DEVELOPMENT 
 
 When every one recognizes beauty to be only 
 a masquerade, then it is simply ugliness. In the 
 same way goodness, if it is not sincere, is not 
 goodness. So existence and non-existence are 
 incompatible. The difiicult and easy are mu- 
 tually opposites. Just as the long and the short, 
 
 11 
 
12 WU WEI 
 
 the high and the low, the loud and soft, the 
 before and the behind, are all opposites and 
 each reveals the other. 
 
 Therefore the wise man is not conspicuous in 
 his affairs or given to much talking. Though 
 troubles arise he is not irritated. He produces 
 but does not own; he acts but claims no merit; 
 he builds but does not dwell therein; and because 
 he does not dwell therein he never departs. 
 
 Ill 
 
 QUIETING PEOPLE 
 
 Neglecting to praise the worthy deters people 
 from emulating them; just as not prizing rare 
 treasures deters a man from becoming a thief; 
 or ignoring the things which awaken desire keeps 
 the heart at rest. 
 
 Therefore the wise ruler does not suggest 
 unnecessary things, but seeks to satisfy the minds 
 of his people. He seeks to allay appetites but 
 strengthen bones. He ever tries by keeping 
 people in ignorance to keep them satisfied and 
 those who have knowledge he restrains from 
 evil. If he, himself, practices restraint then every- 
 thing is in quietness. 
 
 IV 
 TAG, WITHOUT ORIGIN 
 
 The Tao appears to be emptiness but it is never 
 exhausted. Oh, it is profound! It appears to 
 have preceded everything. It dulls its own 
 
TAO TEH KING 13 
 
 sharpness, unravels its own fetters, softens its 
 own brightness, identifies itself with its own 
 dust. 
 
 Oh, it is tranquil! It appears infinite; I do not 
 know from what it proceeds. It even appears 
 to be antecedent to the Lord. 
 
 IMPARTIALITY 
 
 Heaven and earth are not like humans, they 
 are impartial. They regard all things as La- 
 significant, as though they were playthings made 
 of straw. The wise man is also impartial. To 
 him all men are alike and unimportant. The 
 space between heaven and earth is like a bellows, 
 it is empty but does not collapse; it moves and 
 more and more issues. A gossip is soon empty, 
 it is doubtful if he can be impartial. 
 
 VI 
 THE INFINITUDE OF CREATIVE EFFORT 
 
 The Spirit of the perennial spring is said to be 
 immortal, she is called the Mysterious One. 
 The Mysterious One is tjrpical of the source of 
 heaven and earth. It is continually and end- 
 lessly issuing and without effort. 
 
 VII 
 HtTMILITY 
 
 Heaven is eternal, earth is lasting. The reason 
 why heaven and earth are eternal and lasting is 
 
14 WU WEI 
 
 because they do not live for themselves; that 
 is the reason they will ever endure. 
 
 Therefore the wise man will keep his per- 
 sonality out of sight and because of so doing he 
 will become notable. He subordinates his per- 
 sonaUty and therefore it is preserved. 
 
 Is it not because he is disinterested, that his 
 own interests are conserved? 
 
 VIII 
 THE NATURE OF GOODNESS 
 
 True goodness is like water, in that it benefits 
 everything and harms nothing. Like water it 
 ever seeks the lowest place, the place that all 
 others avoid. It is closely kin to the Tao. 
 
 For a dwelling it chooses the quiet meadow; 
 for a heart the circling eddy. In generosity it 
 is kind; in speech it is sincere; in authority it 
 is order; in affairs it is ability; in movement it is 
 rhythm. 
 
 Inasmuch as it is always peaceable it is never 
 rebuked. 
 
 IX 
 
 MODERATION 
 
 Continuing to fill a pail after it is full the water 
 will be wasted. Continuing to grind an axe 
 after it is sharp will soon wear it away. 
 
 Who can protect a public hall crowded with 
 gold and jewels? The pride of wealth and posi- 
 tion brings about their own misfortune. To win 
 
TAO TEH KING 15 
 
 true merit, to preserve just fame, the personality 
 miist be retiring. This !s the heavenly Tao. 
 
 WHAT IS POSSIBLE 
 
 By patience the animal spirits can be dis- 
 ciplined. By self-control one can unify the 
 character. By close attention to the will, com- 
 pelling gentleness, one can become like a Uttle 
 child. By piu-ifying the subconscious desires 
 one may be without fault. In ruling his country, 
 if the wise magistrate loves his people, he can 
 avoid compulsion. 
 
 In measuring out rewards, the wise magistrate 
 will act like a mother bird. While sharply pene- 
 trating into every corner, he may appear to be 
 unsuspecting. While quickening and feeding his 
 people, he will be producing but without pride 
 of ownership. He will benefit but without claim 
 of reward. He will persuade, but not compel by 
 force. This is teh, the profoundest virtue. 
 
 XI 
 THE VALUE OF NON-EXISTENCE 
 
 Although the wheel has thirty spokes its utility 
 lies in the emptiness of the hub. The jar is made 
 by kneading clay, but its usefulness consists 
 in its capacity. A room is made by cutting out 
 windows and doors through the walls, but the 
 space the walls contain measures the room's 
 value. 
 
16 WU WEI 
 
 In the same way matter is necessary to form, 
 but the value of reaUty hes in its immateriality. 
 
 (Or thus: a material body is necessary to 
 existence, but the value of a life is measured by 
 its immaterial soul.) 
 
 XII 
 
 AVOIDING DESIRE 
 
 An excess of light blinds the human eye; an 
 excess of noise ruins the ear; an excess of con- 
 diments deadens the taste. The effect of too 
 much horse racing and hunting is bad, and the 
 lure of hidden treasure tempts one to do evil. 
 
 Therefore the wise man attends to the inner 
 significance of things and does not concern him- 
 self with outward appearances. Therefore he 
 ignores matter and seeks the spirit. 
 
 XIII 
 
 LOATHING SHAME 
 
 Favor and disgrace are ahke to be feared, just 
 as too great care or anxiety are bad for the body. 
 
 Why are favor and disgrace alike to be feared? 
 To be favored is humiliating; to obtain it is 
 as much to be dreaded as to lose it. To lose favor 
 is to be in disgrace and of course is to be dreaded. 
 
 Why are excessive care and great anxiety alike 
 bad for one? The very reason I have anxiety 
 is because I have a body. If I have not body 
 why would I be anxious? 
 
 Therefore if he who administers the empire, 
 
TAO TEH KING 17 
 
 esteems it as his own body, then he is worthy to 
 be trusted with the empire. 
 
 XIV 
 IN PEAISE OF THE PROFOUND 
 
 It is imseen because it is colorless; it is un- 
 heard because it is soundless; when seeking to 
 grasp it, it eludes one, because it is incorporeal. 
 
 Because of these qualities it cannot be ex- 
 amined, and yet they form an essential unity. 
 Superficially it appears abstruse, but in its depths 
 it is not obscure. It has been nameless forever! 
 It appears and then disappears. It is what is 
 known as the form of the formless, the image of 
 the imageless. It is called the transcendental, 
 its face (or destiny) cannot be seen in front, or 
 its back (or origin) behind. 
 
 But by holding fast to the Tao of the ancients, 
 the wise man may understand the present, be- 
 cause he knows the origin of the past. This is 
 the clue to the Tao. 
 
 XV 
 
 THAT WHICH REVEALS TEH 
 
 In olden times the ones who were considered 
 worthy to be called masters were subtle, spiritual, 
 profound, wise. Their thoughts could not be 
 easily understood. 
 
 Since they were hard to understand I will try 
 to make them clear. They were cautious like 
 men wading a river in winter. They were re- 
 luctant like men who feared their neighbors. 
 
18 WU WEI 
 
 They were reserved like guests in the presence of 
 their host. They were elusive like ice at the 
 point of melting. They were Uke unseasoned 
 wood. They were like a valley between high 
 mountains. They were obscure like troubled 
 waters. (They were cautious because they were 
 conscious of the deeper meanings of life and its 
 possibilities.) 
 
 We can clarify troubled waters by slowly quiet- 
 ing them. We can bring the unconscious to life 
 by slowly moving them. But he who has the 
 secret of the Tao does not desire for more. Being 
 content, he is able to mature without desire to 
 be newly fashioned. 
 
 XVI 
 
 RETURNING TO THE SOURCE 
 
 Seek to attain an open mind (the summit of 
 vacuity). Seek composure (the essence of tran- 
 quilUty). 
 
 All things are in process, rising and returning. 
 Plants come to blossom, but only to return to 
 the root. Returning to the root is like seeking 
 tranquillity; it is moving towards its destiny. 
 To move toward destiny is Uke eternity. To 
 know eternity is enlightenment, and not to rec- 
 ognize eternity brings disorder and evil. 
 
 Knowing eternity makes one comprehensive; 
 comprehension makes one broadminded; breadth 
 of vision brings nobility; nobility is like heaven. 
 
 The heavenly is like Tao. Tao is the Eternal. 
 The decay of the body is not to be feared. 
 
TAO TEH KING 19 
 
 XVII 
 
 SIMPLICITY OF HABIT 
 
 When great men rule, subjects know little of 
 their existence. Rulers who are less great win 
 the affection and praise of their subjects. A 
 common ruler is feared by his subjects, and an 
 unworthy ruler is despised. 
 
 When a ruler lacks faith, you may seek in vain 
 for it among his subjects. 
 
 How carefully a wise ruler chooses his words. 
 He performs deeds, and accumulates merit! 
 Under such a ruler the people think they are 
 ruling themselves. 
 
 XVIII 
 THE PALLIATION OF THE INFERIOR 
 
 When the great Tao is lost sight of, we still 
 have the idea of benevolence and righteousness. 
 Prudence and wisdom come to mind when we 
 see great hypocrisy. When relatives are un- 
 friendly, we still have the teachings of fiUal piety 
 and paternal affection. When the state and the 
 clan are in confusion and disorder, we still have 
 the ideals of loyalty and faithfulness. 
 
 XIX 
 RETURN TO SIMPLICITY 
 
 Abandon the show of saintliness and relinquish 
 excessive prudence, then people will benefit a 
 hundredfold. Abandon ostentatious benevolence 
 and conspicuous righteousness, then people will re- 
 
20 WU WEI 
 
 turn to the primal virtues of filial piety and paren- 
 tal affection. Abandon cleverness and relinquish 
 gains, then thieves and robbers will disappear. 
 
 Here are three fundamentals on which to de- 
 pend, wherein culture is insufficient. Therefore 
 let aU men hold to that which is rehable, namely, 
 recognize simphcity, cherish purity, reduce one's 
 possessions, diminish one's desires. 
 
 XX 
 
 THE OPPOSITE OF THE COMMONPLACE 
 
 Avoid learning if you would have no anxiety. 
 The "yes" and the "yea" differ very Uttle, but 
 the contrast between good and evil is very great. 
 That which is not feared by the people is not 
 worth fearing. But, oh, the difference, the 
 desolation, the vastness, between ignorance and 
 the Hmitless expression of the Tao. 
 
 {The balance of this sonnet is devoted to show- 
 ing the difference between the careless state of 
 the common people and his own vision of the 
 Tao. It is one of the most pathetic expressions 
 of human loneliness, from lack of appreciation, 
 ever written. It is omitted here that it might 
 serve for the closing sonnet and valedictory.) 
 
 XXI 
 
 THE HEART OF EMPTINESS 
 
 All the innumerable forms of teh correspond 
 to the norm of Tao, but the nature of the Tao's 
 activity is infinitely abstract and illusive. Il- 
 lusive and obsciure, indeed, but at its heart are 
 
TAO TEH KING 21 
 
 fonns and types. Vague and illusive, indeed, 
 but at its heart is all being. Unfathomable and 
 obscure, indeed, but at its heart is all spirit, and 
 spirit is reality. At its heart is truth. 
 
 From of old its expression is unceasing, it has 
 been present at all beginnings. How do I know 
 that its nature is thus? By this same Tao. 
 
 XXII 
 INCREASE BT HUMILITY 
 
 At that time the deficient wUl be made perfect; 
 the distorted will be straightened; the empty 
 will be filled; the worn out will be renewed; those 
 having little will obtain and those having much 
 will be overcome. 
 
 Therefore the wise man, embracing unity as 
 he does, will become the world's model. Not 
 pushing himself forward he will become en- 
 Ughtened; not asserting himself he will become 
 distinguished; not boasting of himself he will 
 acquire merit; not approving himself he will 
 endure. Forasmuch as he will not quarrel, the 
 world will not quarrel with him. 
 
 Is the old saying, "The crooked shall be made 
 straight," a false saying? Indeed, no! They 
 will be perfected and return rejoicing. 
 
 XXIII 
 EMPTINESS AND NOT-DOING (WtT WEl) 
 
 Taciturnity is natiu-al to man. A whirlwind 
 never outlasts the morning, nor a violent rain 
 the day. What is the cause? It is heaven and 
 
22 WU WEI 
 
 earth. If even heaven and earth are not con- 
 stant, much less can man be. 
 
 Therefore he who pursues his affaks in the 
 spirit of Tao will become Tao-like. He who 
 pursues his affairs with teh, wiU become teh-like. 
 He who pursues his affairs with loss, identifies 
 himseK with loss. 
 
 He who identifies himself with Tao, Tao re- 
 joices to guide. He who identifies himself with 
 teh, teh rejoices to reward. And he who iden- 
 tifies himself with loss, loss rejoices to ruin. 
 
 If his faith fail, he will receive no reward of 
 faith. 
 
 XXIV 
 TROUBLES AND MERIT 
 
 It is not natural to stand on tiptoe, or being 
 astride one does not walk. One who displays 
 himself is not bright, or one who asserts himself 
 cannot shine. A self-approving man has no 
 merit, nor does one who praises himself grow. 
 
 'The relation of these things (self -display, self- 
 assertion, self-approval) to Tao is the same as 
 offal is to food. They are excrescences from the 
 system; they are detestable; Tao does not 
 dwell in them. 
 
 XXV 
 DSaCRIBING THE MYSTERIOirS 
 
 There is Being that is all-inclusive and that 
 existed before Heaven and Earth. Calm, indeed, 
 and incorporeal! It is alone and changeless! 
 
TAO TEH KING 23 
 
 Everywhere it functions unhindered. It there- 
 by becomes the world's mother. I do not know 
 its nature; if I try to characterize it, I wUl call 
 it Tao. 
 
 If forced to give it a name, I will call it the 
 Great. The Great is evasive, the evasive is the 
 distant, the distant is ever coming near. Tao is 
 Great. So is Heaven great, and so is Earth and 
 so also is the representative of Heaven and Earth. 
 
 Man is derived from nature, nature is derived 
 from Heaven, Heaven is derived from Tao. Tao 
 is self-derived. 
 
 XXVI 
 THE VIRTUE (tEH) OF DIGNITY 
 
 The heavy is the root of the Ught; the quiet 
 is master of motion. Therefore the wise man in 
 all the experience of the day will not depart from 
 dignity. Though he be surrounded with sights 
 that are magnificent, he will remain calm and 
 unconcerned. 
 
 How does it come to pass that the Emperor, 
 master of ten thousand chariots, has lost the 
 mastery of the Empire? Because being flippant 
 himself, he has lost the respect of his subjects; 
 being passionate himself, he has lost the control 
 of the Empire. 
 
 xxvii 
 
 THE FUNCTION OF SKILL 
 
 Good walkers leave no tracks, good speakers 
 make no errors, good counters need no abacus. 
 
24 WU WEI 
 
 good wardens have no need for bolts and locks 
 for no one can get by them. Good binders can 
 dispense with rope and cord, yet none can unloose 
 their hold. 
 
 Therefore the wise man trusting in goodness 
 always saves men, for there is no outcast to him. 
 Trusting in goodness he saves all things for there 
 is nothing valueless to him. This is recognizing 
 concealed values. 
 
 Therefore the good man is the instructor of 
 the evU man, and the evil man is the good man's 
 wealth. He who does not esteem his instructors 
 or value his wealth, though he be otherwise in- 
 telligent, becomes confused. Herein lies the 
 significance of spirituality. 
 
 XXVIII 
 EETUKNING TO SIMPLICITY 
 
 He who knows his manhood and understands 
 his womanhood becomes useful like the valleys 
 of earth (which bring water). Being like the 
 valleys of earth, eternal vitality (teh) will not 
 depart from him, he will come again to the nature 
 of a Uttle child. 
 
 He who knows his innocence and recognizes 
 his sin becomes the world's model. Being a 
 world's model, infinite teh will not fail, he will 
 return to the Absolute. 
 
 He who knows the glory of his nature and 
 recognizes also his limitations becomes useful 
 like the world's valleys. Being like the world's 
 
TAO TEH KING 25 
 
 valleys, eternal teh will not fail him, he will 
 revert to simplicity. 
 
 Radiating simplicity he will make of men 
 vessels of usefuhaess. The wise man then will 
 employ them as officials and chiefs. A great 
 administration of such will harm no one. 
 
 XXIX 
 
 NOT rOECING THINGS (WU WEl) 
 
 One who desires to take and remake the Empire 
 will fail. The Empire is a divine thing that can- 
 not be remade. He who attempts it will only 
 mar it. 
 
 He who seeks to grasp it, will lose it. People 
 differ, some lead, others follow; some are ardent, 
 others are formal; some are strong, others weak; 
 some succeed, others fail. Therefore the wise 
 man practices moderation; he abandons pleasure, 
 extravagance and indulgence. 
 
 XXX 
 
 BE STINGY OF WAB 
 
 When the magistrate follows Tao, he has no 
 need to resort to force of arms to strengthen the 
 Empire, because his business methods alone will 
 show good returns. 
 
 Briars and thorns grow rank where an army 
 camps. Bad harvests are the sequence of a great 
 war. The good ruler will be resolute and then 
 stop, he dare not take by force. One should be 
 resolute but not boastful; resolute but not 
 
26 WU WEI 
 
 haughty; resolute but not arrogant; resolute 
 but yielding when it cannot be avoided; resolute 
 but he must not resort to violence. 
 
 By a resort to force, things flourish for a time 
 but then decay. This is not like the Tao and 
 that which is not Tao-like will soon cease. 
 
 XXXI 
 AVOIDING WAR 
 
 Even successful arms, among all implements, 
 are unblessed. All men come to detest them. 
 Therefore the one who follows Tao does not rely 
 on them. Arms are of all tools unblessed, they 
 are not the implements of a wise man. Only 
 as a last resort does he use them. 
 
 Peace and quietude are esteemed by the wise 
 man, and even when victorious he does not re- 
 joice, because rejoicing over a victory is the same 
 as rejoicing over the killing of men. If he rejoices 
 over killing men, do you think he will ever really 
 master the Empire? 
 
 In propitious affairs the place of honor is the 
 left, but in unpropitious affairs we honor the right. 
 
 The strong man while at home esteems the 
 left as the place of honor, but when armed for 
 war it is as though he esteems the right hand, the 
 place of less honor. 
 
 Thus a funeral ceremony is so arranged. The 
 place of a subordinate army officer is also on the 
 left and the place of his superior officer is on 
 the right. The killing of men fills multitudes 
 
TAO TEH KING 27 
 
 with sorrow; we lament with tears because of it, 
 and rightly honor the victor as if he was attend- 
 ing a funeral ceremony. 
 
 XXXII 
 
 THE VIRTUE (tEH) OF HOLINESS 
 
 Tao in its eternal aspect is unnamable. Its 
 simpUcity appears insignificant, but the whole 
 world cannot control it. If princes and kings 
 employ it every one of themselves will pay willing 
 homage. Heaven and Earth by it are harmoni- 
 ously combined and drop sweet dew. People 
 will have no need of rulers, because of themselves 
 they will be righteous. 
 
 As soon as Tao expresses itself in "orderly 
 creation then it becomes comprehensible. When 
 one recognizes the presence of Tao he understands 
 where to stop. Knowiag where to stop he is free 
 from danger. 
 
 To illustrate the nature of Tao's place in the 
 universe: Tao is like the brooks and streams in 
 their relation to the great rivers and the ocean. 
 
 XXXIII 
 THE VIRTUE (teh) OF DISCRIMINATION 
 
 He who knows others is intelUgent; he who 
 understands himself is enlightened; he who is 
 able to conquer others has force, but he who is 
 able to control himseU is mighty. He who ap- 
 preciates contentment is wealthy. 
 
 He who dares to act has nerve; if he can main.- 
 
28 WU WEI 
 
 tain his position he will endure, but he, who 
 dying does not perish, is inunortal. 
 
 XXXIV 
 THE PERFECTION OF TRUST 
 
 Great Tao is all pervading! It can be on both 
 the right hand and the left. Everything reUes 
 upon it for their existence, and it does not fail 
 them. It acquires merit but covets not the 
 title. It lovuigly nourishes everythiag, but does 
 not claim the rights of ownership. It has no 
 desires, it can be classed with the small. Every- 
 thing returns to it, yet it does not claim the 
 right of ownership. It can be classed with the 
 great. 
 
 Therefore the wise man to the end will not pose 
 as a great man, and by so doing will express his 
 true greatness. 
 
 XXXV 
 THE VIRTUE (teh) OF BENEVOLENCE 
 
 The world will go to him who grasps this Great 
 Principle; they will seek and not be injured, 
 they will find contentment, peace and rest. 
 
 Music and dainties attract the passing people, 
 while Tao's reality seems insipid. Indeed it has 
 no taste, when looked at there is not enough 
 seen to be prized, when Ustened for, it can 
 scarcely be heard, but the use of it is inex- 
 haustible. 
 
TAO TEH KING 29 
 
 XXXVI 
 EXPLANATION OF A PARADOX 
 
 That which has a tendency to contract must 
 first have been extended; that which has a 
 tendency to weaken itself must first have been 
 strong; that which shows a tendency to destroy 
 itself must first have been raised up; that which 
 shows a tendency to scatter must first have been 
 gathered. 
 
 This is the explanation of a seeming contra- 
 diction : the tender and yielding conquer the rigid 
 and strong {i.e., spirit is stronger than matter, 
 persuasion than force). The fish would be foolish 
 to seek escape from its natural environment. 
 There is no gain to a nation to compel by a show 
 of force. 
 
 xxxvii 
 
 ADMINISTERING THE GOVERNMENT 
 
 Tao is apparently inactive (wu wei) and yet 
 nothing remains imdone. If princes and kings 
 desire to keep everything in order, they must 
 first reform themselves. (If princes and kings 
 would follow the example of Tao, then all things 
 will reform themselves.) If they still desire to 
 change, I would pacify them by the simplicity of 
 the ineffable Tao. 
 
 This simplicity will end desire, and if desire 
 be absent there is quietness. All people will of 
 themselves be satisfied. 
 
30 WU WEI 
 
 XXXVIII 
 A DISCUSSION ABOUT TEH 
 
 Essential teh makes no show of virtue, and 
 therefore it is really virtuous. Inferior virtue 
 never loses sight of itself and therefore it 
 is no longer virtue. Essential virtue is 
 characterized by lack of self-assertion (wu 
 wei) and therefore is unpretentious. Inferior 
 virtue is acting a part and thereby is only 
 pretense. 
 
 Superior benevolence in a way is acting but 
 does not thereby become pretentious. Excessive 
 righteousness is acting and does thereby become 
 pretentious. Excessive propriety is acting, but 
 where no one responds to it, it stretches its arm 
 and enforces obedience. 
 
 Therefore when one loses Tao there is still 
 teh; one may lose teh and benevolence remains; 
 one may forsake benevolence and still hold to 
 righteousness; one may lose righteousness and 
 propriety remains. 
 
 Propriety, alone, reduces loyalty and good 
 faith to a shadow, and it is the beginning of dis- 
 order. Tradition is the mere flower of the Tao 
 and had its origin in ignorance. 
 
 Therefore the great man of affairs conforms 
 to the spirit and not to external appearance. 
 He goes on to fruitage and does not rest in the 
 show of blossom. He avoids mere propriety and 
 practices true benevolence. 
 
TAO TEH KING 31 
 
 XXXIX 
 
 THE ROOT or AUTHORITY 
 
 It has been said of old, only those who attain 
 unity attain self-hood. . . . Heaven attained unity 
 and thereby is space. Earth attained unity, 
 thereby it is soUd. Spirit attained unity, thereby 
 it became mind. Valleys attained unity, there- 
 fore rivers flow down them. All things have 
 unity and thereby have life. Princes and kings 
 as they attain unity become standards of con- 
 duct for the nation. And the highest unity is 
 that which produces unity. 
 
 If heaven were not space it might crack, if 
 earth were not soUd it might bend. If spirits 
 were not unified into mind they might vanish, 
 if valleys were not adapted to rivers they would 
 be parched. Everything if it were not- for hfe 
 would burn up. Even princes and kings if they 
 overestimate themselves and cease to be stand- 
 ards will presumably fall. 
 
 Therefore nobles find their roots among the 
 commoners; the high is always founded upon 
 the low. The reason why princes and kings 
 speak of themselves as orphans, inferiors and 
 unworthy, is because they recognize that their 
 roots run down to the conamon life; is it not so? 
 
 If a carriage goes to pieces it is no longer a 
 carriage, its unity is gone. A true self-hood 
 does not desire to be overvalued as a gem, nor 
 to be undervalued as a mere stone. 
 
32 WU WEI 
 
 XL 
 AVOIDING ACTIVITY 
 
 Retirement is characteristic of Tao just as 
 weakness appears to be a characteristic of its 
 activity. 
 
 Heaven and earth and everything are produced 
 from existence, but existence comes from non- 
 existence. . . . 
 
 XLI 
 THE UNREALITY OF APPEAEANCE 
 
 The superior scholar when he considers Tao ear- 
 nestly practices it; an average scholar listening 
 to Tao sometimes follows it and sometimes loses 
 it; an inferior scholar hstening to Tao ridicules it. 
 Were it not thus ridiculed it could not be regarded 
 as Tao. 
 
 Therefore the writer says: Those who are 
 most illumined by Tao are the most obscure. 
 Those advanced in Tao are most retking. Those 
 best guided by Tao are the least prepossessing. 
 
 The high in virtue (teh) resemble a lowly 
 valley; the whitest are most hkely to be put to 
 shame; the broadest in virtue resemble the 
 inefficient. The most firmly established in virtue 
 resemble the remiss. The simplest chastity 
 resembles the fickle, the greatest square has no 
 corner, the largest vessel is never filled. The 
 greatest sound is void of speech, the greatest 
 form has no shape. Tao is obscure and without 
 
TAO TEH KING 33 
 
 name, and yet it is precisely this Tao that alone 
 can give and complete. 
 
 XLII 
 THE TRANSFOKMATION OF TAO 
 
 Tao produces unity; unity produces duality; 
 duality produces trinity; trinity produces all 
 things. All things bear the negative principle 
 (yia) and embrace the positive principle (yang). 
 Immaterial vitality, the third principle (chi), 
 makes them harmonious. 
 
 Those things which are detested by the com- 
 mon people, namely to be called orphans, ia- 
 feriors, and tmworthies, are the very things kings 
 and lords take for titles. There are some thiags 
 which it is a gain to lose, and a loss to gain. 
 
 I am teaching the same things which are taught 
 by others. But the strong and aggressive ones 
 do not obtain a natural death (i.e., self-confident 
 teachers do not succeed). I alone expound the 
 basis of the doctrine of the Tao. 
 
 XLIII 
 THE FUNCTION OF THE UNIVERSAL 
 
 The most tender things of creation race over 
 the hardest. 
 
 A non-material existence enters into the most 
 impenetrable. 
 
 I therefore recognize an advantage in the 
 doctrine of not doing (wu wei) and not speaking. 
 
34 WU WEI 
 
 But there are few in the world who obtain the 
 advantage of non-assertion (wu wei) and silence. 
 
 XLrv 
 
 PBECBPTS 
 
 Which is nearer, a name or a person? Which 
 is more, personality or treasure? Is it more 
 painful to gain or to suffer loss? 
 
 Extreme indulgence certainly greatly wastes. 
 Much hoarding certainly invites severe loss. 
 
 A contented person is not despised. One who 
 knows when to stop is not endangered; he will 
 be able therefore to continue. 
 
 XLV 
 
 THE VIRTUE (tEH) OF GEEATNESS 
 
 Extreme perfection seems imperfect, its func- 
 tion is not exhausted. Extreme fullness appears 
 empty, its function is not exercised. 
 
 Extreme straightness appears crooked; great 
 skill, climasy; great eloquence, stammering. Mo- 
 tion conquers cold, quietude conquers heat. 
 Not greatness but purity and clearness are the 
 world's standard. 
 
 XLVI 
 LIMITATION OF DESIRE 
 
 When the world yields to Tao, race horses will 
 be used to haul manure. When the world ignores 
 Tao war horses are pastured on the public common. 
 
TAO TEH KING 35 
 
 There is no sin greater than desire. There is 
 no misfortune greater than discontent. There 
 is no calamity greater than acquisitiveness. 
 
 Therefore to know extreme contentment is 
 simply to be content. 
 
 XLVII 
 SEEING THE DISTANT 
 
 Not going out of the door I have knowledge of 
 the world. Not peeping through the window I per- 
 ceive heaven's Tao. The more one wanders to 
 a distance the less he knows. 
 
 Therefore the wise man does not wander about 
 but he understands, he does not see things but 
 he defines them, he does not labor yet he com- 
 pletes. 
 
 XLVIII 
 TO rOEGET KNOWLEDGE 
 
 He who attends daily to learning increases in 
 learning. He who practices Tao daily ditrdnishes. 
 Again and again he humbles himself. Thus he 
 attains to non-doiag (wu wei). He practices non- 
 doing and yet there is nothing left undone. 
 
 To command the empire one must not employ 
 craft. If one uses craft he is not fit to command 
 the empire. 
 
 XLIX 
 THE VIRTUE (tEH) OF TRUST 
 
 The wise man has no fixed heart; in the hearts of 
 the people he finds his own. The good he treats 
 
36 WU WEI 
 
 with goodness; the not-good he also treats with 
 goodness, for teh is goodness. The faithful ones 
 he treats with good faith; the unfaithful he 
 also treats with good faith, for teh is good 
 faith. 
 
 The wise man lives in the world but he lives 
 cautiously, dealing with the world cautiously. 
 He universalizes his heart; the people give him 
 their eyes and ears, but he treats them as his 
 children. 
 
 ESTEEM LIFE 
 
 Life is a going forth; death is a returning home. 
 Of ten, three are seeking life, three are seeking 
 death, and three are dying. What is the reason? 
 Because they live in life's experience. (Only one 
 is immortal.) 
 
 I hear it said that the sage when he travels 
 is never attacked by rhinoceros or tiger, and 
 when coming among soldiers does not fear their 
 weapons. The rhinoceros would find no place 
 to horn him, nor the tiger a place for his claws, 
 nor could soldiers wound him. What is the 
 reason? Because he is invulnerable. 
 
 LI 
 
 TEH AS A NURSE 
 
 Tao gives life to all creatures; teh feeds them; 
 materiality shapes them; energy completes them. 
 
TAO TEH KING 37 
 
 Therefore among all things there is none that 
 does not honor Tao and esteem teh. Honor for 
 Tao and esteem for teh is never compelled, it is 
 always spontaneous. Therefore Tao gives life 
 to them, but teh nurses them, raises them, 
 nxn-tm-es, completes, matures, rears, protects 
 them. 
 
 Tao gives life to them but makes no claim of 
 ownership; teh forms them but makes no claim 
 upon them, raises them but does not rule them. 
 This is profound vitality (teh). 
 
 LII 
 RETUBN TO ORIGIN 
 
 When creation began, Tao became the world's 
 mother. When one knows one's mother he will 
 in turn know that he is her son. When he recog- 
 nizes his sonship, he will in turn keep to his 
 mother and to the end of life will be free from 
 danger. 
 
 He who closes his mouth and shuts his sense 
 gates will be free from trouble to the end of life. 
 He who opens his mouth and meddles with affairs 
 cannot be free from trouble even to the end of 
 life. 
 
 To recognize one's insignificance is called en- 
 lightenment. To keep one's sympathy is called 
 strength. He who uses Tao's light returns to 
 Tao's enhghtenment and does not surrender his 
 person to perdition. This is called practicing 
 the eternal. 
 
38 WU WEI 
 
 LIII 
 GAIN BT INSIGHT 
 
 Even if one has but a little knowledge he can 
 walk in the ways of the great Tao; it is only self- 
 assertion that one need fear. 
 
 The great Tao (Way) is very plain, but people 
 prefer the bypaths. When the palace is very 
 splendid, the fields are likely to be very weedy, 
 and the granaries empty. To wear ornaments 
 and gay colors, to carry sharp swords, to be ex- 
 cessive in eating and drinking, and to have wealth 
 and treasure in abundance is to know the pride 
 of robbers. This is contrary to Tao. 
 
 LIV 
 TO CtTLTIVATE INTUITION 
 
 The thing that is well planted is not easily 
 uprooted. The thing that is well guarded is not 
 easily taken away. If one has sons and grand- 
 sons, the offering of ancestral worsliip will not 
 soon cease. 
 
 He who practices Tao in his person shows that 
 his teh is real. The family that practices it 
 shows that their teh is abounding. The town- 
 ship that practices it shows that their teh is 
 enduring. The state that practices it shows that 
 their teh is prolific. The empire that practices 
 it reveals that teh is universal. Thereby one 
 person becomes a test of other persons, one family 
 of other families, one town of other towns, one 
 
TAO TEH KING 39 
 
 county of other counties, and one empire of all 
 empires. 
 
 How do I know that this test is universal? 
 By this same Tao. 
 
 LV 
 TO VEKIFY THE MTSTEKIOTTS 
 
 The essence of teh is comparable to the state 
 of a young boy. Poisonous insects will not sting 
 him, wild beasts will not seize him, birds of prey 
 will not attack him. The bones are weak, the 
 muscles are tender, it is true, but his grasp is firm. 
 
 He does not yet know the relation of the sexes, 
 but he has perfect organs, nevertheless. His 
 spirit is virile, indeed! He can sob and cry all 
 day without becoming hoarse, his harmony (as a 
 child) is perfect indeed! 
 
 To recognize this harmony (for growth) is to 
 know the eternal. To recognize the eternal is 
 to know enlightenment. To increase life (to 
 cause things to grow) is to know blessedness. To 
 be conscious of an inner fecundity is strength. 
 Things fully grown are about to decay, they are 
 the opposite of Tao. The opposite of Tao soon 
 ceases. 
 
 LVI 
 
 THE TEH OP THE MYSTEEIOTJS 
 
 The one who knows does not speak; the one 
 who speaks does not know. The wise man shuts 
 his mouth and closes his gates. He softens his 
 
40 WU WEI 
 
 sharpness, unravels his tangles, dims his brilliancy, 
 and reckons himself with the mysterious. 
 
 He is inaccessible to favor or hate; he cannot 
 be reached by profit or injury; he cannot be 
 honored or humiliated. Thereby he is honored 
 by all. 
 
 LVII 
 THE HABIT OF SIMPLICITY 
 
 The empire is administered with righteousness; 
 the army is directed by craft; the people are 
 captivated by non-diplomacy. How do I know 
 it is so? By this same Tao. 
 
 Among people the more restrictions and pro- 
 hibitions there are, the poorer they become. The 
 more people have weapons, the more the state 
 is in confusion. The more people are artful and 
 cunning the more abnormal things occm-. The 
 more laws and orders are issued the more thieves 
 and robbers abound. 
 
 Therefore the wise man says: If a ruler prac- 
 tices WU wei the people will reform of themselves. 
 If I love quietude the people will of themselves 
 become righteous. If I avoid profit-making 
 the people will of themselves become prosper- 
 ous. If I limit my desires the people will of 
 themselves become simple. 
 
 LVIII 
 ADAPTATION TO CHANGE 
 
 When an administration is unostentatious the 
 people are simple. When an administration is 
 
TAO TEH KING 41 
 
 inquisitive, the people are needy. Misery, alas, 
 supports happiness. Happiness, alas, conceals 
 misery. Who knows its limits? It never ceases. 
 The normal becomes the abnormal. The good 
 in turn becomes unlucky. The people's con- 
 fusion is felt daily for a long time. 
 
 Therefore the wise man is square, yet does not 
 injure, he is angular but does not annoy. He is 
 upright but is not cross. He is bright but not 
 glaring. 
 
 LIX 
 TO KEEP TAO 
 
 In governing the people and in worshipping 
 heaven nothing surpasses moderation. To value 
 moderation, one must form the habit early. Its 
 early acquisition will result in storing and ac- 
 cumulating vitality. By storing and accumulat- 
 ing vitaUty nothiag is impossible. 
 
 If nothing is impossible then one is ignorant 
 of his limits. If one does not know his lim- 
 itations, one may possess the state. He who 
 possesses moderation is thereby lasting and en- 
 during. It is like having deep roots and a strong 
 stem. This is of long life and enduring insight 
 the Tao (way). 
 
 LX 
 TO MAINTAIN POSITION 
 
 One should govern a great state as one fries 
 small fish (i.e., do not scale or clean them). 
 
42 WU WEI 
 
 With Tao one may successfully rule the Em- 
 pire. Ghosts will not frighten, gods will not 
 harm, neither will wise men mislead the people. 
 Since nothing frightens or harms the people, teh 
 will abide. 
 
 LXI 
 THE TEH OP HUMILITY 
 
 A great state that is useful is like a bond of 
 unity within the Empire; it is the Empire's wife. 
 
 The female controls the male by her quietude 
 and submission. Thus a great state by its service 
 to smaller states wins their allegiance. A small 
 state by submission to a great state wins an 
 influence over them. Thus some stoop to con- 
 quer, and others stoop and conquer. 
 
 Great states can have no higher purpose than 
 to federate states and feed the people. Small 
 states can have no higher purpose than to enter 
 a federation and serve the people. Both alike, 
 each in his own way, gain their end, but to do so, 
 the greater must practice humility. 
 
 LXII 
 THE PRACTICE OF TAO 
 
 The Tao is the asylum of all things; the good 
 man's treasure, the bad man's last resort. With 
 beautiful words one may sell goods but in winning 
 people one can accomplish more by kindness. 
 Why should a man be thrown away for his evil? 
 To conserve him was the Emperor appointed and 
 the three ministers. 
 
TAO TEH KING 43 
 
 Better than being in the presence of the Em- 
 peror and riding with four horses, is sitting and 
 explaining this Tao. 
 
 The reason the Ancients esteemed Tao was 
 because if sought it was obtained, and because 
 by it he that hath sin could be saved. Is it 
 not so? Therefore the world honors Tao. 
 
 LXIII 
 A CONSIDERATION OF BEGINNINGS 
 
 One should avoid assertion (wu wei) and prac- 
 tice inaction. One should learn to find taste in 
 the tasteless, to enlarge the small things, and 
 multiply the few. He should respond to hatred 
 with kindness. He should resolve a difficulty 
 while it is easy, and manage a great thing while 
 it is small. Surely all the world's difficulties 
 arose from sUght causes, and all the world's great 
 affairs had small beginnings. 
 
 Therefore the wise man avoids to the end 
 participation in great affairs and by so doing 
 establishes his greatness. 
 
 Rash promises are lacking in faith and many 
 things that appear easy are full of difficulties. 
 Therefore the wise man considers every thing 
 difficult and so to the end he has no difficulties. 
 
 LXIV 
 CONSIDER THE INSIGNIFICANT 
 
 That which is at rest is easily restrained, that 
 whi«h has not yet appeared is easily prevented. 
 
44 WU WEI 
 
 The weak is easily broken, the scanty is easily 
 scattered. Consider a difficulty before it arises, 
 and administer affairs before they become dis- 
 organized. A tree that it takes both arms to 
 encircle grew from a tiny rootlet. A pagoda of 
 nine stories was erected by placing small bricks. 
 A journey of three thousand miles begins with 
 one step. If one tries to improve a thing, he mars 
 it; if he seizes it, he loses it. The wise man, 
 therefore, not attempting to form things does not 
 mar them, and not grasping after things he does 
 not lose them. The people in their rush for 
 business are ever approaching success but con- 
 tinually failing. One must be as careful to the 
 end as at the beginning if he is to succeed. 
 
 Therefore the wise man desires to be free from 
 desire, he does not value the things that are 
 difficult of attainment. He learns to be unlearned, 
 he returns to that which all others ignore. In that 
 spirit he helps all things toward their natural de- 
 velopment, but dares not interfere. 
 
 LXV 
 THE TEH OF SIMPLICITY 
 
 In the olden days those who obeyed the spirit 
 of Tao did not enlighten the people but kept them 
 simple hearted. 
 
 The reason people are difficult to govern is 
 because of their smartness; likewise to govern 
 a people with guile is a curse; and to govern 
 them with simplicity is a blessing. He who 
 
TAO TEH KING 45 
 
 remembers these two things is a model ruler. 
 Always to follow this standard and rule is teh, the 
 profoimd. 
 
 Profound teh is deep indeed and far reaching. 
 The very opposite of common things, but by it 
 one obtains obedient subjects. 
 
 LXVI 
 
 TO SUBORDINATE SELF 
 
 The reason rivers and seas are called the kings 
 of the valley is because they keep below them. 
 
 Therefore the wise man desiring to be above 
 his people must in his demeanor keep below them; 
 wishing to benefit his people, he must ever keep 
 himself out of sight. 
 
 The wise man dwells above, yet the people do 
 not feel the burden; he is the leader and the 
 people suffer no harm. Therefore the world 
 rejoices to exalt him and never wearies of him. 
 
 Because he will not quarrel with anyone, no 
 one can quarrel with him. 
 
 LXVII 
 THREE TREASURES 
 
 All the world calls Tao great, yet it is by nature 
 immaterial. It is because a thing is seemingly 
 unreal that it is great. If a man afifects to be 
 great, how long can he conceal his mediocrity? 
 
 Tao has three treasures which he guards and 
 cherishes. The first is called compassion; the 
 second is called economy; the third is caUed 
 
46 WU WEI 
 
 humility. A man that is compassionate can be 
 truly brave; if a man is economical he can be 
 generous; if he is humble he can become a useful 
 servant. 
 
 If one discards compassion and is still brave, 
 abandons economy and is still generous, forsakes 
 humiUty and still seeks to be serviceable, his 
 days are numbered. On the contrary if one is 
 truly compassionate, ia battle he will be a con- 
 queror and in defence he will be secure. When 
 even Heaven helps people it is because of com- 
 passion that she does so. 
 
 LXVIII 
 COMPLIANCE WITH HEAVEN 
 
 He who excels as a soldier is the one who is not 
 warlike; he who fights the best fight is not wrath- 
 ful; he who best conquers an enemy is not quar- 
 relsome; he who best employs people is obedient 
 himself. 
 
 This is the virtue of not-quarreling, this is the 
 secret of bringing out other men's ability, this is 
 complying with Heaven. Since of old it is con- 
 sidered the greatest virtue (teh). 
 
 LXIX 
 THE FUNCTION OF THE MYSTERIOtTS 
 
 A military expert has said : I do not dare put 
 myself forward as a host, but always act as a 
 guest. I hesitate to advance an inch, but am 
 willing to withdraw a foot. 
 
TAO TEH KING 47 
 
 This is advancing by not advancing, it is win- 
 ning without arms, it is charging without hostility, 
 it is seizing without weapons. There is no mis- 
 take greater than making Ught of an enemy. 
 By making Ught of an enemy we lose our 
 treasure. 
 
 Therefore when well-matched armies come to 
 conflict, the one who is conscious of his weakness 
 conquers. 
 
 LXX 
 THE DIFFICULTY OF UNDERSTANDING 
 
 My words are very easy to understand and 
 very easy to put into practice, yet in all the world 
 no one appears to understand them or to practice 
 them. 
 
 Words have an ancestor (a preceding idea), 
 deeds have a master (a preceding purpose), and 
 just as these are often not understood, so I am 
 not understood. 
 
 They who understand me are very few, and on 
 that account I am worthy of honor. The wise 
 man wears wool (rather than silk) and keeps 
 his gems out of sight. 
 
 LXXI 
 THE DISEASE OF KNOWLEDGE 
 
 To recognize one's ignorance of unknowable 
 things is mental health, and to be ignorant of 
 knowable things is sickness. Only by grieving 
 over ignorance of knowable things are we in 
 
48 WU WEI 
 
 mental health. The wise man is wise because he 
 understands his ignorance and is grieved over 
 it. 
 
 LXXII 
 
 TO CHERISH one's SELF 
 
 When people are too ignorant to fear the fear- 
 some thing, then it will surely come. Do not 
 make the place where they dwell confining, the 
 hfe they live wearisome. If they are let alone, 
 they will not become restless. Therefore the 
 wise man while not understanding himself regards 
 himself, while cherishing he does not overvalue 
 himself. Therefore he discards flattery and pre- 
 fers regard. 
 
 LXXIII 
 ACTION IS DANGEROUS 
 
 Courage carried to daring leads to death. 
 Courage restrained by caution leads to life. 
 These two things, courage and caution, are some- 
 times beneficial and sometimes harmful. Some 
 things are rejected by heaven, who can tell the 
 reason? Therefore the wise man deems all 
 acting difiicult. 
 
 The Tao of heaven does not quarrel, yet it con- 
 quers. It speaks not, yet its response is good. 
 It issues no summons but things come to it 
 naturally because its devices are good. Heaven's 
 net is vast, indeed! its meshes are wide but it 
 loses nothing. 
 
TAO TEH KING 49 
 
 LXXIV 
 OVERCOMING DELUSIONS 
 
 If the people do not fear death, how can one 
 frighten them with death? If we teach people to 
 fear death, then when one rebels he can be seized 
 and executed; after that who wiU dare to rebel? 
 
 There is always an officer to execute a mur- 
 derer, but if one takes the place of the execu- 
 tioner, it is like taking the place of a skilled car- 
 penter at his hewing. If one takes the place 
 of the skilled carpenter he is liable to cut himself. 
 (Therefore do not interfere with Tao.) 
 
 LXXV 
 LOSS BY GEBEDINESS 
 
 Starvation of a people comes when an official 
 appropriates to himself too much of the taxes. 
 The reason a people are difficult to govern is 
 because the officials are too meddlesome; the 
 people make light of death because they are so 
 absorbed in life's interests. The one who is not 
 absorbed in life is more moral than he who esteems 
 life. 
 
 LXXVI 
 BEWAEE OF STRENGTH 
 
 When a man is living he is tender and fragile. 
 When he dies he is hard and stiff. It is the same 
 with everything, the grass and trees, in life, are 
 tender and delicate, but when they die they be- 
 come rigid and dry. 
 
50 WU WEI 
 
 Therefore those who are hard and stiff belong 
 to death's domain, while the tender and weak 
 belong to the reahn of life. 
 
 Therefore soldiers are most invincible when 
 they will not conquer. When a tree is grown to 
 its greatest strength it is doomed. The strong 
 and the great stay below; the tender and weak 
 rise above. 
 
 LXXVII 
 TAG OF HEAVEN 
 
 Tao of heaven resembles the stretching of a 
 bow. The mighty it himibles, the lowly it exalts. 
 They who have abundance it diminishes and 
 gives to them who have need. 
 
 That is Tao of heaven; it depletes those who 
 abound, and completes those who lack. 
 
 The human way is not so. Men take from 
 those who lack to give to those who already 
 abound. Where is the man who by his abun- 
 dance can best serve the world? 
 
 The wise man makes but claims not, he ac- 
 compUshes merit, yet is not attached to it, neither 
 does he display his excellence. Is it not so? 
 
 LXXVIII 
 TKTJST AND FAITH 
 
 In the world nothing is more fragile than 
 water, and yet of all the agencies that attack 
 hard substances nothing can surpass it. 
 
 Of all things there is nothing that can take the 
 
TAO TEH KING 51 
 
 place of Tao. By it the weak are conquerors of 
 the strong, the pliable are conquerors of the 
 rigid. In the world every one knows this, but 
 none practice it. 
 
 Therefore the wise man declares: he who is 
 guilty of the country's sin may be the priest at 
 the altar. He who is to blame for the country's 
 misfortunes, is often the Empire's Sovereign. 
 True words are often paradoxical. 
 
 LXXIX 
 ENFORCING CONTRACTS 
 
 When reconciling great hatred there will some 
 remain. How can it be made good? 
 
 Therefore the wise man accepts the debit side 
 of the account and does not have to enforce pay- 
 ment from others. They who have virtue (teh) 
 keep their obUgations, they who have no virtue 
 insist on their rights. Tao of heaven has no favor- 
 ites but always helps the good man. 
 
 LXXX 
 
 CONTENTMENT 
 
 In a small country with few people let there 
 be officers over tens and hundreds but not to 
 exercise power. Let the people be not afraid of 
 death, nor desire to move to a distance. Then 
 though there be ships and carriages, they will 
 have no occasion to use them. Though there 
 be armor and weapons there will be no occasion 
 for donning them. The people can return to 
 
52 WU WEI 
 
 knotted cords for their records, they can delight 
 in their food, be proud of their clothes, be 
 content with their dwellings, rejoice in their 
 customs. 
 
 Other states may be close neighbors, then- 
 cocks and dogs may be mutually heard, people 
 will come to old age and die but will have no 
 desire to go or come. 
 
 LXXXI 
 THE NATUEE OF THE ESSENTIAL 
 
 Faithful words are often not pleasant ; pleasant 
 words are often not faithful. Good men do not 
 dispute; the ones who dispute are not good. 
 The learned men are often not the wise men, nor 
 the wise men, the learned. The wise man does 
 not hoard, but ever working for others, he wiU 
 the more exceedingly acquire. Having given to 
 others freely, he himseK will have in plenty. 
 Tao of heaven benefits but does not injure. The 
 wise man's Tao leads him to act but not to quarrel. 
 
 VALEDICTOEY 
 PART OF THE 20tH SONNET 
 
 Common people are joyful; they celebrate a 
 feast day; they flock to a pavilion in spring time. 
 I alone am calm, as one who has as yet received 
 no omen; I am as a babe who has not learned to 
 smile. I am forlorn, like a homeless wanderer! 
 Common people have plenty; I alone am in 
 want. I am a foolish man at heart! I am 
 
TAO TEH KING 53 
 
 ignorant. Gommon people are vivacious and 
 smart, I alone am dull and confused. 
 
 Knowledge of the Tao, how vast! I am like a 
 sailor far beyond a place of anchorage, adrift on 
 a boimdless ocean. Common people are useful, 
 I am awkward. I stand in contrast to them — 
 but oh, the prize I seek is food from our Mother 
 Tao! 
 
WU WEI 
 
 HENRI BOREL 
 
PREFACE 
 
 THE foUowmg study on Laotzu's "Wu-Wei" 
 should by no means be regarded as a transla- 
 tion or even as a free rendering of the actual work 
 of that philosopher I have simply endeavoured 
 to retain in my work the ipuie essence of his 
 thought, and I have given a direct translation of 
 his essential truths in isolated instances only, the 
 rest being for the most part a self-thought-out 
 elaboration of the few principles enunciated by 
 him. 
 
 My conception of the terms "Tao" and "Wu- 
 Wei" is entirely different from that of most sino- 
 logues (such as Stanislas Juhen, Giles, and Legge), 
 who have translated the work " Tao-Teh-King." 
 But this is not the place to justify myself. It may 
 best be judged from the following work whether 
 my conception be reasonable or incorrect. 
 
 Little is contained in Laotzu's short, extremely 
 simple book, the words of which may be said 
 to be condensed into their purely primary signi- 
 ficance — (a significance at times quite at vari- 
 ance with that given in other works to the same 
 words *) — but this Uttle is gospel. Laotzu's 
 work is no treatise on philosophy, but contains, 
 rather, merely those truths to which this (un- 
 
 * By Confucius, for instance. 
 67 
 
58 PREFACE 
 
 written) philosophy had led him. In it we find 
 no form nor embodiment, nothing but the quin- 
 tessence of this philosophy. 
 
 My work is permeated with this essence, but 
 it is no translation of Laotzu. None of my 
 metaphorical comparisons, such as that with the 
 landscape, with the sea, with the clouds, are any- 
 where to be found in Laotzu's work. Neither 
 has he anywhere spoken of Art, nor specially of 
 Love. In writing of all this I have spoken aloud 
 the thoughts and feeUngs instinctively induced 
 by the perusal of Laotzu's deep-felt philosophy. 
 Thus it may be that my work contains far more 
 of myself than I am conscious of; but even so, 
 it is but an outpouring of the thought and feeling 
 called up in me by the words of Laotzu. 
 
 I have made use of none but Chinese works on 
 Laotzu, and of those only a few. On reading 
 later some of the Enghsh and French translations, 
 I was amazed to find how confused and uninteUi- 
 gible these books were. 
 
 I adhered to my simple idea of Laotzu's work, 
 and of my work I could alter nothing, for I felt 
 the truth of it within me as a simple and natiu:al 
 faith. 
 
 Henri Borel. 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 PAGE 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 Tao . . . . 61 
 
 CHAPTER II 
 Abt 80 
 
 CHAPTER III 
 Love 97 
 
 NOTES 113 
 
The numbers in the text refer to notes by the author, 
 which will be found at the end of the book. 
 
 60 
 
CHAPTER I 
 TAO 
 
 I WAS standing in the Temple of Shien Shan 
 on an islet in the Chinese Sea, distant a few- 
 hours' journey from the harbour of Ha T6. 
 
 On either side rose mountain ranges, their soft 
 outlines interwoven behind the island to the west- 
 ward. To the eastward shimmered the endless 
 Ocean. High up, rock-supported, stood the 
 Temple, in the shadow of broad Buddha-trees. 
 
 The island is but little visited, but sometimes 
 fisher-folk, fleeing before the threatening typhoon, 
 anchor there when they have no further hope of 
 reaching the harbour. Why the Temple exists 
 in this lonely spot, no one knows; but the lapse 
 of centuries has estabUshed its holy right to stand 
 there. Strangers arrive but seldom, and there 
 are only a hundred poor inhabitants, or there- 
 abouts, who live there simply because their ances- 
 tors did so before them. I had gone thither in 
 the hope of finding some man of a serious bent 
 of mind with whom to study. I had explored 
 the temples and convents of the neighborhood 
 for more than a year, in search of earnest-minded 
 priests capable of telling me what I was unable 
 to learn from the superficial books on Chinese 
 religion; but I found nothing but ignorant, 
 
 61 
 
62 WU WEI 
 
 stupid creatures everywhere — kneeling to idols 
 whose symbolical significance they did not under- 
 stand, and reciting strange "Sutras" not one 
 word of which was intelligible to them.^ And 
 I had been obliged to draw all my information from 
 badly translated works that had received even 
 worse treatment at the hands of learned Euro- 
 peans than at those of the Uterary Chinese whom 
 I had consulted. At last, however, I had heard 
 an old Chinaman speak of "the Sage of Shien 
 Shan" as of one well-versed in the secrets of 
 Heaven and Earth; and — without cherishing 
 any great expectations, it is true — I had crossed 
 the water to seek him out. 
 
 This Temple resembled many others that I 
 had seen. Grimy priests lounged on the steps 
 in dirty-grey garments, and stared at me with 
 senseless grins. The figures of "Kwan Yin" and 
 "Cakyamuni" and "Sam-Pao-Fu" had been 
 newly restored, and blazed with all imaginable 
 crude colours that completely marred their former 
 beauty. The floor was covered with dirt and 
 dust, and pieces of orange-peel and sugar-cane 
 were strewn about. A thick and heavy atmos- 
 phere oppressed my breast. 
 
 Addressing one of the priests, I said: 
 "I have come to visit the philosopher. Does 
 not an old hermit dwell here, called after 'Lao- 
 tzu'?" 
 With a wondering face he answered me : 
 "Laotzu hves in the top-most hut upon the 
 cliffs. But he does not like barbarians." 
 
TAO 63 
 
 I asked him quietly: 
 
 "Will you take me to him, Bikshu, for a dollar?" 
 
 There was greed ia his glance, but he shook his 
 head, saying: 
 
 "I dare not; seek him yourself." 
 
 The other priests grinned, and offered me tea, 
 in the hope of a tip. — 
 
 I left them, and climbed the rocks, reaching the 
 top in half an hour; and there I found a Uttle 
 square stone hut. I knocked at the door, and, 
 shortly after, heard some one draw back a bolt. 
 
 There stood the sage, looking at me. 
 
 And it was a revelation. 
 
 It seemed as though I saw a great Hght — a 
 light not dazzling, but calming. 
 
 He stood before me tall and straight as a palm- 
 tree. His countenance was peaceful as is a calm 
 evening, in the hush of the trees, and the stiU 
 moonUght; his whole person breathed the majesty 
 of nature, as simply beautiful, as purely spon- 
 taneous, as a mo\mtain or a cloud. His presence 
 radiated an atmosphere holy as the prayerful 
 soul in the soft after-gleam on a twilight land- 
 scape, — I felt uneasy under his deep gaze, and 
 saw my poor life revealed in aU its pettiness. I 
 could not speak a word, but felt in silence his 
 enlightening influence. 
 
 He raised his hand with a gesture like the move- 
 ment of a swaying flower, and held it out to me — 
 heartily — frankly. He spoke, and his voice 
 was soft music, like the sound of the wind in the 
 trees: 
 
64 WU WEI 
 
 "Welcome, stranger! What do you seek of 
 me? — old man that I am!" 
 
 "I come to seek a master," I answered hmnbly, 
 "to find the path to human goodness. I have 
 long searched this beautiful land, but the people 
 seem as though they were dead, and I am as poor 
 as ever." 
 
 "You err somewhat in this matter," said the 
 sage. "Strive not so busily to be so very good. 
 Do not seek it overmuch, or you will never find the 
 true wisdom. Do you not know how it was that 
 the Yellow Emperor ^ recovered his magic pearl? 
 I wiU tell you.' 
 
 "The Yellow Emperor once travelled round the 
 north of the Red Sea, and climbed to the summit 
 of the Kuenliin mountains. On his return to the 
 southward he lost his magic pearl. He besought 
 his wits to find it, but in vain. He besought his 
 sight to find it, but in vain. He besought his 
 eloquence to find it, but that was also in vain. 
 At last he besought Nothing, and Nothing re- 
 covered it. 'How extraordinary!' exclaimed the 
 Yellow Emperor, 'that Nothing should be able 
 to recover it!' Do you imderstand me, young 
 man?" 
 
 "I think this pearl was his soul," I answered, 
 "and that knowledge, sight and speech do but 
 cloud the soul rather than enlighten it; and that 
 it was only in the peace of perfect quietude that 
 his soul's consciousness was restored to the Yellow 
 Emperor. Is it so, Master? ' ' 
 
 "Quite right; you have felt it as it is. And 
 
TAO 65 
 
 do you know, too, by whom this beautiful legend 
 is told?" 
 
 "I am young and ignorant; I do not know." 
 
 "It is by Chuang-Tse, the disciple of Laotzu, 
 China's greatest philosopher. It was neither 
 Confucius nor Mencius who spoke the purest wis- 
 dom in this country, but Laotzu. He was the 
 greatest, and Chuang-Tse was his apostle. You 
 foreigners cherish, I know, a certain well-meaning 
 admiration for Laotzu also, but I think but few 
 of you know that he was the purest human being 
 who ever breathed. — Have you read the ' Tao- 
 Teh-King'? and have you ever considered, I 
 wonder, what he meant by 'Tao'?" 
 
 "I should be grateful if you would tell me, 
 Master." 
 
 "I think I may well instruct you, young man. 
 It is many years since I have had a pupil, and I 
 see in your eyes no curiosity, but rather a pure 
 desire of wisdom, for the freeing of yovir soul. 
 Listen then.* 
 
 "Tao is really nothing but that which you 
 Westerns call 'God.' Tao is the One; the be- 
 ginning and the end. It embraces all things, 
 and to it all things return. 
 
 "Laotzu wrote at the commencement of his 
 book the sign: Tao. But what he actually meant 
 
 — the Highest, the One — can have no name, can 
 never be expressed in any sound, just because it is 
 The One. Equally inadequate is your term ' God.' 
 
 — Wu — Nothing — that is Tao. You do not 
 understand me? — Listen further! There exists, 
 
66 WU WEI 
 
 then, an absolute Reality — without beginning, 
 without end — which we cannot comprehend, and 
 which therefore must be to us as Nothing. That 
 which we are able to comprehend, which has for 
 us a relative reality, is in truth only appearance. 
 It is an outgrowth, a result of absolute reaUty, 
 seeing that everything emanates from, and re- 
 turns to, that reahty. But things which are real 
 to us are not real in themselves. What we call 
 Being is in fact Not-Being, and just what we call 
 Not-Being is Being in its true sense. So that we 
 are living in a great obscurity. What we imagine 
 to be real is not real, and yet emanates from the 
 real, for the Real is the Whole. Both Being and 
 Not-Being are accordingly Tao. But above all 
 never forget that 'Tao' is merely a sound uttered 
 by a human being, and that the idea is essentially 
 inexpressible. All things appreciable to the senses 
 and all cravings of the heart are unreal. Tao 
 is the source of Heaven and Earth. One begat 
 Two, two begat Three, Three begat MilUons. 
 And Millions return again into One. 
 
 "If you remember this well, young man, you 
 have passed the first gateway on the path of 
 Wisdom. 
 
 "You know, then, that Tao is the source of 
 everything; of the trees, the flowers, the birds; 
 of the sea, the desert, and the rocks; of fight and 
 darkness; of heat and cold; of day and night; 
 of summer and winter, and of your own fife. 
 Worlds and oceans evaporate in Eternity. Man 
 rises out of the darkness, laughs in the glimmer- 
 
TAO 67 
 
 ing light, and disappears. But in all these 
 changes the One is manifested. Tao is in every- 
 thing. Yoiu" soul in her innermost is Tao. — 
 
 "You see the world outspread before you, young 
 man? ..." 
 
 With a stately gesture he pointed seawards. 
 
 The hiUs on either side stood fast, uncompro- 
 mising, clear-set in the atmosphere — like strong 
 thoughts, petrified, hewn out by conscious energy 
 — yielding only in the distance to the tender 
 influence of Ught and air. On a very high point 
 stood a lonely Uttle tree, of deUcate leafage, in a 
 high light. The evening began to fall, with tender 
 serenity; and a rosy glow, dreamy yet brilliant, 
 lent to the mountaias, standing ever more sharply 
 defined against it, an air of peaceful joyousness. 
 In it all was to be felt a gentle upward striving, a 
 still poising, as in the rarefied atmosphere of con- 
 scious piety. And the sea crept up softly, with 
 a still-swaying slide — with the quiet, irresistible 
 approach of a type of infinity. The sail of a little 
 vessel, gleaming softly golden, glided nearer. 
 So tiny it looked on that immense ocean — so 
 fearless and lovely! All was pure — no trace 
 of foulness anywhere. 
 
 And I spoke with the rare impulse of a mighty 
 joy. 
 
 "I feel it now, O Master! That which I seek 
 is everywhere. I had no need to seek it in the 
 distance; for it is quite close to me. It is every- 
 where — what I seek, what I myself am, what 
 my SQuL is» It is famihar to, me as my own self.. 
 
68 WU WEI 
 
 It is all revelation! God is everjrwhere! Tao 
 is in everything!" 
 
 ~ "That is so, boy, but confuse it not! In that 
 which you see is Tao, but Tao is not what you see. 
 You must not think that Tao is visible to your eyes. 
 Tao will neither waken joy in your heart nor draw 
 your tears. For all your experiences and emotions 
 are relative and not real. 
 
 "However, I will speak no more of that at 
 present. You stand as yet but at the first gate, 
 and see but the first glint of dawn. It is already 
 much that you should realize Tao as present in 
 everything. It will render your Ufe more natural 
 and confident — for, believe me, you lie as safe 
 in the arms of Tao as a child in the arms of its 
 mother. And it will make you serious and 
 thoughtful too, for you will feel yourself to be 
 in all places as holy a thing as is a good priest in 
 his temple. No longer will you be frightened by 
 the changes in things, by Ufe and death; for you 
 know that death, as well as life, emanates from 
 Tao. And it is so natural that Tao, which per- 
 vaded your hfe, should also after death con- 
 tinually surround you. 
 
 "Look at the landscape before you! The 
 trees, the mountains, the sea, they are your 
 brothers, like the air and the Ught. Observe how 
 the sea is approaching us! So spontaneously, so 
 naturally, so purely 'because so it must be.' — ' 
 Do you see your dear sister the little tree on 
 yonder point, bending towards you? and the simple 
 movement of her httle leaves? — Then I will 
 
TAO 69 
 
 speak to you of Wu-Wei,® of 'non-resistance,' 
 of 'self -movement' on the breath of your impulse 
 as it was born out of Tao. Men would be true 
 men if they would but let their lives flow of them- 
 selves, as the sea heaves, as a flower blooms, in 
 the simple beauty of Tao. In every man there 
 is an impulse towards that movement which, 
 proceeding from Tao, would urge him back to 
 Tao agaiQ. But men grow blind through their 
 own senses and lusts. They strive for pleasure, 
 desire, hate, fame and riches. Their movements 
 are fierce and stormy, their progress a series of 
 wild uprisings and violent falls. They hold fast 
 to all that is unreal. They desire too many things 
 to allow of their desiring the One. They desire, 
 too, to be wise and good, and that is worst of 
 all. They desire to know too much. 
 
 "The one remedy is: the return to the source 
 whence they came. In us is Tao. Tao is rest. 
 Only by renimciation of desire — even the desire 
 for goodness or wisdom — can we attain rest. 
 Oh! all this craving to know what Tao is! And 
 this painful struggle for words in which to express 
 it and to inquire after it! — The truly wise follow 
 the Teaching which is wordless — which remains 
 imexpressed.® And who shall ever express it? 
 Those who know it (what Tao is) teU it not; 
 those who tell it know it not.^ Even I shall not 
 tell you what Tao is, Yom^elf must discover 
 it in that you free yourself from all your passions 
 and cravings, and Uve in utter spontaneity, void 
 of unnatural striving. Gently must Tao be 
 
70 WU WEI 
 
 approached, with a motion reposeful as the move- 
 ment of that broad ocean. That moves, not 
 because it chooses to move, nor because it knows 
 that it is wise or good to move; it moves involun- 
 tarily, unconscious of movement. Thus will you 
 also return to Tao, and when you are returned you 
 will know it not, for you yourself will be Tao." 
 
 He ceased speaking, and looked at me gently. 
 His eyes shone with a quiet hght, still and even as 
 the tint of the heavens. 
 
 "Father," I said, "what you say is beautiful 
 as the sea, and it seems simple as nature; but 
 surely it is not so easy — this strifeless, inactive 
 absorption of man into Tao?" 
 
 "Do not confuse words one with another," 
 he repUed. "By strifelessness — Wu-Wei — Lao- 
 tzu did not mean common inaction, — not mere 
 idUng, with closed eyes. He meant: relaxation 
 from earthly activity, from desire — from the 
 craving for unreal things. But he did exact 
 activity in real things. He implied a powerful 
 movement of the soul, which must be freed from 
 its gloomy body Hke a bird from its cage. He 
 meant a yielding to the inner motive-force which 
 we derive from Tao and which leads us to Tao 
 again. And, believe me: this movement is as 
 natural as that of the cloud above us. . . ." 
 
 High in the blue ether over our heads were 
 golden clouds, sailing slowly towards the sea. 
 They gleamed with a wonderful purity, as of a 
 high and holy love. Softly, softly they were^ 
 floating away.. 
 
TAO 71 
 
 "In a little while they will be gone, vanished in 
 the infinity of the heavens," said the hermit, 
 "and you will see nothing but the eternal 
 blue. Thus will your soul be absorbed into 
 Tao." 
 
 "My life is full of sins," I answered; "I am 
 heavily burdened with darkening desires. And so 
 are my benighted fellow-men. How can our life 
 ever — thus ethereally, in its pm-est essence — 
 float towards Tao? It is so heavy with evil, 
 it must surely sink back into the mire." 
 
 "Do not believe it, do not believe it!" he ex- 
 claimed, smiling in gracious kindhness. "No 
 man can annihilate Tao, and there shines in each 
 one of us the inextinguishable light of the soul. 
 Do not beheve that the evilness of humanity is 
 so great and so mighty. The eternal Tao dwells 
 in all; in murderers and harlots as well as in 
 pMosophers and poets. All bear within them 
 an indestructible treasure, and not one is better 
 than another. You cannot love the one in 
 preference to the other; you cannot bless the one 
 and damn the other. They are as ahke in essence 
 as two grains of sand on this rock. And not one 
 will be banished out of Tao eternally, for all 
 bear Tao within them. Their sins are illusive, 
 having the vagueness of vapours. Their deeds 
 are a false seeming; and their words pass away 
 like ephemeral dreams. They cannot be 'bad,' 
 they cannot be 'good' either. Irresistibly they 
 are drawn to Tao, as yonder waterdrop to the 
 great sea. It may last longer with some than 
 
72 WU WEI 
 
 with others, that is all. And a few centxiries — 
 what matter they in the face of Eternity? — Poor 
 friend! Has your sin made you so fearful? 
 Have you held your sin to be mightier than Tao? 
 Have you held the sin of men to be mightier than 
 Tao? — You have striven to be good overmuch, 
 and so have seen your own misdoing in a falsely 
 clear light. You have desired overmuch good- 
 ness in your fellow-men also, and therefore has 
 their sin unduly troubled you. But all this is 
 a seeming. Tao is neither good nor bad. For 
 Tao is real. Tao alone is; and the life of all 
 unreal things is a life of false contrasts and rela- 
 tions, which have no independent existence, and 
 do greatly mislead. So, above all, do not desire 
 to be good, neither call yourself bad. Wu-Wei — 
 unstriving, self-impelled — that must you be. 
 Not bad — not good; not little — and not great; 
 not low — and not high. And only then will 
 you in reality be, even whilst, in the ordinary sense 
 you are not. When once you are free from all 
 seeming, from all craving and lusting, then will 
 you move of your own impulse, without so much 
 as knowing that you move; and this, the only 
 true life-principle — this free, untrammelled mo- 
 tion towards Tao — will be Ught and uncon- 
 scious as the dissolution of the little cloud above 
 you." 
 
 I experienced a sudden sense of freedom. The 
 feeling was not joy — not happiness. It was 
 rather a gentle sense of expansion — a widening 
 of my mental horizon. 
 
TAO 73 
 
 "Father," I said, "I thank you! This revela- 
 tion of Tao lends me already an impulse which, 
 though I cannot explain it, yet seems to bear me 
 gently forward. 
 
 "How wonderful is Tao! With all my wisdom 
 — with all my knowledge, I have never felt this 
 before!" 
 
 "Crave not thus for wisdom!" said the phi- 
 losopher. "Do not desire to know too much — 
 so only shall you grow to know intuitively; for 
 the knowledge acquired by unnatural striving 
 only leads away from Tao. Strive not to know 
 all there is to know concerning the men and things 
 around you, nor — and this more especially — 
 concerning their relations and antagonisms. 
 Above all, seek not happiness too greedily, and 
 be not fearful of unhappiness. For neither of 
 these is real. Joy is not real, nor pain either. 
 Tao would not be Tao, were you able to picture 
 it to yom-seH as pain, as joy, as happiness or 
 unhappiness; for Tao is One Whole, and in it 
 no discords may exist. Hear how simply it is 
 expressed by Chuang-Tse: 'The greatest joy is 
 no joy.' And pain too will have vanished for 
 you! You must never believe pain to be a real 
 thing, an essential element of existence. Your 
 pain will one day vanish as the mists vanish from 
 the mountains. For one day you will reaUze 
 how natural, how spontaneous are all facts of 
 existence; and all the great problems which 
 have held for you mystery and darkness will 
 become Wu-Wei, quite simple, non-resistent, 
 
74 WU WEI 
 
 no longer a source of marvel to you. For every- 
 thing grows out of Tao, everything is a natural 
 part of the great system developed from a single 
 principle. — Then nothing will have power to 
 trouble you nor to rejoice you more. You will 
 laugh no more, neither wiU you weep. — I see you 
 look up doubtfully, as though you found me too 
 hard, too cold. Nevertheless, when you are some- 
 what further advanced you will realize that this 
 it means, to be in perfect sympathy with Tao. 
 Then, looking upon 'pain,' you will know that 
 one day it must disappear, because it is unreal; 
 and looking upon 'joy,' you will understand that 
 it is but a primitive and shadowy joy, dependent 
 upon time and circmnstance, and deriving its 
 apparent existence from contrast with pain. 
 Looking upon a goodly man, you will find it wholly 
 natural that he should be as he is, and will ex- 
 perience a foreshadowing of how much goodlier 
 he will be in that day when he shall no longer 
 represent the 'kind' and 'good.' And upon a 
 murderer you will look with all calmness, with 
 neither special love nor special hate; for he is 
 your fellow in Tao, and all his sin is powerless to 
 annihilate Tao within him. Then, for the first 
 time, when you are Wu-Wei at last — not, in 
 the common human sense, existing — then all 
 will be well with you, and you will glide through 
 your life as quietly and naturally as the great sea 
 before us. Naught will rufHe your peace. Your 
 sleep will be dreamless, and consciousness of self 
 will bring no care.* You will see Tao in aU 
 
TAO 75 
 
 things, be one with all existence, and look round 
 on the whole of nature as on something with 
 which you are intimate as with yourself. And 
 passing with calm acceptance through the changes 
 of day and night, summer and winter, life and 
 death, you will one day enter into Tao, where 
 there is no more change, and whence you issued 
 once as pure as you now return." 
 
 "Father, what you say is clear — and compels 
 belief. But life is still so dear to me, and I am 
 afraid of death; I am afraid too lest my friends 
 should die, or my wife, or my child ! Death seems 
 to me so black and gloomy — and life is bright — 
 bright — with the sun, and the green and flowery 
 earth!" 
 
 "That is because you fail as yet to feel the per- 
 fect naturalness of death, which is equal in reality 
 to that of Hfe. You think too much of the in- 
 significant body, and the deep grave in which 
 it must lie; but that is the feeling of a prisoner 
 about to be freed, who is troubled at the thought 
 of leaving the dark cell where he has lived so 
 long. You see death in contrast to hfe; and 
 both are unreal — both are a changing and a 
 seeming. Yoiu* soul does not ghde out of a 
 familiar sea into an unfamihar ocean. That 
 which is real in you, your soul, can never pass 
 away, and this fear is no part of her. You must 
 conquer this fear for ever; or, better still, it will 
 happen when you are older, and have lived 
 spontaneously, naturally, following the motions 
 of Tao, that you will of your own accord cease 
 
76 WU WEI 
 
 to feel it. . . . Neither will you then mourn for 
 those who have gone home before you; with 
 whom you will one day be reunited — not know- 
 ing, yourself, that you are reunited to them, 
 because these contrasts will no longer be ap- 
 parent to you. . . . 
 
 ". . . It came to pass once upon a time that 
 Chuang-Tse's wife died, and the widower was 
 found by Hui-Tse sitting calmly upon the ground, 
 passing the time, as was his wont, in beating 
 upon a gong. When Hui-Tse rallied him upon the 
 seeming indiffeiience of his conduct, Chuang-Tse 
 rephed : 
 
 "'Thy way of regarding things is unnatural. 
 At first, it is true, I was troubled — I could not 
 be otherwise. But after some pondering I re- 
 flected that originally she was not of this life, 
 being not only not bom, but without form alto- 
 gether; and that into this formlessness no life- 
 germ had as yet penetrated. That nevertheless, 
 as in a sim-warmed fm-row, life-energy then began 
 to stir; out of life-energy grew form, and form 
 became birth. To-day another change has com- 
 pleted itself, and she has died. This resembles 
 the rise and fall of the fovir seasons: spring, 
 autumn, winter, summer. She sleeps calmly in 
 the Great House. Were I now to weep and wail, 
 it were to act as though the soul of all this had not 
 entered into me, — therefore I do it no more.'" ^ 
 
 This he told in a simple, unaffected manner 
 that showed how natural it appeared to him. 
 But it was not yet clear to me, and I said: 
 
TAO 77 
 
 "I find this wisdom terrible; it almost makes 
 me afraid. Life would seem to me so cold and 
 empty, were I as wise as this." 
 
 "Life is cold and empty," he answered, quietly, 
 but with no trace of contempt in his tone; — 
 "and men are as deceptive as life itseK. There 
 is not one who knows himself, not one who knows 
 his fellows; and yet they are all ahke. There 
 is, in fact, no such thing as Ufe; it is unreal." 
 
 I could say no more, and stared before me into 
 the twUight. The mountains were sleeping peace- 
 fully in the tender, bloom-like shinuner of vague 
 night-mists — lying lowly, like children, beneath 
 the broad heavens. Below us was an indistinct 
 twilling of little red lights. From the distance 
 rose a sad monotonous song, the wail of a flute 
 accompanying it. In the depths of the dark- 
 ness lay the sea in its majesty, and the sound of 
 infinitude swelled far and wide. 
 
 Then there arose in me a great sadness, and 
 my eyes filled, as with passionate insistence 
 I asked him: "And what of friendship, then? 
 — and what of love?" — 
 
 He looked at me. I could not see him plainly 
 in the darkness, but there shone from his eyes a 
 curious soft fight, and he answered gently: 
 
 "These are the best things in life, by very far. 
 They are one with the first stirring of Tao within 
 you. But one day you will know of them as 
 little as the stream knows of its banks when it 
 is lost in the endless ocean. Think not that I 
 would teach you to banish love from your heart; 
 
78 WU WEI 
 
 for that would be to go against Tao. Love 
 what you love, and be not misled by the thought 
 that love is a hindrance which holds you in 
 bondage. To banish love from your heart would 
 be a mad and earthly action, and would put you 
 further away from Tao than you have ever been. 
 I say only, that love will one day vanish of itself 
 without your knowing, and that Tao is not 
 Love. But forget not, that — so far as I desire 
 it, and so far as it is good for you — I am speak- 
 ing to you of the very highest things. Were 
 I only speaking of this life and of men, I should 
 say: Love is the highest of all. But for him 
 who is absorbed again into Tao, love is a thing 
 past and forgotten. 
 
 "Now, it has grown late, and I would not im- 
 part too much to you at first. You will surely 
 desire to sleep within the Temple, and I will 
 prepare your couch. Come with me — and de- 
 scend the mountain with all caution!" 
 
 He lit a Uttle Ught, and held out his hand 
 to lead me. Slowly wet proceeded, step by step. 
 He was as careful of me as though I had been his 
 child; he lighted my path at every steep descent, 
 and led me gently forward, taking heed of all my 
 movements. 
 
 When we arrived at the foot, he showed me th& 
 little guest-chamber set apart for mandarins,^* 
 and fetched pillow and covering for me. 
 
 "I thank you. Father, from my heart!" I said. 
 "When shall I ever be able to show my grati- 
 tude?" 
 
TAO 79 
 
 He looked at me quietly, and the glance was 
 great, like the sea. Calm he was, and gentle as 
 night. He smiled at me, and it was like the 
 light laughing upon the earth. And silently he 
 left me. 
 
CHAPTER II 
 ART 
 
 WHAT is art?" I asked the hermit. 
 We were sitting upon the mountaia- 
 side, in the shadow of an overhanging rock. Be- 
 fore us stretched the sea — one endless gleam of 
 light in the sunshine. Golden sails were driving 
 quietly over it, and white seagulls sweeping in 
 noble curvings Ughtly hither and thither, while 
 great, snow-pure clouds came up and sailed by 
 in the blue, majestic in progress, steady and 
 slow. 
 
 "It is as natural as the sea — the birds — the 
 clouds," he answered. "I do not think you will 
 find this so hard to grasp and feel as Tao. You 
 have only to look around you — earth, clouds, 
 atmosphere, everything will teach it you. Poetry 
 has existed as long as heaven and earth.^^ 
 
 "Beauty was born with the heavens and the 
 earth. The sun, the moon, and the red mists of 
 morning and evening illumine each other, and 
 yet — inexhaustible and wonderful as are the 
 changes presented by them — Nature's great 
 phenomena — there exist no pigments, as for 
 garments, to dye them withal. All phenomena 
 of the world bring forth sound when set in motion, 
 and every sound implies some motion which has 
 
 80 
 
ART 81 
 
 caused it. The greatest of all sounds are wind 
 and thunder. 
 
 "Listen to the mountain stream racing over the 
 rocks! As soon as it is set in motion the sound 
 of it — high or low, short or long — makes itself 
 heard, not actually according to the laws of music, 
 it is true, yet having a certain rhythm and system. 
 
 "This is the spontaneous voice of heaven and 
 earth; the voice that is caused by movement. 
 
 "Well! In the purest state of the hmnan 
 heart — when the fire of the spirit is at its brightest 
 — then, if it be moved, that too will give forth 
 sound. Is it not a wondrous metamorphosis 
 that out of this a Uterature should be created?" 
 
 "So Poetry is the soimd of the heart?" 
 
 "You will feel how natural this is. Poetry is 
 to be heard and seen everywhere, for the whole 
 of Nature is one great poet. But just because 
 of its simplicity, therefore is it so strict and un- 
 alterable. Where the spring of movement is, 
 there flows the soimd of the poem. Any other 
 sound is no poetry. The sound must come quite 
 of itself — Wu-Wei — it cannot be generated by 
 any artifices. There are many — how many! — 
 who by imnatural movement force forth sound; 
 but these are no poets — rather do they resemble 
 apes and parrots. Few indeed are the true poets. 
 From these the verse flows of itself, full of music, — 
 powerful as the roaring of the torrent amongst 
 the rocks, as the rolling of thunder in the clouds, — 
 soft as the swishing of an evening shower, or the 
 gentle breath of a summer night-breeze. — Hark! 
 
82 WU WEI 
 
 hark to the sea at our feet! Is it not singing a 
 wondrous song? Is it not a very poem? — is 
 it not pure music? See how the waves sway, in 
 ceaseless mobility — one after the other — one 
 over the other — swinging onward and onward — 
 ever further and fm-ther — returning to vanish 
 in music once more! Dost thou hear their 
 rhythmic rushing? Oh! great and simple must 
 a poet be — like the sea! His movement, like 
 that of the sea, is an impulse out of Tao, and in 
 that — tranquil, strifeless, obedient as a child — 
 must he let himself go. Great, great is the sea! 
 Great, great is the poet. But greater — greater 
 — is Tao, that which is not great!" 
 
 He was silent, Hstening to the sea, and I saw 
 how the music of it entered into him. 
 
 I had reflected much since hearing his first words 
 concerning Tao. I was fearful lest his great and 
 lofty philosophy should mean death to the artist, 
 and that I also, in giving myself over to this 
 wisdom of his, should become incapable of feeling 
 the inspiration of the poet, and of being any more 
 childishly enraptured at the sight of beauty. 
 
 But he himself was standing there in the purest 
 ecstasy, as though he were now looking upon 
 the sea for the first time; and reverently, with 
 shining eyes, he listened to the rush of the waves. 
 "Is it not beautiful?" he said again, "is it not 
 beautiful, — this sound, that came out of Tao, 
 the soundless? — this hght, that shone out of 
 Tao, the Ughtless? and the word-music: verse, 
 born of Tao the wordless? Do we not live in an 
 
AUT 83 
 
 endless mystery? — resolving one day into ab- 
 solute truth!" 
 
 I was a long time silent. But its very sim- 
 plicity was hard for me to grasp. And I asked 
 him doubtfully: "Can it really be so easy — to 
 make and sing poems? It is surely not so easy 
 for us to bring forth verse as for the stream to 
 rush over the rocks? Must we not first practise 
 and train ourselves, and learn to know the verse- 
 forms thoroughly? And is not that voluntary 
 action, rather than involuntary motion?" 
 
 My question did not embarrass him, and he 
 answered at once: — 
 
 "Do not let that perplex you. All depends on 
 whether a man has in him the true spring from 
 which the verse should flow, or not. Has he 
 the pure impulse from Tao within him? or is his 
 life-motive something less simply beautiful? If 
 he has that source in him he is a poet, if he has it 
 not he is none. By this time you surely realize 
 that, considered from a high standpoint, all men 
 are really poets; for, as I have told you, there 
 exists in all men the essential, original impulse 
 emanating from and returning to Tao. But 
 rarely do we find this impulse alert and strongly 
 developed — rarely are men endowed with per- 
 ception of the higher revelations of beauty, 
 through which their bank-bound life-stream flows 
 till lost in boundless eternity. One might express 
 it thus: that ordinary men are hke still water in 
 swampy ground, in the midst of poor vege- 
 tation; while poets are clear streams, flowiag 
 
84 WU WEI 
 
 amidst the splendour of luxuriant banks to the 
 endless ocean. But I would rather not speak 
 so much in symbols, for that is not plain enough. 
 "You would fain know whether a man who 
 has the true inspiration of the poet must not 
 nevertheless train himself somewhat in his art, 
 or whether he moves in it entirely of himself, like 
 nature? — The latter is without doubt the case! 
 For a young poet, having studied verse-form in 
 all its variety for but a short time, suddenly comes 
 to find these forms so natural as to preclude his 
 inclination for any other. His verse assumes 
 beautiful form involuntarily, simply because other 
 movement would be alien. That is just the dif- 
 ference between the poet and the dilettante: 
 that the poet sings his verse spontaneously, from 
 his own impulse, and afterwards, proving it, finds 
 it to be right in sound — in rhythm — in all its 
 movement; whereas the dilettante, after first 
 marking out for himself a certain verse-form, 
 according to the approved pattern of the art- 
 learned, proceeds to project by main force a series 
 of wholly soulless words upon it. The soulful 
 words of the poet flowed of themselves just be- 
 cause they were souKul. And, if we view things 
 in their true light, there do actually exist no hard 
 and fast forms for poetry, and absolutely no laws; 
 for a verse which flows spontaneously from its 
 source moves of itself, and is independent of all 
 preconceived hmnan standards! The one law 
 is that there shall be no law. Mayhap you will 
 find this over-daring, young man! But remem- 
 
ART 85 
 
 ber that my demonstrations are taken not from 
 men, but out of Tao, and that I know, moreover, 
 but very few true poets. The man who is simple 
 and pure as Nature is rare indeed. Think you 
 that there are many such in your own land?" 
 
 This unexpected question embarrassed me, 
 and I wondered what could be his drift. It was 
 hard to answer, too, so I asked him first another 
 question: 
 
 "Great Master, I cannot answer until I hear 
 more from you. Why does a poet make a poem?" 
 
 That seemed to astonish him mightily, for he 
 repeated it, as though doubting if he had heard 
 aright: 
 
 "Why does a poet make a poem?" 
 
 "Yes, Master, why?" 
 
 Then he laughed outright, and said: 
 
 "Why does the sea roar? Why does the bird 
 sing? Do you know that, my son? " 
 
 "Because they cannot help it. Father, because 
 they simply must give their nature vent in that 
 way! ItisWu-Wei!" 
 
 "Quite so! Well, — and why should it be 
 different with a poet?" 
 
 I considered, and my answer came none too 
 readily: 
 
 "Yes, but it may be different. A poet may 
 sing for the sake of creating or enriching a Utera- 
 tiu-e, where there is none, or it is in danger of 
 dying out. That has a fine sound, but is no -pure 
 motive. Or some poets sing in order to cover 
 themselves with glory — to be famous, to be 
 
86 WU WEI 
 
 crowned with shining laurels, and to gain smiles 
 from the fair, bright-eyed maidens strewing 
 flowers on the path before them!" 
 
 "You must express yourself with greater ex- 
 actness," said the hermit, "and not desecrate 
 words which thousands hold sacred. For poets 
 who sing for such reasons are no poets at all. A 
 poet sings because he sings. He cannot sing with 
 any given purpose, or he becomes a dilettante." 
 
 "Then, Father, supposing a poet to have sung 
 as simply as a bird, may he afterwards take 
 pleasure ia the laiu-els and the roses? May he 
 jealously hate those who wear the laurels of 
 which he deems himself worthy? or can he believe 
 his soul's convictions, and call beauty ugly, 
 despising the beauty which he has created? — Can 
 he call the beautiful hateful, because the laurels 
 come from unwelcome hands? — Can he drape 
 himseK in a false garb, and elect to act differ- 
 ently from other men, in order to gain prominence 
 through eccentricity? — Can he deem himself 
 better than the common run of men? — Should 
 he press the common hands which applaud him? 
 — May he hate them who deride instead of hon- 
 ouring him? — How can you interpret to me 
 all these things? They all appear so strange 
 to me, in comparison with the little bird and the 
 great sea!" 
 
 "All these questions, young friend, are an 
 answer to my question," he replied; "for the 
 fact that you would know all this is a proof that 
 there are not many poets in your country. Re- 
 
ART 87 
 
 member that I understand and use the word 
 'poet' in its purest, highest meaning. A poet can 
 only live for his art, which he loves for itself, and 
 not as a means for secxiring fleeting earthly 
 pleasiu-es. A poet looks upon men and things 
 — in their nature and relationship — so simply, 
 that he himself approaches very nearly to the 
 nature of Tao. Other men see men and things 
 hazily, as through a fog. The poet reahzes this 
 to be an incontestable fact. How then can he 
 expect his simphcity to be understood — by this 
 hazy mind of the pubUc? How can he cherish 
 feelings of hate and grief when it ridicules him? 
 How feel pleasiure when it should do him honour? 
 It is the same in this case as with the foiu- 'sea- 
 sons' of Chuang-Tse. There is nothing specially 
 agitating in it all, because it is the natural course 
 of things. Consequently the poet is neither in 
 despair when he is not heard, nor happy when 
 he is feted. He looks upon the state of things 
 with regard to the multitude and the way it com- 
 ports itself towards him as a natm-al consequence, 
 of which he knows the cause. The judgment of 
 the common people is not even so much as in- 
 different to him — it simply does not exist for 
 him. He does not sing his verses for the sake 
 of the people, but because he cannot help himself. 
 The sound of hmnan coroment on his work escapes 
 him entirely, and he knows not whether he be 
 famous or forgotten. 'The highest fame is no 
 fame. ' * You look at me, young man, as 
 * From the "Nan Hwa King,"- chap, xviii. 
 
88 WU WEI 
 
 though I were telling stranger things than you 
 have ever dared to dream. But I am telling 
 nothing but the plainest truth, simple and natiu-al 
 as the truth in landscape or sea. Having dwelt 
 until so lately mid the strenuous life of your coun- 
 trymen, you have never yet seen true simplicity. 
 For so long you have heard nothing spoken of 
 but 'fame,' 'earnings,' 'honour,' 'artists' and 
 'immortality,' that, for all you know, these things 
 may be indispensable as air, and veritable as 
 your soul. But it is all a seeming and deception. 
 Those whom you have seen may indeed have 
 been poets of true fibre, but they had been led 
 astray from the impulse derived from Tao which 
 was their life-principle, and they did not remain 
 what they were, but sank through their weakness 
 to the natm-e of commonplace men. So that 
 they have come to do as ordinary men do, only 
 they do it more strongly. So much do I gather 
 from yoiu: questioning. But all these are poets no 
 longer, and will sing no more true poetry so long 
 as they remain as they are. For the smallest 
 deviation from the original impulse is sufficient 
 to kill the poetry withia them. There is but 
 the one direct way : single and simple as a maid- 
 en — uncompromising as a straight line. This 
 straight line is spontaneity; on either side of it he 
 false activity and the unnatural — also the roads 
 to fame and notoriety, where occur murder, and 
 sudden deatTi, and where one bosom friend will 
 suck the life-Talood from another to fvu-ther the 
 attainment of his own ends. The straight line 
 
ART 89 
 
 cuts its own way, without deviation or secret 
 windings, in simple continuance into infinity. 
 
 "You understand then, that thus, by the 
 nature of things, all those situations which would 
 convert the poet into the sacrificial victim of the 
 mob become impossible. You have probably 
 read, in the history aUke of your country and 
 my own, of poets who have died of grief at want 
 of recognition, or who have taken their own fives 
 on account of undeserved contumely. I have 
 indeed always felt the pathos of this, yet have 
 reafized that to such poets as these the term 
 truly great cannot be appHed. 
 
 "And I am speaking, of course, not of the art- 
 ists of speech only, but of all artists. Shall I 
 show you now something by an artist as true and 
 simple-minded as I can conceive a man to be? — 
 Come with me then!" 
 
 He led me into a small chamber in his hut — 
 a cell with white walls and no furniture save 
 the bed, a table covered with books, and a few 
 chairs. He opened a door in the wall, and drew 
 out from it a wooden chest. This he carried 
 as carefully as though it had been some sacred 
 object or a little child. He set it gently down 
 upon the floor, opened the fid, and lifted out a 
 closed shrine of red-brown wood, which he placed 
 upon the table.^^ 
 
 "See," he remarked, "this is a beautiful shrine, 
 to begin with. A beautiful thing must have a 
 beautiful setting. At present the little doors are 
 shut. Do you not find this a goodly idea: to 
 
90 WU WEI 
 
 be able ever thus to hold it hidden from profane 
 eyes? — But before you I may well open it." 
 
 And the two wings of the shrine flew apart. 
 
 Against a background of pale blue silk ap- 
 peared a large figure, gleaming, and shimmer- 
 •mg, and di£fusing a wonderful radiance of its own. 
 It was the Buddha Kwan Yin, seated upon a lotus 
 that reared itself, straight, and graceful, and 
 modestly opened, above a tum\alt of wild waves.^' 
 
 "Do you perceive the utter simphcity and 
 beauty of this?" he asked me; and in his voice 
 there spoke a great and tender love. "Is not 
 this the very embodiment of perfect rest? — How 
 serene is the countenance — how wonderfully 
 tender, and yet how tensely grave, with its closed 
 eyes gazing into infinity! — See — the cheek, — 
 how delicate and tender! See — the mouth — 
 and the lofty curving of the eyebrows — and the 
 pure pearl gleaming above her forehead ^* — 
 symbol of a soul taking its flight from the body! 
 And the body — how few are the lines of it! Yet 
 see: what infinite love and mercifulness in the 
 downward pose of the left arm; and in the uplifted 
 right arm — with two raised fingers, held together 
 as in the act of preaching — what an indescrib- 
 able holiness! And how beautiful the repose 
 of the crossed legs resting so softly upon the lotus! 
 ■ — And see — how tenderly felt, notwithstanding 
 the immense strength and restraint of the whole — 
 the delicate soles of the feet, curved with such 
 subtle gentleness! — Is it not the quintessence 
 of the whole of Buddhism in a single picture? 
 
ART 91 
 
 You need not to have read anything of Buddhism 
 in order to appreciate it now, here, in all its in- 
 most meaning. Rest — is it not absolute rest — 
 this ideally pure countenance gazing thus stilly 
 into eternity? Love — is it not absolute love 
 for the world — this simple drooping of the arm? 
 And is not the essence of the whole doctrine 
 grasped and confined in the pose of the uplifted 
 fingers? 
 
 "And then — the material of which such a figure 
 as this is made! So you realize, I wonder, that 
 an artist such as this must have laboured for 
 years and years before his material became as 
 pure and ethereal as he required it to be? For 
 the natiu-e of stone is so hard — is it not? — and 
 the general idea of it : matter — that would suit 
 but ill for the plastic representation of the ideal 
 conception : Rest. — So the artist wrought upon 
 all kinds of common materials such as clay, sand, 
 and earth, and transformed them, by means of 
 fit and harmonious combination with precious 
 stones, pearls, and jasper, into costly substances. 
 And so the material for this figure became some- 
 thing that was no longer material, but rather the 
 incarnation of a sublime idea. The artist wished 
 to symbohze also in his representation the rosy 
 dawn which broke upon mankind on the appear- 
 ance of Buddha; and so, shimmering through the 
 snowy white of his porcelain, he introduced just 
 such a vague rosy glow as plays upon the morn- 
 ing clouds before the glory of the sun bm-sts forth. 
 Is not this half-realized, growing Ught more in- 
 
92 WU WEI 
 
 stinct with feeling than Ught itself? Can you 
 perceive this most indefinite, yet clear and rosy 
 colour shimmering throughout the white? Is 
 it not chaste as the first soft blush of a maiden? 
 Is it not the godly love of the artist which thus 
 glows in the pureness of the white? Such a figure 
 is, in fact, no longer a figure. The idea of material 
 is entirely obliterated; it is an inspiration." 
 
 For a long time I was too much moved to speak. 
 More strongly yet than the pure wisdom of the 
 old man, did the beauty of this art take hold 
 upon and purify my soul. At last I asked gently: 
 
 "Who has created this marvel? I would fain 
 know, that I may hold his name with yours in 
 veneration." 
 
 "That is of little importance, my young friend!" 
 he answered. "The soul that was in this artist 
 is absorbed again into Tao, just as yom-s will be 
 one day. His body has fallen away, like the 
 leaves from a tree, just as yours in time will fall 
 away. What weight can attach then to his name? 
 Nevertheless, I will tell it you; he was called 
 Tan Wei,^^ and he engraved this name in finely- 
 devised characters upon the back of the figure, 
 such being the custom at that time. — Who was 
 he? A common workman, surely, who did not 
 even know, himself, that he was an artist; who 
 seemed to himself nothing more than a common 
 peasant, and who had not the least suspicion that 
 his work was so beautiful. But he must have 
 gazed much at the heavens and clouds above him, 
 and have loved the wide seas, and the landscapes, 
 
ART 93 
 
 and the flowers; otherwise he could not have 
 been so fine in feeUng; for such simple Unes and 
 pure colom-s are only to be found in Nature. He 
 was certainly not celebrated; you will not find 
 his name in any history. I could not tell you 
 whence he came, how he Uved, or to what age. 
 I know only that it is more than four hundred 
 years since such figures as these were made, and 
 that connoissexu-s reckon that this one dates from 
 the first half of the Ming-Dynasty. Most prob- 
 ably the artist hved quite quietly the same sort 
 of life as the other people, worked industriously 
 as a common labourer, and died humbly, un- 
 conscious of his own greatness. But his work 
 remained, and this image, which by a fortunate 
 chance has found its way to this district, where 
 the last wars never raged, is still the same as 
 when he made it. And thus it may last on for 
 centuries and centiuies, in inextinguishable radi- 
 ance, in maidenly majesty. O, to create such 
 a thing, in pure, unconscious simphcity — that 
 is to be a poet! That is the art which dates not 
 from time but from eternity! — How beautiful 
 it is! Do you not find it so too? This porcelain, 
 that is almost indestructible; this radiance, which 
 never dies away! Here upon the earth it stands, 
 so strong and yet so tender, and so it wiU be, long 
 after our successors are dead! — And the soul 
 of the artist is with Tao!" 
 
 We continued long to look upon the image. 
 Then he took careful hold of the shrine once more. 
 
 "It is so delicate," he said, "that I hardly dare 
 
94 WU WEI 
 
 to expose it to broad daylight. For this miracle 
 of tenderness — ethereal as a soul — the daylight 
 is too hard. I feel a kind of anxiety lest the light 
 should suddenly break it in pieces; or cause it to 
 dissolve like a little Ught cloud — so wholly soul- 
 Uke is its composition!" 
 
 And softly, very softly, he replaced the shrine 
 within the chest, which he closed. 
 
 He went out now, before me, and we seated 
 ourselves again beneath the overhanging rock. 
 
 "How beautiful it would be," I said, "if every 
 one could make things like that, in all simpUcity, 
 and surround themselves with them, everywhere!" 
 
 "Every one!" he answered; "well, that is per- 
 haps too much to expect! But there really was 
 once a time when this great kingdom was one 
 great temple of art and beauty. You may still 
 see the traces of it here in China. At that time 
 the greater number of the people were simple- 
 minded artists. All objects surrounding them 
 were beautiful, the smallest thing as well as the 
 greatest — whether it were a temple, a garden, 
 a table, a chair, or a knife. Just examine the 
 little tea-cups, or the smallest censers of that 
 period! The poorest coolie ate out of vessels as 
 perfect in their way as my Kwan-Yin image. 
 AU objects were beautifully made, and invol- 
 untarily so. The simple artisans did not con- 
 sider themselves 'artists,' or in any way different 
 from their fellow-men, and no petty strife can 
 have arisen between them, otherwise there would 
 have been an end of their art. Everjrthing was 
 
ART 95 
 
 beautiful because they were all single-minded 
 and worked honestly. It was as natural in those 
 days for things to be beautiful as it is now-a-days 
 for them to be ugly. The art of China has sxmk 
 to its lowest ebb; that is a consequence of its 
 miserable social condition. You have surely 
 remarked that the art of the country is deteriorat- 
 ing. And that is a death-sign for this great Em- 
 pire. For Art is inseparably connected with the 
 full-bloom of a country's life. If the art declines, 
 then the whole country degenerates. I do not 
 mean this in the poUtical, but rather in the moral 
 sense. For a morally-strong and simple-hearted 
 people brings forth involuntarily a strong and 
 healthy art. — Yes, what you said is true; how 
 much better would men's Hves be, could they 
 but create for themselves better siuroundings! 
 And how extraordinary that this is not done! 
 For Nature remains ever and everywhere ac- 
 cessible to them. See the clouds — the trees — 
 the sea!" 
 
 The sea was still, as ever, splashing at our 
 feet — boundless and pure. Clouds sailed ma- 
 jestically landwards, with a slow motion, in the 
 full blaze of the light. Golden gleams, falling 
 upon the mountains, vanished again with the 
 rhythmical sweep of the clouds. Light and 
 motion, sound and play of colour, everywhere! 
 
 The hermit gazed calmly and confidingly at 
 this infinite loveliness; as though deeply conscious 
 of the intimate relationship existing between him 
 and all his surroundings. He seemed to guess 
 
96 WU WEI 
 
 what was in my mind as I looked at him, for he 
 
 said: 
 
 "We fit as naturally into this beauty around us 
 as a tree or a mountain. If we can but remain 
 so always, we shall retain the feeling of our own 
 well-being amid all the great workings of the 
 world-system. So much has been said about 
 human life; and scholars have created such an 
 endless labyrinth of theories! And yet in its in- 
 most kernel it is as plain as Nature. All things 
 are equal in simplicity, and nothing is really in 
 confusion, however much it may seem as though 
 it were so. Everything moves surely and in- 
 evitably as the sea." 
 
 There rang in his voice both the great love of 
 the poet and the quiet assurance of the scholar 
 who takes his stand upon incontrovertible truth. 
 
 "Are you satisfied for to-day?" was his friendly 
 question; "and have I helped you forward a httle? 
 Do you feel more clearly what poetry is?" 
 
 "Father," I answered, "your wisdom is poetry, 
 and your poetry is wisdom! How can that be?" 
 
 "That is quite true, from your point of view," 
 he answered. "But you have yet to learn that 
 all these words are but a seeming. I know not 
 what my wisdom is, nor my poetry. It is all one. 
 It is so simple and natural when you understand 
 this! It is aU Tao." 
 
CHAPTER III 
 LOVE 
 
 ONCE more it was evening. We sat again upon 
 the soft turf of the mountain-side, the quiet- 
 ness of our mood in sympathy with the solemn 
 stilhiess of twilight. The distant mountain- 
 ranges reposed in an atmosphere breathing rever- 
 ence and devotion — they seemed to be kneeling 
 beneath the heavens, beneath the slow-descending 
 blessing of night. The isolated trees dotted 
 here and there about the hills stood motionless, 
 in a pause of silent worshipping. The rush of the 
 sea sounded distant and indistinct, lost in its own 
 greatness. Peace lay over everything, and soft 
 sounds went up, as of prayer. 
 
 The hermit stood before me, dignified as a tree 
 in the midst of Nature, and awe-inspiring as the 
 evening itself. 
 
 I had returned to question him again. For my 
 soul found no repose apart from him, and a mighty 
 impulse was stirring within me. But now that I 
 found myseK near him, I hardly dared to speak; 
 and indeed it seemed as though words were no 
 longer necessary — as though everything lay, of 
 itseK, open and clear as daylight. How goodly 
 and simple everything appeared that evening! 
 Was it not my own inmost being that I recognized 
 
 97 
 
98 WU WEI 
 
 in all the beauty around me? and was not the 
 whole on thp point of being absorbed into the 
 Eternal? 
 
 Nevertheless I broke in upon this train of 
 feeling, and cleft the peaceful silence with my 
 voice: 
 
 "Father," I said sadly, "aU your words have 
 sunk into my mind, and my soul is filled with the 
 balm of them. This soul of mine is no longer my 
 own — no longer what I used to be. It is as 
 though I were dead: and I know not what is 
 taking place within me — by day and by night — 
 causing it to grow so Ught, and clear, and vacant 
 in my mind. Father, I know it is Tao; it is 
 death, and glorious resurrection; but it is not 
 love; and without love, Tao appears to me but 
 a gloomy Ue." 
 
 The old man looked round him at the evening 
 scene, and smiled gently. 
 
 "What is love?" he asked calmly. "Are you 
 sure about that, I wonder?" 
 
 "No, I am not sure," I answered. "I do not 
 know anything about it, but that is just the reason 
 of its great blessedness. Yes, do but let me ex- 
 press it! I mean: love of a maiden, love of a 
 woman. — I remember yet. Father, what it was 
 to me when I saw the maiden, and my soul knew 
 deUght for the first time. It was like a sea, like 
 a broad heaven, like death. It was Ught — and 
 I had been blind! It hurt, Father — my heart 
 beat so violently — and my eyes burned. The 
 world was a fire, and all things were strange, and 
 
LUVJi 99 
 
 began to live. It was a great flame flaring from 
 out my soul. It was so fearful, but so lovely, 
 and so infinitely great! Father, I think it was 
 greater than Tao!" 
 
 "I know well what it was," said the sage. "It 
 was Beauty, the earthly form of the formless Tao, 
 calling up in you the rhythm of that movement 
 by which you will enter into Tao. You might 
 have experienced the same at sight of a tree, a 
 cloud, a flower. But because you are human, 
 living by desire, therefore to you it could only be 
 revealed through another hiunan being, a woman 
 — because, also, that form is to you more easily 
 imderstood, and more familiar. And since desire 
 did not allow the full upgrowth of a pure con- 
 templation, therefore was the rhythm within 
 you wrought up to be wild tempest, like a storm- 
 thrashed sea that knows not whither it is tending. 
 The inmost essence of the whole emotion was not 
 'love,' but Tao." 
 
 But the calmness of the old sage made me im- 
 patient, and excited me to answer roughly: 
 
 "It is easy to talk thus theoretically, but seeing 
 that you have never experienced it yourself, you 
 can imderstand nothing of that of which you 
 speak!" 
 
 He looked at me steadily, and laid his hand 
 sympathetically on my shoulder. 
 
 "It would be cruel of you to speak thus to any 
 one but me, young man! — I loved, before you 
 drew breath in this world! At that time there 
 lived a maiden, so wondrous to see, it was as if 
 
100 WU WEI 
 
 she were the direct-born expression of Tao. For 
 me she was the world, and the world lay dead 
 around her. I saw nothing but her, and for me 
 there existed no such things as trees, men, or 
 clouds. She was more beautiful than this eve- 
 ning, gentler than the lines of those distant moun- 
 tains, more tender than those hushed tree-tops; 
 and the Ught of her presence was more blessed to 
 see than the still shining of yonder star. I will 
 not tell you her story. It was more scorching 
 than a very hell-fire — but it was not real, and 
 it is over now, like a storm that has passed. It 
 seemed to me that I must die; I longed to flee from 
 my pain into death. — But there came a dawn- 
 ing in my soul, and all grew light and compre- 
 hensible. Nothing was lost. All was yet as it 
 had been. The beauty which I believed to have 
 been taken from me lived on still, spotless, in 
 myseK. For not from this woman, — out of my 
 soul had this beauty sprung; and this I saw 
 shining yet, all over the world, with an everlasting 
 radiance. Nature was no other than what I had 
 fashioned to myself out of that shadowy form of 
 a woman. And my soul was one with Nature, 
 and floated with a like rhythm towards the eternal 
 Tao." 
 
 Calmed by his calmness, I said: "She whom 
 I loved is dead, Father — She who culled my soul 
 as a child culls a flower never became my wife. 
 But I have a wife now, a miracle of strength and 
 goodness, a wife who is essential to me as light 
 and air. I do not love her as I even now love the 
 
LOVE 101 
 
 dead. But I know that she is a purer human 
 being than that other. How is it then that I do 
 not love her so much? She has transformed my 
 wild and troubled life into a tranquil march to- 
 wards death. She is simple and true as Nature 
 itself, and her face is dear to me as the sun- 
 light." 
 
 "You love her, indeed!" said the sage, "but 
 you know not what love means, nor loving. I will 
 tell it you. Love is no other than the rhythm of 
 Tao. I have told you: you are come out of Tao, 
 and to Tao you will return. Whilst you are 
 young — with your soul still enveloped in dark- 
 ness — in the shock of the first impulse within you, 
 you know not yet whither you are trending. You 
 see the woman before you. You beUeve her to 
 be that towards which the rhythm is driving you. 
 But even when the woman is yours, and you have 
 thrilled at the touch of her, you feel the rhythm 
 yet within you, unappeased, and know that you 
 must forward, ever further, if you would bring it 
 to a standstill. Then it is that in the soul of the 
 man and of the woman there arises a great sadness, 
 and they look at one another, questioning whither 
 they are now bound. Gently they clasp one 
 another by the hand, and move on through life, 
 swayed by the same impulse, towards the same 
 goal. Call this love if you will. What is a name? 
 I call it Tao. And the souls of those who love are 
 like two white clouds floating softly side by side, 
 that vanish, wafted by the same wind, into the 
 infinite blue of the heavens." 
 
102 WU WEI 
 
 "But that is not the love that I mean!" I cried. 
 "Love is not the desire to see the loved one ab- 
 sorbed into Tao; love is the longing to be always 
 with her; the deep yearning for the blending of 
 the two souls in one; the hot desire to soar, in 
 one breath with her, into felicity! T^d this 
 always with the loved one alone — not with 
 others, not with Nature. And, were I absorbed 
 into Tao, aU this happiness would be for ever lost! 
 Oh let me stay here, in this goodly world, with 
 my faithful companion! Here it is so bright and 
 homely, and Tao is still so gloomy and inscrutable 
 for me." 
 
 "The hot desire dies out," he answered calmly. 
 "The body of your loved one will wither and pass 
 away within the cold earth. The leaves of the 
 trees fade in autumn, and the withered flowers 
 droop sadly to the ground. How can you love 
 that so much which does not last? However, you 
 know, in truth, as yet, neither how you love nor 
 what it is that you love. The beauty of woman 
 is but a vague reflection of the formless beauty of 
 Tao. The emotion it awakens, the longing to 
 lose yourself in her beauty, that ecstasy of feeling 
 which would lend wings for the flight of your soul 
 with the beloved — beyond horizon-bounds, into 
 regions of bUss — believe me, it is no other than 
 the rhythm of Tao; only you know it not. You 
 resemble still the river which knows as yet only 
 its shimmering banks; which has no knowledge of 
 the power that draws it forward; but which will 
 one day inevitably flow out into the great ocean. 
 
LOVE 103 
 
 Why this striving after happiness, after human 
 happiness, that lasts but a moment and then 
 vanishes again? Chuang-Tse said truly: 'The 
 highest happinesss is no happiness.' Is it not 
 small and pitiable, this momentary uprising, 
 and downfaUiag, and uprising again? This wav- 
 ering, weakly intention and progress of men? 
 Do not seek happiness in a woman. She is the 
 joyful revelation of Tao directed towards you. 
 She is the purest form in the whole of nature by 
 which Tao is manifested. She is the gentle force 
 that awakens the rhythm of Tao within you. 
 But she is only a poor creature like yourself. 
 And you are for her the same joyful revelation 
 that she is to you. Fancy not that that which 
 you perceive in her is that Tao, that very hoUest, 
 into which you would one day ascend! For then 
 you would surely reject her when you realized 
 what she was. If you will truly love a woman, 
 then love her as being of the same poor nature as 
 yom-self, and do not seek happiness with her. 
 Whether in your love you see this or not — her 
 inmost being is Tao. A poet looks upon a woman, 
 and, swayed by the 'rhythm,' he perceives the 
 beauty of the beloved in aU things — in the trees, 
 the mountains, the horizon; for the beauty of a 
 woman is the same as that of Nature. It is the 
 form of Tao, the great and formless, and what 
 your soul desires in the excitement of beholding 
 — this strange, unspeakable feeling — is nothing 
 but your oneness with this beauty, and with the 
 source of this beauty — Tao. And the like is 
 
104 WU WEI 
 
 experienced by your wife. Ye are for each 
 other angels, who lead one another to Tao un- 
 consciously." 
 
 I was silent for a while, reflecting. In the soft 
 colouring and stillness of the evening lay a great 
 sadness. About the horizon, where the sun had 
 set, there glimmered a streak of faint red Ught, 
 like dying pain. 
 
 "What is this sadness, then, in the Nature 
 around us?" I asked. "Is there not that in the 
 twihght as though the whole earth were weeping 
 with a grievous longing? See how she mourns, 
 with these fading hues, these drooping tree-tops, 
 and solemn mountains. Human eyes must fill 
 with tears, when this great grief of Natm-e looms 
 within their sight. It is as though she were 
 longing for her beloved — as though everything — 
 seas, mountains and heavens — were full of 
 mourning." 
 
 And the Sage rephed: "It is the same pain 
 which cries in the hearts of men. Your own 
 longing quivers in Natm-e too. The 'Heimweh' 
 of the evening is also the ' Heimweh ' of your soul. 
 Your soul has lost her love: Tao, with whom she 
 once was one; and your soul desires re-union 
 with her love. Absolute re-union with Tao — is 
 not that an immense love? — to be so absolutely 
 one with the beloved that you are wholly hers, 
 she wholly yours; — a union so full and eternal 
 that neither death nor life can ever cleave your 
 oneness again? So tranquil and pure that desire 
 can no more awaken in you — perfect blessedness 
 
LOVE 105 
 
 being attained, and a holy and permanent peace? 
 . . . For Tao is one single, eternal, pure in- 
 finitude of soul. 
 
 i, "Is that not more perfect than the love of a 
 woman? — this poor, sad love, each day of which 
 reveals to you some sullying of the clear life of the 
 soul by dark and sanguine passion? When you 
 are absorbed into Tao, then only will you be com- 
 pletely, eternally united with the soul of your 
 beloved, with the souls of all men, your brothers, 
 and with the soul of Natm-e. And the few mo- 
 ments of blessedness fleetingly enjoyed by all 
 lovers upon earth are as nothing in comparison 
 with that endless bliss: the blending of the souls 
 of all who love in an eternity of perfect purity." 
 
 A horizon of blessedness opened out before my 
 soul, wider than the vague horizon of the sea, 
 wider than the heavens. 
 
 "Father!" I cried in ecstasy, "can it be that 
 everything is so holy, and I have never known it? 
 — I have been so filled with longing, and so worn- 
 out with weeping; and my breast has been heavy 
 with sobs and dread. I have been so consumed 
 with fear! I have trembled at the thought of 
 death! I have despaired of all things being good, 
 when I saw so much suffering around me. I have 
 believed myself damned, by reason of the wild 
 passions, the bodily desires, burning within and 
 flaming without me — passions which, though 
 hating them, I still was, coward-like, condemned 
 to serve. With what breathless horror I have 
 realized how the tender, flower-like body of my 
 
106 WU WEI 
 
 love must one day moulder and crumble away 
 in the cold, dark earth! I have believed that I 
 should never feel again that blessed peace at the 
 look in her eyes, through which her soul was 
 shining. And was it Tao! — was Tao really even 
 then always within me, like a faithful guardian? 
 and was it Tao that shone from her eyes? Was 
 Tao in everything that surrounded me? in the 
 clouds, the trees and the sea? Is the inmost 
 being of earth and heaven, then, also the inmost 
 being of my beloved and my own soul? Is it 
 that for which there burns within me that mys- 
 terious longing which I did not understand, and 
 which drove me so restlessly onward? I thought 
 it was leading me away from the beloved and 
 that I was ceasing to love her! — Was it really the 
 rhythm of Tao, then, that moved my beloved too? 
 — the same as that in which all nature breathes, 
 and all suns and planets pxirsue their shining course 
 throughout eternity? — Then all is indeed made 
 holy! — then Tao is indeed in everything, as my 
 soul is in Tao! Oh, Father, Father! it is growing 
 so Ught in my heart! My soul seems to foresee 
 that which will come one day; and the heavens 
 above us, and the great sea, they foretell it too! 
 See, how reverent is the pose of these trees 
 around us — and see the Unes of the moxmtains, 
 how soft in their holy repose! AU Nature is filled 
 with sacred awe, and my soul too thrills with 
 ecstasy, for she has looked upon her beloved!" 
 
 I sat there long, in silent, still forgetfulnesg. 
 It was to me as though I were one with the soul 
 
LOVE 107 
 
 of my master and with Nature. I saw nothing 
 and heard nothing; — void of all desire, bereft of 
 all will, I lay sunk in the deepest peace. I was 
 awakened by a soft sound close by me. A fruit 
 had fallen from the tree to the groimd behind us. 
 When I looked up, it was into shimmering moon- 
 light. The recluse was standing by me, and bent 
 over me kindly. 
 
 "You have strained your spirit overmuch, my 
 young friend!" he said concernedly. "It is too 
 much for you in so short a time. You have fallen 
 asleep from exhaustion. The sea sleeps too. 
 See, not a furrow breaks its even surface; mo- 
 tionless, dreaming, it receives the benediction of 
 the Ught. But you must awaken! It is late, 
 your boat is ready, and your wife awaits you at 
 home in the town." 
 
 I answered, still half dreaming: "I would so 
 gladly stay here. Let me return, with my wife, 
 and stay here for ever! I cannot go back to the 
 people again! Ah, Father, I shudder — I can see 
 their scoflfing faces, their insulting glances, their 
 disbeUef, and their irreverence! How can I retain 
 the wondrous light and tender feeUng of my soul 
 in the midst of that imgracious people? How can 
 I ever so hide it under smile or speech that they 
 shall never detect it, nor desecrate it with their 
 insolent ridicule?" 
 
 Then, laying his hand earnestly upon my 
 shoulder, he said: 
 
 "Listen carefully to what I now say to you, my 
 friend, and above all, believe me. I shall give you 
 
108 WU WEI 
 
 pain, but I cannot help it. You must return to 
 the world and your fellow-men; it cannot be other- 
 wise. You have spoken too much with me 
 already; perhaps I have said somewhat too much 
 to you. Your further growth must be your own 
 doing, and you must find out everything for 
 yourseK. Be only simple of heart, and you will 
 discover everything without effort, like a child 
 finding flowers. At this moment you feel deeply 
 and purely what I have said to you. This present 
 mood is one of the highest moments of your life. 
 But you cannot yet be strong enough to maintain 
 it. You will relapse, and spiritual feehng will 
 turn again to words and theories. Only by slow 
 degrees will you grow once more to feel it purely 
 and keep it permanently. When that is so, then 
 you may return hither in peace and then you 
 will do well to remain here; — but by that time 
 I shall be long dead. 
 
 "You must complete your growth in the midst 
 of life, not outside it; for you are not yet pure 
 enough to rise above it. A moment ago, it is 
 true, you were equal even to that, but the reaction 
 will soon set in. You may not shun the rest of 
 mankind; they are your equals, even though they 
 may not feel so purely as you do. You can go 
 amongst them as their comrade, and take them 
 by the hand; only do not let them look upon 
 your sovd, so long as they are still so far behind 
 you. They would not mock you from evil- 
 mindedness, but rather out of religious persuasion, 
 being unaware how utterly miserable, how god- 
 
LOVE 109 
 
 less, how forsaken they are, and how far from 
 all those holy things by which you actually Uve. 
 You must be so strong in your conviction that 
 nothing can hinder you. And that you will only 
 become after a long and bitter struggle. But 
 out of your tears will grow yoiu" strength, and 
 through pain you will attain peace. Above all 
 remember that Tao, Poetry and Love are one and 
 the same, although you may seek to define it by 
 these several vague terms; — that it is always 
 within you and around you; — that it never for- 
 sakes you; and that you are safe and well cared 
 for in this holy environment. You are sur- 
 rounded with benefits, and sheltered by a love 
 which is eternal. Everything is rendered holy 
 through the primal force of Tao dwelling within 
 it." 
 
 He spoke so gently and convincingly that I had 
 no answer to give. Willingly I allowed myself 
 to be guided by him to the shore. My boat lay 
 motionless upon the smooth water, awaiting 
 me. — 
 
 "Farewell, my young friend! Farewell!" he 
 said, calmly and tenderly. "Remember all that 
 I have told you!" 
 
 But I could not leave him in such a manner. 
 Suddenly I thought of the lonehness of his life in 
 this place, and tears of sympathy rose to my eyes. 
 I grasped his hand. 
 
 "Father, come with me!" I besought him. 
 "My wife and I will care for you; we will do 
 everything for you; and when you are sick we 
 
110 WU WEI 
 
 will tend you. Do not stay here in this loneliness, 
 so void of all the love that might make life sweet 
 to you!" 
 
 He smiled gently, and shook his head as a father 
 might at some fancy of his child's, answering with 
 tranquil kindness: 
 
 "You have lapsed already! Do you realize 
 now how necessary it is for you to remain in the 
 midst of the every-day life? I have but this 
 moment told you how great is the love which 
 surrounds me — and still you deem me lonely 
 here and forsaken? — Here, in Tao, I am as 
 safe at home as a chUd is with its mother. You 
 mean it well, my friend, but you must grow wiser, 
 much wiser! Be not concerned for me; that is 
 unnecessary, grateful though I am to you for 
 this feeling. Think of yourself just now. And 
 do what I say. Believe that I tell you that which 
 is best for you. In the boat lies something which 
 should remind you of the days you have spent 
 here. Farewell!" 
 
 I bent silently over his hand and kissed it. I 
 thought I felt that it trembled with emotion; but 
 when I looked at him again his face was calm and 
 cheerful as the moon in the sky. 
 
 I stepped into the boat, and the boatman took 
 up the oars. With dextrous strokes he drove it 
 over the even surface of the water. I was already 
 some way from the land when my foot struck 
 against some object in the boat and I remembered 
 that something for me was lying there. I took it 
 up. It was a small chest. Hastily I lifted the lid. 
 
LOVE 111 
 
 And in the soft, calm moonlight there gleamed 
 with mystical radiance the wonderful porcelain of 
 the Kwan-Yin image, the same which the old man 
 had cherished so carefully, and loved so well. 
 
 There, in the lofty tranquility of severe yet 
 gentle lines, in all the ethereal deUcacy of the 
 transparent porcelain, reposed the pure figure 
 of Kwan-Yin, shining as with spiritual radiance 
 amidst the shimmering petals of the lotus. 
 
 I scarcely dared beheve that this holy thing had 
 been given to me. I seized my handkerchief, and 
 waved with it towards the shore, to convey to the 
 recluse my thanks. He stood there motionless, 
 gazing straight before him. I waited longingly 
 for him to wave — for one more greeting from 
 him — one more sign of love — but he remained 
 immovable. 
 
 Was it I after whom he was gazing? Was he 
 gazing at the sea? . . . 
 
 I closed the Ud of the chest, and kept it near 
 me, as though it had been a love of his which I 
 was bearing away. I knew now that he cared for 
 me; but his imperturbable serenity was too great 
 for me — it saddened my mood that he had never 
 signed to me again. 
 
 We drew further and further away; the out- 
 lines of his figure grew fainter and fainter; at last 
 I could see it no more. 
 
 He remained; with the dreams of his soul, in 
 the midst of Nature — alone in infinity — bereft 
 of all human love — but close to the great bosom 
 of Tao. 
 
112 WU WEI 
 
 I took my way back to the life amongst man- 
 kind, my brothers and equals — in all the souls 
 of whom dwells Tao, primordial and eternal. 
 
 The ornamental Ughts of the harbour gleamed 
 already in the distance, and the drone of the 
 great town sounded nearer and nearer to us over 
 the sea. 
 
 Then I felt a great strength in me, and I ordered 
 the boatman to row still more quickly. I was 
 ready. Was I not as safely and well cared for 
 in the great town as in the stUl country? — in 
 the street as on the sea? 
 
 In everything, everywhere, dwells Poetry — 
 Love — Tao. And the whole world is a great 
 sanctuary, well-devised and surely-maintained as 
 a strong, well-ordered house. 
 
NOTES 
 
 1. p. 62. This is a fact. Chinese priests are in the habit 
 of repeating Sutras which, to judge by the sound, have 
 been translated from the Sanscrit into Chinese phrases 
 of which they do not understand one word. 
 
 2. p. 64. The "Yellow Emperor" is a legendary em- 
 peror, who appears to have reigned about the year 2697 B.C. 
 
 3. p. 64. That which follows in inverted commas is an 
 extract translated from the twelfth chapter of the "Nan 
 Hwa King." 
 
 4. p. 65. The following passage, as far as the sentence 
 "and the Millions retiurn again into One" is an adapta- 
 tion — not a translation — of the first section of "Tao- 
 Teh-King." Laotsu's wonderfully simple writing cannot 
 possibly be translated into equally simple passages in our 
 language. This rendering of mine — arrived at partly 
 by aid of Chinese commentators — is an entirely new 
 reading, and is, to the best of my knowledge, the true 
 one. One of the most celebrated, and, in a certain sense, 
 one of the most competent of the sinologues, Herbert Giles, 
 translates of this first section only the first sentence, and 
 finds the rest not worth the trouble of translating! (compare 
 "The Remains of Lao Tzii," by H. A. Giles, Honkong, China 
 Mail Office, 1886). This same scholar translates "Tao" 
 as "the Way,'' not perceiving how impossible it is that that 
 which Laotsu meant — the highest of all, the infinite — should 
 be a "way," seeing that a way (in the figurative sense) 
 always leads to something else, and therefore cannot be the 
 highest. Another still more celebrated sinologue, Dr. 
 
 113 
 
114 WU WEI 
 
 Legge, translates "Tao" as "Course," and out of the simple 
 sentence: "If Tao could be expressed in words it would 
 not be the eternal Tao" he makes: "The Com-se that can 
 be trodden is not the enduring and imchanging course." 
 The whole secret is this: that the sign or word "Tao" has 
 a great number of meanings, and that in Confucius's work 
 "Chung Yung" it does as a matter of fact mean "Way"; 
 but ia a hundred other instances it means: "speech expres- 
 sion, a saying." Laotsu having, in one sentence, used this 
 sign in two different senses, nearly all translators have 
 suffered themselves to be misled. The sentence is as simple 
 as possible, and in two of my Chinese editions the commenta- 
 tors put: "spoken," and: "by word of mouth." But of 
 all the sinologues only Wells Williams has translated this 
 sentence well, namely thus: "The Tao which can be ex- 
 pressed is not the eternal Tao." Although the construction 
 of the phrase is not accurately rendered, at any rate Williams 
 has grasped the meaning. 
 
 After my work had already appeared in the periodical 
 De Gids, I saw for the first time Professor de Groot's work 
 "Jaarhjksche feesten en gebrmken der Emoy Chineezen," 
 from which I gathered that he agreed with me in so far as 
 to say also that "Tao" was untranslatable — a sub-lying 
 conception "for which the Chinese philosopher himself 
 could find no name, and which he consequently stamped 
 with the word 'Tao.'" Professor de Groot adds: "If one 
 translates this word by 'the universal soul of Nature,' 'the 
 all-pervading energy of nature,' or merely by the word 
 ' Nature ' itself, one will surely not be far from the philosopher's 
 meaning." 
 
 Although the term holds for me something still higher 
 yet I find Professor de Groot's conception of it the most 
 sympathetic of all those known to me. 
 
 5. p. 69. This "Wu-Wei" — untranslatable as it is 
 in fact — has been rendered by these sinologues into "in- 
 
NOTES 115 
 
 action" — as though it signified idleness, inertia. It most 
 certainly does not signify idleness, however, but rather 
 action, acti^dty — that is to say: "inactivity of the per- 
 verted, unnatural passions and desires," but "activity in 
 the sense of natural movement proceeding from Tao." 
 Thus, in the "Nan Hwa King" we find the following: "The 
 heavens and the earth do nothing" (in the evil sense) "and" 
 (yet) "there is nothing which they do not do." The whole 
 of nature consists in "Wu-Wei," in natural, from-Tao- 
 emanating movement. By translating Wu-Wei into "in- 
 action" the sinologues have arrived at the exact opposite 
 of the meaning of the Chinese text. 
 
 Laotsu himself does not dilate further upon the subject. 
 What follows here is my own conception of the text. The 
 whole first chapter of the original occupies only one page 
 in the book, and contains only fifty-nine characters. It 
 testifies to Laotsu's wonderful subtlety and terseness of 
 language that he was able in so few words to say so much. 
 
 6. p. 69. This sentence is translated from the "Tao- 
 Teh-King" (chapter ii). 
 
 7. p. 69. From the 56th chapter. This sentence is 
 also to be foimd in 15th chapter of the "Nan Hwa King." 
 
 8. p. 74. This runs somewhat as follows in the 6th 
 chapter of the Nan Hwa King: "The true men of the early 
 ages slept dreamlessly, and were conscious of self without care." 
 
 9. p. 76. This episode is translated from the 18th sec- 
 tion of the "Nan Hwa King." By the "Great House" 
 Chuang-Tse meant, of course, the universe, and this ex- 
 pression "house" lends to the passage a touch of famihar 
 intimacy, showing Chuang-Tse to have the feeling that 
 the dead one was well cared for, as though within the shelter 
 of a house. — H. Giles, who renders it "Eternity," which 
 does not appear at all in the Chinese text, loses by his trans- 
 lation the confiding element which makes Chuang-Tse's 
 speech so touching. (Compare "Chuang Tsy," by H. 
 
116 WU WEI 
 
 Giles, London, Bernard Quaritch, 1889.) The actual words 
 are: "Ku Shih" = Great House. 
 
 10. p. 78. In almost all the temples is a chamber in 
 which the Mandarins lodge, and where Western travellers 
 may usually stay for the night, and probably for longer 
 periods. 
 
 11. p. 80. The following, to the end of the sentence: 
 "Poetry is the sound of the heart," has been translated 
 by me from a preface by Ong Giao Ki to his edition of the 
 Poetry of the Tang-Dynasty. Ong Giao Ki Uved in the 
 first haK of the eighteenth century. 
 
 12. p. 89. The Chinese do really preserve their treasures 
 in this careful manner. It is usual for an antique figure of 
 Buddha to lie in a silk-Uned shrine, the shrine in a wooden 
 chest, and the chest in a cloth. It is unpacked upon great 
 occasions. 
 
 13. p. 90. Such a figure as the above-described is not 
 a mere figment of the author's imagination — such figures 
 really exist. A similar one is in the possession of the author. 
 
 14. p. 90. The Soul-Peari "Durma." 
 
 15. p. 92. The figure in the author's possession is by 
 Tan Wei. Another great artist was Ho Chao Tsung, of 
 certain figures by whom I have also, with very great trouble, 
 become possessed. These names are well known to every 
 artist, but I have endeavoured in vain to discover anything 
 nearer with regard to them. They became famous after 
 death; but they had lived in such simplicity and oblivion, 
 that now not even their birthplace is remembered. One 
 hears conjectures, but I could arrive at no certainty.