Superphysics
An Old Man avoids Tsz-Lu
3 minutes • 623 words
Tsz-Lu was following the Master, but had dropped behind on the way, when he encountered an old man with a weed-basket slung on a staff over his shoulder.
Tsz-Lu asked:
Have you seen my Master, sir?"
Who is your master? You never employ your 4 limbs in laborious work. You who do not know one from another of the 5 sorts of grain!
He stuck his staff in the ground, and began his weeding.
Tsz-Lu brought his hands together on his breast and stood still.
The old man:
- kept Tsz-Lu and lodged him for the night
- killed a fowl
- prepared some millet
- entertained him
- brought his two sons out to see him.
On the morrow Tsz-Lu went on his way, and told all this to the Master, who said:
“He is a recluse”
He sent Tsz-Lu back to see him again.
But by the time he got there he was gone. Tsz-Lu remarked on this:
“It is not right he should evade official duties. If he cannot allow any neglect of the terms on which elders and juniors should live together, how is it that he neglects to conform to what is proper as between prince and public servant?
He wishes for himself personally a pure life, yet creates disorder in that more important relationship.
When a gentleman undertakes public work, he will carry out the duties proper to it; and he knows beforehand that right principles may not win their way.”
Among those who have retired from public life have been:
- Peh-I and Shuh-Ts’i
- Yu-chung
- I-yih
- Chu-chang
- Hwi of Liuhia
- Shu-lien.
Of these, Peh-I and Shuh-Ts’i are men who never declined from their high resolve nor soiled themselves by aught of disgrace.
Of Hwi of Liu-hi and Shu-lien, if one may say that they did decline from high resolve, and that they did bring disgrace upon themselves.
Yet their words were consonant with established principles, and their action consonant with men’s thoughts and wishes; and this is all that may be said of them.
Of Yu-chung and I-yih, if it be said that when they retired into privacy they let loose their tongues, yet in their aim at personal purity of life they succeeded, and their defection was also successful in its influence.
My own rule is different from any adopted by these: I will take no liberties, I will have no curtailing of my liberty."
The chief music-master went off to Ts’i.
Kan, the conductor of the music at the second repast, went over to Ts’u.
Liu, conductor at the third repast, went over to Ts’ai.
Kiueh, who conducted at the fourth, went to Ts’in.
Fang-shuh, the drummer, withdrew into the neighborhood of the Ho.
Wu the tambourer went to the Han.
Yang the junior music-master, and Siang who played on the musical stone, went to the sea-coast.
Anciently the Duke of Chow, addressing his son the Duke of Lu, said:
A good man in high place is not indifferent about the members of his own family, and does not give occasion to the chief ministers to complain that they are not employed; nor without great cause will he set aside old friendships; nor does he seek for full equipment for every kind of service in any single man."
There were once 8 officials during this Chow dynasty, who were 4 pairs of twins, all brothers.
- The eldest pair was Tab and Kwoh
- The next was Tub and Hwuh
- The third was Yu and Hi
- The youngest was Sui and Kwa.
[Footnote 33= He only pretended to be mad, in order to escape being employed in the public service.]
[Footnote 34= Two worthies who had abandoned public life, owing to the state of the times.]
