W3f

CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

THE WASON CHINESE COLLECTION

Cornell University Library

BL 1930.W34 Lao-Tzu

:a

study

in

Chinese philosophy.

3 1924 022 909 398

The tine

original of

tliis

book

is in

Cornell University Library.

There are no known copyright

restrictions in

the United States on the use of the

text.

http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924022909398

J-

/7^j7v^;

of the famous poet and author of the

named Su

also.

Che, or as he

is

Sung

^ ^^^^'

dynasty,

also called Tsii-yu,

seems

to have been an eclectic philosopher, and he has incurred

8 Tao

te,

&o.

Observations D^tacWes, p. xxxix.

30

LAO-TZU.

severe, 'censure

sume

from rigid Corifucianists for daring io pre-

that the doctrines of Sh&kyaimiai

resemble those of their Master. in a liberal and generous

spirit,

derable amount of reading,

and Lao-tzii couM

His commentary

and shews,

much

is

written

besides, a conai-

in advance of ordinary

Chinese authors. 5.

•the

Another edrtiou of iihe Tao-t^ Ching, published during

Sung dynasty, was that of Lu-Tung4ai

'(H^^^)

or

known as Pei-kung ('fA:^)- He was a very learned Confucianist, -and wrote, along with other

Tsu-ch'ien (i{i§_g^), also

•works, an exoelient

commentary on the

Ch'un-ish'iu

(^^^^)

of Confucius.

The Tao-tg-chgn-ching-chu

'6.

Wu-Ch'gng hsi^en (ptg

This

a native of Lin-chieaa-

(-^'Z^)Fjjl^) in Kiangsi, and lived "nnder the Yuan or

He

Mongol dynasty. Q"fflH^S^a.

3 See note in the T'ai-ohi-t'u-shuo (Tj^^^^fflgK)ch'uan.

Vol.

I.

Hsing-li-ia-

46

LAO-TZU.

-

are

expressions used -with reference to

tlie

Tao thus eon*

Accordingly Lao-tzu, when s'peaking of

sidered.*

as A

it

potential existence, as the logicsd antecedent of all perceptible

existence—seems to regard

is

^)

as equivalent to the primeval

So too the Yuan-mrao-nei-p'ien (jl^j^ Tao which arose in non-exertion

Nothing or Chaos. fib

it

says that the great

the ancestor of

From

all things.®

this state,

however,

it

passes into the condition of acttral existence, a transition

which

To

expressed mnder the metaphor of generation.

is

this doctrine, that existence

is

generated from non-existence,

Chu-hsi objects; but his objection arises chiefly, I think,

them

as

subject

is

Lao-tzii regarded

from supposing that

things, whereas his doctrine on

this

two

distinct

.exactly like

We

that of Chou-tzii, with which Chu-hsi seems to agree.^

are not to suppose that Nature

is

ever simply and entirely

potential to the utter exclusion of actuality, or vice versd:

on the contrary, these two existences or conditions are

Thus

represented as alternately generating each the other.*

the potential (or nominal non-existence)

be in time

later

as

consequent on the former.

again, Tao, regarded as

been seen, calm, void, qualities.

to

than the actual, though the latter must always

be logically regarded itself,

may be supposed

eternal,

an actual existence

is,

In

as has

unchanging and bare of aH

Regarded as an agent operating throughout the

i See Gb. 2S, 4&. 6 Yiiam-ohien, &c., p. 3-18.

6 Ch. 40.

Compate

of as generation

is

with-ihis Aristotle's statement, "

the

path to Nature."

Aristotle's Ethics,- vol. 1.

7 See

Ks

8 Ch.

2.

-^^,

Ch, 85,

Nature

sjiokeij

See Essay V. in Grant'*

47

LAO-TZU.

universe, on the other hand,

Tao may be spoken

changing, far-extending, and finally returning

A late author

of potentiality)^

of as great,

(to

the state

gives a curious illustration

of the above notions of Lao-tzu, taken from the well-known habits of the Ateuchus with reference to the propagation of its species,

but

this

author proceeds on the suppositfon that

We have

non-existence and existence are different.

combine these two conceptions of Tao,

an actual existence. it

Though void,

yet contains the potentiality of

and from

itself it

to

a potential and as

as

shapeless, all

now

and immaterial,

substance and shape,

produces the universe,' diffusing

itself

over

have generated the

or permeating

all space.

world,^ and

frequently spoken of as the mother of this

latter^

—" the dark primeval mother, teeming with dreamy All things that exist submit to Tao as their

beings,"

but it

is

It is said to

it displayis

no lordship over them.*

quickens the dead world, clothes it,

A

however,

distinction,

it

as with

yet the world knows not

and nourishes

made

is

—the

its

Though there

is

objects

own deep 9 Ch. 1

an unit

—

all is

things depend on

Nature seen acting.^

it

51.

34.

5 See Chs. 37,

11, 43.

is

the

earth. is

not

for their

It is in its

the smallest possible quantity

25, see Pauthier, Chine Moderae, p. 359,

Chs. 6, 52.

4 Ch.

named

which inhabit the

See Chs. 21, 25, compare Emerson Miscellanies,

2 Ch.

3

self

no case

be

said to

is

nothing done in the universe which

done by Nature, though existence, yet in

a garment,

fostermother.

nameless

the origin of heaven and earth, while the

mother of the myriad

chief,

In the spring time

p. 32.

—

yet

it

48

LA.O-TZIJ.

prevails over the wide expanse of the universe, operating

unspent but unseen.*

We earth,

now come and

and the

to the generations of the heavens

their history

is

thus given by Lao-tzu.'

Tao gene-

One generated Two, Two generated Three, and

rated One,

That

Three generated the material world.

^ven hy some, Nature

the explanation

is,

according to

(Tao)

generated

the Yin-ch'i (IJ^ ^l), the passive and inferior element in the composition of things

this in

;

its

turn produced the

Yang-ch'i (ISf ^^)) the active and superior element

Ho

again produced

ment of the

Tao considered

elements

—

comment

les

is

that

produced the Great Extreme

which produced the pasave and active

Harmony united these two and generated the

Of

this section of the

En

effet,

Tao-tS Ching B^musat

Lao-tseu explique, d'une mani&re qui

conforme

entiferement

est

ou

•"

that harmonious agree-

is,

Another explanation

things.*

as Non-existence

then

universe.*

obseives

all

^ ^^V

;

which

passive and active elements which brought about

the production of

(T'ai-chi

(350), that

;

deux principes,

I'air grossier et I'ether,

a

la

celui

doctrine

du

Platonicienne,

ciel et celui

sont li^s entre

qui les unit et qui produit Vharmonie.

de la terre,

eux par un

H

est

Souffle

impossible

d'exprimer plus clairemeut les id^es de Timee de Locres, dont les

termes semblent la traduction du passage Chinois."

doctrines, however,

The

on the formation of the world put into the

6 See Chs. 32, 39. 7 Ch. 42. 8 See Wn-oh'^ng's note to the passage.

9 See the note on

this passage in

the peeuHar interpretation given 1

M^moire, &c.,

p.

36.

by

the Tao-tS-ohing-ohie ; compare also Ta-chiiu.

49

LAO-TZU.

mouth seem

of Tinifflns, and the ideas of Lao-tzu on this subject,

to

me

to

have very

little

common.

in

The Greek

philosopher makes a personal deity the artificer universe, fashioning the world out of thp bright

elements,

fire

and

of the

and

solid

which he unites by means of

earth,

air

and water, thus forming a friendship and harmony indissoluble

by any except the author. other hand

if

is,

of Lao-tzii, on the

aright, only the

uncon-

the two cosmical elements, and there

flicting alternation of

no divine Demiurg in

is

The harmony

we understand him

his system.

There

however, a

is,

statement in the Timaeus which resembles Lao-tzii's statement

on

this subject,

and

which we wiU refer hereafter.

to

Tao

First in order after

heaven above

us.

This

is

is

T'ien

or the material

(^),

represented as pure and clear in

consequence of having obtained the One

—

that

in conse-

is,

quence of having participated in the great " over-soul" or Universal Nature. clearness

it

Were heaven

would be

to lose

its

purity and

in danger of destruction.

Of

the

heavenly bodies and their revolutions, Lao-tzii does not

make

mention, nor have

were

his ideas respecting them.

about T'ien or heaven

is

we any means

of ascertaining what

Nearly

all

that he says

metaphorical, with apparent refer-

ence to an agent endowed with consciousness (according to

our ways of thinking).

Thus he speaks of

for a long period because

it

it

as

does not exist for

enduring itself

;

as

being free from partiality towards any of the creatures in the world;

as being next in dignity

below Tao, and

above a king and

as taking this last for its rule of conduct.'

The space between heaven and

earth

2 See Chs. 16, 39. 3 See Chs.

7, 5, 16, 25.

is

represented as

;

50

LAO-tzG.

like

a bottomless bag or tube,*

merely a metaphorical

though

it

perhaps

is

The earth

ejtpression.

being the specific nature which

rest,^ this

this

itself is at

has as thp result

The heavens are always

of its participation in Tao.

revol*

ving over the earth, producing the varieties of the seasons,

and

vivifying, nourishing,

killing all things

Were

stationary in calm repose.

nature which makes in motion. it

tatious,

place

Its

takes as

model.

its

and

it

but

it

I'emains

lose the informing

to

the earth would probably be

so, is

it

;

set'

next in order after heaven which

It is impartial, spontaneous, unosten*

exists long because it does

not exist for

itself.

Neither in heaVen nor on euxth can anything violent endure

The whirlwind and heavy

for a lengthened period.

may

come, but they do not

Next is,

to

even

last

heaven and earth are the " myriad things," that

the animate and inanimate objects which surround us

and here again

it

must be borne

in

mind

allusions tb these matters are only incidental illustration generally.

from and participate mother. in it

rains

for a day.*

itself,

As has been

This Nature (Tao)

is,

as

Lao-tzii's

seen, all things spring

which

in Nature,

that

and by way of

is,

as it were, their

we have seen, imperceptible

and when considered merely

as a potentiality

bodies itself forth and takes a local habitation and a

in all the objects

which

becomes palpable

to

but only in

its

4 See Ch. 5

;

exist in the universe,

human observation—not

workings.

Now

5 Ch. 39. 6 Ch. 23.

and thus

this manifestation of

i un

aoufflot

but

name it

in its essence

Julieu, however, translates the passage,

est eutre ie ciel et la terre resemble

;

Nature

" L'gtre qui

de forge, &c.

—

51

lAO-tzC.

World

'C6hstitutes fot eac^ object or class of objects in tlie

—

Tg Cf^)

what

tllat is,

it

T^

according to soHie commentators.

by

Virtue,

but

this

word very

Word in

iSieaning ot the

its

has received or obtained from Tao, is

usually translated

ina,dequately represents the

Sometimes

this connection.

it

seems

to be almost

synonymous with Tao, and has functions assigned

which

at othet times are repfesented as pertaining to

to

it

this latter.

we

however,

If,

Universal Nature,

We may

Regard Tao as the great ot

consider

T^

as the particular

Nature with which creatures are endowed out of the former. It

is

also the conscious excellence

creatures obtain

regards

when

which man and

spontaneity

things as equally with

all

is

all

man under

the care of

Nature, which produces and nourishes, all alike.

and

he

earth,

" as the

for the sacrifices

(^^)

said that

it is

gives

them

Lao-tzii, in

for rain,

and

Mj)

when"

all

Tl nourishes

things,

bodies them forth, and Order

perfection.

accordance with popular Chinese ideas, speaks

of five colours, five sounds, and five tastes to these a baneful influence on man,

overcome and

cast aside

In another passage of the Tao-tS

Tao generates

Matter ("Wu

all things,

straw-made dogs which were formed

and prayers

the rites were finished.'

Ching

Heaven

have no partialities— they regard the

says,

" myriad things

other

Thus Lao-tzu

lost.

nullify

them

as

much

;*

and he attributes

whom

he teaches to

as possible.

All things

in the world, moreover, are arranged in a system of dualism.*

7 Cb.

5.

8 Ch. 51

j

but aee the diiferent inteifpretation given

by JuHen.

9 Ch. 12. 1

tion

See Chs.

2, 11, 29, 36.

Esiays, vol.

i.

Compare Emerson's Essay on Compensa-

—

LAO-TZU.

52

Motion

always followed by

is

Long and

short,

and are merely

relative terms.

and hollowness gives

its utility,

When

earthen vessels.

be taken there must will

a thing

have been strengthened

first

and

rest,

this again

by motion.

high and low, mutually succeed each other,

first

Solidity gives the object, as in the case of

to be

is

it

from which there

to that

;

wooden or

weakened

have been given.

must is

to

This dualism

be seen to extend into other regions besides the physical

world, and

it is

needless to refer to

it

at greater length at

present.

Further, Lao-tzii seems to have regarded

all

existing

things as having a set time during which to endure.

Nature

engenders them, nourishes

back

state of completeness, final

dissoliltion

sapling to

its full

them and

They

into its bosom.

which

ensue.

finally receives them,

flourish until they attain to the is

soon

The

lost,

and then decay and

tree grows from the tiny

maturity, then decays and returns to dark

Mother Nature.

The process

the ancient sage

is

as conceived

beautifully described in the words of

Tennyson

"Lo

!

The

in the middle of the

wood.

folded leaf is woo'd from out the

With winds upon the branch, and

Sun-steep'd at noon, and in the

Falls,

and

floats

;

hud

there

Grows green and broad and takes no

Nightly dew-fed

and sketched by

care,

moon

and turning yellow

adown the

air.

2 See Chs. 16, 55.

53

LAO-TZU.

Lo

The

fiill-jniced apple,

Drops All

in

a

silent

its allotted

The

summer

sweeten'd with the

!

light

waxing over-mellow,

antomn

night.

length of days,

flower ripens in its place,

Bipens and fades, and

falls,

Fast-rooted in the fruitful

Lao-tzii's

mode

indeed, altogether

and hath no

toil.

soil."

of contemplating natural

much more

is,

that of the poetical

like

He

metaphysician than that of the physicist.

upon a stream,

phenomena

does not look

composed of certain chemical

for example, as

elements in certain proportions, as running at a calculable rapid rate, carrying with

it

an alarming amount of mud, and

having in each microscopic drop exactly so many thousands of animalculae.

He

stream up among the slowly wearing

channel for

where

it

hills,

it

waters

down

to enrich the fields

brimmrag

to the great sea.*

ethical point of view,

and

first

stones, in order to

as fl.owing thence

;

up

to join the

rather as at

a tiny

scooping out the hard earth, and

away impeding

gives itself

on thence itself

its

thinks of

He

river,

;

and

make a

into the vale

then as passing finally

submit

regards everything from an

finds a lesson everywhere.

He

does not regard the study of nature as consisting in the investigation of colour, sound, heat, less

be carried on aids.

and such things

one has to do with these the better. in one's

own room without any

The student must overcome his

3 The Lotos Eaters, i See Chs. 8, 78.

—the

The study should

aiFections

adventitious

and passions

LAO-XZU.

5A

-

before he can attain to a knpwledge of the great mysterie*

of Nature, but ha-sing once attained the serene heights of desireHess

know

existence he can

doubt a bad way of stiidying

This

all things.''

nature,,

also has its uses.

verse,"

make

Yet

it

us " mingle with the uni^-

have a lower appreciation of ourselves, and sympathise-

aifeetionately with all that surround'S us.

ance of room

—

no>

and one which would;

never conduct to the material benefit of humanity. It helps to

is

those

We

have abund-

in the world for the two classes of philosophers-

who experiment on Nature with a view to the matemankind, and those who regardher with the

rial progress of

dutiful love

ofa son

for

a mother.

In the teachings of Lao-tzu in Speculative Physics, as sketched above, the student of philosophy will find many-

which he

ideas resembling others with liar.

To

is

abeady more fami-

those of the sages of Ancient Greece

unnecessary for

me

to

do more than

refer.

it is

perhaps-

With them

as

living also in the comparative childhood of the world Lao-tzu

might naturally be supposed

to

In the Timseus of Plato there

is

have considerable

affinity.

a passage which does not

accord with the rest of that work, nor with the spirit of the other

Platonic

dialogues,

and which bears considerablfe

resemblance to the doctrine of Lao-tzu about the primordial all-producing Nature (Tao).

such an expression

may be

The hero

used, Timseus himself, suddenly

leaves the train of imaginative discourse for

some time pursuing about the

mode

in

which the divine

introduces a

new

of the dialogue, if

which he had been

visible universe

artificer constructed

it,

and the and he

conception, that of the primeval' motheri

;

;

65

LAO-TZU.

formless, immortal,

been made

and indestructible.^ Reference has already between

to the resemhlance

Lao'tzii's teachings

and those of Anaximander, and Hegel says of the

m^u^m is the

notion, that the

principle from

letter's

which endless

worlds or gods originate and into which they vanish, that it

But not only

sounds quite Oriental.

are Lao-tzu's specu-

on physics like those of other ancients, they resemble

lations

also those of

many modern

may

The Tao itself,

that of Schelling.

and his theory

philosophers,

about the study of Nature

well be compared with

or the primordial existenCej

appears under various names in the history of Philosophy. the T'ai-ohi

It is

(~h^

—

-

—

^the

{~^^^

— —Gravity—

Great Unit

) or

Vital Torce

Extreme

or Great

Anima Mundi

the

Caloric

—

—when

—

the T'ai-yi

the Absolute

considered as

universally active and productive.

" There

is

but one vast universal dynamto, one mover, one might.

Variously operant under the various conditions

And we Which

call that

is

by

it

finds

turns electricity, friction, caloric, and light,

none of these

things,

and yet all of them.

Ask

of the

wave*

and the winds,

Ask of the They

will

of the firmament, ask of the flowers of the

stars

answer you

For the meaning

But her mind

is

of

all

of them,

Nature

is

naming

it

field;

each hy a different name.

neither wholly ooiioeaFd nor reveal'd

seen to he single in her acts that are nowhere the

sanje.

6 Timsens, iii.,

p. 266-7.

eh. xviii. (Ed.

Stallbaum).

See also Grote's Plato, Vol.

Timseus, however, introduces reason and other ideas not

consonant with Laortzu's teachings,

7 Geschichte, &c.,

vol.

i

,

8 Robert Lytton's— " The

p.

204.

Man

of Science.''

56

LAO T25.

Further, Lao-tzu represents pure or abstract existence as

and in our own century Hegel

identical with non-existence,

has said that Being and Non-being are the same.^

Again,

Lao-tzu speaks of the ultimate existence as that out of which other existences have proceeded, and he regards

all

coming

and

it

as be-

active

and producing from having been inactive

quiescent.

So many modern philosophers have main-

tained that

God made

the opinion of

all

things out of himself;

being impersonal, and the Infinite manifested

itself as finite

But the great point on which

in the created universe. Lao-tzii differs

and in

some the Deity became personal from

from the large majority of modern thinkers

with regard to the First Cause

is

that he never introduces or

supposes the element of personality

consequently will and

;

design are excluded from his conception of the primordial existence.*

Here, I think, he

modern philosopher

the

notions

may be much

theirs.

Again,

when

is

logically

Lao-tzii speaks of

—

—and

aU the world

creatures, high

and low,

correct than

from the actual truth than

farther

source whence aU things spring cherishes

more

above, although his

referred to

^as

Nature (Tao) as the

which informs and

that

as that into

finally return

—

^he

which says

all living

what many

others have expressed in terms often very similar.

I select

* 9 See Lewes' History of Philosophy, 1 et

On

this subject information will

vol.

ii.,

p.

533

he found in E.

fNew

Edition).

Laisset's Precurseura

Ksciples de Descartes, p. 210, &c.; Hanulton's Discussions; Lewis'

History of Philosophy,

vol.

2 Fichte (the elder), point.

ii.

however,

is

at

one

with Lao-tzu on this

—

only two or three instances by

Pythagorean doctrine

is

— " deiim

way

—

;

of illustration.

The

thus put by Virgil (i.e.

smimum)

ire

per omnes

Terrasque tractusque maris coelumque profuudmu

Hino peoudes, armenta,

viros,

genus omne ferarmn,



Lao-tzu, of bad government, of the lust of power and pro* perty.

If

good government prevail

horses will be employed on the farm prevail,

nue

and

until

frontier.*

lust

war

in a country, ;

but

if ill

and ambition have scope, feuds

steeds beget

war steeds on the

its fleet

government; will conti-

plains of the

Whether, therefore, for the purpose of solidifying

the prince's power over his subjects, or for state aggrandise-

ment, war and

all violent

measures are interdicted.

2 Chs. 30, 31.

3 Pens^es, Art. VII. 4 Ch. 46.

67

tAO-Tzt.

But Hot only does

thus advise the ruler against

Lao^tz-ii

using military power in his realm

to

also

be used to keep them in dread ?

be made

recommends the

—indeed with

The people •do not fear

ment *hatever< is it

he

;

doing away with •capital puni^ment

all

death, and

punish-

how then

If the people coul'd

to have a constant fear of death, and

some commit

a crime, and be apprehended and put to death, would any tone

continue to

then is

on

offen-ding ?

It is

presumptuous

There

for the magistrate to use capital punishment.

the

executioner, and

eternal

him

for

^^ent'ure

like

is

wood-man

the

man who

a tree for the' head

and such an one seldom faDs to wound

;

Capital punishment

hand.*

he who puts to death

fells

his

thus reserved for something

is

superhuman to execute; and the earthly magistrate has only to endeavour to lead a iust

and

It is

life

from the appearance of

free

-violence.*

by

justice that a

stratagem a war

is

lenient to his people.

kingdom

conducted.^

is

well governed, as

Yet the prince must be

If restrictions on liberty of action

multiplied, so that his subjects cannot

a foot without incurring

guilt,

by

lift

a hand or

be

move

they wiU be prevented from

pursuing their industry, and so become poor.

The levying

of excessive taxes'*

by those

in authority for

the indulgence of their sensual appetites, also impoverishes

a people, and accordingly

in

government there

is

nothing

B Ch. 74.

6 Ch. 57. 7 Chs. 57,

8

Do.

9 Ch, 75.

8.

Compare Hobbes

(Vol, 2, pp. 178-9, Molesfvorth Ed,),

;

68

like

LAO-TZB.

ecoDomy.'

fields are

To keep the court

for the rulers

have expensive

to

clothing,

sumptuous food and excessive wealth,

word with

subjects

want of faith

—

as

want of

swords,

shairp

to glory in plunder,

is

Nor may

but not to follow Nature.

It is

affluence While the

in

weedgrown and the public granaries exhausted

the prince hreak his

faith in

him

is

by

followed

in them.

not necessary for the ruler to explsdn the nature and

method of

On

his government.

the contrary he ought to

keep his counsels and bis conduct the fish cannot with impunity leave engines of government

may

Inasmuch

secret.

its

a9

element, so the sharp

not be displayed.'

When

.the

laws are numerous and obtrusively exhibited, the people

become

thieves and robbers

but when they are not

;

people continue decent and orderly.*

Thus

it is

so,

ths

better that

the rulers keep the populace in a state of ignorance and stupidity.^

The ancient kings went on

had peaceful

reigns.*

In his

own time

this principle)

and

Lao-tsu cona;dereJ

that the difficulty of keeping the people well governed aross

from

their being too knowing.

to see

them

recalled to the

He would

that their arms would be unworn,

unused.

He would

accordingly lik*

ways of primitive

like to

and

simplicity,

their boats

;

and would have them

1 Chs. 59, 53.

2 Ch. 17.

3 Chs.

cars-

have the people return to the

manners of the times when knotted cords Were symbols of words

and

stt

36, 58.

4 Ch. 57. 5 Chs. 10, 1&.

6 Chs. 65,

3.

•

still

th*

relish their idoif

tWr

enjoy

delight .in

clothes,

feel

comfortable in their homes, and

He would

their social institutions.'

have them

brought to think seriously of death, so that they would

end their days

in their

another, even tUoagh

own country and never were

it

leave

it

for

so near that the respective

inhabitants could hear the cackling of the fowls and the

barking of the dogs in the two places.

Thus, while the

prince keeps his subjects simple and ignorant, he must have

The

their bodily wants supplied.

empties the

rules

stomachs (that

and

is,

weakens their

;

godlike

minds of the people, wills,

treats

fills

them

their

as children,

own comfort

always kind, postponing his

is

and

and strengthens their bones

He

their animal power).

man when he

to their

good.

Th^ mode

in

which the ruler

esteem from his subjects

is to

obtain respect and

by deporting himself humbly

is

towards them, and he must never arrogate greatness to

His conduct should be calm and unostentatious,

himself.

while inwardly he

is

anxious

;

and

his gravity

and quietness

of deportment ought never to be departed from. is

to save his people,

as

it

The prince

were, by setting before them an

example of humility, forbearance, and aU the other virtues

which save a country from being imbroiled in wars and rebelliQnfr'»-hQ is to

them,

7

mi have no will independent

CJt.

8 Cb,

of theirs.^

80.

Wvcb'Sog's

3.

son ccBuf,

&((?."

Both

teachings of I«o-t?iS,

9 Chs. 39, ,1

be of one heart and one mind with

Ch. 49,

42,

nota.

JuUen, however, translates " U vide

translations are

in

basmony with the other

— 70

lao-tztI

These are the principal duties of the king

hy Lao-tzu—the king being

indicated or conceived of

contemplation an aibsolnte sovereign.

comment, the views on

to his peoplte a3

1

forth

this subject set

says

:

—"When thou

art

come

which the Lord thy God giveth thee, and and

shalt dwell therein,

me,

like as all the natrons that are

any wise

set

shall choose

is

;

about

whom

me

thou mayest not

;

it,

thou shalt in

God

thou

shalt

set a stranger

But he

not thy brother.

shalt possess

the Lord thy

among thy brethren

one from

writer of

into the land

shalt say, I will set a king over

him king over thee,

;

king over thee

which

and

in his

add, as a

by two other

The

authors in widely different circumstances.

Deuteronomy

now

shall'

set

over thee,

shall not multiply horses

to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the

end that he should multiply horses : * * *

Neither shall he

multiply wives to himself, that bis heart turn not away, neither shall he greatly multiply to himself sUver and gold,

&c. * * *

That

his heart

and that he turn not right

hand or

Im days

the

to

be not

aside

left

;

lifted

up above his brethren,

from the commandment

to the

end that he

may

to

the

prolong

kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst

in his

of Israel."^

The other

writer

is

the philosopher of Malmesbury, After-

establishing for the king a title as extravagantly high as oriental flatterer could his duties to

sentence, "

have done, he proceeds to prescribe

his people.

The

These are summed up in the

safety of the people is the

supreme law

according to the old maxim, " Salus populi suprema

Under

this are included both spiritual

but the

difficulty

about the former

2 Ch.

any

xvii., vs.

"

lex.'*

and temporal benefits j

is left

14 to 20.

in suspense.

Of

—

71

LA0-TZ5.

the latter he says

;

—" The

may be

this life only,

benefits of subjects respecting

distributed into four kinds

they be defended against foreign enemies preserved at

home

may

with public security

consist

;

2,

;

1,

That

That peace be

That they be enriched, as much as

3,

;

That they enjoy a

4,

harmless liberty."^

The next point

3.

government

to

be considered

On

to the Iteighbourincf states.

tzu has very

little

is the

relation

this subject

of a

Lao-

and what he does say concerns

to say,

only the small feudal dependencies of the Icingdom of Chow.

AU

—

the world

^that is, all

but holding under him,

the world

—was the

known

for the most part, were chiefs of smaller

and

principalities.

It is

of

king's;

time indeed only nominalPy

at this

this,

and larger provinces

in their relations to each

other and to their titular superior, that Lao.-tzii makes

mention.

The

diiferent states in their

mutual intercourse ought to

be guided by courtesy and forbearance. is

The great kingdom

the reservoir of the small principalities,* and ought to

remain in dignified peace, while these come to give in their allegiance, as the little streams

from the mouutains flow to

the placid lake or smoothly-flowing river as their king.

The

large state ought thus to remain lowly and

humble towards

the small one, and not act towards

an arrogant or

violent manner.

When

small principality, and large one,

it

when a small

p. 406,

also

&c.

4 Cba.

in

itself to

a

state abases itself to

a

obtains service (and protection) under that large

3 Hobbes' Works, (Molesworth's

Compare

it

a large kingdom abases

edition), English, Vol.

2, p. 169.

Bacon's Essay on Seditions and Troubles (Works, Vol. 6, Ellis

61, 66.

and Spedding's Ed.).

;

LAO-nu.

?2

one.

It is for this

and the

purpose that the small state submits

kingdom annexes the small

large

states for the

pur-

pose of uniting antl maintaining the people. It is

fit

humbly and

that the large state shoidd always act

meekly, and that the small

states

should

own

its

There

there will thus be no need of fighting.

supremacy

is

no greater

misfortune in the world than to take up a quarrel on a slight

As

prete^.

the soldiers say,

than to make the attack

advance a

That

little.

is

make

yielding

mately victorious.

If,

it

is

much

better to have one's

hearted

who

to

own

aggression on that of another.

and compliant

is

sure to be ulti-

however, a prince must go to war,

whether to defend his own dominions, or his sovereign,

better to bear

yield considerably than

^to

is, it is

territory invaded than to

The king who

—

he must show clemency.

at the bidding It

is

of

the tender

gains the victory in the pitched battle,

and who

succeeds in keeping the beleaguered city.

By words

like

these the

philosopher endeavoured to

dissuade the princes and barons of his time from the border

warfare in which

they were perpetually engaged.

mutual aggressions and

days desolating the kingdom and gradually reducing the Qondition favourable to the production of a tyrant.

few centuries

The

reprisals of these chiefs 'were in his

after Lao'tzii's death the

man

arose

it

to

A

who made

(T

all the empire ^C~I^)i ^^* ^^ "^^ very unlike the king depicted by Lao-tzii and Confucius

himself king over

and Mencius. 4.

On

the latter of the two departments into which Sir

6. C. Lewes divides Politics, namely, the relations of the subjects to their ruler and to each other, Lao-tzu, as I have

6 Ch. 69.

;

tAO-TZO.

already intimated, does not

dilate.

73

With him the inhabitants

of a kingdom are divided into the ruling and the ruled.

The former

whom

class

comprises the king and the several ministers

he of his severeign pleasuie appoints

and the

to various posts

the relation in which the

common

people stand to the ruler

resembles that of children to a father.

They have no part They

or lot in the administration of government.

They

regarded, not as individuals, but as masses.

"hundred surnames,"

and

by

to

as

be used.

he

is,

The

^regards

them

dog-effigies, creatures

subjects imitate their king or chief;

so are they

and excellence

;

The

excellence in them.

community

—the godlike man—

many straw-made

all impartially as so

are

are the

or "the people," and the ruler of

supreme virtue and wisdom

made

Now

latter comprises all the rest of the population.

in

relations of the

to each other are referred, as has

him

is

followed

members of the been

stated, to

the province of ethics.

From

the above sketch of the political sentiments contain-

ed in the Tao-te Ching,

I

hope

it

has been seen that the

author was not an utterly vain dreamer and theoriser, least

on these matters.

many

It

would be very easy

to

at

show how

of the Confucianist doctrines in politics closely resem-

ble those of Lao-tzu opposite.

The

;

though others,

also,

are diametrically

teachings of the latter sage, in point of prac-

ticability at least, are

not fax removed from those of the

former.

In many points Lao-tzu seems to us to be giving bad advice to the ruler, and his general notions about a state are

very unlike those

to

which we are accustomed.

That the

people should be kept ignorant, advancement in mechanical skill

discountenanced, and that the standards of political

excellence should be the ideal sages of an ideal antiquity.

LAO-TZU.

74

we would refuse to adhere, and which we would condemn, as savouring of despotism. Yet Lao-tzu's are doctrines to which

conception of the ruler

is

not of him as a despot, but rather

good conduct.

as a sort of dictator during

He

is

raised to

by the concurrent wishes of heaven and

his high position

the people, and on his observance of the duties of his office

depends his

stability

instructive to

of Macchiavelli,

lived

It is interesting

on

Lao-tzii's ideas

who somewhat

Each

fortunes.

on the throne.

compare

in

times

politics

resembles him also in his of national

disaster

misery and each wished for peace in the land. to see one ruler installed,

During fellows

life ;

after

and

Each longed

and honoured with absolute power.

neither seems to have been appreciated

and

and

with those

death so

ill

by

his

were the merits of both

recognised, that the abbreviated form of the Christian

name

of the one became, as some suppose, a familiar term for the original Devil

;

^

and the other has been confounded by

The

enemies with charlatans and impostors.

coTinsels

his

which

each gave to the chiefs of the time were those which he

deemed useful and

practicable,

though in many

cases, if

judged by a general standard, they must be condemned.

The

patriotic fire of the Florentine

Secretary led

him

to

make

rather reckless statements about the license allowed

to the

man who makes and

independent prince.'

keeps himself an absolute and

So the Chinese

the evils wrought in his country

moralist, deprecating

by unprincipled but

and ambitious men, recommends a general

The serpent wisdom is

far

of the professional statesman,

removed from the

however,

guileless simplicity of the philosopher.

6 See Maoaulay's Essays, Vol.

7 See

clever

state of ignorance.

TU Prince,

chs. 8, 178.

I.,

Essay

2.

75

LAO-TZITi.

The

abhors the idea of war, and recoils from the

latter

thought offeree and ostentation

but the former, with more

;

earthly prudence, recommends above aU things a good native

army, serviceable military

and splendid

skill,

enterprises.

Maochiavelli allows the prince to break his word it suits

him

Lao-tzu requires of the king good

least

faith, at least to his

Each of them advises that the ruler should

jects.

appear to be, clement and

possessions

when

for state purposes ' (unless this be ironical), but

liberal,

sub-

be, or at

sparing of the people's

and a fosterer of theii material prosperity.^ Many

other points of similarity or contrast in the political opinions of these two eminent

must

suffice as

When we

adduced, but the above

read Lao-tzii's sentiments about taxation, over-

penal retributions and excessive governmental

legislation,

interference,

and remember that these same subjects are

eagerly debated

we must

men might be

examples.

among Western

philosophers and statesmen,

ascribe to the Chinese sage a remarkable

what Humboldt

calls

cious times

and

J. S.

been broadly discussed in

by men

MiU.

If

amount

the presentiment of knowledge.

he, however, could sketch only in faint outline subjects, has

like

Adam

later

member

ing progress in the mechanical

of

What

on these

and more auspi-

Smith, Bentbam, Emerson

we now cannot but condemn

the individuality of each

stilt

his ignoring

of the state, his discouragarts,

and

we must remember

his

magnifying

that there are stUl

the kingly

office,

among

notwithstanding the experience and struggles of

us,

centuries, almost as

great barriers to

the

8 See The Prince, oh. 14.

9

Do.

1 Ch. 16, &c.

ch.

18.

enjoyment of

76

LAO-TZlJ.

personal liberty as were those

wHch

Lao-tzii

recommends.

—" bUity of the laws — briiery—^gerrymandering— the power of the many—

Large standing armies at the call of one

man

"

are

all,

freedom

and prosperity.

still

That

and, above

great retarders of human

such things

though the Toice of the philosopher

incognosci-

is

eadst,

even

always against them,

should make us indulgent towards the miistaken notions of a

man who

lived 2,500 yeais ago.

77

LAO-TZtf.

CHAPTER

VII.

ETHICS, Lao-tzii's notions

on etMcs are fortunately

set forth

with

mtich more fulness than on any other department of knowledge,

and in giving a brief account of them one

is

rather

encumbered by the abundance of aphorisms than perplexed

by

their paucity.

In saying

this,

however, I do not mean to

intimate that the philosopher has elaborated a system of speculative or practical morality, or that he has given full

and

explicit statements

about the moral sense and

many

On

other subjects familiar to the student of western ethics. several of these points he

is

absolutely silent,

and

his notions

about others are expressed darkly and laconically, and only occasionally in a connected manner.

make

the most

we can

We

must, however,

of the obscure text and discordant

commentaries, in order to learn at least an outline of what

our author taught. In the

first place, Lao-tzii

seems to have believed in the

existence of a primitive time,

unknown

terms.*

During

when

virtue

1 See ohs. 2, 38, and compare the words of Pascal se

moque de

la morale, c'est

de la morale de

I'esprit

and vice were

this period everything that

—"

la vraie

man

morale

a dire que la morale du jngement se moque

qui est sans rigle."

Pens^es, Art. xxv., 56.

LAO

78

TZlJ.

did was according to Nature (Tao), and this not by any effort

on man's

part,

but merely as the result of his existence.

He knew

not good or

and

which have since obtained names.

vices

evil,

nor any- of the relative virtues This was the

period of Nature in the world's history, a period of extreme simplicity of

manners and purity of life corresponding

Garden-of-Eden

state of the

that he was imclothed, and

and

To

evil.

Hebrews, before man perceived

became

succeeded

this

two stages or degrees.

the,

as a

it

also

God knowing good

period of Virtue {]&) in

The higher

the state of Nature, as in

is

man

almost identical with

led a pure

life,

without

Of the

need of eiFort and without consciousness of goodness. people of this peiiod "

to the

we may

speak as the

Saturni gentem, baud vinolo nee legibus sequam,

Sponte sua, veterisijue dei se more tenentem."

In the next and lower stage occasionally sliding into vice, stability

life

was

still

and unable

virtuous, though

maintain the

to

Then

of unconscious and unforced Excellence.'

came the time when humanity and equity appeared, and

when

filial

piety and integrity

These were degenerate days when

made themselves known.* man was no more " Nature's

and when the "vision splendid " had almost ceased

priest"

attend him.

Finally

came the days when

were developed, and when insincerity

•2

Mneii, B.

S Compare talks

7, vs.

by any

i See

and cunning Propriety

—"Already

to the popular judgment,

he who

virtue in the abstract, begins to be suspect," &o.

on Characteristics. vitiated

craft

arose.

203-4.

Carlyle,

much about

So

also

Emerson

writes — " Our

interference of our wUl,"

chs. 18, 38.

to

Essays, Vol.

Essay

moral nature I., p.

119.

is

LAO-TZU.

79

and carefulness of external deportment Lao-tzii, indicated a great falling

city tlie beginning of trouble

of them rather slightingly.

;

according to

also,

away from primitive

and

This

simpli-

he, accordingly, speaks

is

a point on which Con-

fucius seems to have been of a very different opinion, although

he had studied the ceremonial code under Lao-tzu.

Such

according to the Tao-t§ Ching, the

is,

the world gradually became what

it is

does not contain, any express statement of

whether each human creature

Prom

nature.

is

mode

in

which

The book

at present.

opinion as to

born with a good or a bad

various passages in

it,

we

however,

are

authorised in 'inferring that Lao-tzu regarded an infant as

good by nature.

comes pure and perfect from the

Its spirit

GreafMother, but susceptible operate upon

and lead

it

The standard

to all the

evU influences which

astray.

it

of virtue to which Lao-tzii refers

(Tao), just as another old philosopher says, " in

By

sequimur eique paremus." ^ is

Nature

quod naturam optimam ducem, tanquam deum,

sapientes,

Nature

is

hoc sumus

our philosopher, however.

not regarded as personified and deified, but

is

con-

templated as the eternal, spontaneous, arfd emanatory cause. of complete virtue comes from Nature

The manifestation only.*

5

This

is

the guide and model of the universe, and

The words of Cato

6 Compare Emerson

and the present, and

cular heing heart, of

action

is

;

De

Senectute.

" The Supreme Critic on the errors of the past

:

tlis

great Nature in which

atmosphere

in Cio.

it

only prophet of that which must he,

we

rest,

is

that

as the earth lies in the soft arms of the

that Unity, that Oversoul, within which every man's partiis

which

contained and all

submission

made one with

sincere conversation ^

is

all

others

;

that

the worship, to which

common all

right

that overpowering reality which confutes our tricks

80

LAO-TZIJ.

has spontaneity as guide, that

itself

to

it

or they miss the end of their existence and soon cease

to be.

As

Tao, however,

Lao-tzii holds

medium

the

has no guide

it

is,

man among them, must conform

All creatures and

whatever.

very indefinite and intangible,

is

out to mortals as their guide chiefly through

it

of certain other ideas

more

easily

Thus Heaven, corresponding somewhat

comprehended.

to our notions of

providence, imitates Nature, and becomes to

man

embodiment^

noiseless

In

its

its

and unceasing weU-doing,

ing, its disinterested

rule

perfect impartiality,

by which man should

regulate his

the material heavens above

life.*

him a model

The Earth ®

also,

visible

work-

presents a

Not

less

are

in their unerring,

and spontaneous obedience to Nature, and purity.

it

its

in their eternal

with her calm eternal repose, and

the great rivers and seas, are types of the far-off olden times,

whose boundless merit raised them workers with Nature, and to willing

Of a

homage, are patterns

to the height of fellow-

whom

all

things once paid

a'

for all after ages.

personal dgity above all these our author makes no

mention, nor can

it

be inferred with certainty from

his

book

whether he believ^ in the existence of such a being.

In

one place he speaks of Nature (Tao) as being antecedent

and

talents,

and constrains every one to pass for what he

is,

and

to

speak from his character, and not from his tongue, and which evermore tends to pass into our virtue,

thought and hand, and become wisdom, and

and power and beauty."

Essays, Vol.

I., p.

244,

7 Chs. 30, 55. 8 Chs.

7, 77.

9 Ch. 25. 1 Chs. 15, 68.

Compare the saying of

Sir T.

old ethioks and the classical rules of honesty."

Browne

— "Live

by

;

LAO-TZU.

to the

81

word which the com-

manifestation of Ti (*S*), a

mentators usually explain as meaning lord or master of

The learned Dr. Medhurst

heaven.

" I do not

in question thus, is

;

it is

translates the passage

know whose

son

Ta6u)

it (viz.,

prior to the (Supreme) Kuler of the visible (Leavens). ^

I do not understand how, after this, the

that the Taoists, that

same author can

state

with Lao-tzii at their head, under-

is,

stand the word Ti " in the sense of the Supreme Being."*

Ghosts and Spirits ti Ching,

(^ and

jjift)

are referred to in the Tao-

but these are very subordinate beings capable of

being controlled by the saints of the earth.

Lao-tzii refers,

however, as has been seen, to a supernatural punisher of crime

;

and in several passages he speaks of heaven in a

manner very

similar to that in

thereby the Deity

we must not

who

which we do when we mean

presides over heaven and earth.*

forget that

it is

inferior

and subsequent

mysterious Tao, and in fact prodiiced by the latter. accordingly, agree with the learned Paiithier

Yet to the

I cannot,

when he

writes

—

thus about the Sixteenth Chapter of the Tao-te Ching

"

chapitre renferrae k lui seul les ^l^ments d'une religion

;

il

6tonnant que

n'est pas

comme

les

Sectateurs de Lao-tseu,

si

Ce et

habiles,

tous les Asiatiques, k tirer d'un principe pos6 toutes

les

consequences qui en deeoulent logiquement, aient 6tabli

un

culte et

car

un sacerdoce avec

dfes I'instant

bonnes actions les

seuls

et la

est

du philosophe

annone^, que les

connaissance que I'on Ewsquiert de lui sont

moyens pour I'homme de parvenir a

2 Ch. 4. The word hsiomg 'W^

prohaWy or

les doctrines

qu'un Dieu supreme

it

is also

I'^terneUe

explained here as meaning

seems; the equivalent oiyn (^TO)-

3 Dissertation on the Theology of the Chinese, &o., p. 246. 4 Chs. 73, 77.

«.

LAO TZU.

82

f^licit^

dans son

sein,

bien Evident

est

il

mediateurs entre ce Dieu

qu'il

been

is

seen,

not a deity, but it is

is

des

I'homme pour conduire

et

above

all deities,

et

Tao with

eclairer les intelligences ignorantes et faibles." ®

Lao-tzii

faut

and, as has

On

not always represented unchangeable.

the contrary, regarded from one point of view the Tao

a state of constant change expression from

—" twinkling

Wordsworth.

is

in

restlessly," to use

an

Only when considered

as

the existence which was solitary in the universe and eternal, is it

spoken of as unchanging.

Tao was, indeed,

Long

after Lao-tzii's time

raised or rather degraded to be a deity,

but the theories of

later Taoists are

seldom the logical deve-

lopments of the doctrines of Lao-tzu, and in this they err widely.

Of virtue

we know

in the abstract

that his idea

ing Nature (Tao).

little is

He

said

was that

o,f it

it

by our author, but consisted in follow-

generally, however, speaks of

the concrete as the perfect nature, of the world or

the other creatures of the universe. refers to T#, Virtue, as if

it

in

man and

Sometimes indeed he

were a mysterious, independent

it

existence and not an itiherent quality.

seems to regard good and bad

as

At other times he

merely relative terms, the

existence of the former implying and indeed causing the existence of the latter, and vice versa.

Descending from these

come

to the

ideal sage.

and which

however, we

now

consideration of Lao-tzii's conception of the

The all

generalities,

virtues

which characterise the perfect man,

should endeavour to possess, are described in

the Tao-t6 Ching with greater or less fulness.

most important of these

is

Among

the

the negative excellence of an

5 Chine, pp, 116-7.

,

83

LAO-Tzfi.

absence of the bustling ostentation of goodness. fussy or showy,

quiet

life

Not

to

be

but to do one's proper work and lead a

without meddling in the concerns of others, are

virtues which to Lao-tzii seemed of transcendent importance,

the expression which I interpreted as meaning absence of ostentation or bustle

commentators seem ness,

non-existence,

translates

it

is

wu

Many

wei (^lE'^).®

Chinese

to regard this as equivalent to nothing-

or absolute

inaction

usually by " non-agir."

^

Julian also

so

;

Though, however, the

words have in many places these meanings, yet there are passages which seem to require the explanation

several

given above, and which tenor of the book.

harmony with the general

also in

is

Man's guide

is

Nature (Tao), and

works incessantly but without noise or show. not an inactive one,

The man who would

live virtuously

present a

mean

exterior while under Sir

very like the teaching of Lao-tzii.

in thyself, let

itself

on the notiee of

follow Nature must try to

without the appearance of so doing; he must

The advice which

able jewel.

So

that Lao-tzii commends, but a gentle

and one which does not obtrude

the world.

is

life

it

also it is

it

he hides the inestim-

Thomas Browne

"Be

gives

substantially great

and more than thou appearest unto others

;

and

the world be deceived in thee, as they are in the lights

of heaven."

6 See

®

Again, the

ohs. 2, &o.

man who

follows Nature

Wei (^S) sometimes means

to esteem,

wu'wei would then mean to esteem without appearmg to do Shi-wu-shi

7 In

so.

is

wise

and Wei-

Compare

(^^^), Shang-tgpi;-tg (Jui^^Tf^^), &«•

this

he

is

often followed

by Mr. Chalmers.

translates the expression,

8 See ohs. 41, 70.

9 Christian Morflk^Section

xix.

Pauthier also so

84

LAO-TZU.

but wears the mask of ignorance * silly

So

and

—

world he appears

to the

but in his breast are deep

stupid,

he does good without the show of doing

also

it

in the amelioration of his fellows, and ind&ed of in the world, without talking or making any

men but

does his alms not before

wisdom.

stores of ;

he helps things

all

He

display.

and without a

in secret

Those are rare who can instruct others

preluding trumpet.

without the necessity of talking, and benefit them without

making a show

man

but in striving to attain to

;

this excellence

The

aiming at the perfection of Nature.*

is

living thus

is

an art made by Nature

universally-opeiant

—

the, silent,

By Nature

spirit.

and oth^ impediments

"

(Tao) the passions

to virtue are lessened

more and more

— " Wisdom

1 So Celsus represents the eariy Christians as saying

bad thing Vol.

in

I., p.

2 See

life,

foolishness is to

" Great King,

them. Go, ye

saints,

holders

perform,

greater

than any

them the your

is

a

Neander, Ch. Hist.,

Compare the statement attributed to Gotama

man can

Chips

sins."

from

I do not teach the

law

to

my

pupils,

telling

and before the eyes of the Brahmans and house-

by means of your supernatural

law, Live,

translated

be preferred."

164 (Amer. Translation).

chs. 45, 71, 77.

Buddha.

of

art

informing,

ye

perform.

saints, hiding

a

from

Bumouf,

I

tell

powers, miracles

them,

when

I

teach

your good works, and showing

German Workshop,

Introduction

i,

Vol.

I'Histoire

I.,

p.

249;

du Buddhisma

Indien, p. 170.

— " The

3 Compare Emerson otherwise.

word."

Essay IV., Vol.

4 Ch. 43.

man may

teach

by

doing,

and not

If he can communicate himself he can teach, but not I., p.

136.

j^^

by

85

tAO-TZU.

until

man

attains to that state of perfection in

whioh he acts

naturally and so can do aU things.*

The

virtue of humility

Water

very highly.

humble

;

is

one of which Lao-tzii speaks

is

always with him the type of what

and the godlike man,

like

it,

which others abhor but in which he can

tion,

" The supremely virtuous

around him.*

is

occupies a low posi-

is

profit all

hke water," are

words taken from the Tao-te Ching, and frequently inscribed

on rocks and other

objects.

Such a man does not claim

He

precedence or merit, nor does he strive with any one.

never arrogates honour or preferment, yet they come to

him

and he

;

When

the end. plished,

is

yielding success

he modestly

So

also the

Pride, on the other hand, fail

attain

to

man who

strong generally comes to a bad end.^ tators,

prevails in

obtained, and his desire accom-

is

retires.

always

vaulting ambition,

consummation.®

and modest, yet always

is

and

the wished-for

violent and head-

Some

commen-

of the

however, seem to take this humility in a bad sense,

and they would make us believe that the quaUty

mended by Lao-tzu

is

as

recom-

not virtue but rather a vice, as

partaking of the nature of a trick or

The

artifice.

historical

instance which they most frequently quote as illustrating the

5 Ch. 48.

Wv^wei here may have another meaning.

and Julien regard

Wu-sM.

6 Chs.

it

as

meaning

iiiaction,

and make

it

Wu-oh'gng

synonymous with

See Mr. Chalmers' extraordinary translation of this chapter. 8, 78.

7 Chs. 22, 34, 66.

8 Compare the saying of Solomon,—" Before honour Proverbs,

9 See

xviii. 12.

chs. 92, 24.

1 Ch. 42.

^%

is

humility."

— ;

86

LAO-TZU,

success of this humility

is

Chang

the career of the fe,mous

Tzu-fang v.SM'T* j^)> ^ sort of political Uriah Heep.

To continence

Lao-tzii assigns a high

also

The

place.

exemption from the power of the passions and desire

total

a moral pre-eminence to which " For not to

Than

to

desire or admire, if

walk

all

day

a

man

man

could learn

like the Sultan of old in a

it,

were more

garden of spice."

It is the body, with its inseparably connected emotions

passions,

nity

;

which

is

the cause of aU the

and he who would return

to

be

at rest,

and

would have no cause

if

man were

for fear.

which

Lao-tzii uses to express this

who overcomes

is

the simple metaphor

overcoming of

self.*

This

He who knows

others,

he who knows himself

is

enlightened; he

others has physical force, but he

comes himself has moral strength.*

The

who

is

beautifully

a metaphor familiar to us in a Taoist

by

over-

disastrous conse-

quence of yielding to the bodily appetites illustrated

desires

body he

sounds and tastes which

and mar the soul within,

learned, but

of original

To be without

freed from the

conquest he puts above every other. is

and

huma-

that attend

To keep the gateways of the

senses closed against the sight, distract

ills

to the state

innocence must overcome his body.^ is

is

should seek to attain

book

to

2 Ch. 13. 3 Ch. 37. i Chs. 52, 56. 5 Ch. 33.

Compare the words of

Sir T.

ovation, but a triumph over thy passions.''

So

also

— " £Ce

Solomon

and he that ruleth 32.

Compare

Browne

:

Christian Morals, sect. 2.

that is slow to anger is tetter

his spirit

— " Rest not in an than the mighty

than he that taketh a city."

also Horace's

Ode

to SaUust, vs. Aj^frfly

Proverhs, xvi.

St

LAO-TZU.

which

I

have already referred.

The people

of the world

following their desires strive for reputation, grasp at gain, .

—

covet wine, and lust after beauty

^they take the bitter for

—day and

the pleasant and the false for the real toil

and

moil,

morn and even they

even when their the

fret

and

night they

care, nor desist

vital energies are almost exhausted.

moth which extinguishes

its life

Like

in the dazzling blaze of

worm which goes to its own destruction in men do not wait for the command of the king

the lamp or the the

fire,

these

of Death, but send themselves to the grave.®

Associated with continence

which

also

be content

is

to

be rich and brings with

shame, while there

when

to

incur

peril,

be

as

we

is

character.

no danger or

it

He who knows where

to stop will not

in the

say, it is

hand

hard

to

is

not so good as to

fill

tool,

and a

gold and precious stones cannot be defended

;

a cup

let it alone,

carry a full cup even.®

sharp an edge cannot be kept on a

is

To

nor will he ever indulge in excess. it

To

no greater calamity than not to know

satisfied.'

while holding or,

the virtue of moderation,

is

must form part of the good man's

Too

hall full of

and he who

wanton in prosperity leaves a legacy of misfortune. Various

other metaphors are used to inculcate the necessity of follow-

ing the mean, and abstaining from extravagance.

who

erects himself

who

takes long strides continue to walk.

6

f^^^l^-

7 See

Clis.

B Ch. 9.

on tiptoe cannot continue

The

The man nor can he intelligent

Ch. 2, p. 11.

33, 44, 46, 29, 32.

Compare Horace's advice

hie nihil amplins optet,"

9 Ch. 24.

so,

:

— " Quod

satis est cni

contigit,

^

88

LA.0-TZ6.

and good man

It is also is

be moderate in

all things,

not desiring to

like jade or slighted like a stone.^

be prized

he

will

a characteristic of the truly virtuous

man

that

always, and especially in privacy, grave and serious,

and not unmindful of

weak

his

He who knows

points.

his

strength and protects his weakness at the same time will

have

the world resorting to

all

example; eternal virtue

him

when

the goal

is

and he will

Many

return to the natural goodness of infancy. fail

and

for instruction

will not leave him,

nearly attained, but the godlike

things

man

careful about the end no less than about the beginning.* also

is

So

were the sages of antiquity whose cautious, hesitating

character

Mercy

is is

portrayed in outline as a model for others.* another virtue to which Lao-tzii attaches consi-

Nor

derable importance. represents contrary,

it,

it

any narrow compass.

On

the

flows not only over all mankind, but even to the

entire world. capital

the quality of mercy, as he

is

strained within

As has been

seen,

Lao-tzu would have

all

punishment reserved for a supernatural agent to

execute, and he would have the correction of wickedness effected

by the quiet influence of a good example.

farther than this,

however

from even judging others

;

to each his meed.

He

goes

he wiU have us to abstain

—

righteous and the sinners.^ to determine the moral

for

men

the

^from

dividing

It is

Heaven alone which

into

is

worth of human creatures, and give

And we must

not even assign worldly

—must not say that

misfortunes to the displeasure of Heaven

the eighteen on

whom

the tower of

SUoam

fell

were greater

1 Ch. 39.

5 Chs. 19, 73.

2 Chs. 26, 28.

i Ch. 15.

3 Chs. 63, 64.

LAO-TZU.

§9

sinners than the other residents- in Jerusalem.

man must

The good

not only not think too harshly of the

man who

is

not good,® but he must even love him, and must reward ill

will

by

virtue

—the ne plus

the commentators observes.' sion will cause the good

ultra of generosity, as one of

So

also the feeling of

man to keep

back ground, and not excite the

man by

great dispute has been

The good man keeps

is

to

his proof of

be regarded

is,

he

sure to

is

as virtuous.^

it

will not sue

the fulfillment of the

him

at a court of law.

of mercy and compassion ought not only to

prevail in private and social to the seat of

of warfare.

bad

After a

an agreement, but he does

not claim from the other party to

spirit

qualities in the

evil passions of the

adjusted some grudge

remain, so to live peaceably

This

compas-

them obtrusively before him.

displaying

agreement, that

good

his

life,

but

it

ought to extend

power and even to temper the

Then from the

circle of

also

fierce passions

humanity

Lao-tsii looks

abroad over the ample spaces of nature, and extends to them also a kindly sympathy.

thing in the world

;

creatures and assists

The good man never

injures any-

on the contrary he saves the inferior

them

in their ever-renewed operations

of coming into existence, growing, and returning to their

6 Ch. 27.

The word shan (^S), however,

susceptible of the interpretation cleoeir or expert. (ch.

22 in

as

if

is

also

See Wu-oh'dng's note

his edition).

7 Ch. 63.

on the

rendered good,

In the Kan-ying-p'ien (,^*iffl^s)

acquisitions of others as if they

they were yours."

Ch. 2.

it '8

were yours, and the

said

In this book are taught

many

excellent lessons which are apparently derived from the Tao-tS

8 Ch. 79.

"Look

losses of others

other

Chmg.

LAO-TZU.

90

Did the whole creation

original source.*

his eyes, too,

in

groan and travail in pain ?

Of

courage, truth, honesty, and several other virtues Lao-

does not

tzii

Kung two

According

virtues.

was

seems also

man

as a

pronouncing the sky

to

the

to

used by

figure

Wen

He teaches,

be of small dimensions.

man upon man, and

consequent necessity of the interchange of good

good man gives and asks not

He who

the

The

offices.

—does good and looks not

virtuous

is

Han,

bottom of a well and

sitting at the

however, the mutual dependence of

recompense.

to think

humanity and equity, but Han

was because he had a low conception of these

says this

Lao-tzil

He

make much mention.

lightly of conventional

master of

is

for

him who

is

not virtuous, but respect and affection must exist between

The

them.

ruler

and the ruled

also are

mutually dependent,

and they too must reciprocate kindness and forbearance.

condemns the

Lao-tzii repeatedly talking.

The wise man, he

without audible words

be

is

says,

vices of

virtuous

To

man

is

Man

to follow Nature.^

silent in his actions as is the all-working

ful words, are not fine,

much and

and

fine

Nature.

words are not

not argumentative and

ought to Faith-

faithful

:

9 See chs. 27, 64.

and plants and

Works,

trees

ch. 11,

2 Chs. 23, 56.

vice versa.

So the Kan-jring-p'ien says

may

:

condemn

— " The tiny insects

not be injured."

j^^Compare " Let us be

Also the words of the Tatler

:

— " Silence

silent,

is

for so are

the gods."

sometimes more significant

and sublime than the most noble and most expressive eloquence, and

many

the

learning and Avisdom our author does not, I think,

assign a sufficiently high place, but seems rather to

1

fine

does not talk, and to do

occasions the indication ot a great mind."

No. 133.

is

on

1

9

LAO-TZU.

them.^

Learning adds to the

could put

evils of existence,

away we would be exempt from

it

and

We

if

The

anxiety.

ancient rulers kept the people ignorant and they had good

government

—

so the people ought

stiU.

to

be kept in igno-

rance.

But

persons

who drink only slightly of the Pierian

perhaps Lao-tzu refers to the faults of those spring and then

boast of what they acquire, thereby doing injury to themselves if

and

to society.

It

would, however, have been better

he had distinguished between the pretenders

knowledge,

to

and those who have drunk deeply

at the fountain

by

its

assigning to intellectual worth

Lao-tzu, as has been seen,

is

of wisdom

proper importance.

not unmindful of the infirmi-

ty of noble minds which expects a recompense for a virtuous life.

or

Nor

are the inducements which he holds out of a slight

unworthy nature.

which have begun

On

the contrary, they are to souls

to delight in the path of virtue,

those stiU walking in " error's

have a great

The

effect.

overcome and

self

and

also to

wandering wood," calculated to

desires

and

appetites

must be subdued, but

the victory there remain grand prizes.

must

all

be

him who obtains

to

The gateways of

knowledge are open to him, and he can contemplate the

Fame and

mysterious operations of nature. to 1

him

unsolicited,

and the years of

laving the guileless purity of an infant

child

—

^he

will enjoy

greatness

come

his life are increased.

—^becoming

like a little

an exemption from the fear of noxious

3 Cbs. 65, 20, 48.

4 Compare Emerson. 5 Ch. therefore,

1.

Essays

vol.

i.,

p. 261-2.

Chalmers, however, translates— " In eternal non-existence,

man

seeks to pierce

the primordial mystery, and in eternal

existence, to behold the issues of the Universe."

translation given in Hegel, Geschichte, &o.

Vol.

See also the German i.,

p.

142.

LAO-TZC.

92

animals and wicked men.*

him, nor the soldier

Fierce beasts cannot gore or tear

wound him

in battle, that

perfect love towards all things he will not fear

The godlike man does not use

any.'

to set off his

to

and

creatures

He

own

lives

having

his neighbour as a foil

excellence, but rather assimilates himself

Thus he comes

all.

is,

harm from

is set

into intimate lanion with his fellow-

on high without incurring any

not for himself but for others, and his

longed by so doing.

He

ill-will.

life is

does he bury his talent in the barren ground of itself.

spends

in

it

him with

becomes.

the service of his fellows and

interest.*

wherewith

to serve,

pro-

does not amass for himself, nor

The more he

He

comes back to

it

serves the

more he has

and the more he gives the richer he

It is almost surprising to find this

thought thus

expressed by Lao-tzu, and the words of one of his disciples, following out the idea, are somewhat remarkable is

—" There

accumulation which causes deficiency, and a non-

also

hoarding whicfh results in having something over." *

There

are several passages in the Tao-t§ Ching besides the above, w'hich

might be induded among the " testimonia animee Humility, charity, and the forgive-

naturaliter Christiana."

ness of injuries which are sometimes spok«n of as purely Christian virtues are certainly inculcated to return to our subject.

tinued opposition to

over

it,

6 Chs.

—

self,

^Man's

life

gaining

7, 59.

8 See chg. 66,

7, 81.

9 Qubted by Wu-ch'eug in a note to oh. 81,

Compare

Pauthier.

Chine,

p.

117.

Lao-tzii.^

But

more and more control

until the passions cease to trouble

7 Chs. SO, 55.

1

by

ought thus to be con-

and

self is per-

—

9S

LA.O-TZU.

fectly vanquished.

work.

When

Then comes the end wbieh crowns the

the fleshly appetites have been subdued, and

the spirit has attained that state in which

No

—" equable and pure beat away—no

The

past unsiglied

then comes death.

;

strife to

fears to

for,

it is

heal

and the future sure,"

And what after death ?

Man

returns

to.

Nature, which delights to receive him, and identifies him

with her

own mysterious

Hither, too,

self.

come

all

This in reality means that

of the same all-producing mother.

man and is

other creatures return to nothingness.

all

the dreamless sleep wherewith our

the end of

all

the

womb

tnyriad things which had once emanated from the

life is

—

rounded

Thisthis is

our woe and misery, to be

— " Swallowed Up and In the wide

womb

lost

of uncreated night

Devoid of sense and motion."

There I

is

at least

speak of a

life

difficulties,

after death,^

and perhaps

in others' breath"

That man

one passage in which. Lao-tzu seems to

but

this passage presents great

refers only to the

loses Iws^hidiyiduality

is

not

life

lost.

and that he loses his existence

are two doctrines strongly opposed is

"fancied

by which a man though dead

to^^^S^ The mdividual

everything with the one, nothing with the other.

the immortality of the soul, this

is

a doctrine of which

As

to

many

other excellent philosophers before the rise of Christianity

had

little

or no conception.

We

are

wont

to regard the

theory of the soid's mortality as dismal and hopeless ; yet 2 Ch. 23.

See Pauthier.

3 Emerson, however, with the Universal Soul."

Chine Modeme,

ps.

356-7.

also speaks of the "individual soul mingling

Essays.

;

94

I-AO-TZO.

Lao-tzu holds out the hope of annihilation or at least of absorption into universal Nature as the highest reward for a life

of untiring virtue.

and few

as yet

Few, he

says,

understand the matter

even understand the meaning of the immor-

tality of the soul.

The

belief that the soul

is

mortal no

less

than the opposite belief seems to lead to the possession of a calm, contented this

The

life.

spirit,

and an

indifference to the things of

strange but eloquent words of the Hydriota-

phia on this subject will form the closing sentence of this chapter

:

—" And

if

any have been so happy

as truly to

understand Christian annihilation, ecstasies, exolution, liquefaction, transformation, the kiss of the spouse, gustation of

God, and ingression into the divine shadow, they have already

had an handsome world

is

anticipation of

heaven

;

the glory of the

* surely over, and the earth in ashes unto them."

4 Ch. 5.

95

LXO-T8U.

CHAPTER LA.O-TZG It is not

AND CONFUCIUS.

unusual for foreigners no

speak of Lao-tzu and Confucius terms

-with

less

than for Chinese to

having lived on very bad

One Chinese

have known much better

The

as

each other and as having been diametrically

opposite in their teachings. to

VIII.

excellent

little

book of

scholar

very badly in

sins

Mr

who ought

this respect.

Edkins on the Religious

Condition of the Chinese contains the following

temporary with Confucius, there was an old

known

as Laou-tsoo,

who meditated

upon the more profound

human

soul.

He

necessities

did so in a

way

once,

Water that is

afterwards

and

mood

capacities of the

that Confucius, the prophet

but never repeated

understand him.

" Con-

in a philosophic

of the practical, could not well comprehend.

with him

man

:

his visit,

He

conversed

for he could not

Laou-tsoo recommended quiet reflection.

stUl is also clear,

Noise and passion are

and you may

see deeply into

fatal to spiritual progress.

The

it.

stars

are invisible through a clouded sky.

Nourish the perceptive

powers of the soul in purity and

rest."

Others have

expressed a similar opinion and with no more accuracy.

1

Page

9.

LAO

96

This view, however, seen, Confucius

-not

is

was a

Tzft.

strictly correct.

As

has been

and there

disciple of Lao-tzii,

is

no

evidence to prove that any other than friendly relations

A

between them.

existed

Confucianist philosopher has

somewhere remarked that Confucius and

Lao-tzii we're not

the authors of opposite systems and founders of rival schools of philosophy, and the observation

is

quite correct.

It

was

not until long after the two sages were dead that the followers of the one came to look on those of the other as heretics

and enemies.

Not

live in friendship

he

also

however, did Confucius himself

only,

with his instructor, so far as we know, but

imbibed not a few of his

Lao-tzii on his disciple, and the

tenets.

The

influence of

amount of similarity between

the doctrines of the two are subjects well deserving a serious

That they

study.

known

differ

widely on

many

everybody, but few, so far as

to

points

my

is

a fact

knowledge

extends, have studied the affinities between them.

To a

thorough-going Confucianist the mere idea of doing such a horrible,

and the Temple of Literature closed

against the reception

of the tablets of the rare individuals

a thing

who have

is

essayed the task, deters the after generations.

one, however, not anxious about his

who

takes pleasure in finding

of orthodoxy and heterodoxy converged, the work givings.

posthumous

how near

tablet,

By and

the divergent lines

may be found to have

originally

may be attempted without any

mis-

The present writer can do nothing more than merely

try to sketch a few of the features of resemblance

between

the teachings of the two sages in speculative Physics, Politics

and Ethics, following the division adopted above.

The

theories of Lao-tzii

and Confucius on the physical

world being probably merely the popular and traditional notions of the time, might naturally be expected to have noj

97

/XAO-TZft

a

little

visible

common/ For

in

example, the emanation of the

universeymcluding also

all

that

makes up man, from

an eternal existence at once material and immaterial, seems to

have been an old idea with the Chinese, and

in the teachings of both the sages.

only Tern under another name.

word

the latter

it is

Tao

stated that ^ ;

and

found

it

is

translated,

Indeed Confucius uses

in this connection very

manner of Lao-tzu.

is

Thus, as has been seen,

the T'ai-chi ("7]^^^) or Gran^ Extreme, as is

it

much

after

the

In the appendix to the Ti-ching {Mt^^

what

antecedent to external form

is

in another passage it is said that

is

called

one passive and

one active element (one Yin and one Yang) are called Tao.^ In the Li- Chi is

Confucius says to Tzii-kung that Tao

(SSoE)

that which the whole world,

empire), esteems.*

(^"K

Other writers

also,

may

also

mean

the

such as the author of

the preface to the Yi-ching, distinctly assert that the two

terms T'ai-chi and Tao have the same

Lao-tzii's

of dualism also, and his theory that contraries

doctrine

produce each other are found cian classics.

explicitly taught in the

Thus the Yi-ching

alternately thrust each other forth, it is

signification.

that the

said

says that hard

Confu-

and

soft

and in another passage

Yin and the Yang, or the passive and

active elements or powers of nature, generate each other.

Again Lao-tzu teaches that (Tao) and

Heaven and

earth

and

all

the operations of Nature

are carried on without any

So

also does Confucius

show of

effort, silently

teach.

In the Li-chi, for example, he says that the T'ien-

2 Vol. 3 Vol.

ii.,

ii..

Appendix, ch. 12. Appendix, ch.

5.

4 Ch. 10, page 65, compare Vnl 5 Vol. ?;

li ii.,

quietly.

AnnpndiTC. ch. rh. Appendix,

2.

also the

Chung-Yung,

ch. 27.

LAO

98

tao or

Way

Heaven

of

is

to

be without exertion and yet

have the world completed.® observation

made

is

In the Chung-yung a similar

respecting Ch'eng

translates " sincerity "

nation of Tao, as

TZU.

but which

is

(sW) which Legge

evidently another desig-

Mr Meadows long ago stated.

Further,

it is

almost unnecessary to state that in the quinary classification of such things as tastes and colours our two sages perfectly

Not

agree.

only,

however, do

we

these matters in Confucian classics

we

also not

find the

same ideas on

and the Tao-t6 Ching but

seldom find in them similar forms of expression.*

Thus, for instance, the poetical metaphor by which Lao-tzu speaks of the sea and the great rivers as being kings to the small streams which flow into

King and the Shi Khing.

them

found in the Shu-

is

In the former the Chiang ('/T)

and Han ("J^) are described as proceeding to the sovereign Court of the Sea,* and in the

latter it is written that the full

back to pay court to the

sea,

the country forget their allegiance.

It

tide flows

that

we

but the people of

may

be mentioned

ourselves speak of tributary streams, and

Tennyson

has expressed the Chinese idea fully in the words " Flow down, cold

Thy

Coming now

tribute

to Politics

rivulet, to

wave

we

the sea.

deliver."

find that

on Government and

other matters connected with the State, the Confucian writings 6 Ch. passage.

9, p. 6.

Li-ki, p. 142.

7 Chinese lions, p.

See also the remarks of Gallery in his note to this

Classics,- vol.

i.,

282 3-4.

p.

The Chinese and their Eebel-

351.

8 Compare Yi-chiug, Vol.

ii.,

ching, ch. 6.

9 Legge's Shu,

vol,

i.,

p.

113.

Appendix, ch. 11, with the Tao-tS

99

LAO-TZU.

many

contain

Thus

in the

saying

opinions closely resembling those of Lao-tzu.

Lun Yu, Book

—" May not

xv., Confucius is represented as

Shun be instanced

without exertion

efficiently

What

?

having governed

as

did he do ?

He

did

nothing but gravely and reverently occupy his imperial

Here the very expressipn of the Tao-ti Ching

seat."

used

— ^^fRj'/'^—and Dr. Legge

translated

wu-wei by " without

Shu King was

it

is

said of

finished, that "

and fold

his hands,

exertion."

King Wu,

he had only

is

has, I think, rightly "

after his

So

also in the

war with Shou

to let his robes fall

down,

and the empire was orderly ruled." ^

Other passages in the Lun-yii show us that Confucius also disliked war,

and the petty squabbles

feudal chiefs

tious

into

time were

of his

which the ambi-

constantly falling.

Again, Lao-tzu has been greatly reproached by Confucianists

and others

for declining to continue in office

kings of Chow, but he went his

more fortunate

though

gem

less politically

farther in this respect than

little

who was more

disciple

under the

consistent.

secreted for years, but there was

Confucius was eager for a bidder

earthly wise

Each kept

his precious

this difference, that

who would

and Lao-tzu seeing there was no chance of a

please him,-

suitable bidder

preferred to keep his gem.

Not

cius himself abstain for a

considerable time from active

official

some of

life,

only, however, did Confu-

but he also commended those of the past and

who had

his contemporaries

retired

into privacy

during evil times, and his approbation of Ning-wu's conduct is

expressed in language worthy of Lao-tzu.

1 Chinese Classics, vol. 1, p. 169.

2 Legge's Sliu King,

3 Legge's Ch.

vol.

ii.,

Classics, vol,

p.

i.,

316.

p. 44.

Besides, Con-

a

100

LAO-TZU.

fucius

had the utmost contempt for the mandarins and

of his time, and regarded

mere nobodies.* ruler

own

must

inner

making the purity of

correct himself,

his

Confucius repeatedly

so

family,

teaches the same doctrine and illustrates

it

Like ruler like people,

of the ancients.

by

the example

a

maxim with

is

If the sovereign be wicked the people

wicked, and

if

he be good they

also will be good.

he depicts the

in another passage

a government which

is

is

Lao-tzii

evil results of

An-

not conducted in uprightness.

other political doctrine which

Tao-t8 Ching

be

So Confucius says that to govern means to

rectitude (J£).

and

also will

must be conducted by uprightness or

says that government

rectify,

his

and greatest care and then cultivating

his first

moral excellence in

him.

chiefs

as either utter villains or as

Again, just as Lao-tzu teaches that the

'

first

life

them

stated expressly in the

is

that capital punishment

is

the

work of a

super-human agent and that no one on earth can safely act as

proxy

Through

for that agent.

also there

runs the idea that

Ruler that

is

it

all is

the Confucian writings

Heaven or the Upper

offended with wicked states, rebellious chiefs,

•or oppressive rulers,

and that

all

national

punishments come from the same source. ever,

rewards and

Confucius,

how-

and his followers seem to have believed that the virtuous

neighbouring

state,

the pious sovereign, or the successful

rebel received a Heavenly edict to annex the wicked territory, slay the

mutinous

political idea

chief,

or dethrone the impious prince

not confined to ancient times or to China.

— Yet

there are several passages in the Classics which seem to represent Confucius, too, as forbidding, or at least disapprov-

4 See for instance Legge, Ch. Classics, 5 See Legge, vol.

i.,

ps.

122, 130

;

vol.

also the

i.,

p. 136.

Li Chi, ch.

4, p, 52.

LAO-TZU.

ing

of,

had

Thus

capital punishment.

to say to

at

aU

Do you

?

subjects as

wind

is

bends."

And

in

— " Why use

desire yirtue

The moral character

virtuous.

in the Lun-yli

he

who had asked him ahout

Chi-k'ang,

in order to perfect the good

meat

101

to grass

is

will

be

to that of his

—when the wind blows the

another passage he

made

capital punish-

and the people

of the ruler

is

slaying the

grass

represented as

is

approving of an old saying that after good government for a hundred years capital punishment might be dispensed

Another maxim of the Tao-tS Ching

with.

by Confucius

this

is

and be prepared

—

also inculcated

that the sovereign ought to anticipate

—

for reverses of fortune

that

he ought

to

devise measures for repressing rebellion while as yet there is

no sign of disturbance

this,

;

method pursued by the ancient

says the

Shu King, was the

rulers.*

So

also

both sages

taught that the ruler should always be grave and serious,

mindful of the solemn charge which he has received from In the Confucian writings, again, no

Heaven.*

less

than in

the Tao-tS Ching, rulers are forbidden to covet and strive for rare and outlandish objects, such things having a tendency to stir

up

strife

and lead the heart

astray.^

Further in the

high pre-eminence assigned to the sovereign, Confucius the same

mind with

Heaven and Earth,

Lao-tzu.

As

the latter ranks

so also does the former.

of each he reigns by divine right, and

6 Legge, &o.,

vol.

i.,

7 Legge, &c.,

vol.

i.,

8 Legge's

9 Legge's Shu King, 1

ii.,

p. 525.

Vol.

i.,

p. 74, also vol.

Legge's Shu King, vol.

i.,

p.

2 See Li Chi, oh.

is

himself indeed at

i.,

p. 257.

p. 131.

vol.

8, p. 70.

319.

of

In the opinion

p. 122.

Shu King, voL

is

him with

ii.,

p.

532.

Vol, u., p. 574.

LAO-TZU.

102

least half divine.

of

him

a frequent designation

is

Confucius indeed in some places

in the Classics.

much more

is

wildly extravagant in his statements about the

we would be

sovereign than to

Son of Heaven

inclined to expect.

Finally,

both sages the great and paramount consideration for a

prince or chief seemed to be the peace and prosperity of his

Light taxes, few legal restrictions, and a general

people.

They

kind treatment are strongly recommended by both. differ,

however, in

this respect that

while Lao-tzu overlooks

or slights education, Confucius regards

ance

;

but few

who know

it

as of great

import-

the nature of the education which

Confucius recommended to his son of carp-derived name,

but which he did not give him, would be disposed to regret the want of It tzii

now

it

in a ruler or magistrate.

remains to speak of the Ethical teachings of Lao-

and Confucius, and here

larity,

his views, I

find considerable simi-

am much

Ching often point from the

now be

inclined to believe that the resemblance

latter.

to a

classics

and those of the Tao-t§

borrowing on the part of the former

The low

place which

is

and mechanical accomplishment in

assigned to intelthis

work seems

be wrong, and Confucius would scarcely go so

too,

indicated.

disclaimed the distinction of being original in

between the doctrines of the

to

we

only a few instances of which can

As Confucius

lectual

also

far.

He

however, places virtue above wisdom, and seems some-

times to think that perfect virtue ensures to other and less noble qualities.

He

is

its

possessor

not unmindful of the

value of intellectual acquirements and assigns to them considerable importance.

It

must be remembered besides that

the accomplishments of which Lao-tzii speaks disparagingly

3 Legge Shu King, &c.,

vol.

i.,

p. 158.

LAO-TZU.

more

are those

Confucius

and

The

it is

opposed to chi

good,

(^),

(j>Cj),

man

teaches that the

no

life

—ought

to yield

He

also

and never wrangle.®

represented as holding the

is

what a man would not

him he should not do

Indeed

earnestly than

Like Lao-tzii he

litigation.

occasions Confucius

as objecting to

less

is

of extensive influence ought to abase

himself before others

that

it is

talks

wicked, but

not always consistent.

is

recommends abstinence from

maxim

In the Yi-ching

and the violent man

not hsiung

is

on the gentle

insists

On some

represented

worthy of notice that the word which

although he

Lao-tzii,

talks little

is

^ word which means fierce or violent.

ts'ao (5fe&))

Confucius

as strongly as

a sentence which Confucius

is

good man

Here

much.®

in this respect

condemned by the one

is

repeating on several occasions.*

said that the

and that

vice of talking specious

Artful words and a clever appearance are

other.

seldom virtuous, as

utility,

one with him.

words

flattering

by the

show than

for

at

is

103

desire another to do to

while he

to others,

is

also represented

the woj^ffs of Lao-tzu that injury should be

repaid by kindoeSsT^^But on the other hand he makes

it

one of the charaCS&istics of the Chiin-tzii (S*"T*) or noble

man, that he does not position

is

and a

strive,

may he mentioned

ii.,

vol.

i.,

166 and

in the Li-chi, oh. 9, p. 489.

Appendix, Part

6 See Legge Ch.

have it

that the Confucian writings are as bitter as

4 See Legge, Ch. Classics,

memorable words

disciples

In connection with this

assigned to "the Master" himself.

5 Vol.

yielding, forbearing dis-

one of the virtues which admiring

2, ch. 12.

Classics, vol.

7 See Legge,

vol.

i.,

p. 165.

8 See Legge,

vol.

i.,

p. 152.

i

,

p.

21.

p. 3.

Compare

also the

104

LAO-TZU.

the Tao-te Ching against the show and consciousness of being

The words

virtuous.

Emperor Shun to

of the

Yii as record-

ed in the Shu King are very like those of Lao-tzu, "Without any pridefal presumption, there to contest with ing, there is

you the palm of

no one

is

ability

;

in the

empire

without any boast-

no one in the empire to contest with you the

claim of merit."®

The

man

eminence on which Lao-tzu places the God-like

lofty

is

not greater than that to which Confucius raises him.

This person ranks, according to both, with

Heaven and

Earth, and assists these in their great unceasing labours of

and ruling the creatures of the

producing,

nourishing,

universe.''

With Heaven and Earth he makes a

and

is

he

free

is

One

sympathies.^ after the this

most

respect

from

partialities,

universal in his

and through excess of orthodoxy actually Criticising Lao-tzii's statement

man

are

pu jen (y^

that 't2)>

are without any partialities or particular affeotioDj

he says that we may make

remark of Heaven and Earth

this

but not of the God-like man who his fellow creatures,

and thus

is

feels for

and compassionates

able to enlarge his

way

of

This author, however, seems to be here guilty of a

life.*

9 Legge's Shu King, the passage.

vol.

i.,

See also Dr. Legge's note on

p. 60.

See also do, p. 257.

1 See Li-chi, oh. 4, p. 52.

2 See Legge's Chinese Classics, 3 See the i

is

straitest sect, forgets his master's doctrine in

Heaven, Earth, and the God-like is,

and

of the philosophers, Ch'^ug, a Confucianist

becomes heterodox.

that

Like Heaven, which he

scarcely inferior to them.

imitates,

trinity,

A

'1)8:

rJ-

i@