Kung-i Hsiu, minister of Lu, was fond of fish. A native of the state made him a present of fish, but he would not accept it. His younger brother objected, saying,
"You are fond of fish; why do you not accept it?"
He said, "It is precisely because I am so fond of fish that I do not accept it. If I accept the fish and lose my place as minister, I will then be unable to supply myself with fish. By not accepting and not losing my place as minister, I will long be able to supply myself with fish. In this matter I understand how to take care of myself."
Truly, as Lao-tzŭ said, "Make yourself last and you will be first; put yourself outside, and you will be preserved. Is it not that he had no eye to personal advantage, and was just in this way able to accomplish his personal advantage?" The Ode says,
His thoughts are without depravity.
This is illustrated in the above.
公仪休相鲁而嗜鱼，一国人献鱼而不受。其弟谏曰：“嗜鱼不受，何也？”曰：“夫欲嗜鱼，故不受也。受鱼而免于相，则不能自给鱼；无受而不免于相，长自给于鱼。”此明于鱼为己者也。故《老子》曰：“后其身而身先，外其身而身存。非以其无私乎？故能成其私。”《诗》曰：“思无邪。”此之谓也。
"You are fond of fish; why do you not accept it?"
He said, "It is precisely because I am so fond of fish that I do not accept it. If I accept the fish and lose my place as minister, I will then be unable to supply myself with fish. By not accepting and not losing my place as minister, I will long be able to supply myself with fish. In this matter I understand how to take care of myself."
Truly, as Lao-tzŭ said, "Make yourself last and you will be first; put yourself outside, and you will be preserved. Is it not that he had no eye to personal advantage, and was just in this way able to accomplish his personal advantage?" The Ode says,
His thoughts are without depravity.
This is illustrated in the above.
公仪休相鲁而嗜鱼，一国人献鱼而不受。其弟谏曰：“嗜鱼不受，何也？”曰：“夫欲嗜鱼，故不受也。受鱼而免于相，则不能自给鱼；无受而不免于相，长自给于鱼。”此明于鱼为己者也。故《老子》曰：“后其身而身先，外其身而身存。非以其无私乎？故能成其私。”《诗》曰：“思无邪。”此之谓也。
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