There was a visitor who had an interview with the Duke of Chou

There was a visitor who had an interview with the Duke of Chou. Meeting him at the door, the Duke of Chou said, "How are you going to instruct me?"

The man said, "Outside I would speak of externals; inside, of essentials. Shall I come in or not?"
The Duke of Chou said, "Please come in."

The guest said, "Standing, I would speak of i; sitting, of jên. Shall I sit or not?"

The Duke of Chou said, "Please take a seat."

The guest said, "Speaking distinctly will result in trouble; speaking softly, in not being heard. Shall I speak or not?"

The Duke of Chou said, "Yes, yes. I understand." And next day he mobilized troops and punished the princes of Kuan and Ts’ai.

Truly the visitor was good at giving counsel without speech, and the Duke of Chou was good at listening to counsel without speech. A person like the Duke of Chou may be called capable of listening to subtle discourse. Truly what the superior man tells others is subtle, and the aid he offers people in difficulty is indirect. The Ode says,

How would I dare not march?
It is only that I fear not being able to go on.

客有见周公者，应之于门曰：“何以道旦也？”客曰：“在外即言外，在内即言内，入乎？将毋？”周公曰：“请入。”客曰：“立即言义，坐即言仁，坐乎？将毋？”周公曰：“请坐。”客曰：“疾言则翕翕，徐言则不闻，言乎？将毋？”周公唯唯，旦也逾。明日兴师而诛管蔡。故客善以不言之说，周公善听不言之说，若周公可谓能听微言矣。故君子之告人也微，其救人之急也婉。《诗》曰：“岂敢惮行？畏不能趋。”

Comments

Kong Rong Gives up the Biggest Pear

Kong Rong (153-208), the 20 th generation descendant of Confucius, was a high official during the reign of Emperor Ling of the Eastern Han Dynasty. As he was good-tempered and hospitable, his house was always full of guests. He was a noted poet and was one of the “Seven Famous Personages of Jian An.” Kong Rong was once appointed the prefect of Beihai , hence named Kong Beihai . During his tenure of office, Kong Rong constructed cities, built schools, and advocated Confucianism. Kong Rong upheld etiquette , and had made his name heard in his childhood for a "giving up the biggest pear" story. In Kong Rong ’s Family, there were seven brothers in his family and Kong Rong was the sixth son. When he was four years old, he was asked to choose a pear in priority. However, Kong Rong choose a smallest pear, leaving big ones to his elder brothers. Every time the siblings ate pears, his elder brothers always took big ones. He, however, always picked up the small one. When ...

When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter.

This proverb originates from the story of Qin Hui, who was regarded till today as the most treacherous court minister of the Song dynasty. Qin Hui was born with a peculiarity: his feet measured one foot four inches from heel to toe. he was therefore nicknamed the Long-Foot Scholar when he was a student in the Royal Academy. Qin Hui had been teacher in a private school, he was very unsatisfied by his humble and mean position, and wrote a poem, one couplet of it was: If I had three hundred Acres of irrigated lands, I wouldn't have to be the Monkey king. Here the monkeys were referred to mischievous boys in the private school, he himself was the king of those monkeys. Later he passed the imperial examinations and rose quickly to the post of Prime Minister. By the time, the Song dynasty was under continuous attack by the northern tribe Jurchen [Jin]. Qin Hui initiated Peace negotiation with Jurchens, and made the Southern Song dynasty cede territory and subjugate itself to them....

The Four Diamond Kings of Heaven

On the right and left sides of the entrance hall of Buddhist temples, two on each side, are the gigantic figures of the four great Diamond Kings of Heaven. They are four brothers named respectively Mo-li Ch’ing (Pure), Mo-li Hung (Vast), Mo-li Hai (Sea), and Mo-li Shou (Age). Mo-li Ch’ing, the eldest, is twenty-four feet in height, with a beard the hairs of which are like copper wire. He carries a magnificent jade ring and a spear, and always fights on foot. He has also a magic sword, ‘Blue Cloud,’ on the blade of which are engraved the four characters: Earth, Water, Fire, Wind. When brandished, it causes a black wind, which produces tens of thousands of spears, which pierce the bodies of men and turn them to dust. The wind is followed by a fire, which fills the air with tens of thousands of golden fiery serpents. A thick smoke also rises out of the ground, which blinds and burns men, none being able to escape. Mo-li Hung carries in his hand an umbrella, called the Umbrella of Chao...

Chinese Æsop:

Search This Blog