Evidences Of A Full Character (1)

1 Wang Tai was a disabled scholar in the State of Lu where the number of his students was equal to that of Confucius.

2 Once Chang Ji, asked his teacher--Confucius, “Though Wang Tai has lost one of his feet, there are many people following him. Wang Tai never sermonize but his students learn a lot from him. Is he the man who emphasizes more about his behavior than his precept? How does he do like that?”

3 Confucius replied, “Mr. Wang is a sage. I would like to follow him too, but there are many people lining up to be enrolled. Until now I am still on the waiting list. I think not only I but all people in the country should look for his teaching.”

4 Chang Ji said, “Mr. Wang has crime record, but people still respect him as master. There must be a certain difference of his practice and behavior from the ordinary people. How does he practice?”

5 Confucius said, “Confronting so severe punishment, he was near to death, but he still conserved his principle and spirit. A man who could keep the intact of Tao would sufficiently handle any changes.”

6 “How to handle?” asked Chang Ji.

7 Confucius said, “If we have discrimination, we look liver and gall as two different organs and look the State of Chu and Yue as two different states. If we have no discrimination, no self and be flexible, we look all things as a whole. Wang Tai keeps this thinking that his behavior and idea could not be affected by eyes, ears, nose and tongue, which receive outward stimulation and temptation. His heart integrates with universe. What he attends to is a whole, not the minor part that occasionally secedes. Hence he thinks his foot been cut off as dust been flicked off from his clothes, without a little care.”

8 Chang Ji said, “Wang Tai focus his practice on subjective conditions. After he achieves the sound, tranquility and peace from practice, his wisdom naturally spouts out and then he becomes a man of wisdom and a role model who all people learn from.”

9 Confucius answered, “Yes. It is so. Fox example, we don’t take running water as mirror because it can’t reflect our image. Only still water can be mirror. The water is no difference but only still one has mirror function. They are trees but only pine and cypress can keep green both in winter and summer. We all are man but only the sages such as King Yao and King Shun can fully show their perfect and intact personality, which is our admired example.

10 There is no fear in human’s original nature. As a warrior he who keeps it dares to rush alone into numerous armies. A warrior keeps the original nature seeking for fame can achieve it, nevertheless those of perfect practice, who integrate themselves into universe, bring their knowledge to the level all knowledge. Like Wang Tai, he sits still there whereas all people go there to learn something from him or obtain something from him, as we mirror ourselves on a still lake. The lake itself has no intention to call up people. People come to it voluntarily.

11 Wang Tai doesn’t enroll students on his own initiative. He doesn’t teach and instruct anything to his students. Actually, if the students have truly learned something from Wang Tai, it is from his daily behavior.”