Evidences Of A Full Character (3)

1 In the State of Lu there was a disabled man called Shushan The Toeless. He got this strange name because when he was young his toes had been mutilated by the government for law breaking.

2 Someday Shushan The Toeless limped to visit Confucius. Seeing the ever-punished compatriot, Confucius thought Shushan wanted to ask help from him, for this reason, he was not so friendly when receiving Shushan.

3 Confucius said, “Look, you acted wildly against the law and public opinion when you was young, and suffered such severe punishment. This is because you are unaware how to protect yourself. Now, you come to see me with your disabled body. It is difficult for me to help you.”

4 Facing the indifference of this famous compatriot, Shushan The Toeless was astonished at first but quickly calmed down and said, “I committed such a serious crime so as to make myself disabled, all those happened because I was young and imprudent then.

5 Today, I visit you to consult you about something more important than legs. If I could figure out, I would be spiritually sane though I am physically disabled. I think spiritual sanity is much more important than the intact physical body.

6 Before I came here, I thought Heaven is selfless to cover everything, as is Earth to burden everything. I always think you are the greatest educator of our country. In my heart, you are respectable like Heaven and Earth. But to my surprise, on meeting me, without small talk, you utter the unapproachable words that refuse me far. You really disappoint me.”

7 Confucius awoke and knew his compatriot was not an ordinary person.

8 Standing up from chair, he tidied up his appearance. Head lowering, he said shyly, “Sorry. Just now I am in bad mood. Pardon me if I offend you. Come in and sit. There is quiet and suitable for talking. I would like to discuss with you about your issues.”

9 Shushan The Toeless refused Confucius’ apology. With a solemn complexion, he turned and limped away.

10 Confucius embarrassed by this unexpected development. He stood there; smile on his face was frozen.

11 Turning slow, he said to his disciples, “Today, we have learned a good lesson from Shushan The Toeless. My compatriot’s body is disabled but he keep learning and practicing, expecting to obtain perfect spirit and to be a man of perfect spirit. Though we are physical intact, should we make efforts to seek for spiritual sanity? Or we laugh at the disabled while others perhaps laugh at our spiritual defects.

12 Mr. Shushan left Confucius but still kept pique in his heart. To give well vent to his pique, he decided to visit Laotse.

13 Shushan The Toeless said to Laotse, “As you know, Confucius is a well-known educator. Is he on earth really a man of perfect practice? Today after I have seen his attitude, I actually wonder how well his practice is.

14 May I ask you, why Confucius consulted you so affably? In my opinion, all he wanted to learn were some profound and queer words from you to fish for others’ respect.

15 Just like some cheaters, if they don’t make themselves profound and deceitful, how do others believe them?

16 Confucius doesn’t know that the men of real perfect practice all think the queer words are unworthy. On the contrary, the words of truth are simple and plain themselves. The profound and difficult concepts are actually the obstruct of practice.”

17 Laotse knew that Shushan The Toeless felt wronged so he bantered him, “Why not tell him that life and death, impossible and possible are relatively the two sides of a thing.

18 To prolong life and postpone death, to know impossibility and possibility of thing people waste their energy. Worrying and fearing all day, which are reasons for their spiritual insanity. People adhere too much to life and death, impossibility and possibility, they bind and confine themselves. Why do you help them regain freedom and become the wise men of spiritual sanity?”

19 Listening to what Laotse said, Shushan The Toeless felt relieved. He finally understood that Confucius and he were similar, one spiritually insane, the other physical disabled. A man without leg, with an artificial one he is still walkable. But a spiritually insane man will suffer in whole his life, actually may much worse than the disabled one.

20 Shushan The Toeless slightly shook his head, “If Heaven wants to punish a man, who can help him?”