HAPPY AND FREE EXCURSION (2)

1 Drinking afternoon tea at gallery, Jianwu and Lianshu chatted freely. It occurred to Jianwu that he wanted to consult Lianshu.

2 “I had dinner with Jieyu last night. After having drunk three cups of wine, Jieyu spoke somewhat incoherently. He told me a queer story, which was far off the substance, far like galaxy. You couldn’t imagine how it was at all. Some how, I am afraid whether he was out of mind or not.”

3 As Jieyu’s old friend of years, Lianshu had been acquainted well with him and admired his profound knowledge. So Lianshu asked Jianwu,

4“What did he say to you? Surprise you so much.”

5 Jianwu said, “He said there was a man of perfect status by practice, who lives in remote Gushe Mountain. With rosy cheek, white hair, flexible body, he, usually, doesn’t eat grain but drink west wind and dew.

6 He rode on cloud and charioted flying dragon to roam around four seas in his spare time. He practiced everyday. He modulated climate to make favorite weather, to bless harvest of crops, and to kill off plague. In my opinion, this is impossible, he must be insane.”

7 Standing up, Lianshu patted Jianwu on the shoulder,

8“Buddy! You can’t depict the beauty of calligraphy to the blind and can’t describe elegance of music to the deaf. There are also assorted the blind and the deaf in realm of experience and intelligence. With them you can’t share some experience and intelligence.

9　Man! In the limitless universe, nothing is impossible.

10 We can’t say we don’t know because we don’t see it, and deny its existence.

11　As far as Jieyu’s experience is concerned, you are blind and deaf. As Jieyu told, the kind of men with perfect status by practice melted their self-nature, Buddha-nature, calmness and refinement into the universe. Power of universe was employed freely in their bodies without transferring or converting.

12　He possessed of exquisiteness of the universe. Glory and wealth to him are not attractive at all, but just like kids’ toys. Furthermore, confusions within the world disturbed him so he feared and warded off them at once.

13　He lived in the remote mountain. Safety wasn’t a problem to him because anything couldn’t hurt him. Deluge couldn’t drown him; severe weather couldn’t trouble him.

14　Instead, as merging himself into the universe, he applied his power to modulated earth to adapt to creatures growth. Creatures actually rely on his magical power.

15　In this sense such men as Yao, Shun, live on the supply from creatures. How could they handle worldly trivia to be prior to them?”

16“There was a merchant from Song. He sold hats that should be worn in northern area to southern area. As weather was hot in southern area, people there dishevel their hair and draw tattoo over the bodies instead of clothes. He certainly failed his business in southern area because people don’t need hats in south.

17　The merchant failed, as did Yao. His governance was so well that he boasted of his achievement of governance. He may boast before the common people but someday he went crazy. Having traveling far to Gushe Mountain and the north of Fen River, he visited the Nazarites, such as Wangni, Chique, Beiyi and Xuyou. He spouted governance of the country at them. As a contrary result, instead he was induced to seek for the simple, stable and tranquil way of life, failing in his spouting. He made up his mind to demise the Crown.

18　Jianwu! In future you should be discreet in remarking on what you don’t know and should not deny it arbitrarily.”