Response to Emperors (1)

1 Nie Que learned from Wang Ni that those who confess themselves to be the men of innocence are the men who really understand the truth of the world. They realize that there is no fixed standard in the worldly affairs.

2 Those who are self-righteous, and judge and criticize things in the view of their own are ignorant.

3 Now he knew that the cold and the humid environment is the main cause for a man’s arthritis but may be the necessary condition to other creatures. Something that somebody thinks beautiful may be felt very ugly to the others.

4 Tiger likes to eat meat; elephant prefers to eat leaf. The different subjective condition makes them have different hobbies in eating. There actually have no absolute standard in this world.

5 Nie Que’s questions which had bothered him for a long time had perfect answers now. He went delightedly to his classmate—Pu Yizi and told him the answers he got from Wang Ni. Pu Yizi felt happy too for his classmate had gained the truth.

6 Pu Yizi said, “Yes! Wang Ni is right. Do you know why You yu shi was worse than Tai shi in the practice? The cause is that You yu shi would never throw off the heart-rooted moral codes, such as benevolence, righteousness, loyal and credit. He always took those codes as standard to appraise others. Of course, You yu shi’s way might be appropriate to the common people but it might be not always suitable to other things, especially to those men of perfect practice.

7 Tai shi was different from him. He threw afar off the moral codes. Everything he doing complied with Tao so he became a real free man.

8 He slept soundly and never dreamed at night. He usually lived a free and easy life, avoiding the effect of fame, wealth, temper and other subjective conditions and objective conditions stimulated on his tranquil, sound and peaceful life.

9 Last time you had asked Wang Ni four questions, in the first one, you said: Is everything consists of the same elements from the standpoint of micro? In the view of which, Tai Shi argued that we are the same with the cattle and the horses.

10 We are not superior to the cattle and the horses in the least. Human is absolutely not the best creature and had no naturally endowed domination to other things. Tai Shi’s recognition was credible and rational.

11 Because of such practice, his attitude to ‘knowing’ was right whereas the common people lacked such recognition.”