Response to Emperors (5)

1 In the State of Zheng there was a future teller called Ji Xian who could tell anyone’s past as well as the coming fortune and misfortune. People who asked him to tell said that his tell is exact as a god's saying.

2 People in the State of Zheng awed the future teller because it was embarrassed or even bad to be known of their coming fortune and misfortune at a sight.

3 People always lived in dimness to some extent. If a man knew that he would hit the grand prize of a hundred millions in a lottery after half year, how would he live through the six months before it?

4 If a man knew that he would kick the bucket after half year, what mood would he live with in the following six months.

5 So people in the state met him in the street, they would ward off him by making a detour.

6 Lietse didn’t think so. He thought that Ji Xian’s power was fairly strong. Those who left home to learn Tao should possess this power. The so-called non-learning skill is so, isn’t it?

7 Someday Lietse learned about Ji Xian’s power of foretelling. He went back to school and said to his teacher Hutse, “Once I think that you are the greatest in practice, but now I think that Ji Xian’s power seems is far and away yours.”

8 Hutse didn’t blame on the beginner for his reaction. He said to Lietse, “You are an entrant. What I teach you until now are some shallow knowledge, not the essence of Tao you are going to learn. What you know now is far from the real Tao.

9 If there were no cock in the group of hens, the egg laid by hen must not be hatched to chicken. Now that you don’t obtain the essence, you certainly have no the function of Tao. Comparing to the real Tao, Ji Xian’s worldly tricks is unworthy to believe.

10 Ji Xian could fear you time after time because your practice is not enough. Tomorrow you ask him to come here and foretell for me. You may know how his trick is.”

11 The next day, Lietse asked Ji Xian to see his teacher Hutse. After meeting, Ji Xian looked nervous and said to Lietse, “Wow. Your teacher’s death is approaching. I forecast that he just can live for ten more days. It is curious that I just have seen much moisture ashes on his body as if it were burned bone ash.”

12 Hearing what Ji Xian said, Lietse scared almost to death. He ran back to Hutse, embraced him and forwarded sadly Ji Xian’s words to his teacher.

13 With a smile, Hutse consoled him, “Don’t worry. I am far from death. Just now I showed him only the element of earth which is one of the four elements. Its feature is hard and steady like a mountain. Seeing my appearance of life like that Ji Xian thus thought that my death is coming. Tomorrow you ask him to come here again. I will show him another appearance. Let’s see what he would assert.”

14 The next day, Lietse took Ji Xian to Hutse again. After meeting, Ji Xian was confident to tell Lietse, “There is a hope to save your teacher. He is lucky to meet me and I have found the way to turn the adversity. Yesterday his life was blocked; however, today I see it loose possibly.”

15 Lietse was calm this time. He went back to retell Ji Xian’s words. Hutse said, “Right now I showed him the element of wind but concealed that of fire, water and earth. Due to the wind is usually rising from heal that he saw the appearance of life and thought that I might be saved. Tomorrow you bring him here again. I will show him others. Let’s listen to his new opinion.”

16 The next day, Lietse took Ji Xian to Hutse the third time. After meeting, Ji Xian said depressively, “This time I can’t foretell for your teacher because his appearance is unfixed and capriccioso. Let’s wait when his appearance is fixed some other days, I will see him again.”

17 Lietse’s curiosity arose again. He immediately went back to ask, “Sir! Sir! What do you play today? How do you make Ji Xian confused?”

18 Hutse replied, “I showed him non self and being flexibility this time. Surly he could see nothing. Tomorrow you bring him here and tell him that I’ve settled down.”

19 The next day Ji Xian felt somewhat timid but he couldn’t refuse Lietse’s insistence, so he went with Lietse constrainedly. However, when he entering the room and seeing Hutse, he quickly turned and ran away. Hutse asked Lietse to call him back. After a while, Lietse came back and told him, “I can’t catch him. He runs fast and disappears in a blink. What has happened on earth?”

20 Hutse said, “I concealed all elements just now so he couldn’t see my fresh body and couldn’t tell who is sitting opposite to him. When he saw my soul, self-nature, Buddha-nature, calmness and refinement, he was stunned. He was frightened to run away because he couldn't understand what it was on earth.”

21 After the event, Lietse realized the profound and great Tao. Therefore, he made up his mind to practice hard. In the following three years, he stayed at home – to focus on each thing in front of him; to cook for his wife; to feed pig devotedly; and to desert the concept that self was exalted and others were humble, by this way he reached the level of integration with the nature. He respected the original aspects of all things that he didn’t change it at random. He packed away his desires and feelings, like a cold stone. Assorted objective environments had no effect of temptation on him. Lietse persisted on those principles in his whole life, without any change.