Response to Emperors (6)

1 People’s conducts mostly result from the factors of temptation.

2 We should beware of selecting and identifying factors. A wise man of practice should not act for the fame and seek for a certain goal by intrigue or other means.

3 Let things develop in its natural way without intervention. To the things happen around us, we should examine overall and completely in every details, but don’t think we are clever enough to surmise and explain them by our own ways.

4 We just accept the befalling on us and try our best to do it well. That is all. We don’t need to tie ourselves tightly to it as if it were our pocket money.

5 In other words, in facing the outward affairs we are like a mirror. Things reach the field of mirror, it reflects those things totally; but what the things reflected in the mirror do not belong to the mirror.

6 Image can go in and out of the mirror freely. We don’t care about those that don’t come into the mirror and we don’t intend to find ways to catch it.

7 The heart of a successful practice man is like a mirror. He is passive himself. He is passive in searching to bring vexation on himself; but he is active, quickly reactive in handling the things that come up to him.

8 Because of such attitude, his life runs smoothly, without obstruct and trouble.

The poem by Su Dongpo goes like this:

Leaf-eating, creeping and silly worm, Look up on sky and admire free soaring.

Once it is endowed with two wings, It knows misfortune of cobweb’s sticking.

Disliking chirp like sparrow in nest, Moisture swamp seems its dependence.

Heading into water but two shells grow, Becoming clam it doesn’t return back.

Who is right between worm and clam? A laugh at and off all of them,

Not to change into them I am lucky. Enjoy together the wine and do not refuse it.