Gengsang Chu (1)

1 As one of the favorite and best disciples of Laotse, Gengsang Chu had got a great knowledge from Laotse.

2 When Gengsang Chu was appointed as the governor of Weilei, in the beginning many people disagreed with his manner, especially the officials who were well known as their wisdom, and those tuft hunting ladies. They were reluctant to stay with him and leave one after another.

3 Those who stayed with him were pragmatic and rough people.

4 However, after three years, his governing made his territory peaceful and rich. People were very delighted. They went around telling each other, “In the first place, we suspected Gengsang Chu and thought that he applied temporarily strict measures as every new office usually would do. His measures bewildered people so the talents left us one by one. At that time, we all reckoned his government would fall sooner or later.

5 Nevertheless, we worked in the light of his measure, toiling every day. At the beginning, it seemed resultless. We still had a ghost of doubt. But day after day, the result of his policy came out gradually.

6 Today, we look back the past three years. With our efforts, our society has made a sound progress. Gengsang Chu is foresighted indeed. We are lucky to work with a good official as him. Shouldn’t we build a temple and make his statue to worship? By this way, we give a role model to the future officials, so we people become blissful.”

7 Gengsang Chu didn’t think this suggestion is right, hearing the rumor among people. He felt depressed. His disciples felt confused about his mood. They thought he should be happy, instead of being depressed to this remark.

8 Gengsang Chu told them, “How are you confused with my response? In the spring buds grow on twigs; in the summer, flowers bloom and crops flourish. Do they happen without reasons? It is the operation of Tao makes it happen, and has no relation with the rulers!

9 My teacher told me, 'The official of perfect practice doesn’t exert his policy; under the environment of Tao, people live in peace and happiness; country is stable and peaceful.'

10 Today people in Weilei owe the achievements to my governing because of the harvest. They want to build a temple and make my statue for worship. Obviously, they intend to rank me in the list of sages, which is not what I want.

11 As a disciple of Laotse, I should be a local official who people don’t remember. It is better for them not to know my name and not to feel my existence. In that case, I am regarded as a good official.

12 People in Weilei treat me like this. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.”

13 The disciples disagreed with his thinking. They said, “Don’t say so. A good official should deserve the honor and position, as a whale can be detected easily in the river and only small fishes, such as loach, can hide in it.

14 Tiger and elephant can’t hide in the mounds; only small animals, such as fox, can hide. From Yao and Shun, the policy to recommend sage and talent people to work for country is done by each dynasty. Without exception, you might as well let them be.”

15 Shaking his head, Gengsang Chu said, “Come and sit down here. Let me give you my reasons in more details. Once leaving high mountains, extremely fierce animal can’t escape being preyed; once leaving water and stranding on bank, the biggest fish might be eaten by a small insect as ant.

16 Therefore, birds and animals prefer living in high mountains and fishes and turtles prefer living in the deep water, so does the man of perfect practice. He goes all out to hide himself or to ward off attention from the masses. That is way they choose to live in the isolated and peaceful place.

17 Yao and Shun were the first two to advocate that talents were promoted among people and then were appointed to a high position with high salary. They asked the talents to serve the society.

18 To be frank, I can’t understand it. What on earth in this policy is worthy being praised?

19 The policy is helpless, like using a cup of water to put out a fire on a cart of firewood. It is somewhat like tidying up hair by each hair, cooking rice by each grain or growing crops on a hole made on a wall. The measures of the policy are useless to the whole governing.

20 On the contrary, the promotion of talents incurs meaningless competition and opposition. It results in the situation that is like the result of electing leaders of village: in the election, candidates smear, attack and undermine each other.

21 Entitling clever idea-men mean encouraging guile and trick. The way for promotion of talents is harmful to the whole society.

22 The so-called democratic countries of modern world witnessed the deeper separation of classes after each wide election. If each person keeps an eye on individual interest and put scrambling for power and interest as the first priority, then the evil things happen frequently, such as son killing father, official murdering by his subordinate, as well as robbing and stealing openly in the public place.

23 Getting to the bottom of the said problems, we find that the talent promotion policy of Yao and Shun is the original source and its effect is very far-reaching.

24 In the human society after thousands of years, it would be commonly seen that politicians compete for numbered positions by attacking each other openly.”