Tree on Hill (4)

1 Confucius was surrounded by a mob in a place between the state of Chen and the state of Cai. It had been seven days for him not to eat cooked food. In this dangerous moment, an old man called Ren paid a visit to comfort him.

2 Seeing Confucius, Ren said, “You almost be killed by the mob.”

3 Confucius embarrassed and replied, “Yes. Almost.”

4 Ren asked again, “Being a master, are you afraid of death too?”

5 Confucius answered, “Of course. Being a man, there is no exception, everyone afraid of death.”

6 Taking this opportunity, Ren intended to convey more knowledge about religion and philosophy to this master, since Confucius was against such intangible ideas and insisted that people don’t know life, not to mention death.

7 Ren said, “Let me teach you how to escape the threats of hardship and death.

8 There is a big bird called Yidai. It looks silly. Its flying range is limit and skill is so-so. Its nest is built as close to other birds as possible, though there is noisier.

9 When flying it never dare to be the first one. On the way flying back it daren’t be the last. It always seeks for protection in the group. When eating, it daren’t scramble for food, so it always eats the remains of other’s.

10 Hence, it never is left alone; and there is no one intends to hurt him.

11 A straight tree always is the first one to be felled down. Well where water is sweeter is the first one to become dry. Sir, you go around to publicize your knowledge to the ignorant people and give them big surprise. Your adorned virtue makes the common people eclipse before you. You shine around as if the moon and the sun were followed you. Your image is too prominent which brings you disaster.

12 I heard from Laotse: ‘He who is conceited will not do himself credit; he who is intoxicated with his success will come to ruin; he who rests on his fame will suffer from losses’. In other word, he who brags of himself is not recorded on the book of merits; he who is very successful will lose his reputation at last; successful man will eventually retreat from the life stage.

13 There are few people in the world who would like to give up fame and success and willing to be an earthling.

14 Tao disperses everywhere but it never sports itself. Virtue’s influence goes far but it never cares reputation.

15 A man of perfect practice always asks himself to be an honest and sincere earthling. Sometime, he is like a fool and been treated unfairly, but he doesn’t care. He often reminds himself not to be a man under limelight. Power and nobility are vainness that he is eager to abstain from.

16 Don’t live for fame and success. Thus you won’t remark others and others surely won’t remark you. The man of perfect virtue seeks to be the unknown. He knows that it is bad for a man to be famous and it is bad for a pig to be fat.”

17 Keeping nodding, Confucius said, “Well! Very good.”

18 The next day, leaving all relatives, friends and students, he went to an obsolete and remote place to live an isolated life. His clothes are plain and his food is simple. After some time, the animals around his house got used to his existence. Animals and he stayed together peacefully without disturbing each other.

19 Animals could accept him. Thus society of human naturally didn’t expel and provoke him.