Tree on Hill (7)

1 Besieged in the place between the state of Chen and the state of Cai, Confucius and his disciples had not eaten cooked food for seven days. All of them quenched hunger with hard solid food, they all looked rather depressed. The voice usually people discussing and remarking about everything were now all calmed down. The environment was quiet and still; people’s feeling were upset and shaking.

2 Then someone suddenly sing a song of Shengnong, accompanying by knocking a dry trunk with a branch. The singer’s rhythm and beat are messy. His song is out of the pitch. His accompaniment and sound express his fear, nervousness and loss mood clearly.

3 Yan Hui was afraid that the song made his teacher unhappy. Staying still, he squinted at his teacher’s response. Confucius read his favorite disciple’s mind. He knew that now Yan Hui’s feeling was same as other’s, but he was unwilling to see that Yan Hui’s worry about him and maintaining his dignity increase more fear and sadness that had prevailed in this lovely disciple.

4 Confucius said to Yan Hui, “Yan Hui. It is easy to escape from the affliction by the heaven while it is difficult to decline the favor from men. There is no beginning without an ending; men and the heaven are one and the same. Who sang just now? Obviously his practice was insufficient.

5 Yan Hui dared not say who the singer was. He just asked Confucius, “Sir, could I know the meaning of “It is easy to escape from the afflictions by the heaven.”

6 Confucius said, “Hunger, thirst, cold, destitution and failure are the inevitable trace of natural operation. When winter comes, tree, grass and flowers wither and animals are hungry. In serious drought, countless animals die from thirst on the grasslands because of no water. When plague comes, fowl, cattle and people die in great deal. There is nothing to complain about such natural calamity. We have to sit down under it, wearing more clothes, storing more food and water, improving environment and sanitation. These natural calamities will pass by themselves at the end of day.

7 As a minister, you can’t quit your job due to the calamities. You should hold your ground to work hard for your country.

8 As a minister, we should do so in calamity. As a common people, we shouldn’t betray, curse and blame our god for a few failures. Don’t you think so?”

9 “What about ‘it is difficult to decline the favor from men’?” Yan Hui asked again.

10 Confucius said, “Many things are created due to the development of human’s civilization. They do give people convenience. At first, we think them very good, but later, we can’t throw them away after we are accustomed to use them, just like smoking cigarette and opium.

11 Fame and interest are so. We must know that fame and wealth are outward things, not inherent. Furthermore, the power evolutes from it may become the source of corruption. Lord John Acton (1834-1902) said: 'Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.'

12 We mention that gentleman doesn’t rob others and sage doesn’t steal others. If we occupy fame and wealth that is not inherent, are we robber or thief?

13 Swallow has the best virtue among birds. It doesn’t take a glance at what it thinks it should not take. You put food there but it takes no notice. Of course, we know that swallow is afraid of being snared so it does so. Though swallow fear human so much, they still build nests under eave of human’s house.

14 We know that fame and wealth trigger our avarice, wrath and obsession that bring worry and sadness to us. However, who among people under the sky can refuse their temptations?”

15 Yan Hui asked again, “What about ‘There is no beginning without an ending’?”

16 Confucius said, “Our human’s consciousness only can touch, sense and understand our life between birth and death. Things before and after life are out of our reach. It is somewhat like the mosquito of summer can’t see the scene of spring and the stagnant environment in winter. We don’t probe the problems before life and after death. For something we don't know very well, we better not touch and talk about it. For this reason, let's forget the problems before life and after death and live well at the present life.”

17 Looking up to the sky, Yan Hui felt most of his worry disappearing. He asked Confucius, “What about ‘men and the heaven are one and the same’?”

18 Confucius said, “Human is an occasional creation of the nature. The nature is autogenetic. Its natures conceal in everyone. We call them as self-nature, Buddha-nature, Qi, calmness and refinement. The precious nature in human can’t be shown because the wisdoms of man, such as avarice, wrath and obsession develop too much so as to cover the wisdom of heaven. The men of perfect practice understand the fact so they feel frank and safe because they know the operation of the heaven, human and fate. No matter what situation they always keep a sound, tranquil and peaceful mood. They don’t feel anxious all days. They are free and never control by failure, danger and fear.”