Utmost Joy (5)

1 Yan Yuan decided to start his career in the State of Qi. Confucius worried about the honest kid who would leave school to strive alone.

2 Zi Gong detected Confucius’s worry from his face. Zi Gong wondered why he showed his worry for Yan Yuang, usually he would speak of something to encourage or congratulate the students who graduated from school. Why did he show worry to this outstanding student?

3 After class, Zi Gong found a chance to see Confucius alone. He asked, “Yan Yuan decided to go to the State of Qi to develop his undertaking. It should be worth congratulating. Why did you show worry?”

4 Confucius answered, “Good question. Just now I can’t speak of the reason in the classroom. Now I would like to make it clear in our private chat. In the spare time, you may explain it to other students for me.

5 Once upon a time, Guangzi addressed a statement that I like very much. He said, “Small pocket can’t be used to hold the big things. Short rope can’t be used to draw water in the deep well.”

6 The sentence means that each person is different from others in fate, family, wealth, culture and habit. He has his own proper environment to live. You can’t force him to change it. It is bad that he gives up the proper and most suitable environment to enter a new and strange one.

7 I am afraid that Yan Yuan goes to the State of Qi and talks with the king about the governance of Yao, Shun and Yellow Emperor, and the achievements of Shuiren and Shennong. Hearing these lofty achievements, the king will check his own and find that his performance is far away from those lofty ones. The king may suspect that Yan Yuan think him a bad governor.

8 As you know, the greatest taboo of a king is that anyone intends to rob his throne. He would employ any means to eradicate anyone who is powerful enough to challenge his throne. Hence, I am afraid that Yan Yuan is too naive to handle the complicated situations and may be killed for his inexperience.

9 Have you heard the story? People of the State of Lu occasionally snared a very precious sea bird.

10 Duke of Lu found the sea bird on street. Having paid much money for it, he wanted to breed it in his palace. The Duke gave it the most ceremonious feast of welcome. He ordered his Royal band to play the best music for it and provided best food to feed it.

11 However, the sea bird never showed a ghost of joy since it entered the palace. It didn’t eat a piece of meat and drink a little water. After disconsolateness of three days, it kicked its bucket.

12 The reason to cause the bird’s death is that the duke breeds the bird in the way of breeding human. It doesn’t work certainly.

13 Breeding bird should be in its own way. We can’t judge bird’s taste by our human’s taste.

14 To a bird, it should live in broad forest, flying over the island and the sea. It should prey on small fish near the lake. It flies as it wants. It can’t stand the man’s confinement.

15 He asked the Royal band to play deafening music. What a stupid action!

16 Didn’t the Duke of Lu know that human’s sound is the most terrible noise to the bird?

17 When I played Xianchi and Jiushao, the most wonderful music, in the wild field, the birds are frightened away; animals run to escape, and fishes sink down to the deep water.

18 To human, however, it is different. They hoard up to listen to it carefully, being afraid of missing a note.

19 One action causes different results are common in the real world. For example, the fish in water is vigorous and free, but human in water will be drowned to death soon. The difference between the living of fish and the death of human is their own individuality. For this reason, a man should not be forced to do the things that are improper to him.

20 In order to deal with the assorted environments and changes, the ancient sages went all out to learn various ability of living. According to different qualities of their students and offspring, the sage gave them different education respectively, so that they can bring their strongpoint into full play and show their excellence in their own realm.

21 The ancient sages know that to each person or each environment, people should deal with in different way. So they always change their way in terms of the environment; they don’t go around by one craft or skill only.

22 The ancient sages were very discreet in the reputation given by others. They didn’t accept any praise unworthy of the fact. They didn’t flatter themselves for it yet. They appraised their deeds imprudently. They never were charmed by inflammatory words by other. Such suicide deeds of patriotism as Kamikaze, they never did.

23 Keeping the above-said in mind, a man is qualified to make a living in officialdom; he is able to handle the affairs at ease and protect himself, his position and wealth.

24 Yan Yuan is an honest kid. Do you think that he is suitable for the officialdom? This is the reason of my worry.”