Zhi the Robber (2)

1 Zi Zhang and Goude Man were close friends. Goude Man didn’t spend much time in studying; however, had a passion for traveling. Many wonderful scenic spots had witnessed his footprints.

2 One day, Zi Zhang asked Goude Man, “My Friend, shouldn’t you try to read more books? You really should polish your manners and social skills. You also need to pay closer attention to the moral virtues of our society; integrity, loyalty and trust. You cannot establish prestige within society unless you have built a good self reputation. It is only then, that you will be considered for positions within the government. Without ascertaining a post with the government or pursuing a good career, how do you expect to make a living or support your family?

3 I tell you truly. The fame and interest have direct close tie to the credit, righteousness, benevolence and loyalty.

4 I sense your arrogance and superiority. I know you don’t care about the fame and interest. But does your process of self enrichment not include enhancing your morals?”

5 Goude Man shook his head and said in a seemingly leisure manner, “I don’t think what you have said makes sense! According to the results of the careful observation after my abundant traveling experience, I found that only those who are cruel, greedy, and apt to achieve everything by any kind of means are suitable for winning a promotion and getting rich.

6 If you want to be a high official, you must have good eloquence and be shameless in bragging. So, for seeking for the fame and interest, you must throw away all the regulations and be equipped with good eloquence instead of complying with the credit, righteousness, benevolence and loyalty.

7 Additionally, if you want to become a man of perfect practice, not seeking for the fame and interest, you should bent to attaining soundness, tranquility and peace. It is in vain to seek them by the credit, righteousness, benevolence and loyalty.”

8 Zizhang disagreed on Goude Man’s wrong theory. He refuted, “Both Jie and Zhou were Kings. They are very noble. All land under the sun belongs to them. Therefore, they can be regarded as rich men. Nevertheless, if I say to my servants, ‘Your conducts are as the same as Jie's and Zhou's. ’ They would felt very embarrassed at once. The reason is simple: all people know that Jie and Zhou are malicious. So my servants would answer back, ‘How am I so malicious. Don't do me wrong.’

9 Both Confucius and Modi were poor scholars. If we told a minister, ‘Your virtue is like Confucius's and Modi's. ’ The minister will happily gap his mouth and say in modest manner, ‘Thank you. You flatter me.’ Response of the minister means that Confucius and Modi are symbols of nobility.

10 Hence, he as a king is not certain to be noble. They as poor scholar are not sure to be humble. Differences between the humble and the noble are reputation and public identification of the credit, righteousness, benevolence and loyalty.”

11 Smiling, Goude Man said, “A thief steals other’s belongings by ransack closet and desk. If caught, he would be thrown into prison. However, if he steal great things, such as a company and even a country, that’s different. If you merger with other company, you are general manager or director of board; if you take the power of state, you are the leader of state. Do you think that those founders of a country are benevolent and righteousness? It is questionable.

12 Duke Huan of Qi killed his elder brother and married elder brother’s wife. So to speak, he was a man of incest. However, since he appointed Guangzhong as minister, the government under his helm had done well.

13 Tiancheng Zichang killed his king and replaced him with himself. He came to throne sanctimoniously. Didn’t your Confucius accept salary from him?

14 In class, you remark that this conduct is humble and unworthy of being learned from. However, in the real life and officialdom, you forget those principle and compromise with the reality.

15 What you have done, it doesn’t accord with what you have said. Is it contradictive? So they said ‘He who succeeds is king; he who failed is bandit.’ There is no direct and close tie between the fame, interest and the credit, righteousness, benevolence as well as loyalty.”

16 Zizhang felt that what Goude Man said was reasonable in a way; however, he still doubted it. He said, “If people desert benevolence, righteousness, royalty and credit, how to maintain the tie among relatives? How to rank the society? How to distinguish the orders of generation? If we can’t make clear the relations, such as father and son, king and minister, husband and wife, the young and the old, and friends, doesn’t the society go into mess?”

17 Goude Man said, “Even if there were benevolence, righteousness, royalty and credit that you mentioned, would the social relation be sure to be stable? As you know, Yao killed his first son; Shun banished his father. Did they take responsibility of father and elder brother? Tang replaced Jie with himself; king Wu killed Zhou. Did they abide by the rule of king and minister? King Tai of Zhou consigned throne to his youngest son who made his elder brother flee to Jingman; Duke of Zhou killed his elder brother. Dare you say that the order of generations exists? Modi advocated comprehensive love. Thus it is not necessary to establish five relationships and the six positions.

18 You Confucian worked out some fake and hypocritical theories and asked common people to abide by them, which is nothing but makes ruler convenient to manage. If I really want to seek the fame and interest, I attain them sooner without your theories.

19 Now let’s return to the original topic. Your Confucian makes much of reputation, but I am pragmatic. I make much of how to acquire fortune. Frankly speaking, there is no tie between the fame, interest and the practice, Tao.

20 I remembered that we once disputed on the fame and interest in Sir Wuyue’s class. Then, he remarked that common people marched forward courageously for wealth at risk of losing life, while man of virtue who you Confucian praises will go through fire and water for reputation. The two kinds of conduct are different in goal setting, but as for changes of nature and humanity, their consequences are the same.

21 So, men of practice should not be like worldly people who stoop to anything to make money all day despite of their safety. They should not learn your Confucians also who deal with everything in society with affectation. We should calm down to seek for sound, tranquil and peaceful heart. Once self-nature and so on is set free to develop and the great wisdom improves us. As regarding to the right and wrong, we better let it be what it is.

22 We observed around and adjusted ourselves in the light of change. Right or wrong, let it is what it is. Master your mood and keep it from influence on your sound, tranquil and peaceful heart. Never stiffen your idea and never act in a Procrustean way for the stale regulations and queer ideas. It is stupidest way to die for an idea or a concept. Don’t seek the ranks and wealth and don’t pursue achievements and fame. All these efforts would jeopardize your self-nature, which men of practice should avoid.

23 Bigan was heart-rippen and Zixu jumped into river, which resulted from the bane of fealty. Zhigong testified that his father stolen bamboo pole and Weisheng kept faith so as to be drowned under the bridge, which resulted from the bane of faith. Baojiao died on tree and Shensheng jumped into river, which paid for lofty reputation. Confucius couldn’t take part in his mother’s funeral and Kuanzi couldn’t bid farewell to his dying father, which were caused by benevolence and righteousness. All these stories came down from the past, and will keep on to the future. If our offspring were educated through your Confucian theories, their suffering would be endless.”