Chapter 770: Sages never make up stories

Sages never make up stories.

April 21: Sages never make up stories.

In the previous chapter, the Classic of Documents recorded that Kongzi went to ask Laozi about the 'Dao'. Laozi spoke to Kongzi for a long time: 'The Dao that can be spoken is not the constant movement; the name that can be named is not the constant name. Non-being is named the beginning of heaven and earth; being is named the mother of all things. Therefore, constantly consider non-being to observe its subtlety; constantly consider being to observe its manifestations. These two arise together yet have different names; both are called the profound. Profound within profound, the gateway to myriad wonders.' Kongzi was left speechless by Laozi's words; he could not understand what Laozi said.

Laozi thought: 'This Kongzi, called an educator and a sage, is a learned person. How come even the Pass Chief Guan Yixi of Hanguanguan understands the principle that "the Dao that can be spoken is not the constant Dao; the name that can be named is not the constant name," yet he still doesn't get it? Could it be that the sage also has moments of confusion? Or does he understand but feign humility? He's truly a blockhead.'

Actually, sages also have moments of confusion, confusing aspects.

Laozi couldn't have forgotten that when he lectured on the Dao to Guan Yixi at Hanguanguan, the heads of those listening to Guan Yixi's lecture on the Dao all ached from his talk. At that time, the people around Guan Yixi complained to him, saying: 'Why invite such a pedantic person to lecture on the Dao? You don't talk about what we want to hear, and you talk a lot about what we don't want to hear.' Guan Yixi explained: 'What do you want to hear? Is it love stories, or extramarital affairs, or tales of talented scholars meeting beautiful women? These stories are all made up by people, while sages never make up stories.'

Although Guan Yixi couldn't read a single character, compared to a sage he's at best a rough fellow. Yet the rough fellow's words make sense: 'Sages never make up stories.'

Laozi is also a sage; although Kongzi couldn't understand Laozi's talk about the 'Dao,' he nevertheless believed Laozi's words were truth—Laozi would never speak nonsense, never fabricate stories to cheat for manuscript fees. Kongzi once told his students: 'Wealth and status are to me like floating clouds.' He praised his student Yan Hui: 'Yan Hui, ah, how noble and beautiful your conduct is! You never envy worldly riches and honor, you gladly accept poverty, you gladly accept loneliness. Living in a lonely alley, drinking coarse tea and eating plain food, dressing simply. You never complain, never blame heaven, never blame earth, never blame people, regarding everything as the arrangement of fate. Since it is the arrangement of fate, just accept it. So you do not resent fate either. While others cannot bear the loneliness and austerity, you continually dwell in joy. Yan Hui, ah, how noble you are! How wonderful you are!'

On the surface, Kongzi praised Yan Hui's enjoyment of poverty and willingness to endure loneliness; in fact, he was stating his own character.

If Kongzi wanted to make up stories, he would surely have many readers and earn a large sum of manuscript fees. But he never did such a thing. Therefore, Kongzi believed Laozi would also never engage in fabricating stories for manuscript fees.

Although Kongzi couldn't understand Laozi's words, he nevertheless liked Laozi's words, believing that Laozi's words are always correct, that they are truth.

And truth is not something people can recognize all at once; recognizing truth requires a process.

Just like the Analects, at that time people did not regard Kongzi's Analects as truth; they thought it was just Kongzi speaking offhand. No one welcomed him. He was like a homeless dog, wandering everywhere, terrified all day. Once, he led his students on their wanderings when they were surrounded by people of a feudal state. They were given no food and not allowed to leave. The students following him grew so hungry they could not stand. Many students complained, saying they had followed the wrong person, joined the wrong school, never expecting that following the 'Dao' would be so hard—so hard that they couldn't even get a meal, and some wanted to give up. Kongzi said: 'In the most difficult times, to be able to uphold one's noble integrity and maintain one's virtue—that is what makes a true gentleman; those petty people, though they usually swear solemnly and talk big, when they encounter a little difficulty or something unsatisfactory, immediately change their true colors and positions.'

How could such a person ever achieve success in their endeavors? ……