The Three Principle Texts of Daoism translated by ... - Bad Request

opponent, however brave or strong, afraid to stab or tostrike at all! His being afraid, however, does not alwaysimply that he has not the will to do so. Now, my secretmethod operates so that even the will is absent. Nothaving the will to harm, however, does not necessarilyconnote the desire to love and to do good. But my secretis one whereby every man, woman and child in theEmpire shall be inspired with the friendly desire to loveand do good to one another! This is something thattranscends all social distinctions, and is much better thanthe mere possession of courage and strength. Has yourHighness no mind to acquire such a secret as this?"“Nay," said the prince, “I am anxious to learn it. What isthe secret, pray?"“Nothing else," replied Hui Yang, “than the teachingsof Confucius and Mo Tzu [1] . Neither of these two menpossessed any land, and yet they were princes; they heldno official rank, and yet they were leaders. All theinhabitants of the Empire, old and young, used to cranetheir necks and stand on tiptoe to catch a glimpse ofthem. For it was their object to bring peace andhappiness to all. Now, your Highness is lord of tenthousand chariots [2] . If you are sincere in your purpose,all the people within the four borders of your realm willreap the benefit, and the fame of your virtue will farexceed that of Confucius or of Mo Tzu." [3]The prince of Sung found himself at loss for an answer,and Hui Yang quickly withdrew. Then the prince turnedto his courtiers and said: “A forcible argument! This