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

the feudal princes, yet he was reduced to sore straitsbetween Ch'ên and Ts'ai.“The conduct of Chou of the Yin dynasty did notsurpass that of the Three Men of Virtue [his relativesWei Tzu, Chi Tzu and Pi Kan], yet he occupied a kinglythrone. Chi Cha would not accept the overlordship ofWu, while T'ien Hêng usurped sole power in Ch'i. Po Iand Shu Ch'i starved to death at Shou-yang, while ChiShih waxed rich at Chan-ch'in. If these results werecompassed by your efforts, how is it that you allottedlong life to P'êng Tsu and an untimely death to YenYüan; that you awarded discomfiture to the sage andsuccess to the impious, humiliation to the wise man andhigh honours to the fool, poverty to the good and wealthto the wicked?"“If, as you say," rejoined Effort, “I have really nocontrol over events, is it not, then, owing to yourmanagement that things turn out as they do?"Fate replied: “The very name “Fate" shows that therecan be no question of management in the case. When theway is straight, I push on; when it is crooked, I put upwith it. Old age and early death, failure and success, highrank and humble station, riches and poverty—all thesecome naturally and of themselves. How can I knowanything about them?“Being what it is, without knowing why—that is themeaning of Fate. What room is there for managementhere?”