Chapter I: Have Come Now to Ask a Favor: Will You Lend Me Your Old Garden, to Use

FOR LOOKING AT THE HILL?
[_Po Chu-i_]

NON-BEING

JOIN THE SPOKES TOGETHER TO MAKE A WHEEL. A WHEEL IS FULL OF OPENNESS ... NON-BEING. BUT IT IS NECESSARY.

SPIN WET CLAY TO SHAPE A COOKING-POT. A COOKING-POT IS EMPTY ... FULL OF NON-BEING. BUT IT IS NECESSARY.

WORK A SAW TO CUT OUT DOOR AND WINDOWS. DOOR AND WINDOWS ARE HOLES ... NON-BEING. BUT THEY ARE NECESSARY.

TO HAVE BEING IS GOOD. BUT ALSO IT IS NECESSARY TO HAVE NON-BEING ... NOTHINGNESS. [_The Way of Virtue_]

ETERNITY

THE HEAVEN ENDURES FOREVER AND THE EARTH IS ETERNAL. WHY ARE HEAVEN AND EARTH ENDURING AND ETERNAL? BECAUSE THEY DO NOT LIVE FOR THEMSELVES ... THEREFORE THEY CAN LIVE FOREVER.

THE WISE MAN DESIRES TO BE FORGOTTEN, BUT HE IS REMEMBERED. HE DESIRES TO BE FREE OF LIFE, BUT HE RETAINS IT. HE DESIRES NOTHING FOR HIMSELF, BUT HE FINDS EVERYTHING HE WANTS. [_The Way of Virtue_]

THE WAY OF THE WAY

IF YOU FOLLOW THE WAY, YOU MAY TRAVEL ALL OVER THE EMPIRE WITHOUT HARM. YOU WILL FIND PEACE AND YOU WILL FIND QUIETNESS.

PERHAPS YOU WILL PAUSE FOR MUSIC AND STRANGE FOODS ... NO HARM TO ENJOY THEM.

BUT THE WAY ITSELF HAS NO FLAVOR, THE WAY ITSELF HAS NO SOUND, THE WAY ITSELF CANNOT BE SEEN ... BUT USE IT: IT IS NEVER ENDING. [_The Way of Virtue_]

AWAY WITH PHILOSOPHERS

AWAY WITH PHILOSOPHERS, AWAY WITH SAGES. PEOPLE WILL BE A HUNDREDFOLD WISER.... AWAY WITH CHARITY, AWAY WITH VIRTUE. PEOPLE WILL RETURN TO GOODNESS AND KINDNESS.... AWAY WITH PROFITS, AWAY WITH SKILLS. PEOPLE WILL BE FREE OF ROBBERS AND THIEVES.

IF THESE THREE REFORMS ARE NOT ENOUGH, THEN LET ALL MEN SIMPLY GAZE ON PLAINNESS, CHERISH UNCARVED BLOCKS OF STONE, FORGO THE “I,” AND FREE THEMSELVES FROM ALL DESIRE. [_The Way of Virtue_]

NOT IN REPAYMENT

HE GAVE ME A QUINCE. THEN I GAVE HIM A CARVED JADE ... NOT TO PAY HIM BACK, BUT TO MAKE OUR LOVE LONG-LASTING.

HE GAVE ME A PEACH. THEN I GAVE HIM AN EMERALD ... NOT TO PAY HIM BACK, BUT TO MAKE OUR LOVE LONG-LASTING.

HE GAVE ME A PLUM. THEN I GAVE HIM A BLACK JADE ... NOT TO PAY HIM BACK, BUT TO MAKE OUR LOVE LONG-LASTING. [_The Book of Songs_]

WAITING FOR YOU

OVER THE PASS OF THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS TRAVELS THE EVENING SUN; THE HILL-FOLDS GATHER THEIR DEEP DARK; THE MOON LIGHTS UP COLD IN ITS TWISTED PINE-BRANCH; THE LITTLE BROOK SINGS COLD, AND THE COLD WIND SIGHS; THE WOOD CUTTERS ALL HAVE CARRIED THEIR BUNDLES HOME; THE WHEELING BIRDS ARE SETTLED IN THEIR TREES.

THE HOUR IS PAST THAT YOU PROMISED YOU WOULD COME. MY LUTE IS STILL ... LEANING AMONG THE VINES, WAITING IN THE COLD GLEN AMONG THE VINES. [_Mêng Hai jan_]

DRAGON OF THE SHORELESS SEA

OH DRAGON, RULER OF THE SHORELESS SEA OF DEATH, CARRY AWAY MY BELOVÈD, WHILE, LEANING OVER HER WITH PASSION, I DRINK IN HER PERFUMED BREATH.

CARRY HER AWAY IN YOUR SHIP OF GHOSTS, AND CARRY ME AWAY WITH HER ... THAT WE MAY FLOAT FOREVER TOGETHER ON THAT SEA, DRUNKEN WITH LOVE. [_Li Hung-chang_]

THE WIND-TORN ROOF

IN THE EIGHTH-MOON OF AUTUMN, WITH A VICIOUS HOWLING, WIND TORE THREE LAYERS OF THATCH FROM MY POOR ROOF.

FLYING OVER THE RIVER THE THATCH RAINED ON THE EMBANKMENT, TANGLED IN THE TREES, WHIRLED AFAR TO SINK AND SETTLE IN THE MARSHES.

A SWARM OF BOYS FROM THE VILLAGE LAUGHED AT ME BECAUSE I AM FEEBLE. O INSOLENCE! STEALING MY THATCH AND CARRYING IT OFF TO PLAY WITH IN THE BAMBOO GROVE! I SCREAMED AT THEM WITH A DRY TONGUE ... BUT THEY LAUGHED AT ME AND I CAME HOME SIGHING.

THEN THE WIND STOPPED, THE CLOUDS TURNED DARK, AND NIGHT CAME ON LIKE INK. MY OLD COTTON QUILT WAS COLD AS IRON ... MY SWEET SON TOSSED IN HIS SLEEP, BARE FEET STICKING THROUGH THE BLANKET ... RAIN CAME THROUGH THE ROOF TILL THERE WAS NOT A DRY INCH IN BED.

LIKE STRINGS OF WAX THE RAIN HUNG DOWN ... ALL THESE DISASTERS OF WAR HANG DOWN AND KEEP US FROM PEACEFUL REST.