The Great and Venerable Teacher

To know what Heaven does and to know what man does — that is the utmost. What is the True Man? The True Man of old did not oppose the minority, did not boast of success, did not scheme over affairs. He could climb high without trembling, enter water without getting wet, enter fire without feeling heat. His sleep was dreamless, his waking without worry. He did not know to delight in life or to hate death.

The Great and Venerable Teacher is the Dao itself — before heaven and earth, older than antiquity, the source of all being. It gives spirits and gods their power, gives birth to heaven and earth.

When the spring runs dry, the fish are stranded together on the land. They moisten each other with their damp breath, wet each other with their spit — but better to forget each other in rivers and lakes. Rather than praise Yao and condemn Jie, better to forget both and transform with the Way.

Four men — Zisi, Ziyu, Zili, and Zilai — became friends because each could see death, life, survival, and loss as one body. When Ziyu fell ill, twisted and deformed, Zisi asked if he resented it. Ziyu replied: 'Why would I resent it? If the Creator turned my left arm into a rooster, I would use it to tell the time. If He turned my right arm into a crossbow, I would use it to shoot birds. What we gain is timely; what we lose is the following along. At peace with the time, dwelling in what follows — sorrow and joy cannot enter.'

Yan Hui said: 'I am making progress.' Confucius asked: 'What do you mean?' 'I sit and forget.' 'What is sitting and forgetting?' 'I drop away my limbs and torso, dismiss my eyesight and hearing, depart from my form and let go of knowledge, and merge with the great thoroughfare. This is what I call sitting and forgetting.'