DESTINY, FATE 27 



apart from these special works, the whole of literature is, 

 tinged with it. The missionary Nicolas Smogolenski also 

 wrote an astrological treatise in Chinese on this subject. 

 "This was apparently translated from some European book 

 on the subject. The first part deals with the general 

 principles of the art : the second is occupied with astrono- 

 mical formulae chiefly in spherical trigonometry : and the 

 last part contains drafts of fifteen horoscopes. It is difficult 

 to understand what could have been the motive in giving this to 

 the Chinese, marked as it is by all the absurdities of the pseudo 

 science of two hundred years ago." (Wylie, pp. 106, 107). 



Destiny and fate, however, have not only to do with 

 the lives of men and women but pertain to the very nature 

 of things, to the origin of species. Why should one atom 

 become a man, another a bird, another a w T orm and so on. 

 This, too, has not passed the observations of the Chinese. 

 Chuang Tzu indicates it in the symposium of the animals in 

 their interchange of thought on their specific qualities. 



The walrus said to the centipede, "I hop about on one leg, but 

 not very successfully. How do you manage all these legs you have?" 

 "I don't manage them," replied the centipede. "My mechanism works 

 naturally, without my being conscious of the fact." 



The centipede said to the snake, "With all my legs I do not move 

 as fast as you with none. How is that?" "One's mechanism," replied 

 the snake, "is not a thing to be changed. What need have I for legs?"' 



The snake said to the wind, "I can manage to wriggle along, but 

 I have a form : now you come blustering down from the north sea to 

 sweep down to the south sea, and yet you seem to be without form. 

 How is that?" "It is true," the wind replied, "that I bluster as you 

 say, but any one who can point at me or kick at me, excels me. On 

 the other hand, I can break huge trees and destroy large buildings." 



Thus we see destiny has appointed to each thing its form 

 and quality. Yet no creature seems resigned to its own lot 

 and endowments. The walrus envies the centipede, the 

 centipede envies the snake and so on. Destiny and fate have 

 not given entire satisfaction to anything. As Chuang Tzu 

 says, 



"Small bags wont hold big things, short ropes wont reach down 

 deep wells. Thus destiny is a prearrangement, just as form has its 

 limitations. From neither to neither, can you either take away 

 or add." 



One day Chuang Tzu was surprised by the flight of a 

 strange bird — a bird with large wings and eyes an inch in 

 circumference. So he picked up his skirts and strode 

 towards it with his cross-bow, anxious to get a shot. Just 

 then he saw a cicada enjoying itself in the shade, forgetful of 

 all else. And he saw a mantis spring and seize it, forgetting 

 in the act its own body, which the strange bird immediately 

 pounced upon and made its prey. "This episode" says 



