14 THE OPERATIONS AND MANIFESTATIONS 



principle of action, which is consonant with Lao Tzti's 



dictum : 



A SMALL EXPERIENCE IS CLEAR AND GOOD 

 (But not enough to form a comprehensive principle. Small 

 economies are not always wise). 



(13) Militarism is baneful. — Wei Wu Hou enquired of 

 Li Ke the cause of the decay of the Wu nation : His reply 

 was "Wu often fought and often conquered," i.e., Wu was 

 too often victorious in war. Wu Hou, answered, that fre- 

 quent victories in war should lead to the greatness (and not 

 the fall) of a country, and he could not see how this could be 

 the cause of decay. Li Ke replied, "Frequent wars exhaust 

 the people : frequent victories make the masters drunk with 

 pride. The more the pride the more is the vitality of the 

 people consumed in vainglorious wars. Few are the countries 

 that can stand such a strain and not decay. Pride and 

 arrogance lead to licence and anarchy, exhausting goods and 

 people. Thus there come hatred and dislike leading to 

 every kind of scheme and device (for amelioration of hard- 

 ships). The strange thing is that Wu did not succumb much 

 •earlier. W T hen it did fall Fu Ch'an (the minister) committed 

 suicide as Kan Chuh. Lao Tzu's words give the principle : 



TO RETIRE AFTER SUCCESS IS WON AND NAME 



ESTABLISHED 

 IS A GOOD PRINCIPLE OF ACTION AND IT IS 



THE LAW OF HEAVEN. 



(14) The Saviour of his Country 1 — Ning Yueh desired 

 an official post from Duke Huan of Ch'i, but he had 

 no means of getting an interview with him. In the mean- 

 time he followed the wGrk of a merchant, and was on his 

 way to Ch'i, driving his cart loaded with goods. Besting one 

 evening outside the city gate, Duke Huan came out to 

 receive a guest to whom the gates were opened. The carts 

 round the gate were ordered to move off. The lamps and 

 lights were many and the retainers were numerous. Ning 

 Yueh tapping the horns of his cow sang a ditty in high clear 

 notes. Duke Huan tapped the arm of his attendant, saying, 

 "How strange, the singer can be no ordinary person. Let 

 him come in the train of the carriages." 2 When Duke Huan 

 had arrived his attendants waited his instructions regarding 

 the guest. The duke prepared court robes for him for the 

 interview. Duke Huan was delighted and was about to offer 

 him a post when the entourage remonstrated that the guest 

 was a man of Wei, and that Wei was not far away. "There 



^he classic story for children. 



2 Order one of the attending carriages, and tell them to carry me. 

 Odes Pt. II, Bk. 8, Ode 6, 1. 



