16 THE OPERATIONS AND MANIFESTATIONS 



(16) Moral strength is gained by conquest of the desires 

 — True vision. — Kung Tzu Mu of Chung Shan talking to 

 Shan Tzu said, "What is your opinion of the man whose 

 thought and will are always occupied in guarding his inner 

 life or personal nature?" Shan Tzu replied. "He has the 

 best view of life. Thinking thus of life he condemns the 

 sway of passion.' " 



Kung Tzu Mu said, "Though knowledge of the law may 

 exist, how if there is failure to subdue the desires?" To 

 which Shan Tzu replied, "Failure in self-conquest means 

 submission to desire : would you not grieve by acquiescence 

 in desire? On the other hand inability to win self -conquest 

 and a forced submission to the passions implies a double 

 loss. Persons who experience this double suffering belong 

 to a short-lived race." Lao Tzu speaks : 



"THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE HARMONY 1 IS CALLED THE 



CONSTANT LAW OR RULE OF LIFE, 

 THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE CONSTANT LAW GIVES 



TRUE INTELLIGENCE, 

 THE WELL BEING OF LIFE IS CALLED HAPPINESS, 

 PASSIONS UNDER THE RULE OF THE REASON GIVES 



STRENGTH." 



So that when a person lives in the light of the law it is 

 like the blind finding vision. 



(17) A mere knowledge of the art of government in- 

 sufficient for ruling. — Chuang Wang of Ts'u consulted Shan 

 Ho on how to govern a country. He replied, "Ho (I am) is 

 versed in the government of the person, but not in the 

 government of a country. ' ' Ts'u Wang further said : "I have 

 come into possession of the Penates and Lares and would 

 like to learn how to preserve them," Shan Ho replied, "Your 

 servant has never heard of any country being in disorder 

 when the person of the ruler is well-governed : nor, on the 

 other hand, have I ever heard that order can be had in a 

 nation where the personal life of the ruler is disordered. 

 So I place the whole responsibility (of government) on the 

 person : personal renovation. I would not venture to attri- 

 bute it to the art of government itself (which should be an 

 attribute of the personal life)." This is confirmed by what 

 Lao Tzu says : 



THE PERSON THAT IS UNDERGOING TRAINING 

 IN VIRTUE POSSESSES THE REAL VIRTUE. 



(18) There is no bloom in any stereotyped law of life. — 

 Duke Huan was reading in his study when a wheelwright, 



^Vhen those feelings have been stirred and they act in their due 

 degree there ensues what may be called Harmony. Doctrine of Mean, 

 Chap. I, 4. 



