Ancient kings offered the throne and wise hermits refused. The world is nothing compared to the Dao.

Yao proposed to resign the throne to Xu You, who would not accept it. He then offered it to Zi-zhou Zhi-fu, but he said, 'It is not unreasonable to propose that I should occupy the throne, but I happen to be suffering under a painful sorrow and illness. While I am engaged in dealing with it, I have not leisure to govern the kingdom.' Now the throne is the most important of all positions, and yet this man would not occupy it to the injury of his life; how much less would he have allowed any other thing to do so! But only he who does not care to rule the kingdom is fit to be entrusted with it.

Shun proposed to resign the throne to Zi-zhou Zhi-bo, who (likewise) said, 'I happen to be suffering under a painful sorrow and illness. While I am engaged in dealing with it, I have not leisure to govern the kingdom.' Now the kingdom is the greatest of all concerns, and yet this man would not give his life in exchange for the throne. This shows how they who possess the Dao differ from common men.

Shun proposed to resign the throne to Shan Juan, who said, 'I am a unit in the midst of space and time. In winter I wear skins and furs; in summer, grass-cloth and linen; in spring I plough and sow, my strength being equal to the toil; in autumn I gather in my harvest, and am prepared to cease from labour and eat. At sunrise I get up and work; at sunset I rest. So do I enjoy myself between heaven and earth, and my mind is content: why should I have anything to do with the throne? Alas! that you, Sir, do not know me better!' Thereupon he declined the proffer, and went away, deep among the hills, no man knew where.

Shun proposed to resign the throne to his friend, a farmer of Shi-hu. The farmer, however, said (to himself), 'How full of vigor does our lord show himself, and how exuberant is his strength! If Shun with all his powers be not equal (to the task of government, how should I be so?)' On this he took his wife on his back, led his son by the hand, and went away to the sea-coast, from which to the end of his life he did not come back.

When Dai-wang Dan-fu was dwelling in Bin, the wild tribes of the North attacked him. He tried to serve them with skins and silks, but they were not satisfied. He tried to serve them with dogs and horses, but they were not satisfied, and then with pearls and jade, but they were not satisfied. What they sought was his territory. Dai-wang Dan-fu said (to his people), 'To dwell with the elder brother and cause the younger brother to be killed, or with the father and cause the son to be killed,-- this is what I cannot bear to do. Make an effort, my children, to remain here. What difference is there between being my subjects, or the subjects of those wild people? And I have heard that a man does not use that which he employs for nourishing his people to injure them.' Thereupon he took his staff and switch and left, but the people followed him in an unbroken train, and he established a (new) state at the foot of mount Qi. Thus Dai-wang Dan-fu might be pronounced one who could give its (due) honour to life. Those who are able to do so, though they may be rich and noble, will not, for that which nourishes them, injure their persons; and though they may be poor and mean, will not, for the sake of gain, involve their bodies (in danger). The men of the present age who occupy high offices and are of honourable rank all lose these (advantages) again, and in the prospect of gain lightly expose their persons to ruin: is it not a case of delusion?

The people of Yue three times in succession killed their ruler, and the prince Sou, distressed by it, made his escape to the caves of Dan, so that Yue was left without a ruler. The people sought for the prince, but could not find him, till (at last) they followed him to the cave of Dan. The prince was not willing to come out to them, but they smoked him out with moxa, and made him mount the royal chariot. As he took hold of the strap, and mounted the carriage, he looked up to heaven, and called out, '0 Ruler, 0 Ruler, could you not have spared me this?' Prince Sou did not dislike being ruler - he disliked the evil inseparable from being so. It may be said of him that he would not for the sake of a kingdom endanger his life; and this indeed was the reason why the people of Yue wanted to get him for their ruler.

Han and Wei were contending about some territory which one of them had wrested from the other. Zi-hua Zi went to see the marquis Zhao-xi (of Han), and, finding him looking sorrowful, said, 'Suppose now that all the states were to sign an agreement before you to the effect that "Whoever should with his left hand carry off (the territory in dispute) should lose his right hand, and whoever should do so with his right hand should lose his left hand, but that, nevertheless, he who should carry it off was sure to obtain the whole kingdom;" would your lordship feel yourself able to carry it off?' The marquis said, 'I would not carry it off,' and Zi-hua rejoined, 'Very good. Looking at the thing from this point of view, your two arms are of more value to you than the whole kingdom. But your body is of more value than your two arms, and Han is of much less value than the whole kingdom. The territory for which you are now contending is further much less important than Han: your lordship, since you feel so much concern for your body, should not be endangering your life by indulging your sorrow.' The marquis Zhao-xi said, 'Good! Many have given me their counsel about this matter; but I never heard what you have said.' Zi-hua Zi may be said to have known well what was of great importance and what was of little.

The ruler of Lu, having heard that Yan He had attained to the Dao, sent a messenger, with a gift of silks, to prepare the way for further communication with him. Yan He was waiting at the door of a mean house, in a dress of coarse hempen cloth, and himself feeding a cow. When the messenger arrived, Yan He himself confronted him. The messenger asked, 'Is this the house of Yan He?' 'It is,' was the reply; and the other was presenting the silks to him, when he said, 'I am afraid you heard (your instructions) wrongly, and that he who sent you will blame you. You had better make sure.' The messenger on this returned, and made sure that he was right; but when he came back, and sought for Yan He, he was not to be found. Yes; men like Yan He do in truth dislike riches and honors.

Hence it is said, 'The true object of the Dao is the regulation of the person. Quite subordinate to this is its use in the management of the state and the clan; while the government of the kingdom is but the dust and refuse of it.' From this we may see that the services of the Dis and Kings are but a surplusage of the work of the sages, and do not contribute to complete the person or nourish the life. Yet the superior men of the present age will, most of them, throw away their lives for the sake of their persons, in pursuing their (material) objects - is it not cause for grief? Whenever a sage is initiating any movement, he is sure to examine the motive which influences him, and what he is about to do. Here, however, is a man, who uses a pearl like that of the marquis of Sui to shoot a bird at a distance of 10,000 feet. All men will laugh at him; and why? Because the thing which he uses is of great value, and what he wishes to get is of little. And is not life of more value than the pearl of the marquis of Sui?

Zi Liezi was reduced to extreme poverty, and his person had a hungry look. A visitor mentioned the case to Zi-yang, (the premier) of Kang, saying, 'Lie Yu-kou, I believe, is a scholar who has attained to the Dao. Is it because our ruler does not love (such) scholars, that he should be living in his state in such poverty?' Zi-yang immediately ordered an officer to send to him a supply of grain. When Liezi saw the messenger, he bowed to him twice, and declined the gift, on which the messenger went away. On Liezi's going into the house, his wife looked to him and beat her breast, saying, 'I have heard that the wife and children of a possessor of the Dao all enjoy plenty and ease, but now we look starved. The ruler has seen his error, and sent you a present of food, but you would not receive it - is it appointed (for us to suffer thus)?' Zi Liezi laughed and said to her, 'The ruler does not himself know me. Because of what some one said to him, he sent me the grain; but if another speak (differently) of me to him, he may look on me as a criminal. This was why I did not receive the grain! In the end it did come about, that the people, on an occasion of trouble and disorder, put Zi-yang to death.

When king Zhao of Chu lost his kingdom, the sheep-butcher Yue followed him in his flight. When the king (recovered) his kingdom and returned to it, and was going to reward those who had followed him, on coming to the sheep-butcher Yue, that personage said, 'When our Great King lost his kingdom, I lost my sheep-killing. When his majesty got back his kingdom, I also got back my sheep-killing. My income and rank have been recovered; why speak further of rewarding me?' The king, (on hearing of this reply), said, 'Force him (to take the reward);' but Yue said, 'It was not through any crime of mine that the king lost his kingdom, and therefore I did not dare to submit to the death (which would have been mine if I had remained in the capital). And it was not through any service of mine that he recovered his kingdom, and therefore I do not dare to count myself worthy of any reward from him.'The king (now) asked that the butcher should be introduced to him, but Yue said, 'According to the law of Chu, great reward ought to be given to great service, and the recipient then be introduced to the king; but now my wisdom was not sufficient to preserve the kingdom, nor my courage sufficient to die at the hands of the invaders. When the army of Wu entered, I was afraid of the danger, and got out of the way of the thieves - it was not with a distinct purpose (of loyalty) that I followed the king. And now he wishes, in disregard of the law, and violations of the conditions of our social compact, to see me in court - this is not what I would like to be talked of through the kingdom.' The king said to Zi-qi, the Minister of War, 'The position of the sheep-butcher Yue is low and mean, but his setting forth of what is right is very high; do you ask him for me to accept the place of one of my three most distinguished nobles.' (This being communicated to Yue), he said, 'I know that the place of such a distinguished noble is nobler than a sheep-butcher's stall, and that the salary of 10,000 zhong is more than its profits. But how should I, through my greed of rank and emolument, bring on our ruler the name of an unlawful dispensation of his gifts? I dare not respond to your wishes, but desire to return to my stall as the sheep-butcher.' Accordingly he did not accept (the proffered reward).

Yuan Xian was living in Lu. His house, whose walls were only a few paces round, looked as if it were thatched with a crop of growing grass; its door of brushwood was incomplete, with branches of a mulberry tree for its side-posts; the window of each of its two apartments was formed by an earthenware jar (in the wall), which was stuffed with some coarse serge. It leaked above, and was damp on the ground beneath; but there he sat composedly, playing on his guitar. Zi-gong, in an inner robe of purple and an outer one of pure white, riding in a carriage drawn by two large horses, the hood of which was too high to get into the lane (leading to the house), went to see him. Yuan Xian, in a cap made of bark, and slippers without heels, and with a stalk of hellebore for a staff, met him at the door. 'Alas! Master,' said Zi-gong, 'that you should be in such distress!' Yuan Xian answered him, 'I have heard that to have no money is to be poor, and that not to be able to carry one's learning into practice is to be distressed. I am poor but not in distress.' Zi-gong shrank back, and looked ashamed, on which the other laughed and said, 'To act with a view to the world's (praise); to pretend to be public-spirited and yet be a partisan; to learn in order to please men; to teach for the sake of one's own gain; to conceal one's wickedness under the garb of benevolence and righteousness; and to be fond of the show of chariots and horses: these are things which Xian cannot bear to do.'

Zeng-zi was residing in Wei. He wore a robe quilted with hemp, and had no outer garment; his countenance looked rough and emaciated; his hands and feet were horny and callous; he would be three days without lighting a fire; in ten years he did not have a new suit; if he put his cap on straight, the strings would break; if he drew tight the overlap of his robe, his elbow would be seen; in putting on his shoes, the heels would burst them. Yet dragging his shoes along, he sang the 'Sacrificial Odes of Shang' with a voice that filled heaven and earth as if it came from a bell or a sounding stone. The Son of Heaven could not get him to be a minister; no feudal prince could get him for his friend. So it is that he who is nourishing his mind's aim forgets his body, and he who is nourishing his body discards all thoughts of gain, and he who is carrying out the Dao forgets his own mind.

Confucius said to Yan Hui, 'Come here, Hui. Your family is poor, and your position is low; why should you not take office?' Hui replied, 'I have no wish to be in office. Outside the suburban district I possess fields to the extent of fifty acres, which are sufficient to supply me with congee; and inside it I have ten acres, which are sufficient to supply me with silk and flax. I find my pleasure in playing on my lute, and your doctrines, Master, which I study, are sufficient for my enjoyment; I do not wish to take office.' Confucius looked sad, changed countenance, and said, "How good is the mind of Hui! I have heard that he who is contented will not entangle himself with the pursuit of gain, that he who is conscious of having gained (the truth) in himself is not afraid of losing other things, and that he who cultivates the path of inward rectification is not ashamed though he may have no official position. I have long been preaching this; but to-day I see it realised in Hui: this is what I have gained.'

Le prince Mou de Gong-shan s'adressa à Zhan-zi, disant : « Mon corps a sa place près des ruisseaux et de la mer, mais mon esprit demeure à la cour de Wei – que me dites-vous dans ces circonstances ? » Zhan-zi répondit : « Donnez la juste valeur à votre vie. Quand on donne la juste valeur à sa vie, le gain semble sans importance. » Le prince répliqua : « Je le sais, mais je ne suis pas capable de surmonter (mes désirs). » La réponse fut : « Si vous ne pouvez vous maîtriser (en la matière), suivez (vos inclinations afin que) votre esprit ne soit pas insatisfait. Quand vous ne pouvez vous maîtriser, et que vous essayez de vous forcer là où votre esprit ne suit pas, c'est ce qu'on appelle vous faire un double tort ; et ceux qui se font ainsi du tort ne sont pas parmi les personnes ayant une longue vie. » Mou de Wei était le fils d'un seigneur de dix mille chars. Pour lui, vivre retiré parmi les rochers et les grottes était plus difficile que pour un érudit qui n'avait pas porté l'habit officiel. Bien qu'il n'ait pas atteint le Dao, on peut dire qu'il en avait une certaine idée.

Lorsque Confucius fut réduit à une détresse extrême entre Zhan et Cai, pendant sept jours il n'eut pas de viande cuite à manger, mais seulement une soupe de légumes grossiers sans riz. Son visage était d'une grande épuisement, et pourtant il continuait à jouer de son luth et à chanter à l'intérieur de la maison. Yan Hui (était dehors), choisissant les légumes, tandis que Zi-lu et Zi-gong parlaient ensemble et lui dirent : « Le Maître a été chassé deux fois de Lu ; il a dû fuir de Wei ; l'arbre (sous lequel il se reposait) a été abattu à Sung ; il a été réduit à une détresse extrême à Shang et Zhou ; il est assiégé ici entre Zhan et Cai ; quiconque le tue sera tenu pour innocent ; il n'y a aucune interdiction de le faire prisonnier. Et pourtant il continue à jouer et à chanter, à gratter son luth sans cesse. Un homme supérieur peut-il être à ce point sans le sentiment de la honte ? » Yan Hui ne leur répondit pas, mais rentra et raconta (leurs paroles) à Confucius, qui écarta son luth et dit : « Toi et Ci êtes de petites gens. Appelez-les ici, et je leur expliquerai la chose. »

Quand ils entrèrent, Zi-lu dit : « Votre condition actuelle peut être qualifiée d'extrême détresse. » Confucius répondit : « Que dites-vous là ! Quand l'homme supérieur suit librement ses principes, c'est ce que nous appelons sa réussite ; quand un tel cours lui est refusé, c'est ce que nous appelons son échec. Or, j'embrasse les principes de bienveillance et de justice, et avec eux j'affronte les maux d'un âge désordonné – où est la preuve que je suis dans une détresse extrême ? Par conséquent, en regardant en moi-même et en m'examinant, je n'ai aucune difficulté concernant mes principes ; bien que je rencontre de telles difficultés (que la présente), je ne perds pas ma vertu. C'est quand le froid de l'hiver est venu, et que le givre et la neige tombent, que nous connaissons la puissance végétative du pin et du cyprès. Ce détroit entre Zhan et Cai est une chance pour moi. » Il reprit alors son luth de sorte qu'il émit un son vibrant, et commença à jouer et à chanter. (En même temps) Zi-lu, se saisissant précipitamment d'un bouclier, commença à danser, tandis que Zi-gong dit : « Je ne connaissais pas (avant) la hauteur du ciel ni la profondeur de la terre. »

Les anciens qui avaient atteint le Dao étaient heureux dans l'adversité, et heureux dans la prospérité. Leur bonheur était indépendant de ces deux conditions. Le Dao et ses caractéristiques – qu'ils les possèdent, et la détresse et le succès leur parviennent comme le froid et la chaleur, comme le vent et la pluie dans l'ordre naturel des choses. Ainsi fut-il que Xu You trouva le plaisir au nord de la rivière Ying, et que le comte de Gong se réjouit au sommet du mont (Gong).

Shun proposa de céder le trône à son ami, le Septentrional Wu-zhai, qui dit : « Quel étrange homme vous êtes, ô souverain ! Vous avez (d'abord) vécu parmi les champs labourés, et ensuite votre place fut au palais de Yao. Et non seulement cela : vous souhaitez maintenant m'étendre la souillure de vos agissements honteux. J'ai honte de vous voir. » Et sur ce, il se jeta dans l'abîme de Qing-ling.

Quand Tang s'apprêtait à attaquer Jie, il consulta Bian Sui, qui dit : « Ce n'est pas mon affaire. » Tang demanda alors : « À qui devrais-je m'adresser ? » Et l'autre dit : « Je ne sais pas. » Tang consulta ensuite Wu Guang, qui donna la même réponse que Bian Sui ; et lorsqu'on lui demanda à qui il devait s'adresser, il dit de la même manière : « Je ne sais pas. » « Supposons, » dit Tang alors, « que je m'adresse à Yi Yin, qu'en dites-vous ? » La réponse fut : « Il a un pouvoir merveilleux à faire ce qui est honteux, et je ne sais rien de plus sur lui ! » Tang consulta alors Yi Yin et attaqua Jie.

Tang le vainquit, après quoi il proposa de céder le trône à Bian Sui, qui refusa, disant : « Lorsque vous vous apprêtiez à attaquer Jie, et que vous m'avez demandé conseil, vous avez dû supposer que j'étais prêt à être un brigand. Maintenant que vous avez conquis Jie, et que vous proposez de me céder le trône, vous devez me considérer comme avide. Je suis né dans une époque de désordre, et un homme sans principe vient deux fois, et essaie de m'étendre la souillure de ses procédés honteux – je ne peux supporter d'entendre la répétition de ses propositions. » Sur ce, il se jeta dans l'eau de Zhou et mourut.

Tang offrit ensuite le trône à Wu Guang, disant : « L'homme sage l'a planifié ; l'homme martial l'a accompli ; et l'homme bienveillant doit l'occuper : telle était la méthode des anciens. Pourquoi, Monsieur, ne prendriez-vous pas cette position ? » Wu Guang refusa l'offre, disant : « Déposer le souverain est contraire à la justice ; tuer le peuple est contraire à la bienveillance. Si, alors qu'un autre a affronté les risques, j'acceptais le bénéfice de son entreprise, je violerais mon désintéressement. J'ai entendu dire : 'Si ce n'est pas juste pour lui de le faire, on ne doit pas accepter la rémunération ; dans une époque de gouvernement sans principes, on ne doit pas poser le pied sur le sol du pays' – à combien plus forte raison devrais-je accepter cette position d'honneur ! Je ne peux plus vous supporter. » Et sur ce, il prit une pierre sur son dos et se noya dans l'eau de Lu.

Autrefois, à l'avènement de la dynastie Zhou, il y avait deux frères qui vivaient à Gu-zhu, et qui s'appelaient Bo-yi et Shu-Qi. Ils se parlèrent et dirent : « Nous avons entendu dire qu'à l'ouest il y a quelqu'un qui semble gouverner selon la Voie Juste ; allons voir. » (En conséquence) ils arrivèrent au sud du (mont) Qi ; et quand le roi Wu entendit parler d'eux, il envoya (son frère) Shu Dan les voir, et conclure un pacte avec eux, s'engageant à ce que leur richesse ne soit que seconde (à celle du roi), et que leurs fonctions soient du premier rang, et lui donnant l'instruction d'enterrer le pacte avec le sang de la victime après qu'ils se soient enduit les commissures des lèvres. Les frères se regardèrent et rirent, disant : « Ah ! Que c'est étrange ! Ce n'est pas ce que nous appelons la Voie Juste. Autrefois, quand Shen Nong avait le royaume, il offrait ses sacrifices aux saisons appropriées et avec la plus grande révérence, mais sans prier pour aucune bénédiction. Envers les hommes, il était loyal et sincère, faisant de son mieux pour les gouverner, mais sans rien chercher pour lui-même. Quand il lui plaisait d'utiliser des mesures administratives, il le faisait ; et une règle plus sévère quand il pensait que ce serait mieux. Il n'a pas, par la ruine des autres, établi son propre pouvoir ; il ne s'est pas exalté en abaissant les autres ; il n'a pas, quand le moment était opportun, cherché son propre profit. Mais maintenant Zhou, voyant le désordre de Yin, a soudainement pris le gouvernement en main ; avec les hauts dignitaires il a pris conseil, et avec ceux d'en bas il a employé des pots-de-vin ; il s'appuie sur ses troupes pour maintenir la terreur de sa puissance ; il fait des pactes sur des victimes pour prouver sa bonne foi ; il vante ses procédés pour plaire aux masses ; il tue et attaque pour le profit : c'est simplement renverser le désordre et le remplacer par la tyrannie. Nous avons entendu dire que les officiers d'autrefois, en un temps de bon gouvernement, ne se dérobaient pas à leurs devoirs, et en un temps de désordre ne cherchaient pas imprudemment à rester en fonction. Maintenant le royaume est dans un état d'obscurité ; la vertu de Zhou est déchue. Plutôt que de s'y joindre et de salir notre personne, il est préférable pour nous de l'abandonner, et de maintenir la pureté de notre conduite. »

Les deux princes se rendirent alors au nord vers la colline de Shou-yang, où ils moururent de faim. Si des hommes comme Bo-yi et Shu-Qi, en matière de richesses et d'honneurs, peuvent réussir à les éviter (qu'ils le fassent) ; mais ils ne doivent pas s'appuyer sur leur vertu élevée pour suivre une voie perverse, ne satisfaisant que leurs propres tendances, et ne rendant aucun service à leur époque : tel était le style de ces deux princes.