Among Lao Tzu's students was Gensan Chu. Having mastered the teachings of Lao Tzu in many ways, he settled in the North, on Mount Dangerous Heap. He drove away those slaves who shone with knowledge, sent away those concubines who boasted of mercy; I stayed with the rude and ugly, relying only on the diligent and troublesome. He lived for three years, and a rich harvest was gathered on Mount Dangerous Heap.
Then the inhabitants of the mountain began to say to each other:
“When teacher Gensan first appeared, we were scared and avoided him. Now we have reserves - needless to say - enough for a day, enough for more than a year. Perhaps he is a sage? Why don't we pray to him as to the Dead One? Shouldn't we build him an altar of Earth and Millet?
Hearing about this, Gensan Chu turned to face the south and could not calm down for a long time. The students were surprised, and Gensan Chu said:
- Why are you students surprised? After all, when the spring ether begins to act, all the herbs grow; Autumn will set in, all the darkness of the fruit will ripen. Isn't spring and fall supposed to be like this? This is a manifestation of the natural path. I heard that a real person lives like a Dead Man behind a round wall, and the people go crazy, not knowing how to turn to him. Nowadays, the small people on Mount Dangerous Heap are stubborn, wanting to make sacrifices to me among other worthy ones. Am I capable of becoming a model for them? I remember Lao Tzu's words and I cannot calm down.
- No! - said the students. “A huge fish, let alone a minnow, can’t turn around in an ordinary ditch.” A large animal cannot hide behind a hill several steps high; it is only suitable for a fox or a werewolf. After all, the revered and worthy entrusted tasks to the capable, and rewarded the good in advance. If the Most High and Protecting One has acted this way since ancient times, then even more so is the people on Mount Dangerous Heap doing this. Listen to him, teacher!
- Come, children! - Gensan Chu said. “After all, an animal the size of a cart, leaving the mountain alone, will not avoid nets and traps.” A fish that swallows ships, even if it remains stranded after a spill, will be tormented even by ants. Therefore, birds and animals tirelessly seek greater heights; fish and turtles tirelessly search for greater depths. And man, in order to preserve his bodily form and life, hides and tirelessly seeks greater solitude. Do the Most High and the Protector deserve praise? It was from them that differences came, so that people began to recklessly break down walls and sow weeds; comb your hair, fingering it hair by hair; Cook the rice, counting the grains. In my pitiful opinion, this is not enough to help the world! They began to promote the virtuous, and people began to oppress each other; they exalted those who knew, and people began to rob each other. He who counts things is not worthy to do good to the people. The people began to crave profit, sons began to raise their hands against their fathers, servants began to kill their masters, they began to rob in broad daylight, and dig undermines at noon. I tell you: the root of the great unrest was cultivated under the Highest and Protecting One, its peak will last a thousand generations, and after a thousand generations people will devour people.
Then the Dwarf, Famous in the South, straightened up and asked excitedly:
- What teaching will you hand over along with these words to someone as old as me, Dwarf?
“Keep your bodily form intact, take care of your life, do not allow vanity in your thoughts and thoughts, and in three years you will be able to comprehend these words,” answered Gensan Chu.
“The eyes are similar in shape,” said the Dwarf, “I don’t understand what the difference is between them, and the blind man cannot see himself.” The ears are similar in shape - I don’t understand what the difference is between them, but a deaf person cannot hear himself. Hearts are similar in shape - I don’t understand what the difference is between them, but a madman does not find himself. The body is also likened to the body, but they may be separated by things. I strive to find a similarity, but am unable to find it. Now you told me, the Dwarf: “Keep your bodily form intact, take care of your life, do not allow vanity in your thoughts and thoughts.” I, the Dwarf, listened to the teaching, straining, but it only reached my ears.
“My words have run out,” said Gensan Chu. - After all, they say that a bumblebee cannot change its pupae, and a Yue hen cannot hatch a goose egg - only a hen from Lu can do this. Chicken is similar to chicken, their properties are the same in everything. If one is capable and the other is not, this, of course, means that there are great and small abilities. Now it turns out that my abilities are small - insufficient to develop you. Why don't you go south and see Lao Tzu?
The dwarf loaded more provisions on his back and in seven days and seven nights reached Lao Tzu's home.
“Didn’t you come from Chu?” - Lao Tzu addressed him.
“Yes,” answered the Dwarf.
- Why did you bring so many people with you? - asked Lao Tzu.
The dwarf looked around in fright.
“You don’t understand what I asked?” - asked Lao Tzu.
The dwarf looked down in shame, then raised his head and sighed:
- Now I forgot what to answer, and therefore I forgot my question.
-What did you want to talk about? - asked Lao Tzu.
- If I don’t have knowledge, people will call me a Dwarf Simpleton; if there is knowledge, it will bring trouble to me. If I am merciful, I will bring disaster upon myself, but if I am unmerciful, on the contrary, I will bring harm to others. If I am fair, I will bring disaster upon myself, but if I am unjust, on the contrary, I will destroy others. On the advice of Gensan Chu, I would like to ask you, how can I avoid these three troubles?
- At first I understood your look, now your words confirmed it. Observing the rules of decency, like an orphan without a father or mother, you take up the pole and strive to measure the depths of the sea. How pitiful you are, lost in ignorance! Trying to return to your nature, you don’t know where to start.
The dwarf asked permission to stay in the house, called upon what he taught to love, renounced what he taught to hate, mourned for ten days, and then met Lao Tzu again. He said:
- You washed yourself, steam is coming out like it’s boiled! However, you still have a lot of hatred. After all, when the bonds are so numerous that it is impossible to cope with them, they come from the outside, a barrier should be erected for them from the inside. When ties that are so intricate that they cannot be dealt with come from within, a barrier should be erected for them outside. Even someone who has natural qualities cannot withstand external and internal bonds, much less someone who only imitates the path.
The dwarf said:
— When one person in the village fell ill, a fellow countryman asked him what was hurting him, and the patient was able to talk about his illness. This disease is not yet dangerous. I, Dwarf, listened to your words about the great path, as if I had taken a potion so that the disease would intensify. I, the Dwarf, would like to hear at least about the main thing for preserving life.
— About the main thing for saving life? - Lao Tzu repeated. —Are you able to preserve the whole without losing it? Is he able to find out whether there is happiness or misfortune ahead, without guessing either on the shell of a tortoise or on the stem of a belly button? Is he able to stop? Is he able to end everything? Is he capable of leaving all people and looking only for himself? Can you soar? Is it possible to become artless? Is it possible to become a baby? After all, a baby screams all day long without wheezing - this is the highest harmony; he clenches his fists all day long, but nothing is enough - this is common in his properties; He stares all day long, but does not blink - he is not inclined towards anything external. Walking without knowing where; stop without knowing why; to compress and unclench together with all things, to swim with them on the same wave - this is the main thing for preserving life.
- All these are the properties of a real person? - asked the dwarf.
“No,” replied Lao Tzu. “These are just the abilities to do what is called “melt snow and ice.” A real person feeds from the earth together with others and enjoys nature. He will not fuss with others about the profit or loss that people and things bring; will not be surprised with others, will not make plans with others; will not do things with others. He leaves as if floating, and returns artlessly. This is the main thing for preserving life.
- So this is the highest?
- Not yet. I'll tell you, of course. I asked if you are capable of becoming a baby? For the baby moves without knowing why; goes, not knowing where; in body like a withered branch, in heart like faded ashes. This is where misfortune will not come, and happiness will not appear either. What are human troubles to one for whom neither grief nor happiness exists!
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru