Teacher Le Tzu fell into poverty and was growing thin from hunger. Some guest told the Zheng king Tzu-Yang about this.
“Will not the sovereign,” he asked, “be known as an enemy of men, if a man who has comprehended the teaching - Le, the Defense of Robbers - is in poverty in your kingdom?
Zheng Zi-Yang immediately ordered the servant to present Le-tzu with millet.
The teacher went out to the messenger, bowed twice, but did not accept the millet. The messenger left. Lieh Tzu entered the house. The wife looked at him, began beating her chest and said:
“I heard that the family of a person who has comprehended the teaching finds peace and joy.” We were exhausted from hunger. The king gives you, the First Born, grains. Isn't this fate? And you, Preborn, refuse!
Teacher Le Tzu smiled and replied:
“The king sends millet as a gift, but he hasn’t seen me, he knows about me only from hearsay.” So, from hearsay, he will accuse me of a crime. That's why I didn't accept the gift.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru