Response to Emperors (5)
應帝王（五）
1 In the State of Zheng there was a future teller called Ji Xian who could tell anyone’s past as well as the coming fortune and misfortune. People who asked him to tell said that his tell is exact as a god's saying.
鄭國有一名叫季咸的鐵嘴，他能夠準確無誤地算出任何人的流年，預測其禍福，讓他算過的人都認為他的卦實在是太準了，有如神仙一般。
2 People in the State of Zheng awed the future teller because it was embarrassed or even bad to be known of their coming fortune and misfortune at a sight.
鄭國人對這位鐵口直斷的算命先生是既敬又怕。因為被人一眼看穿凶吉禍福，絕對不是一件值得高興的事；
3 People always lived in dimness to some extent. If a man knew that he would hit the grand prize of a hundred millions in a lottery after half year, how would he live through the six months before it?
人總是生活在一定程度的迷茫之中，如果一個人知道半年後他會中一億元樂透獎，那他這六個月的日子要怎麼過呢？
4 If a man knew that he would kick the bucket after half year, what mood would he live with in the following six months.
如果他知道半年後會一命嗚呼，那他眼前這六個月的日子，又該用什麼樣的心情去渡過呢？
鄭有神巫曰季咸，知人之死生存亡、禍福壽夭，期以歲月旬日若神。
5 So people in the state met him in the street, they would ward off him by making a detour.
所以鄭國人看見季咸在對面，大都會躲開他，繞道而行。
鄭人見之，皆棄而走。
6 Lietse didn’t think so. He thought that Ji Xian’s power was fairly strong. Those who left home to learn Tao should possess this power. The so-called non-learning skill is so, isn’t it?
列子則不這樣想。他認為季咸的功力實在太強了，出家學道就是應該具備這樣的能力。所謂無學之術，不就是這樣嗎？
7 Someday Lietse learned about Ji Xian’s power of foretelling. He went back to school and said to his teacher Hutse, “Once I think that you are the greatest in practice, but now I think that Ji Xian’s power seems is far and away yours.”
列子有一天領教了季咸算命的功力，他跑回學校，跟他的老師壺子說：「從前我認為老師的道行是最了不起的，現在我認為季咸的功力似乎遠遠超越你的能耐。」
列子見之而心醉，歸，以告壺子，曰：「始吾以夫子之道為至矣，則又有至焉者矣。」
8 Hutse didn’t blame on the beginner for his reaction. He said to Lietse, “You are an entrant. What I teach you until now are some shallow knowledge, not the essence of Tao you are going to learn. What you know now is far from the real Tao.
壺子對這位初學者的反應並沒有絲毫責怪的意思。他對列子說：「你剛入門，我教你的到目前為止都是一些皮毛粗淺的知識，並未深入到道心精髓。你知道的那點兒離道還遠呢！
9 If there were no cock in the group of hens, the egg laid by hen must not be hatched to chicken. Now that you don’t obtain the essence, you certainly have no the function of Tao. Comparing to the real Tao, Ji Xian’s worldly tricks is unworthy to believe.
雞群中如果沒有公雞，那母雞下的蛋肯定是孵不出小雞的。你還未獲得道心精髓，當然完全不具備道行功能。真正的道，季咸那一點世俗把戲是不足取的。
10 Ji Xian could fear you time after time because your practice is not enough. Tomorrow you ask him to come here and foretell for me. You may know how his trick is.”
季咸能把你唬的一愣一愣的，實在是你功力不夠的緣故。明天你把他請來，讓他給我算算，你就知道他的把戲到底如何了！」
壺子曰：「吾與汝既其文，未既其實。而固得道與？眾雌而無雄，而又奚卵焉！而以道與世亢，必信，夫故使人得而相汝。嘗試與來，以予示之。」
11 The next day, Lietse asked Ji Xian to see his teacher Hutse. After meeting, Ji Xian looked nervous and said to Lietse, “Wow. Your teacher’s death is approaching. I forecast that he just can live for ten more days. It is curious that I just have seen much moisture ashes on his body as if it were burned bone ash.”
第二天列子就邀請季咸來見他老師壺子。見過面之後，季咸緊張兮兮地對列子說：「喂！你老師的死期到了！我看最多也就再活十幾天吧！說來也奇怪，我在你老師身上看到許多潮濕的灰燼，就像是燒過後的骨灰。」
明日，列子與之見壺子。出而謂列子曰：「嘻！子之先生死矣！弗活矣！不以旬數矣！吾見怪焉，見濕灰焉。」
12 Hearing what Ji Xian said, Lietse scared almost to death. He ran back to Hutse, embraced him and forwarded sadly Ji Xian’s words to his teacher.
列子聽到季咸這麼說，嚇得半死; 立刻跑回去跪在壺子的跟前抱頭痛哭，並將季咸的話轉述給老師聽。
列子入，泣涕沾襟以告壺子。
13 With a smile, Hutse consoled him, “Don’t worry. I am far from death. Just now I showed him only the element of earth which is one of the four elements. Its feature is hard and steady like a mountain. Seeing my appearance of life like that Ji Xian thus thought that my death is coming. Tomorrow you ask him to come here again. I will show him another appearance. Let’s see what he would assert.”
壺子笑了笑，安慰列子說：「別怕！我的死期還早呢！剛剛我只是將我四大中地大的部分展現給他看。地大的特質就是堅硬穩固，不動如山。季咸看見我的生機如此，自然認為我離死期不遠。明天你再叫他來，讓我展現另一面給他看，看他又會有什麼論斷。」
壺子曰：「鄉吾示之以地文，萌乎不震不止，是殆見吾杜德機也。嘗又與來。」
14 The next day, Lietse took Ji Xian to Hutse again. After meeting, Ji Xian was confident to tell Lietse, “There is a hope to save your teacher. He is lucky to meet me and I have found the way to turn the adversity. Yesterday his life was blocked; however, today I see it loose possibly.”
第二天，列子又帶季咸來見壺子。見了壺子之後，季咸自信滿滿的對列子說：「你師父有救了。他幸好遇見我，讓我看出了扭轉乾坤之道，先前杜塞生機的，今天我看已有鬆動的可能。」
明日，又與之見壺子。出而謂列子曰：「幸矣！子之先生遇我也，有瘳矣！全然有生矣！吾見其杜權矣！」
15 Lietse was calm this time. He went back to retell Ji Xian’s words. Hutse said, “Right now I showed him the element of wind but concealed that of fire, water and earth. Due to the wind is usually raising from heal that he saw the appearance of life and thought that I might be saved. Tomorrow you bring him here again. I will show him others. Let’s listen to his new opinion.”
列子這回就沒有那麼衝動了，他回來將季咸的話告訴老師。壺子說：「剛剛我將風大的部分展現給他看。可是卻隱藏了其他火大、水大、地大的部分。因為風大是由腳跟處發出的，所以他看見了生機; 認為我有救了。明天你再叫他來，我再表演另外一套，看他怎麼說。」
列子入，以告壺子。壺子曰：「鄉吾示之以天壤，名實不入，而機發於踵。是殆見吾善者機也。嘗又與來。」
16 The next day, Lietse took Ji Xian to Hutse the third time. After meeting, Ji Xian said depressively, “This time I can’t foretell for your teacher because his appearance is unfixed and capriccioso. Let’s wait when his appearance is fixed some other days, I will see him again.”
第二天列子又請季咸來。這次季咸垂頭喪氣地說：「這回我沒有辦法幫你老師看相了。因為他的相老是漂浮不定，變化無常。等過些日子，你老師定下來之後再看吧！」
明日，又與之見壺子。出而謂列子曰：「子之先生不齊，吾無得而相焉。試齊，且復相之。」
17 Lietse’s curiosity arose again. He immediately went back to ask, “Sir! Sir! What do you play today? How do you make Ji Xian confused?”
列子這回好奇心又強了起來，他立刻跑回去問老師：「老師! 老師!你今天又玩什麼把戲啊！怎麼季咸沒辦法看相了呢？」
列子入，以告壺子。
18 Hutse replied, “I showed him non self and being flexibility this time. Surly he could see nothing. Tomorrow you bring him here and tell him that I’ve settled down.”
壺子說：「我展現無相無住給他看。他當然看不出什麼究竟了，明天你再請他來，就說老師已經定下來了。」
壺子曰：「吾鄉示之以太沖莫勝，是殆見吾衡氣機也。
鯢桓之審為淵，止水之審為淵，流水之審為淵。淵有九名，此處三焉。嘗又與來。」
19 The next day Ji Xian felt somewhat timid but he couldn’t refuse Lietse’s insistence, so he went with Lietse constrainedly. However, when he entering the room and seeing Hutse, he quickly turned and ran away. Hutse asked Lietse to call him back. After a while, Lietse came back and told him, “I can’t catch him. He runs fast and disappears in a blink. What has happened on earth?”
第二天季咸心裡有些膽怯，可是，他拗不過列子的堅持，最後還是勉強的來了。可是一踏進門，一見了壺子他立刻掉頭，拔腿就跑。壺子叫列子趕快追出去叫他回來。列子出去後，一會兒就回來了，他對老師說：「追不上了，他跑得好快，一溜煙地不見了。 這到底是怎麼回事啊！」
明日，又與之見壺子。立未定，自失而走。壺子曰：「追之！」列子追之不及。反，以報壺子曰：「已滅矣，已失矣，吾弗及已。」
20 Hutse said, “I concealed all elements just now so he couldn’t see my fresh body and couldn’t tell who is sitting opposite to him. When he saw my soul, self-nature, Buddha-nature, calmness and refinement, he was stunned. He was frightened to run away because he couldn't understand what it was on earth.”
壺子說：「我剛剛將四大全部隱藏起來，因此他看不見我的肉身，沒有辦法辨認坐在他對面的到底是誰？當他看見我的靈魂、自性、佛性、挫火、妙用時，他呆住了，沒有辦法理解這到底是什麼。所以嚇得跑開了。」
壺子曰：「鄉吾示之以未始出吾宗。吾與之虛而委蛇，不知其誰何，因以為弟靡，因以為波流，故逃也。」
21 After the event, Lietse realized the profound and great Tao. Therefore, he made up his mind to practice hard. In the following three years, he stayed at home – to focus on each thing in front of him; to cook for his wife; to feed pig devotedly; and to desert the concept that self was exalted and others were humble, by this way he reached the level of integration with the nature. He respected the original aspects of all things that he didn’t change it at random. He packed away his desires and feelings, like a cold stone. Assorted objective environments had no effect of temptation on him. Lietse persisted on those principles in his whole life, without any change.
列子經過這件事後，確實地瞭解道的偉大深遠，因此痛下決心，努力修練。這期間他三年足不出戶，每天在家為他老婆生火煮飯，專心地作每一件事；餵豬時專心一致地餵，就像是餵小孩一樣地認真，絕不會因為餵的是豬，自己是人，而有己尊彼卑的念頭，真正做到民胞物與、天人合一的地步。對萬物都尊重其原有的面目，決不輕易地加以改變。七情六慾都收斂起來，像是一個無情無義的石頭。紛亂的客觀環境對他完全不起刺激誘惑的作用，列子就這樣堅持其原則，終其一生，不曾改變。
然後列子自以為未始學而歸。三年不出，為其妻爨，食豕如食人，於事無與親。雕琢復朴，塊然獨以其形立。紛而封哉，一以是終。