| Ah Heng's Daoism Page |
| Chapter Thirty Eight The greatest virtue is not virtuous, hence there is great Virtue in it. The lowest virtue does not lose its virtuosity, hence it has No virtue at all. (Heng: Reifications. With virtuosity in mind, how can one be truly virtuous? With nothing in mind, all acts are virtuous) The greatest Virtue is non-action and has no intentions, the lowest virtue is the carrying out of deliberate intentions. the greatest humanitarian actions are carried out with no intentions, the greatest righteousness is carried out with full intentions. But if the greatest ritual is acted upon and still none responds, it is time to roll up his sleeve and throw all away. (Heng: Perhaps saying that the country is beyond help.) Therefore lose the Dao and there will be emphasis on 'Virtue', lose the virtue and there will be emphasis on 'Humanity', lose the humanity and there will be emphasis on 'Righteousness', lose the righteousness and there will be emphasis on 'Rituals'. A person who emphasizes 'Rituals', does not have respect for righteousness and humanity, hence great confusion arises from his acts. The person who knows the true Virtue, also knows the essence of the Dao, such is the beginning of Stupidity (Heng: Naturalness of acts, no rituals to define at all). Hence the Great Person adopts the Great Virtue but not superficial little kindness; adopts the Correct Act but not superficial grandeur for show, rejects the superficial and adopts the truly substantial. (Heng: It is only because the society loses them altogether that they need to be emphasized again and again, even to be enforced by law. If not, they will never be defined to exist in the first place. If a society needs to empasize a virtue many times, surely there is something very wrong with the authorities and the people living under them.) |
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