Liezi Shuofu Translation

Original text

Zi Liezi studied in Huqiu Zilin. Huqiu Zilin said: "If you know how to hold back, you can say that you can hold the body." Liezi said: "I would like to hear and hold on to the back." He said: "If you look at the shadow, you will know it." Liezi looked at the shadow and looked at it: if the shape is wrong, the shadow will be curved, and the shape will be straight. The shadow is correct. However, I follow the shape but not the shadow, and I follow the shape but not the shadow. I bend and follow the things but not myself. This is called holding on to the latter and taking the lead. Guan Yin said to Liezi: "Speaking beautiful words will reflect beauty, speaking evil words will reflect evil; a long body will have a long impact, and a short body will have a short impact. The name means echo; the body means shadow. Therefore, it is said: Be careful with your words. , there will be peace; if you act carefully, there will be a follow.

That is why the sage sees the coming and knows the coming, and observes the past to know the coming. It's about people. If people love me, I will love them; if they hate me, I will hate them. Tang Wu loves the world, so he is king; Jie and Zhou hate the world, so he is dead. This is all clear and unreasonable. For example, there is no way to follow the path, so it is not difficult to seek profit? Try to observe the virtues of Shen Nong, read the books of Yu, Xia, Shang, and Zhou, and read the words of the wise men and women. , so the existence and destruction are not based on this way." Yan Hui said: "The one who asked for it is rich now. How can he use the way?" Zi Liezi said: "Jie and Zhou are the only ones who are rich. Those who attach great importance to profit and neglect the Tao will perish.

Fortunately, I have no words for you. People who have no righteousness and only eat are like chickens and dogs. The winner is the winner. "We are like chickens, dogs, and beasts, but if we want others to respect ourselves, we will be in danger."

Translation

Lie Zi Xiang Huqiu Zilin. study. Huqiu Zilin said: "If you know how to stay behind, I can talk to you about how to protect yourself." Liezi said: "I hope I can listen to you talk about how to stay behind." Huqiu Zilin said: "Look back at your shadow. That’s it.” Liezi looked back at his shadow: if the body is crooked, the shadow will be crooked; if the body is upright, the shadow will be straight. Then, the bending and straightness of the shadow change with the body, and the root cause is not in the shadow itself; the bending and straightening of myself change with external objects, and the root cause is not in myself.

This is called staying behind but being at the forefront. Guan Yin said to Liezi: "If your voice sounds good, the echo will be pleasant; if your voice is unpleasant, the echo will be unpleasant. If the body is tall, the shadow will be tall; if the body is short, the shadow will be short. Reputation is like an echo, and behavior is like a shadow. So. Said: Be careful with your words, and others will agree with you; be careful with your actions, and others will follow you. Therefore, a sage can know the inside by seeing the outside, and he can know the future by seeing the past. This is why he can know in advance.

. The law lies in oneself, and the test lies in others. If others love me, I must love him; if others hate me, I must hate him. King Tang and King Wu of Shang love the world, so they unified the world; King Jie of Xia and Zhou of Shang. The king hates the world, so he loses it. This is the result of the inspection. Knowing the inspection and the law but not following them is like going out without passing through the gate and walking in a wrong way.

< p>Isn’t it very difficult to pursue interests? I once understood the virtues of Shen Nong and You Yan, studied the books of Yu, Xia, Shang, and Zhou, and studied the opinions of many people of etiquette and law, and the wise people. The reason for prosperity has never been due to this principle. "Yan Hui said: "So the purpose of learning morality is to get wealth. Now that you have got jewelry, what do you need to do with morality?"

Liezi said: "Xia Jie and Shang Zhou perished because they valued interests and despised morality. Lucky you! I didn't tell you. If people don't have morality, they can only eat. They are like chickens and dogs. Fighting to eat, using In a wrestling match, the one who wins is the one who dominates. This is a beast. If you want others to respect you, you will not be respected. Then danger and insult will come." Information

Liezi

Liezi?, surnamed Lie, named Yukou, was born in Putian, Zhengguo (now Zhengzhou City, Henan Province). In ancient books, he was also written as Lieyu Kou, Lieyu Kou or Liezi Kou. Ziliezi was born in the period of King Weilie of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, at the same time as Duke Mu of Zheng. Philosopher, thinker, writer, and representative figure of Taoism during the Warring States Period.

He devoted his life to moral knowledge and studied under Guan Yinzi, Huqiuzi, Lao Shang, Zhibo Gaozi, etc. He lived in seclusion in the state of Zheng for forty years, not seeking fame or fortune, but practicing Taoism quietly. Liezi had a great influence on Chinese people's thinking. Liezi is talented and free-spirited, his music is high but his thoughts are lonely. He is as vast as Feng Xu riding the wind, and fluttering as if he is left alone in the world. Among the pre-Qin scholars, the one who showed the most optimistic and upright view of life was Liezi.

It advocates following names and responsibilities and governing by doing nothing. Liezi's active period should be around the early to middle period of the Warring States Period, at the same time as Zheng Xigong, later than Confucius and earlier than Zhuangzi. Liezi gathered his disciples to give lectures, and there were many disciples. Once, when Liezi went to visit Nan Guozi, he actually chose "forty disciples to go with him", which shows that there were many students after Liezi. It can be seen from "Zhuangzi" that the Liezi School had a great influence in the middle and late Warring States Period.

"Huainanzi·Miao Chengxun": "Laozi studied Shang Rong, and when he saw the tongue, he knew how to keep it soft; Liezi studied Huzi, and he knew how to keep the observation pillar (an astronomical instrument for measuring the shadow of the sun). ("Liezi·Shuofu": "After Zi knows how to uphold, it can be said that he upholds his body."

Reference materials Liezi_Baidu Encyclopedia