Opening Trunks (Chapter 10)

To guard against thieves who pry open boxes, rifle through bags, and break into cabinets, one must surely tighten the ropes and reinforce the locks—this is what the world calls wisdom. Yet when a great bandit comes, he shoulders the cabinet, hoists the box, slings the bag over his back, and flees at a rapid pace, only worrying that the ropes and locks are not strong enough. Then wasn’t what was previously called wisdom merely amassing goods for the great bandit?

Therefore, let us try to discuss this: does the worldly so-called wisdom ever fail to amass goods for the great bandit? Does the worldly so-called sage ever fail to guard goods for the great bandit? How do we know this is so? In former times, the neighboring cities of Qi were within sight of each other, the sounds of cocks crowing and dogs barking could be heard across the land, the range where nets were cast and the fields plowed by hoes and plows covered an area of over two thousand li. Within its four borders, the various institutions used to establish ancestral temples and altars to the gods of land and grain, and to govern the districts of yi, wu, zhou, lü, xiang, and qu—how could they not have imitated the sages! Yet once Tian Chengzi killed the ruler of Qi and usurped the state, did he steal merely that state? He also stole the laws of sage-like wisdom along with it. Thus, although Tian Chengzi bore the name of a bandit, he dwelt in a position as secure as that of Yao or Shun. Small states dared not criticize him, large states dared not attack him, and he possessed Qi for twelve generations. Is this not a case of stealing the state of Qi and, along with it, the laws of sage-like wisdom to guard his own bandit’s person?

Let us try to discuss this: does the worldly so-called wisest man ever fail to amass goods for the great bandit? Does the worldly so-called most sagely man ever fail to guard goods for the great bandit? How do we know this is so? In former times, Long Feng was beheaded, Bi Gan had his heart cut out, Chang Hong had his entrails torn out, and Wu Zixu had his body cast into the river to rot. These four worthy men could not escape death themselves. Thus, when a disciple of Robber Zhi asked Robber Zhi, “Do robbers also have the Way?” Robber Zhi replied, “What place is without the Way? To be able to guess what is hidden inside a house—this is sageliness; to be the first to enter—this is courage; to be the last to leave—this is righteousness; to judge whether the deed can be done—this is wisdom; to divide the spoils evenly—this is benevolence. Without these five qualities, a great robber has never existed under heaven.” From this perspective, a good man cannot establish himself without understanding the Way of the sages, and Robber Zhi cannot carry out his deeds without understanding the Way of the sages. The good men under heaven are few, while the unrighteous are many; therefore, the benefits the sages bring to the world are few, while the harm they bring is many. Hence it is said, “When the lips are turned back, the teeth feel cold; when the wine of Lu is thin, the city of Handan in Zhao is besieged; when sages appear, great bandits arise.” Topple the sages, release the bandits, and the world will be at peace. When the stream dries up, the valley becomes empty; when the hill is leveled, the pool fills up. When the sages die, great bandits will not arise, and the world will be at peace.

If the sages do not die, great bandits will not cease. Even if one were to multiply the sages to govern the world, it would only bring greater profit to Robber Zhi. They make the peck-measure and the bushel to measure things, yet they steal the peck-measure and the bushel as well; they make the balance and the scale to weigh things, yet they steal the balance and the scale as well; they make tallies and seals to establish trust, yet they steal the tallies and seals as well; they promote benevolence and righteousness to correct the world, yet they steal benevolence and righteousness as well. How do we know this is so? Those who steal a belt hook are executed, while those who steal a state become feudal lords, and within the gates of the feudal lords, benevolence and righteousness reside—is this not stealing benevolence and righteousness along with sagely wisdom? Therefore, those who follow the great bandits, hold high the position of feudal lords, and steal the benefits of benevolence, righteousness, peck-measures, balances, tallies, and seals—even if rewarded with high office and rich stipends, they cannot be dissuaded; even if threatened with axes and execution, they cannot be stopped. This situation, which brings immense profit to Robber Zhi and cannot be checked, is the fault of the sages.

Hence it is said: “Fish cannot leave the deep waters; the state’s sharp weapons should not be displayed to others.” Those sages are the sharp weapons of the world and should not be shown to it. Therefore, cast away sageliness, abandon wisdom, and great bandits will cease; throw away jade, destroy pearls, and petty thieves will not appear; burn the tallies, smash the seals, and the people will return to simplicity; break the peck-measures, snap the balances, and the people will not contend; completely abolish the sagely laws under heaven, and the people can then participate in discussion; disrupt the six pitch-pipes, destroy the flutes and zithers, stop up Master Kuang’s ears, and the people of the world can preserve their natural hearing; eliminate patterns, scatter the five colors, glue shut Li Zhu’s eyes, and the people of the world can preserve their natural vision. Destroy the hook and line, discard the compass and square, break Gong Chui’s fingers, and the people of the world can preserve their natural skill. Hence it is said: “The greatest skill seems like clumsiness.” Eradicate the conduct of Zeng Shen and Shi Qiu, gag the mouths of Yang Zhu and Mo Di, discard benevolence and righteousness, and the virtue of the world will return to mysterious unity. Let each person preserve his natural vision, and the world will not be dazzled; let each person preserve his natural hearing, and the world will have no troubles; let each person preserve his natural wisdom, and the world will not be deluded; let each person preserve his natural virtue, and the world will have no depravity. Those such as Zeng Shen, Shi Qiu, Yang Zhu, Mo Di, Master Kuang, Gong Chui, and Li Zhu are ones who paraded virtue outside themselves to disturb the world—these are not used by the Way.

Do you not know of the age of highest virtue? In former times, there were Rongcheng Shi, Dating Shi, Bohuang Shi, Zhongyang Shi, Lilu Shi, Lixu Shi, Xuanyuan Shi, Hexu Shi, Zunlu Shi, Zhurong Shi, Fuxi Shi, and Shennong Shi. In that age, the people knotted ropes for record-keeping, found their food sweet, found their clothing beautiful, were content with their customs, and delighted in their dwellings. Neighboring states were within sight of each other, the sounds of cocks crowing and dogs barking could be heard across the land, and the people lived to old age and died without traveling back and forth. An age like this was the height of peace. Now, however, the people crane their necks and stand on tiptoe, saying, “There is a worthy man in such and such a place.” Then they pack dried provisions and rush to him, abandoning their own families within and neglecting their ruler’s affairs without. Their footprints cross the borders of the feudal lords, and the wheel tracks of their carriages crisscross over a thousand li. This is the fault of the ruler’s fondness for wisdom.

If the ruler truly delights in wisdom without the Way, then the world will fall into great chaos. How do we know this is so? When the knowledge of bows, crossbows, nets, and mechanical devices increases, birds will fly in confusion in the sky; when the knowledge of hooks, bait, nets, and traps increases, fish will swim in confusion in the water; when the knowledge of pitfalls, fences, and snares increases, beasts will dash in confusion in the marshes; when the knowledge of clever deception, poisonous schemes, slippery arguments, hard-and-white distinctions, tangled disputes, and identity-and-difference debates increases, the world will be deluded by sophistry. Thus, the world is often in great chaos, and the fault lies in fondness for wisdom. Therefore, all under heaven know to pursue what they do not know, but do not know to seek what they already know; all know to criticize what they do not approve, but do not know to criticize what they already approve—hence the great chaos. Thus, above, the light of the sun and moon is obscured; below, the essence of mountains and rivers is destroyed; in between, the cycle of the four seasons is disrupted. Even the wriggling insects and flying creatures all lose their innate nature. How severe! The fondness for wisdom has thrown the world into chaos! This has been so since the Three Dynasties of Xia, Shang, and Zhou! They abandoned the simple and honest people and delighted in the busy, scheming sycophants; they discarded tranquility and non-action and delighted in endless chatter—this endless chatter has already thrown the world into chaos!