north, his cheek all wrinkled by resting it on his staff. Then, without a word, he departed.
Upon this being announced to Lieh Tzŭ,
- By the servant whose duty it was to receive guests.
he seized his shoes and ran out barefoot.
- In his hurry.
When he reached the outer gate, he called aloud, "Master! now that you have come, will you not give me medicine?"
"It is all over!" cried Poh Hun Wu Jen. "I told you that the world would gather around you. It is not that you can make people gather around you. You cannot prevent them from doing so. Of what use would my instruction be? Exerting influence thus unduly over others, you are by them influenced in turn. You disturb your natural constitution, and are of no further account.
None of your companions
Warn you of this.
Their paltry talk
Is but poison to a man.
They are not awake, not alive to the situation.
How should one of these help you?
- In the original, these lines rhyme.
"The shrewd grow weary, the wise grieve. Those who are without abilities have no ambitions. With full bellies they roam happily about, like drifting boats, not caring whither they are bound."
There was a man of the Chêng State, named
