Today, we are pleased to present selected passages from Book II: The Yellow Emperor in the ‘Book of Lieh-Tzu,’ written by the Venerated Enlightened Master Lieh Tzu (vegetarian), and translated by Lionel Giles. Starting with the tale of the faithful Shang Ch'iu K'ai and followed with Liang Yang and his understanding of animal-people behavior.
BOOK 2 The Yellow Emperor Shang Ch'iu K'ai’s Faith
“So, by way of a jest, they [Mr Fan’s disciples] took the old man with them to the top of a cliff, and the word was passed round that whosoever dared to throw himself over would be rewarded with a hundred ounces of silver. There was an eager response, and Shang Ch'iu K'ai, in perfect good faith, was the first to leap over the edge. And lo! he was wafted down to Earth like a bird on the wing, not a bone or muscle of his body being hurt. Mr. Fan’s disciples, regarding this as a lucky chance, were merely surprised, but not yet moved to great wonder. Then they pointed to a bend in the foaming river below, saying: ‘There is a precious jewel at the bottom of that river, which can be had for the diving.’ Ch'iu K'ai again acted on their suggestion and plunged in. And when he came out, sure enough, he held a jewel in his hand. Then, at last, the whole company began to suspect the truth, and Tzu Hua gave orders that an array of costly assortment of foods and fine clothing should be prepared; then suddenly, a great fire was kindled round the pile. ‘If you can walk through the midst of these flames,’ he said, ‘you are welcome to keep what you can get of these embroidered stuffs, be it much or little, as a reward.’
Without moving a muscle of his face, Shang Ch'iu K'ai walked straight into the fire and came back again with his garments unsoiled and his body unsinged. Mr. Fan and his disciples now realized that he was in possession of Tao, and all began to make their apologies, saying: ‘We did not know, Sir, that you had Tao, and were only playing a trick on you. We insulted you, not knowing that you were a Divine man. You have exposed our stupidity, our deafness, and our blindness. May we venture to ask what the Great Secret is?’
‘Secret I have none,’ replied Shang Ch'iu K'ai. ‘Even in my own mind, I have no clue as to the real cause. Nevertheless, there is one point in it all which I must try to explain to you. A short time ago, Sir, two disciples of yours came and put up for the night in my hut. I heard them extolling Mr. Fan’s powers-- how he could dispense life and death at his will, and how he was able to make the rich man poor and the poor man rich. I believed this implicitly, and as the distance was not very great, I came hither. […] But now, having discovered that your disciples were deceiving me, my inner man is thrown into a state of doubt and perplexity, while outwardly my senses of sight and hearing reassert themselves. When I reflect that I have just had a providential escape from being drowned and burned to death, my heart within me freezes with horror, and my limbs tremble with fear. I shall never again have the courage to go near water or fire.’ From that time forth, when Mr. Fan’s disciples happened to meet a beggar or a poor horse-doctor on the road, so far from jeering at him, they would actually dismount and offer him a humble salute.
Tsai Wo heard this story and told it to Confucius. ‘Is this so strange to you? was the reply. ‘The man of perfect faith can extend his influence to inanimate things and disembodied spirits; he can move Heaven and Earth, and fly to the six cardinal points without encountering any hindrance. His powers are not confined to walking in perilous places and passing through water and fire. If Shang Ch'iu K'ai, who put his faith in falsehoods, found no obstacle in external matter, how much more certainly will that be so when both parties are equally sincere! Young man, bear this in mind.’ In Shang Ch'iu K'ai’s case, though he himself was sincere, his Master Fan Tzu Hua was merely an impostor.”
Liang Yang and his understanding of animal-people
“The Keeper of Animals under King Xuan, of the Chou dynasty, had an assistant named Liang Yang, who was skilled in the management of wild birds and creatures. When he fed them […] all the animals showed themselves tame and tractable, although they comprised tigers, wolves, eagles, and ospreys. Male and female freely propagated their kind, and their numbers multiplied. The different species lived […] together, yet they never clawed nor bit one another. The King was afraid lest this man’s secret should die with him, and commanded him to impart it to the Keeper.
So Liang Yang appeared before the Keeper and said: ‘I am only a humble servant, and have really nothing to impart. I fear His Majesty thinks I am hiding something from you. With regard to my method of feeding tigers, all I have to say is this: when yielded to, they are pleased; when opposed, they are angry. Such is the natural disposition of all living creatures. But neither their pleasure nor their anger is manifested without a cause. Both are really excited by opposition. Anger directly, pleasure indirectly, owing to the natural reaction when the opposition is overcome.’”
