Muwa Gisun Section Six

discourse 41

When the father of this friend of ours was first going, we did not see him off.  Now they say he will be arriving around the end of the month.  If we do not go meet him, what will this friend think of us?

discourse 42

Did you hear the announcement today?  The officers said that everyone is to get their bows and arrows, ready their archery ponies, and assemble there early tomorrow morning.  There probably will be a selection of officers.

discourse 43

Gold, wood, water, fire, and earth are called the five elements.  The five constants are benevolence, rectitude, propriety, wisdom, and loyalty.  The heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys are the five organs.  The five flavors are sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, and salty.

discourse 44

This year there is lots of stuff coming from Mukden.  On the streets are piled up roe deer, four-year-old wild boar, deer, pheasant, hare, geese, and ducks, and other such things.  But while there are lots of people looking, few people are buying.  I don’t value these kinds of things too much.  But I am very fond of eating, [especially] sturgeon and crane.

discourse 45

Listen, all of you.  People are born into the world and find fame, wealth and honor, poverty and humility – it’s all fate.  Be that as it may, do you suppose you can achieve fame just by wishing for it?  That you can get wealth just by thinking about it?  Do you suppose you can avoid poverty by just deciding to avoid it?  Why then not just wish, think, and avoid?

discourse 46

Continually contemplating all the while [and doing nothing else] is to waste one’s mental energy for nothing!  How is one to learn anything [simply] out of reflection?

Young master, what you said is quite right.  The idea that the principles recorded in the books of the wise sages should be specially elucidated by people is not in order to gain wealth, position, merit, or fame.  Only once students are truly able to grasp this thoroughly can they be called people who have penetrating comprehension.

discourse 47

Are you saying you just want to sit on the mountain, watching the tigers fight?  When two people have crossed into a single space and are about to go at it, why do you still not intervene to counsel them?  Isn’t that the same as if you caused it by watching?

discourse 48

When you see people selling old clothes, you can tell if the season is cold or hot.  Now fall is at an end.  Don’t worry about it gradually getting colder – there are lots of fur jackets, cotton ones, and layered ones [for sale].  It’s the single-layered ones, grass linen, and coarse hempen clothes that have completely disappeared.

discourse 49

Brother!  This month the temples are open everywhere.  We ought to get a few people together to go burn incense.

You go.  Don’t include me.  I think that to stay home and be filial to our parents, or to be out and  respecting my seniors, is better than going a long way to burn incense.  I set no store by false goodness.

discourse 50

Are you finally going to give me the thing you promised me yourself, or not?  If you are, say you are.  If not, say you’re not.  This is not a debt you owe me, after all.  How come you keep putting it off today and tomorrow?  Now you’re giving, now you’re not giving – it would be just as well if you say which it is going to be bluntly, so I can put my mind at ease.

Section Five