肇論新疏 2.320

2.320

Ying is the name of a prefecture. Zhuangzi roughly states: "A man of Ying had a smear of white plaster on the tip of his nose, as thin as a fly's wing; he had a master artisan chop it off. The artisan swung his axe so fast that it produced a wind; the axe fell, the plaster was completely removed without injuring the nose, and the man of Ying stood still without losing his composure." The meaning is: although the one who chops is marvelous, the one who receives it is even more difficult. This is used as a metaphor for your difficult, beautiful, and trenchant inquiry, compared to the artisan's marvelous chopping; the author of the treatise answering it is as difficult as the man of Ying. This is merely utter modesty. "Chatter" means verbal discourse. Much speech loses the truth, which is why he says this. From "I merely offer" downward: he consents to reply.