弘明集 1.29

1.29

牟子曰。未達其源。而問其流也。夫陳爼豆於壘門。建旍旗於朝堂。衣狐裘以當𮒂賓。被絺𥿭以御黃鍾。非不麗也。乖其處非其時也。故持孔子之術。入商鞅之門。齎孟軻之說。詣蘇張之庭。功無分寸。過有丈尺矣。老子曰。上士聞道勤而行之。中士聞道若存若亡。下士聞道大而笑之。吾懼大笑故不為談也。渴不必待江河。而飲井泉之水何所不飽。是以復治經傳耳。

Mouzi said: "You have not reached the source, yet you inquire about the stream. Setting out sacrificial vessels at the gate of a military camp, erecting banners in the imperial court, wearing a fox-fur coat in the summer heat, or donning fine linen to resist the winter cold—it is not that these are unlovely, but that they violate the place and are out of season. Therefore, carrying Confucius's methods into the gate of Shang Yang, or bringing Meng Ke's explanations to the halls of Su Qin and Zhang Yi, would not yield an inch of merit, while the faults would be yards long! Laozi said: 'When the highest knight hears of the Dao, he diligently puts it into practice; when the average knight hears of the Dao, it seems to exist and not exist; when the lowest knight hears of the Dao, he laughs at it loudly.' I fear the loud laughter, and therefore do not discuss it. When thirsty, one does not need to await the great rivers; drinking water from a well-spring, in what way is one not satisfied? For this reason, I continue to study the classics and commentaries."