弘明集 1.5

1.5

Mouzi had already studied the Classics, the commentaries, and the various philosophers; among books, large or small, there were none he did not enjoy. Although he took no delight in the art of war, he still read it. Although he read books on divine immortals and deathlessness, he restrained himself and did not believe in them, regarding them as empty and fabricated. At that time, after Emperor Ling passed away, the realm was in turbulence and disorder. Only Jiaozhou was relatively peaceful, so extraordinary men from the north all came to reside there. Many practiced the techniques of divine immortals, grain-avoidance, and longevity. Many people of the time studied these, but Mouzi constantly used the Five Classics to refute them; none of the Daoist masters and sorcerers dared to respond to him. This was comparable to Meng Ke rebuffing Yang Zhu and Mo Di. Before this, Mouzi had taken his mother to escape the troubles of the world in Jiaozhi; at the age of twenty-six, he returned to Cangwu and took a wife. The grand administrator heard of his devotion to learning and came to visit, requesting to appoint him as an official. At that time he was in the prime of his years, his mind was devoted to learning, and seeing the world in chaos, he had no intention of entering officialdom; ultimately he did not take up the post. At that time, the various commanderies and provinces were suspicious of one another and cut off from communication. The grand administrator, on account of his broad learning and vast knowledge, dispatched him to pay respects in Jingzhou. Mouzi believed that while glory and noble rank were easy to decline, a diplomatic mission was difficult to refuse. Thereupon he prepared to set out. Just then, he received a commendatory summons from the provincial governor inviting him as a retired scholar; he again pleaded illness and did not rise [to the post]. The governor's younger brother was the Grand Administrator of Yuzhang and was killed by General of the Household Ze Rong. At that time, the governor sent Cavalry Commandant Liu Yan to lead troops to his aid, but he feared that the adjacent regions would be suspicious and the troops would not be able to advance. The governor then petitioned Mouzi, saying: 'My younger brother has been harmed by a rebellious traitor; the pain of blood relations stirs indignation in my heart. I must send Commandant Liu to go, but I fear that the adjacent regions will have doubts and travelers will not be permitted passage. You, sir, are equipped with both civil and military talents, and possess the ability to respond autonomously [to diplomatic challenges]. Now I wish to trouble you to borrow a passage through Lingling and Guiyang to open the way; what do you think?' Mouzi said: 'I have received feed at your stable and have been treated well for a long time. When an honorable officer forgets himself, he will certainly strive to exert his utmost effort.' Thereupon he prepared to depart. Just then, his mother passed away, so in the end he did not go. After a long while, reflecting in retirement, [he realized] that because of his eloquence he was constantly being called upon for official missions; in a world filled with chaos, it was not the time to distinguish oneself. He then sighed and said: 'Laozi abandoned sageliness and discarded wisdom, cultivating his person and preserving his genuineness. The ten thousand things did not perturb his mind, and the realm could not alter his joy. The Son of Heaven could not make him a minister, and the feudal lords could not make him a friend; thus he was to be valued.' Thereupon he set his will firmly on the Buddhist Dao, and concurrently investigated Laozi's five thousand words. Imbibing the dark and marvelous as wine and savoring the Five Classics as musical pipes, many worldly people criticized him, believing that he had turned his back on the Five Classics and turned toward a deviant path. If he wished to dispute, it would not be the Dao; if he wished to remain silent, he could not. Thereupon, through pen and ink, he briefly cited the words of sages and worthies to verify and explain it, entitling it Mouzi lihuo lun.