三教平心論 2.11

2.11

與馮宿書。自北揚子為太玄時。且謂勝老子。又引侯芭之論謂。玄勝周易。夫老子五千言。固非楊子所能及至於易則更。數聖人而後為全經。雖孔子之聖猶謂。五十以學易。可以無太過。而愈乃謂不及楊子之太玄。何其謬哉。楊子作太玄以擬易。昔人謂其如吳楚僭號以稱王。擬易猶不免乎僭。而謂其勝易可乎。愈之不知經也又如此。

In his letter to Feng Su, he compared himself to Master Yang when he composed the *Taixuan*, and moreover claimed it surpassed Laozi, and further cited Hou Ba's argument that the *Xuan* surpassed the *Book of Changes*. Now Laozi's five thousand words were certainly beyond Master Yang's reach. As for the *Changes*, it underwent several sages before becoming a complete classic. Even the sage Confucius still said: 'Give me a few years, so that at fifty I may study the *Changes*, and I may be free of major faults.' Yet Yu claimed that it did not measure up to Master Yang's *Taixuan*. How absurd! Master Yang composed the *Taixuan* to simulate the *Changes*; ancients said it was like the states of Wu and Chu usurping the title of king. Simulating the *Changes* still could not escape usurpation, so how could one say it surpassed the *Changes*? Yu's ignorance of the classics is also like this.