Musings of a Chinese Mystic

115 Pages·2017·2.52 MB·English

WISDOM OF THE EAST
M U S I N GS O F A
CH I N ESE MYST IC
SELECTIONS FROM THE PHILOSOPHY
‘
OF CHUANG 1 s
WI TH AN I N T R O D U C T I O N B Y
LIONEL GILES M.A. o xen
,
( )
A S S I ST A N T AT THE B R I T I SH M U S E U M
LONDON
OHN MURRAY ALBEMARLE STREET
J ,
1 06
9
C O N TE N T S
PAGE
I NTRODUCTION
THE DOCTRINE OE RELATI'ITY
THE I DENTITY OF CONTEAEI ES
I LLUSI ONE
THE MYSTERI OUS I E NANENCE OF TAO
THE HIDDEN SPRING
-
NON I NTERFERENCE WITH NATURE
PASSI'E 'IRTUE
-
SELF ADAPTATION To E'TERNALS
M ORTALITY OF THE SOUL
THE SAGE OR PERFECT MAN
,
RANDOM GLEANINGS
PERSONAL ANEODOTES
N O T E
HE extracts in this volum e are drawn
,
one or two ver slight modifications from
,
y
the
translation by Professor H. A. Giles uaritch
(Q ,
1889
L
EDI TORI AL NOTE
HE object of the editors of this series is a
very definite one. The desire above all
y
things that in their humble way these books
, ,
-
shall be the ambassadors of good will and
understanding between East and West the old
,
world of Thought and the new of Action. I n
,
this endeavour and in their own sphere they
, ,
are but followers of the highest example in the
land. They are confident that a deeper know
ledge oi the great ideals and lofty philosophy
of Oriental thought may help to a revival of
that true spirit of Charity which neither despises
nor fears the nations of another creed and
colour. Finally in thanking press and public
,
for the very cordial reception given to the
Wisdom of the East series they wish to state
,
that no pains have been spared to secure the
best specialists for the treatment of the various
subjects at hand.
-
L. CRANMER BYNG.
S. A. KAPADIA ,
Q
4
. HAROOURT BuILDINos
,
I NNER TEMP
LE
,
LONDON.
MUSINGSOFACHINESEMYSTIC
INT
RODUCTION
-
LTHOUGH Chinese histo ry can show no
A
authentic contemporary record prior to the
Chou dynasty some eleven hundred years before
,
Christ there is no do ubt that a high pitch of civili
,
sation was attained at a much earlier period. Thus
Lao Tzii was in no sense the first humanising
-
instructo r of a semi barbc race. On the con
trar his was a reactionary influence for the cry
, ,
y
he raised was directed against the multiplication
of laws and restrictions the growth of luxury
, ,
and the other evils which attend rapid material
progress . That his lifetime should have coin
cided with a remarkable extension of the very
principles he combated with such energy is one
of the ironies of fate. Before he was in his rave
g
another great man had arisen who laid unex
am led stress on the minute regulation of cere
p