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19. “Gu Gong cast away his staff and fled into the mountains. Yue Yi hid himself in caves. Ji Zha turned to farming. Lao Lai tended his garden. They followed what pleased them and none could change them. Purity unmixed is true wealth. Freedom from service is true honor. To hold office is merely to earn salary. It is not true nobility. The higher the post, the heavier the burden. The greater the merit, the more envy it draws. Only poverty is safe from rivals. Only simplicity can last without fear.”

#18. “The man united with Spirit moves with creation. Heaven and Earth rest within his heart. The affairs of the world do not cling to his mind. Praise and blame do not trouble his purity. Common desires cannot stain his spirit. Common delusions cannot move his will. Glory is but a tumor. All things are as fragile as a cicada’s wing. How could such a one bend his body or flatter the crowd? Would he dip his hand into what he does not love? Would he gather what he has abandoned? Would he smile to gain favor, bow to avoid harm, or stoop like a dragon used for drills, a great drum beaten like a toy?”

2:10 12. The Hidden Man continued, “You guard the ant mound and play in fox dens, yet you have not ascended the Windy Heights or looked upon the rainbow clouds. You wade in shallow pools, never having crossed the southern seas. The true man of will does not seek rank or fame. The highest have no self, the next have no name. They soar beyond all measure. They cut away what others cannot. They are pure and still, unstained by title or gain. Their virtue cleanses the dust of ages. Their integrity stirs future generations. Why must they wear red robes or fragrant silks? Why feed upon delicacies or seek honors? Morning burns like fire, evening turns to ash. Why cling to what fades so swiftly?”

11. “The world has long been restless. Men now rise through bribes or parties, the great Way fades, learning declines. Wealth alone is sought for survival. If a man of virtue stays home and studies the Way, he should be sought out and honored, to revive humility. Sun and Wu won battles through one mind. A single strategist was worth ten thousand soldiers. Likewise, great scholars need not govern directly. Left in the mountains, they mold youth and spread respect and ritual. Why use elephants to hunt mice, or harness phoenixes to blow bellows?”

5. “He rises early and stands humbly, anticipating every wish and signal. His smooth tongue and cunning words seem like eloquence. His gossip and hearsay seem like learning. His soft face and crooked heart seem like kindness. His foul conduct and fair speech seem like purity. His talent for exposing faults seems like loyalty. His ignorance of restraint seems like honesty. Thus such men are often advanced. For in truth, we favor those who serve our gain and neglect those who do not. Such is human nature.” 6. “The wise are always few, and the foolish many. The many protect one another and hide their flaws; the few stand alone and have no allies.

11. “If my home is poor and my skill unpolished, that is my own fault. If few understand me and no rank arrives, that is no shame. If they mistake jade for stone, or call the phoenix a sparrow, that is their blindness, not my failing. Those who fret for recognition and grieve in obscurity are people of the world. Those who breathe freely and seek nothing are the tranquil of heart. When the time arrives, the Way will act. when the vessel is great, it does not rejoice in use. He who knows destiny has no sorrow beneath Heaven. As for chasing wealth and bargaining for rank, as for trading ten thousand coins to buy the worth of a hundred, losing one’s marrow and heart for trifles. For such I have no time.”

9. “When men are in hardship, Yao may wander by the riverside, Jiang Taigong may be driven away by foolish women, Fan Li may suffer insult from fishermen, and Hong Yi may hide his talent among the herds. But when their times arrive, Han Xin casts aside his rod to command an army, Wen Zhong loosens his sandals and returns to counsel kings, Fu Yue leaves the brickworks to sit among ministers, and Guan Zhong rises from chains to govern the realm. Thus the gentleman hides his skill while waiting for his season, storing virtue for his purpose. He does not appear before his time, nor serve an unworthy lord. When obscure, he is the model of hermits; when active, he is the pillar of the state. Some labor in writing, others in service, yet all return to the same end - fulfillment of their Way.”

Friendship is an ancient necessity.

13. “To force what is contrary, to twist oneself to please the crowd, this I cannot bear. Friendships formed without sincerity cannot endure. To begin warmly and end in estrangement brings blame to both sides. Affection breeds closeness, and coldness breeds suspicion. Such is the law of nature. Therefore one must choose carefully. To drink once together is easy, to remain true forever is hard. I fear [for] those who seek many companions but do not value one in truth.”