Chapter Nine

Translation by Hua Ching-Ni

A bow that is stretched to its fullest capacity
may certainly snap.
A sword that is tempered to its very sharpest
may easily be broken.
A house that is full of jade and gold
cannot remain secure for long.
One who proudly displays his wealth invites trouble.

Therefore, resign for a high position
when you mission is complete.
This is the Universal Way of a life of deep virtue.

Ripples…

Wang Bi: The four seasons succeed each other, and when their work is accomplished, they pass.

Liu Shih-Li: “Since fullness always leads to emptiness, avoid clinging to fullness. Since sharpness always leads to dullness, avoid zeal. Since gold and jade always lead to worry, avoid greed. Since wealth and honor encourage excess, avoid pride. Since success and fame bring danger, know when to stop and where lies the mean. You don’t have to live in the mountains and forests or cut yourself off from human affairs to enter the Way. Success and fame, wealth and honor are all encouragements to practice.”

Huang Yuan-Chi: “You need a raft to cross a river. But once you cross, you forget the raft. You need to study rules to learn how to do something. But once you know how, you can forget the rules.”

Hsun-Tzu: “In the ancestral hall of Duke Huan, Confucius reports watching an attendant pour water into a container that hung at an angle. As the water level approached the midpoint, the container became upright. But when the attendant went beyond the midpoint, it tipped over, the water poured out, and only after it was empty did it resume its former position. Seeing this, Confucius sighed, ‘Alas! Whatever becomes full becomes empty.”

My Council mentors drilled this into me: “When the Ceremony is complete, do not linger at the threshold. Turn around and leave” —Yamin