Harmonious Transformation and Changes


Chapter 2: Mania
By Hu Xuezhi

In Chin country, there was a man called Feng Shi who had a very clever son in childhood. Yet when growing up his son became mania, mistaking melodious music as sobbing sound, and black as white, the delicious smell as stink, the sweet as bitter, the good deeds as wrong doing, etc. In a word, all things that stay within the far-reaching range of his heart are misplaced upside down.

One man surnamed as Yang told Feng Shi: “Why not you try to go to see the famous gentlemen in Lu country who are said to be able to excise magic Taoist skills. Perhaps they can help your son.”

Upon it Feng Shi left for Lu country. When passing by Chen area, Feng Shi chanced to meet Lao Tzi and told him the problems of his son. Lao Tzi replied: “How did you know your son is mania? All people under the heaven get puzzled and don’t know what is right and wrong. All people under heaven lost their way when chasing after so-called benefit and stay away from so-called loss they may incur. No men can pay attention to such circumstance when more and more people have the same problem. Still more, the mania of one family member cannot cause the overthrow of whole family. The mania of one family cannot cause the overthrow of a whole county. The mania of one county cannot cause the overthrow of one whole country. The mania of one whole country cannot cause the overthrow of the world under heaven. Who would like and be capable to redress the problem when the world becomes mania? I can say you are mania at present should originally all people under heaven become what your son is like now. When the reversal happens between sorrow and happiness, right and wrong, black and white, aroma and stink, etc. who can stand up to address the problem? Still more, I cannot guarantee what I say is free of any sense of mania, and something for you attention, the gentlemen in Lu country gained the most severe mania. How could they be competent for correcting the mania problem for other people? My suggestion is: shoulder your food bag and hasten to return home.”