Questions Put to the Maker of Things問造物
予問造物者曰。夫天之生蒸人也。旣生之。隨而生五穀。故人得而食焉。隨而生桑麻。故人得而衣焉。則天若愛人而欲其生之也。何復隨之以含毒之物。大若熊虎豺貙。小若蚊蝱蚤蝨之類。害人斯甚。則天若憎人而欲其死之也。其憎愛之靡常。何也。造物曰。子之所問。人與物之生。皆定於冥兆。發於自然。天不自知。造物亦不知也。夫蒸人之生。夫固自生而已。天不使之生也。五穀桑麻之產。夫固自產也。天不使之產也。況復分別利毒。措置於其間哉。唯有道者。利之來也。受焉而勿苟喜。毒之至也。當焉而勿苟憚。遇物如虛。故物亦莫之害也。予又問曰。元氣肇判。上爲天下爲地。人在其中。曰三才。三才一揆。天上亦有斯毒乎。造物曰。予旣言有道者。物莫之害也。天旣不若有道者而有是也哉。予曰。苟如是。得道則其得至三天玉境乎。造物曰。可。予曰。吾已判然釋疑矣。但不知子言天不自知也。予亦不知也。且天則無爲。宜其不自知也。汝造物者。何得不知耶。曰。予以手造其物。汝見之乎。夫物自生自化耳。予何造哉。予何知哉。名予爲造物。吾又不知也。
I asked the Maker of Things:
「When Heaven brings forth the multitude of men, having brought them forth it goes on to bring forth the five grains, and so men get them and eat; it goes on to bring forth mulberry and hemp, and so men get them and are clothed. It would seem, then, that Heaven loves men and would have them live. Why then does it go on to bring forth besides the things that hold poison — the bear and the tiger, the jackal and the wolf among the great, and among the small such tribes as the mosquito and the gadfly, the flea and the louse — which harm men so sorely as this? It would seem, then, that Heaven hates men and would have them die. How is it that its hating and its loving are not of one kind?」
The Maker of Things said:
「What you ask of — the coming to be of men and things — is all settled in the dim foretoken and blossoms out of that which is so of itself. Heaven itself does not know it, and the Maker of Things does not know it either. The multitude of men come to be truly of themselves, and it is not Heaven that brought them forth; the five grains and the mulberry and the hemp likewise come forth truly of themselves, and it is not Heaven that brought them forth. How much less would it sort out benefit and poison and set them in between? Only, one who holds the Way, when benefit comes, receives it but does not rejoice meanly; when poison arrives, he faces it but does not fear meanly. He meets things as though they were empty, and so things too cannot harm him.」
I asked again:
「When the primal force first divided, above became heaven and below became earth, and man is in the midst of them, and they are called the Three Powers (三才). If the Three Powers are of one principle, is there this kind of poison above the heavens as well?」
The Maker of Things said:
「I have already said that one who holds the Way cannot be harmed by things. How should heaven be less even than one who holds the Way, that there should be such things in it?」
I said:
「If it is truly so, can one who gets the Way reach to the Jade Realm (玉境) of the Three Heavens (三天)?」
The Maker of Things said: 「He can.」
I said:
「My doubts are already clearly undone. Only I do not understand your saying that Heaven does not itself know and that you too do not know. And Heaven does nothing, so that its not knowing of itself is fitting; but you, the Maker of Things — how is it that you do not know?」
He said:
「If I had made those things with my hands, did you see it? Things merely come to be of themselves and change of themselves; so what have I made, and what should I know? That I am named the Maker of Things — that too I do not know.」
Interlinear notes 1
予厭蠅蚊之類。始發是題。
It was because I loathe flies and mosquitoes and the like that I first set out this topic.