motive was greed and whose belief was false,
found no obstacle in external things, how much more certainly
will it be so when the motive is pure and both parties sincere?"

I will finish it with what is really another of Liehtse's
stories,--also dealing with a man who walked through fire
uninjured, unconscious of it because of the one-pointedness of
his mind.

The incident came to the ears of Marquis Wen of Wei, who spoke to
Tsu Hsia, a disciple of Confucius, about it.--"From what I have
heard the Master say," said Tsu Hsia, "the man who achieves
harmony with Tao enters into close relations with outer objects,
and none of them has power to harm or hinder him."--"Why, my
friend," said the Marquis, "cannot you do all these marvels?"--"I
have not yet succeeded," said Tsu Hsia, "in cleansing my heart
from impurities and discarding brainmind wisdom."--"And why,"
said the Marquis, "cannot the Master himself" (Confucius, of course)
"perform such feats?"--"The Master," said Tsu Hsia, "is able to
perform them; but _he is also able to refrain from performing
them."_--which, again, he was. Here is another example:

Hui Yang went to visit Prince K'ang of Sung. The prince,
however, stamped his foot, rasped his throat, and said angrily:--
"The things I like are courage and strength. I am not fond of
your good and virtuous people. What can a stranger like you have
to teach me?"

"I have a secret," said Hui Yang, "whereby my opponent,
however brave or strong, can be prevented from harming me
either by thrust or blow. Would not Your Highness care to
know that secret?"

"Capital!" said the Prince; "that is certainly something I
should like to hear about."

"True," said Hui yang, "when you render his stabs or blows
ineffectual, you cover your opponent with shame. But my secret
will make him, however brave or strong, afraid to stab or strike
at all."

"Better still," said the Prince; "let me hear about it."

"It is all very well for him to be afraid to do it." said Hui
Yang; "but that does not imply he has no will to do it. Now, my
secret would deprive him even of the will."

"Better and better," said Prince K'ang; "I beseech you to reveal
it to me."

"Yes," said Hui Yang; "but this not having the will to injure
does not necessarily connote a desire to love and do good. But
my secret is one whereby every man, woman, and child in the
empire shall be inspired with the friendly desire to love and do
good to each oth