Tao Gu Cuian

Author: (Qing) Dan Sou
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: The origin of Dan Sou and Tong Zhenzi being close friends who shared a deep understanding of the truth. Dan Sou lived in Shanghai with his wife, concubine, son, and daughter near Zhang Garden. Tong Zhenzi visited Shanghai for a while due to an engagement and indulged in luxury, buying pleasure and singing. At first, he found it delightful, but over time, he grew weary. On this day, as he was returning to Hankou, he visited Dan Sou to bid farewell. He saw Dan Sou's small study, which had a writing desk, two bookshelves, several foreign chairs, a Japanese tea table, table mats, and carpets—neither shabby nor overly luxurious, yet very tidy. The green shade by the window and the orioles singing in the neighboring garden made the two men feel as if they were transcending worldly matters while brewing tea and chatting. They soon turned to discussing the recent situation in Shanghai and generalized about the four characters—alcohol, beauty, wealth, and anger.
Tong Zhenzi said, "These four characters are truly harmful. Look at people across the five continents—none are spared by them. It's better to set them aside."
Dan Sou replied, "Regarding the character for alcohol, its use is limited, and its harm is not as great as the other three, which often serve as the starting point for beauty, wealth, and anger. Anger often arises from injustice in wealth and beauty, so it can also be considered part of the two. As for wealth and beauty, they are indeed harmful, but to say we should abandon them is impossible unless everyone across the five continents enters the Buddhist path of extinction. Then what kind of world would it be? The Four Sons' Book also says, 'With wealth, there is use,' and 'Without wealth, one cannot be joyful.' It also states, 'Eating and beauty are human nature,' and 'No one loves virtue as much as beauty.' This shows that wealth and beauty are essential to life, and thus sages do not make pretentious arguments. Look at the character for wealth—it is not only necessary for daily living but also for the relationships between rulers and subjects, fathers and sons, husbands and wives, brothers, and friends. Without wealth mediating these connections, how could these relationships be formed? Even you and I now rely on wealth. Without it, we could not afford even this broken house or two cups of tea—we would be like beggars conversing in the wilderness. What would be the point? Even if we became beggars, we would still need to beg for money to support ourselves, or else we would starve to death and cease to be beggars."
Tong Zhenzi couldn't help but laugh and clapped his hands.
Dan Sou continued, "When it comes to beauty, if people across the five continents did not desire beauty, the human race would have long been extinct. Some say, 'Affectionate but not lustful,' or 'Lustful but not lecherous,' but these are all deceptive talk. Without lust, affection cannot be expressed; without affection, desire cannot be stirred. Look at the past and present—when men and women are attracted to each other, if they cannot be physically intimate, they always feel their desire unfulfilled. Even those who observe from afar or comment later would see it as a deficiency. Thus, the Book of Mao says, 'They have met,' and adds, 'They have united.' This proves that without lust, affection cannot be expressed. This affection not only brings together talented scholars and beautiful women but also those foolish men and women in the fields and grass—none are without this 'affection,' and the deeper the affection, the stronger the desire. You see, Western couples are generally more devoted than Chinese ones, not because of inherent differences, but because their marriages are chosen by the couple themselves, with affection as the foundation. In China, marriages are often arranged by parents, and the couple may never have met. How can affection arise from this? By the time they are married, it is considered a matter of course, and there is no joy, so the affection is naturally weak. In fact, traditional Chinese marriages were also chosen by the couple—just look at the phrases 'Waking and seeking' and 'Seeking my noble man.' If there is no affection, why seek? The rituals were created based on affection, not to abandon it, as is the case today. Thus, there is the saying, 'A concubine is better than a wife.' Does this mean a concubine's beauty is superior to a wife's? Because concubines are often chosen by the husband himself, from brothels, maidservants, or small, refined families. There are distinctions here: brothels are the highest, followed by maidservants, and then small, refined families. Why? Because in brothels, the couple has already developed deep affection, and their bond is already strong before the marriage. In the case of maidservants and small, refined families, there is an additional layer."
Tong Zhenzi countered, "Your reasoning is not entirely logical. Look at recent cases in Shanghai, like Lin Daiyu and Zhang Shuyu, who marry Zhang San one day and Li Si the next, often separating within days. Are they not concubines from brothels? How can their love be strong?"
Dan Sou smiled, "For people like them, their relationships began with wealth, not beauty. How can they be judged by beauty? In China, there are also marriages where the couple comes from related or neighboring families. When they were children, the boy rode a bamboo horse, and the girl played with green plums, and they grew up loving each other before even knowing each other. Later, they became a happy couple, and their childhood affection naturally added to their marital joy. Alternatively, after marriage, they may face hardships—disapproval from in-laws, war, famine, or chaos. In such cases, they support each other with deep affection, making their bond stronger than ordinary couples. This proves that without affection, desire cannot be stirred. Thus, both affection and lust are subordinate to beauty. However, wealth and beauty cannot always fulfill everyone's desires. When they are not fulfilled, endless disputes arise—some become sorrowful and die young; others violate rituals and suffer legal consequences; some even defy death to rebel. There are also those who are naturally extraordinary but harbored ambitions of wealth and concubines from an early age. Yet, early struggles prevent them from achieving wealth or beauty, leading to much hardship and loneliness. This drives them to become eccentric and unnatural, harming themselves and even the nation. In truth, these problems stem from individual circumstances, but their roots, even rulers and officials share the blame."
P1-3