11:12

聖人綢繆,周盡一體矣,而不知其然,也。復搖作而以為師,人則從而之也。憂乎知而所行恆無幾時,其有止也若之何?

生而美者,人與之鑑,不告則不知其美於人也。若知之,若不知之,若聞之,若不聞之,其可喜也終無已,人之好之亦無已,也。聖人之愛人也,人與之名,不告則不知其愛人也。若知之,若不知之,若聞之,若不聞之,其愛人也終無已,人之安之亦無已,也。

舊國舊都,望之暢然;雖使丘陵草木之緡,入之者十九,猶之暢然。況見見聞聞者也?以十仞之臺縣眾閒者也![a]


Wise people penetrate the inter-weavings, universally exhausting the one body, without even realizing it. It's their inborn nature! They follow their orders and rock into motion, making nature their teacher. Other people follow along and name them. If they bothered to think about what to do, they would never find the opportune time, and how would they be able to stop?

If a person is born beautiful, and someone gives them a mirror but doesn't tell them, they don't know they're more beautiful than other people. Whether they know it or don't know it, whether they hear it or don't hear it, they won't stop being delightful and people won't stop liking them. It's their inborn nature. Wise people love others and those others celebrate it. If you don't tell them, the wise people won't realize they love others. Whether they know it or not, whether they hear it or not, they won't stop loving people and people won't stop taking comfort in it. It's inborn nature

Gazing on your old state and home town is a delight. Though the hilly mounds are overgrown with trees and grass, and though nine out of ten of your people lie underneath them, it's still a delight. What if you could still see what you saw, still hear what you heard? It would be like standing on a lofty tower in the midst of people. [1]

[1]  This is a vague and difficult passage but I take it that the sense is people are naturally and unselfconsciously drawn to wisdom, either in themselves or in others, like an old home or beautiful view.

[a] CTP 25.02, HYZY 25/9-15.