Page:Zhuang Zi - translation Giles 1889.djvu/322

288 spikelet, is still wise enough to withhold vain talk and die,—how much more those who exemplify ? To the eye it is formless, and to the ear it is noiseless. Those who discuss it, speak of it as 'the obscure.' But the mere fact of discussing Tao makes it not ."

At this the Empyrean asked Without-end, saying, "Do you know ?"

"I do not," replied Without-end; whereupon the Empyrean proceeded to ask Inaction.

"I do know ," said Inaction.

"Is there any method," asked the Empyrean, "by which you know ?"

"There is," replied Inaction.

"What is it?" asked the Empyrean.

"I know," answered Inaction, "that may honour and dishonour, bind and loose. That is the method by which I know ."

The Empyrean repeated these words to No-beginning, and asked him which was right, the ignorance of Without-end or the knowledge of Inaction.

"Not to know," replied No-beginning, "is profound. To know is shallow. Not to know is internal. To know is external."

Here the Empyrean broke in with a sigh, "Then ignorance is knowledge, and knowledge ignorance! But pray whose knowledge is the knowledge of not knowing?"

"," said No-beginning, "cannot be heard. Heard, it is not . It cannot be seen. Seen, it