八 4

"Well, but since you're eating, it's all right. No need to be surprised."

"I'm thoroughly displeased and my temper is beyond bearing. No matter where I turn, it's nothing but grievances."

"Grievances are fine too. When one wells up, let it well up, and for a while you'll feel better. People are all different, so no matter how much you urge them to be like yourself, they can't become so. You must hold your chopsticks like others to eat easily, but it's most convenient to cut your own bread as you please. If a skilled tailor makes your clothes, he brings them fitted to your body once worn, but if you ordered from a clumsy seamstress, you'd have to endure for a while. Yet the world is cleverly made: as you keep wearing them, the Western clothes adjust to your frame. If superior parents skillfully bore you suited to this age, that is happiness. But if born faulty, there's no path but to endure unadjusted to the world, or persevere until the world adjusts to you."

"But as for me, I see no sign of ever fitting in, no matter how long I stand. It's bleak."

"A poor-fitting suit forced on tears. That's where quarrels, suicides, disturbances arise. But you only say you're not amused, won't suicide of course, and likely never fought. All in all, you're fine."

"Yet I quarrel every day. Even if no opponent appears, angering myself is a quarrel."

"Indeed, a solo quarrel. Amusing—do as much as you like."

"I've grown tired of it."

"Then stop."

"Before you, yet my heart is not so free."

"Well, what on earth grieves you so?"

Here the master, beginning with the Rakūnkwan affair, cited all grievances from the Imado ware badger to Pinsuke, Kishago, and every other, pouring them滔々 before the philosopher. The philosopher listened silent, then opened his mouth and preached thus to the master:

"Whatever Pinsuke or Kishago said, ignore them. They're worthless anyway. Middle school boys aren't worth minding. What obstruction? Negotiate or fight, the obstruction won't lift. On such points I think the old Japanese surpass Westerners. The Western way, 'positive, positive,' is lately fashionable, but holds a great flaw. First, 'positive' has no limit. Pursue it forever, yet reach no satisfaction, no perfection. A cypress ahead—obstructs, so remove it. Then the boarding house beyond obstructs. Evict it, the next house irritates. Endless. All Western method. Napoleon, Alexander—none satisfied in victory. Dislike a man, quarrel; he won't yield; sue; win in court; think settled—wrong. Heart's ease never comes by fretting till death. Absolutism bad, so representative; that bad, so something else. River arrogant, bridge it; hill disliked, tunnel it; travel troublesome, railway it. No permanent satisfaction. Then can a man positively impose his will without limit? Western civilization may be positive, aggressive, but is civilization made by those who live unsatisfied. Japanese civilization seeks satisfaction not by changing outer states. Unlike the West, it developed under the grand assumption that surrounding conditions are fundamentally immovable. Not like Europeans improving the parent-child relation to settle when unpleasant. Take it as unchangeable, and seek ease beneath it. Same for husband-wife, lord-vassal, warrior-commoner, even nature. —Hill blocks neighbor visit; instead of leveling, devise not needing to go. Cultivate content without crossing. Thus see: Zen, Confucian, all grasp this fundamentally. However great you, the world won't bend to will; can't reverse sunset or Kamo River. Only your heart. Train it free, and Rakūnkwan boys raging—calm; Imado badger—ignore. Pinsuke's folly—'fool' and done. Old priests, when slashed, said 'slashing spring wind in lightning's shadow' or such wit. At消极's extreme via training, such nimble act may come. I know not such depth, but thinking only Western positivism good is somewhat wrong. You, however positive, can't stop boys teasing. Close their school by power, or do police-worthy evil—else never win. If positive, it's money, numbers. Means you bow to wealth, fear the crowd's children. A poor lone man positive-quarrelsome is your grievance's seed. See?"

The master listened, saying neither understood nor not. After the rare guest left, he went to the study, read no book, and mused.

Suzuki's Fujii taught obey gold and crowd. Amekì advised hypnosis to calm nerves. The last rare guest preached消极 training for ease. Which the master chooses is his. Only, as is, he'll not pass.

“Stories of the world, in your language.”