Han Wangxi ONE day, a man from the State of Song was plowing his field. Suddenly, a wild rabbit rushed over and crashed into a tree stump not far from the man, killing itself. The man was delighted and put down his farming tools, thinking, “I didn’t do anything today and I still get to enjoy a rabbit meal. Why should I keep plowing? I might as well just wait here for another rabbit to crash into the stump.” So, he sat by the stump all day, but no more rabbits came. This incident made the entire State of Song laugh at him. The story from “Han Feizi” advocates keeping up with the times. It suggests that one should not govern the present population with the outdated laws of former kings. Issues should be viewed dynamically and new situations should be addressed as they arise. Han Feizi also told another amusing story. A man named Bu asked his wife to prepare new pants for him. He told his wife to make them just like the old ones. His wife happily went to the market, bought some fabric, came back, and eagerly took his measurements and started cutting the fabric, working busily. Three days later, the new pants were ready. Bu put them on and was puzzled because there was a worn-out spot at the knee and small holes nearby. He asked, “Are these my new pants?” She replied, “Yes, they are.” “Then why are they as worn out as the old ones?” She said, “I made them exactly like your old olds, copying the worn spots precisely.” Bu was dumbfounded. Han told this story to satirize people who rigidly adhere to outdated practices, much like Bu’s wife’s attitude. There’s another story about a man from the State of Zheng buying shoes. The man found that his shoes were worn out and thought he needed to buy a new pair. He measured his feet at home and wrote down the size on a piece of paper. Then he hurried to the market. At the shoe store, he found a pair he liked but realized he had forgotten the piece of paper with the measurements. He told the shopkeeper he needed to go home to get the paper and then come back. By the time he returned to the market, the shoe store was closed. People nearby commented: “He’s really foolish. Why didn’t he just measure his feet right there? Wouldn’t that have been simpler?” But the man preferred to trust the written measurement rather than his own feet. Han advocated that “when times change, so do circumstances; when circumstances change, preparations must change.” When reality changes, the strategies to address it must also change. Adaptability is the essence of Chinese culture. (The author is a cultural scholar.) (Translated by Shenzhen Daily) | 