Planting a Pear-Tree

A countryman was one day selling his pears in the market. They were unusually sweet and fine flavoured, and the price he asked was high. A Taoist ⁴⁶ priest in rags and tatters stopped at the barrow and begged one of them. The countryman told him to go away, but when the priest stayed,as he did not do so he began to curse and swear at him. The priest said, “You have several hundred pears on your barrow; I ask for a single one. Losing it, Sir, would hardly matter to youone, the loss of which, Sir, you would not feel. Why then get angry?” The onlookerslookers-on told the countryman to give him an inferior one and let him go. But he stubbornly refusedgo, but this he obstinately refused to do. ThenThereupon the local official, tired of the disturbance, boughtbeadle of the place, finding the commotion too great, purchased a pear and handed it to the priest. The priest accepted it with a bow. Turning to the crowd, helatter received it with a bow and turning to the crowd said, “We who have left our homes and given up all that is dear to us ⁴⁷ cannot understand why others behave so selfishly and stingilyare at a loss to understand selfish niggardly conduct in others. Now I have some exquisite pears which I would be honoured to offershall do myself the honour to put before you.” Here somebody asked, “Since you have pears yourself, why don’t you eat those?” “Because,” replied the priest, “I wanted one of these pips to grow them from.” With that, he munched up the pear. When he had finished, he took a pip in his hand and unstrapped a pick from his back. He made a hole several inches deep in the ground, placed the pip inside and filled the hole with earth.So saying, he munched up the pear; and when he had finished took a pip in his hand, unstrapped a pick from his back, and proceeded to make a hole in the ground, several inches deep, wherein he deposited the pip, filling in the earth as before. He then asked the bystanders for a little hot water to water it with, and one among them who loved a joke fetched him some boiling water from a neighbouring shop. The priest poured this over the place where he had made the hole. Every eye was fixed on him as sprouts shot up and gradually grewhole, and every eye was fixed upon him when sprouts were seen shooting up, and gradually growing larger and larger. After a whileBy-and-by, there was a tree with branches sparsely covered with leaves; then came flowers, and last of all fine, large, sweet-smelling pears hanging in great numbersflowers, and last of all fine, large, sweet-smelling pears hanging in great profusion. The priest picked theseThese the priest picked and handed round to the assembled crowd until all were gone. Then he took his pick and hacked away at the tree for a long time,gone, when he took his pick and hacked away for a long time at the tree, finally cutting it down. He put this on his shoulderThis he shouldered, leaves and all, and sauntered quietly away. Now, from the very beginning, our friend the countryman had been among the crowd. He was straining his neck to see what was going on and had forgottenamongst the crowd, straining his neck to see what was going on, and forgetting all about his business. When the priest leftAt the departure of the priest he turned round and discovered that every one of his pears was gone. He then knew that the pears the old fellow had been giving away so freely were really his ownthose the old fellow had been giving away so freely were really his own pears. Looking more closely at the barrow he also found that one of the handles was missing. It had clearly just beenmissing, evidently having been newly cut off. Boiling with rage, he set off after the priest. Just as he turned the corner, he saw the lost barrow-handle lying under the wall. This was the very pear-treeout in pursuit of the priest, and just as he turned the corner he saw the lost barrow-handle lying under the wall, being in fact the very pear-tree that the priest had cut down. But there was no signwere no traces of the priest—much to the amusement of the crowd in the market-place.

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Footnotes

46. That is, of the religion of Tao , sometimes called Rationalism.or, as it is sometimes called, Rationalism . It was founded some six centuries before the Christian era by a man named Lao-tzŭ, “Old boy,” who, people said, waswho was said to have been born with white hair and a beard. In the author’s view, it was originally a pure system of thought about reality, but is now only a shadow of its former self. He says it has adopted superstitious practices from Buddhism. Buddhism, in turn, has adopted many Taoist forms and beliefs, so the two religions are hard to tell apart.Originally a pure system of metaphysics, it is now but a shadow of its former self, and is corrupted by the grossest forms of superstition borrowed from Buddhism, which has in its turn adopted many of the forms and beliefs of Taoism, so that the two religions are hardly distinguishable one from the other.Explanation: This is Giles’s historical judgement about Taoism and Buddhism. The modern wording attributes it to him and softens the disparaging language for children. Metaphysics concerns thought about the nature of reality. “What seemed strangest to me was the presence of half-a-dozen Taoist priests. They joined in all the ceremonies, doing everything the Buddhist priests did. With their top-knots and hair braided into long queues, they looked very odd among the closely shaven Buddhist priests.to me the most singular circumstance connected with the matter, was the presence of half-a-dozen Taoist priests, who joined in all the ceremonies, doing everything that the Buddhist priests did, and presenting a very odd appearance, with their top-knots and cues, among their closely shaven Buddhist brethren. It seemed strange that married Taoist priests joined the unmarried Buddhist priests in worshipping Sakyamuni. The Buddhist priests had shaved heads marked at their initiation; the Taoist priests’ heads were not wholly shaven and had never been marked in that way.the worship of Sakyamuni by celibate Buddhist priests, with shaved heads, into which holes were duly burned at their initiation, should be participated in by married Taoist priests, whose heads are not wholly shaven, and have never been burned.Explanation: The historical account describes marks made on Buddhist priests’ shaved heads during initiation. The modern wording keeps those marks and the comparison with Taoist priests, but omits the graphic burning detail for children.”— Initiation of Buddhist Priests at Kooshan , by S. L. B. Taoist priests are credited with knowledge of alchemy, the art of trying to turn ordinary metals into gold, and of dark magica knowledge of alchemy and the black artExplanation: Alchemy included attempts to turn ordinary metals into gold. Here, “the black art” means dark magic. in general.

47. A priesthood whose members do not marry belongs to Buddhism, rather than being a teaching of the Taoist religion.celibate priesthood belongs properly to Buddhism, and is not a doctrine of the Taoist church.