ALL PLEASURES ARE RELATIVE
"There was one old farmer of Sung who never wore anything else than coarse hempen clothes; even for the winter he had no others. In spring, when cultivating the land, he warmed himself in the sunshine.
"He did not know that there were such things as large mansions and winter apartments, brocade and silk, furs of fox and badger in the world.
"Turning one day to his wife he said:
"People do not know how pleasant it is to have warm sunshine on the back. I shall communicate this to our prince, and I am sure to get a rich present.
"A rich man of the village said to him: 'Once there was a man fond of big beans, hemp-stalks, cress and duckweed. He told the village elder of them. The village elder tasted them, and they burnt his mouth and gave him pains in his stomach.
"Everybody laughed, and was angry with the man, who felt much ashamed.
"Such a man do you resemble."
Translator of Yang Zhu's Garden of Pleasure is Anton Forke. If you missed any posts in this series, please utilize the Yang Zhu label below.
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