Huan. He pursued his studies at a place called Ch'iu-shih. After three years only, he had graduated as a Confucianist; and like a river which fertilises its banks to a distance of nine li, so did his good influence reach into three families.
- His father's, his mother's, and his wife's.
He caused his younger brother to graduate as a Mihist. But inasmuch as in the question of Confucianism versus Mihism,
- The philosophy of Mih Tzŭ, who taught the doctrine of universal love, etc. See pp. 17, 440.
the father took the side of the Mihist, at the end of ten years Huan committed suicide.
Then the father dreamed that Huan appeared to him and said, "It was I who caused your son to become a Mihist. Why give all the credit to him who is but as the fruit of an autumn pine?"
- Various interpretations of this simile are given: none satisfactory. E.g. (1) Like a dry cone. (2) Which another has planted and reared.
Verily God does not reward man for what he does, but for what he is.
- I.e. for the natural, not for the artificial.
And it was in this sense that the younger brother was caused to become a Mihist.
- He was naturally so inclined.
Whereas a man who should regard his distinctive abilities as of his own making, without reference to
