25.3.05
-Images, Words, and Understanding: Clarifying the Images (Ming Xiang)
-Images are the means to express ideas. Words [i.e., the texts] are the means to -explain the images. To yield up ideas completely there is nothing better than the -images, and to yield up the meaning of the images there is nothing better than -words. The words are generated by the images; thus one can ponder the words and so -observe what the images are. The images are generated by ideas; thus one can ponder -the images and so observe what the ideas are. The ideas are yielded up completely -by the images, and the images are made explicit by the words. Thus, since the words -are the means to explain the images, once one gets the images, he forgets the words, -and, since the images are the means to allow us to concentrate on the ideas, once -one gets the ideas, he forgets the images. Similarly, "the rabbit snare exists for -the sake of the rabbit--once one gets the rabbit, he forgets the snare; and the fish -trap exists for the sake of fish--once one gets the fish he forgets the trap." If -this is so, then the words are snares for the images, and the images are traps for -the ideas.
-Therefore someone who stays fixed on the words will not be one to get the images, -and someone who stays fixed on the images will not be one to get the ideas. The -images are generated by the ideas, but if one stays fixed on the images themselves, -then what he stays fixed on will not be images as we mean them here. The words are -generated by the images, but if one stays fixed on the words themselves, then what -he stays fixed on will not be words as we mean them here. If this is so, then -someone who forgets the images will be one to get the ideas, and someone who forgets -the words will be one to get the images. Getting the ideas is in fact a matter of -forgetting the images, and getting the images is in fact a matter of forgetting the -words. Thus, although the images were established in order to yield up ideas -completely, as images they may be forgotten.
609-610 B.C.E., Wang Bi ji jiaoshi ed.
-Images are the means to express ideas. Words [i.e., the texts] are the means to -explain the images. To yield up ideas completely there is nothing better than the -images, and to yield up the meaning of the images there is nothing better than -words. The words are generated by the images; thus one can ponder the words and so -observe what the images are. The images are generated by ideas; thus one can ponder -the images and so observe what the ideas are. The ideas are yielded up completely -by the images, and the images are made explicit by the words. Thus, since the words -are the means to explain the images, once one gets the images, he forgets the words, -and, since the images are the means to allow us to concentrate on the ideas, once -one gets the ideas, he forgets the images. Similarly, "the rabbit snare exists for -the sake of the rabbit--once one gets the rabbit, he forgets the snare; and the fish -trap exists for the sake of fish--once one gets the fish he forgets the trap." If -this is so, then the words are snares for the images, and the images are traps for -the ideas.
-Therefore someone who stays fixed on the words will not be one to get the images, -and someone who stays fixed on the images will not be one to get the ideas. The -images are generated by the ideas, but if one stays fixed on the images themselves, -then what he stays fixed on will not be images as we mean them here. The words are -generated by the images, but if one stays fixed on the words themselves, then what -he stays fixed on will not be words as we mean them here. If this is so, then -someone who forgets the images will be one to get the ideas, and someone who forgets -the words will be one to get the images. Getting the ideas is in fact a matter of -forgetting the images, and getting the images is in fact a matter of forgetting the -words. Thus, although the images were established in order to yield up ideas -completely, as images they may be forgotten.
609-610 B.C.E., Wang Bi ji jiaoshi ed.
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