It is often found in the scrolls which tell us to live and to die, and in the Tracts for the People, printed and circulated by philanthropists.[1]
It is perhaps from the use of tao in the sense of "by" or "from" that its use with meanings like source, origin, cause, reason, is derived. The occurrence of the word with significations of this kind are chiefly in literature, but they are not uncommon. In answer to a question with ho (何), how was it that? this word is often introduced. The phrase wu-t‘a (無他)-tao, in reply to such a question, means, "there is no other reason," that is, than the one about to be mentioned. One meaning of the phrase i-ho (以何-tao also is "from what cause," "for what reason?" In the "Li-chi" we are told, "weeping has two sources," and the phrase used is k‘u-yu-erh (哭友二)-tao, that is, there are two affections of the mind from which it is produced. One of these is love when there is an internal feeling of helplessnss, and the other is fear when there is the feeling of being thwarted. Again it is said that though every one loves, has regard for himself and his near relatives, yet no one can explain the origin of this affection, and the expression used is similar (不克明愛之之道). It is added that what makes a family esteemed is the permanence of harmonious relations, and "the origin of these lies in (其道在於)," filial piety, brotherly love, modest compliance, the esteem of kindness and rectitude and the disregard of name and gain. In the Ch‘un-ch‘iu the bald statement occurs: sha-lu-pêng (沙鹿崩), the sha-lu was riven (or fell down). Why was this recorded? Because, says Ku-liang, "it was riven without any reason (or cause) for being riven (無崩道而崩)." There was nothing in the nature of the place whether it was a hill, or a city, or a plain (lu) at the foot of the Sha hill to cause it to burst open. So Heaven probably caused it in order to teach the king that he had about him servants who were traitors and ready to burst in rebellion. On the other hand when Confucius records the fact that the roof of the family temple fell in ruins, Ku-liang says
- ↑ Mayers' Ch. Govt., Nos. 278, 280: "Ch‘ang-li-ch‘uan-chi," chap, xii.; "Shuo-yuan," chap, xvi.; "Kan-ying-pien," chap, iv., p. 34.
