Prince Mu of Zhongshan
said to Zhanzi, “My body is here by the streams and the sea,
but my mind is in the court of Wei.
What counsel could you offer?”

Zhanzi replied,
“Value your life in the right way.
When one values one’s life in the right way,
gain will seem insignificant.”

Prince Mu said, “I know that,
but I am not able to overcome my wishes.”
Zhanzi said, “If you cannot govern yourself,
your spirit will be disconcerted.
When you (a) cannot govern yourself,
to try to (b) force yourself
is to harm yourself
twice;
those who bring
double injury on themselves
will not be long lived.”

~*~

Mu of Wei
was a prince of ten thousand chariots.
For him to live in seclusion in caves and cliffs
was more difficult
than for a scholar.
He had not attained the tao
but it may be said
that he had some idea of it.

Zhuangzi trans. Hyun Höchsmann and Yang Guorong, Book 28 Renouncing the Throne

---

Gospel of Luke 18:18-25

A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.”

“All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said.

When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy. Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

At least Mu of Wei had some idea…