The Yellow Emperor travelled to the north of the Red Lake and ascended the K'un-lun Mountains. Returning south he lost his magic pearl. His spiritual part, his soul. He employed Intelligence to find it, but without success. He employed Sight to find it, but without success. He employed Speech Also explained as "Strength." to find it, but without success. Finally, he employed Nothing, and Nothing got it. He did not employ Nothing _to find it_. He only employed Nothing. "Strange indeed," quoth the Emperor, "that Nothing should have been able to get it!" Knowledge, sight, and speech, tend to obscure rather than illuminate the spiritual nature of man. Only in a state of negation can true spirituality be found. Yao's tutor was Hsü Yu. The latter's tutor was Yeh Ch'üeh, and Yeh Ch'üeh's tutor was Wang I, whose tutor was Pei I. Yao enquired of Hsü Yu, saying, "Would Yeh Ch'üeh do to be emperor? I am going to get Wang I to ask him." "Alas!" cried Hsü Yu, "that would be bad indeed for the empire. Yeh Ch'üeh is a clever and capable man. He is by nature better than most men, but he seeks by means of the human to reach the divine. He strives to do no wrong; but he is ignorant of the source from which wrong springs. Emperor forsooth! He avails himself of the artificial and neglects the natural. He lacks unity in himself. He worships intelligence and is always in a state of ferment. He is a slave to circumstances and to things. Wherever he looks, his surroundings respond. He himself responds to his surroundings. He is not yet an abstraction, informed by TAO. He is always undergoing modifications and is wanting in fixity. How should such a one be fit for emperor? Still every clan has its elder. He may be leader of a clan, but not a leader of leaders. A captain who has been successful in suppressing rebellion, as minister is a bane, as sovereign, a thief." Yao went to visit Hua. The border-warden of Hua said "Ha! a Sage. My best respects to you, Sir. I wish you a long life." "Don't!" replied Yao. "I wish you plenty of money," continued the border-warden. "Don't!" replied Yao. "And many sons," added he. "Don't!" replied Yao. "Long life, plenty of money, and many sons," cried the warden, "these are what all men desire. How is it you alone do not want them?" "Many sons," answered Yao, "are many anxieties. Plenty of money means plenty of trouble. Long life involves much that is not pleasant to put up with. These three gifts do not advance virtue; therefore I declined them." "At first I took you for a Sage," said the warden, "but now I find you are a mere man. God, in sending man into the world, gives to each his proper function. If you have many sons and give to each his proper function, what cause have you for anxiety? "And similarly, if you have wealth and allow others to share it, what troubles will you have?" "The true Sage dwells like the quail At random. and feeds like a fledgeling. Which is dependent on its parents.