When Yen Kang Tiao
"A man of Tao." Comm.
heard this, he said, "Those who exemplify Tao are sought after by all the best men in the empire. Now if one who has not attained to more Tao than the ten-thousandth part of the tip of an autumn spikelet, is still wise enough to withhold vain talk and die,—how much more those who exemplify Tao? To the eye it is formless, and to the ear it is noiseless. Those who discuss it, speak of it as 'the obscure.' But the mere fact of discussing Tao makes it not Tao."
At this the Empyrean asked Without-end, saying, "Do you know Tao?"
"I do not," replied Without-end; whereupon the Empyrean proceeded to ask Inaction.
"I do know Tao," said Inaction.
"Is there any method," asked the Empyrean, "by which you know Tao?"
"There is," replied Inaction.
"What is it?" asked the Empyrean.