昔帝堯求賢以讓天下，聞有巢父、許由二賢者，清廉自持，親往訪之。見巢父而致來意，欲讓其帝位與巢父，父聞之急掩耳而避，就水洗耳。適許由亦牽牛飲水，怪而問之。父云：「方才帝堯欲以天下相讓，污吾耳，是以洗之。」由云：「今汝洗耳水，吾牛豈可飲此濁水乎？」於是引牛至上流而飲。此二人之廉潔尚矣乎。
廉，就是清廉；潔，就是潔淨。廉潔，就是不貪。他一介不以予人，一介不以取諸人。什麼叫一介呢？就是一棵草。一棵草，他也不是隨便給人的；一棵草，他也不隨便拿人家的。這叫廉潔，很清廉的；不貪，就是沒有貪心，很清淨，清廉潔淨。這種的人格是非常高尚的。
所以「昔帝堯」，以前中國帝堯，就是唐堯。他因為自己年紀老了，願意找一個好的繼承人，所以「求賢以讓天下」，他想把他皇帝的位讓給賢人。那麼就有人說，有「巢父、許由二賢者」。這個巢父，怎麼叫巢父呢？他什麼也都不要的。他在樹上做一個窩，就像鳥那個窩似的，他住在那個樹上。住到樹上他什麼也不貪，什麼也不愛，喝水的時候就用手捧來喝。旁人看他這麼什麼也沒有，就給他一個瓢，他拿著喝完水了，就掛在「樹上」。掛到樹上，這個風一吹這個瓢就響，喔！乒乒乒，乒乓乒乓地就響，啊！too much noise（太吵），那很多很多的聲音。他把這個瓢拿下也不要了，就這麼清高。什麼都不貪的，什麼都不要的。那個顏回在陋巷，一簞食一瓢飲；他還有個竹桶子吃飯，還有一個那個瓢喝水。他這連瓢也不要，連這個簞也不要。什麼都沒有的，就這麼清高。
這許由呢，也是在那地方，和他是朋友，這兩個人都是不貪的。但是許由他有個牛，他很歡喜他這個牛的，所以常常騎著牛各處去。那麼二賢者，「清廉自持」，他們是清廉而自潔的。品性非常高尚，什麼也不貪的，一點貪心都沒有；什麼也不怕的，沒有貪心就沒有恐懼了。
「親往訪之」，帝堯自己就到那去見他們兩個去啦！「見巢父而致來意」，他看見巢父在樹上那個樹窩裡，就說：「你真是好了。現這個天下需要你這樣人來治理天下，我現在想把這個國家交給你啦！我不做皇帝啦！」而致來意，就是說一說他這個意思。他一定說很多了。
「欲讓其帝位」，說我這個皇帝的地位，讓給你了，你不要再這麼樣子什麼也不幹了。你要做點事情，給老百姓謀一點幸福了。「與巢父」，他要給巢父。「父聞之」，這巢父聽見他這麼一講。「急掩耳而避」，就把耳朵這麼一堵就跑了。跑到河邊上去「就水洗」，洗這個耳朵，可把我耳朵給邋遢了，他和我講這麼邋遢的話，這個話！
所以你們現在的人，人家要講一點不清淨的話，你很願意聽的，聽得很高興。你看人家，送給他天下，他都說把他耳朵給污了。你們現在各人想一想，你們這個耳朵，乾淨不乾淨？要說一點，尤其那個不清淨的話－－「誰啊，這麼如何如何。」你怎樣啊？「啊‧‧‧！啊‧‧‧！」就這樣子聽。你看人家，聽了就掩耳而避，就跑了；跑到那個河邊上去，就洗耳朵。他這洗耳朵，大約也沒有注意到「適許由，牽牛飲水」，亦就水飲牛。許由，他牽著他那個牛，說給這個牛喝水呢！
「怪而問之」，許由說：「喂！你幹什麼在這洗耳朵啊？」就問他。「父云」，這個巢父，因為帝堯和他講這話，誰也不知道。可有這個老朋友來問他來了，他就說「方才」那個「帝堯」啊！「欲以天下相讓」，他想要把天下給我，「污吾耳」，把我耳朵給邋遢了，給弄得不乾淨了，聽這麼邋遢的話。「是以洗之」，因為這個所我要洗一洗，洗乾淨了它。
「由云」，這個許由聽了，就對他講了，說：「今汝洗耳水」，你現在洗你的耳朵，你知道你耳朵污濁了；你洗耳朵，把這個水也污濁了。「吾牛豈可飲此濁水乎」？我這個牛怎麼可以飲這麼邋遢的水呢？「於是引牛至上流而飲」，於是就牽著牛就走到那上流；水都往下流，邋遢水會往下邊流去了，他到上流那地方飲去。你說這兩個人！一個嫌把耳朵邋遢了，聽了這讓天下的這話；一個連這牛都不讓飲這邋遢水，於是引牛至上流而飲。
「此二人之廉潔」，這兩個人的不貪，這麼乾淨！「尚矣乎」，真是很高尚的。
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Text:
In ancient times the Emperor Yao wished to abdicate, and sought a sage to whom to yield the empire. He had heard of the two sages Chao Fu and Xu You, who were pure and lofty in their conduct, and he went to visit them personally. When he met Chao Fu he explained his intent to yield the empire to him. On hearing this, Chao Fu covered up his ears and ran off to wash them.
Xu You, who happened to be downstream at the river bank watering his ox, was surprised by this strange behavior, and inquired about it. Chao Fu replied, “The Emperor Yao just offered the empire to me. Such words defiled my ears and so I am washing them.”
Xu You answered, “Washing your ears in this water pollutes it. How can I let my ox drink such defiled waters?” Thereupon he moved his ox upstream. Ah! How incorruptible these two were.
Commentary:
Incorruptibility signifies the absence of greed. Such a person does not casually give the smallest object to others, nor does he accept the smallest object from others. The smallest object might be a blade of grass. He would not casually give even a blade of grass to someone, nor would he casually take someone else's things. This is what is meant by incorruptibility, being pure and free of greed. Such a person's character is very lofty.
In ancient times the Emperor Yao, who was getting on in years, wished to abdicate, and sought a sage to whom to yield the empire. He wanted to find a successor to whom he could pass the imperial throne. He had heard of the two sages Chao Fu and Xu You, who were pure and lofty in their conduct. Chao Fu (“Nest Father”) was so named because he didn't want anything at all, and he lived in a tree in what resembled a bird's nest. He did not have any greed. When he wanted to drink, he would scoop up water in his hands. Once someone gave him a dried gourd with which to drink water. When he was not using it, he hung it from his tree. But when the wind blew, the gourd banged against the tree and made such a racket that he took it down and discarded it. That's how lofty he was. He didn't want anything at all. Yen Yuan lived in a poor alley and ate from a bamboo crock and drank from a gourd, but Chao Fu didn't even want a gourd or a crock. That's how pure he was. He and his friend, Xu You, both had no greed, but Xu You did own an ox. He was fond of his ox and rode it around everywhere. These two sages were extremely noble in character. They hadn't the slightest bit of greed in their minds. Nor did they have any fear. When you are not greedy for anything, you are not afraid of anything. And he, Emperor Yao, went to visit them personally. When he met Chao Fu in his nest up in the tree, he explained his intent to yield the empire to him. He said, “You are truly good, and this empire needs someone like you to govern it. I'd like to turn the country over to you. I don't want to be the emperor anymore.”The Emperor must have said a lot, something along the lines of: “I want to give you the throne. You shouldn't be so idle. You should do a little work for the people.” On hearing this, Chao Fu covered up his ears and ran off to the river to wash them. He thought, “His filthy words have defiled my ears.” Nowadays if people hear unclean talk, they are all ears. They are very eager and happy to listen. But as for Chao Fu, when he was offered the empire he felt his ears had been defiled. Each of you should ask yourselves whether or not your own ears are clean. If you hear some gossip, you just go ahead and listen. But Chao Fu went right away to the river to wash his ears. He probably didn't notice that Xu You was there watering his ox.
Xu You, who happened to be downstream at the river bank watering his ox, was surprised by this strange behavior, and inquired about it. He asked, “What are you washing your ears for?” Chao Fu, who had not told anyone about the Emperor's request, now replied to his old friend, “The Emperor Yao just offered the empire to me. Such words defiled my ears and so I am washing them.”
Xu You answered, “Washing your ears in this water pollutes it. How can I let my ox drink such defiled waters?” Thereupon he moved his ox upstream, since the defiled waters would flow downstream. He wasn't even willing to let his ox drink the dirty water. Ah! How incorruptible these two were. They were truly clean and lofty.
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