Because his horse refused to advance, a traveller in the state of Song drove it into a stream, then mounted to set off again. Still the horse refused to go, and he punished it once more in the same way. This happened three times in all.
Even the most skilful rider, the legendary charioteer Zaofu, could devise no better means of frightening a horse. Without understanding Zaofu’s riding art, merely mimicking his severity, brings no benefit to charioteering.
Allegorical Meaning
The Illusion of Control Through Violence
The man’s act — drowning horses that refuse to move — confuses dominance with skill. He believes extreme punishment can force compliance, ignoring why the horses resist.
Ritualized Stubbornness
Repeating the act three times exposes:
- Delusional Insanity: Expecting different outcomes from identical cruelty.
- Addiction to Force: The man’s frustration escalates into ritualized violence, blinding him to alternatives.
Zaofu’s Shadow: Technique vs. Theater
- Zaofu: Legendary horseman who understood equine psychology, using precise cues — not brutality.
- The man imitates Zaofu’s “severity” but discards his “art”, reducing mastery to empty theater.
Power without insight is violence. Don’t confuse dominance with skill, never mistake brutality for mastery. Keep in mind, the true power nurtures; false power destroys.
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