Rang Fu was a man from the time of Emperor Yao. During the reign of Emperor Yao, the world was in perfect harmony, and the common people had no troubles.
Rang Fu, though over eighty years old, was playing a game of striking the clod (hitting a piece of earth with a wooden stick) in the middle of the road. An onlooker remarked, “How great is the virtue of the Emperor!”
Rang Fu replied: “I rise at sunrise to work and rest at sunset. I dig wells to drink and till the fields to eat. What virtue does the Emperor have over me?”
Note
This short anecdote is one of the most famous stories in Chinese literature, often cited to illustrate the ideal of a self-sufficient society where governance is so subtle that the people feel they are governing themselves.
Rang Fu (The Clod-Striker)
The name literally means “Father Clod” or “The Old Man Who Strikes the Earth.” He represents the archetypal contented peasant who lives in complete harmony with nature, unaware of or indifferent to political authority. His age (over 80) symbolizes the longevity and health granted by a peaceful era.
Emperor Yao
The Sage King whose reign is described as a “Great Harmony”. Interestingly, while the onlooker praises Yao, Rang Fu’s response suggests that the best ruler is one whose presence is barely felt by the people.
Just like Laozi said in the Dao De Jing:
Striking the Clod (Ji Rang)
- This was an ancient folk game played by peasants. Players would set a wooden clod (or target) on the ground and throw another piece of wood at it from a distance to knock it over. It was a simple pastime requiring no equipment other than pieces of earth or wood.
- In this story, the act of playing this game in the middle of the road signifies a lack of fear, a surplus of leisure time, and social stability. Only in a perfectly safe and prosperous society would an 80-year-old man feel free to play games in public.
- The “Song of Striking the Clod” (Ji Rang Ge) has been quoted by poets and politicians for millennia to describe an era of peace and prosperity.
The Ideal of Self-Sufficiency
- Rang Fu’s speech (“I dig wells… I till fields…”) is a definitive statement of agrarian independence. It asserts that human survival depends on one’s own labor and the gifts of nature, not on the benevolence of a ruler.
- This aligns with the Daoist idea found in the Tao Te Ching (Dao De Jing): “When the Great Dao prevails, the people say ‘We are naturally so’.” If people feel they need to thank the emperor for their food, it implies the emperor has interfered too much. True virtue in a ruler results in the people believing they achieved everything themselves.
“Sunrise to Work, Sunset to Rest”
This phrase, originating from Rang Fu’s words, became a standard idiom in Chinese culture describing the simple, honest, and rhythmic life of the working class. It evokes a nostalgic image of a golden age of simplicity.
“What Virtue Does the Emperor Have Over Me?”
This rhetorical question challenges the Confucian emphasis on top-down benevolence. It suggests that if a government is truly good, it becomes invisible. The people’s ability to live freely without feeling indebted to the state is the highest compliment to the ruler, even if the people themselves don’t realize it.
壤父者，尧时人也。帝尧之世，天下太和，百姓无事。壤父年八十馀，而击壤於道中。观者曰：“大哉帝之德也。”壤父曰：“吾曰出而作，曰入而息，凿井而饮，耕田而食，帝何德於我哉！”
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