During the reign of King Mu of Zhou, there were people from the country of Xiji who could enter fire and water, pierce gold and steel; reverse mountains and rivers, and move cities and towns; they could ride on empty space without falling and touch solid objects without getting hurt. It is infinitely variable and unending. It has changed the shape of things and eased the worries of people. King Mu revered it as if it were a god and treated it as if it were a sovereign. He built a chamber for it to live in, sacrificed three animals to welcome it in, and selected female musicians to entertain it. He convinced people that the king's palace was humble and not fit to live in, that the king's food was foul and not fit to eat, and that the king's wives were repulsive and not to be approached. Mu Wang had the palace rebuilt. The work of wood and stone. The color of ochre, without any flaws. The five ministries were empty, and the terrace was finally completed. It is a thousand li high, towering above the southern end of the mountain, and is called the Terrace in the Middle of the Sky. The virgins of the states of Jian, Zheng and Wei, dressed in their best, are adorned with fragrant perfumes, their eyebrows arched, their hair decorated with combs and earrings, and dressed in fine silk. They wear matching white and black clothes, and adorn themselves with jade rings. They are surrounded by a mixture of fragrant herbs, and the music of “Embracing the Clouds”, “Six Brightness”, “Nine Shao” and “Morning Dew” is played to entertain them. The sun and moon present jade robes, and the morning Her face is white as snow, her eyebrows black as ink, and she wears a jade ring. She is surrounded by fragrant herbs, and plays the music of “Cloud-Catching”, “Six Brightness”, “Nine Melodies” and “Morning Dew”. The sun and moon present her with jade clothing, and she offers jade food to them every morning. The immortal is reluctant to leave, but is forced to do so. She is not sure how long she has been dead, and asks the king to go for a walk with her. The king takes her hand and flies up to the sky, where they stop. and arrived at the palace of the immortal. The palace of the immortal was constructed with gold and silver, and decorated with pearls and jade. It appeared to be floating above the clouds, and the king could not tell where it ended and the ground began. What the king saw with his eyes, heard with his ears, and smelled with his nose was unlike anything on earth. The king truly believed that this was the residence of the emperor in the celestial capital, the palace of the purple sky, the realm of universal music. The king looked down and saw that his palaces and pavilions were like a pile of accumulated rushes. The king thought to himself that he had lived there for decades and had not thought about his country. The immortal then asked the king to go for a walk together. Everywhere they went, the king could not see the sun or the moon when he looked up, nor the rivers and seas when he looked down. The light and shadows dazzled his eyes so much that he could not see, and the sounds confused his ears so much that he could not hear. His hundred bones and six internal organs trembled without stopping. His mind was confused and his essence lost. He asked the Immortal to return him to his former self. The Immortal moved him, and the king felt as if he had died and returned to nothingness. When he awoke, he sat where he had sat before, and the attendants were the same as before. Looking in front of him, he saw that the wine had not yet cleared, and the food had not yet cooled. The king asked where he had come from. His attendants said, “Your Majesty is in a trance.” So King Mu lost himself for three months and then recovered. He asked the immortal again. The immortal said, “I was with you in a spiritual journey, why should my form move? Besides, the place where I lived before, how is it different from your palace? The place where I traveled before, how is it different from your court? Your Majesty is always in a state of doubt and temporary loss. How can it be modeled in all its changes, in all its swiftness and slowness?” The king was delighted. He did not worry about state affairs, did not enjoy his concubines, and went on a wild journey. He ordered the carriage to be drawn by eight steeds, the right one a bay, the left one a green horse with a white ear, the right one a red stallion and the left one a white one (upper minus lower wood), and the main carriage was driven by Zhu Fu, with a sword (lower plus Jiong) for the right, the second chariot, the right for the yellow and the left for the wheel, the left for the thief Li and the right for the mountain child, Baiyao for the main car, Sanbai for the royal car, and Benrong for the right. They galloped a thousand li to the country of the Jushen. The Jushen offered the king the blood of white cranes to drink, and the milk of cows and horses to wash his feet and those of the two riders. After drinking, they set out again and stayed overnight on the Kunlun Mountain, on the sunny side of the Red Water. On another day, he ascended the Kunlun Mountains to view the Yellow Emperor's Lü, and sealed it for posterity. He then entertained the Queen Mother of the West at a banquet on the banks of the Yao Chi. The Queen Mother of the West sang a song for the king, and the king sang in reply, his words full of sadness. He then observed where the sun set, and that one day was equivalent to 10,000 li. The king then sighed and said, “Alas! I alone am not virtuous enough to be at peace with myself, and yet I am at peace with music. Will future generations not count my faults?” How divine was King Mu! He was able to enjoy himself to the full, but even so, he lived only a hundred years, and the world thought him a cheat.
Lao Chengzi studied illusion with Master Yin Wen for three years without being told anything. Lao Chengzi asked to be allowed to leave. Master Yin Wen invited him to come in, shut the door, and said, “When Laozi was leaving for the West, he looked back and told me, 'The breath of life, the shape of form, are all illusions. What is created by nature and transformed by yin and yang is called birth and death. What is the result of the interplay of numbers and changes and the shifting of forms is called metamorphosis and illusion. The creator is ingenious and his work is profound, so it is difficult to exhaust or conclude. What is shaped by forms is obviously clever. Its work is shallow, so it arises and disappears with each occurrence. Only when you understand that metamorphosis is no different from life and death can you learn to conjure. You and I are also illusions, so why bother learning?” Lao Zi returned to his senses, and after three months of deep thought, he was able to live and die at will, and to rejoice in the four seasons; to make thunder in winter and ice in summer; to make the flying fly and the walking walk. He never revealed his techniques during his lifetime, so no one else knew them. Zi Liezi said, “Those who are good at transformation fly. He never revealed his techniques during his lifetime, so no one else knew them. Zi Liezi said, ”Those who are good at transformation are subtle and ordinary in their methods, and their achievements are like those of others. The virtues of the Five Emperors and the achievements of the Three Kings may not be the result of sheer intelligence and courage, but may have been achieved through transformation. Who can fathom this?”
There are eight signs in waking life and six in dreams. What are the eight signs? One is the past, two is the present, three is the future, four is loss, five is sorrow, six is joy, seven is birth, and eight is death. These are the eight signs that life presents. What are the six signs? One is a dream in which one is awake, two is a dream in which one is asleep, three is a dream in which one is thinking, four is a dream in which one is awake, five is a dream in which one is happy, and six is a dream in which one is afraid. These six are the signs with which the gods communicate. Those who do not understand the origin of changes are confused when things happen, while those who do understand are not surprised when things happen. Those who are not surprised are not disturbed. The information about the fullness and emptiness of the universe is communicated to the heavens and the earth and is reflected in all things. Therefore, if the yin energy is strong, one will dream of wading through deep water and be afraid; if the yang energy is strong, one will dream of wading through a great fire and being burned (the left foot is inside the right); if both yin and yang energies are strong, one will dream of killing. If one is very full, one will dream of giving; if one is very hungry, one will dream of taking. Therefore, if a person is ill with a mental illness, they will dream of being in a state of euphoria; if they are ill with a physical illness, they will dream of drowning. If you sleep with a belt on, you will dream of snakes; if a bird carries a hair, you will dream of flying. If you dream of fire, it means you are ill; if you dream of eating, it means you are well. People who drink worry, and people who sing and dance cry. Zi Liezi said, “God meets as a dream, and form meets as an event. Therefore, daydreams and nightdreams are the encounters of the gods and the body. Therefore, the dreamer's concentration on the gods causes the dreams to disappear. Trusting in waking without speaking, trusting in dreaming without reaching, these are the comings and goings of materialization. The ancient true man, whose waking is self-forgetting, whose sleeping is dreamless, how few are the false words?"
In the extreme south of the Western Extremity is a country, whose boundaries are unknown, called the country of ancient wildness. The yin and yang do not interact, so there is no distinction between summer and winter; the sun and moon do not shine, so there is no distinction between day and night. Its people do not eat or wear clothes, but sleep a lot. They sleep for 50 days out of 365, and take what they do in their dreams as real, while what they see when they wake up is a delusion. All the seas and oceans call the country in the centre of the world, which stretches from the south of the Yellow River to the north, and from the Tai Mountains to the east, more than 10,000 li. Its yin and yang are measured, so there is one cold and one hot; its light and dark are distinguished, so there is one day and one night. Its people are wise and foolish. All things flourish, and there are many talents. There are rulers and ministers, and rites and laws prevail. What it has to say is beyond counting. One wakes and one sleeps, thinking that what one does in waking is real and what one sees in dreams is false. In the extreme north is a country called the Land of the Fallen. Its soil is so hot that no good plants can grow there, even though the sun and moon shine on it. Its people eat roots and nuts, and they don't know how to use fire. They are strong and stubborn, and they care more about winning than about justice. They walk a lot and rest little, and they are always awake but never sleep.
During the Zhou Dynasty, the Yin family ruled the land. The people worked from dawn to dusk without rest. An old servant, exhausted from the labor, was made to work even harder. During the day, he groaned and grunted while doing his work, and at night, he was too tired to sleep. His spirit was scattered, and every day he dreamed of being the ruler. He lived above the people and managed the affairs of the country. He visited the palace and the palace gardens, doing whatever he liked, and his joy knew no bounds. But then he woke up and went back to work. When someone comforted him about his worries, the servant said, “A person lives for a hundred years, divided between day and night. I am a slave during the day, and that is hard; but at night I am the master, and the joy is beyond compare. What more is there to complain about?” Yin was preoccupied with worldly affairs and worried about the family business. He was tired both mentally and physically, and fell asleep exhausted at night. In the past, he had dreamed of being a servant, running around doing chores, and being scolded and beaten without exception. He muttered and groaned in his sleep, and stopped breathing until morning. Yin was worried about this and visited his friend. His friend said, “If you have a prestigious position, are wealthy and have an abundance of resources, you are far superior to others. It is only natural to dream of being a servant and suffering from the hardships of servitude, and to count the days until you wake up. How can you expect to wake up from the dream and also avoid the duties?” After Yin heard his friend's words, he eased the workload of his servant and reduced the number of things he had to worry about. His illness soon subsided.
A man from Zheng who was collecting firewood met a deer and killed it by hitting it with his club. Afraid that someone might see him, he quickly hid the deer in a ditch, covered it with leaves and was overjoyed. But then he forgot where he had hidden it and thought he had only dreamed it. He sang about what had happened on his way home. Someone heard him and used his words to find the deer. Upon returning home, he told his wife, “The woodcutter who dreamed of getting a deer didn't know where it was. I have found it now, so he must have really dreamed it.” His wife said, “If you say you dreamed of the woodcutter getting the deer, how can you be sure that the woodcutter even existed? Now that you have really found the deer, does that mean your dream was real?” He said, “I have found the deer, so why do I need to know if I dreamed it or someone else dreamed it?” When the woodcutter returned home, he was not annoyed about losing the deer. That night he really dreamed of where he had hidden it, and he also dreamed of the owner who had found it. The next morning, he searched for it according to his dream and found it. He then sued and argued, and returned to the magistrate. The magistrate said, “If you really got the deer at first, you falsely believed it was a dream; if you really dreamed of getting the deer, you falsely believed it was real. He really caught the deer, but you are arguing with him over it. The husband also said that he had dreamt that someone else had caught the deer, but no one else had. Now that he has it, let's split it in two.” This was reported to the Duke of Zheng. The Duke said, ‘Huh? Will the judge dream again and divide the deer between the two of them?’ He asked the state minister. The state minister said, ”Whether it was a dream or not, I cannot tell. Only Huangdi and Confucius could tell the difference between dreams and reality. Now that Huangdi and Confucius are gone, who can tell the difference? Besides, what the judge said is reasonable.
Hua Zi of Songyang Village suffered from forgetfulness in his middle years. He forgot what he did in the morning by evening, what he did in the evening by morning; he forgot walking when he was on the road, forgot sitting when he was in the room; he could not tell the present from the past. The whole family is poisoned by it. He consulted a historian and a fortune-teller, but they were of no help. He consulted a witch doctor, but the treatment was not enough. A Confucian scholar from Lu said that he could cure her, and the wife of the son-in-law asked him for half of her family fortune. The Confucian scholar said, “This is not something that can be diagnosed by divination, prayed for, or cured with medicine. I will try to change her heart and her worries, and hopefully she will recover!” So he tried to comfort her, to get her to dress warmly, to eat when she was hungry, and to seek light when she was in darkness. The Confucian scholar happily told his son, “The illness can be cured. But my method is a closely guarded secret, and I will not tell anyone. Try to screen off the left and right, and live alone with the room for seven days.” Followed. No one knows what he did, but the chronic illness was all gone in one go. Hua Zi was enlightened. He was furious, dismissed his wife and punished his son, took up his spear and chased the Confucian scholar. The Song people seized him and asked him why. Hua Zi said, ”I forgot it earlier, and I was so carefree that I didn't realize the existence of heaven and earth. Now suddenly I realize that in the past few decades, the myriad things that have happened—the losses and gains, the joys and sorrows, the likes and dislikes—have all come rushing back to me. I fear that in the future, the same will happen with the losses and gains, the joys and sorrows, the likes and dislikes. They will all come rushing back to me and disturb my mind. How can I forget them for even a moment? Zi Gong heard this and was surprised. He told Confucius about it. Confucius said, “This is beyond you!” and told Yan Hui to record it.
A man surnamed Qiang from the state of Qin had a son who was kind and generous from a young age, but when he grew up, he developed a disease that made him confused. He heard singing and thought it was crying, saw white and thought it was black, enjoyed incense and thought it was rotting, tasted sweetness and thought it was bitterness, and considered what he saw as right. Whatever he wants, he thinks the world is upside down. Yang told his father, “The gentlemen of Lu are skilled in many arts. Why don't you go and ask them?” His father went to Lu, passed by Chen, and met Laozi. He told him about his son. Laozi said, “How do you know your son is confused? All people in the world are confused about right and wrong, and are blinded by their own interests. There are many people who share the same affliction, but no one is aware of it. Moreover, the confusion of one person is not enough to topple a family; the confusion of a family is not enough to topple a village; the confusion of a village is not enough to topple a country; the confusion of a country is not enough to topple the world; if the whole world is in confusion, who will topple it? If all the people in the world had the same mindset as your son, you would be confused instead. Who can tell right from wrong when it comes to music, sound, color, smell, and taste? And my words may not be wrong after all. And what can a gentleman from the state of Lu, who is himself confused, do to help others? It is better to go home quickly than to honor your ancestors with gifts.
A man from Yan was born in Yan, grew up in Chu, and returned to his home country when he was old. When he passed through the state of Jin, his traveling companion tricked him, saying, “This is the city of Yan.” The man's expression changed. He said, “This is the village of Ruoli.” Then he sighed. He said, “This is the house of your ancestors.” Then he burst into tears. Pointing to the mound, he said, “This is like the mound of our ancestors.” The man could not hold back his tears. His traveling companion burst out laughing and said, “I used to give you the wrong answer. This is the state of Jin.” The man felt ashamed. When they arrived in Yan, he really saw the state shrine of Yan and the ancestral mound, and his sadness eased even more.

   周穆王時，西極之國，有化人來，入水火，貫金石；反山川，移城邑；乘虛不墜，觸實不硋。千變萬化，不可窮極。既已變物之形，又且易人之慮。穆王敬之若神，事之若君。推路寢以居之，引三牲以進之，選女樂以娛之。化人以為王之宮室卑陋而不可處，王之廚饌腥螻而不可饗，王之嬪御膻惡而不可親。穆王乃為之改筑。土木之功。赭堊之色，無遺巧焉。五府為虛，而臺始成。其高千仞，臨終南之上，號曰中天之臺。簡鄭、衛之處子娥媌靡曼者，施芳澤，正蛾眉，設笄珥，衣阿錫。曳齊紈。粉白黛黑，佩玉環。雜芷若以滿之，奏《承云》、《六瑩》、《九韶》、《晨露》以樂之。日月獻玉衣，旦旦薦玉食。化人猶不舍然，不得已而臨之。居亡幾何，謁王同游。王執人人之祛，騰而上乾中天乃止。暨及化人之宮。化人之宮構以金銀，絡以珠玉；出云雨之上而不知下之據，望之若屯云焉。耳目所觀聽，鼻口所納嘗，皆非人間之有。王實以為清都、紫微、鈞天、廣樂，帝之所居。王俯而視之，其宮榭若累塊積蘇焉。王自以居數十年不思其國也。化人復謁王同游，所及之處，仰不見日月，俯不見河海。光影所照，王目眩不能得視；音響所來，王耳亂不能得聽。百骸六藏，悸而不凝。意迷精喪，請化人求還。化人移之，王若殞虛焉。既寤，所坐猶向者之處，侍御猶向者之人。視其前，則酒未清，肴未昲。王問所從來。左右曰：「王默存耳。」由此穆王自失者三月而復。更問化人。化人曰：「吾與王神游也，形奚動哉？且曩之所居，奚異王之宮？曩之所游，奚異王之輔？王閒恒疑暫亡。變化之極，徐疾之間，可盡模哉？」王大悅。不恤國事，不樂臣妾，肆意遠游。命駕八駿之乘，右服驊，騮而左綠耳，右驂赤驥而左白減（上減下木），主車則造父為御，刀（下加冏）為右，次車之乘，右服渠黃而左踰輪，左驂盜驪而右山子，柏夭主車，參百為御，奔戎為右。馳驅千里，至于巨蒐氏之國。巨蒐氏乃獻白鵠之血以飲王，具牛馬之湩以洗王之足，及二乘之人。已飲而行，遂宿于昆侖之阿，赤水之陽。別日升昆侖之丘，以觀黃帝之呂，而封之，以詒後世。遂賓于西王母觴于瑤池之上。西王母為王謠，王和之，其辭哀焉。乃觀日之所入，一日行萬里。王乃吸曰：「於乎！予一人不盈于德而諧于樂，後世其追數吾過乎！」穆王幾神人哉！能窮當身之樂，猶百年乃徂，世以為登假焉。
老成子學幻于尹文先生，三年不告。老成子請其過而求退。尹文先生揖而進之于室，屏左右而與之言曰：「昔老聃徂西也，顧而告予曰：有生之氣，有形之狀，盡幻也。造化之所始，陰陽之所變者，謂之生，謂之死。窮數達變，因形移易者，謂之化，謂之幻。造物者其巧妙，其功深，固難窮難終。因形者其巧顯。其功淺，故隨起隨滅。知幻化之不異生死也，始可與學幻矣。吾與汝亦幻也，奚須學哉？」老成了歸，用尹文先生之言，深思三月，遂能存亡自在，憣校四時；冬起雷，夏造冰；飛者走，走者飛。終身不箸其術，故世莫傳焉。子列子曰：「善為化者飛。終身不箸其術，故世莫傳焉。子列子曰：「善為化者，其道密庸，其功同人。五帝之德，三王之功，未必盡智勇之力，或由化而成。孰測之哉？」
覺有八征，夢有六侯。奚謂八征？一曰故，二曰為，三曰得，四曰喪，五曰哀，六曰樂，七曰生，八曰死。此者八征，形所接也。奚謂六侯？一曰正夢，二曰蘁夢，三曰思夢，四曰寤夢，五曰喜夢，六曰懼夢。此六者，神所交也。不識感變之所起者，事至則惑其所由然，識感變之所起者，事至則知其所由然。知其所由然則無所怛。一體之盈虛消息，皆通于天地，應于物類。故陰氣壯，則夢涉大水而恐懼；陽氣壯，則夢涉大火而燔0（左苂右內）；陰陽俱壯，則夢生殺。甚飽則夢與，甚饑則夢取。是以以浮虛為疾者，則夢揚；以沈實為疾者，則夢溺。藉帶而寢，則夢蛇；飛鳥銜發，則夢飛。將陰夢火，將疾夢食。飲酒者憂，歌舞者哭。子列子曰：「神遇為夢，形接為事。故晝想夜夢，神形所遇。故神凝者想夢自消。信覺不語，信夢不達，物化之往來者也。古之真人，其覺自忘，其寢不夢，幾虛語哉？」
西極之南隅有國焉，不知境界之所接，名古莽之國。陰陽之氣所不交，故寒暑亡辨；日月之光所不照，故晝夜亡辨。其民不食不衣而多眠。五旬一覺，以夢中所為者實，覺之所見者妄。四海之齊謂中央之國，跨河南北，越岱東西，萬有餘里。其陰陽之審度，故一寒一暑；昏明之分察，故一晝一夜。其民有智有愚。萬物滋殖，才藝多方。有君臣相臨，禮法相持。其所云為，不可稱計。一覺一寐，以為覺之所為者實，夢之所見乾妄。東極之北隅有國，曰阜落之國。其土氣黨燠，日月餘光之照其土，不生嘉苗。其民食草根木實，不知火食。性剛悍，強弱相藉，貴勝而不尚義；多馳步，少休息，常覺而不眠。
周之尹氏大治產，其下趣役者，侵晨昏而弗息。有老役夫，筋力竭矣，而使之彌勤。晝則呻呼而即事，夜則昏憊而熟寐。精神荒散，昔昔夢為國君。居人民之上，總一國之事。游燕宮觀，恣意所欲，其樂無經。覺則復役。人有慰喻其懃者，役夫曰：「人生百年，晝夜各分。吾晝為仆虜，苦則苦矣；夜為人君，其樂無比。可所怨哉？」尹氏心營世事，慮鐘家業，心形俱疲，夜亦昏憊而寐。昔昔夢為人仆，趨走作役，無不為也；數罵杖撻，無不至也。眠中啽囈呻呼，徹旦息焉。尹氏病之，以訪其友。友曰：「若位足榮身，資財有餘，勝人遠矣。夜夢為仆，苦逸之復，數之常也。若欲覺夢兼之，豈可得邪？」尹氏聞其友言，寬其役夫之程，減己思慮之事，疾并少間。
鄭人有薪皇野者，遇駭鹿，御而擊之，斃之。恐人見之也，遽而藏諸隍中，覆之以蕉，不勝其喜。俄而遺其所藏之處，遂以為夢焉。順途而詠其事。傍人有聞者，用其言而取之。既歸，告其室人曰：「向薪者夢得鹿而不知其處；吾今得之，彼直真夢者矣。？」室人曰：「若將是夢見薪者之得鹿邪？詎有薪者邪？今真得鹿，是若之夢真邪？」夫曰：「吾據得鹿，何用知彼夢我夢邪？」薪者之歸，不厭失鹿，其夜真夢藏之之處，又夢得之之主。爽旦，案所夢而尋得之。遂訟而爭之，歸之士師。士師曰：「若初真得鹿，妄謂之夢；真夢得鹿，妄謂之實。彼真取苦鹿，而與若爭鹿。室夫又謂夢認人鹿，無人得鹿。今據有此鹿，請二分之。」以聞鄭君。鄭君曰：「嘻！士師將復夢分人鹿乎？」訪之國相。國相曰：「夢與不夢，臣所不能辨也。欲辨覺夢，唯黃帝、孔丘。今亡黃帝、孔丘，熟辨之哉？且恂士師之言可也。」
宋陽里華子，中年病忘，朝取而夕忘，夕與而朝忘；在途則忘行，在室而忘坐；今不識先，後不識今。闔室毒之。謁史而卜之，弗占；謁巫而禱之，弗禁；謁醫而攻之，弗已。魯有儒生，自媒能治之，會子之妻妻以居產之半請其方。儒生曰：「此固非封兆之所占，非祈請之所禱，非藥石之所攻。吾試化其心，變其慮，庶幾其瘳乎！」于是試露之而求衣；饑之而求食；幽之而求明。儒生欣然告其子曰：「疾可已也。然吾之方密傳世，不以告人。試屏左右，獨與居室七曰。」從之。莫知其所施為也，而積年之疾，一朝都除。華子既悟悟乃大怒，黜妻罰子，操戈逐儒生。宋人執而問其以。華子曰：「曩吾忘也，蕩蕩然不覺天地之有無。今頓識，既往數十年來，存亡得失、哀樂好惡，擾擾萬緒起矣。吾恐將來之存亡得失哀樂好惡之亂吾心如此也，須臾之忘，可復得乎？」子貢聞而怪之，以告孔子。孔子曰：「此非汝所及乎！」顧謂顏回紀之。
秦人逄氏有子，少而惠，及壯而有迷罔之疾。聞歌以為哭，視白以為黑，饗香以為朽，嘗甘以為苦，行非以為是。意之所之，天地四方水火寒暑，無不倒錯者焉。楊氏告其父曰：「魯之君子多術藝，將能已乎？汝奚不訪焉。？」其父之魯，過陳，遇老聃，因告其子之證。老聃曰：「汝庸知汝子之迷乎？今天下之人，皆惑于是非，昏于利害。同疾者多，固莫有覺者。且一身之迷，不足傾一家；一家之迷，不足傾一鄉；一鄉之迷，不足傾一國；一國之迷，不足傾天下；天下盡迷，孰傾之哉？向使天下之人，其心盡如汝子，汝則反迷矣。哀樂聲色臭味是非，孰能正之？且吾之言未必非迷，而況魯之君子，迷之郵者，焉能解人之迷哉？榮汝之糧，不若遄歸也。」
燕人生于燕，長于楚，及老而還本國。過晉國，同行者誑之，指城曰：「此燕國之城。」其人愀然變容。指社曰：「此若里之社。」乃謂然而嘆。指舍曰：「此若先人之廬。」乃涓然而泣。指垅曰：「此若先人之冢。」其人哭不自禁。同行者啞然大笑，曰：「予昔給若，此晉國耳。」其人大慙。及至燕，真見燕國之城社，真見先人之廬冢，悲心更微。