《抱朴子外篇》Vol. 42

Ge Hong (Daoist name Baopuzi) expounds in the Outer Chapters of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity: Profound tranquility and empty stillness are the roots of spiritual wisdom, yin-yang interactions are the foundation of heaven and earth's operations, towering peaks are the essence of mountains, while moral virtue and scholarly cultivation form the bedrock of a noble person. Nothing in existence can be established without its fundamental basis.

To reach great heights, one must consolidate the foundation; for luxuriant foliage, the roots must run deep. Those who cannot even properly manage relationships with neighbors and friends yet busily seek connections with distant dignitaries, or who achieve nothing in their current positions yet scheme for higher offices—such individuals may gain empty fame, but it will wither like blossoms in frost, fading before a single day passes. Even if they luckily seize high positions, they resemble beetles riding waves to soar momentarily, only to be dashed back ashore as withered twigs.

Sages diligently cultivate their foundations, while shallow people disdain the roots. Prolonged immersion in bad habits is like dwelling in a fish market until one no longer smells the stench, or living among naked tribes until bodily shame disappears. Unless one transcends worldly concerns like a Dao-realized master, or comprehends the universal principles like an enlightened sage, who would abandon immediate shortcuts to pursue circuitous great paths? To rectify these maladies, the method is simple: select talents from mountain-dwelling recluses, appointing people by virtue regardless of their origins.