Zhuangzi Chapter 3: Opinions on Nurturing Life
Translated by Nina Correa
There are limits in our lives, but there are no limits to knowledge. Using what’s limited to try to catch up with what’s unlimited can only bring trouble. Someone who already thinks they’re knowledgeable is really in trouble.
Acting with kindness doesn’t necessarily bring warm responses. Acting badly doesn’t necessarily bring punishment. If you sort through for the strongest points fate has provided to you and set your course by them, then your body can be protected, your life can be perfected, your loved ones can be supported, and you can live out your natural life span.
Cook Ding was cutting up an ox for Lord Wen Hui (Kind Gentle Official). With his hands in place, his shoulders hunched, his foot thrust forward, and his knee bent – every slice of meat fell in front of him as his knife seemed to hum a melody. With a steady rhythm, it didn’t miss a beat. It was equal to the dancing performed to the music of “The Mulberry Grove,” and as skillful as the musicians playing “The Jing Shou.”
Lord Wen Hui said:
“Oh, excellent! How did you come up with such a perfect technique?”
Cook Ding set down his knife and replied:
“Your servant is fond of Dao, which advances techniques. At the time when I first began as a butcher, all I could see was a whole ox. Three years later, I no longer saw the ox as a whole. Nowadays, I sense with my spirit instead of looking with my eye. My brain knows when to stop and let my spirit take over. Following the natural grain, noting the large gaps between the cartilage and observing the huge hollows – they already provide me with a map. When I come upon places where muscle and bone connect, that’s the only time I need to be forceful! A good cook changes his knife every year because he cuts. An ordinary cook changes his knife every month because he hacks. I’ve had my knife for nineteen years, and I’ve butchered over a thousand oxen. It’s as sharp now as it was when it was first honed. Each section of the ox has a gap, and the edge of my knife is narrower than that opening. Those are the gaps where I thrust my narrow blade. So wide are those places where I place my knife that there’s lots of leeway. That’s why I’ve had this knife for nineteen years and it’s still like new. Nevertheless, every time I come to a dense spot, I look for its difficulties. I proceed with caution and keep my guard up, considering when I should stop and when I should move slowly. I move the knife just a little bit and that part is quickly separated, like a clump of dirt shifting on the ground. Then I lift up my knife and stand up straight, pausing to look at at all my work until I’m satisfied with it. Then I properly clean my knife and stow it away.”
Lord Wen Hui said:
“Excellent! What I’ve gotten from your words is how to nourish life.”
When Gong Wen Xuan (Official Concealed Chariot) saw the Teacher of the Right, he was startled and said:
“Who is that guy? Why is he so removed from the rest of us? Is he more related to the heavens, or is he more related to people?”
“To the heavens, not to people. The life the heavens has given him is what makes him appear so isolated. Most people try to act in ways that bring them approval from other people. He prefers to have understanding of the heavens, not of people.
“A marsh pheasant will take ten steps to get one peck of food; a hundred steps to get one drink of water. It wouldn’t stay in a cage if it was given unlimited amounts of food and water. If it was treated like a god or a king, that would be bad for it.”
When Lao Dan (Lao Zi) died, Qin Shi mourned for him by uttering three howls and leaving.
A disciple asked:
“Weren’t you a friend of the Master?”
“Yes, I was.”
“If that’s so, then can you really be comfortable mourning in this way?”
“Yes, I can. At first I thought of him as a man, but now I don’t. When I went in to mourn, there were a lot of old people crying – as though they were crying for the loss of their own children. A few of them cried as though they were crying for the loss of their own mothers. Each of them, therefore, who came to assemble here wanted not to be alone while saying their words; not to be alone while crying their tears. By trying to escape their many natural emotions, they’ve forgotten they can endure their suffering. The ancients called this trying to escape natural torment. When it was appropriate for him to come, the Master took that opportunity. When it was appropriate for him to leave, the Master submitted. By peacefully accepting the opportunity and later comfortably submitting, sorrow and happiness don’t enter the picture. In ancient times this was called dismissing the ruler from his earthly responsibilities.”
If you keep pointing at stuff you’ll become like firewood. The flame will keep burning you up and you won’t know when it’ll stop.
Zhuangzi Chapter 4: Relating to the Human
Translated by Nina Correa
Yan Hui (a disciple of Confucius) went to see Zhong Ni (Confucius) and asked his permission to take a hiatus.
“Where are you going?”
“To the state of Wei.”
“What for?
Hui replied:
“The news reports that the prince of Wei is acting like a spoiled brat. He’s taking advantage of his position and can’t see the mistakes he’s making. He thinks nothing at all of his people dying, and their bodies litter the countryside like weeds in a swamp. The people can’t do anything about it. I remember something you once said, Master: ‘If a country is in order, leave it. If a country is in turmoil, go to it.’ The doctor’s offices are filled with sick people. If you can share with me your thoughts about this, I’d like to come up with a way to reform all or at least some of what’s going on there.”
Zhong Ni said:
“Ha, ha! It seems dangerous to go there just to get your ear chopped off! The Way isn’t about wanting to fit all the pieces together. Try to fit all the pieces together, and you’ll just find more pieces lying around. The more they multiply, the more upset you’ll get. When you’re upset you’ll be worried and sad. With so much worrying, then there’s no way to help anyone. Before the ideals of society took over, an achieved person worked first on getting all the parts within himself attuned before trying to attune all the parts in others. If there’s still something not dealt with in yourself, how would you have the time to go around trying to fix the cruelty of others! In addition, do you know how virtue is wasted and how knowledge is expressed? Virtue is wasted on trying to become famous, and knowledge is expressed in disputes. One who tries to become famous steps on others, and one who wants to show off their knowledge uses it as a weapon in debates. Both of those are terrible methods, and neither will get you anywhere. If you already think you have substantial virtue and solid beliefs, you haven’t even begun to consider the essence of other people. If you can give up on competing for fame, then you wouldn’t be trying to take over a precious place in other people’s hearts. Being chastised by having rules and regulations about benevolence and righteousness pointed out is the type of violent method that people have already had to deal with, but if you show the evilness in that then you’d just appear to be trying to make yourself look better than they are. Then your approach would be like calling people weeds which needed to be sorted through. If you sort through people like that, people will revolt against it. It seems pretty dangerous to approach people like that.
“Besides, the prince might not have any preference for those who are worthy, nor may he hate those who are unworthy. What would be the use in asking him to change his ways? If you spend too much time pondering over how to instruct him, the prince would inevitably take advantage of your lack of preparedness. Then your eyes would start to burn, your expression would go dumb, your mouth would drop open, your shape would go limp, and your mind for the time being would take in everything he said. This would be like using fire to fight fire or using water to try to stop a flood. Then you’d just be increasing what was already there. Start out that way and it’d never end. On the other hand, if you gave a hint that you didn’t believe in the profound words he was saying, that would put you in serious trouble, and you’d probably end up being killed right there in front of such a violent person!
“Keep in mind that Jie (a tyrant) killed Guan Long Feng (his minister), and Zhou (a tyrant) killed Prince Bi Gan (his minister). Everyone had warned those ministers ahead of time that they should remain subservient and not raise a ruckus, but they let the rulers push them down so low that the rulers thought nothing of squashing them. They were that desperate to keep their titles.
“As for some other ancient rulers – Yao attacked the states of Cong, Zhi and Xu Ao; Yu attacked You Hu. Those states were laid to waste, bodies were tortured and killed, their warfare continued, and yet there was no end to their thirst for material gain. Haven’t you heard of their obsession with fame and possessions? The desire to become rich and famous is something even a wise person couldn’t overcome, much less you!
“Okay, since you must have had something in mind to begin with, give me the gist of it.”
Yan Hui said:
“What if I were to remain level-headed and open, devoting serious effort and being single-minded in my purpose? How about that?”
“Huh? What are you thinking? That man (the prince) creatively puts on a showy display of greatness, but you can’t be sure from all those theatrics what’s really in his spirit. Ordinary people won’t disobey him because he makes mandates on their feelings and controls what’s in their hearts. A person like that is gradually diminishing their own virtue, while having a strong belief their virtue is great! He’ll hold on to that belief and refuse to change, shutting himself off from any advice coming from others while not finding anything to criticize within himself. How could he find any use for you!”
“Okay then. I could keep centered within myself, but be so adaptable on the outside that I’d appear to be like him. Keeping what I know to be right to myself, I could follow on the tails of the actions of the heavens. Since I’d simply be following the actions of the heavens, I know the emperor would look on me like a child of the heavens. Then how could my words be taken as seeking approval from others or seeking their disapproval? Being this way, people would call me childish, as though I was merely a follower of the heavens. Being adaptable on the outside, I’d simply be a follower of the people. Offering sacrifices, kneeling in submission, bowing down, and beating my chest with my fist – these are the rituals performed by respectful people. All people do that, so why would I dare to act otherwise? By conducting myself in this way, people wouldn’t be able to find fault with me, and in that way I’d be seen as a follower of the people. Being successful at appearing to be like him (the prince), I would thus be seen as a follower of the respected ancients. My words would echo what they taught and be substantial for that reason. I’d be citing what the ancients believed, not what I myself believe. In that way I’d be echoing what’s true and correct, not acting from my own self-interest. If I’m just citing what the ancients said in the past, then would that do?”
Zhong Ni replied:
“Huh? What are you thinking? For the most part you’re right, although your methods are a little shaky, but you’d manage to get away without being accused of any crime. Even though someone might stop and listen to you, how would that really get anyone to make any drastic changes! You’d still sound a bit like a preacher.”
Yan Hui said:
“I don’t know what else to try. I’m asking for your suggestions.”
Zhong Ni replied:
“Go on a fast, then I’ll tell you what I think. Do you think it’s easy to come up with a plan of action? If you think it’s easy, then you’re not in tune with the heavens.”
Yan Hui said:
“My household is poor. I don’t remember having a drink of wine or a bite of meat in several months. Can that be considered fasting?”
“That’s the kind of fasting one does for religious rituals, not the fasting of the heart/mind.”
Hui asked:
“Can I ask what’s the fasting of the heart/mind?”
Zhong Ni replied:
“Unify your frame of mind. Give up listening with your ears, but listen with your heart. Give up listening with your heart, but listen with the vital essence of your spirit! Listening stops at the ears. The heart stops at making calculations. In the essence of the spirit is openness that’s waiting to receive all things. Pondering Dao accumulates more openness. In that openness is the fasting of the heart.”
Yan Hui said:
“I haven’t yet gotten a grip on just what I’m supposed to be doing, or who I really am. If I’ve gotten to the point of having no sense of who I am, would that be called openness?”
The Master said:
“You’ve got it. Now we’re speaking the same language! You can go about traveling in his realm and not be affected by fame. If you make any headway, then speak naturally. If you don’t make headway, then stop. With no need to physically or mentally escape the situation, realizing that all environments are the same and you have no alternative than to be where you are, then you’d almost be done. To walk without leaving tracks is easy, but it’s difficult to walk without touching the ground. It’s easy to be a fake if you’re trying to act like everyone else, but it’s difficult to be a fake if your actions arise naturally. We’ve all heard about things that have wings and can fly. We haven’t heard about things that don’t have wings and can fly. We’ve all heard about people who are smart that are considered to be knowledgeable. We haven’t heard about those who are ignorant that are considered to be knowledgeable.
“Look for each of the places where there’s a blockage. An empty room lets in the most brightness. It’s good fortune to stop, stop. Someone who can’t find a moment to stop – that’s called sitting at a gallop (body still; mind racing). To allow what you see and hear free access to come inside, but to keep your mind and knowledge out of it – supernatural beings would be drawn to that place and even more so would human beings. This is the way all living things adapt. That’s the position taken by Yu and Shun, and the path taken by Fu Xi and Ji Qu to the end. How much more scattered most people allow themselves to get!”
When Zi Gao (the Duke of She in the state of Chu) was about to depart on a mission to the state of Qi, he asked Zhong Ni (Confucius):
“This is a really important bridge the king is sending me to build (between our nations), and Qi is waiting for me as an emissary. I must show the utmost respect and not be impatient. Even ordinary people can’t be pushed to do something, let alone princes and dukes! I’m really scared. Master, you once told me this about bridging the gap of different cultures: ‘Dealing with ordinary affairs can appear small or large. Few who don’t follow Dao will enjoy success. If affairs are unsuccessful, then it would certainly bring a series of troubles from the way people would react. If affairs are successful, then it would certainly upset the balance of nature. To evade trouble whether there’s success or failure – only someone with virtue can do that.’ I eat whatever is handy, have no skill at cooking, and so my kitchen doesn’t get overheated. This morning I received my instructions, and by the evening I was drinking ice water to cool off – I’m feeling so hot inside! I haven’t even found out the details of what I’m supposed to do yet, but I’m already feeling like my nature is topsy-turvy. If I’m not successful in this mission, certainly I’ll have a series of troubles from the way people will react. I’m already getting the worst of it in both ways. As a minister of the state, I’m completely inadequate for this task. Master, do you have any words of advice?”
Zhong Ni said:
“There are two universal mandates in this world. One of them is fate and the other is duty. A child’s love for their parents is fated, and it can’t be driven from their heart. A subject’s service to his ruler is duty, because if he didn’t follow along and tried to oppose the ruler, there’d be no place in the whole world he could escape. These are called universal mandates. To be of service to your parents, despite their position, and to be comfortable with that is the utmost in filial piety. To be of service to your ruler, despite the tasks requested of you, and to be comfortable with that is the most complete loyalty. To be of service to your own heart, despite the fact that joy or sorrow have overcome you and realizing that they are part of fate and that neither of them will last for long, is the attainment of virtue. One who acts as a subject or child to others would certainly not be out to get anything for themselves. Being so involved in the needs of others and forgetting about oneself, when would there be any spare time for thinking about whether you’re enjoying life and dreading death! My dear friend, that’s the way to proceed!
“Please let me tell you something I heard: Ordinarily those in intimate relationships must blend with each other’s beliefs. If they’re physically apart from each other then they must use words to express their friendship, and those words usually have to be passed on by someone. To pass on words that might express the delight or the anger of one of the parties is the most difficult thing in the world to do. To properly express joyful tidings requires exaggerated compliments. Passing on angry words requires much venom. Ordinarily these exaggerations can get pretty ridiculous. If they’re ridiculous enough then no one would believe they’re true, and the messenger would be doomed. Therefore, it’s said in the Fa Yan (“Book of Rules”): ‘Pass on what has been actually said, not with exaggerated words, then most likely you’ll remain whole (not suffer amputation or death).’
“Another thing to remember: A skillful and strong fighter (martial artist) starts out openly showing his moves then will usually end up being more deceptive. The longer the fight lasts, the more unexpected moves he uses. One who’s at a party drinking liquor starts out in control of himself then will usually end up getting out of control. The more they drink, the more they laugh like lunatics. Ordinary affairs are much the same. What begins with sincerity often ends up in rudeness. They begin simply enough, but they usually eventually become much more complex. One who speaks can cause a stormy sea (disturbance), and one who acts on it can lose sight of reality. Disturbances can easily cause one to take actions. Losing sight of reality can easily cause one to be in danger. Therefore, anger can arise for no apparent reason other than as a reaction to harsh and biased words.
“An animal doesn’t choose which sound to make when it dies. Its last exhalation is so suddenly expelled that feelings of terror arise in both the hunter and the hunted. If you push someone too much, then they won’t respond from their heart, and not even know they’re doing that. If they don’t even know they’re doing that, who knows where it’ll end up? Therefore, it’s said in the Fa Yan: ‘Without making demands; without pushing for success – that’s when the most beneficial outcome will result.’ Making demands and pushing for success would be dangerous in this matter. A fine settlement takes time. A bad settlement is irreparable. You can’t be too cautious!
“For the time being let things ride and follow your heart. Figure that you probably won’t necessarily get fulfillment yourself, but look for what would appease both sides. Then you’ll know you’ve finished with it. How would you be affected by reporting back what happened on the mission? Nothing other than the fact that what happened was caused by destiny. You’re the one who makes it more difficult than that.”
Yan He (a scholar from the state of Lu) was about to become tutor of the eldest son of Duke Ling in the state of Wei, so he asked of Qu Bo Yu (a minister of the state of Wei):
“This is a man whose natural disposition is to kill. If I allow him to proceed without suggesting a better method, then that would be dangerous to my state. If I insist on showing him a better method, then that would be dangerous to my own well-being. He’s smart enough to recognize other people’s faults, but not smart enough to recognize his own faults. In a situation like this, what can I do?”
Qi Bo Yu responded:
“Good question! Be on guard, be cautious, and get your own motivations in order! As to your outer appearance, there’s nothing better than compliance. As to your inner feelings, there’s nothing better than peacefulness. Even if you do all that, there are still a couple of things you have to be careful about. Just because you’re conforming on the outside, don’t let that affect what’s in your heart. Just because you’re feeling peaceful inside, don’t let that affect how you act on the outside. If you get so involved in conforming to what’s around you that you let it affect your heart, you’ll lose your balance, your blood will run cold, you’ll fall apart, and you’ll lose consciousness. If you get so involved in the peace within your heart that you show it on the outside, you’ll hear everything as though it was music to your ears, seek fame, act seductively, and become a spoiled brat.
“If the prince acts like an innocent child, then you also act like an innocent child with him. If he starts exploring ways to overcome his limits, then you also act like you’re exploring ways to overcome limits. If he acts without being concerned for his own safety, then you also act without concern for your own safety. If you get to that point, you can reach into the place within him that’s without faults.
“Haven’t you heard the story of the praying mantis? It got so mad that it stretched out its arm trying to stop a speeding car. It didn’t know that it didn’t have the ability to do that, but got carried away with thinking it could be good at doing anything. Be on guard, be cautious! One who thinks they’re good at tearing down what has already built up momentum will be offensive, and will soon come to an end.
“Haven’t you heard the story of the guy who raised and tamed tigers? He didn’t dare give them living animals for food, since by killing them their viciousness would increase. He didn’t dare give them whole carcasses of animals, since by tearing them apart their viciousness would increase. By determining the times when they’d be hungry or full, he could keep the violence in their hearts calmed down. Tigers are a different species than people, and they have to be coaxed by their trainer in order to become docile. Therefore, what was once a killer can be turned into the opposite.
“There was a man who loved his horse. He filled up baskets with its excrement, and filled up large shells with its urine. A mosquito or horsefly landed near the horse’s tail, and the guy tried to slap it away. The horse was startled by the slap on his rump and pulled on its bit, thus smashing the guy’s head to the ground and crushing his chest with its hoof. If paying attention to something gets too extreme, then love gets lost. Isn’t there always a reason for caution?”
A master carpenter named Shi (Stone Face), on his way to the state of Qi, arrived at the town of Qu Yuan where he saw an oak tree that served as a local shrine. It was so big that an ox standing behind it wouldn’t be visible, and it measured a hundred spans around. It was as tall as the mountains in the background. Its branches extended out for eighty feet, and at least ten of the branches were large enough to be used to build the side of a boat. Sightseers were packed together as if in a marketplace. The distinguished carpenter paid it no mind and just kept going without pausing. When his assistant had his fill of gazing at it, he ran to catch up with carpenter Shi and said:
“I’ve been carrying this heavy ax around and following you, Master, and we haven’t yet seen such great building material until now. Why, sir, were you not even willing to look at it, but just kept walking on?”
“Stop it! Don’t say another word! The wood of that tree is defective. Use it to make a boat, and it would sink. Use it to make coffins, and they’d quickly rot. Use it to make tools, and they’d quickly fall apart. Use it to make any kind of door and the knotholes would let in moisture. Use it to make a fence post and it’d be infested with worms. That wood isn’t good for anything, and is completely useless. That’s why it’s been able to grow so old.”
When carpenter Shi returned home, the oak used as a shrine appeared to him in a dream and said:
“With what else would you choose to compare me? Would you compare me with trees that have intricately fine grains? Or with the peach, pear, tangerine, grapefruit – on which the fruit hang down like gourds? When their fruit ripens, they’re stripped and left naked. The large branches are broken, and the small branches are torn to shreds. They have a painful life, and thus they don’t live out their natural life span but come to a premature end in the middle of their time. Just by the nature of what they are they’re open to the assaults of the vulgar world. Of living things, nothing seems to escape that. I’d been trying to find out how to be useless for a long time, and although I almost died, now I’ve figured it out, and it’s been a big help to me. If I’d made myself to be of any use whatsoever, how could I have managed to grow this huge? Since you and I are connected just like everything else, what’s the point in estimating something by its appearance? Yet a defective person like you who’s nearly dead has the nerve to point out defects in a tree?”
Carpenter Shi woke up and related the story in his dream. His assistant asked:
“If it was so intent on being useless, then why does it continue to be a shrine?”
“Shush! Don’t say another word! It’s only resting there. By acting like it doesn’t know what it is, any cruelty toward it is averted. If it didn’t allow itself to be treated like a shrine, there’d be many who’d want to chop it down! It provides a place where many different kinds of people can feel protected, but if it was judged by how it could be used in a more conventional way, it wouldn’t have gotten this far!”
When Nan Bo Zi Qi (Exalted Count of Southern Darkness) was traveling in the hills of Shang (Busy Metropolis), he saw a large and unusual tree. A group of a thousand chariots could be hidden under the cover of its shade.
Zi Qi said:
“What kind of tree is this? It must be very strange timber!”
He turned his face up and looked at its thin branches which were so bent and twisted that they couldn’t be used as rafters and beams. He bent down and looked at the tree’s roots which were so gnarled and knotty that they couldn’t be used to make coffins. He touched one of the leaves to his tongue, and it stung his mouth and left a sore. He smelled it then became like a mad man and had a hangover for more than three days.
Zi Qi said:
“This tree really is incapable of providing anything useful. That’s how it’s been able to grow so large. Aha! A holy person would be just as incapable!”
In the state of Song there’s an area called Jing Shi, where there are catalpas, cypress and mulberry trees. Those trees that have grown so large that you can’t get both hands around their trunks are cut down by people who want to make posts to tie up their monkeys. Those that are three or four spans around are chopped down by people to make decorations for their palatial homes. Those seven or eight spans around are chopped down by officials and rich merchants to make sides for their family altars. Therefore, they don’t live out their natural life span, but come to a premature end by the use of axes and hatchets in the middle of their growth. That’s the trouble with having material value.
Therefore, when preparing for a sacrificial offering, oxen with white foreheads, pigs with turned up snouts, and people who are suffering from diarrhea can’t be used in the River Sacrifices. This is something all respected shamans know about, as it’s considered to bring bad luck. On the other hand, these are the things a holy man considers to be very lucky.
There was a deformed man called Shu (Dislocated). His chin was hidden in his bellybutton, his shoulders were higher than the top of his head, the top of his spine was like a finger pointing to the sky, his five vital organs protruded to the outside, and both of his thigh bones were forced up next to his ribs. By mending and washing clothes he was able to make enough to feed himself. By beating the husk off rice and sorting it, he was able to make enough to feed ten people. When the emperor sent out officials to round up an army from the civilian population, he was excused when he exposed his deformed body. When the emperor sent out officials to round up a group of laborers, he was excused because he constantly got sick and didn’t have any stamina. When the emperor sent out officials to distribute food to the ill and sickly, he received three times as much as anyone else as well as ten bundles of firewood. If a person who’s been denied a normally formed body from birth can still find a way to feed himself and live out his natural life span, then so too should someone who’s been denied Virtue!
When Kong Zi (Confucius) traveled to the state of Chu, Jie Yu (Car Accident Victim), the madman of Chu, walked up to his outer gate and said:
“Phoenix! Phoenix! (a bird of good omen) How much Virtue has declined! We can’t wait for the future to sort it out, and we can’t chase after the past. When the world has Dao, Sages rest on their laurels. When the world doesn’t have Dao, Sages come to life. In this day and age, one can only expect to escape punishment. Good fortune is as light as a feather, but no one knows how to carry it. Misfortune is as heavy as dirt, but no one knows how to avoid it. Stop! Stop evaluating people by their Virtue! Danger! It’s dangerous to draw a line in the sand and rush over to your side! Enchanted by the light. So enchanted by the light it’s a wonder we haven’t harmed our paths. My own path may seem distastefully crooked, but at least I haven’t harmed my feet!”
By their own nature, mountain trees are cut down. By its own nature, cooking oil is used up in a frying pan. A cinnamon tree is edible, so it’s cut down. Varnish is useful, so the trees that produce it are tapped.
Everyone knows the usefulness of the useful, but no one knows the usefulness of the useless.
Zhuangzi Chapter 5: Calculations on Filfilling Virtue
In the state of Lu there’s a person named Wang Tai (Great Lame Horse) who lost one of his feet. He has throngs of followers, about the same number as Zhong Ni (Confucius).
Chang Ji (Ordinary Younger Brother) asked Zhong Ni:
“Wang Tai, who has lost a foot (by amputation as punishment for a crime), has as many followers as you do, Master, throughout the state of Lu. When he stands up he doesn’t preach, and when he sits down he doesn’t carry on discussions. Those who go to him empty return fulfilled. How can someone who’s unconcerned with teaching with words and has a mutilated body still have a completed heart? What kind of person is he?”
Zhong Ni said:
“This Master is a Sage. I’m always so behind the times that I haven’t had a chance yet to go and listen to him. I’ll go learn from him, and surely those who aren’t the least bit like me would do the same. Why should it be limited to the state of Lu? I’ll attract the whole world to follow him.”
Chang Ji said:
“That guy’s missing a foot, yet he’s a respected teacher, which makes him quite extraordinary. How can a person like that remain so single-hearted?”
Zhong Ni said:
“Much is made of death and life, but they don’t affect him. Even if heaven and earth were to crumble and fall, not even that would shake him up. He can examine carefully what’s flawless, yet not be persuaded to follow what others do. His fate is different from other things, yet he guards what they put stock in.”
Chang Ji asked:
“What do you mean by that?”
Zhong Ni said:
“If you look at things from the point of view of their differences, then the liver and gall bladder are as far apart as the states of Chu and Yue. If you look at things from the point of view of their similarities, then all living things share a unity. At that point, such a person not only doesn’t evaluate things with his ears and eyes, but lets his heart and mind float with the harmony of his own nature. He looks at the unity of things, and doesn’t look for what they’re lacking. He regards losing his foot as though he was shaking off a clump of mud.”
Chang Ji said:
“By losing his own sense of separateness, he’s able to achieve an understanding of his heart, and use his heart to achieve a sense of durability in his heart. Why do others want to be sheltered by him?”
Zhong Ni replied:
“There’s no way for people to see their reflections in running water, but they can see their reflections in still water. Multitudes of people can only be stilled by staying still. Complying with what was fated from the earth, only the pine and cypress could remain on their own course – staying green in both summer and winter. Complying with what was fated by the heavens, only Yao and Shun could remain true to their own course – being able to lead all living things. If one is lucky they can realize their true course has been set from birth, as everyone’s true course has been set from birth. Feeling secure from danger at the beginning of his journey, not fearing what will happen to him, one brave soldier would feel powerful enough to penetrate nine armies. The only goal that kind of person has in mind is seeking to make a name for himself. Suppose someone set their mind to being controlled by both the heavens and the earth, to being compensated by all living things, to align all the limbs of their body, to observe clearly using their eyes and ears, to know the unity of their awareness, and to never allow their mind to deteriorate! That kind of person would just get up and leave one day, and if people followed after him, what would he care about what anyone else was doing?”
Shen Tu Jia (Admired Straightforward Student), who’d lost a foot (as punishment for having committed a crime), and Zi Chan of Zheng (Prime Minister of Zheng) both had Bo Hun Wu Ren (Professor Confused Nonentity) as their teacher.
Zi Chan said to Shen Tu Jia:
“If I leave first, then you wait and go later. If you leave first, then I’ll wait and go later.”
The next day both of them were again sitting on the same mat in the hall.
Zi Chan said to Shen Tu Jia:
“If I leave first, then you wait and go later. If you leave first, then I’ll wait and go later. Now I’m about to leave, so can you wait a while? Why would you refuse? When you come across a Prime Minister and don’t obey him, is that because you think you’re equal to him?”
Shen Tu Jia said:
“Can there be a Prime Minister as rude as this within my teacher’s gates? You think simply because you’ve been appointed Prime Minister that other people should cater to you? There’s a well-known saying: ‘If a mirror is bright, then no dust has settled on it. If dust has settled, then it’s not bright. Spend a lot of time with someone who’s upright, and you’ll be faultless.’ Now, you’ve come to seek guidance from our great Master, but you’re still able to speak like you did. Who’s really the guilty person here?”
Zi Chan said:
“You’ve already gotten yourself into this situation (losing a foot), yet you still think you could compete with Yao as to which of you is better. Why don’t you take a cold hard look at yourself and see if you can come up with anything virtuous there at all?”
Shen Tu Jia said:
“There are lots of people who have the appearance of having committed a crime even though they weren’t guilty. There are some people who don’t have the appearance of committing a crime even though they were guilty. To realize that certain things can’t be changed and quietly accept destiny, only a person with a clear heart can do that. One might wander into the middle of a field where Yi is practicing archery. If they’re standing there right out in the open and still don’t get hit by the arrow, that’s destiny. When someone who has both feet laughs at me because I don’t have as many feet as they have, I get angry and go into a rage. But when I come to visit my teacher, then I calm down and change my attitude. How can I know if my master’s bathed me in goodness, or if I’ve just settled down peacefully on my own? I’ve been following my Master for nineteen years, and he still hasn’t acknowledged the fact that I’ve lost a foot. Now you and I are connected by something much deeper than how many appendages we each have, but you keep trying to separate us by excluding me due to my outer appearance. Who’s really the guilty person here?”
Zi Chan, taken aback, changed his attitude and took on a new demeanor, saying:
“You dt have to say another word.”
In the state of Lu there’s a mutilated man named Shu Shan the Toeless. Walking on his heels, he came to see Zhong Ni (Confucius)
Zhong Ni said:
“You weren’t careful in the first place, and by committing crimes you brought this disaster on yourself. What’s the point of coming to see me now!”
Toeless said:
“It was only because I didn’t understand what I was supposed to be doing and took my body lightly that I lost part of my feet. Now I come here showing as much respect as someone who has feet, striving to keep what I have remaining of my body whole. There’s nothing the heavens doesn’t cover with a protective shield. There’s nothing the earth doesn’t bear the burden of. I thought you were a Master of the heavens and earth. Where’s your knowledge, Master, that you could treat me this way!”
Kong Zi (Confucius) said:
“That was really narrow-minded of me. Sir, why don’t you come on in? Please allow me to explain to you what I have to share.”
Toeless left.
Kong Zi said to his attentive disciples:
“That man was mutilated by having his toes chopped off, but he still wants to take on the task of looking back and learning from his previous mistakes. How much more so should those who think they have perfect Virtue!”
Toeless told this story to Lao Dan (Laozi) and then said:
“I thought Kong was a perfected person, but he’s not there yet, is he? Why do so many disciples keep treating him as though he were a respected guest? He’s seeking to become famous by being considered extraordinary and unusual. Doesn’t he know that a perfected person would view being treated that way as being shackled?”
Lao Dan said:
“Why not straighten him out by showing him how life and death are linked on a single branch, and how approval and disapproval are linked on a single thread? That would release him from his shackles, wouldn’t it?”
Toeless said:
“Since he thinks his punishment is coming from the heavens, how could he possibly be released!”
Duke Ai of the state of Lu asked Zhong Ni (Confucius):
“There was an ugly man in the state of Wei named Ai Tai Ta (Sad-Looking Horse Face). The adult men who hung out with him thought so highly of him that they couldn’t leave his presence. When unmarried women saw him, they’d beg their parents: ‘I’d rather be that man’s concubine than the wife of a well-to-do gentleman.’ That happened dozens of times and keeps happening over and over. He’s never been known to speak out for himself, but always blends harmoniously with other people and that’s all. He’s never been in a position of authority that would allow him to save anyone from death, nor does he earn the kind of money that would allow him to support anyone. Besides that, he’s probably the ugliest person in the whole world. He blended with others but didn’t speak out for himself, and he didn’t know anything other than what went on in his immediate environment, yet males and females both found him compelling. This guy must have some very unusual qualities. I demanded that he come to me so I could have a look at him, and determined that he surely must be the ugliest person in the world. I also demanded that he stay with me for a month so I could get a better idea of what kind of person he was. He’s been here for almost a year, and I’ve come to trust him completely. As my state is without a Prime Minister, I offered him the job. He looked indecisive about how to respond, as though he was looking for a reason to decline. I was so embarrassed that I immediately turned over the position to him. Without even saying goodbye to me, he left. I was really sorry to lose him, as though there was nothing else that could bring me pleasure any more in the whole country. What sort of person was he?”
Zhong Ni said:
“I was once on a mission to the state of Chu, and along the way I saw some young piglets nursing on their dead mother. In a short time they all withdrew from her and went away. They no longer saw her as resembling themselves, nor did she seem to be similar to them in any way. The love they had for their mother wasn’t based merely on loving her physical form, but a love of what her physical form could provide. When a soldier dies in battle, they have no need for a fancy coffin or funeral. When a person has lost their feet, they have no reason to love shoes. In all the instances mentioned above, something they once placed a lot of importance on had vanished.
“Those who’ve passed the requirements to become the Emperor’s assistants no longer need to file their nails or pierce their ears (make themselves outwardly attractive in order to gain prominence). A man who’s acquired a wife no longer needs to adorn his outer appearance nor seek a higher position (make themselves more attractive in order to get a wife). Their outer form was already sufficient enough to gain them acceptance. How much more so would that be for someone who’d perfected their virtue! Now Ai Tai Ta didn’t need to say a word, but you completely trusted him. He didn’t show any achievements, but you wanted to keep him close to you. You wanted to give him your entire country, and you were afraid he wouldn’t take the offer. He must have a great ability to be complete, even though his virtue wasn’t apparent in his outer form.”
Duke Ai asked:
“What do you mean by a great ability to be complete?”
Zhong Ni said:
“Death and life, accumulation and loss, failure and success, poverty and wealth, worth and worthlessness, praise and blame, hunger and thirst, hot and cold – those simply reflect how situations can change and are ordered by destiny. Day and night follow each other and precede each other, but human knowledge is incapable of regulating them. Since there’s no way to base personal harmony on something so unpredictable, it shouldn’t have the ability to affect the storehouse of one’s spiritual powers. Participate in what really causes harmony – connect with it and don’t lose the joyfulness that comes from it. Do this whether it’s day or night, and experience eternal springtime with every living thing. Welcome every moment with the fullness of your heart. That’s called having a great ability to be complete.”
“What’s meant by having a virtue that isn’t apparent by one’s outer form?”
“When water has reached its full capacity, it becomes level and still. It can be a great example, as it protects what’s within and allows evaporation of what’s on the surface. When virtue has succeeded in creating harmony, it’s displayed like a decoration. When virtue isn’t apparent from one’s outer form, no living thing would be able to be separated from it.”
On another day, Duke Ai explained this story to Min Zi (one of Confucius’ disciples):
“I used to sit on my throne facing South (the direction a ruler’s throne faced) and ruled the whole world. I held in my hands the ability to determine the course of people’s lives, and grieved at their deaths. I considered myself to be one who had attained expertise in everything. Now that I’ve heard the words of a true expert, I’m afraid I have no substance whatsoever, have taken too lightly the appearance my body gave off, and thus could lose my country. Kong (Confucius) and I don’t relate to each other like ruler and servant – we’re merely friends who share virtue.”
A man with a club foot, a stooped posture, and who had no lips explained his theories to Duke Ling of Wei. Duke Ling was so won over by the guy that he thought anyone who would be considered to have a perfect form would have to have the same neck and shoulders as him. A man with a goiter on his neck as big as a huge jar explained his theories to Duke Huan of Qi. Duke Huan was so won over by the guy that he thought anyone who would be considered to have a perfect form would have to have the same neck and shoulders as him. Therefore, when virtue is predominant, a person’s physical form is forgotten. If people remember what was forgotten, and then forget what was remembered – that can be called true forgetting.
Therefore, a wise person goes wandering and sees that knowledge promotes misfortune, promises promote bondage, virtue promotes intimacy, work promotes business. A wise person doesn’t scheme, so what use is there for knowledge? Doesn’t chop things apart, so what use is there for bonding? Is without alienation, so what use is there for virtue? Doesn’t barter, so what use is there for business? These four are the gruel (meager provisions) provided by the heavens. One who has the gruel of the heavens is nourished by the heavens. Since she receives this nourishment from the heavens, why would she need to use people? She has a human form but is without human sentimentality. She has a human form, therefore she’s classified as a person. She’s without human sentimentality, therefore judgments about right and wrong can’t affect her. Insignificant and small – that’s the way she’s classified by humanity. Large and great – her single accomplishment is with the heavens.
Hui Zi said to Zhuangzi:
“Are there humans without sentimentality?”
Zhuangzi replied:
“There are.”
Hui Zi said:
“If a person has no sentimentality, how could they be called a person?”
Zhuangzi replied:
“Dao gives him his demeanor, the heavens give him a physical shape, so how could he not be called a person?”
Hui Zi said:
“Since it’s already been determined he’s a person, how could he not have sentimentality?”
Zhuangzi said:
“Having a sense of right and wrong is what I call sentimentality. Someone I’d refer to as being without sentimentality – that kind of person wouldn’t allow his likes and dislikes to cause physical harm to his body. They would constantly follow what naturally occurs without looking to profit from life.”
Hui Zi said:
“If someone doesn’t look to profit from life, how would they still be able to have a body?”
Zhuangzi said:
“Dao gives him his demeanor and the heavens give him a physical shape, but they don’t create in him a way for likes and dislikes to harm his body. Now, you’re remaining outside of your spirit, yet laboring to refine your spiritual essence. All the while you’re leaning against a tree grunting, drifting off into a stupor under this tall shade tree. The heavens chose this physical shape for you, and you use it to chirp about pointless arguments.”
Zhuangzi Chapter 6: Teachings from those who were Great who are no longer alive
One who has knowledge about what actions are of the heavens and what actions are of people has reached attainment. One who knows the actions of the heavens merges her life with the heavens. One who knows the actions of people accepts that knowledge is a part of her intellect and increases that knowledge because she accepts her own ignorance. In the end she will have lived out her natural life span and not have been cut down in the middle of her youth. She’s fulfilled every aspect of her knowledge.
Even so, there’s still something to be concerned about. Having knowledge can only go so far and then it’s subject to measurements. One gets to a certain point then starts questioning how far they’ve gotten. How could I sort out whether what I think is coming from the heavens isn’t coming from people, and what I think is coming from people isn’t coming from the heavens? Moreover, one has to become a true person before they can have true knowledge. What is a true person?
The true person of ancient times wasn’t opposed to the idea of being different than the rest of society, didn’t try to be macho, and didn’t plan for a lucrative career. Someone like that could move from one situation to another with no regret, and measure up her self worth without becoming smugly self-satisfied. Someone like that could climb to dizzying heights without trembling in fear, enter water without feeling wet, and enter fire without feeling the heat. This kind of perception enables one to ascend on the tails of Dao.
The true person of ancient times could sleep without dreaming, could awaken without anxiety, could eat food without relishing in it, and could completely fill her lungs when breathing. A true person breathed all the way down to her heels, while other people’s breath only filled the top of their lungs. Those who bend over in submission seem to spew forth words from their mouths like vomit. Those who harbor old desires deeply within them leave only a shallow space for the heavens to maneuver.
The true person of ancient times wasn’t aware of expressing joy in life, nor of feeling aversion to death. He didn’t feel a need to be gracious when he left, nor did he feel a need to be aloof when he entered. He could leave as swiftly as he arrived, and there was nothing more to it. He didn’t forget where he began, but didn’t question where he’d end up. He celebrated what was received, and recaptured what had been forgotten. This is called not using the mind to contribute to Dao, and not using people to assist the heavens. That’s what was called a true person.
Being such, his heart was adaptable, his appearance was unruffled, his forehead was unwrinkled. With a coolness like autumn and a warmth like springtime, joy and anger flowed through him like the four seasons. He found contentment with all things and didn’t think about when he’d reach the pinnacle. Therefore, if a wise person has to resort to using weapons, his country might be destroyed but the people’s hearts wouldn’t be lost. The benefits would carry over to all the future generations, but not because of his love for any person.
Therefore, trying to transfer happiness into other living things will not make one a sage. Experiencing intimate personal relationships will not make one benevolent. Trying to keep in time with the heavens will not make one worthy. One who isn’t able to reconcile advantage with disadvantage will not be a good ruler. One who loses himself seeking fame won’t be a good student. One who inadvertently loses his body won’t be good at serving others.
Hu Bu Xie, Wu Guang, Bo Yi, Shu Qi, Ji Zi, Xu Yu, Ji Tuo, and Shen Tu Di (men who were moralists and reformers in ancient times who ended up being killed or committing suicide) were all in service to what other people served, agreeably followed what other people followed, but they couldn’t be comfortable enough with their own natures to follow themselves.
A true person of ancient times appeared to be acting properly, even though she didn’t conform to the norm. She seemed to be lacking, but didn’t grovel for favors. She had some rough edges, but wasn’t obstinate. She was extensively empty, but didn’t superficially attract anything. She brightly lit up everything around her as though she was ecstatic! She soared like an eagle as though there was no need to find a place to land! Her facial expression took on a glowing quality. What she was willing to concede stopped with her own virtue. She seemed harsh to those of her own generation! She was so diverse that there was no way to control her. When there was a new fad or trend she didn’t follow it. She was so inattentive that she forgot what she was going to say.
She regarded suffering as a compression of the body, rituals as flights of fancy, knowledge as opportunity, and virtue as a means of protection. Because she regarded suffering as a compression of the body, she was gentle with reprimands. Because she regarded rituals as flights of fancy, she went along with the times. Because she regarded knowledge as an opportunity, she used what was available in dealing with her affairs. Because she regarded virtue as a means of protection, she encouraged others to walk on their own feet in order to reach the pinnacle and people genuinely attended to what they were involved with.
So, she united with what was enjoyable, and she united with what wasn’t enjoyable. Being united is unity, and not being united is unity. Being united, she followed the heavens. Being not united, she followed people. When the heavens and people join together, there’s no need for one to be victorious over the other. A true person is said to be like this.
Death and life are destined. They’re as certain as the the sky progressing from night into dawn. There are certain things a person can’t do anything about. All living things are in that situation. There are those who set up a special figure as the Father of the Heavens (God) and are only able to love the image they have of him as a person. There might be something even above that! People set up someone who they believe has special powers to heal them, but their bodies eventually die anyway. There might be something even more effective than that!
When a stream dries up the fish gather together in a crater on the land. They moisten each other with their saliva and splatter each other with foam. It’d be better for them to be swimming freely in rivers and lakes than to be concerned with having to do these things to keep each other alive. Rather than to praise Yao and condemn Jie, it would be better to forget both of them and how different their Ways were.
The great clump of earth (the world) is loaded down with our physical forms, struggles to keep us alive, cradles us in our old age, and provides a place to rest our bodies after we die. Therefore, what’s good at keeping us alive will also be good at providing a place for us to die.
A man may try to hide away a boat in a gully, which would be like trying to hide a mountain in a swamp, but he believes it’s in a secure place. Even so, around midnight a strong person might come along and hoist the boat onto his shoulders and walk away with it. Since it was so dark outside, no one would know. Hiding something small within something larger might seem like the appropriate thing to do, yet anything could still be carted off. If a man were to hide everything in the world within the world, there would be no place left for anything to be removed to. Living things are already constantly in this great situation. Someone might have an especially attractive body, and they’d be pleased about that. However, a human shape can be changed by any number of things, and those changes might not necessarily ever come to an end. Is there pleasure to be found in counting the victories? Therefore, a wise person will travel where things take them rather than trying to constrain things where they don’t belong.
Whether it’s better to die young or to live to an old age; whether things will start out good or end up good – people just keep looking for ways to find meaning in those things. It’s like everyone is looking for more things to be concerned about, as though they’re waiting for one thing to come along and change everything!
Dao expresses itself and provides evidence of itself, but not by taking actions or showing a shape. It doles out things, but doesn’t take anything back. It can enter within you, but can’t be perceived. It was rooted in itself and grew from its own roots before there was a universe. It was so ancient that it was there before anything existed. It provided vital energy for both demons and gods. It gave life to both the heavens and the earth. It reaches higher than the ether of the sky, but doesn’t become tall. It reaches lower than the core of the earth, but doesn’t become deep. It began before the heavens and earth, but can’t be measured by time. It was around from the most remote ages, but doesn’t become old.
The clansman Shi of Wei got it so as to support the heavens and earth.
Fu Xi got it and found the key to the breath of Mother Nature.
Wei Dou (a star in the constellation Sagittarius considered to be the center point of our galaxy) got it so as to eternally stay true to its course.
The sun and moon got it so as to constantly keep moving.
Kan Pi (a spirit, said to have a human face and the body of an animal) got it so as to penetrate the Kun Lun mountains.
Ping Yi (a spirit of the Yellow River) got it so as to travel through the great river.
Jian Wu (a mountain spirit) got it so as to dwell on Mount Tai.
Huang Di got it so as to rise up into the clouds in the heavens.
Zhuan Xu got it so as to dwell in the Black Palace.
Yu Qiang (god of the North Sea) got it and stood on the North Pole.
Xi Wang Mu got it and sat on Shao Guang. No one knows where it (this mountain) begins or ends.
Peng Zu got it and was able to live from the time of the beginning of the Zhou dynasty through the succession of five rulers (five lifetimes for most people).
Fu Yue got it so as to become Prime Minister to Wu Ding. Then he suddenly was in control of the whole empire, perching on the hand of Sagittarius and riding into Scorpio’s basket as though he was a shooting star.
Nan Bo Zi Qi (Exalted Count of Southern Curiosity) asked of Nu Yu (Independent Woman):
“You’re old in years, but your face beams like a child. Why is that?”
“Ive learned about Dao.”
Nan Bo Zi Qi said:
“Can Dao be obtained through studying?”
“What? How could that be possible? You’re not the kind of person who could do that anyway. There was a guy named Bu Liang Yi (Rigidly Biased Fortuneteller) who had the ability to become a sage, but wasn’t wise enough to learn about Dao. I’m wise enough to learn about Dao, but don’t have the ability to become a sage. I really wanted to teach him. Oh, what great hopes I had that he’d end up becoming a true sage! It’s not so easy to change one who has the ability to become a sage into one who is wise enough to learn about Dao simply by explaining it to them. Yet I kept a close watch on him and tried to explain it. After three days he could disregard the world. After he disregarded the world, I still kept at him. After seven days he could disregard living things. After he disregarded living things, I still kept at him. After nine days he could disregard life. After he disregarded life, he could then penetrate everything like the first rays of sun in the morning. Being able to penetrate everything like the first rays of sun in the morning, he could then see each thing individually. Being able to see each thing individually, he could then overcome a sense of past and future. Being able to overcome a sense of past and future, he could then enter where there is no death and no birth. What kills life isn’t death. What brings forth life isn’t birth. As for how he related to things – without following, without rejecting, without constructing, without destroying. A name for this would be Embracing Contentment. One who embraces contentment – embraces and then becomes complete.
Nan Bo Zi Qi asked:
“Are you the only one who’s heard about this?”
“I heard about this from Master of Various Texts. Master of Various Texts heard about it from Oral Tradition. Oral Tradition heard about it from Clear Sightedness. Clear Sightedness heard about it from Midday Whisperer. Midday Whisperer heard about it from Humble Servant. Humble Servant heard about it from Oblivious Chanter. Oblivious Chanter heard about it from Dark Mysteries. Dark Mysteries heard about it from Solitary Star. Solitary Star heard about it from Uncertain Beginning.”
Zi Si (Great Sacrificial Attendant), Zi Yu (Great Charioteer), Zi Li (Great Plowman) and Zi Lai (Great Messenger) all came together to have a chat saying:
“Who can consider what doesn’t exist as his head, life as his spine and death as his buttocks? Whoever knows that life and death, surviving and perishing, are part of the same whole, I’d like to take them as a friend.”
The four of them all looked at each other and laughed. They felt a profound intimacy with each other in their hearts, and they they knew they’d formed a deep friendship with each other.
Some time later, Zi Yu got sick. Zi Si went to see how he was doing.
“How remarkable! This thing I’ve been turned into, that’s become so inflexible and stiff!”
His back had become curved and hunched, his five vital organs protruded to the outside, his chin was hidden in his bellybutton, his shoulders were higher than the top of his head, and his fingers were curved into hooks that pointed up to the sky. Even though his vital energy seemed to be completely out of whack, his heart was clear and he didn’t seem concerned. He dragged himself over to the well, looked at his image in the water and said:
“Ugh! Look at this thing I’ve been turned into, and how inflexible and stiff it is.”
Zi Si asked:
“Do you hate it?”
“What’s the point in hating what’s been taken away or what’s been given to me! Supposing my left arm gradually turned into a chicken – then I could use it to tell when it was nighttime. Supposing my right arm gradually turned into a crossbow – then I could use it to shoot down a bird to roast. Supposing my buttocks gradually turned into a wheel and my spirit into a horse – then I could ride on it. What need would I have for any other means of transportation!
“Furthermore, whatever is received comes at the right time. Whatever has been lost must be adapted to. Calmly accepting and dwelling in compliance, then neither grief nor joy would be able to creep in. This is what’s been called being released from bondage, and for those who can’t find a release, there will always be something to put them into bondage. Besides, living things can’t be victorious over what Nature has been causing to occur since the beginning of time. What reason could I find for hatred!”
Some time later, Zi Lai became ill, panting and gasping while near death. His wife and children were grouped around him sobbing. Zi Li went to see how he was doing and said to them:
“Shame on you! Get away from him! Don’t show sadness – he’s merely going through changes.”
He then leaned against the door jamb and said to his friend:
“How remarkable! The changes you’re experiencing! What will you become next – what will you turn into? Will you become a rat’s liver? Will you become an insect’s arm?”
Zi Lai said:
“When a father and mother produce a child, east, west, south and north converge at a point that sets the destiny he must follow. When those multiple energies within a person converge, he’s directed by them as though they were his father and mother. They’ve brought me close to death, and if I try to prevent it then I’m being foolhardy. How silly to look at this as some sort of crime that’s been committed! The great clump of earth (the world) is loaded down with my physical form, struggles to keep me alive, cradles me in my old age, and provides a place to rest my body after I die. Therefore, that which is good at keeping me alive will also be good at providing a place for me to die. Now if a great blacksmith was pounding some metal, and the metal jumped up at him and said: ‘I absolutely must be made into Mo Ye (a famous ancient Chinese double edged sword)’, the blacksmith would think that piece of metal was an ill omen. Now, if I were ever to try to go against the shape my form has taken and say: ‘Make me a whole person, nothing but a whole person’, then Mother Nature would think that this person was an ill omen. Now, if the universe is like one great big oven, and Mother Nature is like a master blacksmith, where is it that we shouldn’t go? As naturally as we fall into a sound sleep, we just as naturally suddenly wake up.”
Zi Sang Hu (Great Silkworm Cultivator), Meng Zi Fan (Elder Great Mercenary) and Zi Qin Zhang (Great Lute Stringer) were three friends who got along well with each other.
One of them said:
“Who can join with others while not joining with others; act with others while not acting with others? Who can ascend to the heavens, travel on the mist, stirring up things without any end in sight, all the while forgetting about life without getting exhausted?”
The three of them all looked at each other and laughed. Feeling a profound intimacy with each other in their hearts, they knew they’d formed a deep friendship with each other.
Not long after that Zi Sang Hu died. When he had not yet been buried, Kong Zi (Confucius) heard about it and sent Zi Gong (a disciple of Confucius) to go see what was going on. One of the friends was composing a tune while the other was playing music.
They sang together:
“Oh, Sang Hu has arrived!
“Oh, Sang Hu has arrived!
“And already returned to his original being,
“While we’re still serving as humans!”
Zi Gong rushed into the room and asked:
“How in the world could you both be singing over a dead body – is that proper conduct?”
The two friends looked at each other and laughed, then said:
“How could that guy know what proper conduct is?”
Zi Gong returned to tell Kong Zi what had happened:
“What kind of people are those guys? They can’t even control their behavior and have no respect for their friend’s physical body. They sit right next to the dead body singing without showing any signs of adapting their demeanor to the situation, in complete disorder. What kind of people are they?”
Kong Zi said:
“They both wander around outside the set boundaries, whereas I wander within the limits set by society. Those outside and those inside don’t mingle with each other, and it was stupid of me to send you there to console them. The only boundaries those two adhere to are those set on people by Nature, and they wander among the singular essence of the universe. They consider life to be an insignificant attachment hanging there like a wart, and death to be the final removal of the ulcerated growth. Being that way, how would they have any conception of life and death or past and future! They avail themselves of the strange anatomy of their bodies, rely on the harmony of their vessel, forget about their internal organs, don’t pay much attention to their ears and eyes, and repeatedly experience endings and beginnings without having a clue what’s going on. In that way they pace back and forth through the dust and dirt while not being affected by it – free and unfettered without acting like they have something to gain. How could they be troubled or anxious about society’s rules and mandates, or be troubled about being observed by everybody else’s eyes and ears!”
Zi Gong said:
“That being so, Master, why do you rely on the boundaries?”
“I’m the heaven’s sacrificial lamb. That’s something I could share with you.”
Zi Gong said:
“Then I’d appreciate hearing more about boundaries.”
Kong Zi said:
“Fish were established together in water. People were established together in Dao. Those who are established together in water penetrate to the depths of a pond and find nourishment. Those who are established together in Dao don’t cater to others and their lives are easier. Therefore it’s been said: ‘Fish forget about each other when in rivers and streams. People forget about each other when on the path of Dao.’ “
Zi Gong said:
“May I ask about the non-conformist?”
“As for the nonconformist, he seems odd to other people, but is tuned in to the heavens. Therefore it’s been said: ‘Someone who has little to do with Nature would be looked up to by people. Someone who is looked up to by people would have little to do with Nature.’ “
Yan Hui asked Zhong Ni (Confucius):
“When Meng Sun Cai’s mother died, he wept without shedding a tear, didn’t feel sadness in the center of his heart, and mourned without wailing. Although he didn’t do any of those three things, he’s still thought of as the best mourner in the state of Lu. How can someone who’s evidently so superficial to their core still receive accolades? I, for one, find this astonishing.”
(Note: Part of the rituals mandated in China at the time considered to be proper behavior at a funeral were the three mentioned above: Crying uncontrollably while shedding many tears, giving the appearance that one’s heart was broken, and wailing loudly at the loss.)
Zhong Ni said:
“Mr. Meng Sun has reached a pinnacle! He’s advanced beyond mere knowledge. By being at ease with what’s been taken away, that shows a bit of being at ease. Mr. Meng Sun doesn’t think much about life, nor does he think much about death. He doesn’t think much about what happened in the past, nor about what’s going to happen in the future. He seems to adapt to whatever happens around him. By waiting for events to come about on their own without trying to figure them out, he’s already adapted to them!
“Moreover, if limitations eventually change, how can perceptions not change along with them? If limitations remain the same, does that mean that perceptions will stop changing? Maybe you and I are peculiar in that we’re dreaming and haven’t yet awakened?
“That guy (Meng Sun) was startled by the transformation of a shape (his mother’s death), but his heart wasn’t damaged by it. He dwells where each moment is like a new dawn, and isn’t affected emotionally by death. Mr. Meng Sun is uniquely awake. If people cry, he too cries. That’s because he can put himself in their place. Moreover, he can make connections beyond what I can hear with my own ears. So how could I really know about myself simply by listening to the words I speak? You might dream you’re a bird and soar up into the sky, or dream you’re a fish and sink to the bottom of a deep pond. We can’t tell whether the words we’re using are based on being awake or if they’re coming from a dream.
“Trying to make a situation more pleasant isn’t as good as laughing out loud. Faked laughter isn’t as good as the kind that naturally erupts. Be comfortable with those eruptions and give up trying to modify them – only then can one enter into the boundless unity of Nature.”
Yi Er Zi (Mr. Trace of a Beard) went to see Xu You (a legendary hermit).
Xu You said:
“How has Yao enriched you?”
Yi Er Zi replied:
“Yao told me: ‘You must bow down with benevolence and righteousness while speaking clearly about Right and Wrong.’ “
Xu You said:
“Then why have you driven all the way out here? Since the Great Yao has already stained you with ideas about benevolence and righteousness, and stunted you with ideas about Right and Wrong, how will you be able to wander in many directions, swinging freely with reckless abandon, spinning down a path that constantly moves?”
Yi Er Zi replied:
“You might be right, but I’d still like to check out that kind of path by walking along side it.”
Xu You said:
“That’s not remotely possible. A blind man can’t truly appreciate the pleasures of seeing beautiful things and outstanding colors. One who has impaired eyesight can’t even tell the difference between green and yellow embroidery on a robe.”
Yi Er Zi said:
“Wu Zhuang lost all sense of her beauty. Ju Liang lost all sense of his strength. Huang Di abandoned all sense of his knowledge. All of them eventually became refined by picking up on what was sent out. How can I know if some great force might come along and get rid of my stains and replace what was stunted, making me able to ride along with you and follow you as my teacher?”
Xu You said:
“Humph! But then, you never can tell. I’ll give you the general outline of what I’d say to you:
“My teacher! My Teacher!
“Gave to all living things, but not because that’s righteous.
“Promoted clarity throughout all generations, but not because that’s benevolent.
“Increased from the beginning of time, but not because that’s admirable.
“Enabled the universe to contain all the shapes which have been cut and carved, but not because that’s a special skill.
“From this place begin your wandering.”
Yan Hui said:
“I’ve reached a new plateau in my cultivation.”
Zhong Ni (Confucius) asked:
“What do you mean by that?”
“I’ve forgotten all about benevolence and righteousness.”
“That’s great, but you’re still not finished.”
On another day they met again and Hui said:
“I’ve reached a new plateau in my cultivation.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I’ve forgotten all about rituals and celebrations”
“That’s great, but you’re still not finished.”
On another day they met again and Hui said:
“I’ve reached a new plateau in my cultivation.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I sit in forgetfulness.”
Zhong Ni perked up at this and asked:
“What do you mean by sitting in forgetfulness?”
Yan Hui replied:
“My bones seem to droop like branches overloaded with fruit. My intelligence and cleverness become overshadowed by darkness. Any knowledge has evaporated as well as any sense of my own shape. I feel embraced by a great openness. That’s what I mean by sitting in forgetfulness.”
Zhong Ni said:
“Being embraced in that way, then you’d be without preferences. Transforming in that way, then you’d easily change. As a result, you’ve become almost a Sage! I beg you to allow me to take you as my teacher and follow you.”
Zi Yu (Great Charioteer) and Zi Sang (Great Silkworm Cultivator) were friends. When there had been a continuous downpour for ten days, Zi Yu said, “Zi Sang might have gotten sick!” So he packed up some food and went to feed his friend. When he reached Zi Sang’s door, he heard what sounded like something between a song and wailing. A voice accompanied by a drum and lute sang out:
“Father? Mother? The heavens! Mankind!”
The sounds were all jumbled and didn’t seem to make sense, as though the lyrics were so rushed that parts were missing. Zi Yu went into the house and said:
“I’ve just heard the lyrics to your song. What are you trying to say?”
“I was just wondering what’s caused me to get to such an extreme state, but I can’t figure it out. Would my father and mother have wanted me to end up so poor? The heavens are impartial as to what it will protect. The earth is impartial as to what it will support. Why would the heavens and the earth make me in particular so poor? I keep asking what it is that’s done this to me, but I can’t get an answer. If it can just happen that one could reach this extreme state, it must be due to destiny.”
