Zhuangzi Chapter 13: The Heaven’s Dao (The Way of Nature)
Translated by Nina Correa
The Way (Dao) of Nature is to continue moving without stopping to accumulate anything, thus all living things flourish. The Way (Dao) of the emperor is to continue moving without stopping to accumulate anything, thus the whole world responds. The Way (Dao) of the sage is to continue moving without stopping to accumulate anything, thus everything on earth submits.
One who receives clarity from Nature, communications from sages, and travels unimpeded in the six directions while mastering the four seasons with the virtue of emperors and kings, has herself become like all of them. Even when in the dark, she’d invariably remain calm. The calmness of a sage isn’t due to the fact that calmness is considered to be good and
therefore she’s calm. It’s because no living thing is sufficient enough to hinder her that she’s calm. When water is calm, the hairs in beards and eyebrows can be clearly seen reflected in it, and it’s so precisely level in the middle that a great carpenter can take it as a model for his work. When water is both calm and clear, it can reflect essence and spirit. That’s how calm the heart of a sage is! She’s a reflection of the heavens and the earth, and a mirror to all living things.
Emptiness, calmness, peacefulness, indifference, stillness, boundlessness and non-interference are what keep the heavens and the earth on an even keel, and Dao and De whole. Therefore, the emperors, kings and sages can rest. Resting, they then become empty; empty, they then become satisfied; and one who’s satisfied has order within himself. Empty, they then become calm; calm they then can move; their movements can then achieve something. Calm, they then don’t interfere with anything; using non-interference, those who are in a position to have to deal with affairs will act appropriately. Since they don’t interfere, they become agreeable. For one who is agreeable, worries and anxieties can’t find a foothold, and they can live a long life.
Emptiness, calmness, peacefulness, indifference, stillness, boundlessness and non-interference are at the root of all living things. The clarity of this was exemplified when Yao acted as ruler by facing southward toward the country. The clarity of this was exemplified when Shun acted as minister by turning his face to the north.
(Note: The ruler was always supposed to face the south as a superior, and his officials were supposed to face north as inferiors.)
Occupying the higher position was the virtue of monarchs, kings and emperors. Occupying the lower position was the way (Dao) of undistinguished sages and minor rulers. Keeping to this idea, one who chooses to retire and wander among the rivers and oceans will serve as a scholar to those in mountains and forests. Keeping to this idea, one who chooses to proceed with actions in order to foster those in his generation will then achieve great fame and position by uniting the world. The calmness of a sage, or the movements of a king – without interfering, then they’d both be respected. Being in a natural and untainted state, there’d be no one in the world who’d be able to disagree with that kind of magnificence.
One who has a crystal clear understanding of the virtue of the heavens and the earth is said to have connected with the “great root” and “great ancestor”, thus is in harmony with the heavens. If one can then use that to unilaterally adjust the world, they are in harmony with people. One who’s in harmony with people is said to have humanly joy. One who’s in harmony with the heavens is said to have heavenly joy.
Zhuangzi said:
“My teacher! My teacher! He discards what’s unsavory in all things, but not because he’s judgmental. He rids all the ages of impurities, but not because he’s benevolent. He’s older than the beginning of time, but not because he has a long life. He covers from above and supports from below both the heavens and the earth while carving and shaping all the different forms, but not because he’s skillful. That’s what’s called heavenly joy.
“Therefore, it’s been said: ‘One who knows heavenly joy – during his life flows along with Nature, and at his death transforms with other things. In calmness he shares the same virtue as Yin. In motion he shares the same surge as Yang.’
“Therefore, one who knows heavenly joy isn’t curtailed by Nature, isn’t condemned by people, isn’t strained by things, and isn’t punished by demons.
“Therefore, it’s been said: ‘He who moves like the heavens and remains as still as the earth can keep his mind steady and fixed, and in that way be a king in the world. He who isn’t haunted by external demons nor wearied by his internal spirit can keep his mind steady and fixed in a way that causes all things to submit.’
“In other words, emptiness and calmness allow one to grasp what arises from the heavens and the earth and to connect with all living things. That’s what’s called heavenly joy. The heart of a sage in that way nourishes the whole world.”
The virtue of emperors and kings is to take the heavens and the earth as their ancestor (progenitor due respect and obedience), to take Dao and De as their guiding principles, and to take non-action as their norm. Through non-action, they can use the world and it will still provide a surplus. If they were to take actions, they’d end up being used by the world and would never be able to stand up to that task.
Therefore, people in ancient times really treasured those who took no actions. If those in positions of power didn’t act, and those below them also didn’t act, then those who are below would have the same virtue as those above. If those below had the same virtue as those above, then there’d be no one to carry out orders. If those below took action, and those in positions of power also took action, those above would be on the same Path as those below. If those above were on the same Path as those below, then there’d be no one to give the orders. Those above must be without actions in order to use the world. Those below must take actions in order to be used by the world. This is the way things always have to be.
Therefore, those who ruled the world in ancient times had knowledge as though it had fallen from the heavens and earth, but they personally didn’t make plans. They could pose arguments as though cutting through to the core of all living things, but didn’t personally put forth their theories. They had abilities that could extend to everything within the four seas (the world), but didn’t personally take actions. The heavens doesn’t become more elaborate, yet all things evolve. The earth doesn’t get any larger, yet all things are nourished. The emperors and kings take no actions, yet all in the world accomplish their work.
Therefore, it’s been said:
“Nothing is more spiritual than the heavens; nothing is more abundant than the earth; nothing is greater than the emperors and kings.”
Therefore, it’s been said:
“The virtue of emperors and kings is on a par with the heavens and the earth.”
This is the way to jump on the chariot of the heavens and the earth, harness all living things to it, and make use of the joint efforts of everyone.
The higher-ups form a strong foundation like the roots of a tree, while the underlings form the tentacles that reach out like the branches of a tree. The master establishes the essentials, while the worker bees see to the details.
The utilization of the three armies (standard subdivisions of a feudal state) and the five weapons (spear, halberd, ax, shield and bow) is the branch of virtue.
Rewards, fines, promotions, dismissals and executing the five punishments (branding, cutting off the nose, cutting off the feet, castration and execution) are the branches dealing with getting people to fall into line.
Rituals, laws, regulations, imprisonment, demotions and promotions are the branches of government.
Determining the correct sounds of bells and drums, and the proper appearance of feathers and banners are the branches of festivals.
Crying, wailing, funeral attire, and swift attention to funeral services are the branches of mourning.
These five branches must be carried out from the essence of one’s spirit, and they have to be enacted by those with skill for such things, then everyone would comply with them.
People in ancient times did study these branches, but they weren’t the first to come up with the idea. The monarch leads, and the minister follows. The father leads, and the son follows. The elder brother leads, and the younger brother follows. Those who are older lead, and those who are younger follow. The man leads, and the woman follows. The husband leads, and the wife follows. Being high or low, first or last, is in accord with the heavens and the earth, so the sage takes that for his model. The heavens are high and the earth is low, which creates a position of clarity for what’s in between. Spring and summer come first and autumn and winter follow, which creates an order to the four seasons. All living things can then rise up and transform, sprouting in the areas which are most conducive to their growth, adapting to Nature’s pruning, and flowing through their transformations and changes. If the heavens and the earth can complete their missions by accepting the natural order of high and low, first and last – then how much more so could the ways of people! In the ancestral temples, it’s blood relatives who are honored. In the royal courts, it’s the senior officials who are honored. In the local towns and villages, it’s the elderly who are honored. In business affairs, it’s the ones in control who are honored. That’s the orderliness of Great Dao. If we speak about Dao and oppose its order, that’s in opposition to Dao. If we speak about Dao and oppose its way, how could we grasp Dao?
Therefore, those in ancient times who clarified Great Dao first found clarity in the heavens, and Dao and De came next. After clarifying Dao and De, then benevolence and righteousness came next. After clarifying benevolence and righteousness, then distinctions came next. After clarifying distinctions, then forms and names came next. After clarifying forms and names, then appointments and positions came next. After clarifying appointments and positions, then close inspections came next. After clarifying close inspections, then right and wrong came next. After clarifying right and wrong, then rewards and punishments came next. After clarifying rewards and punishments, then the foolish and knowledgeable were relegated to their proper positions. The highly valued and the unesteemed went to their proper places in the pecking order. The humane, the officious and the unworthy were assigned positions in keeping with their essence. They had to be sorted through to determine what their abilities were, and in that way received their proper titles. Hence, affairs were taken care of by those above and agriculture was taken care of by those below. All things were governed properly and their physical needs were taken care of. There was no longer a need for plots and schemes, so they were able to retreat to the heavens. This is called “Peace and Tranquility” – when government has reached perfection.
Therefore, there was created a document for recording descriptions and titles of people. Even though the ancient people had descriptions and names, they didn’t consider them to be of the utmost importance. When the ancients spoke of Great Dao, it was only after going through five transformations that they’d raise the issue of descriptions and titles. It was only after nine transformations that they’d speak of rewards and punishments. If they were too quick to bring up descriptions and titles, they’d have no understanding of the basis of them. If they were too quick to speak of rewards and punishments, they’d have no understanding of where they began. If their words approached Dao backwards, then some would resist the theories about Dao. In order for people to be governed, you have to have an innate ability to govern people. Rushing to speak about descriptions, titles, rewards and punishments is considered to be a tool for government, but it’s opposite to knowing about how Dao governs. In that way one might end up being used by the world, but wouldn’t be able to use the world. Those are the means used by a faulty scholar and a crooked way for anyone to be thinking. The ancients had rituals, laws, regulations, imprisonment, demotions and promotions, but they were means for the underlings to serve those above, not a means for those above to cater to the underlings.
Long ago, Shun asked Yao:
“As emperor, how do you use your mind?”
Yao replied:
“I don’t ignore those who have no one else to tell their troubles to, nor do I abandon the poor. I grieve with those who have suffered the death of someone close to them, rejoice at the birth of children and sympathize with overworked or abused women. Those are the ways in which I use my mind.”
Shun said:
“It’s wonderful to show so much kindness, but that kind of thing won’t make you Great.”
Yao asked:
“If that’s true, then what else is there to be done?”
Shun said:
“The virtue of the heavens promotes contentment. The sun and moon shine, and the four seasons proceed. It seems like day and night have a common thread pulling them along. The clouds move through the sky and rain offers their gifts.”
Yao said:
“I’ve been stuck! I’m so stuck in keeping my hands in the problems of others. More problems! You’ve joined with the heavens while I’ve joined with people.”
It was the heavens and the earth that the ancients believed to be Great, and what Huang Di, Yao and Shun all shared in admiring. Therefore, how were the kings of antiquity who ruled the world supposed to act? Like the heavens and the earth, and that’s all.
Kong Zi (Confucius) went west to deposit some books into the library in the state of Zhou.
Zi Lu (one of his disciples) gave him this suggestion:
“It’s fairly well known that the one in charge of receiving books at the library in Zhou was the librarian known as Lao Dan (Laozi), but he’s since retired and returned to his home. If you, Master, want to deposit books there, then you might consider asking him about how to do it.”
Kong Zi said:
“Good idea.”
He went to see Lao Dan, but Lao Dan wasn’t able to help. So, he unrolled the bamboo slips containing the Twelve Classics and started reading out loud. Lao Dan interrupted his speech
and said:
“You’re using a lot of words. I’d rather simply hear a summary.”
Kong Zi said:
“To summarize, it’s about benevolence and righteousness.”
Lao Dan said:
“May I ask, are benevolence and righteousness part of human nature?”
Kong Zi replied:
“They are. If a noble person isn’t benevolent, then he’s inadequate. If he’s not righteous, then he’s stagnant. Benevolence and righteousness are definitely part of human nature. What else could they be?”
Lao Dan said:
“May I ask, what do you mean by benevolence and righteousness?”
Kong Zi replied:
“To experience joy from the center of one’s heart for all things, and to feel universal love for everything impartially – these are the characteristics of benevolence and righteousness.”
Lao Dan said:
“Oh dear. Be careful with those last words! As to universal love, that can also become dogmatic! With impartiality, there also arises partiality. Master, it sounds like you’re trying to prevent everyone in the world from straying far away from what nourishes them? Then you might consider this:
“The heavens and the earth from the beginning were constant;
“The sun and the moon from the beginning were bright;
“The stars and planets from the beginning were aligned in a set pattern;
“The birds and the beasts from the beginning were grouped by species;
“The trees and plants from the beginning grew erect.
“Master, if you also release yourself to your own virtue as you travel along, and abide by Dao as you hurry through life, then you’ve already reached perfection. Why are you so dauntless in your mission to search out benevolence and righteousness as though you were beating a drum and searching for a lost child? Oh dear, Master, your own human nature is in complete disarray.”
Shi Cheng Qi (Elegantly Attired Scholar) went to see Laozi and asked:
“I’ve heard, Master, that you’re a sage. I wasn’t deterred by the long journey since I sincerely wanted to see you for myself. I traveled for one hundred days without daring to stop for a breather even though I developed serious blisters on my feet. Now that I’ve had a chance to observe you, you’re not a sage at all. Your leftover vegetables are strewn around by mice in the dirt, and it’s inhumane not to provide that extra food to those in need. All sorts of raw vegetables and prepared meals are brought and placed in front of you endlessly, but you just sit here and let it accumulate without an end in sight.”
Laozi remained aloof and didn’t respond.
Shi Cheng Qi returned the next day to see him and said:
“Yesterday I found a lot about you to criticize, but today my heart goes out to you. Why is that?”
Laozi said:
“A person is considered to be a sage if he’s clever, knowledgeable and spiritual. For myself, I’ve cast off those ideas. If you’d come to me yesterday and shouted that I was an ox, then I’d accept being called an ox. If you shouted that I was a horse, then I’d accept being called a horse. If there’s some truth to the words a person uses and you don’t accept it, then you’ll have to endure even more problems. I merely submitted because I usually submit. I didn’t submit just for the sake of being submissive.”
Shi Cheng Qi stumbled backward so as to remove himself from the spotlight, then purposely stepped forward and asked:
“What can I do to break down my harshness?”
Laozi replied:
“Your appearance is haughty, your eyes are piercing, your forehead is wrinkled, your mouth is grimacing and your demeanor is self-righteous. You look like a wild horse who’s been tethered but is raging at his bit. You’re like an arrow anxious to be released from a crossbow. You inspect everything like you’re ready to cast judgments. You’re so involved in your own knowledge and cleverness that you can’t find any peace. You’ve become distrustful of everything. If you came upon a person out in the wilderness, you’d find a way to label him as a conniving thief.”
Laozi said:
“Dao doesn’t try to curtail what’s large, nor does it dismiss out of hand what’s small. Therefore, all living things can make their own assessments of themselves. It’s so vast and extensive that there’s nothing it doesn’t tolerate. It’s so deep that it can’t be measured. Forms, virtue, benevolence and righteousness are minor details of the spirit, yet who other than a perfected person would have the ability to make determinations about them? If a perfected person existed in this generation, wouldn’t he be someone to take stock of? Even so, the actions he’d take wouldn’t be enough to wear him out. Everyone in the world overly exerts themselves seeking power, but he doesn’t join in their struggles. He examines without looking for fault, and doesn’t join with profiteers. He pushes for the ultimate truth of things, yet has the ability not to prevent them from growing. Therefore, by being uninvolved in the matters of the heavens and earth, and losing track of the progression of all living things, his spirit doesn’t get to a place where it needs to stop and take a rest. He flows with Dao, conforms to his virtue, declines the concepts of benevolence and righteousness, retreats from ceremonies and rituals, and that’s the way his heart makes determinations.”
People nowadays place a lot of value on what’s written in books about Dao, since the written word is an expression of our language, and language is valued. What’s valued about language is the ideas it expresses, and those ideas offer something that can be followed. Even though the ideas themselves may be followed, they can’t really be passed on through words, yet people nowadays continue to value the words written in books. Although this generation values them, I’m the kind of person who doesn’t find enough in them to value because what others find of value in them isn’t what’s really of value. By looking around one can see shapes and colors, and by listening one can hear names and sounds. How sad it is that people today think that through shapes, colors, names and sounds they can reach into the essence of each other. Shapes, colors, names and sounds are merely outward
manifestations, but they’re insufficient to enable anyone to reach into the essence of another. So,
One who understands won’t be willing to use words;
One who uses words won’t be willing to understand.
But how could anyone nowadays really understand that?
Duke Huan was reading a book at the upper end of his courtyard while Bian, a wheelmaker, was carving a wheel down below. Setting aside his hammer and chisel, he went up to Duke
Huan and asked:
“May I ask, Your Highness, what words you’re reading?”
The Duke replied:
“The words of a sage.”
“Is the sage alive?”
The Duke replied:
“No, he died a while ago.”
“If that’s so, then what your majesty is reading is the rotten leftovers of those from ancient times.”
Duke Huan said:
“I, a ruler, am reading this book, and yet you, a mere wheelmaker, feels comfortable giving your opinion about what I’m reading? If you can provide a good explanation for this then I’ll accept it. Otherwise, you’ll be put to death.”
Bian the wheelmaker replied:
“I’m just a servant, so I look at things from the perspective of my own work. When I’m carving a wheel, if I work too slowly then I’d be enjoying myself but the wheel wouldn’t be sturdy. If I work too quickly then I’m just damaging myself and the spoke won’t fit. I had to learn not to move too slowly nor too quickly, with a hands-on approach and respond to what’s in my heart. You can’t really express it with words, as a particular skill seems to exist when you simply open up to it. I haven’t been able to make my son aware of how to do this work, and my son also hasn’t been able to receive the ability from me. I’ve spent seventy years and grown old while I’ve been carving wheels. The people in ancient times also have something they can’t pass on after they’ve died. That being so, then what your majesty is reading is the rotten leftovers of those from ancient times.”
Zhuangzi Chapter 14: The Movement of the Heavens
Translated by Nina Correa
“Do the heavens move?
“Does the earth stand still?
“Do the sun and moon compete for their positions?
“What guides it all so they don’t crash into one another?
“What joins it all so they follow prescribed routes?
“What rests comfortably without getting involved in trying to push them, but simply lets them go on their own way?
“Does this mean that there’s some machine controlling all of it, and the course has already been set?
“Does this mean that things just naturally revolve in this manner, and they don’t have the ability to stop themselves?
“Do the clouds cause the rain?
“Does the rain cause the clouds?
“Is there some grand plan that’s being carried out in this way?
“What rests comfortably without getting involved in their own extravagance and pleasure, but encourages them?
“The wind arises in the north, then blows from west to east and back again overhead.
“What exhales and inhales in order for this to occur?
“What rests comfortably without getting involved, but fans them?
“I dare to ask what all this is about?”
Ji Xian (One Who Can Influence the Seasons) motioned him over and said:
“Come over here and I’ll explain it to you. The heavens have six directions (north, south, east, west, up and down) and five constants (fire, wood, earth, metal and water). If the emperor flows along with them, then everything will be properly governed. If he goes against the flow, then everything will be in a big mess. The nine regions are already governed successfully by the virtue of their own preparedness. Everything is supervised in accordance with what’s below the surface of the earth, and the world carries it along. That’s what’s known as the the highest sovereign of all.”
Tang, the Prime Minister of Shang, asked Zhuangzi about benevolence.
(Note: Obviously Tang couldn’t have spoken with Zhuangzi, as he predated Zhuangzi by over 1000 years!)
Zhuangzi said:
“Tigers and wolves are benevolent.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Zhuangzi said:
“Fathers and their cubs are partial to each other. How could that not be benevolence?”
“Excuse me, but may I ask what perfect benevolence is?”
Zhuangzi said:
“Perfect benevolence is impartial.”
The Prime Minister said:
“I’ve heard about that before. If one is impartial, then there’s no love. If there’s no love, then there’s no filial piety. You’re not saying that perfect benevolence doesn’t include filial piety, are you?”
Zhuangzi said:
“Not at all. What’s considered to be perfect benevolence is highly esteemed. It can’t be described within the confines of filial piety. If one doesn’t go beyond the idea of filial piety, they’ll get stuck in the rut of filial piety. If someone travels south until they reach Ying then turns to the north, he won’t be able to see Ming Mountain. Why is that? Because he’s traveled so far away from it.
“That’s why it’s been said: ‘It may be easy to show filial piety based on feelings of dutiful respect, but difficult to show filial piety out of feelings of love. It may be easy to show filial piety based on love, but difficult to forget that those people are related to us. It may be easy to forget those people are related to us, but difficult to get them to forget we’re related to them. It may be easy to get them to forget they’re related to us, but difficult to forget about trying to connect to the rest of the world. It may be easy to forget about trying to connect with the rest of the world, but difficult to get the rest of the world to forget about their connections to us.’
“The idea of virtue was abandoned by Yao and Shun, and their actions weren’t based on it, yet benefits reached everywhere throughout all the generations, and the world wasn’t even aware of it. How could anyone take a deep enough breath to go on to honestly expound on benevolence and filial piety! Filial piety, fraternal duty, benevolence, righteousness, faithfulness, trustworthiness, loyalty, steadfastness – all of these just cause added stress to oneself and remove a person even further from their own virtue. They’re not worth being elaborated on.
“Therefore it’s been said: ‘By perfecting what’s highly esteemed, one can separate feelings for the country from its ability to give one rank. By perfecting what brings wealth, one can separate feelings for the country from its ability to make one rich. By perfecting honesty, one can separate one’s self-esteem from the honors it might bring. By being like Dao, one wouldn’t get influenced by outer things.’ “
Cheng of the North Gate asked Huang Di:
“Your majesty, when you played the music of the tune ‘Xian Chi’ (Salty Pond) out in the open near Dong Ting Lake, the first time I heard it, it made me fearful. The second time I listened to it, it gave me a different reaction and I felt sluggish. The last time it was played, I felt perplexed, as it made me feel completely shaken in one moment, but then in the next moment I was completely serene. After that I felt like I’d lost myself completely.”
Di said:
“Your concern is understandable! I had the music performed by people, directed by the heavens, conducted according to appropriate ceremony, and set forth with great clarity. That’s what makes music great.
“The first time I had the music played, it conformed to what people were going through in their own lives, following along with the natural flow of the heavens. I also had it accompanied by the Five Virtues (in Confucianism: benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and truth), and how those should resonate in the natural world. At that point this version of the music could adjust and regulate the four seasons and bring harmony to all living things. The four seasons came to pass in an orderly manner. All living things progressed in their lives. One moment was full and another moment was receding. Times of peacefulness and times of conflict were allowed to sort themselves out. Sometimes it was clear, and at other times muddy. Yin and Yang harmoniously interplayed with each other. The notes drifted into one another smoothly. Then a hibernating insect began to stir, and I startled the audience with a thunderclap which ended as abruptly as it had begun. What had once lulled them suddenly sprung them to life. What once seemed to fall away suddenly jumped up. They thought what they’d gotten used to was going to remain the same, but in the next moment they didn’t know what to expect. That’s why you became fearful.
“I had them play it again with Yin and Yang in perfect harmony. Allowing for the brightness of both the sun and moon, the notes were sometimes long and sometimes short; sometimes yielding and sometimes forceful. The music changed regularly in its cadence, and there wasn’t one specific mood set throughout. In the low parts it was completely low, and in the high parts it was completely high. I didn’t leave any pauses where one would feel a need to guard their spirit, since all of it was evenly measured out. The notes scattered and spread everywhere, and the theme held a lofty brilliance. It made one feel as though the demonic spirits were all ensconced off in their mountain lairs, and all the planets were following their assigned orbits. When I finally stopped the music, it still seemed to resound without end. You wanted to figure out why that was happening, but weren’t able to understand it. You looked for where that sound was coming from, but weren’t able to locate it. You tried to get the sounds out of your head, but weren’t able to make that happen. You became unsteady on your own two feet with a sense of emptiness all around, so you leaned up against the parasol tree for support and moaned. The eyes know when they’ve reached the limit of what they can see. Strength will eventually give out even though there’s still something one wants to pursue. I already knew I wouldn’t be able to catch up with it! Your form was suddenly filled with so much emptiness that you felt you were wandering aimlessly. You were wandering aimlessly, and that’s why you felt sluggish.
“The next time I had them play it, the notes weren’t so methodical, but were attuned to the spontaneousness of fate. Therefore, it seemed to be mixed up and followed no known pattern. It was like the music of a forest without a recognizable form. Like a cloth waving in the breeze that wasn’t set into motion by someone’s hand. Like it was coming from some dark place which couldn’t produce any sounds. It moved along without delineations, and paused at the most unexpected times. Some related it to a feeling of death, and others related it to a feeling of birth. Some related it to reality, and others related it to illusion. It moved all over the place, and there wasn’t one constant theme. People today might be uncertain how to interpret it, so they’d ask a sage to examine it for them. As for the sage, he’s already reached clarity and achieved a connection with fate. The heavenly orchestra doesn’t have one lead instrument, yet our five senses are attuned to all of it. That’s what’s called the music of heaven – without using words but speaking to the heart. Therefore, those in the Yan tribe (the people ruled by Shen Nong) composed this ode:
‘Listen intently for it and its sound isn’t heard.
‘Look intently for it and its shape isn’t seen.
‘It fills the heavens and the earth to the brim.
‘It entwines itself around the six directions.’
“You wanted to be completely absorbed in the music, but you couldn’t get intimate with it. That’s why you were confused and filled with doubt. This kind of music started out creating fear, and that fear made you jumpy and apprehensive. The second time I had it played in a methodically soothing way, and you became sluggish and withdrawn. The last time it was played with no set pattern at all, and that made you feel like a fool. Feeling like a fool, you experienced Dao. If you can maintain Dao, then everything will congeal within you.”
When Kong Zi (Confucius) was traveling westward on a trip to the state of Wei, Yan Yuan (Yan Hui, Confucius’ favorite pupil) asked Shi Jin (Master Metalworker):
“As to the Master’s traveling all over the place, what to you think of it?”
Shi Jin said:
“I feel sorry for him! The Master is nearing his end!”
Yan Yuan asked:
“Why do you say that?”
Shi Jin said:
“Before straw dogs are put on display, they’re spread out in bamboo boxes and covered with finely embroidered cloth. The official of sacrifices for the dead watches over them and makes sure they’re not taken out before the proper time. After they’ve served their purpose, they’re cast away and people trample on their heads and spines, or they might be picked up and thrown into someone’s fire, as that’s all they’re good for at that time. If someone were to gather them up and again spread them out in bamboo boxes covered with finely embroidered cloth, take them into their homes and stash them under their beds, whoever slept there wouldn’t have pleasant dreams, but would certainly have many nightmares for quite a while. Now the Master has taken the used straw dogs of former kings and makes his disciples lie down and sleep on top of them. Therefore, everything they had established in the state of Song was cut down, all traces of them were obliterated in the state of Wei, and they were chased out of the states of Shang and Zhou. Isn’t this comparable to not having pleasant dreams? They were surrounded between Chen and Cai, having to go for seven days without prepared food, and teetered between life and death. Isn’t this comparable to having nightmares?
(Note: The places mentioned above were cities and states visited by Confucius in his efforts to gain political office in order to promote his ideologies.)
“When traveling on water it’s best to use a boat, and when traveling on land it’s best to use a car. A boat can easily move across water, but if you try to push it across the land you won’t go more than a few feet in your whole life. Can’t ancient times and modern times be compared to water and land? Can’t Zhou and Lu be compared to the boat and the car?
(Note: The Early Zhou Dynasty c. 1100 BCE was the exemplar of idealized peace, and Confucius tried repeatedly to bring those ideals to the state of Lu.)
“Now, trying to bring the ideals of Zhou to Lu would be like pushing a boat on the land – a lot of exertion but little accomplishment, which would definitely bring disaster to your body. He hasn’t yet figured out the proper method for passing down those ideals by going along with the natural flow of things instead of pushing himself to the limit. Haven’t you ever seen a jiegao (a device for getting water from a well)? When you pull on one end the other end goes down, and when you let it go the other end pops up. That machine is pulled by people, but it doesn’t pull people. Therefore, people can’t blame it for going down or popping up. It’s the same with the rituals, justice, laws and regulations of the Three Sovereigns (Fu Xi, Sui Ren and Shen Nong) and the Five Emperors (Huang Di, Zhuan Xu, Gao Xin, Yao and Shun), who gained their reputation not because they were the same, but because everything was governed properly. Therefore, can’t an analogy be made between the rituals, justice, laws and regulations of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors to the sour pear, sweet pear, tangerine and grapefruit? Their flavors are very different, but they all can be pleasing to the taste buds. So, rituals, justice, laws and regulations should adapt to the seasons and change with the times.
“Now if you take a monkey and dress him up in the robes of the Duke of Zhou, he’ll surely chew and gnaw on the clothes and won’t be satisfied until he’s ripped them all off. If we look at the difference between the past and the present, it’s as great as the difference between the monkey and the Duke of Zhou.
“Xi Shi (an exemplar of beauty) was so sick at heart that she’d frown at everyone in the local village. An ugly woman in the village saw her and thought she was beautiful, so when the woman returned to the village she held her hands over her heart and frowned in the same way to everyone. When the rich people in the village saw the woman, they bolted and locked their doors and refused to go out. When the poor people saw the woman, the grabbed their wives and children and ran in the opposite direction. The woman knew the frown was beautiful, but didn’t know the reason why the frown was beautiful. I feel sorry for him! The Master is nearing his end!”
When Kong Zi (Confucius) was fifty-one years old he felt that he still hadn’t learned much about Dao, so he went south to Pei to visit Lao Dan (Laozi).
Lao Dan said:
“Ah, you’ve come! I’ve heard about you. It’s said that you’re one of the most prestigious sages in the north. Have you also achieved understanding of Dao?”
Kong Zi replied:
“No, not yet.”
Lao Dan asked:
“How have you been looking for it?”
“I searched for it in what’s regulated and measured for five years, but still didn’t get it.”
Lao Dan asked:
“What other ways have you looked for it?”
“I searched for it in Yin and Yang for twelve years but still didn’t get it.”
Lao Dan said:
“That’s the way it is. If Dao could be laid at one’s feet as an offering, there’s no one who wouldn’t offer it to their superior. If Dao could be presented like a pheasant after the hunt, there’s no one who wouldn’t present it to their family. If Dao could be explained by people, there’s no one who wouldn’t explain it to their friends. If Dao could be passed on from person to person, there’s no one who wouldn’t pass it on to their descendants. However, the reason that can’t be done is due to the following: ‘If there’s no host on the inside to welcome it, it won’t have anything to connect to. Without an unbiased attitude on the outside, it can’t be transmitted.’ If what’s being put forth from the inside isn’t being received by those on the outside, the sage won’t bother putting it forth. If it can enter from the outside but can’t find a welcome host to accept it, the sage won’t hide it away. Fame is a tool that can be used when dealing with the public, but it can only do so much. Benevolence and righteousness are like the shabby huts of the ancient rulers. You can stay there for a night, but if you stay longer than that you’ll have lots of repairs to do.
“In the past, people who perfected themselves spent a small amount of time considering benevolence and spent only one night depending on righteousness. That’s how they were able to travel free and unfettered by the clutter, conscientiously select their food from the fields, and establish well cared for gardens. They traveled free and unfettered without motivations, made conscientious selections from what was offered at the time, and took care of things naturally. In ancient times this was called flowing with natural selection.
“One who uses his wealth to prop himself up isn’t able to consider the idea of giving up his salary. One who uses his prominence to prop himself up isn’t able to consider the idea of giving up his fame. One who’s partial to being powerful isn’t able to consider the idea of sharing his authority with anyone else. Grasping and trying to hold on to those elusive things he trembles with fear. If they collapse like a poorly built structure, he grieves for the loss. And those who don’t take a moment to look at themselves in a mirror but are constantly looking outside for something are people who can never soar to the heavens.
“Venting and kindness, receiving and giving, criticism and teaching, construction and destruction – these eight are tools that can be used for rectification. Only someone who’s able to follow along with great adaptability without falling into oblivion is able to find them useful. Therefore it’s been said: ‘Only one who has been rectified can rectify.’ If one believes in their heart this isn’t true, then the gates of the heavens will never open for them.”
Kong Zi (Confucius) made a visit to Lao Dan (Laozi) and told him about benevolence and righteousness.
Lao Dan said:
“When scattering seeds the loose particles can get into your eyes, then the heavens and the earth as well as the four directions seem to change positions. When mosquitoes or horse flies bite or sting your skin, then you wouldn’t be able to sleep through the night. When it happens that benevolence and righteousness sting our hearts and then anger arises within us, that fills us with the worst kind of chaos. My dear sir, if you could cause the whole world to retain its simplicity, then you also could move about as freely as the wind while experiencing your own virtue. Why must you set yourself up as some sort of hero by carrying around a big drum and beating on it as though you were searching for a lost child? A swan doesn’t bathe itself all day, and yet it’s white. A crow doesn’t smear itself with soot all day, and yet it’s black. The naturalness of black and white isn’t something that needs to be argued about. The observations of simple names and notable titles isn’t something that needs to be shouted about far and wide. 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.”
After Kong Zi returned home from visiting with Lao Dan he didn’t utter a word for three days.
One of his disciples asked:
“Master, when you went to see Lao Dan were you able to set him straight?”
Kong Zi said:
“I just now realized that what I’d actually seen was a dragon. When a dragon solidifies itself, it appears in a solid body. When it dissipates, it seems to be made up of many different particles. It rides on the thin floating clouds and nourishes itself on Yin and Yang. My mouth hung open and I wasn’t able to close it. My tongue started to move but I was speechless. In what way could I possibly hope to set Lao Dan straight about anything?”
Zi Gong (a disciple of Confucius) said:
“Is there really a person who can contain themselves as though they were resting like a corpse then be seen like a dragon, make thunderclaps yet remain silent as an abyss, and seem to be able to set the heavens and earth into motion? Will you give me permission to also go take a look at him?”
So, using Confucius as a referral he went off to see Lao Dan. Lao Dan had him take a seat in his main parlor and began the conversation, saying softly:
“I’m getting on in years. What have you come to scold me about?”
Zi Gong said:
“The Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors governed the world in different ways, but the fame they achieved was the same. You’re the first one I’ve come across who doesn’t consider them to be sages. Why is that?”
Lao Dan said:
“Come a little closer, young man. What is it about their governing that you find to be dissimilar?”
He replied:
“Yao resigned the throne in favor of Shun, and Shun resigned in favor of Yu. Yu exerted himself (on irrigation projects) but Tang relied on the military (to overthrow the ruler King Jie). King Wen submitted to Zhou and he didn’t dare make a protest. King Wu opposed Zhou and wasn’t willing to submit. That’s why I say their methods were dissimilar.”
Lao Dan said:
“Come a little closer, young man. I’ll tell you how the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors governed the world. When Huang Di ruled the world, he caused the hearts of all the people to unite. If a member of someone’s family died and they didn’t cry about it, others didn’t shun them. When Yao ruled the world, he caused people’s hearts to be devoted to their family. If one of their relatives was killed, they retaliated by killing, and others didn’t blame them for it. When Shun ruled the world, he caused people’s hearts to compete with each other. A woman’s pregnancy lasted for ten months (moon cycles) before she gave birth, then after five months the baby could speak, and even before they were a few hours old they could differentiate between other people. That’s when people started dying younger. When Yu ruled the world, he caused people’s hearts to be distorted. The hearts of the people were made to submit to the force of the soldiers, who insisted that killing a thief wasn’t like killing an actual person, and they set themselves apart from the rest of the masses while the world kept their ears open and alert. This made the whole world incredibly fearful, and that’s when all the Confucians and Mohists arose. They created a system of ethics, and now everyone is groveling like housewives sweeping up the dirt. What more is there to say! I tell you, when the Three Sovereigns and the Five Emperors governed the world, they achieved fame for the way they governed, but there was never greater chaos. The knowledge of the Three sovereigns conflicted with the brightness of the sun and moon above, was incompatible with the essence of the mountains and rivers below, and disrupted the procession of the four seasons in between. Their knowledge was more harmful than the bite of a pit viper or the sting of a scorpion’s tail. Like hungry animals on the lookout for prey, no one around them could acquire a sense of peace or live naturally in their lives. And yet they considered themselves to be sages. Isn’t it shameful that they had no shame?”
Zi Gong shuffled his feet back and forth and couldn’t find any balance.
Kong Zi (Confucius) told Lao Dan (Laozi):
“I’ve been studying the Six Classics, the Shi Jing (Book of Odes), the Shu Jing (Book of History), the Li Ji (Book of Rites), the Yue Jing (Book of Music), the Yi Jing (Book of Changes) and the Chun Qui (Spring and Autumn Annals) for what I myself would consider a long time. I wanted to share this knowledge, so I went to see seventy-two treacherous rulers and explained to them methods of Dao used by the former kings and the enlightened traces left by Duke Zhou and Duke Zhao, but not one of the rulers could find anything he could latch on to and make us of. Huh? People are so difficult to speak with! Or is it that Dao is difficult to understand?”
Laozi said:
“It’s lucky you didn’t meet up with a ruler who was actually doing a good job of governing! The Six Classics are the stale tracings of former kings, but how could they be used to show what made the tracings in the first place? Those tracings are tracks left by shoes, but how can you call the tracings the shoes? When two mature herons stare each other in the eye without looking away, they feel an urge to mate. As for insects, when the male drones from above and the female responds from below, they feel an urge to mate. Within any species, as long as there are male and female, there will be an urge to mate. Gender can’t be changed. Destiny can’t be transformed. Time can’t be stopped. Dao can’t be blocked. If someone accepts this Dao, then there’s nothing they wouldn’t be able to get for themselves. Lose it, and there’s nothing one could possibly get for themselves.”
Kong Zi didn’t go anywhere for three months, then returned (to see Laozi) and said:
“I’ve got it! Birds hatch eggs. Fish spit water. Those with a thin waist will eventually spread out. When a younger brother is born, the older brother wails. For a long time I haven’t agreed to change myself. If I can’t even agree to see things differently myself, then how could I hope to change anyone else!”
Laozi said:
“Yes. You’ve got it!”
