Zhuangzi - Inner Chapters

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CHUANG TSU

INNER CHAPTERS

CONTENTS

Chapter 1 Happy Wandering 2

Chapter 2 The Equality of All Things 18

Chapter 3 The Secret of Growth 50

Chapter 4 Human Affairs 60

Chapter 5 Signs of Full Virtue 90

Chapter 6 The Great Master 110

Chapter 7 The Sage King 144





CHAPTER ONE

HAPPY WANDERING





In the Northern Ocean there is afish called Kun which is many thousandli in size. It changes into a bird named

Peng whose back is many thousand li inbreadth. When it rises and flies, its wingsare like clouds filling the sky.

When this bird moves across theocean, it heads for the South Sea, theCelestial Lake. In Chi Hsieh’s record ofwonders it says: “When Peng is headingtoward the Southern Ocean it splashesalong the water for three thousand li. Itrises with the wind and wings its way

up to ninety thousand li; it flies for sixmonths, and then it rests.” Heat shimmersin the air like galloping horses, dust floatslike the morning mist, and living creaturesare blown about in the sky.

The sky is blue. Is that really so? Ordoes it only look blue because it stretchesoff into infinity? When Peng looks down

from above, it will also seem blue. A largeboat draws a great deal of water. Pour acup of water into a hollow in the ground,and a mustard seed can float there like alittle ship. Place the cup in it, and it willnot move, because the water is shallow andthe boat is large. Only at a certain heightis there enough air space for a great wing-span. So Peng rises to ninety thousand li,and there is enough air below him. Then

he mounts the wind, and with the bluesky at his back, and nothing in his way, heheads for the south.



A cicada and a young dove laugh at Peng,saying, “When we try hard we can reachthe trees, but sometimes we fall short anddrop on the ground. How is it possible torise ninety thousand li and head south?” Ifyou go into the country, you take enoughfood for three meals and come back withyour stomach as full as ever. If you travel

a hundred li, you grind enough grain foran overnight stay. If you travel a thousandli, you must have three months’ supply.What do these two small creatures know?Little knowledge is not to be comparedwith great knowledge, nor a short life witha long life.

How do we know this is so?The morning mushroom knows

nothing of twilight and dawn, nor thechrysalis of spring and autumn. Theseare the short-lived. South of Chu thereis a ming-ling tree whose spring is fivehundred years and autumn five hundredyears. A long time ago there was a tortoise

whose spring was eight thousand years andautumn eight thousand years. Peng Chu isa man famous for his long life. Isn’t it sadthat everyone wants to imitate him?







In the dialogue of Tang and Chi there isthe same story: “In the barren north thereis a dark sea, the Celestial Lake. There isa fish living there several thousand li inbreadth and no one knows its length. Itsname is Kun. And there too lives a birdcalled Peng. Its back is like Mount Tai andits wings are like clouds across the heav-ens. It spirals up to ninety thousand li,beyond the clouds and the wind, and withblue sky above it heads south to the SouthSea. A quail by the marsh laughs, saying,‘Where does he think he is going? I bobup and down a few feet, fluttering amongthe weeds and bushes. This is perfection inflying.What is he up to?’ This is the differ-ence between small and great.”

Thus, those who are wise enough tohold an official position, fair enough to

keep the peace in a community, virtuousenough to be a ruler and govern a state,look upon themselves in the same way.

Yet Sung Yung Tsu laughs at them. Forif the whole world praised him he wouldnot be moved. If the whole world blamedhim he would not be discouraged. Heknows the difference between that whichis within and that which is without. He isclear about honor and disgrace. But thatis all. Though such a man is rare in theworld, he is still imperfect.

Lieh Tsu rode on the wind, light andat ease, and returned after fifteen days.Men as happy as he are rare. Though heno longer needed to walk, he still depend-ed on something. But suppose someonerides on the flow of heaven and earth andthe transformation of the six elementsand wanders in the infinite. On what is hedependent?

Therefore it is said, “The perfect man

has no self, the holy man has no merit, thesage has no reputation.”



Yao thought he would cede the empireto Hsu Yu, saying, “When the sun andmoon are shining, isn’t it hard to see atorch? When the rainy season starts, isn’t ita waste of labor to continue to water thefields? If you take over, the empire will bewell ruled. I am now the ruler, and I feelinadequate. May I give the empire into

your care?”Hsu Yu said, “You are ruling the

empire and the world is already at peace.If I took your place, I would be doing itfor the name. Name is only the shadow of

reality. Do I want to be just a shadow? Thesparrow building its nest in the deep woodoccupies but a single twig. The muskratdrinks only enough from the river to fillits belly. Go in peace, my lord. I have nouse for the empire. If the cook at a ritualceremony is not attending to the food of-ferings, the priests and the representatives

of the dead do not leap over the wine andthe meat to take his place.”





Chien Wu questioned Lien Shu: “I heardChieh Yu telling strange stories, long andfantastic, going on and on without end. I

was amazed at his words. They seemed tobe as boundless as the Milky Way and hadno connection with the way things reallyare.”

Lien Shu asked, “What did he say?”“Far away on Mount Ku lives a holy

man. His flesh and skin are like ice andsnow; he is as gentle as a young girl. Heeats none of the five grains, but takes deepdraughts of the wind and drinks the dew.

He rides on clouds and mounts a fly-ing dragon and wanders beyond the fourseas. By using his spiritual powers he canprotect creatures from sickness and decay,and ensure a rich harvest. I think this isridiculous and do not believe it.”

Lien Shu said, “So it is. The blindcannot appreciate beautiful patterns, thedeaf cannot hear the sounds of bells and

drums. Blindness and deafness are not justphysical; they can be mental too. Yours isa case in point. That holy man with all his

virtues looks on all the confusion of theten thousand things as one. Because of hisvery existence, the world is emerging fromchaos. Why should he do anything aboutit? Nothing can harm him. A great floodreaching the sky could not drown him.Though a great drought caused metals androcks to melt and scorched the earth andhills, he would feel no heat. From his ownsubstance he can create philosopher kings

like Yao or Shun. Why should he botherwith worldly things?”







A man from the state of Sung selling ceremonialcaps made a trip to the state of Yueh. But Yuehpeople, having short hair and tattooed bodies, hadno use for them. Yao brought order to the people of

the world and ruled wisely over the lands boundedby the four seas. But returning south of the FenRiver after his visit to the four sages on Mount Kui,he lost his interest in the empire.





Hui Tsu said to Chuang Tsu, “The Kingof Wei gave me some seeds from a hugegourd. I planted them and they bore afruit big enough to hold five bushels. Iused it to carry water, but it was too heavyto lift. So I cut it in half to make ladles,but they were too shallow to hold any-thing. They were big, unwieldy, and uselessso I smashed them into pieces.”

Chuang Tsu said, “My friend, you arenot very intelligent in your use of largethings. There was a man from Sung whocould make a good salve for chappedhands. His family had had a silk-bleachingbusiness for generations. A traveler heardof this and offered to buy the secret for-

mula for one hundred pieces of gold. Thefamily gathered together to have a confer-ence and said, ‘We have been bleachingsilk for generations and have earned onlya few pieces of gold. Now in one day wecan sell the secret for one hundred piecesof gold. Let him have it.’

“The traveler took it and offered it tothe King of Wu. Wu and Yueh were at war.The King of Wu entrusted the traveler

with the command of his fleet. In the win-ter the fleet fought a naval battle againstYueh and totally defeated it. The travelerwas rewarded with a fief and title.

“In both cases, the cure for chappedhands was the same but was used differ-ently. One man got a title, while the othersare still bleaching silk. Now, you had agourd big enough to hold five bushels.Why didn’t you think of making it into a

great barrel and using it to float along therivers and lakes instead of worrying about

its being useless for holding anything.Your mind, my friend, is still very clut-tered with trivia.”

Hui Tsu said, “I have a big ailanthustree. Its trunk is so gnarled and full ofknots that it is impossible to measure itaccurately. Its branches are too twistedand crooked for anyone to measure with acompass and square. It stands at the sideof the road, but no carpenter would giveit a second glance. Now, your words are asbig and useless; no one wants to hear whatyou have to say.”

Chuang Tsu replied, “Have you everwatched a wildcat or a weasel? It crouchesclose to the ground and waits for its prey.

Then it leaps up and down, first one way,then the other, until it catches and kills itsprey. Then again there is the yak, as greatas a cloud shadowing the sky. Big as it is,it cannot catch a mouse. Now, you havethis giant tree and are concerned that itis useless. Why don’t you plant it on landwhere nothing grows, in a wild barrenplace? There you may saunter idly aroundit, doing nothing, and lie down to sleep

beneath its boughs. No one will try to cutit down. Nothing can harm it since it hasno use. How can it cause you any anxiety?”





CHAPTER TWO

THE EQUALITY OF ALL THINGS







Great knowledge is all-encompassing;small knowledge is limited. Great words

are inspiring; small words are chatter.When we are asleep, we are in touch withour souls. When we are awake, our sensesopen. We get involved with our activitiesand our minds are distracted. Sometimeswe are hesitant, sometimes underhanded,and sometimes secretive. Little fears causeanxiety, and great fears cause panic. Ourwords fly off like arrows, as though weknew what was right and wrong. We cling

to our own point of view, as thougheverything depended on it. And yet ouropinions have no permanence; like au-tumn and winter, they gradually pass away.

We are caught in the current and cannotreturn. We are tied up in knots like an

old clogged drain; we are getting closerto death with no way to regain our youth.

Joy and anger, sorrow and happiness, hopeand fear, indecision and strength, humilityand willfulness, enthusiasm and insolence,like music sounding from an empty reedor mushrooms rising from the warm darkearth, continually appear before us dayand night. No one knows whence theycome. Don’t worry about it! Let them be!

How can we understand it all in one day?







If there is no other, there is no I. If thereis no I, there is no one to perceive. Thisis close to the truth, but we do not knowwhy. There must be some primal force, butwe cannot discover any proof. I believe itacts, but I cannot see it. I can feel it, but ithas no form.

The hundred joints, nine openings,and six organs all function together.Which part do you prefer? Do you like

them all equally, or do you have a favorite?Are they not all servants? Can they keeporder among themselves, or do they taketurns being masters and servants?

It may be that there is indeed a truemaster. Whether I really feel his existenceor not has nothing to do with the way it is.

Once a man is given a body it worksnaturally as long as it lasts. It carries onthrough hardship and ease and, like a gal-loping horse, nothing can stop it. Isn’t itsad? All through life one toils and sweats,never seeing any result. Weary and exhaust-ed, man has no place to rest his bones.Isn’t this a pity? One may say, “There isno death.” What good does that do? Whenthe body decays, so does the mind. Is

this not a great sorrow? Is life really thisabsurd? Am I the only one who sees theabsurdity? Don’t others see it too?





If one is true to one’s self and follows itsteaching, who need be without a teacher?Not only those who are experienced and

wise may have a teacher, the fools havetheirs too. When those who are not trueto themselves try to choose between rightand wrong, it is as if they set off for Yuehtoday and arrived yesterday. That would bemaking what does not exist, exist. How doyou make what does not exist, exist? Eventhe holy man Yu did not know how to dothis, much less a person like me.

Words are not just blown air. They

have a meaning. If you are not sure whatyou are talking about, are you saying any-thing, or are you saying nothing? Wordsseem different from the chirping of birds.Is there a difference, or isn’t there? How

can Tao be so obscure and yet admit oftruth and falsehood? How can words be soobscure and yet admit of right and wrong?

How can Tao cease to exist? How canwords not be heard?

Tao is hidden by partial understand-ing. The meaning of words is hidden byflowery rhetoric. This is what causes thedissension between the Confucians andthe Mohists. What one says is wrong, theother says is right; and what one says isright, the other says is wrong. If the oneis right while the other is wrong, and the

other is right while the one is wrong, thenthe best thing to do is to look beyondright and wrong.





Every thing can be a “that;” every thingcan be a “this.” One man cannot see things

as another sees them. One can only knowthings through knowing oneself. Thereforeit is said, “ ‘That’ comes from ‘this,’ and‘this’ comes from ‘that’ ” —which means“that” and “this” give birth to one another.Life arises from death and death from life.What is inappropriate is seen by virtue ofwhat is appropriate. There is right becauseof wrong, and wrong because of right.Thus, the sage does not bother with these

distinctions but seeks enlightenment fromheaven. So he sees “this,” but “this” is also“that,” and “that” is also “this.” “That” haselements of right and wrong, and “this” haselements of right and wrong. Does he stilldistinguish between “this” and “that,” ordoesn’t he? When there is no more separa-tion between “this” and “that,” it is calledthe still-point of Tao. At the still-point inthe center of the circle one can see the in-

finite in all things. Right is infinite; wrongis also infinite. Therefore it is said, “Beholdthe light beyond right and wrong.”







Among the ancients, knowledge was verydeep. What is meant by deep? It reachedback to the time when nothing existed.It was so deep, so complete, that nothingcould be added to it. Then came men whodistinguished between things but did notgive them names. Later they labeled thembut did not choose between right andwrong. When right and wrong appeared,

Tao declined. With the fall of Tao, desirearose. Is there really rise and fall? Whenthere is rise and fall, Chao Wen plays thelute. When there is no rise and fall, ChaoWen does not play the lute.

Chao Wen played the lute, Shia Kuangkept time with a baton, and Hui Tsuleaned on a stump and debated. Each ofthese three masters was nearly perfect inhis own art. Their names will be remem-bered forevermore. Because they excelled,they were distinguished from others.Because they excelled, they wanted toenlighten others through their art. Theytried to teach what could not be taught.This resulted in obscure discussions asto the nature of “hardness” and “white-ness.” Their sons followed in their fathers’footsteps all their lives but accomplishednothing. However, if this can be calledaccomplishment, then even I have accom-plished something. If this cannot be calledaccomplishment, then neither I nor othershave accomplished anything. Therefore,

the sage seeks insight from chaos anddoubt. Not making distinctions but dwell-ing on that which is unchanging is calledclear vision.







Now I am going to tell you something. Idon’t know what heading it comes under,and whether or not it is relevant here, butit must be relevant at some point. It is notanything new, but I would like to say it.

There is a beginning. There is no

beginning of that beginning. There is nobeginning of that no beginning of begin-ning. There is something. There is nothing.There is something before the beginningof something and nothing, and somethingbefore that. Suddenly there is somethingand nothing. But between something andnothing, I still don’t really know whichis something and which is nothing. Now,I’ve just said something, but I don’t really

know whether I’ve said anything or not.

There is nothing in the world greaterthan the tip of a bird’s feather, and MountTai is small. None have lived longer than adead child, and old Peng Tsu died young.Heaven and earth grow together with me,and the ten thousand things and I are one.

We are already one—what else is there tosay? Yet I have just said that we are one,so my words exist also. The one and whatI said about the one make two, and twoand one make three. Thus it goes on andon. Even a skilled mathematician cannotreach the end, much less an ordinary man.If we proceed from nothing to something,we reach three. How much farther wouldit be going from something to something?

Enough. Let us stop.





At first Tao had no name. Words are noteternal. Because of words, there are dis-tinctions. Let me describe these distinc-

tions. There is left, and there is right; thereis relationship, and there is duty; there isdiscernment, and there is discrimination;there is competition, and there is struggle.These are called the eight virtues.

Beyond the six realms of heaven,earth, and the four directions, the sageaccepts but does not discuss. Within thesix realms, he discusses but does not passjudgment. In the Book of Spring and

Autumn, the chronicle of the ancient

kings, the sage passes judgment but doesnot question. When there is division, thereis something which is not divided. When

there is questioning, there is somethingbeyond the question. Why is this? Thesage keeps his wisdom to himself whileordinary men flaunt their knowledge inloud discussion. So I say, “Those whodispute do not see.”



Great Tao is beyond description. Greatargument uses no words. Great goodnessis not kind. Great integrity is not incor-ruptible. Great courage is not aggressive.Tao that is manifest is not Tao. Words thatargue miss the point. Perpetual kindnessdoes not work. Obvious integrity is notbelieved. Aggressive courage will not win.These five are round and mellow, yet theymay become square and inflexible.

Knowing enough to stop when onedoes not know is perfection.

Who can understand an argumentthat has no words and Tao that cannot be

expressed? If a man can understand this,then he may be called the treasure houseof heaven. Pour into it, and it will neverbe filled; pour out of it, and it will neverbe emptied. Yet no one knows why this isso. This is called the hidden light.

Long ago, Emperor Yao said to Shun,“I would like to attack the states of Tsung,Kuei, and Hsu Ao. This has been on mymind ever since I came to the throne. Whyis this so?”

Shun said, “These three states eke outtheir existence in the weeds and bushes.Why bother? There was a time when tensuns rose all at once and the ten thousandthings were illuminated. And yet howmuch greater is virtue than these suns!”





Yeh Chueh asked Wang I, “Do you knowwhat is common to all things?”“How should I know?” he replied.“Do you know that you don’t know?”“How should I know?” he replied again.“Then are all things not knowable?”

“How should I know? Still, let me put

it this way: How do you know that what Isay I know may not really be what I don’tknow? How do you know that what I say Idon’t know may not really be what I know?Now let me ask you something. If a mansleeps in a damp place, his back will acheand he will be half paralyzed. But doesthis happen to eels? If a man lives up in atree, he will tremble with fright. But doesthis happen to monkeys? Of these three,

who knows the right place to live? Men eatflesh, deer eat grass, centipedes delight inworms, and owls and crows like mice. Ofthese four, which know what to eat? Mon-keys mate with monkeys. Elk and deer runtogether, and eels play with fish.

“Mao Chiang and Li Chi were consid-ered beautiful by men. But if fish saw them,they would dive to the bottom of the river.If birds saw them, they would fly off. Ifdeer saw them, they would run away. Ofthese four, who recognizes real beauty?

“As I see it, the rules of goodness and

wisdom and the paths of right and wrongare inextricably mingled and confused.How can I tell which is which?”

Yeh Chueh asked, “If you cannotdistinguish between good and evil, then canthe perfect man distinguish between them?”

Wang I replied, “The perfect man isspiritual. Though the great swamp burns,he will not feel the heat. Though the greatrivers freeze, he will not feel the cold.

Though thunderbolts split the mountainsand gales shake the sea, he will have nofear. Such a man can ride the clouds andmist, mount the sun and moon, and wan-der beyond the four seas. Life and deathdo not affect him. How much less will hebe concerned with good and evil!”





Chu Chiao Tsu asked Chang Wu Tsu, “Ihave heard from Confucius that the sageis not troubled by worldly things. Hedoes not look for gain or try to avoidloss; he seeks nothing, and does not clingto Tao. Sometimes he says somethingwithout words, and sometimes his wordssay nothing. Thus he travels beyond thedusty world. Confucius thought thesewords to be mere fantasy. But I thinkthis is the way of the un-fathomable Tao.

What do you think?”Chang Wu Tsu replied, “These words

would have confused even the YellowEmperor, so how could Confucius under-stand them? Moreover, you are too quick

to draw conclusions. You see an egg, andimmediately you listen for the crowingof a full-grown cock. You see a bow, andyou look for a roast dove. Let me give youa rough explanation, but don’t take thistoo literally. All right? How could anyonetake his place beside the sun and moon,embrace the universe, be at one with all,refrain from interfering, and disregard thesocial order? Ordinary men labor and toil.The sage acts without choosing. He expe-

riences ten thousand years as one age. Tohim the ten thousand things are what theyare, yet they form a whole.”





“How can I tell if love of life is not adelusion? How can I tell whether a manwho fears death is not like a man who has

left home and dreads returning? Lady Liwas the daughter of a border guard ofAi. When the Duke of Chin first tookher captive, she wept until her dress wassoaked with tears. But once she was livingin the Duke’s palace, sharing his bed, andeating delicious food, she wondered whyshe had ever cried. How can I tell whetherthe dead are not amazed that they everclung to life?

“Those who dream of a great feastmay weep the next morning. Those whodream of weeping may enjoy the hunt thenext day. While they dream, they do not

know they are dreaming. They may eveninterpret their dreams while still dream-ing. Only after they awake do they know

it was a dream. By and by, there will be agreat awakening; then we will know thatthis is all a great dream. All the while, thefools think they are awake, appearing tounderstand things, calling this man rulerand that man herdsman. How stupid! Youand Confucius are both dreaming. When Isay you are dreaming, I am dreaming too.These words may sound like double-talk.Yet after ten thousand generations, we willmeet a great sage who can explain all this.Or it may happen any time now.”





Suppose you and I argue. If you win and

I lose, are you indeed right and I wrong?And if I win and you lose, am I right andyou wrong? Are we both partly right andpartly wrong? Are we both all right orboth all wrong? If you and I cannot seethe truth, other people will find it evenharder.

Then whom shall I ask to be thejudge? Shall I ask someone who agreeswith you? If he already agrees with you,how can he be a fair judge? Shall I asksomeone who agrees with me? If healready agrees with me, how can he be afair judge? Shall I ask someone who agreeswith both of us? If he already agrees withboth of us, how can he be a fair judge?

Then if you and I and others cannot de-

cide, shall we wait for still another? Wait-ing for changing opinions is like waitingfor nothing. Seeing everything in relationto the heavenly cosmos and leaving thedifferent viewpoints as they are, we may beable to live out our years.

What do I mean by seeing things inrelation to the heavenly cosmos? Considerright and wrong, being and non-being.If right is indeed right, there need be noargument about how it is different fromwrong. If being is really being, there needbe no argument about how it is differentfrom non-being. Forget time; forget dis-tinction. Enjoy the infinite; rest in it.





Shade said to Shadow, “A little while ago,you were moving; and now you are stand-ing still. A little while ago, you were sittingdown; and now you are getting up. Whyall this indecision?”

Shadow replied, “Don’t I have todepend on others to be what I am? Don’tothers also have to depend on something

else to be what they are? My dependenceis like that of the snake on his skin or ofthe cicada on his wings. How can I tellwhy I do this, or why I do that?”

Once upon a time, I, Chuang Tsu,dreamed I was a butterfly flying hap-pily here and there, enjoying life withoutknowing who I was. Suddenly I woke upand I was indeed Chuang Tsu. Did Ch-uang Tsu dream he was a butterfly, or didthe butterfly dream he was Chuang Tsu?There must be some distinction between

Chuang Tsu and the butterfly. This is acase of transformation.











Life has a limit, but knowledge is withoutlimit. For the limited to pursue the unlimitedis futile. To know this and still pursue knowl-edge is even more futile. In doing good, avoidfame. In doing evil, avoid punishment. Thus,by pursuing the middle way, you may preserve

your body, fulfill your life, look after yourparents, and live out your years.



Prince Wen Hui’s cook was carving up anox. Every touch of his hand, every heaveof his shoulder, every step of his foot,every thrust of his knee, with the slicingand parting of the flesh, and the zingingof the knife—all was in perfect rhythm,

just like the Dance of the Mulberry Groveor a part in the Ching Shou symphony.Prince Wen Hui remarked, “How wonder-fully you have mastered your art.”The cook laid down his knife and said,“What your servant really cares for isTao, which goes beyond mere art. When Ifirst began to cut up oxen, I saw nothingbut oxen. After three years of practic-ing, I no longer saw the ox as a whole. I

now work with my spirit, not with myeyes. My senses stop functioning and myspirit takes over. I follow the natural grain,letting the knife find its way through themany hidden openings, taking advantageof what is there, never touching a ligamentor tendon, much less a main joint.

“A good cook changes his knife oncea year because he cuts, while a medio-cre cook has to change his every monthbecause he hacks. I’ve had this knife ofmine for nineteen years and have cut upthousands of oxen with it, and yet the

edge is as if it were fresh from the grind-stone. There are spaces between the joints.The blade of the knife has no thickness.That which has no thickness has plenty ofroom to pass through these spaces. There-fore, after nineteen years, my blade is assharp as ever. However, when I come to adifficulty, I size up the joint, look care-fully, keep my eyes on what I am doing,and work slowly. Then with a very slight

movement of the knife, I cut the wholeox wide open. It falls apart like a clod ofearth crumbling to the ground. I standthere with the knife in my hand, lookingabout me with a feeling of accomplish-ment and delight. Then I wipe the knifeclean and put it away.”“Well done!” said the Prince. “From thewords of my cook, I have learned thesecret of growth.”







When Kung Wen Hsien saw the Commander of the Army, he was startledand exclaimed, “Who is this? Why does he have only one foot? Was it the

work of heaven or of man?” The Commander said, “It was the work ofheaven, not man. Heaven made me one-footed. Heaven determines man’sappearance; therefore I know it was heaven, not man. The pheasant in themarshes has to take ten steps in order to get one beakful of food, one hun-dred steps for one drink of water. Yet it doesn’t want to be kept in a cage.Though it would be fed like a king, it would not be happy.”



When Lao Tsu died, Chin Shih went tothe funeral. He yelled three times and left.

A disciple said, “Were you not a

friend of the Master?”“Yes.”“Then is it proper to mourn him in

this way?”“Yes. When I first arrived, I thought

his spirit was really there. Now I know itwasn’t. When I went in to mourn, the oldpeople were wailing as though they hadlost their son. The young ones were cry-ing as though they had lost their mother.

Since they were all together, they talkedand wept without any control. This isavoiding heaven, indulging in sentiment,

ignoring what is natural. In the old days,it was called the crime of violating the lawof nature.

“The Master came because it wastime. He left because he followed thenatural flow. Be content with the moment,and be willing to follow the flow; thenthere will be no room for grief or joy. Inthe old days this was called freedom frombondage. The wood is consumed but thefire burns on, and we do not know when itwill come to an end.”







CHAPTER FOUR

HUMAN AFFAIRS



Yen Hui went to Confucius to say goodbye.The Master asked, “Where are you

going?”“I am going to Wei.”“What are you going to do there?”“I hear that the Prince of Wei is young

and that he is arbitrary in his actions. He

is not much concerned with his coun-try and is not aware of his mistakes. Hethinks nothing of people dying. The deadlie everywhere like thick grass in a swamp.The people have nowhere to turn. I’veheard you, Master, say, ‘Leave the countrythat is already well governed and go to acountry that is in chaos.’ At the door ofa physician, there are many sick people. Iwould like to use your teaching to remedythe situation there.”

Confucius said, “Ah! If you go there,you will only get into trouble. Tao mustbe pure. When something is added to it,there is confusion. When there is confu-sion, there is anxiety. With anxiety, thereis no hope. The wise men of old realized

Tao in themselves before they offered itto others. If you are not certain that youhave it in yourself, how can you change atyrant’s action?

“Besides, do you know how virtue de-generates and how learning arises? Virtueis consumed by fame. Learning is born

of contention. Fame causes men to fightwith one another. Learning is the weaponfor the struggle. Both can be evil instru-ments. They are not the means to perfec-tion. Though you are highly virtuous andtrustworthy, if you do not understand thespirit of men, and though you are famousand do not compete, if you do not under-stand the minds of men, but instead goto a tyrant and lecture him on goodness,ethical behavior, measures and standards,you are just using the failings of others todemonstrate your own superiority. Thisis deliberately hurting other people. Onewho hurts others will in turn be hurt. Youwill probably end up in trouble.”









Yen Hui said, “If I am detached andself-assured, persevering and of one mind,won’t that work?”

“What! How can that work? You may

put on a brave show, but your uncertaintywill appear on your face as it would withanyone else. This prince takes pleasurein exploiting the feelings of others. Hecannot even practice the ordinary virtues.How do you expect him to appreciate thehigher virtues? He will be obstinate andunbending. Outwardly he may agree, butthere will be no inward change of heart.How can you succeed in that way?”

“Well then, I will be inwardly firm andoutwardly compliant. I will arm myselfwith examples from antiquity. Being in-wardly firm, I will be a follower of heaven.

Being a follower of heaven, I know thatthe Prince and I are both sons of

heaven. So, why should I mind wheth-er or not people approve of my words?People call this being childlike. This iswhat I call being a follower of heaven.

“By being outwardly compliant, I am afollower of men. Lifting the tablet, kneel-ing, bending, and bowing—this is how aminister behaves. All men do this. Why

shouldn’t I? Do as others do, and there isno trouble! This is what I call being a fol-lower of men.

“By observing the customs, I will befollowing ancient tradition. Though mywords may be chiding and critical, theywill not be my own words but the wordsof the sages. So I need not be afraid ofspeaking out. This is what I mean by fol-lowing tradition. Will that work?”

Confucius said, “How could thatwork? You have too many plans. They arefine but not appropriate. These precon-ceived ideas probably won’t get you intotrouble, but that is as far as they go. Howcan you possibly influence him? You arestill too rigid in your thinking.”





Yen Hui said, “That is all I can think of.May I ask what to do?”

Confucius said, “You must fast. I’lltell you why. Is it easy to work from pre-conceived ideas? Heaven frowns on thosewho think it is easy.”

Yen Hui said, “My family is poor. Ihave neither drunk wine nor eaten meatfor many months. Can this be consideredfasting?”

Confucius replied, ‘’That is the fastingone does for sacrificial ceremonies, not thefasting of the mind.’’

Yen Hui said, “May I ask what is fast-ing of the mind?”

Confucius said, “Your will must beone. Do not listen with your ears butwith your mind. Do not listen with yourmind but with your vital energy. Ears canonly hear, mind can only think, but vital

energy is empty, receptive to all things.Tao abides in emptiness. Emptiness is thefasting of mind.”

Yen Hui said, “Before I heard all this,I was certain that I was Hui. Now that I’veheard it, I am no longer Hui. Can this becalled emptiness?”

Confucius said, “That is it. Let meexplain. You can enter this man’s service,but do not thrust yourself forward. If helistens, then speak. If not, be silent. Leaveno opening, and you will not be harmed.Be always at one and accept whateverhappens. Then you are close to success. Ifyou do not move, then it is easy to remainunnoticed. But it is hard to walk withouttouching the ground. It is easy to be a

hypocrite in your dealings with men. Itis hard to be a hypocrite in your dealingswith heaven.

“You understand how to fly usingwings, but you have not yet seen how tofly without them. You understand how toact from knowledge, but you have not yetseen how to act from not-knowing. Look atempty space. It is in emptiness that light isborn. There is happiness in stillness. Lack

of stillness is called sitting while wander-ing. If you are open to everything you seeand hear, and allow this to act through you,even gods and spirits will come to you, notto speak of men. This is the transformationof the ten thousand things, the secret ofthe wise kings Yu and Shun, the constantpractice of Fu Hsi and Chi Chu. It is evenmore useful for ordinary men.”





Tsu Kao, the Duke of She, was being sentto the state of Chi on a mission, and wentfirst to consult Confucius, saying, “TheKing is dispatching me on a very impor-tant mission. Chi will probaby treat mewith great respect but will be slow to startour discussions. Even an ordinary man isnot easily hurried, much less a feudal lord.I am very worried. You always said to me,

‘In all matters, great or small, few will suc-ceed without following Tao.’ If this mis-sion is not successful, I shall be criticized.If it is successful, I will be troubled byconfusion and anxiety. Only a wise man is

not concerned with results—and is there-fore unaffected by the outcome. I eat sim-ple unspiced food, so I never need coolingdrinks. I received these orders one morn-ing, and by the evening I was drinking vastquantities of water. Am I not feverish? Ihave not yet seen the actual situation andalready I am troubled by anxiety and con-fusion. If I do not succeed, I am bound to

be criticized. I am in a double bind. Thisis beyond my capacity as a minister. Willyou tell me what to do?”





Confucius replied, “In the affairs of theworld, two universal principles may beobserved: one is the natural order and theother is duty. It is natural for a son to lovehis parents; this cannot be erased from

his heart. It is duty for a man to serve hissovereign; everywhere he goes there will bea sovereign. Within heaven and earth, thereis no escape. That is why they are calleduniversal principles. Therefore, to honorone’s parents, wherever one may be, is thefullness of devotion. To serve one’s sov-ereign willingly, whatever happens, is theperfect loyalty. To serve one’s own mind,unmoved by sadness or joy, accepting

whatever happens, is the true virtue. Beinga son or a subject, there is always some-thing unavoidable that one has to do. Dowhat has to be done and give no thoughtto yourself; then you will not have time tothink about loving life and hating death.Continue in this way and all will go well.

“Let me tell you something else Ihave heard. If states have close ties, theirmutual trust is demonstrated by deeds.If they are far apart, their good faith hasto be renewed with words in the form of

messages. But carrying messages of delightor anger between two parties is the mostdifficult thing in the world. When they areboth pleased, there is bound to be exag-geration of flattery; when they are bothangry, there is bound to be exaggerationof criticism. Exaggeration leads away fromtruth. Without truth, there will be notrust. When there is no trust, the messen-gers will be in danger. Therefore, it is said,

‘Speak the truth and do not exaggerate;then you will not be harmed.’ ”







“Moreover, when wrestlers pit theirstrength against each other, they beginin a lighthearted, open frame of mindbut they usually end up looking angry.At the height of the contest, many craftytricks are played. When men drink duringceremonies, they start off in an orderlymanner and usually finish in disarray.At the height of the party, fun becomeschaos. So it is with all things. They beginin good faith and end up in meanness.What was simple in the beginning be-comes grotesque in the end. Words are likethe wind and the waves; action involvesthe risk of gain or loss. The wind and the

waves are easily set in motion; risk caneasily turn into real danger. Hence, angercomes from nothing more than cleverwords and half truths. When animals facedeath, they do not care what noises theymake. They growl fiercely and snarl, andthen they attack. In the same way, if aman is pushed too far, he turns and strikeswithout knowing why. If he does notknow why, who knows where it will lead?

Therefore, it is said, ‘Neither deviate fromyour instructions, nor hurry to finish.’ Donot force things. It is dangerous to deviatefrom instructions or push for completion.It takes a long time to do a thing properly.

Once you do something wrong, it may betoo late to change it. Can you afford to becareless?

“So then, flow with whatever mayhappen and let your mind be free; staycentered by accepting whatever you are

doing. This is the ultimate. How else canyou carry out your task? It is best to leaveeverything to work naturally, though thisis not easy.”





Yen Ho was about to become tutor ofthe Crown Prince, the son of Duke Lingof the state of Wei. He went to consultChu Po Yu, saying, “Here is someone whois naturally violent. If I let him remainundisciplined, the state will be in danger.If I try to correct him, I shall endangermyself. He knows enough to see the faultsof others, but not to see his own. Underthese circumstances, what shall I do?”

Chu Po Yu replied, “That is a goodquestion! Be on guard, be careful, and besure that you yourself are acting appropri-ately. Appear to be flexible but maintainharmony within. However, there is danger

in doing these two things. While beingflexible, be sure to remain centered. Whilemaintaining harmony within, do not dis-play it openly. If you are too flexible andlose your center, then you will be over-come and destroyed, and you will collapse.If you try to demonstrate your compo-sure, you will be criticized and slandered,called a devil and a son of a bitch. If hewants to be a child, be a child with him.If he wants to act strangely, act strangelywith him. If he wants to be reckless, bereckless with him. Then you can reach himand bring him back to his senses.”



“Do you know the story of the prayingmantis? It raised its arm to stop an ap-

proaching carriage unaware that this wasbeyond its power. Such was its high opin-ion of itself. Watch out and be careful. Ifyou offend the Prince by showing off yourown talents, you court disaster.

“Do you know how a tiger trainerworks? He does not risk feeding the tigers

live animals for fear of arousing theirferocity as they kill. He does not risk feed-

ing them whole animals for fear of arous-ing their anger as they tear them apart.He knows when the tigers are hungryand when they are full; thereby he is intouch with their fierce nature. Tigers are adifferent species from men, yet by observ-ing their ways, one can train them to begentle. They will kill only when aroused.

“A man with a passion for horsescatches the manure in a basket and the pissin a jar. If a mosquito or a fly lands on thehorse and he brushes it off too abruptly,then the horse will break its bit, hurt theman’s head, and crack his ribs. Such a manhas good intentions, but he overdoes it.Can you afford to be careless?”









After Shih the carpenter had returnedhome, the sacred oak appeared to him in a

dream, saying, “What are you comparingme with? Are you comparing me with use-ful trees? There are cherry, apple, pear, or-ange, citron, pomelo, and other fruit trees.As soon as the fruit is ripe, the trees arestripped and abused. Their large branchesare split, and the smaller ones torn off.Their life is bitter because of their useful-ness. That is why they do not live out theirnatural lives but are cut off in their prime.

They attract the attentions of the com-mon world. This is so for all things. As forme, I have been trying for a long time tobe useless. I was almost destroyed severaltimes. Finally I am useless, and this is veryuseful to me. If I had been useful, could Ihave ever grown so large?

“Besides, you and I are both things.How can one thing judge another thing?

What does a dying and worthless man likeyou know about a worthless tree?” Shihthe carpenter awoke and tried to under-stand his dream.

His apprentice said, “If it had so greata desire to be useless, why does it serve asa shrine?”

Shih the carpenter said, “Hush! Stoptalking! It is just pretending to be oneso that it will not be hurt by those who

do not know it is useless. If it had notbecome a sacred tree, it would probablyhave been cut down. It protects itself ina different way from ordinary things. Wewill miss the point if we judge it in theordinary way.”





Nan Po Tsu Chi was wandering in theShang Hills when he caught sight ofa huge, extraordinary tree. A thousandfour-horse chariots could have rested inits shade. Tsu Chi said, “What kind of

tree is this? It must be very special wood.”He looked up and saw that the smallerbranches were gnarled and twisted, andcould not be used for beams or rafters. Helooked down and saw that the great trunkwas curved and knotted, and could notbe used for coffins. When he tasted a leaf,it burned his mouth; when he sniffed it,he became intoxicated and for three daysacted as if he were drunk. Tsu Chi said,

“Indeed, this tree is good for nothing. Nowonder it grew so big. That is how it is!Holy men treasure this worthlessness.”

Ching Shih in the province of Sung isa good place for growing catalpa,

cypress, and mulberry trees. Thosetrees that attain the girth of a span ormore are cut down to make monkeyperches. Those of three or four spans arecut down to make beams for tall, elegant

houses. Those of seven or eight spansare cut down to make side boards for thecoffins of aristocratic and rich merchantfamilies. So, these trees never achieve their

full stature but fall in their prime underthe blows of the ax. Such are the hazardsof being useful.

In the same way, oxen with whiteforeheads, pigs with turned-up snouts,

and men with piles may not be sacrificedto the River God. Shamans believe thesecreatures bring bad luck. Holy men, how-ever, believe they are very fortunate.







There was once a hunchback called Shu.His chin rested on his navel, his shouldersrose up over his head, and his neck bonepointed to the sky. His five vital organswere upside down, and his hips were levelwith his ribs. By sewing and taking inlaundry, he made enough to feed himself.By winnowing and sifting grain, he earnedenough to support ten people. When the

authorities were raising an army, he cameand went without having to hide. When

a big public project was planned, he wasassigned no work because he was a chronicinvalid. When the government was givingfree grain to the sick, he received threemeasures and ten bundles of firewood. Ifa man whose body is strange can take careof himself and live to the end of his natu-ral life, how much easier it is for a manwith strange behavior.





When Confucius was in the state of Chu,the madman of Chu, Chieh Yu, stood athis gate and cried, “O phoenix, O phoe-nix, how virtue has declined! One cannot

wait for the future. One cannot chaseafter the past. When Tao is in the world,the sage achieves perfection; when Tao isabsent, the sage merely bides his time. Intimes like these the best you can do is tostay out of trouble. Happiness is as lightas a feather, but nobody knows how tobear it. Calamity is as

heavy as the earth, but nobody knowshow to avoid it. Enough! Enough of thisconfronting people with virtue! Beware!Beware of trudging down this marked

path. Oh, thorns, thorns! You do notblock my way. My path twists around you.You do not hurt my feet.

“The mountain trees ask to bechopped down. Fat added to the fire con-sumes itself. The cinnamon tree is edible,so it is cut down. The lacquer tree is use-ful, so it is slashed. Everyone knows theusefulness of the useful, but no one knowsthe usefulness of the useless.”





CHAPTER FIVE

SIGNS OF FULL VIRTUE



In the state of Lu, there was a man namedWang Tai who had but one foot. He hadas many followers as Confucius. ChangChi asked Confucius, “This Wang Tai is acripple, yet he has as many followers in thestate of Lu as you do. When he stands up,

he does not teach. When he sits down, heutters no word. People go to him empty,and come back full. Is there such a thingas teaching without words? Can the mindbe perfect while the body is deformed?What kind of man is he?”

Confucius said, “This man is a sage. Itis just that I have been a little slow in go-ing to see him. I myself am going to makehim my teacher. Why shouldn’t all of you

who are my disciples do the same? I shallbring the whole world, not just the stateof Lu, to sit at his feet.”

Chang Chi said, “He is a cripple, yethe can be your teacher. He must be quitean extraordinary man. What is uniqueabout the way he uses his mind?”

Confucius said, “Death and life areimportant, yet they do not affect him.Heaven and earth may collapse, yet heremains unmoved. He perceives the truereality and is not affected by external ap-pearances. He lets things change naturally,

and so he holds fast to the roots.”Chang Chi said, “What do you mean?”Confucius said, “If we observe things

from the point of view of their differences,liver and gall are as unlike one another asthe state of Chu in the west and the stateof Yueh in the east. If we see that which isthe same in all things, then the ten thou-sand things are one. He who sees things inthis light is not distracted by what reaches

him through his ears and his eyes but letshis mind follow the natural harmony. Hesees all things as one and is not troubled byloss. To him, the loss of his foot is just likethrowing away so much dirt.”









Shen Tu Chia had had his foot cut off aspunishment. He and Tsu Chan, the Prime

Minister of the state of Cheng, were stu-dents of Po Hun Wu Jen.

Tsu Chan said to Shen Tu Chia, “IfI leave first, you will stay behind. If youleave first, I will stay behind.”

The next day they were once moresitting together in the hall on the samemat. Tsu Chan said to Shen Tu Chia, “IfI leave first, you will stay behind. If youleave first, I will stay behind. Now that I

am about to leave, will you stay behind ornot? I might add that when you see me,you do not even move out of the way. Per-haps you think that you are the equal of aPrime Minister?”

Shen Tu Chia said, “In our master’shouse is there such a thing as a Prime

Minister? Perhaps you are proud of be-ing a Prime Minister and being aboveeverybody. I have heard that if a mirror isbright, dust and dirt will not settle on it.If they do, then it is not really bright. Ifone remains with a wise man for a longtime, one will be without faults. Now, youare seeking great things from our master,yet you still talk like this. Is this proper?”





Tsu Chan said, “Take a look at yourself !You still think that you can be as good asYao. Examine your virtues. Perhaps youwill have cause to reflect.”

Shen Tu Chia said, “Those who justifytheir faults to avoid punishment are many,and those who do not justify their faultsand refuse to be spared are few. But onlythe virtuous man can resign himself tothe inevitable and accept it as fate. Those

who wander in front of archer Yi’s targetwill be hit. If they do not get hit, it is fate.Many people who have both feet laugh atme for having only one. I used to explode

with anger. Since I came to study withthe Master, I have changed completely.Perhaps he has washed me clean with hisgoodness. I have been with the Master fornineteen years, and I have never been awareof having only one foot. Now, you and Iare supposed to be concerned with our in-ner selves and yet you pay attention to myexternal body. Is this proper?”

Tsu Chan was disconcerted, his ex-

pression changed, and he asked Shen TuChia to say no more.







There was a cripple in Lu named ShuShan No-toes. He came walking on hisheels to see Confucus. Confucius said,“You did not take care. You committed

a crime and brought this trouble uponyourself. What is the use of coming to menow?”

No-toes said, “I didn’t know how tobehave properly, and took my body lightly,so I lost my toes. I have come here withsomething more precious than toes, andit is this which I seek to preserve. There isnothing that heaven does not cover. Thereis nothing that earth does not sustain. Ithought that you, Master, were like heavenand earth. How was I to know that youwould receive me this way?”

Confucius said, “It was stupid of me.Why don’t you come in! Let us talk.”

But No-toes walked out.

Confucius said, “This is a good les-son, disciples! A toeless cripple is stillwilling to atone for his past misdeeds.How much more can be done by those

who haven’t had such bad luck.”No-toes went to see Lao Tsu and said,“Is Confucius not yet a perfect man? Whydoes he keep imitating you? He is try-ing to gain a reputation by pretending toknow strange and extraordinary things. Hedoes not know that real sages look uponthese as cuffs and fetters.”

Lao Tsu said, “Why don’t you simplymake him see that life and death are onethread, the same line viewed from differ-ent sides—and thus free him from hiscuffs and fetters? Is that possible?”

No-toes said, “If heaven wants topunish him, who can free him?”



Duke Ai of Lu asked Confucius, “In Wei,there was an ugly man by the name of AiTai To. Yet the men around him thoughtso much of him, they could never leave

him. When young ladies saw him, theytold their parents that they would ratherbe his concubines than other men’s wives.There were ten or more such cases. Henever tried to lead others but always wentalong with people. He was never in theposition of a ruler who could protectpeople’s lives. He was not a wealthy manwho could fill people’s bellies. Moreover,he was hideous enough to scare everything

under heaven. He agreed with people butnever persuaded them. He knew only whathappened in the place where he lived. Yetboth men and women sought his com-pany . There must have been somethingextraordinary about him, I thought. So Isummoned him for an interview, and in-deed he was frighteningly ugly. Yet withinthe first month that he was with me, Ibegan to see that there was something in

that man, and within a year I completelytrusted him. As my state needed a PrimeMinister, I offered him the position. Hewas reluctant to give a reply, and wasevasive as though he wanted to refuse.That made me feel ashamed, and finally Ihanded over the government to him. Soonafter that, he went away and left me. I was

so sad, it was as if I were in mourning. Ino longer had anyone with whom I couldshare the joy of my state. What kind ofman was that?”

Confucius said, “Once when I was ona mission to the state of Chu, I saw somelittle pigs sucking their dead mother. Aftera while, they suddenly looked at her. Thenthey all ran away and left her because shedid not look back at them. She was nolonger like themselves. What they lovedin their mother was not her body but thatwhich made her body alive. When a manis killed in battle and is buried, he has

no use for medals. When a man has nofeet, he does not care about shoes. Bothmen have lost something essential. TheKing’s concubines do not trim their nailsor pierce their ears. When a man is newlymarried, he stays away from his officialduties and is not sent on missions. Suchis the importance of keeping the bodywhole. How much more important to pre-serve virtue. Now, Ai Tai To said nothing

and was trusted. He achieved nothing andwas loved. So someone offered him thegovernment, and was only afraid that hewould refuse. He must have achieved fullharmony without any outward manifesta-tion of virtue.”







Duke Ai asked, “What do you mean byachieving full harmony?”

Confucius said, “Life and death, profitand loss, failure and success, poverty andwealth, value and worthlessness, praise andblame, hunger and thirst, cold and heat— these are natural changes in the order ofthings. They alternate with one anotherlike day and night. No one knows whereone ends and the other begins. Therefore,they should not disturb our peace or enterinto our souls. Live so that you are at ease,

in harmony with the world, and full ofjoy. Day and night, share the springtimewith all things, thus creating the seasonsin your own heart. This is called achievingfull harmony.”

“And what is this lack of outwardmanifestation of virtue?”

Confucius said, “Balance is the perfectstate of still water. Let that be our model.It remains quiet within and is not dis-

turbed on the surface. Virtue is the attain-ment of perfect harmony. Because virtuehas no outward form, nothing can escapefrom it.”

Later, Duke Ai told this to MingTsu, saying, “When I first faced south

and took the reins of government, guid-ing the people and caring for their lives,I thought that I was doing my utmost asa ruler. Now that I have heard the wordsof a perfect man, I am afraid that there isno substance to what I am doing. I havefoolishly squandered my energy and amruining my country. Confucius and I areno longer related as subject and ruler butas spiritual companions.”



Clubfoot-Hunchback-No-lips talkedto Duke Ling of Wei. Duke Ling wasso delighted with him that when he sawnormal people, their necks appeared thin

and scraggy. Jug-Jar-Big-goiter talkedto Duke Huan of Chi. Duke Huan wasso delighted with him that when he sawnormal people, he too thought their neckswere thin and scraggy. So when goodnessshines forth, the outward appearances areforgotten. Men do not forget what oughtto be forgotten, but forget what oughtnot be forgotten. This is forgetfulnessindeed! Therefore, the sage lets everythingpass before his mind. To him learning issomething added, conventions are likeglue, morality is a bond, and skills arefor trade. The sage does not make plans,

so what use has he for learning? He doesnot make divisions, so what use has he forglue? He lacks nothing, so what use hashe for morality? He has nothing to sell, so

what use has he for trade? His not need-ing these four things is a gift from heaven.This gift is his heavenly food. Since he isfed by heaven, what use has he for men?He has the appearance of a man but notthe desires of a man. He has the appear-ance of a man, so he associates with men.He does not have the desires of a man, sohe is not concerned with right or wrong.How infinitely small is that which makeshim a man! How infinitely great is thatwhich makes him perfect in heaven!





Hui Tsu asked Chuang Tsu, “Can a manreally live without desire?”

“Yes,” said Chuang Tsu. “But,” said Hui Tsu, “if a man has no

desire, how can you call him a man?”Chuang Tsu said, “Tao gives him his

appearance, and heaven gives him his body.Why should he not be called a man?”

Hui Tsu said, “Since he is called aman, how can he be without desire?”

Chuang Tsu said, “That is not whatI mean by desire. When I say he has no

desire I mean that he does not disturb hisinner well-being with likes and dislikes.He accepts things as they are and does nottry to improve upon them.”

Hui Tsu said, “If a man does not tryto improve upon the way things are, howdoes he survive?”

Chuang Tsu said, “Tao gives him hisappearance. Heaven gives him his body.He does not disturb his inner well-beingwith likes and dislikes. At present you useall your vital energy on external thingsand wear out your spirit. You lean againsta tree and mutter, collapse upon a rottenstump and fall asleep. Your body is a giftfrom heaven, yet you use it to babble and

jabber about ‘hardness’ and ‘whiteness’!”







CHAPTER SIX

THE GREAT MASTER





Perfect is the man who knows what comesfrom heaven and what comes from man.Knowing what comes from heaven, he isin tune with heaven. Knowing what comesfrom man, he uses his knowledge of theknown to develop his knowledge of theunknown and enjoys the fullness of lifeuntil his natural death. This is the perfec-tion of knowledge. However, there is one

difficulty. Knowledge must be based uponsomething, but one is not certain whatthis may be. How, indeed, do I know thatwhat I call heaven is not actually man, andthat what I call man is not actually heaven?First, there must be a true man; then therecan be true knowledge.



But what is a true man? The true man ofold did not mind being poor. He took nopride in his achievements. He made noplans. Thus, he could commit an error andnot regret it. He could succeed withoutbeing proud. Thus, he could climb moun-tains without fear, enter water without get-ting wet, and pass through fire unscathed.This is the knowledge that leads to Tao.

The true man of old slept withoutdreaming and woke without anxiety. His

food was plain, and his breath was deep.For the breath of the true man rose upfrom his heels while the breath of common men rises from their throats. Whenthey are overcome, their words catch in

their throats like vomit. As their lustsand desires deepen, their heavenly naturegrows shallow.

The true man of old knew nothingabout loving life or hating death. Whenhe was born, he felt no elation. When heentered death, there was no sorrow. Care-free he went. Carefree he came. That wasall. He did not forget his beginning anddid not seek his end. He accepted what hewas given with delight, and when it was

gone, he gave it no more thought. This iscalled not using the mind against Tao andnot using man to help heaven. Such wasthe true man.







Such a man has a free mind, a calm man-ner, and an unfurrowed brow. He is ascool as autumn and as mild as spring.

His joy and anger flow like changingseasons. He is in harmony with all thingsand has no limitations. Therefore, whena wise man wages war, he can destroy anation without losing the people’s hearts.His blessings fall upon the ten thousandthings, but not because he loves men.

Therefore, the man who desires toknow all things is not a sage. Showingpartiality is not true kindness. He whocalculates his timing is not a man of

wisdom. He who does not see throughgain and loss is not a great man. He whoseeks recognition and does not follow

what he knows is not a man of under-standing. He who would lose his lifewithout being true to himself can neverbe a master of men. Such men as Hu PuChieh, Wu Kuang, Po I, Shu Chi, Chi Tsu,Hsu Yu, Chi To, and Shen Tu Ti all losttheir lives by doing the bidding of others.They tried to act in ways that were naturalto others but not natural to themselves.



This was the true man of old. He stoodstraight and firm and did not waver. Hewas of humble mien but was not servile.He was independent but not stubborn,open to everything yet made no boast. Hesmiled as if pleased, and responded tothings naturally. His radiance came fromhis inner light. He remained centered evenin the company of others. He was broad-

minded as if he agreed with everyone,high-minded as if beyond influence, in-ward-minded as if he would like to with-draw from the world, and absentmindedas if unaware of what he was going to

say. He considered criminal law to be thebody of government, ceremony its wings,knowledge a requirement of the times, andreason a guide for action. To consider lawas the body, one has to be lenient in itsexecution. To take ceremony as the wingsis to give people something to follow. Totake knowledge as a requirement of thetimes is to do things that have to be done.

To consider reason as a guide for action isto be with others on the path upward. Heacted effortlessly, yet people thought thathe was trying very hard.





What he likes is the One; what he doesnot like is also the One. That which isOne is One; that which is not One is alsoOne. He knows the One and is of heaven.He knows not the One and is of men. Soheaven and men are not in conflict. Such isthe true man. It is destiny to live and die,as certain as night and day. It is of heaven,beyond the interference of men. Such is

the nature of things. If a man is willing toview heaven as his father and experienceslove, how much more love will he feel forwhat is beyond heaven! If he feels that the

ruler of the kingdom is above him and heis willing to die for the king, how muchmore will he be willing to do for the truth!

When the springs go dry and fish areleft stranded on the ground, they smeareach other with slime and spew spit on oneanother. It is better for them to be in therivers and lakes, where they pay each otherno heed. Instead of praising Yao and de-

nouncing Chieh, it would be better to payheed to neither and lose oneself in Tao.





The great earth burdens me with a body,causes me to toil in life, eases me in oldage, and rests me in death. That whichmakes my life good, makes my death goodalso.

A boat concealed in a ravine and a fishnet in a swamp appear to be safely hid-den. But at midnight a strong man may

put them on his back and walk off withthem. Dimwits do not understand that nomatter how well one hides small thingsin larger ones, there is always a chance oflosing them. But if you hide the universein the universe, there is no way to lose it.This is the ultimate reality.

You were born in a human form, andyou find joy in it. Yet there are ten thou-sand other forms endlessly transformingthat are equally good, and the joy in theseis untold. The sage dwells among thosethings which can never be lost, and so helives forever. He willingly accepts earlydeath, old age, the beginning and the end,

and serves as an example for everyone.How much more should we emulate thecreator of the ten thousand things, onwhom the great flow depends!







Tao has reality and substance, but noaction or form. It can be given but notreceived. It is attainable but invisible. It is

its own source and its own root. It existedbefore heaven and earth and for all eternity.It causes spirits and gods to be divine. Itbegets heaven and earth. It is above the ze-nith and yet not high. It is below the nadirand yet not low. It was born before heavenand earth but not long ago. It was therebefore the oldest antiquity but is not old.

Hsi Wei attained Tao and broughtheaven and earth into harmony. Fu Hsi

attained it and entered into the source ofvital energy. The Great Bear attained itand has never erred from its course. Thesun and moon attained it and have neverceased to shine. Kan Pi attained it and

entered Kunlun Mountain. Feng I attainedit and wandered along the Great River.Chien Wu attained it and dwelt on Mount

Tai. The Yellow Emperor attained it andsoared upon the clouds to heaven. ChuanHsu attained it and dwelt in the DarkPalace. Yu Chiang attained it and went tolive at the North Pole. The Queen Motherof the West attained it and took her seaton Shao Kwan Mountain. No one knowsher beginning and no one knows herend. Peng Tsu attained it and lived fromthe time of Shun to the time of the Five

Princes. Fu Yueh attained it, became PrimeMinister to Wu Ting, and ruled the world.Then he mounted the eastern Milky Way,and riding on Sagittarius and Scorpio, hetook his place among the constellations.



Nan Po Tsu Kuei asked HunchbackWoman, “You are old, and yet you looklike a child. Why is this?”

“I have found Tao,” she replied.“Can Tao be learned?” he asked.“No! How could it be? You are not

the one to do it, anyway. Now, considerPu Liang I. He has the talent of a sage butnot the Tao of a sage. I have the Tao of asage but not the talent. I wished to teachhim so that he might indeed be a sage.Teaching the Tao of a sage to one whohas the talent of a sage seems to be aneasy matter. But no, it took a long time toreveal it to him. After three days, he beganto transcend the physical world. After histranscendence of the physical world, Ikept working with him. After seven days,he began to transcend all material exis-tence. After his transcendence of all mate-

rial existence, I kept working with him.After nine days, he began to transcend alllife. Having transcended all life, he beganto achieve the clear vision of dawn. Hav-ing achieved the clear vision of dawn, hebegan to see the One. Having seen theOne, he began to transcend the distinction

of past and present. Having transcendedthe distinction of past and present, hebegan to enter the land where there is nolife or death, where killing does not takeaway life and giving birth does not add toit. He would reject nothing, welcomed allthings, negated all things, and affirmedall things. This is called tranquillity instruggle, meaning perfection is the resultof struggle.”

Nan Po Tsu Kuei asked, “Where didyou learn all this?”

She replied, “I have learned it from theson of Ink-writing, the son of Ink-writingfrom the grandson of Chanting-recitation,the grandson of Chanting-recitation fromClear-understanding, Clear-understandingfrom Quiet-affirmation, Quiet-affirmationfrom Immediate-experience, Immediate-experience from Dramatic-expression,

Dramatic-expression from Dark-obscurity,Dark-obscurity from Mysterious-void,and Mysterious-void from Beginning-of-no-beginning.”











Shortly, thereafter, Tsu Lai fell ill. He laygasping for life while his wife and childrengathered around crying. Tsu Li came tosee him and said, “Shhh! Get away from

him! Do not disturb the transformation!”Leaning against the door, he said to TsuLai, “Great is the Maker! What will Heuse you for now? Where will He send you?Will He make you into a rat’s gizzard or asnake’s leg?”

Tsu Lai replied, “A son must gowherever his parents tell him to go! East,west, south, or north. Yin and Yang are noother than one’s parents. If they brought

me to the verge of death and I do notobey them, then I am only being stubborn.They are not to be blamed.

The great earth burdens me with abody, causes me to toil in life, eases me inold age, and rests me in death. That whichmakes my life good makes my death good

also. If a skilled smith were casting metaland the metal should leap up and say,‘Make me into a famous sword like MoYeh!’ the smith would surely consider it anill omen. Now, if by chance I were beingcast into a human form and I were to say,‘Make me a man! Make me a man!’ theMaker of Things would certainly considerme an ill omen. Now, if I regard heavenand earth as a great melting pot and

creation and transformation as a mastersmith, then where can I be sent and notfind it fitting? Thus, calmly I sleep andfreshly I waken.”



Tsu Sang Hu, Meng Tsu Fan, and TsuChin Chang were acquaintances. They saidto each other, “Who can be together with-out togetherness and cooperate withoutcooperation? Who can soar up to heaven,wander through the clouds, and passbeyond the limits of space, unmindfulof existence, forever and ever?” Then thethree looked at one another and laughed.Having no disagreement among them-selves, they became fast friends.

After some time, Tsu Sang Hu died.Before the burial, Confucius heard of his

death and sent his disciple Tsu Kung toattend the mourning. Tsu Kung found thatone of the friends was composing a songand the other was playing a lute. Theysang together in unison, “Oh Sang Hu!Oh Sang Hu! You have gone back to yourtrue self while we remain as men. Alas!Alas!”

Tsu Kung hurried in and said, “May Iask something? Is that appropriate, singing

in the presence of a corpse?”The two looked at each other and

laughed. “What does he know about cer-emony?” they said.







Tsu Kung went back and reported toConfucius, saying, “What sort of menare they? They are badly behaved and areunconcerned with appearances. They sang

in front of the corpse with no sign ofemotion. I do not know how to describethem. What sort of people are they?”

Confucius said, “They travel beyondthe physical world, and I travel within it.Our paths will never meet. It was stupidof me to send you to attend the funeral.They are now in the company of theMaker of Things and are taking delightin the one breath of heaven and earth.

They look upon life as a swelling tumor, aprotruding goiter, and look upon death asthe bursting of a boil and the draining ofan abscess. How could such men discrimi-nate between life and death? They considerthe body as an accidental arrangement ofdifferent elements. They forget their liversand galls, and ignore their eyes and ears.They come and go, ending and begin-ning again, unmindful of any limitations.

Without a care, they roam beyond thedusty world and wander freely, dwelling innon-action. Why should they bother withthe conventions of this vulgar world andmake a show for the eyes and ears of thecommon people?”

Tsu Kung said, “Why then, Master,do you observe conventions?”

Confucius said, “I am condemned byheaven to do so. However, you and I have

this in common.”Tsu Kung said, “May I ask what youmean?”

Confucius said, “Fish thrive in water;men thrive in Tao. Those who thrive inwater dart about in the pond and find

nourishment there. Those who thrive inTao work without doing, and their natureis realized. Therefore, it is said, ‘Fish needto lose themselves in rivers and lakes, and

men need to lose themselves in the prac-tice of Tao.’ ”

Tsu Kung said, “May I ask aboutthose strange people?”

“The strange people are strange tomen but familiar to heaven. Therefore, it issaid, ‘The inferior man of heaven is supe-rior among men; the inferior man amongmen is superior in heaven.’ ”



Yen Hui asked Confucius, “When MengSun Tsai’s mother died, he cried out butdid not weep. He was not sad at heart. Heobserved mourning without sorrow. Withthese three failings, he was neverthelessconsidered the best mourner in the stateof Lu. How can one gain such a reputa-tion on nothing?

I am utterly amazed!”Confucius said, “Meng Sun has

indeed mastered Tao! He has gone be-yond wisdom. He has already made hislife simple. Yet there are certain customshe still has to observe. Meng Sun doesnot know why we live and why we die.He does not know which comes first and

which last. He accepts his state of beingwithout concern for future transforma-tion. When one is changing, how does oneknow that a change is taking place? Whenone is not changing, how does one knowthat a change hasn’t already occurred?

Maybe you and I are still in a dream andhave not yet awakened. Moreover, MengSun appeared shaken, but his mind wasnot moved. There was a change of abode,but there was no real death. Meng Sunwas the only one who was awake. He weptonly when he saw the others weep; that ishis true nature. Furthermore, we all talkabout ‘me.’ How do we know that thereis such a person as ‘me’? You dream thatyou are a bird soaring up to the sky. Youdream that you are a fish diving in a pool.As we speak now, we do not know whetherwe are awake or dreaming. Making ac-cusations is not as good as laughing. Andlaughter is not as good as letting things

follow their natural course. Be contentwith what is happening and forget aboutchange; then you can enter into the one-ness of the mystery of heaven.”









Yen Hui said, “I am making progress.”

Confucius asked, “In what way?”Yen Hui said, “I have given up doing

good and being right.”Confucius said, “Very good, but that

is not quite enough.”Another day, Yen Hui saw Confucius

and said, “I am making progress.”Confucius asked, “In what way?”Yen Hui said, “I have given up cer-

emony and music.”

Confucius said, “Very good, but thatis not quite enough.”Another day, Yen Hui saw Confucius

again and said, “I am making progress.”

Confucius asked, “In what way?”

Yen Hui said, “I just sit and forget.”Confucius was startled and asked,

“What do you mean by sitting and for-getting?”

Yen Hui said, “I am not attached tothe body and I give up any idea of know-ing. By freeing myself from the body andmind, I become one with the infinite. Thisis what I mean by sitting and forgetting.”

Confucius said, “When there is

oneness, there are no preferences. Whenthere is change, there is no constancy. Ifyou have really attained this, then let mebecome your pupil.”







Tsu Yu and Tsu Sang were friends. Oncewhen it had rained for ten days, Tsu Yusaid, “Tsu Sang may be having a hardtime.” So he packed up some food andtook it to him. Arriving at Tsu Sang’sdoor, he heard something that was like

singing or weeping, accompanied by a lute.“O Father! O Mother! Is it heaven? Or isit man?” The voice was breaking, and thewords faltered.

Tsu Yu entered and said, “Why areyou chanting poetry like this?”

Tsu Sang said, “I am trying to findout why I am in such a wretched state. Icannot understand it. Would my fatherand mother have wanted me to be so

poor? Heaven provides shelter for things.Earth sustains all things. Would heavenand earth single me out to be poor? I amtrying to find the cause of this but cannotsee what it is. Yet here I am in my wretch-edness. It must be fate.”





CHAPTER SEVEN

THE SAGE KING





Yeh Chueh was questioning Wang Yi. Fourtimes he asked a question and four timeshe received no answer. This delighted YehChueh so much, he went to tell Pu Yi Tsu.

Pu Yi Tsu said, “Are you only justfinding that out? Emperor Shun was nomatch for Emperor Fu Shi. Emperor Shun

always tried to do good so that men wouldfollow him. He was never able to distin-guish between what a man is and what he

is not. On the other hand, Emperor FuShi was calm and tranquil when asleep,and simple and

direct when awake. Sometimes hewould take on the spirit of a horse, andsometimes that of an ox. His wisdomcould be trusted. His virtue was genuine.

He was beyond distinguishing betweenwhat a man is and what he is not.”





Chien Wu went to see the madman, ChiehYu. Chieh Yu said, “What did ChungShih tell you the other day?”

Chien Wu said, “He told me thata ruler should be an example to others,establishing law and order, ceremony, and

measure, so that every man is influencedand is never tempted to break the law.”

Chieh Yu said, “This is subverting vir-tue! Trying to govern the world that wayis like wading through the sea, digging a

river, or making a mosquito carry a moun-tain on its back. When a wise man rules, ishe concerned with outward appearances?When the mind is clear, then appropriateaction follows. Let each man do what hecan, that is all. Birds fly high in the sky so

as to avoid being hit by stringed arrows.Mice make their homes deep under thesacred mound so as to avoid being smokedout or dug up. Surely men have more sensethan these two creatures?”









Yang Tsu Chu went to see Lao Tsu andsaid, “Here is a man who is sensitive,alert, strong, and decisive, with a thoroughknowledge of the workings of things anduntiring in his study of Tao. Could he becompared with a sage king?”

Lao Tsu said, “In comparison with thesages, such a man is like a hard-workingservant, a craftsman intent upon his work,wearing out his body and confusing hismind. It is said that the reason men huntthe tiger and the leopard is the beauty oftheir skins. The agility of the monkey andthe dog’s ability to catch rats cause men to

domesticate them. So how can such a manbe compared with a sage king?”Yang Tsu Chu was amazed and said,

“May I ask how a sage king rules?”Lao Tsu said, “When a sage king rules,

his influence is felt everywhere but he doesnot seem to be doing anything. His workaffects the ten thousand things, but thepeople do not depend upon him. No oneis aware of him, but he brings happinessto every man. He stands on that whichis not known and wanders in the land ofnowhere.”



In the state of Cheng, there was a shamannamed Chi Hsien. He could tell every-thing about birth and death, gain and loss,misfortune and happiness, and the lengthof a man’s life, predicting the exact year,month, week, and day as though he were a

god. The people of Cheng used to flee atthe mere sight of him. Lieh Tsu went tosee him and was fascinated. On his return,he said to Hu Tsu, “Master! I used tothink that your Tao was perfect. But now Iknow something more perfect still.”

Hu Tsu said, “I have taught you onlythe letter and not the spirit of Tao. Doyou really think that you have masteredTao? If there is no rooster in a flock of

hens, how can they lay fertile eggs? You tryto flaunt your knowledge of Tao to makepeople believe in it. That is why peoplecan see right through you. Bring the sha-man here and I will confront him.”

The next day Lieh Tsu brought himto see Hu Tsu. As the shaman left, heremarked, “Alas! Your master is dying. He

will not live another ten days. I saw some-thing strange in him. He had the appear-ance of wet ashes.”

His gown drenched with tears, LiehTsu went in and told Hu Tsu what he hadheard. Hu Tsu said, “Just now I showed

him the still and silent earth, the tranquiland motionless mountain. Probably he sawonly that I have dammed up the springs ofmy vital energy. Bring him back again.”

The next day the two came again tosee Hu Tsu. As the shaman left, he said,“It is fortunate that your master met me.He is getting better already. He is perfectlyalive. I can see that the closing up of hisenergy flow is only temporary.”

Lieh Tsu went in and told Hu Tsu.Hu Tsu said, “Just now I showed him theheavenly void without name or substance.My vital energy comes up from my heels.Probably all he saw was my

releasing the springs of this energy.Try to bring him back again.”





The next day the two went again to seeHu Tsu. As the shaman left, he said,“Your master is never the same. I have noway to read his face. Wait until he settles

down, then I shall examine him again.”Lieh Tsu went in and told Hu Tsu. Hu

Tsu said, “I have just shown him the ulti-mate harmony, where there is perfect bal-ance. Probably all he saw was the depthsof my vital energy in its perfection. Whenthe waves swirl in a torrent, there are darkdepths. When the water is still, there aredark depths. When the water flows, thereare also dark depths. There are nine names

for the dark depths. I demonstrated onlythree of them. Try to bring him again.”The next day the two came to see Hu

Tsu again. Before they even sat down, theshaman lost his nerve and fled. “Run afterhim!” Hu Tsu said. Lieh Tsu ran but couldnot catch up with the shaman, so he re-

turned and said to Hu Tsu, “He has disap-peared. He is gone. I could not find him.”

Hu Tsu said, “I just showed him whatexisted before the beginning of things.

Completely open and yielding, I showedmyself, without a care, like grass bend-ing before the wind and water flowing inwaves. That is why he ran away.”

Whereupon Lieh Tsu realized that hehad not yet begun to understand. He wenthome, and for the next three years he didnot go out. He did the cooking for his wifeand fed the pigs as though they were hu-man. He took no interest in worldly affairs.

He stopped making complications andreturned to simplicity. Rooted in the earthand centered in his body, amid all the con-fusion and distractions of life, he remainedone with Tao until the end of his days.







Do not seek fame. Do not make plans. Do not be

absorbed by activities. Do not think that you know.Be aware of all that is and dwell in the infinite.Wander where there is no path. Be all that heavengave you, but act as though you have received noth-ing. Be empty, that is all.

The mind of a perfect man is like a mirror. Itgrasps nothing. It expects nothing. It reflects butdoes not hold. Therefore, the perfect man can actwithout effort.





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Zhuangzi - Inner Chapters