Book Discourse on Chuang Tzu:
Chuang Tzu Sang and Beat on a Basin on the Funeral of His Wife
Excerpt from book Discourse On Chuang Tzu / Chapter 18 True Joy
Chuang Tzu’s wife died. When Huei Tzu went to offer his condolences, he found Chuang Tzu sitting on the ground with legs splayed out in front of him, singing and beating on a basin as if it were a drum, “When a wife and husband have shared their life,” said Huei Tzu, “raised children together, reached a ripe old age, and the wife dies, truly it is heartless not to wail for her, but you are even taking things a step further with your singing and drumming. Don’t you think you’re going too far?”
“Not at all.” said Chaung Tzu. “Moments after she died, do you think it was possible for me not to feel distraught? When I reflected on the state of nonbeing before the origins of her being; not only has she not yet been a being, but originally she had no bodily form; not only did she have no bodily form, but originally she had no Qi. In the intermingling midst of the profound and obscure chaos, a change occurred, and there arise Qi. After a further transformation of Qi, her corporeal form appeared. Another change took place in the corporeal form, then birth and life sprang forth. Now another change has taken place, and death has come upon her. These changes, following one after another, mirror the same rhythms of the four seasons: from spring to autumn; from winter to summer. Now she lies peacefully asleep in the great chamber composed of heaven and earth, and if I were to go around weeping and wailing, and gnashing my teeth over that, in the end I would believe that I had failed to understand the concept of what is known as ‘the appointed life span’ of the common lot of people. Therefore I let it go.”
庄子妻死，惠子吊之，庄子则方箕踞鼓盆而歌。惠子曰：“与人居，长子老身，死不哭亦足矣，又鼓盆而歌，不亦甚乎！”
庄子曰：“不然。是其始死也，我独何能无概然！察其始而本无生，非徒无生也而本无形，非徒无形也而本无气。杂乎芒芴之间，变而有气，气变而有形，形变而有生，今又变而之死，是相与为春秋冬夏四时行也。人且偃然寝于巨室，而我噭噭然随而哭之，自以为不通乎命，故止也。”
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