Chuang Tzu Translated by Nina Correa (2)

Zhuangzi Translated by Nina Correa

Zhuangzi Chapter 30: A Discussion of Swords

Translated by Nina Correa

---

King Wen of Zhao was fond of swords. Over three thousand swordsmen would come and gather at his gate. They’d engage in sword fights with each other day and night in his presence, and even though the dead and wounded in one year would number in the hundreds, he liked watching them so much that he didn’t care. After three years the state started declining in power and the dukes and princes of other states started plotting to invade Zhao.

The crown prince, Kui, became worried about this so he summoned his best advisers and said to them:
“Whoever can talk the king out of continuing with these sword fights will be given a gift of a thousand pieces of gold.”

His advisers said:
“Zhuangzi would be able to do that.”

The crown prince sent a messenger to offer the thousand pieces of gold to Zhuangzi. Zhuangzi refused to accept the money, but went back with the messenger to see the crown prince and said to him:

“What is it you want me to do that you’d be willing to give me a thousand pieces of gold to accomplish?”

The crown prince said:
“I’ve heard that you’re an enlightened sage so I sincerely offered the thousand pieces of gold to help with the expenses of your followers. Since you won’t accept this respectful gift from me, how could I dare to ask you to do anything?”

Zhuangzi said:
“I’d heard that what you wanted to pay me for was to get rid of the king’s desire for watching swordplay. If I went and talked to the king but he didn’t like what I had to say and you were displeased with the results, then I’d probably be tortured and put to death. In that event what need would I have for the gold? If I went to talk to the king and he was pleased with what I had to say, thus pleasing you as well, there wouldn’t be anything in the whole state of Zhao I might want that you wouldn’t give to me.”

The crown prince said:
“Good point. The only problem with my idea is that the only people the king will grant an audience to is swordsmen.”

Zhuangzi said:
“Yes, that’s true, but I’m actually pretty good with a sword.”

The crown prince said:
“That’s good. However, the only swordsmen the king will see all have unkempt hair that sticks out at their temples beneath their floppy hats, long tassels hanging from their chin straps and jackets that are cut short in front. They stare angrily and use vulgar language, which is what the king likes. Now if you go see the king with the attire and behavior of a scholar, I’m sure he’ll reject you.”

Zhuangzi said:
“I’ll go ask someone to find me a swordsman’s outfit.”

After three days he came back to see the crown prince, dressed as a proper swordsman. The crown prince took him to see the king. The king was there waiting for them with his sword unsheathed. Zhuangzi slowly walked through the door and entered the hall. When he looked at the king he didn’t bow or salute respectfully.

The king said:
“The crown prince told me earlier that you wanted to come and teach me something. What is it?”

“I’ve heard that you like swords, so I’ve brought a sword to show you.”

The king said:
“This sword of yours, how can it stand up against many others?”

“My sword can take down a man in ten steps and can keep doing so for three hundred miles without fail.”

The king smiled broadly and said:
“Then there’d be no one in the world who could be a match for you!”

Zhuangzi said:
“One who uses this kind of sword shows his opponent an opening where he can thrust, allows him to feel confident with approaching that opening, and it isn’t until after he’s made his lunge that he realizes he’s already been stabbed. I’d like to give you an exhibition of how that’s done.”

The king said:
“Go and rest in the rooms I’ve provided for you and wait there for my orders. I’ll set up the presentation then request your presence.”

The king then set up matches between his swordsmen for seven days, and during that time over sixty of them were killed or wounded. He selected five or six of the remaining men and ordered them to stand with their swords at the ready in the lower hall.

He then summoned Zhuangzi and said:
“Today I’ll allow you to exhibit your skills in competitions with these swordsmen.”

Zhuangzi said:
“I’ve been looking forward to this.”

The king said:
“What type of sword suits you best – a long or short one?”

“I can use either of them. However, I have three swords that you might find useful. Would you like to hear about them before we start the exhibition?”

The king said:
“Yes, I’d like to hear about these three swords.”

“There’s the emperor’s sword, the nobleman’s sword and the commoner’s sword.”

The king said:
“What’s the emperor’s sword?”

“The emperor’s sword uses the Yanxi Lake and Shicheng Mountain as its blade, Mount Dai in Qi as its cutting edge, the states of Jin and Wei as its spine, the capital of Zhou in Song as its handguard and the states of Han and Wei as its hilt.

(Note: The places mentioned above were within the area known today as China. Yanxi Lake is in Hebei Province in the northwest and Shicheng Mountain is on the border of Fijian and Jiangxi Provinces in the southwest – forming a long blade from north to south. Mount Dai is in the center of Shandong Province directly between Yanxi Lake and Shicheng Mountain – a high ridge forming the cutting edge. The states of Jin and Wei , directly to the south of Zhao were two of the other most powerful states at the time – the blunt edge of the sword that could be used for strong back-up. Zhou was the capital of the state of Song, further south – the area around the city could be used as a handguard for protection. The states of Han and Wei to the southwest blocked the invasions into Zhao from the state of Qin, which was further west – forming a handle which could wield power.)

“It’s encircled by the four barbarian tribes (to the north, south, east and west). It’s contained by the four seasons. It’s crowned by the Bei Hai Sea (a gulf in northern China between Liaodong and Shandong peninsulas) and is belted in the middle by Mount Heng (a tall mountain range in Henan Province, central China). It’s governed by the Five Elements (metal, wood, water, fire, earth), guided by punishments and kindness, operates through Yin and Yang, is maintained by spring and summer and is motivated to action by autumn and winter. Hold it out straight and there’s nothing in front of it. Raise it upwards and there’s nothing above it. Point downwards and there’s nothing beneath it. Slash it around and there’s nothing on any side of it. At its heights it cuts through the floating clouds, and at its depths it severs the layers of the earth’s core. Use this sword once and the feudal lords will rectify their misdeeds and the whole world will become obedient. That’s the emperor’s sword.”

King Wen became dazed and lost himself for a moment, then he said:
“What’s the nobleman’s sword?”

“The nobleman’s sword uses clever and brave knights for its blade, honest and upright knights for its cutting edge, worthy and capable knights for its spine, faithful and eminent knights for its handguard, and valiant and heroic knights for its hilt. This sword has similar qualities to the other one. Hold it out straight there’s nothing in front of it. Raise it upwards and there’s nothing above it. Point it downwards and there’s nothing beneath it. Slash it around and there’s nothing on any side of it. At its heights it follows the natural curvature of the three bright lights (sun, moon and north star), at its depths it follows the natural squareness of the four seasons and in between it brings peace to all quarters of the world by harmonizing the wills of the people. Use this sword once and it’ll resound like a thunderclap throughout the four corners of the country and there’ll be no one who wouldn’t become obedient and obey the mandates of their ruler. That’s the nobleman’s sword.”

The king said:
“What’s the commoner’s sword?”

“The commoner’s sword is used by those who have unkempt hair that sticks out at their temples beneath their floppy hats, long tassels hanging from their chin straps and jackets that are cut short in front. They stare angrily and use vulgar language. It lashes out at those in front of it. Raise it upwards and it chops off heads at the neck. Point it downwards and it cuts out livers and lungs. Those who use the commoner’s sword aren’t any different than fighting cocks. In one day their lives can be snuffed out and they’re of no use to the affairs of state. Now you have the position of an emperor yet you delight in the commoner’s sword. I’m telling you privately that’s way beneath you.”

The king then led him by the hand into his upper hall. While the servant was serving dinner, the king walked in circles around the room three times.

Zhuangzi said:
“Sit down and rest yourself. The sword exhibition is already over.”

Thereafter, King Wen didn’t leave his palace for three months, and the swordsmen all committed suicide in their rooms.

Zhuangzi Chapter 31: The Old Fisherman

Translated by Nina Correa

Kong Zi (Confucius) was traveling through a forest on Zi Wei Mountain. He stopped to rest on a platform beneath an apricot tree. His disciples were nearby reading their books while Kong Zi strummed his zither and sang a song. He hadn’t gotten halfway through the song before an old fisherman appeared in the distance. He stepped out of his boat and approached them. The hair on his temples and eyebrows was pure white, his hair hung down over his shoulders and the sleeves of his robes flapped loosely at his sides. He walked up the embankment and stopped when he reached the top. He placed his left hand on his knee and cradled his chin in his right hand while he listened to the music. When the song ended he beckoned to Zi Gong and Zi Lu (two of Confucius’ disciples), and both men went over to him.

The visitor pointed to Kong Zi and asked:
“What does that man do?”

Zi Lu replied:
“He’s a nobleman from the state of Lu.”

When the visitor asked which family (nationality) he belonged to, Zi Lu said:
“He’s from the Kong family.”

The visitor asked:
“What does Mr. Kong do?”

Before Zi Lu could respond Zi Gong said:
“Mr. Kong is a naturally faithful and loyal person who devotes himself to benevolence and righteousness. He takes great effort to sustain ancient rituals and music and to promote human ethics. When dealing with those in high positions he’s loyal to the rulers of the times, and when dealing with those in lower positions he adapts to the normal standards of the people. That’s because he wants to bring benefits to the whole world. That’s what Mr. Kong does.”

The man continued with his questions:
“Is he a nobleman in charge of a specific area of land?”

Zi Gong said:
“No.”

“Is he an adviser to a king or marquis?”

Zi Gong said:
“No.”

The visitor then laughed and turned to leave, saying as he was going:

“If you say he’s benevolent, then he must be benevolent. However, I’m afraid he won’t be able to escape with his body in tact. By causing so much trouble to his heart and fatiguing his physical form he’s putting his genuineness in danger. Unfortunately, he’s moved very far away from Dao.”

Zi Gong went back and told Kong Zi about the conversation. Kong Zi pushed aside his musical instruments and got up, saying:
“That man was a sage.”

He got down from his platform and went to look for the man. When he arrived at the riverbank the man was about to push his boat off from the shore with an oar. He looked up and saw Kong Zi, so he returned to the bank and stood next to him. Kong Zi took a few steps back, respectfully bowed twice, then moved closer to him.

The visitor said:
“What do you want from me?”

Kong Zi said:
“A little while ago you said just a few words then left. I’m such an unworthy numbskull that I haven’t been able to figure out what you meant. If I could just eavesdrop on your words, standing downwind so some of the spittle from your mouth might reach me, then I might finally learn something from you.”

The visitor said:
“Oh my! Your passion for learning is really extreme.”

Kong Zi bowed deeply twice and rose slowly saying:
“From the time I was very young I pursued learning. Now here I am sixty-nine years old, and I still haven’t heard the most enlightening teachings. I wouldn’t dare to not keep my heart open at this point.”

The visitor said:
“Those of similar types follow one another. Those who make similar sounds respond to one another. That’s the natural course of the principles of the heavens. If I tried to explain my own position to you then I’d mislead you from your own path. What you’ve taken as your path is to be involved in the affairs of humans – emperors, noblemen, administrators and common people. People in these four groups who rectify themselves are thus good at governing. If people in those four groups abandoned their positions then nothing but chaos would prevail. If the officials stay within the bounds of their own duties and the common people see to their own affairs, then neither would cause difficulty to the other.

“Therefore, if fields aren’t tended, roofs are leaking, there isn’t enough clothing or food, taxes can’t be paid, wives and daughters-in-law don’t get along, children and elders are out of accord with each other – these are the concerns of common people. Inability to fulfill their responsibilities, official business that’s been neglected, deals that drag on without clear settlements, underlings that are incompetent and lazy, not having achieved beautiful results, not being able to hold onto rank and position – these are the concerns of administrators. The lack of loyal ministers in the royal court, chaos and disorder within the families of the state, an unskilled work force, contributions of tribute items (for the king) that are below par, being given a lower precedence at the spring and autumn meetings (with the ruler), being considered disobedient to the emperor – these are the concerns of the feudal dukes. Yin and Yang being discordant, the coolness of winter and the warmth of summer not arriving at the proper time causing damage to all things, feudal dukes revolting in chaos and attacking each other at random without authorization thus injuring innocent people, unrestrained and improper performance of rituals and music, deficient coffers in the treasury, deterioration of people’s morals, the families in the state acting licentious and promiscuous – these are the concerns of the emperor’s chancellors.

“Now you’ve already taken a superior position for yourself without having the power of a prince, marquis or chancellor. You’ve also taken a lower position for yourself without having the office of a minister who’s in charge of those affairs. Without authorization you try to adorn rituals and music, choose proper morals for the people and change the way they relate to each other. You’re not creating peace in any of the areas where you put in your own two cents!

“Furthermore, people have eight defects and their affairs are beset by four afflictions that they shouldn’t ignore.
“Meddling: Sticking your nose into other people’s business that doesn’t concern you.
“Intruding: Pushing yourself into situations where you haven’t been invited.
“Currying favor: Praising someone because you want to get something from them.
“Flattery: Paying no attention to what’s right or wrong about someone you’re trying to get on the better side of.
“Slander: Saying bad things about another person.
“Troublemaking: Trying to cause rifts between friends or family members.
“Deceitfulness: Giving false kudos to someone while putting them down behind their backs.
“Taking advantage: Not differentiating between acting kind or unkind, but thinking it’s fine to be two-faced in order to prey on other people’s desires.
“One who engages in these eight defects causes disorder to others and harm to themselves. A nobleman wouldn’t have someone like that as a friend nor would an enlightened ruler appoint them as a minister.

“The four afflictions are:
“Ambitious greed: To be constantly altering, amending or transforming what have already been accepted practices in order to try to further one’s notoriety and fame.
“Plagiarism: To adopt the concepts of others and claim them as your own in order to appear more intelligent and world-wise.
“Conceit: To be told of your own shortcomings but rather than addressing them, not giving them a second thought.
“Bigotry: Approving of someone who is the same as you, but rejecting those who aren’t the same by claiming their good points are actually evils.

“Those are the four afflictions. It’s only by being able to get rid of the eight defects and not engage in the four afflictions can one begin to be taught what you’re asking about.”
Kong Zi got a sad look on his face and sighed. He bowed twice and said as he was preparing to leave:

“I’ve been twice kicked out of Lu, had all traces of me removed from Wei, had a drum tree chopped down on me in Song, and was detained between the states of Chen and Cai. I don’t know why I’ve had to go through these losses and be slandered those four times. Do you?”

The visitor became saddened then changed his expression and said:
“How very hard it is for you to wake up. There was a man who was afraid of his shadow and he thought his footprints were the tracks of something evil following him. Every time he raised his foot to get away the number of footprints increased, and no matter how fast he ran the shadow remained right behind him. He thought he might be running too slowly so he ran faster and faster until his strength ran out and he died. He couldn’t figure out that he would be able to rest in the shade of his shadow and that if he stayed still the footprints would stop. That’s how extremely stupid he was!

“You carefully examine what you consider to be benevolent and righteous, observe the boundaries which separate what’s alike and what’s dissimilar, contemplate the changes between movement and stillness, determine what’s appropriate to give and receive, establish conditions on the principles of good and evil, restrict the acceptance of happiness and anger, and have barely been able to escape calamity.

“If you sincerely cultivate your external self and carefully guard what’s genuine within, things and people will evolve in their own way. Then there would be nothing to run you ragged. Now, by not cultivating your own external self but still expecting others to do it, aren’t you just concerned with what’s outside of your own self?”

Kong asked with a sad look:
“May I ask what you mean by ‘genuine’?”

The visitor said:
“What’s genuine comes from utmost naturalness and sincerity. What isn’t natural or sincere doesn’t have the ability to move anyone. Therefore, forced tears however much they express sorrow fail to sadden. A forced tantrum however severe it might be fails to cause alarm. Forced intimacy however much a person may smile fails to bring people in tune with each other. Genuine sorrow can sadden without uttering a sound. Genuine anger can cause alarm before any sign is given. Genuine intimacy can bring people in tune with each other before a smile appears. When genuineness exists within and is expressed outwardly through the spirit, that’s the true value of genuineness.

“The ways it’s expressed when dealing with other people are: it’s loving and dutiful when engaged in intimate relationships; it’s loyal and steadfast when engaged in matters involving those in positions of authority; it’s filled with joy and lightheartedness when drinking wine; it’s sad and sorrowful when dealing with periods of mourning. The primary concern of loyalty and steadfastness is to be of beneficial service. The primary concern of drinking wine is to be lighthearted. The primary concern in times of mourning is feeling sad. The primary concern in intimate relationships is being in tune with each other. The beauty of succeeding at being of beneficial service is that it doesn’t leave one trace behind. When people are in tune with each other in intimate relationships they don’t have to try to figure out how it happened. If one is lighthearted when drinking wine they they don’t put any thought into the selection of a proper wine glass. When one is overcome by sorrow in times of mourning they don’t ask what’s the proper etiquette to observe. Proper etiquette is a reflection of the society at the time, whereas genuineness is something that’s received from the heavens. That kind of spontaneity can’t be changed by the changing times. Therefore, a wise person models himself on what’s natural, values what’s genuine and doesn’t restrain it by the customs of society. A stupid person does the opposite of that. Being unable to model himself on what’s natural, he pities the plight of humans. Not having enough sense to value what’s genuine, he makes notes on everything and allows himself to be transformed along with the customs of society. Therefore, he’ll never be satisfied.

“It’s such a pity! You were deeply engrossed in the hypocrisy coming from people at such an early age, and only heard about great Dao at this late stage.”

Kong Zi again bowed twice and said as he straightened up:
“Meeting you today has been like a stroke of luck from the heavens. Master, if you wouldn’t be too ashamed of me as compared to the others who are your loyal servants, and take me on as a student, I’d dare to ask you where you live. Please consider accepting me in your school and educating me about the great Dao.”

The visitor said:
“I’ve heard it said that if you come upon someone with whom you can walk on the Way, then go along with him into the mysterious Dao. If you come upon someone with whom you can’t walk on the Way, who has no knowledge of this Dao, then be cautious and absolutely don’t walk along with him. Only in that way can you remain blameless (for their own failings). You’re going to have to do your own work yourself. I’m leaving you now! I’m leaving you now!”

With that he shoved off his boat and left, wending his way between the reeds of the river.

Yan Yuan brought around the carriage and Zi Lu reached out to hand him the strap for mounting the carriage, but Kong Zi ignored them. He stood there waiting for the ripples in the water to subside and for the sound of the man’s poling through the river to vanish before he dared to board the carriage.

Zi Lu stood at the side of the carriage and asked:
“I’ve been your servant for a long time but I’ve never seen you so in awe of anyone you’ve ever met. When you’ve been in the presence of a king with ten thousand chariots or a prince with a thousand chariots, even though they offer you a seat in their royal hall, treat you as a peer and allow you to share in their rituals, you still maintain a haughty manner. Today a simple old fisherman leaning on his pole stood there obstinately and you bent over as though you were beating a low chime stone, bowing repeatedly before uttering a word. Isn’t that going a bit too far? All your disciples thought that was very strange behavior for you. Why should an old fisherman be treated that way?”

Kong Zi leaned over the handrail of the carriage, sighed, and said:
“How very hard it is for you to change. You’ve been so deeply involved in looking into etiquette and righteousness, yet so far you haven’t gone beyond having the simple mind of a scornful person. Come closer and I’ll try to explain it to you. If you meet with an older person and don’t show the proper respect then you’re lacking in etiquette. If you meet a worthy person and don’t show them proper honor then you’re lacking in benevolence. If that man hadn’t been an achieved person he wouldn’t have been able to make others bow down to him. If you refused to bow down to him then you’d be opposing what’s natural, not get closer to being genuine, and in that way cause injury to yourself for a long time. It’s such a pity! There’s no greater misfortune that could come to a person than to lack benevolence, but you alone fully choose that for yourself.

“Furthermore, the source of all things is Dao. If any of those things lose it they die, and if they retain it they live. If their affairs are contrary to it then they fail, but if they are in accord with it they succeed. Since Dao supports existence a wise person has respect for it. Now, it can safely be said that the old fisherman has Dao. How could I dare not to show him respect?”

Zhuangzi Chapter 32: Lie Yu Kou (aka Liezi)

Translated by Nina Correa

Lie Yu Kou (Liezi) was on his way to the state of Qi, but in the middle of his journey he turned back and ran into Bo Hun Mao Ren (Professor Confused Nonentity).
Bo Hun Mao Ren asked him:

“What made you change directions and come back?”

“I was startled by something.”

“What startled you?”

“I stopped to eat some food in ten different inns and in five of them I was served before anyone else.”

Bo Hun Mao Ren said:
“What was so startling about that?”

“Even when your inside honesty and sincerity isn’t displayed to others, sometimes the actions you take with your body reveals your inner light. At that point people you come into contact with can open their minds to being influenced by you, and without a second thought set you up as a paragon. That’s what worried me. When the innkeepers gave me special treatment and served me their finest soup, I thought it might get even worse by the time I got to Qi. If those who had so little were willing to give me so much and without a second thought treated me as though I was powerful, then how much more would a king with ten thousand chariots try to heap on me! His body worn out from defending the state and his knowledge at the brink of exhaustion by dealing with all the state’s affairs, he’d appoint me to be in charge of something and demand my services expecting a successful outcome. The realization of that is what startled me.”

Bo Hun Mao Ren said:
“Very good insights! However, being as you are, people will still try to serve you.”

When he went to pay him a visit on a later date he found that there were sandals (of guests) lined up outside his door. Bo Hun Mao Ren turned away and stood there tapping his walking stick. His brow was creased pensively and the corners of his mouth drooped in consternation. He stood there idly without saying a word then left.

The person in charge of greeting guests went in and told Liezi about the visitor. He grabbed up his sandals and went running barefoot to the outer gate where he caught up with him and said:
“Master, you’ve just arrived and now you’re going to leave without offering me a remedy for my ills?”

“I already told you that people would try to serve you, and that’s exactly what’s happened. It’s not that you go out of your way to make people serve you, but that you’re not able to make people stop serving you. You’re probably finding something useful about their emotional enthusiasm toward you, as you keep encouraging them. If you must have this kind of emotional reaction around you then it’ll continue to agitate the core of your own nature. That goes without saying. And yet you keep on following this course. You know, no one will point this out to you, as they all just share petty words with you, and you lap it all up. None of them wants to learn to see anything nor wake up to anything, so what could they possibly share with each other! The clever ones keep working hard at being clever and the knowledgeable ones worry about how knowledgeable they are. Those without any talents whatsoever have no concept of looking for anything. They’re satisfied with having a good meal and go drifting from there. They float about as though they’re on an unmoored boat, dwell in a void and are drifters and wanderers.”

There was a man named Huan (Monotonous) in the state of Zheng who memorized and recited texts in the district of Quishi. In only three years Huan had elevated himself to the position of a Confucian scholar. As easily as the Yellow River moistens the land extending for three miles beyond where it flows, he showered blessings on the three levels of his family relations. He helped enable his younger brother to pursue his interest in Mohism. The Confucian and the Mohist engaged in hearty debates about their different philosophies, and their father substantiated what was set forth by Di (the younger brother – Dazzling). Ten years later Huan committed suicide.

He came to his father in a dream and said:
“I’m the one who helped enable him to become a Mohist scholar. When are you ever going to come to the realization of how good I am? Even now (buried in my grave) I’m assisting in the growth of the oaks which will produce seeds in the autumn.”

When the creator of things gave people their various attributes, they weren’t attributes based on how to become human, but based on what’s natural to humans. Each person is therefore enabled to become what they are. When a person thinks they’ve become more special than others they end up looking down on even their own family members and will push them out of the way when trying to get a drink at a well. It’s said that nowadays all people are like Huan. Actually, if one truly possesses virtue they aren’t aware of it, and that would be even more true for one who possesses Dao! Before modern teachings came about, that was known as freedom from being punished by what’s natural.

A wise person is safe in what’s secure, but doesn’t look for safety in what isn’t secure. Everybody else looks for safety in what isn’t secure, but doesn’t seek safety in what’s secure.

Zhuangzi said:
“Realizing Dao is easy, but trying not to speak about it is difficult. To have the realization but not try to put it into words is allowing what’s natural to occur on its own. To have the realization and try to put it into words is trying to affect the human condition. People in ancient times followed what was natural for them, not what came from other people.”

Zhu Ping Man (Unrestrained Bloody Ravine) wanted to learn the practice of butchering a dragon from Zhi Li Yi (Continuously Breaking Things Apart). He single handedly depleted the family coffers of a thousand gold pieces to pay for his lessons. After three years he’d perfected the technique but there wasn’t a place to use his skills.

A wise person realizes how unnecessary it is to do things others think are necessary, so he has no use for weapons. Everyone else thinks it’s necessary to do things that are unnecessary, so they amass many weapons. One who has their weapons at the ready will go looking for ways to use them, and by depending on using weapons they’re bound to perish.

Their understanding is so small that they don’t go further than knowing how to wrap up what they’ve written on bamboo slips in fine hemp cloth, but their essence and spirit becomes as tattered as the cloth when it becomes worn. Yet they still want to gather together with others and assist them, believing they can lead them to the Great Oneness of the Shapeless Void. In this way they all become so lost and confused by the universe that they wear out their bodies without ever having a concept of the Great Beginning. Those who are perfected people return their essence and spirit to the place before time began and savor the obscurity of a territory where they’ve never been. They flow forth like uncontained water, dripping and leaking great clarity along the way. How sad it is for some that their whole knowledge of existence is like a single thin hair and don’t have a clue about the greatest peacefulness!

There was a man in the state of Song named Cao Shang (Businessman Cao) who was sent by the King of Song on a mission to the state of Qin. When he left he was provided with several chariots as an escort. The King of Qin was so pleased with him that he provided him with an additional hundred chariots for his return trip.

When he got back to Song he saw Zhuangzi and said to him:
“To live on a seedy street in a run down neighborhood, tediously weaving straw sandals with a wrinkled neck and a sallow complexion is something I wouldn’t do very well. To only once awaken a king with ten thousand chariots and be given a hundred chariots for doing that is something I do best.”

Zhuangzi said:
“When the King of Qin was sick he requested his doctors to come see him. If a doctor could remove a tooth and drain the abscess, he would receive one chariot. To one who would lick his hemorrhoids he’d give five chariots. The further down the cure, the more carriages one would get. How could you have possibly cured his hemorrhoids? Then what is it you did to receive so many carriages? Go away!”

Duke Ai of Lu asked Yan He:
“If I were to put Zhong Ni (Confucius) in charge of making my ministers loyal would the state be cured of its ills?”

“That would be dangerous! Zhong Ni spouts garbage. He tends to decorate issues with soft feathers and intricate paintings, engages in glorious speeches and uses minute details to get his points across. He’s merciless when making judgments on other people and is neither knowledgeable nor trustworthy. He readily accepts what comes from his mind but butchers his spirit. What does he have that could possibly put him above other people? Do you really think he’s suitable for the job? Would you give him a nod? It would be a grave mistake to do that. If you were to cause the people to turn away from what’s real and instead study what’s hypocritical, then there’s no way to really see into what the people are actually feeling. That would go on for many more generations and there wouldn’t seem to be a stop to it. Only disaster would come from that kind of governing.”

To do favors for others and not forget what was done is contrary to the way the heavens distribute things. When involved in making a deal a businessman doesn’t gnash his teeth. Even though the affair at hand might make him feel like gnashing his teeth, he expends his energy not to do it. He becomes tortured from the outside by keeping records of the money owed him, and he becomes tortured from the inside by trying to keep tabs of what false moves he might make. At night people try to let go of what’s torturing them from the outside, but their minds keep questioning their tallies and coffers; they try to let go of what’s torturing them from the inside, but yin and yang keep eating away at them. To be exempt from being tortured from the outside and the inside – only a perfected person would be able to do that.

Kong Zi (Confucius) said:
“The minds of human beings can be more dangerous to traverse than mountains and rivers, and more difficult to understand than the heavens. The heavens, at least, have their periods of spring and autumn, winter and summer and dawn and sunset. People have pretentious mannerisms covering deep seated emotions. Therefore, they might show an honest outward appearance but are only out to get everything they can lay their hands on; might present themselves as being authoritative even though they’re completely inept; might seem anxious to please simply in order to gain a position; might appear to be firmly set in their attitude but are actually wishy-washy; might appear to be relaxed but are actually hiding ferocity. Therefore, those who strive for righteousness as though it were a cool drink in a desert would just as easily run from it as though it was a hot blaze burning them.

“Therefore, a nobleman will test people’s true feelings by sending them on a mission far away to see how loyal they’ll remain; give them a task to do close at hand to observe how respectful they are; present them with a puzzling problem to see how capable they are, then suddenly pose another question to see how knowledgeable they really are; give them an urgent task that has to be accomplished in a short period of time to see how quickly they can come up with a plan of action; entrust them with taking charge of vast sums of money to see if they’ll be fair with others; tell them of an impending crisis to see if they can economize and prepare for it; get them drunk on wine to see what they do when inebriated; place them in a situation with the opposite sex to see how much they’re ruled by their sexual appetite. Through these nine tests, one who is unworthy may be found out.”

When Zheng Kao Fu (Proper Old Father) received his first appointment to office he bowed his head. When he received his second promotion he bowed from the waist. When he received a third promotion he bowed all the way to the ground and backed out of the room. Who would dare not to follow his example! If the same thing happened to an ordinary person, at their first appointment they’d stand up straight and proud. At their second promotion they’d dance on top of their carriage. By their third promotion they’d give titles to their male relatives. How much more power they must think they wield than Tang and Xu You!

The greatest harm that can be done to one’s virtue is to dwell on thoughts and to be narrow minded. If one is narrow minded and inspects everything closely from that personal viewpoint then that personal viewpoint will be destructive. There are five dangers to one’s virtue and the one that pierces virtue the most leads to all the others. Which is the one that pierces one’s virtue the most? The one that pierces the most is to have such a sense of self-esteem that one would discredit what others do.

There are eight extremes that will cause hardships, three requirements for prominence and six areas of punishment. To be physically attractive, to have a full lush beard, to be tall, to be well-built, to be robust, to have perfect proportions, to be brave and to be overly confident – to have all of these six attributes in excess of others will cause one to have hardships. To follow along compliantly at the skirts of another, to bow down with deep respect and to timidly act as though one wasn’t on a par with others – to be expert at all three of these things will cause one to reach prominence. To be knowledgeable and wise, to show oneself to be an expert, to take courageous actions, to hold many grudges, to be benevolent and righteous, to take on responsibility for correcting perceived wrongs – to have any one of these qualities would bring punishments. One who masters their emotional reactions to situations that arise in life becomes a puppet. One who masters knowledge in a specific area becomes a scion. One who masters a position of authority becomes a follower. One who masters an inferior position becomes a cynic.

There was a man who went to see the king of Song and had been awarded ten carriages. Like a proud child, he went to show them off to Zhuangzi.

Zhuangzi said:
“Above the Yellow River there’s a family who earns enough to provide them with food by weaving articles out of marsh reeds and branches. The son dove into the depths of the river and came up with a pearl worth a thousand pieces of gold. His father said to him: ‘Take a rock and smash it. A valuable pearl like that must have been lodged under the chin of a black dragon who lives in the ninefold depths. The reason you got hold of that pearl must have been because it was asleep. If the black dragon would have awakened, do you think there would have been a shred of you left?’ The depths of the state of Song are no less than the ninefold depths of the abyss, and the ferocity of the king of Song is no less than that of the black dragon. The reason you got hold of those chariots must have been because he was asleep. If the king of Song would have awakened, you would have been pulverized!”

Someone brought an invitation to Zhuangzi to attend a royal affair. Zhuangzi responded to the messenger, saying:
“Have you ever observed the sacrifice of an ox? It’s clothed in an embroidered robe, fed on the finest hay and grains, then it’s led along by a leash to the Imperial Temple. Even though it would rather just be left alone to grow up as an ox, at that point could it achieve that?”

When Zhuangzi was on the verge of death his disciples wanted to plan for a magnificent burial.

Zhuangzi said:
“I’ll use the heavens and earth as my inner and outer coffins, the sun and moon as my linked jade discs, the stars as my pearls and precious jewels, and the ten thousand things as my parting gifts. With all of these tools readily available for my burial, how could I not already be prepared? What more could I possibly need?”

(Note: Inner and outer coffins were provided for renowned people to prevent animals and insects from getting to their corpses. Linked jade discs were a symbol of their authority and position in life. Pearls and precious jewels were adornments. Parting gifts were offerings from friends. Some people believed these things could protect the soul of the person after death.)

A disciple said:
“We’re afraid crows and vultures will come feed on you.”

Zhuangzi said:
“Above ground I would become food for crows and vultures while under the ground I would feed crickets and ants. To deprive one group over another of the feast – wouldn’t that be showing partiality?”

If you use what’s erratic to try to make things level, then what was level would become erratic. If you use what’s unprovable to try to prove something, then what can be proven will become unprovable. One who sees things with great clarity will only be influenced by what he perceives. One who sees things from their spirit will find all the proof they need. One who prefers to understand everything can’t bear to dwell in their spirits for very long and they stupidly depend on the manifestations they see coming from others, so anything they succeed at is merely on the outside. Isn’t that sad!

Zhuangzi Chapter 33: The World

Translated by Nina Correa

There are many people who’ve come up with ideas about the best method to govern the world, and all of them believe they have the ultimate answer. Those in ancient times called this method Dao. What exists as a result of it? There isn’t anything that doesn’t exist because of it. How did the spirits descend into everything? How did brightness exude from everything? The sage finds his place in living life and the king finds his place in accomplishing things. All things originally arose from the same source. One who doesn’t depart from their ancestors is called a heavenly person. One who doesn’t depart from their own essence is called a spiritual person. One who doesn’t depart from what is genuine is called a perfected person. One who takes the heavens as their ancestor, virtue as their roots, Dao as their gateway, and is able to foresee that changes will transform things is called a sage. One who takes benevolence as an imperative, righteousness as a mandate, rituals as proper etiquette, music as a means for creating harmony and who has an aura of kindness and benevolence is called a gentleman. One who uses laws as a means of discrimination, notoriety as a model, conduct as a measuring stick, observable faults as a means for severing relationships and places everything into categories of how valuable they are can be likened to the hundreds of officials who are constantly gnashing at each other. To see their affairs as being ordinary, to see clothing and food as their mainstay, to have children, to raise animals, to store up their harvests, to care for the old, weak, orphaned and widowed while making sure everyone has sufficient nourishment are the principles most people live by.

The people in ancient times were fully equipped with everything they needed. They blended the spiritual and the intellectual, retained the purity of the heavens and the earth, tended to all living things and brought harmony to the world. Good fortune extended to all the various families. Understanding existed between those who came from different genealogies. Bonds were formed between those who couldn’t contribute anything and those who contributed a lot. They were unimpeded in the six directions while mastering the four seasons. Small or large, refined or rough around the edges – they were all carried along together since there wasn’t anything that didn’t exist because of it (Dao).

Those who found clarity and uses for the various theories passed down the methods used through the generations and caused many others to have great esteem for them. In the states of Zhou and Lu there are scholars wearing belts pinching their robes in at the waist (common garb to denote a scholar from the rest of the people) who study under many masters who have the ability to decipher the texts of the Shi, Shu, Li and Yue.

The Shi (Shi Jing “Book of Odes”) explains the aspirations of the emotions.
The Shu (Shu Jing “Book of History”) explains historical records.
The Li (Li Ji “Book of Rites”) explains proper behavior and etiquette.
The Yue (Yue Jing “Book of Music”) explains how to use music to create harmony.
The Yi (Yi Jing “Book of Changes”) explains the transformations of Yin and Yang.
The Chun Qui (“Spring and Autumn Annals”) explains the hierarchy of official positions.
They’ve spread these teachings throughout the world and set up practices involving them within China. Hundreds of philosophical schools have sprung up over time and many of them follow what’s included in those books.

The world is in a state of great chaos, the worthy and the wise can bring no clarity, and Dao and virtue have been separated. Throughout the world most people latch on to one way of seeing things and use it to promote themselves over others. As an analogy: The ears, eyes, nose and mouth each impart something to the rest of the body, but they can’t impart things to each other. And yet the hundred different schools with their various methods all claim to have the best doctrine and look for the opportunity to show how useful they are. With all this going on you wouldn’t be able to find a single one of them anywhere who might admit they’re wrong about anything they believe. They criticize the inherent goodness of the heavens and the earth, divide and analyze the principles of all living things, and go into great detail inspecting how perfect the ancient people might have been. Few of them have the ability to find the goodness in the heavens and the earth or to tolerate the insights inherent in their own spirits.

That’s why those who have wisdom keep it within while submitting to the control of the rulers around them. They hide their insights and tightly prevent them from issuing forth while the rest of the people in the world go about fulfilling their own desires and claiming their way is the only way. It’s so sad that the hundred schools keep on expanding without taking a look back and won’t shut up! The scholars in future generations unfortunately won’t be able to see the pure simplicity of the heavens and earth, nor the great system followed by the ancient people. Instead those who become skillful expounding on Dao will shatter the world.

Not to pass on the necessity for extravagances to future generations, not to disregard any of the other living things in this world, not to try to evaluate everything through one’s own perceptions of weighing out their value, to restrain oneself with codes of conduct and to be prepared for the anxieties that might occur in the future. The ancients thought this was a completely adequate method to move forward with Dao.

Mo Di (Mozi) and Qin Gu Li (one of Mozi’s closest disciples) learned of these practices and were delighted. However, they got very carried away with trying to add to what were already great concepts. Mozi wrote a piece called “Against Music” and made a definitive statement in “Moderation in Expenditure”, saying that life should not be filled with song and there should be no special preparations made for death.

(Note: Both “Against Music” and “Moderation in Expenditure” were aimed at criticizing the wealthy and the rulers for spending so much money on fancy musical instruments and expensive coffins and clothing for their corpses to the detriment of the rest of the people. Mozi went to the extreme of condemning all music and funeral rites.)

Mozi exuded love and consideration for others and was against the idea of warfare. His Way was to not get angry, to have a fondness for learning and to express love universally. In that way he didn’t differ from the ancient rulers and was similar to them in most respects, except for the fact that he tore down their rituals and music.

Huang Di had his Xian Chi music, King Yao had his Da Zhang, King Shun had his Da Shao, King Yu had his Da Xia, King Tang had his Da Huo, and King Wen had the music of the Bi Yong, while King Wu and Zhou Gong fashioned the Wu music. Funeral ceremonies in ancient times prescribed the proper rituals for the eminent and the humble and the different regulations that applied to those who were superior and those who were inferior. The emperor was allotted seven layers of inner and outer coffins, the feudal dukes and princes were allotted five, high ministers were allotted three, and knights were allotted two. Now Mozi single-handedly tried to do away with all singing and all funeral rituals. Having a plain wooden coffin three inches thick with no outer coffins was what he considered should be set up as the rule. By telling others to do those things I’m afraid he really didn’t love people, and by doing those things himself I doubt he had any love for himself either. In the end Mozi’s Way was defeated because when people wanted to sing he wouldn’t let them, when they wanted to shed tears he wouldn’t let them, and when they wanted to listen to music he wouldn’t let them. It makes you wonder which species of life he belonged to! To be weighted down with hardships in life, cast aside like rubbish at death and to be in constant fear of retribution along the way makes people depressed and pessimistic, and everything they go through seems fraught with disaster. I’m afraid this couldn’t possibly be considered the path of a sage. To go counter to the hearts of those in the world is something the world just couldn’t endure. Mozi himself may have been able to live that way, but who else in the world could do it? By removing himself so far from what was actually happening in the world, he was also very far away from being able to guide it in any way.

Mozi made this statement of praiseworthy actions:
“In ancient times Yu stopped the waters that were flooding the countryside by dredging new channels for the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers which allowed the waters to flow into the channels in four directions throughout China. This created three hundred rivers, three thousand streams and countless small rivulets. Yu personally carried baskets and dug with shovels in order to make trenches that would connect all the rivers in the world. The flesh was scraped off his calves and the hair was rubbed off his shins. Heavy rains washed through the hair on his head and strong winds combed it while he was working hard to set up the numerous small states. Yu was a great sage and the toils he went through to help the world can’t be matched.”

And so it came to pass that those who followed Mozi’s precepts went to the extreme by wearing untanned animal skins and coarse clothing, shuffling along on torn sandals, never stopping to take a rest day or night and driving themselves to the most excessive suffering. They say: “If we’re not able to exemplify those things then we wouldn’t be following Yu’s Way and we’d be too lacking in effort to be called Mohists.”

The disciples of Xianli Qin, the followers of Wu Hou, and the Mohists of the south such as Ruo Huo, Yi Chi, Deng Linzi, and their like all recite the Mohist Canon, but they put each other down by citing their differences and claiming that the other sects aren’t true Mohists. They slander each other with arguments about the “hard and white” and “sameness and difference”. They responded to each other with comparisons of the incompatibility of “odds and evens”. They each regarded their own Grand Master to be a sage, all of whom wished to be given the position of ultimate authority and hoped to be revered for centuries to come. Even to this time that issue hasn’t been resolved.

Modi (Mozi) and Qin Gu Li were right in their ideas but wrong in their practices. This caused later Mohists to feel that all they had to do was suffer to the extent of being without flesh on their calves and hair on their shins to prove they outshone others. Chaos reigned and order descended. Although Mozi had the best intentions in trying to help the world, he never attained what he was seeking. Although he became withered and worn in his pursuits, he never gave up trying. He definitely had the ability of a scholarly person.

Not to accumulate a set of rules for others, not to adorn oneself with pretentious things, not to be without regard for other people, not to be jealous of what other people have, sincerely hoping for the world to be a safe place where everyone could live in peace, and to stop when nourishment for others and oneself is sufficient – all of these things depict a purified heart. The ancients thought this was a completely adequate method to move forward with Dao.

Song Jian and Yin Wen learned of these practices and were delighted. They went about their business wearing hats in the shape of Mount Hua to distinguish themselves.
(Note: Philosophers of different schools wore hats of various shapes to distinguish themselves from others, and it’s been said that Song Jian and Yin Wen chose to wear a hat that was flat on top, like Mount Hua, to denote equality – that no one should be considered to be higher than another.)

When dealing with all the living things they started out by accepting and forgiving those who felt alienated. They set forth the idea that “the heart is enduring” and instructed that the heart behaves naturally in that way. Feeling that anything entering the ears can bring cheerfulness and by transferring that feeling to whatever one comes across within the four seas (the world) they wanted to instigate an acceptance of those ideas as the law of the land. By getting the people to see that they didn’t have to feel humiliated if someone insulted them they hoped to help people stop fighting with each other. By getting the people to stop attacking each other within the confines of their own homes they hoped to help future generations do away with war. They advanced these ideas by traveling throughout the world, speaking to those in positions of authority and teaching the common people. Even though their words weren’t met with a warm reception in the world, they made a lot of noise and wouldn’t abandon their mission. Therefore it was said about them: “The high and the lowly are sick of the sight of them and yet they still demand to be seen.”

Although they kept trying to do so many things for other people, they did very little for themselves. They’d say: “We’d be pleased to accept just five pints of rice. That’s quite sufficient.” The teachers probably never got their fill and surely their disciples went around hungry all the time, but they never forgot their zeal for helping the rest of the world and wouldn’t stop to take a rest day or night, saying: “We must keep saving other’s lives!” What high intentions these scholars had for rescuing future generations! They’d say: “A gentleman doesn’t look to criticize others nor does he adorn himself with pretentious things.” They figured that if someone was not bringing benefits to the rest of the world, they shone an inadequate light. Their outer work consisted of putting an end to aggression and warfare in others, and their inner work consisted of putting an end to desires and passions within. When dealing with small or large matters, with minor details or general theories, their whole existence revolved around those ideals and nothing more.

Being impartial instead of favoring a specific ideal, to change easily instead of sticking to a previous perception, being independent instead of following the mandates of another, showing delight in things as they are without being two-faced, not trying to come to conclusions, not using cleverness to create schemes, and not showing favoritism between things – these things show an ability to join with anything. The ancients thought this was a completely adequate method to move forward with Dao.

Peng Meng, Tian Pian and Shen Dao learned of these practices and were delighted. Their main gist was to equalize all the ten thousand things. They said: “The heavens is able to provide a cover for things but it isn’t able to provide support from below. The earth is able to provide support from below for things but it isn’t able to provide a cover. The great Dao is able to contain things and it isn’t able to reject any of them.” They knew that all things have that which they accept and that which they don’t accept. Therefore they said: “By choosing one thing over another, something is cast aside. By sticking to one doctrine over another, something is missed. By connecting with Dao nothing is lost.”

So Shen Dao decided to give up on trying to understand anything, let go of his sense of self and follow along with whatever happened to occur. He just let things wash over him in an undisturbed way, considering that to be the basic principle of Dao. He said: “Those who think they know what they don’t know have very shallow knowledge and will end up causing harm to themselves and everyone around them.” Sparse with his words and actions, he accepted no position of authority and laughed at those who were esteemed as being worthy by the world. Setting himself free from restrictions, he didn’t take on any specific demeanor and denied the authority placed in the sages by the world. Hammering and chopping away at what was already established as appropriate, he rolled and flowed along with other things. Abandoning all concepts of what is and what isn’t, his indifference allowed him to avoid being involved in affairs. Not having a Master to set up as an exemplar and having no understanding of what should come first or last, he merely looked up to what came naturally. He’d respond if he was pushed and go along if he was dragged. He seemed like the wind floating in any direction, like a feather spinning, like a grinding stone revolving – perfectly attuned to the moment and not giving any opposition. He was never at fault whether he was in motion or keeping still, so he never got blamed for anything. How could that be? Because being without knowledge of anything, without establishing rules for oneself to cause anxiety and without using knowledge to try to tie everything together, whether one is still or in motion they don’t depart from the principles of nature. In that way they can spend their whole lives not being praised for anything.

Therefore Shen Dao said:
“If I can merely be someone who has no knowledge of anything, then I’d have no use for worthiness or sagehood. A lump of earth doesn’t lose Dao.”

The powerful and talented scholars would get together and laugh at him, saying:
“The Dao of Shen Dao goes contrary to the behavior of a living person and is more suited for the conduct of a dead person.”

It’s no wonder he’s been regarded as strange.

Tian Pian was on a similar path. He studied under Peng Meng, but what he received wasn’t a teaching at all. Peng Meng’s teacher would say: “The people of Dao in ancient times reached the pinnacle where nothing was right and nothing was wrong and saw no need to go any further.” They (Tian Pian and Peng Meng) were like wind blowing through a cavernous space. What more could they say? People were always coming up with opposing viewpoints, and since they wouldn’t take one side over another they couldn’t avoid having their own theories carved up like old fish. Anything they claimed to be Dao was discredited as not being Dao and since they couldn’t say they were right they couldn’t avoid being considered wrong. Tian Pian, Peng Meng and Shan Dao did have a knowledge of Dao, but even so, those who hear about their theories take it all with a grain of salt.

To take the root as being perfect and the things which arise from it as being unrefined, to consider accumulation as a lack, and to be indifferent to anything other than residing with insights into the spirit. The ancients thought this was a completely adequate method to move forward with Dao.

Guan Yin and Lao Dan (Laozi) learned of these practices and were delighted. They established their theories on the concept that there was a constant vacuity in existence, made their primary ideal that of a Great Unity, used as their model suppleness, weakness, humility and ineptness, and retained a sense of emptiness so as not to destroy the true nature of any living thing.

Guan Yin said:
“By not being self-absorbed, all things will reveal themselves. When in motion be like water, when keeping still be like a mirror and when responding be like the natural sounds emanating from all around. Be without a trace, as though having vanished. Be still and silent like water in an undisturbed pond. One who is adaptable experiences harmony. One who grasps experiences loss. Never be at the lead but always stay behind.”

Lao Dan said:
“Know the ways in which you act aggressively but guard your passivity. Become a conduit in the world. Know the ways in which you receive honor but guard your disgrace. Become a valley to the world.”

Everyone else tried to take the lead, but he alone trailed at the rear, saying that he would accept the dregs of the world. Everyone else tried to grasp the Truth, but he alone remained in vacuity without filling up his internal storehouses. In that way he had more than enough of everything and was quite secure in having more than enough. The movements of his body were slow and relaxed, not expending excess energy, as he was without any specific goals and he laughed at the idea of being clever. Everyone else was busy seeking their fortunes, but he alone by being flexible remained whole, saying that naturally reacting to what happens in each moment allows one one to avoid being blamed for anything. He penetrated deeply to the roots of things and restrained himself from discipline, saying that what’s hard will be smashed into powder and what’s sharp will be filed down. He was always tolerant toward things and didn’t manipulate people. It can be said that he’d reached the pinnacle. Guan Yin and Lao Dan found the abundance of those in the past and were the most genuine among people!

To be indistinct and boundless without a form while transforming and changing without consistency, to join as easily with death as with life, to join equally with the heavens and earth, to join in moving along with both the spirit and intelligence, and to absentmindedly forget why things are the way they are and have no sense of a destination while realizing that all things are naturally grouped together effortlessly. The ancients thought this was a completely adequate method to move forward with Dao.

Zhuang Zhou (Zhuangzi) learned of these practices and was delighted. With his exaggeratedly drawn-out stories, his absurd and light-hearted words and his unevenly irregular phrases he continuously spoke freely and openly without regard to favoring anyone yet he didn’t promote extremely unorthodox opinions about anything. Since he thought the world was so mired in the mud that they wouldn’t be able to understand serious language, he used words that were gracefully redundant, repeatedly reiterating what would ring true and told fables most people could find a way to relate to. He took only the heavens and earth to be the pure spirits that flow in and out among us, but didn’t treat the rest of the living things as inept infants who were barely able to walk and didn’t scold anyone for being right or wrong. In that way he left room for future generations to expand. His writings, although rare and precious, and continuously seem to be lashing out at something, don’t actually cause damage. His phrases, although uneven and irregular and seem to be giving advice, can be observed from many angles. So, what he says can be fully substantiated as his own writings and not as referring to what has already been said by others.

Above he wanders with creation, and below he makes friends with what’s outside the realms of life and death and without a beginning or an end. As to the source, he penetrates it right to its roots, going recklessly into its vast bowels. As for the ancestors, it could be said that he made adjustments to what they deemed was proper and went beyond what they were satisfied with. Besides that, he comfortably responded to change and easily separated himself from things. The concepts he presents are inexhaustible and what he brings to the table can’t be ignored. His sharpness may be difficult to get to the bottom of, but one would never stop trying.

Hui Shi had many different ways of looking at things, and his writings could fill five chariots. His path was to oppose and contradict, and his words were meant to throw people off their mark. He would try to elaborate on the ideas of others by saying things like:
“What’s called the biggest of all things is so large that nothing exists outside of it. What’s called the smallest of all things is so small that nothing exists inside of it.
“What’s without depth can’t accumulate anything even though it’s a thousand miles across.
“The heavens are as low as the earth and the tops of mountains are level with swamplands.
“When the sun reaches its apex it starts to descend, and when a thing is born it starts to die.
“On a grand scale things are quite similar but on a smaller scale things are different, so when viewed from the smallest scale things are quite different. If all living things gradually develop similarities and differences, then when seen from a larger scale things eventually become quite different.
“Going in a southerly direction one would eventually come to the end of the earth, but there actually is no end to the earth. So one could go to Yue today and could be said have arrived yesterday.

“A concentric circle has a starting point and an ending point.
“We know the world has a central point, as a bird that flies to the north will end up in the south.
“Since all things revolve around a common love, the heavens and earth are made of one substance.”

Hui Shi thought these statements were great, and when the rest of the world took heed of them it opened up a whole new area for disagreements. Those who enjoyed debates had a great time adding some of their own:
An egg has hair.
Chickens have three feet.
The whole world is contained within the city of Ying.
A dog can be considered to be a sheep.
Horses lay eggs.
Toads have tails.
Fire isn’t hot.
Mountains arose from holes.
Wheels don’t spin on the ground.
Eyes don’t see.
Fingers can’t touch anything.
What is touched can’t be released.
A tortoise is as long as a snake.
A t-square doesn’t make a right angle.
A compass can’t be used to draw a circle.
A chisel can’t penetrate a piece of wood.
The shadow of a bird in flight never moves.
The metal tip of a swiftly moving arrow can at the same time be going forward and staying still.
Not all dogs are dogs.
A yellow horse and a black ox make three.
A white dog is black.
An orphaned colt never had a mother.

A stick measuring one foot in length can be broken in half every day and in a thousand years some of it will still remain.

The debaters of the times could join in discussions about these things with Hui Shi for their whole lives without getting tired of it. Huan Tuan and Gong Sun Long were debaters like that. They could dazzle people’s minds and change their outlooks, but even though they were able to out-talk anyone with their cleverness they weren’t able to reach into their hearts. That was the limitation of those kinds of debaters.

Hui Shi could go all day debating with others using his cleverness, and he used his special abilities to debate even the strangest things with anyone in the world. That was as deep as he went. Nevertheless, he kept chattering and considered himself to be an extremely worthy person because of that ability and would say that he was as magnificent as the heavens and earth! Shi was pretty outspokenly aggressive, but he was without any real skills.

Down in the south there was an eccentric person named Huang Liao who asked why the heavens don’t fall down, why the earth doesn’t collapse and what caused there to be wind, rain and thunderstorms. Hui Shi didn’t shrink from the challenge to give a response. He didn’t hesitate for a moment before offering up answers. He went on a tirade about all the ten thousand things, going on and on without taking a break. Even though he thoroughly covered so many issues, he thought he might have missed a few, so he went on talking about other things that hadn’t even been brought up. He contradicted the things others believed in order to get a reputation for himself, and there wasn’t a single group of people who didn’t find him offensive. His virtue was so weak and his bombasity was so strong that what he came out with was muddy and difficult to understand. If we look at Hui Shi’s abilities from the perspective of the way of the heavens and earth it could be compared to the labors of a single mosquito or house fly. How could they possibly be of use to do anything!

He was quite adequate in the one area for which he was praised, but it could be said that if he’d paid more attention to Dao he would have gone much further. Hui Shi wasn’t able to be satisfied within himself with what he was doing, so he went on continuously trying to take apart everything and ended up simply getting a reputation as a good debater. The poor guy! Hui Shi spent most of his time displaying his talents like a show horse who doesn’t really get anywhere. He just ran around in circles looking to contradict everything. He energetically tried to outshout his own echo and move faster than his own shadow. How sad!