Zhuangzi

Author: Zhuangzi (Author), Han Weizhi (Translator)
Translator: Han Weizhi
Country:
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-04-01
Features: Six,,,. Body exhausts infinity, and roams without trace. Exhausts what it receives from heaven, without self-admiration, and is also empty. The mind of the supreme person is like a mirror, not welcoming or rejecting, responding without hiding, so it can overcome things without being harmed. The emperor of the South Sea is called You, the emperor of the North Sea is called Hu, and the emperor of the center is called Hunzhen. You and Hu often meet in the land of Hunzhen. Hunzhen treats them very well. You and Hu discussed repaying Hunzhen's kindness and said, "Humans all have seven orifices to see, hear, eat, and breathe. Only it lacks them. Let's try to bore them." They bored one orifice a day, and by the seventh day, Hunzhen died.
[Translation] To abandon the delusion of seeking fame, to abandon the wisdom of strategy, to abandon arbitrary actions, and to abandon clever behavior. Experiencing the infinite Tao, wandering in the realm of tranquility; inheriting the natural nature without self-praise, this is also the state of an empty mind. The mind of the supreme person is like a mirror, allowing things to come and go without welcoming or rejecting, reflecting everything truthfully without hiding, so it can overcome things without being harmed. The emperor of the South Sea is named You, the emperor of the North Sea is named Hu, and the emperor of the center is named Hunzhen. You and Hu often went to Hunzhen's land to meet. Hunzhen treated them very well. You and Hu discussed repaying Hunzhen's kindness and said, "Humans all have seven orifices to see, hear, eat, and breathe. Only it lacks them. Let's try to bore them." They bored one orifice a day, and by the seventh day, Hunzhen died.
[Commentary] The chapter "Ying Emperor" primarily explains that governance should be without governance, expressing Zhuangzi's idea of no-governance. He advocates that the key to governance lies in non-interference and should follow people's natural nature, taking the will of the people as their own will. The entire text can be divided into six sections.
Section 1, through the mouth of the allegorical figure Pu Yizi, reveals that the ideal ruler should: be at ease in mind. Be pure and simple, not using power strategies or cunning, nor using any names of benevolence or righteousness to win people's hearts.
Section 2, proposes: "Those who rule others by imposing their own standards and measures are a despicable act of deceiving virtue." Here, Zhuangzi, through, expresses his extreme hatred for autocrats who create laws to maintain their own power. He believes that such laws are not respected by anyone because they only represent the will of the tyrant and not the desire of the majority. Even if enforced by force, the people will not obey, and if used to govern the state, it is doomed to fail. Zhuangzi believes that the key to governance lies in "acting correctly before acting, and being certain that those who can do the job will do it," without forcing others; allowing people to do what they are good at is enough.
Section 3, Tian Gen asks the nameless person about the key to governing the world. The nameless person's answer shows his extreme aversion to political power. Governing people is better than not governing, not governing the world is more peaceful, and the more the world is governed, the more chaotic it becomes. The nameless person later proposes the solution of "following the nature of things without selfishness," that is, giving the people free lives, and only when the ruler removes selfishness can they benefit the people.
Section 4, discusses the governance path of the bright king, who does not show off or reveal himself. It should "transform and lend to all things, and the people do not rely on it," making the people unaware of where the emperor's power is added, living a happy and fulfilling life.
Section 5, tells the story of the divine sorcerer Ji becoming a potter to see the fortune-telling, the main theme of which is to advocate "emptiness" and "hiding." In governance, one must be empty and do nothing, hiding one's selfishness and doing nothing, so that the people will be at peace.
Section 6, "" summarizes that governance lies in not being self-righteous and not calculating the people with wisdom, ultimately still concluding with "emptiness." The ruler must have a mind like a mirror to govern the world well. The final section is the allegorical story of You and Hu boring Hunzhen. Here, Zhuangzi uses "Hunzhen" to metaphorically represent the simple and pure nature. "，," the laws set by rulers gradually increase, slowly changing the pure nature of the people, thus causing serious consequences of chaos in the world. Zhuangzi uses the death of Hunzhen to metaphorically represent the infinite suffering brought to the people by "active" politics.
Outer Chapter Pián Mǔ
Pián mǔ and branch fingers, they come from nature, but they are excessive in virtue.
Appendages and warts, they come from the body, but they are excessive in nature.
Those who use benevolence and righteousness excessively, they are listed among the five viscera, but they are not the correct path of morality.
Therefore, those who are joined in the feet are just connecting a useless piece of flesh; those who are branched in the hands are just growing a useless finger; those who excessively branch in the emotions of the five viscera are, and excessively use their intelligence.
[Translation] Are the twin toes and branch fingers born from nature? Yet they are excessive. Are the appendages and warts born from the body? Yet they are excessive. Are those who use benevolence and righteousness excessively listed among the five viscera? Yet they are not the natural path of morality.
Therefore, those who are joined in the feet are just connecting a useless piece of flesh; those who are branched in the hands are just growing a useless finger; those who excessively branch in the emotions of the five viscera are, and excessively use their intelligence.
[Translation] Those who are joined in the bright are chaotic in five colors, excessive in decoration, the dazzling of blue and yellow is not it? And Li Zhu is it. Those who are excessive in hearing are chaotic in five sounds, excessive in six laws, the sound of gold, stone, silk, bamboo, and Huangzhong Dali is not it? And Shi Kuang is it. Those who are excessive in benevolence raise virtue and nature, to collect fame, making the whole world drum to serve the laws that should not be served, not it? And Zeng and Shi are it. Those who are excessive in argumentation are accumulating tiles and ropes, inserting sentences, wandering in the mind between hardness and whiteness, and exhausting their energy for useless words, not it? And Yang and Mo are it.
Therefore, all these are the wrong paths of excessive branches, not the correct path of the world.
[Translation] So, those who indulge in vision are confused in five colors, mixed in patterns, is this not like colorful and dazzling clothing? Li Zhu is the representative of such people. Those who indulge in hearing are confused in five sounds, indulging in six laws, is this not the sound of gold, stone, silk, bamboo, and Huangzhong Dali? Shi Kuang is the representative of such people. Those who claim benevolence and righteousness obscure their virtue and seek fame, is this not making the whole world noisy to serve the laws that should not be served? Zeng Shen and Shi Ji are the representatives of such people. Those who are excessive in argumentation are talking a lot of empty talk, inserting sentences, wandering in the mind between hardness and whiteness, is this not exhausting their energy for useless words? Yang Zhu and Mo Di are the representatives of such people.
It can be seen that all these are wrong paths, not the correct path of the world.
Those who are correct are not lost in the truth of life and death. Therefore, the joined are not redundant, and the branched are not excessive; the long is not excessive, and the short is not insufficient.
Therefore, the duck's leg is short, but if you add to it, you will worry; the crane's leg is long, but if you cut it off, you will be sad.
Therefore, the originally long cannot be cut, and the originally short does not need to be extended, so there is nothing to worry about.
Ah! Is benevolence and righteousness in line with human nature? Why are the so-called benevolent people so worried and eager to pursue them?
[Translation] Those who are joined in the bright are not lost in the truth of life and death. Therefore, the joined are not redundant, and the branched are not excessive; the long is not excessive, and the short is not insufficient.
Therefore, the duck's leg is short, but if you add to it, you will worry; the crane's leg is long, but if you cut it off, you will be sad.
Therefore, the originally long cannot be cut, and the originally short does not need to be extended, so there is nothing to worry about.
Ah! Is benevolence and righteousness in line with human nature? Why are the so-called benevolent people so worried and eager to pursue them?
[Commentary] The chapter "Pián Mǔ" primarily advocates that human behavior should conform to nature and should follow the true and natural state of human feelings. "Pián mǔ" refers to twin toes, and the title of the chapter is taken from the first two characters of the chapter. The article starts with the phenomenon of twin toes and branch fingers, pointing out that both are redundant beyond nature, just like benevolence and righteousness are redundant. Next, Zhuangzi uses Li Zhu indulging in sharp vision, causing chaos in five colors and ruining patterns; Shi Kuang indulging in hearing, causing chaos in five sounds and six laws; Yang Zhu and Mo Di indulging in argumentation, causing insertion of sentences and twisting of words; Zeng Shen and Shi Ji indulging in benevolence and righteousness, blocking people's normal virtue. He uses this series of analogies to explain that benevolence and righteousness are not the correct path of the world. He also uses the duck's leg and crane's leg as metaphors to further explain that benevolence and righteousness are redundant and violate human nature.
Next, Zhuangzi points out that benevolent people and unbenevolent people are equally unacceptable: benevolent people are always worried and concerned about the world; unbenevolent people, on the other hand, abandon the truth of life and death to seek wealth and status. Both seek fame and profit. Zhuangzi believes that they are essentially the same. The chaos of the world comes from benevolent people. Although this is only a part of the original text, we can see Zhuangzi's thoughts from it, that is, opposing benevolence and righteousness and advocating maintaining human nature. This thought is the pursuit and yearning for individual independence and freedom. The characteristics of this article are:
First, it has a strong literary quality. This can be seen from two aspects. One is the strong expressiveness. General argumentative articles value rigorous reasoning and calm analysis, not necessarily passion, but this is different. The author's emotions are strong, the language is radical, and poetic lyrical language is used. Zhuangzi mainly moves readers not through his arguments but through his passion.
Second, it has a unified and distinct image. After reading this article, readers will always associate images like twin toes, branch fingers, duck's leg, and crane's leg with the word "benevolence and righteousness," forming a complete and distinct image.
Third, it has the characteristics of satire and humor. Zhuangzi compares the supreme benevolence and righteousness of Confucianism to twin toes and branch fingers, which is a humorous satire. "，," vividly portrays the ridiculous image of a. Zhuangzi's humor contains sharp satire, which readers should pay attention to when reading.
Ma Ti
Horse, hooves can trample frost and snow, hair can resist wind and cold. Teeth can eat grass and drink water, raise their legs and land, this is the true nature of the horse. Even if there are high towers and palaces, they are of no use to the horse. When Bo Le appeared, he said, "I am good at managing horses." He branded it, clipped its hair, carved its hooves, branded it, tied it with ropes, and compiled it with black racks, and about one-third of the horses died. He starved it, thirsty, made it run, made it gallop, trained it, and disciplined it. The horse had the suffering of the bit and bridle in front, and the threat of the whip behind, and more than half of the horses died. The potter said, "I am good at making clay, round ones fit the compass, square ones fit the square." The carpenter said, "I am good at making wood, curved ones fit the hook, straight ones fit the rope." The nature of clay and wood, do they want to fit the compass, square, hook, and rope? Yet they are still called by generations, "Bo Le is good at managing horses, and potters and carpenters are good at making clay and wood." This is also the mistake of those who govern the world!
[Translation] The horse, an animal, its hooves can trample frost and snow, its hair can resist wind and cold. It eats grass and drinks water, raises its legs and jumps, these are the true nature of the horse. Even if there are high towers and palaces, they are of no use to the horse. When Bo Le appeared, he said, "I am good at managing horses." He branded it, clipped its hair, carved its hooves, branded it, tied it with ropes, and compiled it with black racks, and about one-third of the horses died. Then, he starved it, thirsty, made it run, made it gallop, trained it, and disciplined it. The horse had the suffering of the bit and bridle in front, and the threat of the whip behind, and more than half of the horses died! The potter said, "I am good at making clay, round ones fit the compass, square ones fit the square." The carpenter said, "I am good at making wood, curved ones fit the hook, straight ones fit the rope." The nature of clay and wood, do they want to fit the compass, square, hook, and rope? Yet they are still called by generations, "Bo Le is good at managing horses, and potters and carpenters are good at making clay and wood." This is also the mistake of those who govern the world!
The horse, living on land, eats grass and drinks water, happy to rub their necks together, angry to kick their backs together, the horse knows only this. When it is added with the yoke and bridle, and adjusted with the forehead ornament, the horse gradually learns to break the wheel, bend the neck, resist the canopy, spit out the bit, and bite the bridle. Therefore, the horse's ability to resist people is all the fault of Bo Le.
In the time of the ancient emperor He Xu, people lived without knowing what to do, and walked without knowing where to go. They held food in their mouths and played, and swam with full bellies. People were like this, content and at ease. When the sage appeared, he twisted and twisted the rites and music to rectify the world's appearance, and hung benevolence and righteousness to comfort the world's heart, and the people began to be fond of wisdom, competing for profit, and unstoppable. This is also the fault of the sages!
[Commentary] The horse lives on land, eats grass and drinks water, happy to rub their necks together, angry to kick their backs together. The horse knows only this, but when it is added with the yoke and bridle, and adjusted with the forehead ornament, the horse gradually learns to break the wheel, bend the neck, resist the canopy, spit out the bit, and bite the bridle. Therefore, the horse's ability to resist people is all the fault of Bo Le.
In the time of the ancient emperor He Xu, people lived without knowing what to do, and walked without knowing where to go. They held food in their mouths and played, and swam with full bellies. People were like this, content and at ease. When the sage appeared, he twisted and twisted the rites and music to rectify the world's appearance, and hung benevolence and righteousness to comfort the world's heart, and the people began to be fond of wisdom, competing for profit, and unstoppable. This is also the fault of the sages!