Zhuangzi - 369 BC - Young Scholar's Elegant Library

Author: Huage
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-09-01
Features: After Zhuangzi was left behind by the old master, he fully expected to be beaten with a ruler. But unexpectedly, the old master was engrossed in writing at the lecture desk, seemingly completely forgetting the student left behind. Although Zhuangzi usually enjoyed being unrestrained, he always respected his teacher and stood silently in the corner with his head bowed. After a while, the old master seemed to have finished his business and looked around with satisfaction, only then noticing Zhuangzi still standing in the classroom. He frowned, seemingly unsure how to begin, and Zhuangzi, seeing this, felt some surprise. Is there something troubling Mr. Cao?
"Zhuangzi, the Six Arts are useless, they harm human nature. If the ruler hears this, it could affect your future!" Mr. Cao said these words very slowly, as if he were not speaking to Zhuangzi but to himself.
"Do you think the ruler's preferences can replace everyone's preferences? Can the ruler's right and wrong replace everyone's right and wrong?" Zhuangzi, still young at heart, had clearly not escaped the clash in class with Hui Shi. Mr. Cao's words once again led him into fervent thought. "The Six Arts are nothing more than tools for seeking profit and status now. Scholars toil endlessly, looking worn and weary, yet must still muster the strength to attend to various social engagements. They study the Six Arts solely to obtain a position, and for this, they may do countless things against their will. Under such motivations, can one truly grasp the essence of the Six Arts? Can such study truly improve one's moral character? Do you think the world would be better off if it were governed by people like this?"
Instead of getting angry, Mr. Cao narrowed his eyes, listening to Zhuangzi's loud questions with a look of satisfaction. He couldn't help but recall his own pursuits and ambitions when he first began studying, his relentless diligence in the academy, how many precious family ties and friendships he had sacrificed, how many joys of life and the meaning of the struggle itself he had overlooked, and those heart-wrenching experiences—deceit and intrigue on the path to seeking official positions. He himself had also, on several occasions during debates, spoken against his own conscience to attract attention or win. Even while teaching in Meng Village, this pain was ever-present: when a student, despite genuine improvement, would doubt themselves again after a single competition loss and give up; or when a student weak in memorization, lost confidence and spirit in the repetitive and lengthy recitations, thus burying other talents.
After a long silence, Mr. Cao slowly said, "Then how should one attain this natural nature you speak of?" Zhuangzi felt uneasy at Mr. Cao's long silence but still looked at him with a hint of stubbornness, unwilling to give up his views. Seeing Mr. Cao's question, he thought for a moment and solemnly spoke the idea he had long held in his heart: "It's not about how to attain it, but how to preserve it. When a person is born, there are no constraints—cry if you wish, laugh if you wish, eat when you are hungry, sleep when you are tired. But parents and teachers must teach them various skills once they grow up, and their actions are restricted by countless rules. Their various abilities...