The Book of Chuang Tzu (Penguin)

by Chuang Tzu

  If someone treads on another person’s foot in the marketplace, he apologizes profusely for the accident. If an older brother treads on the foot of a younger brother, he comforts him. If a parent treads on a child’s foot, there is no need to ask for forgiveness. There is a saying:

  ‘Perfect behaviour does not discriminate amongst people;

  perfect righteousness takes no account of things;

  perfect knowledge makes no plans;

  perfect benevolence exhibits no emotion;

  perfect faith makes no oath of sincerity.’

  Suppress the whims of the will and untie the mistakes of the heart.

  Expunge the knots of Virtue,

  unblock the flow of the Tao.

  Honours and wealth,

  distinctions and authority,

  fame and gain,

  these six are formed by the illusions of the will.

  Looks and style,

  beauty and reason,

  thrill of life and memories,

  these six are the faults of the heart.

  Hatred and desire,

  joy and anger,

  sadness and happiness,

  these six are the knots of Virtue.

  Rejection and acceptance,

  giving and taking,

  knowledge and ability,

  these six are the impediments to the free flow of the Tao.

  When these four sets of six no longer trouble the breast,

  then you will be centred.

  Being centred, you will be calm.

  Being calm, you will be enlightened.

  Being enlightened, you will be empty.

  Being empty, you will be in actionless action,

  But with actionless action nothing remains undone.

  The Tao is the centrepiece of the devotions of Virtue.

  Life is the brightness of Virtue.

  Innate nature is what motivates life.

  Motivation which is untrue is lost.

  Knowledge extends and knowledge plans.

  But knowing what is not known is like looking at things like a child.

  Action which arises because you cannot stop yourself is called Virtue.

  When action arises from self, this is called governing.

  These titles seem to contradict each other but in fact they agree.

  Yi the Archer was a master at hitting the centre of the tiniest target, but he was foolish in that he could not stop wanting praise from others. The sage is skilful with regards to Heaven, but foolish in his dealings with people. Being skilful in both Heavenly concerns and human affairs is the mark of a complete man. Only an insect can be an insect, because what they are is given by Heaven. Does the complete man dislike Heaven? Does he hate what is of Heaven in people? If so, then imagine how much he hates the element of egocentricity in himself, which sets him and the rest of humanity above Heaven!

  If a sparrow flew past Yi, he would have him, so good was he at his art. If everywhere in the world were to be caged, then the sparrows would be unable to escape. Indeed, this was why Tang caged Yi Yin by making him his cook and Duke Mu of Chin caged Po Li Hsi at the cost of five rams’ skins. However, if you wish to cage people, you must use the things they like or you will never be successful.

  A man whose feet have been chopped off casts aside fancy clothes, because his external appearance is incapable of being admired. A criminal condemned to death will scale the highest peaks, because he has no fear of life or death. If someone ignores the advances of friendship, he forgets about others and through forgetting others he is viewed as a man of Heaven. Such a person can be treated with respect, which will not please him, or be treated with contempt, which will not make him angry. This is because he is part of the Heavenly unity. Anyone who expresses anger but is not really angry will exhibit non-anger. Anyone who acts yet is not really acting, his actions will be non-action. If he wants to be still, he must be at peace. If he wants to be spiritual, he must calm his heart. When he wants to act, and to be successful, then he is moved by a force beyond him. That which one does because it is impossible to do other, that is the Tao of the sage.

  CHAPTER 24

  Hsu Wu Kuei

  Through the kind offices of Nu Shang, Hsu Wu Kuei was able to see Marquis Wu of Wei. Marquis Wu greeted him fondly saying, ‘Sir, you are unwell! The rigours of living in the wild mountain forests have been so great, and yet you have been kind enough to come and see me.’

  To this Hsu Wu Kuei replied, ‘I have come to comfort you, Sir, not for you to comfort me! Now, Sir, if you persist in sating your sensual appetites and desires and engaging in likes and dislikes, then you will adversely affect your true innate nature and your destiny. And if, Sir, you try to desist from sating your appetites and desires and make yourself change your likes and dislikes, then your ears and eyes will be afflicted. I have come to comfort you, and you, Sir, wish to comfort me!’

  Marquis Wu looked very scornful and made no reply.

  A little later Hsu Wu Kuei said, ‘Let me tell you, Sir, how I judge dogs. The lowest kind of dog grabs his food, gorges himself and then stops, having the virtues of a fox. The ordinary sort of dog is always staring arrogantly at the sun. The most superior kind of dog appears to have forgotten himself. That is how I judge dogs, but that is nothing in comparison with how I judge horses. I judge horses by whether they run straight as a line, or curve round holding the centre, or turn as on a T-square, or circle like a compass. Such a horse I describe as being indeed a national horse, but not an international horse. A truly international horse is complete. He looks anxious, he appears to lose his way, to forget himself. However, a horse like this suddenly prances along or rushes past, kicking up the dust, and no one knows where he has gone.’

  The Marquis was very pleased, and laughed.

  Hsu Wu Kuei came out and Nu Shang said, ‘Sir, what did you discuss with the ruler? When I discuss with him, I do so in a roundabout way using the Book of Poetry and the Book of History, and in this way I can discuss rituals and music. More directly, I use the Golden Tablets and the Six Bow Cases, and so guide him in decisions which have been very successful. Yet in all our meetings I have never seen him smile. So what is it that you discuss that makes him so pleased?’

  ‘I simply explained how I judge dogs and horses,’ said Hsu Wu Kuei.

  ‘That was it?’

  ‘Have you never heard of the exile from Yueh?’ said Hsu Wu Kuei. ‘A few days after leaving the country he was delighted if he met someone he had known in the country. A month after leaving the country he was delighted if he met someone he had seen in the country. A year after leaving the country he was delighted to meet someone who just looked as if he came from the country. The longer he was absent from his country, the more fond of it he became, is this not so? Those people who have retreated into the wild valleys where thick bushes block the path of even the weasels, and who have to struggle to move around, are delighted if they hear even the sound of a human footstep. How much more delighted are they if they hear the sounds of their own brothers and family talking and laughing beside them. Perhaps it has been rather a long time since a true man has sat and talked with your ruler!’

  Hsu Wu Kuei went to see Marquis Wu, who said, ‘Sir, you have been living in the forests of the mountains for a long time, surviving on acorns and chestnuts, filling yourself with onions and herbs and totally ignoring me! Now, is it old age? Do you want to eat meat and drink wine? Or have you come here to bless our altars of the Earth and the harvest?’

  ‘Sir,’ said Hsu Wu Kuei, ‘I have lived in poverty and have never been able to eat or drink at Your Lordship’s table, but I have come to bring comfort to you.’

  ‘Really! Comfort me?’ said the ruler.

  ‘I wish to comfort both your body and your spirit.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Heaven and Earth sustain all things,’ said Hsu Wu Kuei. ‘No matter how high you get, you should never consider that this shows you to be better. No matter how lo
w you get, you should never consider that this shows you to be useless. You are ruler of the tens of thousands of chariots, the only ruler who taxes all the people of this country in order to satisfy the desires of your senses, even though your spirit does not wish to do this. The spirit prefers goodness and harmony and does not like wild living. Wild living is like an illness and this is what I have to comfort you over. What do you think of this, Sir?’

  ‘Sir, I have wanted to see you for some time,’ replied Marquis Wu. ‘I wish to love the people and to act righteously and stop warfare. Would that do?’

  ‘Certainly not. Loving the people is the beginning of harming the people. To act righteously and to cease warfare is the root of increased warfare. If you set about things thus, Sir, you will not succeed. All attempts to create beauty end in evil consequences. Your Grace may plan to act benevolently and righteously, but the result is the same as hypocrisy! You may give shape to things, but success leads to argument and argument leads to violence. Your Grace must not have hosts of troops massing in your forts nor lines of cavalry parading in front of the Palace of the Dark Shrine.

  ‘Do not harbour thoughts that betray your best interests. Do not try to overcome others by cunning. Do not try to conquer others through plots. Do not try to defeat others by battle. If I kill the leaders and people of another ruler and seize the lands to satisfy my material wants, while my spirit is unsure of the validity of such actions, what is the point? Your Grace, the best thing is to do nothing, except develop true sincerity and thus be able to respond without difficulty to the true nature of Heaven and Earth. Thus the people will not die and it will not be necessary for you to have to enforce the end of warfare!’

  The Yellow Emperor went to see Great Kuei at Chu Tzu Mountain. Fang Ming was the driver and Chang Yu travelled beside him. Chang Jo and Hsi Peng guided the horses and Kun Hun and Ku Chi rode behind the carriage. When they eventually arrived in the wild region of Hsiang Cheng, the seven sages were all confused and couldn’t find anyone to ask the way.

  They came upon a boy leading horses and asked him the way, saying, ‘Do you know how to get to Chu Tzu Mountain?’

  ‘Certainly,’ he said.

  ‘Do you know where Tai Kuei lives?’

  ‘Certainly.’

  ‘What a remarkable lad!’ said the Yellow Emperor. ‘Not only does he know how to reach Chu Tzu Mountain, he also knows where Tai Kuei lives. I would like to ask you how to govern everything below Heaven.’

  ‘Governing everything below Heaven is surely the same as what I am doing at the moment, what’s so hard about that?’ said the lad. ‘When I was younger, I liked to wander within the confines of the six directions but my eyesight began to fail. A wise elderly gentleman told me, “Climb up and ride in the carriage of the sun and explore the wild region of Hsiang Cheng.” Now my eyesight is better and I am able to wander beyond the borders of the six directions. Ruling everything under Heaven is just like this. So what’s the big problem?’

  ‘Ruling everything under Heaven is, I agree, not your problem, my boy,’ said the Yellow Emperor. ‘However, I would like to hear how to do it.’

  The lad did not answer. So the Yellow Emperor asked again. The boy said, ‘Governing everything below Heaven is surely rather like leading horses! Get rid of anything that might harm the horses!’

  The Yellow Emperor bowed twice to him, called him his Heavenly Master and departed.

  If philosophers cannot see the effect of their ideas, they are not happy.

  If debaters cannot argue cogently, they are not happy.

  If interrogators cannot find candidates for criticism, they are not happy.

  All of these are restrained by such attitudes.

  Those scholars who are noticed by their generation rise to power.

  Those who win the affections of the people consider high office a reward.

  Those with great strength enjoy a challenge.

  Those who are brave and fearless revel in troubles.

  Those skilled in sword and spear look for wars.

  Those who are retiring rest on the laurels of their fame.

  Those who are lawyers want more power to legislate.

  Those who perform rituals and ceremonies enjoy their status.

  Those who like benevolence and righteousness like to be able to display them.

  Farmers who cannot weed their fields are not contented.

  The merchant who cannot trade at the market or by the well is not satisfied.

  The common folk like to have work to do from sunrise to sunset, as they keep each other going.

  The various craftsmen like to be using their skills.

  If his wealth does not grow, the greedy man is unhappy.

  If he is not getting more powerful, the ambitious man is distressed.

  Such people, driven by circumstance, are only happy when things are changing, and when an opportunity arises, they inevitably throw themselves into it. So they all proceed, like the changes of the seasons, unchanging even though others change. They drive their bodies and their innate nature and are overwhelmed by the forms of life, never turning themselves back, which is sad!

  Chuang Tzu said, ‘An archer, not bothering to take aim, by sheer luck hits the centre of the target. We could call him a good archer, but in that case, everyone in the world could be called a Yi the Archer, isn’t that right?’

  ‘OK,’ said Hui Tzu.

  Chuang Tzu said, ‘People differ over what they consider to be right, but everyone knows what they think is right. So everyone in the world could be called a Yao, isn’t that right?’

  ‘OK,’ said Hui Tzu.

  Chuang Tzu said, ‘So, there are four schools – the Literati, Mohists, Yangists and Pingists – which along with your own, Sir, make five. So which of these is right? Perhaps it is more like the case of Lu Chu? One of his followers said, “I have taken hold of your Tao, Master, and I can heat the pot in winter and make ice in summer.” Lu Chu said, “But this is surely just using yang for yang and yin for yin. This is not what I would call the Tao. I will show you my Tao.” So he tuned up two lutes and put one in the hall and the other in a private apartment. On striking the note Kung on one, the Kung note vibrated on the other. Likewise with the Chueh note, for the instruments were in harmony. Then he re-tuned one so that it was not in harmony with any of the five key notes. When this was played, all twenty-five of the strings on the other one vibrated, all faithful to their own note and all set off by the one note on the other lute. So, if you insist you are right, aren’t you like this?’

  Hui Tzi replied, ‘The followers of Confucius, Mo, Yang and Ping,87 like to tackle me in debate, each one trying to defeat the other, each violently trying to shout me down with their various arguments – but they haven’t succeeded yet. So what about that?’

  Chuang Tzu said, ‘A citizen of Chi, not concerned by any mutilation,88 sold his son to someone in Sung, where he became a gatekeeper. Yet this same man would go to great lengths to protect any of his bells or chimes. But he would not go looking for his son beyond the borders of his own country, such was his understanding of what is worthwhile! Or what if that well-known character, the citizen of Chu who was maimed and a gatekeeper, at midnight in another country, were to pick a fight with a boatman? Then he would never get across the river and would only have provoked the boatman’s anger.’

  Chuang Tzu was following a funeral when he passed by the grave of Hui Tzu. He looked round at those following him and said, ‘The man of Ying had on the end of his nose a piece of mud as small as a fly’s wing. He sent for the craftsman Shih to cut it off. Shih swirled his axe around and swept it down, creating such a wind as it rushed past that it removed all trace of the mud from the man of Ying, who stood firm, not at all worried. The ruler Yuan of Sung heard of this and called craftsman Shih to visit him.

  ‘ “Would you be so kind as to do this for me?” he said.

  ‘Craftsman Shih replied, “Your servant was indeed once able to work like that, but t
he type of material I worked upon is long since dead.”

  ‘Since the Master has died, I have not had any suitable material to work upon. I have no one I can talk with any longer.’

  Kuan Chung was ill and Duke Huan, hearing of this, said, ‘Father Chung, you are seriously ill. What if – which I had hoped I wouldn’t have to say – your illness gets worse? Who should I hand over government of the country to?’

  Kuan Chung replied, ‘Your Grace, who do you wish to give it to?’

  ‘Pao Shu Ya,’ said the Duke.

  ‘Not him! He is a good man, a scholar of integrity and he is honest, but he won’t mix with those who are not the same as him. If he ever learns of someone’s error, he won’t forgive him, ever. If you put him in charge of the state, he will argue with you and upset everyone below him. Before too long you will view him as having done the unforgivable.’

  ‘Then who can do this?’ said the Duke.

  The reply was, ‘If I have to say anyone, then it should be Hsi Peng who should undertake this. He is the sort of man who forgets his high status and who will be supported by those below. He is ashamed that he is not like the Yellow Emperor, and is sorry for those who are not like him. The one who shares his Virtue with other people is known as a sage, he who shares his abilities with others is known as a worthy man. One who uses his worthiness to oppress others will never gain their support. One who uses his worthiness to lower himself can never fail to win the people’s support. This man is hardly heard of in the country, nor does his own family have a great opinion of him. But as you ask me to speak, then I must say Hsi Peng.’

  The King of Wu was sailing on the Yangtze River, and he moored in order to climb a mountain known for its monkeys. When the monkeys saw him they fled in terror and hid in the bushes. However, there was one monkey who didn’t seem bothered in the slightest, swinging around and showing off before the King. The King fired an arrow at him, which the monkey simply caught cleverly in his hand. The King then called up his followers to join the hunt and soon they had the monkey trapped and killed.