The book Zhuangzi is an essential text in Daoism. Chapter Nineteen, Mastering Life, focuses on how to live in the world.
Acceptance
The sage accepts life for what it is. They do not worry about what they can not change.
“He who has mastered the true nature of life does not labor over what life cannot do. He who has mastered the true nature of fate does not labor over what knowledge cannot change.”
They accept their lack of control. They accept that they did not choose when they were born or predict when they will die.
“The coming of life cannot be fended off; its departure cannot be stopped.”
They are grateful for their health and any positive things in their life.
“You’ve managed to keep your body in one piece; you have all the ordinary nine openings; you haven’t been struck down midway by blindness or deafness, lameness or deformity—compared with a lot of people, you’re a lucky man.”
Happiness
The sage rejects what is normally valuable to humanity. They do not pursue money, power, or fame. Instead they live a simple life and pursue what nourishes them.
“Once long ago a bird alighted in the suburbs of the Lu capital. The ruler of Lu was delighted with it, had a Tailao sacrifice prepared for it to feast on, and the Nine Shao music performed for its enjoyment. But the bird immediately began to look unhappy and dazed and did not dare to eat or drink. This is what is called trying to nourish a bird with what would nourish you.”
The sage realizes that possessions don’t bring happiness.
“He who wants to nourish his body must, first of all, turn to things. And yet it is possible to have more than enough things and for the body still to go un-nourished.”
Separatness
The sage sets themselves apart from the world which conserves their strength.
“If you abandon the affairs of the world, your body will be without toil. If you forget life, your vitality will be unimpaired.”
This also gets them closer to the Dao.
“By abandoning the world, he can be without entanglements. Being without entanglements, he can be upright and calm. Being upright and calm, he can be born again with others. Being born again, he can come close [to the Way].”
Harmony
The sage finds a balance between separating themselves from the world and being a part of it.
“In Lu there was Shan Bao—he lived among the cliffs, drank only water, and didn’t go after gain like other people. Unfortunately, he met a hungry tiger who killed him and ate him up. Then there was Zhang Yi—there wasn’t one of the great families and fancy mansions that he didn’t rush off to visit. He went along like that for forty years, and then he developed an internal fever, fell ill, and died. Shan Bao looked after what was on the inside and the tiger ate up his outside. Zhang Yi looked after what was on the outside and the sickness attacked him from the inside. Both these men failed to give a lash to the stragglers.”
Harm
Nothing harms the sage if they don’t perceive events as negative. They simply accept the flow of life as it comes.
“When a drunken man falls from a carriage, though the carriage may be going very fast, he won’t be killed. He didn’t know he was riding, and he doesn’t know he has fallen out.”
“The sage hides himself in Heaven—hence there is nothing that can do him harm.”
Present Moment
The sage gets the most out of the present moment by focusing on what is in front of them.
“When Confucius was on his way to Chu, he passed through a forest where he saw a hunchback catching cicadas with a sticky pole as easily as though he were grabbing them with his hand.”
“I’m aware of nothing but cicada wings. Not wavering, not tipping, not letting any of the other ten thousand things take the place of those cicada wings—how can I help but succeed?”
By being in the moment, one can complete challenging tasks and physical feats.
“May I ask if you have some special way of staying afloat in the water? I have no way. I began with what I was used to, grew up with my nature, and let things come to completion with fate. I go under with the swirls and come out with the eddies, following along the way the water goes and never thinking about myself. That’s how I can stay afloat.”
They do not allow stress to affect them even when the stakes are high.
“When you’re betting for tiles in an archery contest, you shoot with skill. And when you’re betting for real gold, you’re a nervous wreck. Your skill is the same in all three cases—but because one prize means more to you than another, you let outside considerations weigh on your mind. He who looks too hard at the outside gets clumsy on the inside.”
The sage focuses their concentration on the task at hand.
“My skill is concentrated, and all outside distractions fade away. After that, I go into the mountain forest and examine the Heavenly nature of the trees. If I find one of superlative form and I can see a bell stand there, I put my hand to the job of carving; if not, I let it go. This way I am simply matching up ‘Heaven’ with ‘Heaven.”
This allows them to be in a state of effortless action or Wu Wei. Things get done easily and without planning.
“Artisan Chui could draw as true as a compass or a T square because his fingers changed along with things and he didn’t let his mind get in the way. Therefore his Spirit Tower remained unified and unobstructed. You forget your feet when the shoes are comfortable. You forget your waist when the belt is comfortable. Understanding forgets right and wrong when the mind is comfortable.”
The key is to not get overwhelmed. Instead act as if it is perfectly normal.
“If a man can swim under water, he may never have seen a boat before, and still he’ll know how to handle it—that’s because he sees the water as so much dry land and regards the capsizing of a boat as he would the overturning of a cart.”
Conclusion
The sage accepts life for what it is and accept their lack of control. They are grateful for the positive aspects of their life and rejects money, possessions, power, and fame. They live a simple life and pursue what nourishes them.
The sage finds balance between separating themselves from the world and being a part of it. They get the most out of the present moment by focusing on the task at hand. This allows them to be in a state of effortless action.
Resource
Complete Works Of Chuang Tzu, Burton Watson, translator. Columbia University Press, 1968. A good and classic translation of Chuang Tzu.
Daoism 