life – Daoism

Liezi Chapter 7: Yang Zhu

The Liezi is considered the third most important text in Daoism after the Dao De Jing and Zhuangzi. Chapter seven is named Yang Zhu and focuses on living in the moment.

Reputation, fame, and status

The sage does not worry about external factors such as reputation, fame, or status.

“He who renounces fame has no sorrow.”

They know that reputation does not reflect reality. One may live generously but only have a good reputation after they die. One may live indulgently, but have a bad reputation after they die.

“All these four sages, while alive, had not one day’s pleasure, and after their death a reputation lasting many years. Yet reputation cannot bring back reality...These two villains while alive took delight in following their own inclination and desires, and after death were called fools and tyrants. Yet reality is nothing that can be given by reputation.”

Fame and status are also artificial and have no lasting benefit.

“The ignorant, while seeking to maintain fame, sacrifice reality...Those who are not too fond of honor do not desire reputation. Those who do not want power desire no rank.”

Wealth

The sage knows that striving for wealth makes one unfulfilled.

“Comfort and elegance, music and beauty. Yet one cannot always gratify the desire for comfort and elegance nor incessantly enjoy beauty and music. Besides, being warned and exhorted by punishments and rewards, urged forward and repelled by fame and laws, men are constantly rendered anxious.”

The physical body is also a possession which one should not become attached.

“For possessing a body or things would be unlawfully appropriating a body belonging to the whole universe, and appropriating things belonging to the universe which no sage would do.”

It doesn’t matter if one values life, they will still die at their natural time. There is no point in worrying about death.

“’There are men who cherish life and care for their bodies with the intention of grasping immortality. Is that possible?’ Yang Zhu replied: ‘According to the laws of nature there is no such thing as immortality.’”

Worrying about a long life, fame, status, or wealth causes unneeded stress.

“There are four things which do not allow people to rest: Long life. Reputation. Rank. Riches.”

The future

The sage does not concern themselves with the future.

“Mark what it brings you, and be drifted away to annihilation. If you pay no regard to life and death, and let them be as they are, how can you be anxious lest our life should end too soon?”

They don’t concern themselves with what happens after death.

“What can I do when I am dead? They may burn my body, or cast it into deep water, or inter it, or leave it un-interred, or throw it wrapped up in a mat into some ditch, or cover it with princely apparel and embroidered garments and rest it in a stone sarcophagus. All that depends on mere chance.”

Emptiness

The sage focuses on the internal by seeking a state of emptiness. This allows one to be a peace with the world.

“But if anybody knows how to regulate internals, the things go on all right, and the mind obtains peace and rest.”

They cultivate humility, generosity, and compassion.

“Pity does not merely consist in an unusual feeling. So we may give the feverish rest, satiety to the hungry, warmth to the cold, and assistance to the miserable.”

Present moment

The sage finds contentment in the present moment.

“So they lose the happiest moments of the present, and cannot really give way to these feelings for one hour. How do they really differ from chained criminals?”

The sage knows that the present moment is precious and fleeting.

“One hundred years is the limit of a long life. Not one in a thousand ever attains to it. Yet if they do, still unconscious infancy and old age take up about half this time. The time he passes unconsciously while asleep at night, and that which is wasted though awake during the day, also amounts to another half of the rest. Again pain and sickness, sorrow and fear, fill up about a hah, so that he really gets only ten years or so for his enjoyment.”

The best way to live is to do what you enjoy in the moment. Listen to good music, walk in beautiful environments, smell pleasant fragrances, speak freely, and make yourself comfortable.

“The Ancients knew that all creatures enter but for a short while into life, and must suddenly depart in death. Therefore they gave way to their impulses and did not check their natural propensities. They denied themselves nothing that could give pleasure to their bodies; consequently, as they were not seeking fame, but were following their own nature, they went smoothly on, never at variance with their inclinations.”

Summary

The sage does not worry about the external. Reputation, status, fame and wealth are all artificial and leaves one unfulfilled. They do not concern themselves with the future because it creates unneeded anxiety. Instead the sage focuses on the internal and seeks a state of emptiness. They are humble, generous, and compassionate and find contentment in savoring the present moment. One should surround themselves with pleasant sounds, environments, smells, and express themselves freely.

Resource

Yan Chu’s Garden of Pleasure. Anton Forke, translator. 1912. Classic public domain translation of Chapter 7 of the Book of Liezi.

Liezi Chapter 4: Confucius

The Liezi is considered the third most important text in Daoism after the Dao De Jing and Zhuangzi. Chapter four is named Confucius and rejects external praise while focusing on internal truth.

Acceptance

The sage knows that social rules or customs are not the Way. Instead the sage accepts life as it comes with no preconditions.

“He made no show of receiving his guests, but only gazed blankly at Liezi.”

The sage strives to be compassionate, adaptable, reflective, and reserved.

“Fraternizing with the hindmost row, he recognized no distinctions of rank or standing; meeting a sympathetic influence, and responding thereto, he did not allow his mind to be occupied with the external.”

Profit and Loss

The sage does not care about praise or condemnation.

“I hold it no honor,” said Long Shu, “to be praised in my native village, nor do I consider it a disgrace to be decried in my native State.”

The sage does not worry about gain or loss.

“Gain excites in me no joy, and loss no sorrow. I look…upon riches in the same light as poverty, upon my fellow-men as so many swine, and upon myself as I look upon my fellow-men.”

They accept both life and death.

“I look upon life in the same light as death.”

In this way pain, punishment, and loss have no effect.

“Afflicted as I am in these various ways, honors and rewards fail to rouse me, pains and penalties to overawe me, good or bad fortune to influence me, joy or grief to move me.”

Influence and Leadership

The sage influencers others without governing them.

“He governs not, yet there is no disorder. He speaks not, yet he is naturally trusted. He makes no reforms, yet right conduct is spontaneous and universal. So great and incomprehensible is he that the people can find no name to call him by.“

Those who lead with power or control are not true leaders. They are ignorant of leadership and incompetent.

“To receive sustenance from others, through inability to support oneself, places one in the category of dogs and swine...Those of higher social standing are lacking in technical knowledge, those who are employed by them are lacking in power. Only when there is a combination of technical knowledge and power can co-operative service exist.”

Emptiness

The sage does not rely on the five senses, but instead strives for a state of emptiness. The mind, body, and spirit become one with the Way.

“His ears do not hear, his eyes do not see, his mouth does not speak, his mind is devoid of knowledge, his body free from agitation...The soul had subjugated the body. The mind being void of sense-impressions, the countenance remained motionless.”

Travel is not taking a journey, but is a focus inward seeking emptiness. The sage opens themselves up to the universe. They are not aware of their own thoughts, actions, or speech.

“But one who is able to discern a connecting unity in the most multiform diversity will surely, in his survey of the universe, be unconscious of the differences between positive and negative.”

Always Alive

The Way is responsible for all creation. One can achieve eternity when they are with the Way. Even though their life ends it doesn’t truly perish.

“He who has attained to perfect knowledge is also silent. He who uses silence in lieu of speech really does speak.”

Summary

The sage knows that artificial rules are unimportant. One should accept what comes. The sage is compassionate and does not seek praise. They influence others but do not command. They strive for emptiness where mind and body become one. The Way is responsible for all creation and though life ends, it doesn’t truly perish.

Resource

Teachings from the Book of Liezih Tzu. Lionel Giles, translator. 1912. Classic public domain translation of Chapters 1-6, and 8 of the Book of Liezi.

Next: Liezi Chapter 5

Liezi Chapter 3: Dreams

The Liezi is considered the third most important text in Daoism after the Dao De Jing and Zhuangzi. Chapter three is named Dreams and focuses on harmony and perspective.

Creation

The sage recognizes that the Way is responsible for creation. This process is too complex to truly understand so we label it Way for convenience sake.

“The Creator’s ingenuity is mysterious, His operations secret and profound.”

It creates constant change. It is responsible for important events such as birth, growth, happiness, and death. It seeks balance and results in differences in temperature, light, intelligence, strength, and wakefulness.

“The point at which creation begins, the change effected by the Dual Principles — these are called respectively Life and Death. That which underlies the manifold workings of Destiny is called Evolution…It is his spontaneity that constitutes the mystery.“

Reality

The sage recognizes that life and death are both aspects of creation.

“Essential matter unites with extensive energy to become a bodily substance, which follows the line of evolution and passes away, but does not, on that account, relapse into nothingness...Therefore it arises anon, and anon it is destroyed.”

Dreams and wakefulness are also aspects of creation.

“’Once upon a time,’ he said, ‘a wood-cutter dreamt that he had got a deer, but couldn’t remember the place where he had put it. Now I have found the deer, so it appears that his dream was a true dream. ‘On the contrary,’ said his wife, ‘it is you who must have dreamt that you met a wood-cutter who had caught a deer. Here you have a deer, true enough. But where is the wood-cutter? It is evidently your dream that has come true.’ ‘I have certainly got a deer,’ replied her husband ; ‘so what does it matter to us whether it was his dream or mine?’”

Moderation

The sage strives for moderation which includes finding the proper work life balance. Working too hard causes exhaustion.

“All day long he was groaning as he went about his work, and when night came he was reeling with fatigue and would sleep like a log. His spirit was then free to wander at will, and every night he dreamt that he was a king, enthroned in authority over the multitude, and controlling the affairs of the whole State. He took his pleasure in palaces and belvederes, following his own fancy in everything, and his happiness was beyond compare.”

Forcing others to work too hard will also lead to unbalance. Mr. Yin was a businessman who worked his employees too hard.

“Every night he dreamt that he was another man’s servant, running about on menial business of every description, and subjected to every possible kind of abuse and ill-treatment. He would mutter and groan in his sleep, and obtained no relief until morning came.”

In the Moment

The sage stays in the moment and doesn’t worry about the future or regret the past. Huazi of Song had short term memory. His family sought help and he was eventually cured.

“Lately, when I was steeped in forgetfulness, my senses were so benumbed that I was quite unconscious of the existence of the outer world. But now I have been brought suddenly to a perception of the events of half a lifetime. Preservation and destruction, gain and loss, sorrow and joy, love and hate have begun to throw out their myriad tentacles to invade my peace; and these emotions will, I fear, continue to keep my mind in the state of turmoil that I now experience. Oh ! if I could but recapture a short moment of that blessed oblivion!”

Perspective

The sage never assumes they are right and recognizes the perspectives of others. Mr. Pang’s son has a condition where he saw everything backward. What was white to others was black to him. The sage knows that from the son’s point of view everyone else is confused.

The king thought the palace he built was the most beautiful ever created.

“It stood six thousand feet high, overtopping Mount Zhongnan, and it was called Touch-the-sky Pavilion...Ravishing music was played to the honored guest by the Imperial bands; several times a month he was presented with fresh jeweled raiment; every day he had set before him some new and delicious food.”

Yet when he saw the magician’s palace set in the clouds with unrivaled sights, sounds, and scents he knew his palace could not compare.

“He gazed at his own palace on the earth below, and it seemed to him no better than a rude pile of clods and brushwood.”

The sage acknowledges that perception shapes reality. They are always willing to see things from another’s perspective.

“Pointing out a certain shrine, they told him that it was his own village altar, and he heaved a deep sigh. They showed him a house, and said: ‘This is where your ancestors lived;’ and the tears welled up in his eyes. Finally, they brought him in front of a mound and said: ‘This is the tomb where your ancestors lie buried.’ The old man could control himself no longer, and wept aloud. But his fellow-travellers burst into roars of laughter. ‘We have been hoaxing you,’ they cried; this is only the Jin State.”

Conclusion

While the sage doesn’t understand the Way, they realize it is responsible for creation and change yet seeks balance. Life, death, reality, and dreams are all aspects of the Way. Moderation is a way to find balance and includes finding a good work life balance. The sage stays in the moment and does not regret the past or worry about the future. They never assume they are right and consider the perspectives of others. They understand that perception defines reality.

Resource

Teachings from the Book of Liezih Tzu. Lionel Giles, translator. 1912. Classic public domain translation of Chapters 1-6, and 8 of the Book of Liezi.

The Book of Master Lie, Thomas Cleary, translator. 2011. A nice translation of Liezi.

Next: Liezi Chapter 4

Liezi Chapter 2: The Yellow Emperor

The Liezi ie considered the third most important text in Daoism after the Dao De Jing and Zhuangzi. Chapter two is named The Yellow Emperor and focuses on living with the Way. It shares many parables found in Zhuangzi including Feeding Monkeys (Zhuangzi, Chapter 2), Taming Tigers (Zhuangzi, Chapter 4), Shaman (Zhuangzi, Chapter 7), Ferryman, Archery Contest, Swimming at the Waterfall, Catching Cicadas, and Training a Fighting Cock (Zhuangzi, Chapter 19).

Emptiness

The sage becomes one with nature. This is called achieving a state of emptiness. There is no difference between self and the outside world.

“Internal and External were blended into Unity...To let the mind reflect on what it will, to let the lips utter what they please, and not grudgingly bottle it up in one’s breast, so that the internal and the external may become as one, is still not so good as passing beyond the bounds of self and abstaining from all manifestation.”

Acceptance

The sage lives in a state of acceptance. They do not desire but follows the contour of life. They do not like or dislike but accept life for what it is.

“Its people were without desires or cravings; they simply followed their natural instincts. They felt neither joy in life nor abhorrence of death; thus they came to no untimely ends.”

Harmony with Others

The sage is in harmony with others. They are honest and do not get angry or intimidate.

“Creatures are not shy of those whom they feel to be in mental and bodily harmony with themselves.”

The sage recognizes that people use knowledge to manipulate one another.

“Howbeit, in seeking perfect wisdom, men attend to the outward form alone, which will not bring them near to it.”

When one is in the Way, others will want to be near them.

“’Nothing else,’ replied Hui Ang, ‘than the teachings of Confucius and Mo Di. Neither of these two men possessed any land, and yet they were princes; they held no official rank, and yet they were leaders. All the inhabitants of the Empire, old and young, used to crane their necks and stand on tiptoe to catch a glimpse of them. For it was their object to bring peace and happiness to all.’”

Accomplishing

When one is with the Way they possess a single mindedness.

“I knew not what part of space my body occupied, nor yet where danger lurked. My mind was simply One, and material objects thus offered no resistance. That is all. ”

They can accomplish things that seem impossible.

“There was an eager response, and Shang Qiukai in perfect good faith, was the first to leap over the edge. And lo! he was wafted down to earth like a bird on the wing, not a bone or muscle of his body being hurt...Shang Qiukai again acted on their suggestion and plunged in. And when he came out, sure enough he held a pearl in his hand.”

When one does not fear life and death, they do not let concerns of the world bother them.

“The man who achieves harmony with Dao enters into close unison with external objects, and none of them has the power to harm or hinder him.”

The reason people worry is that they are concerned with the results. The sage doesn’t let the troubles of the world affect them.

“So the prince inquired what secret power it was that enabled him to dwell in rock and to walk through fire. ‘What do you mean by rock?’ replied the man; ‘what do you mean by fire?’…’I know nothing of them,’ replied the man. It was this extreme of unconsciousness that enabled him to perform the above feats.”

Sincerity

The Way is sincere. The sage always acts with pure intention.

“There was once a man, a sailor by profession, who was very fond of sea-gulls. Every morning he went into the sea and swam about in their midst, at which times a hundred gulls and more would constantly flock about him...One day his father said to him : l am told that sea-gulls swim about with you in the water. I wish you would catch one or two for me to make pets of. On the following day, the sailor went down to the sea as usual, but lo! the gulls only wheeled about in the air and would not alight. There was disturbance in his mind, accompanied by a change in his outward demeanor; thus the birds became conscious of the fact that he was a human being.”

Yielding

The sage knows that to yield is to win while the use of force is to fail. Flexibility is the ultimate state of being.

“With regard to my method of feeding tigers, all I have to say is this: when yielded to, they are pleased; when opposed, they are angry. Such is the natural disposition of all living creatures.”

Government

When a nation follows the Way there is no need for rules, leaders, or profit. The people no longer think about right or wrong but simply follow nature. There is no need for charity or hoarding because everyone has what they need.

“This kingdom was without head or ruler; it simply went on of itself…They knew neither aversion from one course nor inclination to another; hence profit and loss existed not among them.”

A nation should always seek to avoid the use of force and instead yield if possible.

“But I do not think of opposing them and thus provoking their anger.”

Summary

The sage achieves a state of emptiness by accepting whatever comes. They live in harmony with others and is always sincere. The sage seeks to always be flexible for they know that knows that yielding is winning while force is failure. There is a single mindedness that comes with the Dao that makes it possible to accomplish challenging tasks. In a similar way when a nation follows the Dao there is no need for leaders or laws. Everyone has what they require. The nation should always seek to avoid the use of force.

Resource

Teachings from the Book of Liezih Tzu. Lionel Giles, translator. 1912. Classic public domain translation of Chapters 1-6, and 8 of the Book of Liezi.

Next: Liezi Chapter 3

Liezi Chapter 1: Cosmology

The Liezi is considered the third most important text in Daoism after the Dao De Jing and Zhuangzi. Chapter one is named Cosmology and focuses on concepts such as life, death, change, and happiness.

Creation

The Way existed before all off creation.

“They were engendered out of nothing, and came into existence of themselves.”

It gave form to all things. It creates energy, form, and substance.

“Hence we say, there is a great Principle of Change, a great Origin, a great Beginning, a great Primordial Simplicity. In the great Change substance is not yet manifest. In the great Origin lies the beginning of substance. In the great Beginning, lies the beginning of material form.”

The Way unifies all things.

“When substance, form and essential qualities are still indistinguishably blended together it is called Chaos. Chaos means that all things are chaotically intermixed and not yet separated from one another.”

Change

While it unifies all things, it creates constant change. Beings are unborn, then born, constant, and then change.

“There is a Creative Principle which is itself uncreated; there is a Principle of Change which is itself unchanging. The Uncreated is able to create life ; the Unchanging is able to effect change...Between his birth and his latter end, man passes through four chief stages of development: — infancy, adolescence, old age and death...Man, likewise, from birth to old age becomes something different every day in face and form, in wisdom and in conduct. His skin, his nails and his hair are continually growing and continually perishing. In infancy and childhood there is no stopping nor respite from change. Though imperceptible while it is going on, it may be verified afterwards if we wait.”

It causes the variation of sound, color, and flavor.

“There is sound, and there is that which causes sound; there is color, and there is that which causes color; there is taste, and there is that which causes taste.”

No Limitation

The Way accomplishes nothing yet everything gets done. There is nothing it can’t do or doesn’t know.

“This it is to be devoid of knowledge, yet all-knowing, destitute of power, yet all-powerful. Such is Dao.”

It is responsible for both heaven and earth. Heaven creates life while earth supports it.

“It is Heaven’s function to produce life and to spread a canopy over it. It is Earth’s function to form material bodies and to support them. It is the Sage’s function to teach others and to influence them for good. It is the function of created things to conform to their proper nature.”

Happiness

The sage is content with their life and happy with their existence even in poverty.

“I have a great deal to make me happy. God created all things, and of all His creations man is the noblest. It has fallen to my lot to be a man: that is my first ground for happiness...Furthermore, some are born who never behold the sun or the moon, and who never emerge from their swaddling-clothes. But I have already walked the earth for the space of ninety years.”

They stay content in old age.

“But I have already walked the earth for the space of ninety years. That is my third ground for happiness…Abiding in the normal state, and reaching at last the appointed end, what is there that should make me unhappy?”

They don’t fear the unknown or worry about the future.

“He who maintains that Heaven and earth are destructible, and he who upholds the contrary, are both equally at fault. Whether they are destructible or not is something we can never know, though one may hold this view and another that. The living and the dead, the going and the coming, know nothing of each other’s state. Whether destruction awaits the world or no, why should I trouble my head about it?”

Life

The sage knows that life is a gift of the Way.

“Are you not already a thief in respect of your own body? You are stealing the harmony of the Yin and the Yang in order to keep alive and to maintain your bodily form.”

The sage knows that life is supported by the Way.

“We all know that Heaven has its seasons, and that earth has its riches. Well, the things that I steal are the riches of Heaven and earth, each in their season — the fertilizing rain-water from the clouds, and the natural products of mountain and meadow-land. Thus I grow my grain and ripen my crops, build my walls and construct my tenements. From the dry land I steal winged and four-footed game, from the rivers I steal fish and turtles. There is nothing that I do not steal. For corn and grain, clay and wood, birds and beasts, fishes and turtles are all products of Nature. How can I claim them as mine?”

Death

The sage doesn’t view death as an end or something to fear.

“An excellent thing was Death in the eyes of the ancients. It gives rest to the good, and subdues the wicked. Death is the boundary-line of virtue. That is, Death abolishes all artificial and temporary distinctions between good and evil, which only hold good in this world of relativity...Men feel the joy of life, but do not realize its bitterness. They feel the weariness of old age, but not its peacefulness. They think of the evils of death, but not of the repose which it confers.”

They know that all things eventually return to the Way.

“When the spirit parts from the body, each of these elements returns to its proper place...The ancients spoke of the dead as…(men who have returned). But if the dead are men who have returned, the living are men on a journey.”

No one knows if death is truly the end.

“Being takes its rise out of Not-Being. That which has shape and substance must come to an end. Heaven and Earth, then, have an end, even as we all have an end. But whither the end leads us is unknown.”

Summary

The Way has always existed and gave form to all things. It creates endless change. It accomplishes all things yet does nothing. The sage finds happiness in all stages of life including birth, childhood, old age, and poverty. They see life as a gift and do not view death as a true end but a return to the Way.

Resource

Teachings from the Book of Liezih Tzu. Lionel Giles, translator. 1912. Classic public domain translation of Chapters 1-6, and 8 of the Book of Liezi.

Next: Liezi Chapter 2

Zhuangzi Chapter 26: Contingencies

The book Zhuangzi is an essential text in Daoism. Chapter Twenty Six, Contingencies, rejects the human values of wealth, power, excess, and fame.

“Ill-regulated virtue ends in reputation. Ill-regulated reputation ends in notoriety. Scheming leads to confusion. Knowledge begets contentions. Obstinacy produces stupidity. Organised government is for the general good of all.”

Wealth

The sage rejects things that humanity values such as wealth. They see that external things do not bring happiness. Instead they focus on the internal and reaching a state of emptiness.

“The heart feels as though suspended between heaven and earth. So in the struggle between peace and unrest, the friction between good and evil, much fire is evolved which consumes the inner harmony of man. But the mind is unable to resist fire. It is destroyed, and with it Dao comes to an end.”

Power

The sage rejects power and leadership. They are content with their daily life.

“To take a rod and line, and go to a pool, and catch small fry is a very different thing from catching big fish. And by means of a little show of ability to secure some small billet is a very different thing from really pushing one’s way to the front.”

Excess

The sage rejects accumulating possessions and excess. They live life sticking to the necessities.

“Yesterday, as I was coming along, I heard a voice calling me. I looked round, and in the cart-rut I saw a stickleback. ‘And what do you want, stickleback?’ said I. ‘I am a denizen of the eastern ocean,’ replied the stickleback. ‘Pray, Sir, a pint of water to save my life.’ ‘Yes,’ said I. ‘I am just going south to visit the princes of Wu and Yue. I will bring you some from the west river. Will that do?’ At this the stickleback flushed with anger and said, ‘I am out of my element. I have nowhere to go. A pint of water would save me. But to talk to me like this, — you might as well put me in a dried-fish shop at once.’”

Fame

The sage rejects fame and does not value reputation. They remain humble and do not assume that they know what is right. They always reflect before taking action which makes success much more likely.

“Yet this is the common way of all, to lure people by fame, to bind them by ties of gratification. Better than extolling Yao and cursing Jie is oblivion of both, keeping one’s praises to oneself. These things react injuriously on self; the agitation of movement results in deflection. The true Sage is a passive agent. If he succeeds, he simply feels that he was provided by no effort of his own with the energy necessary to success.”

Knowledge

The sage knows the limit of human knowledge and does not feel the need to accumulate it. Instead they work towards emptiness and the unity of all things.

“Truly wisdom has its limits; spirituality, that which it cannot reach. In spite of the highest wisdom, there are countless snares to be avoided; If a fish has not to fear nets, there are always pelicans. Get rid of small wisdom, and great wisdom will shine upon you.”

Emptiness

The state of emptiness is seeing the connection of all things. The sage stays focused on the Way.

“All sentient beings depend upon breath. If this does not reach them in sufficient quantity, it is not the fault of God. God supplies it day and night without cease, but man stops the passage. Man has for himself a spacious domain. His mind may roam to heaven.”

This allows the sage to live in the world without becoming encumbered by it. The sage goes with the flow and does not force action. They accept the world for what it is.

“Only the perfect man can transcend the limits of the human and yet not withdraw from the world, live in accord with mankind and yet suffer no injury himself...Wherefore it has been said, ‘The perfect man leaves no trace behind.’”

In emptiness there is no agitation, trouble, or worry.

“Repose gives health to the sick. Rubbing the eyelids removes the wrinkles of old age. Quiet will dispel anxieties. These remedies however are the resource only of those who need them. Others who are free from such ills pay no attention thereto.”

In emptiness, one forgets skills, techniques, and human knowledge.

“The [purpose] of a fish-trap is the fish. When the fish is caught, the trap may be ignored. The [purpose] of a rabbit-snare is the rabbit. When the rabbit is caught the snare may be ignored. The [purpose] of language is an idea to be expressed. When the idea is expressed, the language may be ignored. But where shall I find a man to ignore language, with whom I may be able to converse?”

Summary

The sage rejects the human values of wealth, power, excess, and fame. They see that these external things do not bring happiness. They work towards emptiness and the connection of all things. This allows them to live the world without being bothered by it. They only act if necessary and after much reflection.

Resource

Chuang Tzu, Mystic, Moralist and Social Reformer, Herbert A. Giles, translator. Bernard Quaritch 1889. Classic public domain translation.

Return: Zhuangzi

Zhuangzi Chapter 19: The Secret of Life

The book Zhuangzi is an essential text in Daoism. Chapter Nineteen, The Secret of 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.

“Those who understand the conditions of life devote no attention to things which life cannot accomplish. Those who understand the conditions of destiny devote no attention to things over which knowledge has no control.”

They accept their lack of control. They accept that they did not choose when they were born or predict when they will die.

“Life comes, and cannot be declined. It goes, and cannot be stopped.”

They are grateful for their health and any positive things in their life.

“Whereas, that you have a whole body in a whole skin, and have not perished in mid career, dumb, blind, or halt, but actually hold a place among men, — this ought to be enough for you.”

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.

“Of old, when a bird alighted outside the capital of Lu, the prince was delighted, and killed an ox to feed it and had the Chiu Shao played to entertain it. The bird, however, was timid and dazed and dared not to eat or drink. This was treating the bird like oneself.”

The sage realizes that possessions don’t bring happiness.

“For the due nourishment of our physical frames, certain things are needful. Yet where such things abound, the physical frame is not always 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 Way.

“By renouncing the world, one gets rid of the cares of the world. The result is a natural level, which is equivalent to a re-birth. And he who is re-born is near.”

Harmony

The sage finds a balance between separating themselves from the world and being a part of it.

“In the State of Lu,’ said Tian, ‘there was a man named Shan Bao. He lived on the mountains and drank water. All worldly interests he had put aside. And at the age of seventy, his complexion was like that of a child. Unluckily, he one day fell in with a hungry tiger who killed and ate him. There was also a man named Zhang Yi, who frequented the houses of rich and poor alike. At the age of forty he was attacked by some internal disease and died. Shan Bao took care of his inner self, and a tiger ate his external man. Zhang Yi took care of himself externally, but disease attacked him internally. These two individuals both omitted to whip up the laggards.’”

Harm

Nothing harms the sage if they don’t perceive events as negative. They simply accept the flow of life as it comes.

“A drunken man who falls out of a cart, though he may suffer, does not die. His bones are the same as other people’s; but he meets his accident in a different way. His spirit is in a condition of security. He is not conscious of riding in the cart; neither is he conscious of falling out of it...It is in God that the Sage seeks his refuge, and so he is free from 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 the Chu State, he came to a forest where he saw a hunchback catching cicadas as though with his hand...Heaven and earth and all creation may be around me, but I am conscious only of my cicada’s wings. How should I not succeed?”

By being in the moment, one can complete challenging tasks and physical feats.

“’Kindly tell me, is there any way to deal thus with water?’ ‘No,’ replied the old man; ‘I have no way. There was my original condition to begin with; then habit growing into nature; and lastly acquiescence in destiny. Plunging in with the whirl, I come out with the swirl. I accommodate myself to the water, not the water to me. And so I am able to deal with it after this fashion.’”

They do not allow stress to affect them even when the stakes are high.

“A man who plays for counters will play well. If he stakes his girdle, he will be nervous; if yellow gold, he will lose his wits. His skill is the same in each case, but he is distracted by the value of his stake. And every one who attaches importance to the external, becomes internally without resource.”

The sage focuses their concentration on the task at hand.

“My skill becomes concentrated, and all disturbing elements from without are gone. I enter some mountain forest. I search for a suitable tree. It contains the form required, which is afterwards elaborated. I see the stand in my mind’s eye, and then set to work. Otherwise, there is nothing. I bring my own natural capacity into relation with that of the wood.”

This allows them to be in a state of effortless action. Things get done easily and without planning.

“Chui the artisan could draw circles with his hand better than with compasses. His fingers seemed to accommodate themselves so naturally to the thing he was working at, that it was unnecessary to fix his attention. His mental faculties thus remained ONE, and suffered no hindrance. To be unconscious of one’s feet implies that the shoes are easy. To be unconscious of a waist implies that the girdle is easy. The intelligence being unconscious of positive and negative implies that the heart is at ease.”

The key is to not get overwhelmed. Instead act as if it is perfectly normal.

“’It means,’ answered Confucius, ‘that such a man is oblivious of the water around him. He regards the rapid as though dry land. He looks upon an upset as an ordinary cart accident. And if a man can but be impervious to capsizings and accidents in general, whither should he not be able comfortably to go?’”

Summary

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

Chuang Tzu, Mystic, Moralist and Social Reformer, Herbert A. Giles, translator. Bernard Quaritch 1889. Classic public domain translation.

Next: Zhuangzi Chapter 26

Zhuangzi Chapter 18: Perfect Happiness

The book Zhuangzi is an essential text in Daoism. Chapter Eighteen, Perfect Happiness, centers on the question of what do humans value? Can money buy happiness? What must a person do to be happy?

Happiness

This chapter begins with the essential question, “Can one be happy in life?”

“Is perfect happiness to be found on earth, or not? Are there those who can enjoy life, or not? If so, what do they do, what do they affect, what do they avoid, what do they rest in, accept, reject, like, and dislike?”

Human Values

Humanity values wealth, reputation, power, and long life. Many find happiness in fashionable clothes, rich food, leisure activities, music, and beauty. Humanity doesn’t value poverty, a short life, or a hectic lifestyle.

“What the world esteems comprises wealth, rank, old age, and goodness of heart. What it enjoys comprises comfort, rich food, fine clothes, beauty, and music. What it does not esteem comprises poverty, want of position, early death, and evil behavior. What it does not enjoy comprises lack of comfort for the body, lack of rich food for the palate, lack of fine clothes for the back, lack of beauty for the eye, and lack of music for the ear.”

Wealthy

The wealthy rush around all day accumulating wealth. They engage in complex business dealings, long term planning, and questionable schemes. They accumulate more wealth than they could possibly use in their lifetime. They worry if they are making the right decisions.

“Wealthy people who toil and moil, putting together more money than they can possibly use, — from the point of view of our physical frame, is not this going beyond the mark? Officials of rank who turn night into day in their endeavors to compass the best ends; — from the point of view of our physical frame, is not this a divergence?”

Wealth does not bring one true happiness. The rich are too rushed and can’t slow down to enjoy the moment. They are constantly worrying about protecting their possessions. They convince themselves that money will make them happy.

“As to what the world does and the way in which people are happy now, I know not whether such happiness be real happiness or not. The happiness of ordinary persons seems to me to consist in slavishly following the majority, as if they could not help it. Yet they all say they are happy.”

True Happiness

The sage does not accumulate possessions. They find true happiness in the state of effortless action. They follow the natural contours of life and do not force anything. They only take action after much reflection and when it seems natural in the moment. This state of “inaction” brings peace and clarity and helps determine what is right and wrong. It feels as if things get done all by themselves and everything that needs to gets done gets done.

“I make true pleasure to consist in inaction, which the world regards as great pain. Thus it has been said, ‘Perfect happiness is the absence of happiness; perfect renown is the absence of renown’. Now in this sublunary world of ours it is impossible to assign positive and negative absolutely. Nevertheless, in inaction they can be so assigned. Perfect happiness and preservation of life are to be sought for only in inaction. Let us consider. Heaven does nothing; yet it is clear. Earth does nothing; yet it enjoys repose. From the inaction of these two proceed all the modifications of things...Therefore it has been said, ‘Heaven and earth do nothing, yet there is nothing which they do not accomplish.’”

Life and Death

The sage keeps life and death in proper perspective. They mourn the loss of a loved one, but also realize that life and death are part of nature. There was a time before birth and having a body or spirit. One is born, grows, and finally dies. This is the progression of things.

“’Not at all,’ replied Zhuangzi. ‘When she died, I could not help being affected by her death. Soon, however, I remembered that she had already existed in a previous state before birth, without form, or even substance; that while in that unconditioned condition, substance was added to spirit; that this substance then assumed form; and that the next stage was birth. And now, by virtue of a further change, she is dead, passing from one phase to another like the sequence of spring, summer, autumn, and winter. And while she is thus lying asleep in Eternity, for me to go about weeping and wailing would be to proclaim myself ignorant of these natural laws. Therefore I refrain.’”

In fact the dead would not choose to be alive again because they wouldn’t give up the peacefulness of death for the troubles of life.

“’Were I to prevail upon God to allow your body to be born again, and your bones and flesh to be renewed, so that you could return to your parents, to your wife, and to the friends of your youth,—would you be willing?’ At this, the skull opened its eyes wide and knitted its brows and said, ‘How should I cast aside happiness greater than that of a king, and mingle once again in the toils and troubles of mortality?’”

People have different Needs

A sage knows that people have different needs. A bird travels in a flock, likes the forest, eats fish, and hates human noise. Fish swim in the water and eat insects. Humans aren’t birds or fish so they have different needs than them.

“Water, which is life to fishes, is death to man. Being differently constituted, their likes and dislikes are different. Therefore the Sages of the past favored not uniformity of skill or of occupation.”

Individuals have different needs due to their biology, environment, and life experiences. A seed grows differently in water, on the bank of a stream, or on the side of a slope.

“Certain germs, falling upon water, become duckweed. When they reach the junction of the land and the water, they become lichen. Spreading up the bank, they become the dog-tooth violet.”

Interconnectedness

The sage knows that all living things are connected. Roots of a plant need rich soil to grow. Worms eat its roots while butterflies eat its leaves. Birds eat butterflies and animals eat plants. Humans eat all of these but eventually pass away and return to the soil.

“The roots of Crow’s Feet turn into maggots, and their leaves turn into butterflies. Before long, the butterflies are transformed and turn into insects…Jiuyou bugs are born from Mourui bugs, and Mourui bugs are born from Rot Grubs, and Rot Grubs are born from Sheep’s Groom. Sheep’s Groom couples with bamboo that has not sprouted for a long while and produces Green Peace plants. Green Peace plants produce leopards, and leopards produce horses, and horses produce men. Men in time return again to the mysterious workings. So all creatures come out of the mysterious workings and go back into them again.”

Summary

What is happiness? Humanity values wealth, reputation, and power. However, these things do not guarantee happiness and can actually prevent it. Wealth brings a hectic life and worry about protecting possessions. The sage finds happiness in the state of effortless action. They only take action after much reflection when it seems natural in the moment. The sage keeps life and death in proper perspective and realize that they are part of nature. Individuals have different needs due to their biology, but are still connected as part of nature.

Resource

Chuang Tzu, Mystic, Moralist and Social Reformer, Herbert A. Giles, translator. Bernard Quaritch 1889. Classic public domain translation.

Next: Zhuangzi Chapter 19