Introduction to Zhuangzi

Introduction to Zhuangzi

Zhuangzi (about 369-286 BC), named Zhou, was born in Song Dynasty during the Warring States Period (now Mengcheng County, Anhui Province). A famous thinker, philosopher and writer, a representative of Taoist school, the successor and developer of Laozi's philosophical thought, and the founder of Zhuangzi school in pre-Qin. His theory covered all aspects of social life at that time, but the fundamental spirit still belonged to Laozi's philosophy. Later generations called him and Laozi "Laozi", and their philosophy was "Laozi's philosophy".

Introduction of historical records

"Historical Records" introduces Zhuangzi in a few lines, saying that his books are hundreds of words, mostly fables. For example, fishermen, stealing feet and jackets are all used to attack Confucius' theory to identify Laozi's thoughts.

Zhuangzi.

There are thirty-three articles in Zhuangzi, which are divided into three parts: internal, external and miscellaneous. It is generally believed that seven inner chapters must be written by Zhuangzi, and fifteen outer chapters are generally believed to be written by Zhuangzi's disciples, or written by Zhuangzi in cooperation with his disciples, which reflects Zhuangzi's true thoughts. The situation of Eleven Essays is complicated, and it should be written by Zhuangzi School or later scholars. Some of them are considered to be absolutely not all the thoughts of Zhuangzi School, such as "stealing feet" and "saying swords".

The quality of Zhuangzi

Zhuangzi seems to be a cynical person. He lived in the Warring States period, slightly smaller, and as famous as Liang and Liang. He once worked as a clerk in a paint garden and lived in poverty, but he refused to accept Chu Weiwang's heavy money. Morally, he is actually a very honest, straightforward and sharp-edged person.

Although he was indifferent to fame and fortune all his life, he advocated self-cultivation, quietism. In his heart, he was full of sadness and despair about the world at that time. From his philosophical, indisputable and frank appearance, we can see that Zhuangzi has a strong love-hate relationship with the real world.

It was because the world was dirty that he retired; It is precisely because of the experience of the yellowbird that he is in harmony with the world; It is because there is too much freedom in life that he emphasizes frankness. Zhuangzi showed his unique personality charm with frankness. It is because of his passionate love that he hates his guts. He thinks that the nature of killing officials is not as good as enjoying themselves in a poor life. In fact, it is a strong awakening and rebound to the reality that is too dark and dirty.

Zhuangzi advocated spiritual freedom, so physically, he also tried to achieve a state of freedom independent of external forces. Zhuangzi advocates that all things in the universe have equal nature, and that people blend in with all things, thus ending with the universe; Zhuangzi advocated that the master of life, that is, the human spirit, should obey the laws of nature and be calm; Zhuangzi demanded to attach importance to the cultivation of inner virtue. When virtue is enough, life naturally exudes a self-sufficient spiritual strength.

Zhuangzi's view on the relationship between the universe and man.

The relationship between the universe and man held by Zhuangzi is "the unity of heaven and man", and things and me are forgotten, so he has a well-informed view of life and death; Zhuangzi thinks that Tao gives us shape and heaven gives us shape. What we should do is not to damage our nature because of likes and dislikes. Based on the complete life of human beings, he thinks about what kind of life journey people should spend.

He transcended the limitations of any knowledge system and ideology, stood in the circle of heaven, and stood on the edge of life to reflect on life. His philosophy is the philosophy of life, and his thinking is of ultimate significance.

Zhuangzi's philosophy

The word "benevolence" is regarded as a symbol of Confucianism, while the word "virtue" is the essence of Taoist thought. Zhuangzi's "Tao" is heaven, imitating nature's "Tao", not man-made harm.

In Zhuangzi's philosophy, "heaven" is two opposite concepts to "man". "Heaven" represents nature, and "man" refers to everything that is artificial and deviates from nature. The word "artificial" is a "fake" word when combined.

Zhuangzi advocated obeying the Heaven and discarding the "artificial" and "false" impurities in human nature. It is the "virtue" advocated by Zhuangzi that obeys the "heaven" and thus communicates with heaven and earth.

In Zhuangzi's view, real life is natural, and we don't need to teach or prescribe anything, but we need to get rid of what we have forgotten, forget what we have done, forget what we have done and forget what we have done. In this case, do you still need political propaganda, education on rites and music, and persuasion on benevolence and righteousness? Zhuangzi believes that all these propaganda, education and persuasion are "false" in human nature and should be abandoned.

As the ancestor of Taoist school, the philosophy of Laozi and Zhuangzi is the only one in China's philosophy that can compete with Confucianism and later Buddhism. Its position in the development history of China thought is by no means lower than Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism.

The status of Zhuangzi

In the minds of intellectuals, Laozi's and Zhuangzi's philosophy, especially Zhuangzi's philosophy, is the most suitable for the needs of creativity and the hidden part of their hearts. Between the strict rules of Confucianism and the strict abstinence of Buddhism, it provides a space for China intellectuals to breathe freely. It is spontaneous, conforms to nature, and opposes artificial bondage. It has done its best in the process of preserving free "life".

Zhuangzi is not only a great philosopher with distinctive features in the history of China philosophy, but also a poet. In his works, he used vivid and humorous fables to explain his thoughts, which made Zhuangzi's thoughts and imagination have the same integrity as water.

The structure of Zhuangzi's article is very strange. It doesn't look tight, but it often comes suddenly. You can do whatever you want and stop whenever you want. Wang Yang is reckless and changeable, sometimes seemingly irrelevant, jumping up and down at will, but his thoughts can run through. Sentences are also rich and varied, whether fluent or inverted, long or short, what's more, they are rich in vocabulary, detailed in description, and often rhyme irregularly, which is very expressive and original.

Zhuangzi's Wang Yang is unrestrained, imaginative, moist and broad-minded, giving people a sense of being extraordinary, noble and wonderful. This is unique in the history of China's literature. His essay system has been separated from the record form, which indicates that the pre-Qin prose has developed to a mature stage. It can be said that Zhuangzi represents the highest achievement of pre-Qin prose.

Zhuang Zhou wrote hundreds of words in his life, with the title of Zhuangzi. The appearance of this document indicates that in the Warring States period, China's philosophical thinking and literary language have developed to non-; Deep level is a treasure in China's ancient books. Therefore, Zhuangzi is not only a famous thinker in the history of China philosophy, but also an outstanding writer in the history of China literature. No matter in philosophy or literary language, he had a far-reaching and great influence on China thinkers and writers, and played a very important role in China's ideological official and literary history.

Zhuangzi's influence on later generations.

There is a long list of people influenced by Zhuangzi in terms of ideology, style of writing, article system and writing skills. Among the first-class writers, there are Ruan Ji, Tao Yuanming, Li Bai, Su Shi, Xin Qiji and Cao Xueqin, which shows the great influence.

Later, Taoism inherited Taoism, and after the evolution of Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, Laozi and Zhuangzi became the core content of Taoism. Zhuangzi was deified and regarded as a god. In February (724) of the first year of Tianbao, Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, he was named "South China Real Person". His book "Zhuangzi" is called the South China Classic. Song Huizong was named "the subtle Tong Yuan Zhen Jun".

Treat powerful people like rotten mice.

"Zhuangzi Qiushui" contains: Hui Shi is in Liang Rencheng, and Zhuangzi wants to meet this good friend. Someone quickly reported to Keiko, "Zhuangzi has come to replace you." Keiko is scared and wants to stop Zhuangzi. He sent people to search all over the country for three days and nights. Unexpectedly, Zhuangzi calmly visited him and said, "There is a bird in the south. Its name is Phoenix. Have you ever heard of it? Phoenix flies high. Flying from the South China Sea to the North Sea is not because the phoenix tree is not alive, and it is not practical and does not eat; Don't drink unless it's sweet spring. At this time, an owl was eating a rotten mouse with relish, just as the phoenix flew overhead. The owl hurried to protect the rotten mouse and looked up and said, "Scare!" Now you want to scare me with your Guo Liang? "

It is better to be a free turtle.

One day, Zhuangzi was fishing in the whirlpool water. Two doctors appointed by the king of Chu came to hire him and said, "My king has long heard of Mr. Xian's name, and he wants to be tired of state affairs. Mr. Wang Shen came out of the mountain happily, thinking that the king would share his worries and the people would seek happiness. " Zhuangzi ignored the pole and said indifferently; "I heard that there was a turtle in Chu, and it was three thousand years old when it was killed. The king of Chu treasured bamboo boxes, covered with brocade, and enshrined them in the temple. Excuse me, Second Doctor, would this tortoise rather leave a bone after death, or would it rather sneak its tail in the mud when it is alive? " The second doctor said, "naturally, I would like to wag my tail in the mud alive." Zhuangzi said, "Two doctors, please go home! I am also willing to drag my tail in the mud. "

Poor, not poor.

"Zhuangzi Sanmu" contains: On one occasion, Zhuangzi visited Wang Wei in coarse patched clothes, sandals and straw ropes. Wang Wei saw him and said, "Why is your husband so down and out?" Zhuangzi corrected: "It's poverty, not poverty. Scholars have morality and cannot embody morality, which is down and out; Rags are poor, not poor. This so-called untimely birth! Your Majesty, didn't you see that prancing ape? For example, on the tall nanmu and camphor trees, they climbed up the branches and shuttled back and forth, carefree, even though Houyi and Meng Peng, who were good at shooting, were reincarnated, there was nothing they could do. But if they are in thorns, they can only look askance and pass by in fear. This is not because their bones and muscles become stiff and inflexible, but because they are in an inconvenient situation and are not able to show their abilities. Now that I am between a bad king and chaos, how can I not be down and out? "

Talk about three swords skillfully, and prosper the country with one word.

During the Warring States Period, King Wen of Zhao especially liked fencing. The swordsmen who love it have come to offer their skills, so that there are as many as 3 thousand swordsmen around the palace gate. They fought day and night in front of King Wen of Zhao. There are hundreds of casualties every year, but Zhao is still interested in it and enjoys it. As a result, the folk sword fighting style prevailed, chivalrous men sprang up everywhere, more and more idle people, fewer people plowed the fields, the countryside was barren, and the national strength gradually declined. Other vassal States intend to take this opportunity to attack Zhao.

Prince Zhao Mao was worried about this and called the ministers around him to discuss: "If this goes on, the country will be destroyed by other countries. Is there a minister who can please the king and make the swordsmen stop fighting? I will reward my daughter. " The left and right said in unison: "Zhuangzi can take this position." The prince asked, "Who is Zhuangzi?" A minister replied, "Zhuangzi is a hermit. It is enough for the country, it can be enough for the country, its theory can be brought back to life, and its theory can be earth-shattering. If you can invite him, you can follow your wishes and save the people from fire and water. " So the prince sent an emissary with his daughter to invite Zhuangzi.

When Zhuangzi met the messenger, he understood his purpose and said, "Why is it so difficult? It's worth 1000 yuan?" He refused to accept his daughter, but took an envoy to see the prince and asked him, "The prince gave me a gift from Zhuang Zhou for my daughter. What do you think? " The prince said, "Mr. Wen is a god. I'll give you a daughter as your student's expenses along the way." If Miss Zhao doesn't accept it, what can I say? "Zhuangzi said," I heard that the prince wants to use my position in Zhuangzi, which is a hobby of abandoning you. If I advise the king against his wishes. If there is a negative prince, I will be punished and die. What's the use of having a daughter If the festival can please the king and the prince at the same time. What else do I want from Zhao? "

Three days later, Zhuangzi came to see the prince in Confucian clothes. The prince took him to see King Wen of Zhao. King Wen's sword was drawn with a white blade. Zhuangzi is imposing and bare. If you don't enter the temple gate, you won't worship when you see you. The great king said, "The prince introduced you. What do you want to teach me? " Zhuangzi said, "I heard that the king has a good sword, so I came to see him with swordsmanship." Wang said, "What's your specialty in fencing?" Zhuangzi said, "My sword is extremely sharp. My swordsmanship is a westward journey. Kill one person in ten steps and leave a thousand miles." King Wen was greatly appreciative and praised: "The world is invincible!" Tao: "Those who are good at swordsmanship show their emptiness, exploit their advantages, then release them, and then arrive first. May the king give me a chance to try. " Wen Wang said, "Sir, rest for a few days and stand by and watch in the building. When I arrange it properly, please give me a skill to compete with the sword. " Therefore, King Wen of Zhao chose the master by sword-fighting, and fought for seven days in a row, with more than 60 casualties and five or six excellent players. Let them wait for your highness with swords, and tell Zhuangzi to get to the bottom of it. Zhuangzi gladly came, and King Wen of Zhao ordered, "These six people are experts. I hope you can show your talents and do your best. " Zhuangzi replied: "I have been looking forward to it for a long time!"

King Wen of Zhao asked, "I wonder what sword you want to hold? What is the length? " Zhuangzi replied, "I can hold any sword. But I have three swords, which are dedicated to the king. Please allow me to speak before I try. " The king nodded and said, "What do you want to hear about the Three Swords?" Zhuangzi said: "These three swords are: Tian Zi Jian, warlord Jian and Shu Ren Jian." The king asked curiously, "where is the sword of the son of heaven?" Zhuangzi said: "The sword of the Emperor of Heaven is based on Shicheng, Qi and Taishan, backed by Jin and Wei, headed by Zhou and Song, and handled by Han and Wei, including Siyi, Four Seasons, Bohai, Hengshan, Five Elements, Criminal Morality, Yin and Yang, Spring and Summer." This sword is right in front, holding it supreme, pressing it without pressing it, and lingering without side. In the clouds, in Jedi space. At this moment, I came out, corrected the princes, bullied the four seas, and served the country with good deeds. This is what I call the heavenly sword. "

Upon hearing this, King Wen was at a loss. He asked again, "Where is the sword of the vassal?" Zhuangzi said: "The sword of a warlord takes the brave as the front, honesty as the dust, sages as the back, saints as the head and heroes as the handle. This sword can't be seen straight ahead, when it is lifted, when it is pressed, and when it is lingering. Imitate the round sky and follow the three lights; Only by imitating Di Fang can we adapt to the four seasons; Suppress public opinion and ensure the safety of the four towns. When this sword is used, it vibrates like thunder, and everyone in the world will obey you. This is the sword of the warlord. " King Wen nodded frequently.

King Wen asked again, "What about Shu Ren's sword?" Zhuangzi said, "The man with thick eyebrows and beard is holding Shu Ren's sword. Their clothes are long at the front and short at the back, their eyes are shining with anger and their words are vulgar. Before hitting the king, they cut their necks and stabbed their livers and lungs. Comparing Shu Ren to a sword is tantamount to cockfighting. If you die carelessly, it will not help the country. Today, the king sits in the position of the son of heaven, but he is good at the sword of Shu Ren. I am deeply sorry, I stole it for the king! " King Wen of Zhao immediately got up and took Zhuangzi to the temple with his hands. Tell the chef to kill the chickens and sheep and treat Zhuangzi with good wine and food. King Wen of Zhao turned around the table three times. Seeing this, Zhuangzi said, "Your Majesty, please sit down and hold your breath. I have finished playing the sword. " King Wen sat down and meditated for a long time.

King Wen of Zhao listened to Zhuangzi's three swords and stayed in the palace in March. From then on, I gave up the pain of a good sword and devoted myself to governing the country. Those swords and earthlings felt that they had no future, and they were very worried. They all fled or committed suicide soon.

Is life so confusing?

One day, Zhuangzi was sitting in a chair, looking up at the sky and sighing, depressed like a man out of his mind. The disciple stood by and said, "Sir, why are you sighing? A person's body can really be like wood, but can a solid heart be like ashes? Isn't the person sitting in the chair today the same person who used to sit in the chair? " Zhuangzi said, "Good question. Now I have lost myself, do you understand? " Disciple said, "What is ego? The apprentice is stupid, I really don't understand. " Zhuangzi said: "Everything in the world is relative. So, without him, there would be no this, without you, there would be no me. This is opposite and complementary, but I don't know who made this happen. Is it an invisible way? What kind of person is Tao? Bones and internal organs all exist in one body. What is self-investigation? Who am I closer to? Do you all like it, or do you have a preference? In that case, is there a relationship between men and women between the nine bones and the internal organs? If they are all male and female servants, then do these male and female servants restrict each other? Or do you take turns being your subjects? Are there really experts among them? Alas, once life has accepted the essence and achieved the body, it unconsciously runs out of energy. Fighting and rubbing with foreign objects every day, exhausted like riding a horse, but you can't stop it yourself, isn't it sad? You have been busy all your life without success, but you are tired and don't know where to go. Although the body is immortal, what's the use? It's a great sorrow to die with your heart! When people are born, are they always at a loss? Or am I alone, others are not confused? "

Everything is the same, but Mo Qiang is different.

Disciple asked: "Compared with heaven and earth, who is old and who is less, who is more expensive and who is less?" Zhuangzi said, "People are formed in heaven and earth, suffer indignities from Yin and Yang, and stand between heaven and earth, just like a small stone Xiao Mu in a mountain. It's too small, so why should we be arrogant? The four seas lie between heaven and earth, unlike ant nests in the desert? Isn't China in the sea like a small grain of rice in big warehouse? There are countless things in the world, and people are just one of them; Compared with all things, people are not like a hair on a horse? "

The disciple seemed to realize something and said, "Sir, you mean there is a mountain beyond the mountain, and there is a sky behind it?" Zhuangzi said: "There is meaning in this respect." Disciple asked, "Is it okay if I regard heaven and earth as the largest and smallest?"

Zhuangzi said, "No! Any object is inexhaustible in terms of measurement and endless in terms of time of existence; Can be divided infinitely, without beginning or end. Therefore, people with great wisdom have a view of distance: small but not too little, big but not too much, and unlimited knowledge. He learned from ancient times and modern times: although ancient times were out of reach, they were not confused; Although I can get there, I won't stand on tiptoe to get it, knowing that time has no beginning or end. He knows that heaven has ups and downs, gains and losses, so he gains without joy and loses without worry. He understands that heaven is magnanimous, so he is born unhappy and dies without regret, knowing the changes from beginning to end. People know far less than they don't know; When I was born, it was not as long as when I was not born. Growing up, we were poor, so we were confused and got nothing. From this point of view, how can we know that the smallest point is enough to be the smallest to smallest boundary? How do you know that heaven and earth are enough to exhaust the territory? "

The disciple said, "I see. Sir, you mean: large, medium and small, not too big; Small is big, don't treat small as small. " Zhuangzi said, "It seems inaccurate. For example, the big ones are big and the small ones are small. Big infinity, small infinity. "

Disciple asked, "How can we distinguish between the noble and the low, and how can we distinguish between the big and the small?" Zhuangzi said: "From the standpoint of Tao, everything is neither expensive nor cheap; From the standpoint of things, expensive is cheap; From a secular point of view, dignity lies not in itself, but in external honor and disgrace. Look at the difference outside, because it is big and big, so everything is not big; Everything is small because it is small. If you know that heaven and earth are like rice plants, they are as small as hills, and there is no difference in size. In ancient times, Yao and Shun surrendered to be emperors, while Zi and Prince Ha surrendered and died. Shang Tang and Zhou Wuwang fought for the title of emperor, but Bai Gong's fight for the throne led to his own destruction. From this point of view, the ceremony of striving for concessions and Liang Yaos trip are sometimes expensive, sometimes not always expensive, but often very cheap. Large columns can break through the city gate but can't plug the hole, which has different uses; Huiji gallops thousands of miles a day, catching mice is not as good as civet cats, and its skills are better; Owls can catch fleas at night, but they can't see the hills even with their eyes wide open during the day, and their performance is limited. The way of emperor Zen is different, or the same surname is passed down from generation to generation, or passed down from generation to generation; There are also different ways of inheritance among the three generations, either father and son follow each other or turn against each other. But if it is out of date, it is against the world. This is called usurpation. If it is timely and do as the Romans do, it is called a righteous man. It can be seen that sometimes you can't control yourself. I said, disciple, how can you understand the noble gate and the big and small family? "

Real people walk the world, they are not hot in the fire, and they are not drowned.

Disciple asked, "What is a man who knows the road?" Zhuangzi said: "Those who know will be sensible, and those who are sensible will be sensitive to changes. People who know contingency will not hurt themselves because of foreign things. Virtuous people can't feel the heat when they enter the fire, can't drown when they dive, can't be harmed by cold and heat, and can't be harmed by animals. This is because he can see safety clearly, be content with contentment and just want to go, so nothing can hurt him. "

Disciple asked, "Is there really a noble person in the world?" Zhuangzi said: "Confucius is." Disciple asked, "How can I see?" Zhuangzi said: "Confucius traveled around the world, preaching benevolence and righteousness, but he stuck to it everywhere. His concern for the country and people is admirable and moving. Once, Confucius went to lobby and was surrounded by wei ren. He also played the piano and sang, and he didn't care. Passers-by met Confucius and asked,' Teacher, what cola do you have?' Confucius said,' Come here! Let me tell you: I have long been afraid of poverty. Being down and out is inevitable, and it is also fate; I've been longing for success for a long time, but I still haven't got wealth. When Yao Shun was alive, there were endless people in the world, but they were not wise. If there is no understanding in the world at the time of succession, it is not unwise. Times have created all this. It is the courage of fishermen to walk in the water and not avoid mosquitoes and dragons; It is the hunter's courage to walk on land and not avoid liger; It is the courage of the martyrs to turn to the white blade and treat death as death; Those who know the poor have a life, know the times, and be brave without fear of difficulties! Snow, sit down. My fate is arranged by God! After a while, a man wearing a pin armor came over and apologized to Confucius:' I'm sorry, sir! We thought it was a tiger, so we surrounded it. Now I understand. I made a mistake. Mister, we'll retreat immediately! Confucius can be described as a man of supreme virtue who understands contingency! "

Who only cares about themselves, who is expensive and who is cheap.

The disciple asked again, "Sir, from the perspective of Taoism." Nothing is expensive, nothing is cheap, nothing is big or small. So is there a certain standard of right and wrong? That is to say, sir, do you know that everything has an equally recognized truth? "Zhuangzi said," how should I know? " "Do you know why you don't want it?" Zhuangzi said, "How should I know?" "So everything is unknowable? "Zhuangzi said;" How should I know? Even so, I might as well try to talk about it. How do I know if I know? How do I know if I know what I'm talking about? I'll try to ask you a few questions: people will have low back pain when they sleep in wetlands. Is loach like this? People are afraid in trees. Do apes do this? Who knows the truth of these three? People love vegetables and meat, Liao Lu eats grass, centipedes love snakes, owls love mice, who knows the true taste of people, livestock, insects and birds? Snipers like female apes, elk like to make friends with deer, and loach likes to swim with fish. Qiang Mao and Li Ji, people think beauty; Fish can see it go deep into the water, birds can see it flying high in the sky, and elk can see it far away from the wild. Who knows these four true beauties? In my opinion, the end of benevolence and righteousness is the road to right and wrong, which is good for me and harmful to him. Interests have their own standards. How can I find the difference? "

Disciple asked, "If you don't know the benefits, then even people don't know the benefits?" Zhuangzi said, "What a surprise! Osawa burns without heat, rivers freeze without cold, thunder breaks mountains and rivers, and wind vibrates the sea. People like this, riding clouds and riding the sun and the moon, travel all over the world and are indifferent to life and death, let alone the end of interests? "

The bravado argument is ultimately futile.

Disciple asked, "Can debate decide right or wrong?" Zhuangzi replied, "If I argue with you and you hit me, you really are, and I must be wrong? If I beat you, I must be. You must be? One of us is, and the other is not? Or both, or none? I can't judge with you, so everyone has their own opinions and knows nothing. Then who shall we ask to modify it? Please ask someone who agrees with you to judge. Since you are the same, how do you judge? Please make a judgment with someone who agrees with me. Since they are like me, how can they judge? Please judge by people who have different views from yours and mine. Since they are different from you and me, how can we judge who is right and who is wrong? Please judge by someone who agrees with you and me. Since you and I are the same, how can we rule? Then you and I are not sure who is right or wrong, who will judge? "

Deeply puzzled and distressed, the disciple asked, "How do you treat right and wrong?" Zhuangzi said, "Everything has two sides. From that perspective, nothing means nothing, and from this perspective, nothing means nothing. I can't see the problem clearly from the other side, but I can see it clearly from this side. Therefore, there is this reason, there is this reason, and the two are born together. In this case, then the party dies and the party dies; The party cannot, the party cannot; Cause is cause, cause is not cause. Therefore, saints do not stick to the right way, but shine in heaven. This is another one, and so is he. There is also a right and a wrong, and there is also a right and a wrong. Is there really a partner? Is there really no other party? If each other is empty, right and wrong are illusory, and they are not opposite and flat, then the Tao is in it. This is the so-called fulcrum. Stand by the precepts of the Tao, so that it is infinite. What is infinite, nothing is infinite. In Tao's words, there is no absolute right or wrong. According to nature, but not stubborn, there is no right or wrong. Everything is a horse at the point of heaven and earth. It's okay. It's okay. Roads are built by the way, and things are named after the Tao. Things are human beings, things are human beings. If there is nothing, there is nothing. Therefore, thick and thin, ugly and beautiful, positive and oblique, Tao as one. Its point is also successful; Its success has also been destroyed. Everything comes to an end and becomes one. Only broad-minded people know that communication is one! "

At this time, there is only exemption from punishment.

One day, Zhuangzi and his disciples crossed the mountains. It's autumn and winter, all the trees are dead, grass is everywhere, yellow leaves are rolling and crows are moaning. Zhuangzi covered his head with a broken hat, wrapped in old clothes, and wore rotten sandals. He stepped on the rugged mountain road, facing the bleak autumn wind and looking at the bleak sunset. He couldn't help screaming at the sky and singing loudly: Phoenix is like a phoenix, why is it like the decline of virtue?

We can't wait for the afterlife, and we can't chase after it.

There is a saying in the world, and a saint becomes a man;

There is no road in the world; What a sacred life!

At this time, I am just exempt from punishment!

Happiness is dry and unknown;

The disaster is more serious than the ground, and I don't know how to avoid it.

Almost, almost! Treat people with virtue.

Almost, almost! Draw the ground and follow.

Fan Yang didn't hurt john young.

I don't hurt my feet when I walk crooked.

Happiness without happiness, fame without reputation.

The disciple was puzzled and asked, "Mr. Wang has always been optimistic and generous. Why lament today? " Zhuangzi said, "Is there the happiest land in the world? Do you have any tips to keep your whole body healthy? In today's troubled times, what is right and what is not fierce? Where is it safe to live and where is it safe to escape? What is reliable and what is giving up safety? What is reasonable and disgusting to like? " . Disciple said: "what the world respects is wealth, longevity and beauty;" I like healthy, tasteful, beautiful and beautiful clothes and music; I despise poverty, disease and ugliness; What bothers me is that I can't be comfortable, my mouth can't be thick, my body can't be beautiful, my eyes can't be lustful, and my ears can't be good at music. Isn't that why ordinary people avoid likes and dislikes and keep healthy? What do you think, sir? "

Zhuangzi said, "If you don't get what you want, you will be afraid. Isn't it stupid to treat life? Think of that greedy man who worked hard, accumulated a lot of money and used up all the wood. The way to preserve one's health is to know the outside but not the inside. Think about those who ask for responsibility, day and night, thinking about good and bad, the way to keep fit is to know the secret and not know why. People are born with worries, those who live long will faint, and those who worry for a long time will not die. Why bother? The method of health preservation is far from being close. " Disciple said, "Sir, it means that wealth and longevity are foreign things, and they are not enough for real health preservation. Right? "

Zhuangzi nodded and added: "Martyrs are praised by the world, which is not enough to protect themselves. Do you think martyrs should applaud? You can't save yourself if you feel good; If you feel bad, you can save others. The ancients said: If you don't listen to advice, you will keep silent about Zheng Mo. Wu Zixu's loyal remonstrance and tenacious struggle eventually led to the death of the King of Wu. If there is no dispute, it will be difficult for Wu Zixu to be blocked. What do you think is good? "

Disciple seemed to realize: "Sir, you mean: fame can damage your life, and chasing fame is not the way to keep fit?"

Zhuangzi was noncommittal, and continued: "I don't know whether the fruits that people do and enjoy in today's world are really enjoyable or really unhappy? I think worldly happiness is just that the whole world is catching up with fashion. Bees rush forward like whipped sheep, complacent and don't know what to ask for. They all think they are happy. I don't know if they are really happy. But I think that inaction is a true joy, but the secular does not agree, thinking it is a great pain. "

The disciple said, "I see. Mr. Wang thinks: to be happy without music, to be famous without reputation.

Zhuangzi said, "Yes, yes! People who have no pleasure are the happiest, and those who do nothing can save their lives. In the world, right and wrong are undecided, and inaction can determine right and wrong. To live happily, only inaction can save your life. Why do you say that? You think: Heaven never shuts one door but the earth never shuts one door. These two things are integrated, and everything is metaplasia. I don't know what to do; In a trance, I don't know what to do; Everything is diverse and comes from doing nothing. So there is nothing in heaven and earth, and who can appreciate the benefits of inaction? "

Useless use is great use.

Zhuangzi and his disciples came to the foot of a mountain, and saw a big tree, flourishing, standing beside the stream, which was particularly conspicuous. But see this tree: 100 feet thick, thousands of feet high, pointing to the sky; Its crown is as wide as a giant umbrella and can cover more than ten acres of land. Zhuangzi couldn't help asking the lumberjack, "Excuse me, master, why isn't anyone cutting such a big piece of wood?" Even for thousands of years. The woodcutter seemed to disdain the tree and said, "What's so strange about this? This tree is useless wood. Used as a ship, submerged in water; Used as a coffin, it will rot quickly; When the vessel is used, it is easy to be damaged; If used as doors and windows, grease will not dry; If used as a pillar, it is vulnerable to insect erosion and is unproductive wood. Wood that is not made of materials is useless, so it can have such a long life. "

Hearing this, Zhuangzi said to his disciples, "This tree is useless because it is not made of materials. Is it useless to do nothing but do something for yourself? " Disciple suddenly realized and nodded. Zhuangzi also said: "The tree is useless, it does not seek merit, and it is free from axe chopping; Cows with white foreheads, pigs with kangman, and people with hemorrhoids are considered ominous by wizards, and the river god will not throw them into the river; When recruiting, disabled people will not be recruited, so that they can live their own lives. If you are physically disabled, you can still stay healthy and save lives, not to mention those who are physically disabled. If a tree doesn't grow well, it will avoid disaster; People can't be talented, but they can also protect themselves. " Zhuang Zi became more and more excited. Finally, he said, "the mountain wood is self-defeating; Fry yourself on fire. Guangxi is edible, so cut it; Paint can be used, so cut it. Everyone who is useful knows that everyone who is useless doesn't know. "

One dragon and one snake, keep pace with the times

Master and apprentice went out of the mountain and stayed at an old friend's house in Zhuangzi. The master was very happy and ordered his son to kill the fake entertainment. The son asked, "One can sing and the other can't. Which one should I kill? " The master said, "Of course not." The next day, I didn't go far from my friend's house, so I couldn't help asking: "The wood in the mountain died yesterday because it wasn't made of materials;" Today's master was killed for incompetence. younger brother