Chuang Tzu Translated by Nina Correa (2)

Zhuangzi Translated by Nina Correa

Zhuangzi Chapter 26: External Things

Translated by Nina Correa

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You can’t be certain how external things are going to pan out. For example, Long Feng was beheaded, Bi Gan had his heart cut out, Ji Zi pretended to be insane, E Lai was murdered, and Jie and Zhou were vanquished.

All people in positions of authority want their subservients to be loyal, but even if they’re loyal that doesn’t necessarily mean they’d be trusted. For example, Wu Yuan was thrown into the Yangtze River and Chang Hong was killed in Shu where his blood was hidden away for three years until it turned green.

All parents want their children to show them respect, but even if they’re respectful that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be loved. For example, Xiao Ji was depressed and Zeng Shen was disheartened (both were rejected by their parents).

When two pieces of wood are rubbed together they’ll burn. When metal is kept close to a fire it’ll melt. When Yin and Yang are out of sync the heavens and earth are disrupted causing thunder and lightning which can boil water and set fire to the huge parasol trees. When stuck in depression and anxiety there’s a sense that one’s falling from one pit into another with no chance of escape. Confused and oblivious, there seems to be no possibility for achieving anything. The heart seems to be hanging upside down, suspended between the heavens and the earth. Ironing out the wrinkles of the heart is hindered by being submerged under what’s been accumulated. Benefit and damage chafe against each other, creating a fire that grows until everyone is burning together. Even something as steadfast as the moon couldn’t bear that kind of heat. If one becomes complaisant to the burning fire, then any realization of Dao ends.

When Zhuang Zhou’s (Zhuangzi’s) family was suffering from poverty, he went to borrow some grain from the Marquis of Jian He.

The Marquis of Jian He said:
“Sure. As soon as I get some money from the government, I’ll lend you three hundred dollars. Will that do?”

Zhuang Zhou got perturbed and replied in a heated way:
“When I was on my way here yesterday I heard a yell from the middle of the road. As I turned around to see where the sound was coming from, I saw a carp lying in a rut made by a wagon wheel. I asked it: ‘What’s a carp doing here?’ It replied: ‘I’m a slave to the waves of the Eastern Ocean. Kind sir, could you give me a bucket of water and save my life?’ I said: ‘Sure. When I get to the south and gain an audience with the kings of Wu and Yue I’ll have them divert the water westward from the Yangtze river to welcome you. Will that do?’ The carp got perturbed and replied in a heated way: ‘I’m no longer in my element and am without a means to survive. If I could get just a bucket of water I’d be able to go on living. If all you have to offer is words, then after this morning you might as well go looking for me in a dried fish store.’ ”

The young prince of Ren prepared a large hook on the end of a huge black rope and strung the hook with fifty bulls as bait. He then squatted down on Kuai Ji mountain, casting his line into the Eastern Ocean. Morning after morning he fished for a whole year but didn’t catch anything. Then one day a gigantic fish swallowed the bait and dragged the large hook downward into the depths, then it suddenly came crashing upward and broke the surface trailing water behind it like rivulets from its fins. It created a frothy wave as big as a mountain, sending surges extending in all directions of the ocean. It made a sound like the howling of banshees that would strike terror in anyone who heard it for hundreds of miles. The young prince of Ren managed to land the fish and cure it in brine. From the Zhi River to the east and from Cang Wu to the north there was no one who wasn’t totally fed with the flesh from that fish.

For a long time afterwards, that story has been told and retold with a sense of mockery as though it could never have really happened, and many people tell the story to their students to astonish them with it. For those who find it’s a real effort to lift their fishing poles, walk quickly to an irrigation ditch and wait for a carp or minnow to bite their lines, catching such a gigantic fish on their line would be a great catastrophe. Those who dress themselves up with insignificant words thinking that will impress those in authority and gain them great achievements are actually moving even farther from it. Those who’ve never really listened to the information contained in the parable of the man from Ren and find a way to use it in their own times move even farther away.

A few students of the Shi Jing (Book of Odes) and the Li Ji (Book of Rites) were in the process of digging up some old graves.

The elder scholar addressed his subordinates saying:
“The sun is about to rise in the east. How’s it coming along?”

One of the lessor scholars said:
“We haven’t yet removed his clothing, but we can see there’s a pearl in his mouth.”

“Contained within the Shi Jing is this saying: ‘So green is the grass growing atop the mound of a grave. All their life making no contributions, yet in death why should they continue to hold a pearl in their mouth?’ One of you grab hold of his hair and his beard then another of you can tap his chin with a mallet. Open his jaw very gently so as not to damage the pearl in his mouth.”

A disciple of Lao Lai Zi (Old Weeds) was out gathering firewood when he came upon Zhong Ni (Confucius).

When he returned he told his master:
“There’s a man out there who’s full-chested and has short legs. His shoulders are stooped and his ears are set way back on his head. He’s peering about as though he’s seeking the four corners of the earth. I don’t recognize him nor can I figure out his nationality.”

Lao Lai Zi said:
“It must be Qiu (Confucius). Invite him to come over here.”

When Zhong Ni had arrived, Lao Lai Zi said:
“Qiu! Get rid of your pretentious airs along with your all-knowing attitude and you might just become a respectable person.”

Zhong Ni bowed from the waist and took a step backward. He got a pensive look on his face and asked:
“How can I best occupy my time in order to promote my ideals?”

Lao Lai Zi said:
“You can’t bear the suffering of your own lifetime, but you rush about concerned over the troubles of future generations. You steadfastly struggle to abolish evil influences while overlooking the fact that your own plots and schemes prevent you from taking stock of your own evil influences. Rushing about getting pleasure from acting kind is a disgraceful way to live your life. You’re only attracting uncommitted people to follow along with you, drawing each other on with the lure of fame and stifling each other with your own personal plots and schemes. Rather than praising Yao and putting down Jie it would be better to forget both of them and shut off the whole idea of praise. Looking into the past there’s no way to avoid being distressed. Trying to affect the future there’s no way to avoid influencing others in an evil way. A wise person patiently takes small steps when becoming involved in affairs and thus is able to succeed every time. Why is it that you think you’re carrying such a heavy load? Because you act like you already know everything.”

At around midnight Lord Yuan of Song (Duke Yuan) dreamed there was a man with flowing hair looking in at him through a side door.

The man said:
“I’m from the deep abyss in Zai Lu. I was serving to purify the Yangtze river on the orders of the river god, but I was caught by the fisherman Yu Qie (Just Me).”
When Duke Yuan woke up he asked his chief fortune-teller about the dream.

The fortune-teller said:
“You were visited by a spiritual tortoise.”

The Duke said:
“Is there a fisherman named Yu Qie?”

The fortune teller said:
“Yes, there is.”

The Duke said:
“Bring Yu Qie to my assembly hall.”

The next morning Yu Qie was in the hall and the Duke said to him:
“Have you caught something recently?”

Yu Qie nodded and said:
“I caught a white tortoise in my net that measures five feet around.”

The Duke said:
“Bring that tortoise to me.”

When the tortoise arrived the Duke was indecisive about whether to kill it or keep it alive. Since he couldn’t make up his mind, he questioned the oracle about it. The oracle said: “Killing the tortoise and using it for divination purposes will be auspicious”, so he had the shell removed from the tortoise. The shell was drilled into seventy two times, and not once did the results prove to be faulty.

(Note: One of the methods of divination used by the ancient kings was to ask a question then have a fortune-teller drill holes in the shell of a tortoise and “read” the cracks that resulted.)

Zhong Ni (Confucius) said:
“That spiritual tortoise was able to appear to Duke Yuan in a dream, but it wasn’t able to avoid Yu Qie’s fishing net. It had enough knowledge to provide seventy-two proper divinations, but it wasn’t able to avoid the disaster of having its innards scooped out. This shows us that knowledge has its limits and that spirituality is ineffective. Although one may have perfected his knowledge, thousands of people would still scheme against him. A fish isn’t afraid of a net but fears a pelican’s beak. Get rid of myopic knowledge and a greater understanding will shine forth. Get rid of acting kind and natural kindness will take over. When an infant is born they can learn to speak even if they don’t have a speech coach. That’s because they’re surrounded by others who are speaking.”

Hui Zi said to Zhuangzi:
“What you say is useless.”

Zhuangzi said:
“By knowing what’s useless you can begin to talk about what’s useful. People might disregard the idea that the earth is broad and vast simply because the part of it they find useful is where they place their own two feet. If one was to dig away the rest of the soil around their feet down to the deepest depths, would the place they were standing still be useful?”

Hui Zi said:
“No, it would be useless.”

Zhuangzi said:
“In that case what’s considered to be useless can become useful when seen from a different perspective.”

Zhuangzi said:
“People who have the ability to flit about untethered hold on to the idea they’re not getting anywhere, whereas people who don’t have the ability to flit about untethered hold onto the idea they’re actually getting some place. If their personal ambitions determine what they’ll flow with and what they’ll reject, they engage in behavior that severely limits them. Forget it! They’ll never gain any knowledge nor will they attain virtue no matter how hard they try. If they fail in something they attempt, they don’t check it out to see what went wrong, but scurry on like they’re running away from a blazing fire that they refuse to look back at. Although they determine who among them is more powerful and who is subservient, things can easily change in an instant and there’s no way to determine which of them is more despicable. That’s why it’s said that a perfected person doesn’t hold on to or reject anything.
“To be respectful of what happened in antiquity while condemning what’s going on today is the way the philosophical scholars set their minds. Even observing what’s going on today from the mindset of the clansman Shi of Wei (King Hui), how could he not be surprised at the turn of events? Yes, only a perfected person could flit about untethered in today’s world and not be repulsed by it, and could engage with other people without losing his own sense of self. He doesn’t adopt as his own what others are selling, and he doesn’t hand over to others the essence of his own heart.”

Eyes that are perceptive see clearly. Ears that are perceptive hear sharply. A nose that’s perceptive picks up various smells. A mouth that’s perceptive tastes flavors. A mind that’s perceptive gathers knowledge. Understanding that’s perceptive gains virtue. None of those channels choose to be obstructed. If they get obstructed then they choke. If the choking isn’t stopped then it causes suffocation. Suffocation causes many injuries in life. Living things have an inborn knowledge to depend on unrestricted beathing. If the breath isn’t free flowing, the heavens can’t be blamed for it. The heavens permeate them with it day and night without decreasing. People then look for ways to block up their holes.

The womb has a propensity for becoming larger in order to contain a child. The mind has a propensity to flit about untethered in the heavens. If a house doesn’t have enough room to move about then one’s wife and mother will lash out uncontrollably at each other. If one’s mind doesn’t flit about untethered in the heavens then the six senses will try to subjugate each other’s roles. The great forests in the hills and mountains are appreciated by people because their spirits aren’t in contention.

When virtue is used as a means to increase fame, fame is used as a means to increase cruelty, plots and schemes are used as a means to examine the slightest sounds, knowledge is used as a means to promote disagreements, kindling is put on the fire as a means to create conformity, and official positions are used as a means to make everyone act appropriately. When a spring rain lasts all day, vegetation sprouts vigorously. At that point people start collecting and preparing their spades and hoes, but by the time they go to deal with the plants they’ve already doubled in size and no one understands how that happened.

Resting quietly can help cure an illness. Rubbing one’s temples can alleviate the stress of old age. Becoming tranquil can stop agitation. Although these things work for those who get worn out by all the tasks they have to perform, someone who doesn’t run around like a mad hare wouldn’t be concerned about that. A sage comes up with things to bring the world into line, but a spiritual person wouldn’t be concerned about that. A person of worth comes up with things to bring their generation into line, but a sage wouldn’t be concerned about that. Government officials come up with things to bring their state into line, but a person of worth wouldn’t be concerned about that. A regular person comes up with ways to endure the times, but a government official wouldn’t be concerned about that.

When the parents of the gatekeeper of the Yan Gate died, he was so good at performing the ritualistic sacrifices that he was given a promotion to Official Teacher.

(Note: Rituals that were supposed to be followed at the death of a parent included extreme fasting, self-mutilation and outward expressions of one’s suffering.)

Other people in his neighborhood decided to practice those rituals as extremely as he did and half of them died. When Yao offered to turn over control of the world to Xu You, Xu You ran away. Likewise, when Tang offered to turn over the world to Wu Guang, Wu Guang got angry at him. When Ji Tuo heard about what happened, he snuck off with his officers and disciples to the Kuan River. The dukes and officials in the government who were his supporters mourned losing him, and after three years Shen Tu Di (one of his supporters) tied a huge rock to his back and drowned himself in the Yellow River.

A fish trap is used in order to catch fish. Once the fish are caught the trap is forgotten. A rabbit trap is used in order to catch rabbits. Once the rabbit is caught the trap is forgotten. Words are used in order to capture thoughts. Once the thoughts are captured the words are forgotten. I’d be so at ease if I could find someone who had forgotten words so I could have a conversation with him!

Zhuangzi Chapter 27: Suggestions

Translated by Nina Correa

Abiding by the suggestions of others occurs nine out of ten times. Abiding by quotations from others occurs seven out of ten times. And yet free flowing words are spoken every day which join in singing to the limits of the heavens.

Abiding by the suggestions of others occurs nine out of ten times because it’s an opportunity to take advantage of other people’s theories. A father doesn’t become a matchmaker for his son, since a father would give him the highest praise, and it would be better to have someone else to do that. Instead of having to bear the blame ourselves, we can put the blame on someone else. We comfortably agree with those who feel the same way we do, but reject those who feel differently. Those who agree with us are considered to be right, but those who disagree with us are considered to be wrong.

Abiding by quotations from others occurs seven out of ten times because they are phrases that have already been voiced and accepted throughout history. To get stuck on what was put forth by others in the past without checking out how it applies in real time is merely wishing to be clones of those in the past, but actually opposes the lessons offered from history. If a person doesn’t create their own history then they won’t have a personal Dao. If a person doesn’t have a personal Dao then they can be called as stale as old bread.
Free flowing words are spoken every day which join in singing to the limits of the heavens because they erupt naturally, and spread out in all directions for the extent of one’s life. You can’t use words to even things out. You can’t even things out by making your words even, and you can’t even things out by using words to express how things could be even. Therefore it’s said: “Let go of what you say.” Say it then let go of what was said, then if you speak for your whole life you haven’t really said anything, just as if you hadn’t spoken for your whole life you wouldn’t have said anything either.

There’s a part of yourself you consider acceptable and a part of yourself you consider unacceptable. There’s a part of yourself you consider natural and a part of yourself you consider unnatural. What is it that’s natural? What you consider to be natural is natural. What is it that’s unnatural? What you consider to be unnatural is unnatural. What is it that’s acceptable? What you consider to be acceptable is acceptable. What is it that’s unacceptable? What you consider to be unacceptable is unacceptable. All things have something we consider to be natural just as all things have something we consider to be acceptable. If you try to go against the free flowing words that you could say every day which join in singing to the limits of the heavens, who could ever accomplish that for very long? What all living things have in common is that they sprout from a seed, and even though their shapes and forms differ as they each mature, their beginnings and endings seem to be linked to one another. Nothing can gain precedence over something else. This is what’s meant by the equality of the heavens. One who is equal to the heavens joins in singing to the limits of the heavens.

Zhuangzi said to Hui Zi:
“By the time Kong Zi (Confucius) turned sixty years old he had gone through sixty transformations. What he started out considering to be right in the beginning, he ended up considering to be wrong. He doesn’t know even today if what he calls right and wrong might be like all the other fifty-nine times he was wrong.”

Hui Zi said:
“Kong Zi devoted himself diligently to the pursuit of knowledge.”

Zhuangzi said:
“Kong Zi eventually rejected that notion. Hasn’t he explained that with these words of his: ‘People receive natural abilities from their roots (genetic pool) and recover them to be effective in their lives.’ When making grunts and noises you obey your vocal chords, but when phrasing words you obey protocol. When the benefits of righteousness were put on display, the only things that came out of people’s mouths were terms describing their likes and dislikes, and what they deemed to be right and wrong in order to convince others. As though by truly convincing others and making them not dare to take an unconventional stand you could put the whole world in order. Like that would be order. Stop it! Stop it! There’s no way we could achieve that kind of ideal!”

Zeng Zi (Zeng Shen) was promoted twice in his governmental position, and his attitude changed after his second promotion.

He said:
“I was with my parents when I got my first appointment, and even though I only received eighteen bushels of grain for my pay, my heart was happy. Now that I’ve been promoted I receive eighteen thousand bushels of grain in pay but I have no one to share it with, so my heart is sad.”

Zhong Ni’s (Confucius) disciples asked Zhong Ni:
“Doesn’t it seem that Shen (Zeng Shen) can be called someone who’s without a reason to hang his head in shame?”

“He’s still hanging his head. Could someone who had no reason to hang their head still have so much sorrow? He could have looked at eighteen bushels and eighteen thousand bushels as though he was observing so many sparrows, mosquitoes and horse flies passing in front of him.”

Yan Cheng Zi You (Mr. Image of a Successful Traveler) told Dong Guo Zi Qi (Mr. Guard of the Eastern Wall):
“This is what’s happened to me since I heard what you had to say: The first year I was wild and uncultivated. The second year I followed you. The third year I mastered it. The fourth year I became just another thing. The fifth year I had arrived. The sixth year strange spirits entered me. The seventh year I connected with the heavens. The eighth year I had no comprehension of death or life. The ninth year I realized the great mystery.

“What possesses life will eventually die. People are urged to contemplate their death because they fix their attention on themselves, but life is the brightest when there’s no sense of self. Isn’t that the way it is? Where is there to go to? Where is there not to go to? The heavens provide a method for counting out the days, and on the earth people rely on that. What more do I need to ask about? We don’t know how anything will end up, so how can we claim there’s no such thing as destiny? We don’t know how anything began, so how can we claim there is such a thing as destiny? While we have responses to what’s around us, how can we claim that we’re not influenced by spirits? If we no longer respond to what’s around us, how can we claim that we’re influenced by spirits?”

The surrounding penumbra asked the shadow:
“It seems like you were bending down, and now you’re rising up; your hair was tied up, and now it’s hanging down loosely; you were sitting and now you’re standing; you were moving, and now you’re still. Why all the commotion?”

The shadow said:
“Why are you searching for an answer to these trivial questions? I am what I am but I don’t know why I’m this way. I’m like a cicada who sheds its dead discarded shell, and like a snake who sloughs off its skin. I’m similar to those things in some respects but not in others. When the blazing sun is shining in the sky I grow larger. When the darkness of night settles I’m replaced by other things. Don’t I have to wait for each of these things to occur before becoming something? It would then seem like there are so many things I’d always be waiting on! When things arise then I arise along with them. When things pass then I pass along with them. When things burst forth in brightness then I burst forth in brightness with them. Things just burst forth in brightness, so why would I need to ask why that happens?”

(Note: Penumbra – A space of partial illumination [as in an eclipse] between the perfect shadow on all sides and the full light.)

When Yang Zi Ju was on his way east to the city of Pei, Lao Dan (Laozi) was traveling west on his way to Qin, so he invited Laozi to meet with him in the outskirts of the city of Liang.

In the middle of their journey Laozi looked up to the sky and sighed, saying to him:
“At first I thought you could be taught, but now I don’t think you can.”

Yang Zi Ju didn’t respond. When they reached an inn, he went and fetched a bowl of water, a towel and a comb in order for Laozi to freshen up. He removed his sandals outside the

door and crawled forward on his knees to where Laozi was sitting and said:
“When we met I wanted to ask you something, but you were moving so quickly with other things on your mind that I didn’t think it was appropriate. Now that you’re sitting comfortably, I’d like to request you tell me where I’ve gone wrong.”

Laozi said:
“You’re such a boastful know-it-all, who could ever get close to you? The greatest clarity reveals humiliation. The greatest virtue reveals insufficiency.”

Yang Zi Ju immediately changed his manner and said:
“I will respectfully obey your advice.”

When he first arrived at the inn everyone came out to greet him like a dignitary. The innkeeper saw to it that he had a comfortable place on the mat, and the innkeeper’s wife brought him a towel and comb to freshen up. Everyone moved away so he’d have lots of space on his mat and gave him a warm place near the fire. When he returned later, everyone at the inn jostled with him for a place on the mat.