When the spring dries up, the fish are stranded on land, breathing moisture into each other and wetting each other with their saliva. It would be better to forget each other in the rivers and lakes. Rather than praising Yao and condemning Jie, it would be better to forget both and let their ways transform.
Once upon a time, Zhuang Zhou dreamed he was a butterfly, fluttering about happily, unaware that he was Zhuang Zhou. Suddenly he awoke, and he was Zhuang Zhou again. He didn't know whether he was Zhuang Zhou dreaming he was a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming he was Zhuang Zhou. There must be a distinction between Zhuang Zhou and the butterfly. This is called the transformation of things.
In the North Sea, a great roc flies angrily, its wings hanging down from the clouds, striking the water three thousand feet high, soaring ninety thousand miles into the sky!
Human life between heaven and earth is like a white horse flashing past a crack, gone in an instant
. Heaven and earth possess great beauty but do not speak of it; the four seasons have clear laws but do not discuss them; all things have inherent principles but do not explain them. The sage understands the beauty of heaven and earth and comprehends the principles of all things.
The human heart is more treacherous than mountains and rivers, and harder to understand than the heavens.
Forget your liver and gall, abandon your ears and eyes, wander aimlessly beyond the dust and grime, roam freely in the realm of idleness; this is called acting without relying on one's own abilities, nurturing without dominating
. Work at sunrise, rest at sunset, roam freely between heaven and earth, and find contentment in your own heart.
Do not rejoice in longevity, nor grieve for premature death; do not glorify success, nor despise poverty; do not cling to worldly gains for personal gain, nor consider ruling the world as a position of prominence. Prominence leads to clarity. All things are one, life and death are the same. The
difference between mutual acceptance and mutual rejection is vast; the friendship of gentlemen is as bland as water, while the friendship of petty men is as sweet as wine. Gentlemen are close through blandness, petty men are estranged through sweetness.
Oh, phoenix, oh phoenix, how your virtue has declined! The next life cannot be awaited, the past life cannot be retrieved. When the world is governed by the Way, sages are made; when the world is not governed by the Way, sages are born.
The greatest sorrow is the death of the heart; physical death is secondary.
I take Heaven and Earth as my coffin, the sun and moon as my jade ornaments, the stars as my pearls, and all things as my offerings. Is my burial preparation not complete?
The skillful labor, the wise worry, the incompetent have no desires. They eat their fill and roam freely, drifting like an unmoored boat, roaming in emptiness.
The Great Earth gives me form, labors me with life, eases me with old age, and rests me with death. Therefore,
one who lives well dies well. Thus it is said, tranquility, solitude, emptiness, and inaction—this is the balance of Heaven and Earth, and the essence of morality.
The masses value profit, the honest value reputation, the virtuous value ambition, and the sage values refinement.
Those who lose themselves in material possessions and their nature in worldly customs are called people who have turned things upside down.
The skull said, “In death, there is no ruler above, no subject below; nor the affairs of the four seasons. I take heaven and earth as my own spring and autumn. Even the joy of ruling from the south cannot surpass this.”
The fish trap is for catching fish; once the fish is caught, the trap is forgotten. The rabbit snare is for catching rabbits; once the rabbit is caught, the snare is forgotten. Words are for conveying meaning; once the meaning is grasped, the words are forgotten. Where can I find someone who has forgotten words to speak with? Though
my body is on the rivers and seas, my heart remains in the imperial court. Therefore, in silent contemplation, my thoughts connect with a thousand years; in quiet emotion, my vision extends ten thousand miles.
A frog in a well cannot be told about the sea; a summer insect cannot be told about ice.
Truth is the utmost sincerity. Without sincerity and refinement, one cannot move others.
When the Peng bird migrates to the Southern Ocean, it stirs up the water for three thousand miles, rises on the whirlwind for ninety thousand miles, and departs after six months of rest.
The morning mushroom does not know the difference between day and night; the cicada does not know the difference between spring and autumn.
· He is neither encouraged by universal praise nor discouraged by universal condemnation; he is firm in distinguishing between inner and outer, and clear about the boundaries of honor and disgrace—that is all.
· The wren nests in the deep forest, needing only a single branch; the mole drinks from the river, needing only a full belly.
· The perfect man has no self, the divine man has no merit, the sage has no name.
· Even if the cook does not prepare the food, the officiant will not overstep the bounds of the sacrificial table to do so.
· The blind cannot appreciate literature, the deaf cannot appreciate the sound of bells and drums. Is it only the physical body that can be deaf and blind? Knowledge can too.
· Great knowledge is leisurely, small knowledge is fragmented. Great words are fiery, small words are verbose.
· The Great Way is unnamed, great eloquence is silent, great benevolence is not benevolent, great integrity is not humble, great courage is not vengeful. The Way is revealed but not spoken, words are eloquent but not reaching the goal, benevolence is constant but not accomplished, integrity is pure but not trustworthy, courage is vengeful but not accomplished.
• The Way is hidden in small achievements, words are hidden in glory and splendor.
• Life is also death, death is also life; what is possible is also impossible, what is impossible is also possible.
• To use a finger to illustrate what is not a finger is not as good as using what is not a finger to illustrate what is not a finger; to use a horse to illustrate what is not a horse is not as good as using what is not a horse to illustrate what is not a horse. Heaven and earth are one finger, all things are one horse.
• Nothing in the world is greater than the tip of an autumn hair, yet Mount Tai is small; nothing lives longer than a child who dies young, yet Peng Zu died young. Heaven and earth and I were born together, and all things and I are one.
• Mao Qiang and Li Ji are considered beautiful by people; fish, seeing them, dive deep; birds, seeing them, fly high; deer, seeing them, run away swiftly. Which of these four knows the true color of the world?
• While dreaming, one does not know that one is dreaming. Within the dream, one interprets the dream again; only upon waking does one know that it was a dream.
• Once upon a time, Zhuang Zhou dreamed he was a butterfly, fluttering about happily. He felt content and carefree! He did not know he was Zhuang Zhou. Suddenly I awoke, and there was Zhou again. Did Zhou dream of being a butterfly, or did the butterfly dream of being Zhou? There must be a distinction between Zhou and the butterfly. This is called the transformation of things.
My life has a limit, but knowledge has no limit. To pursue the unlimited with the limited is perilous; to pursue knowledge in this way is even more perilous.
There are gaps between joints, but the blade has no thickness. Inserting the blade into the gaps with no thickness, there is ample room for maneuver.
Do good without seeking fame, do evil without incurring punishment. Follow the natural order as your guide; this will preserve your body, your life, your parents, and your years. Be at
peace with the times and live in harmony; sorrow and joy cannot enter your life.
Do you not know the mantis? It raises its arms to block the chariot tracks, unaware of its inadequacy; this is the beauty of its talent.
The sages of old first preserved themselves before preserving others. If what is preserved within oneself is not yet determined, how can one have time to concern oneself with the actions of violent people!
• It's easy to disappear, but difficult to be without a trace. It's easy to feign in a person, but difficult to feign in an angel.
• Receiving orders in the morning and drinking ice in the evening.
• Where there's a will, there's a loss of love. Shouldn't one be cautious?
• Mountain trees are self-destructive; oil lamps are self-consuming. Cinnamon is edible, so it's cut down; lacquer is usable, so it's harvested. Everyone knows the use of the useful, but no one knows the use of the useless.
• Viewed from the perspective of differences, liver and gallbladder are like the states of Chu and Yue; viewed from the perspective of similarities, all things are one.
• People see their reflection in still water, not flowing water.
• A clear mirror doesn't retain dust; a still mirror doesn't reflect light. Spending time with virtuous people prevents mistakes.
• Virtue has its strengths, but form has its limitations. People don't forget what they forget, but forget what they don't forget—this is true forgetting.
• Those with deep desires have shallow wisdom. •
When a spring dries up, fish are stranded on land, breathing moisture into each other, wetting each other with their saliva; better to forget each other in the rivers and lakes.
The petty man sacrifices himself for profit, the scholar for fame, the high official for his family, and the sage for the world. Thus, these men, though their pursuits and reputations differ, all share the same goal: to harm their nature and sacrifice themselves.
The whole world sacrifices themselves for this cause. Those who sacrifice themselves for benevolence and righteousness are called gentlemen; those who sacrifice themselves for wealth are called petty men. Since their sacrifice is the same, there are gentlemen and petty men; but if they harm their lives and damage their nature, then even Robber Zhi is no better than Boyi. Why then should we include gentlemen and petty men among them?
Therefore, Zhi's followers asked him, "Do thieves also have a code of conduct?" Zhi replied, "Where is there no code of conduct? To presume to know what is hidden in a house is sagacity; to enter first is courage; to leave last is righteousness; to know what is possible is wisdom; to distribute equally is benevolence. There has never been a great thief in the world who lacked these five qualities."
• A virtuous person cannot stand without the way of the sage; a wicked person cannot function without the way of the sage.
• When the lips are dry, the teeth are cold; when the wine of Lu is weak, Handan is besieged; when
a sage is born, great thieves arise. • He who steals a hook is punished; he who steals a state becomes a
prince; the gates of princes are filled with benevolence and righteousness. • Therefore, if simplicity is not destroyed, who will be a high-ranking official? If white jade is not ruined, who will be a precious gem? If morality is not abandoned, where will benevolence and righteousness come from? If nature and emotions are not separated, what need is there for rites and music? If the five colors are not disordered, what will be called literary elegance? If the five tones are not disordered, what will correspond to the six musical pitches?
• Drifting aimlessly, not knowing what to seek; wildly unrestrained, not knowing where to go; the wanderer is busy observing the illusory.
• Entering and leaving the six directions, traveling through the nine provinces, going alone and coming alone, this is called being unique. The unique person is called the most noble.
• Seeing in the darkness, hearing in the silence. In the darkness, one alone sees the dawn; in the silence, one alone hears harmony. Therefore, the deeper the understanding, the more profound it becomes; the more divine the
understanding, the more refined it becomes. Those who know their foolishness are not truly foolish; those who know their confusion are not truly confused. The truly confused remain perpetually unenlightened; the truly foolish remain perpetually ignorant.
Profound truths are not spoken; common sayings prevail.
This tortoise, would it rather die and leave its bones as a precious object, or live and drag its tail along the road? …I would rather drag my tail in the mud.
Zhuangzi and Huizi were strolling on the bridge over the Hao River. Zhuangzi said, “The fish swim freely and leisurely; this is the joy of fish.” Huizi said, “You are not a fish, how do you know the joy of fish?” Zhuangzi said, “You are not me, how do you know I do not know the joy of fish?”
“Now I see your boundless wisdom; if I had not come to your door, I would have perished, and I would have been laughed at by those of great learning.”
A dog is not considered good because of its barking, nor is a person considered wise because of their eloquent words.
A one-foot-long stick, if half is taken away each day, will never be exhausted.
Heaven can cover it but cannot bear it; Earth can bear it but cannot cover it; the Great Way can encompass it but cannot distinguish it. Knowing that all things have their uses and their limitations, it is said that selection is not exhaustive, teaching is not thorough, but the Way leaves nothing out.
Those of the same kind respond to each other; this is the natural order. —Zhuangzi's sayings
. Caution can catch a cicada for a thousand autumns; careful navigation ensures a boat for ten thousand years.
Do not listen with your ears but with your heart; do not listen with your heart but with your spirit. Listening stops at the ears, the heart stops at the symbol. Spirit is that which is empty and awaits things. Only the Way gathers in emptiness. Emptiness is the fasting of the heart.
When the world is governed by the Way, sages are made; when the world is without the Way, sages are born. In this present age, one barely escapes punishment. Fortune is lighter than a feather, no one knows how to carry it; misfortune is heavier than the earth, no one knows how to avoid it.
If sages do not die, great thieves will not cease.
Do you alone not know the age of supreme virtue? ...At that time, the people used knotted ropes for record-keeping, found their food delicious, their clothing beautiful, their customs joyful, and their dwellings peaceful. Neighboring countries were within sight of each other, and the sounds of chickens and dogs could be heard between them, yet the people did not travel to each other until old age and death. If this were the time, then perfect order had been achieved. — Zhuangzi's famous quote
. What is the Way? There is the Way of Heaven, and there is the Way of Man. To be respected through non-action is the Way of Heaven; to be burdened by action is the Way of
Man. The ruler is the Way of Heaven; the minister is the Way of Man. The Way of Heaven and the Way of Man are far apart, and this must be carefully observed. Though Heaven and Earth are vast, their transformations are uniform; though all things are numerous, their governance is unified; though people are many, their ruler is the same. The ruler originates from virtue and is perfected by Heaven; therefore it is said that the rulers of the ancient times ruled the world through non-action, relying solely on the virtue of Heaven
. "Tigers and wolves are benevolent." "Ultimate benevolence has no favorites." "
· Sorrow and joy are the deviation from virtue; anger and delight are the excesses of the Way; likes and dislikes are the loss of the heart
.· I once heard a great man say: 'Those who boast of their achievements have no merit; those who achieve merit fall
; those who achieve fame suffer loss.'· Do I not know this? People call me foolish. Do I know this? It only brings me sorrow. Unkindness harms others; kindness brings me sorrow. Unrighteousness injures others; righteousness brings me sorrow.
· When Cook Ding was carving up an ox for Duke Wenhui, wherever his hand touched, his shoulder leaned, his foot stepped, and his knee struck, there was a resounding sound, a swift and precise cut, all in perfect harmony; it was in sync with the dance of the Mulberry Grove, and in sync with the music of the Jing Shou. Duke Wenhui said: 'Ah, excellent! Has skill reached such heights?'
· The marsh pheasant pecks once every ten steps and drinks once every hundred steps, not wanting to be kept in a cage. " Though a god may be king, he is not virtuous. A man
with a crooked, limbless body persuaded Duke Ling of Wei, and Duke Ling was pleased; yet, looking at a whole person, his head and shoulders seemed insignificant. A man with a large goiter persuaded Duke Huan of Qi, and Duke Huan was pleased; yet, looking at a whole person, his head and shoulders
seemed insignificant. The emperor of the South Sea was Shu, the emperor of the North Sea was Hu, and the emperor of the Central Region was Hundun. Shu and Hu often met in the land of Hundun, and Hundun treated them very well. Shu and Hu plotted to surpass Hundun's virtue, saying, "Everyone has seven orifices for seeing, hearing, eating, and breathing, but this one alone has none. Let's try to carve them." They carved one orifice each day, and after seven days, Hundun died. — A famous saying from Zhuangzi
: Those who are good at nourishing life are like shepherds; they whip the sheep that follow twice.
When the spring dries up, the fish are stranded on land, breathing moisture into each other and wetting each other with their saliva. It would be better to forget each other in the rivers and lakes. The human heart is more treacherous than mountains and rivers. I admire
the beauty of heaven and earth, and understand the principles of all things
.
Wandering beyond the dust and grime, I roam freely in the realm of tranquility
. I commune alone with the spirit of heaven and earth, without arrogance towards all things. I
walk beside the sun and moon, embrace the universe, and roam freely amidst the dust and grime.
Heaven and earth are born together with me, and all things are one with me .
The wren nests in the deep forest, needing only a single branch; the mole drinks from the river, needing only a full belly
. On Mount Miaoguye, there dwells a divine being, with skin like ice and snow, graceful as a maiden, who does not eat grains, but drinks the wind and dew. Riding the clouds and controlling flying dragons, he roams beyond the four seas.
Fish forget each other in the rivers and lakes, and people forget each other in the ways of the world.
Toiling without seeing success, toiling wearily without knowing where one's destination, is this not lamentable
? This is also that, and that is also this. That is right and wrong, this is right
and wrong. Beyond the six directions, the sage remains silent; within the six directions, the sage discusses but does not debate.
Everyone knows the use of the useful, but no one knows the use of the useless (the use of useless things).
Life and death, poverty and wealth, virtue and vice, praise and blame, hunger and thirst, heat and cold—these are the changes of events, the workings of fate.
Do not let likes and dislikes harm your inner self; always follow nature
. The sage's use of troops is such that even if a country is destroyed, he will not lose the hearts of the people
. It is better to forget each other in the rivers and lakes than to share a hardship; it is better to forget both and transform into the Way than to praise Yao and condemn Jie. To
live is like an appendage, to die is like a boil bursting open—a famous quote from Zhuangzi
. The benevolent people of today, with their eyes wide open, worry about the troubles of the world
. Riding the vast, boundless bird, to go beyond the six extremes, to roam in the land of nothingness, to dwell in the boundless wilderness
. Straight trees are felled first, sweet wells run dry first
. To abandon limbs, discard intelligence, separate from form and knowledge, and become one with the Great Way—this is called sitting in oblivion .
The mind of a sage is like a mirror, neither anticipating nor welcoming, responding without clinging, thus able to overcome things without being harmed
. Human life between heaven and earth is like a white horse flashing past a crack—it's over in an instant.
Those who achieve great destiny rely on smooth sailing
; those who achieve lesser destiny rely on chance. By non-action, one has more than enough to use the world; by action, one has less than enough to use the world.
Though the world may value me, I am still not worthy of such value, for my value is not truly my own. Therefore, what can be seen is form and color; what can be heard is name and sound.
From the perspective of the Way, things have no inherent value; from the perspective of things themselves, they are valued and despised; from the perspective of common sense, value and despise are not determined by oneself. From the perspective of difference, if we value what is large, then all things are large; if we value what is small, then all things are small.
A thousand miles is insufficient to describe its vastness; a thousand fathoms high is insufficient to fathom its depth. In the time of Yu, there were nine floods in ten years, yet the waters did not increase; in the time of Tang, there were seven droughts in eight years, yet the cliffs did not diminish. That which is not affected by the passage of time, nor by increase or decrease, this is the great joy of the Eastern Sea.
I have heard that there was a divine tortoise in Chu, dead for three thousand years. The king kept it in a box in the ancestral temple. Would this tortoise rather be dead, leaving its bones to be treasured, or alive, dragging its tail in the mud?
My life has a limit, but knowledge has no limit. To pursue the unlimited with the limited is perilous! To pursue knowledge in this way is even more perilous! Do good without seeking fame, do evil without incurring punishment. Follow the natural order as your guide; this way you can preserve your body, maintain your life, care for your parents, and live out your years.
Things are neither entirely "that" nor entirely "this." From "that," one cannot see; from "that," one knows.
Furthermore, if the water is not deep enough, it cannot support a large boat. If you pour a cup of water onto a shallow pond, a mustard seed can float on it. But if you place the cup there, it will stick, because the water is shallow and the boat is large. — Zhuangzi's sayings
. Being an emperor does not necessarily make one noble; being a commoner does not necessarily make one lowly. The distinction between noble and lowly lies in the goodness or evil of one's actions.
Those of the same kind respond to each other; this is a natural principle.
Emptiness and tranquility are in harmony with the virtues of Heaven.
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