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Wisdom and teachings of
Daoism

615 quote(s) | Page 22 / 25

T he sage is tranquil not because he says to himself, "It is good to be tranquil," and therefore became tranquil. He is tranquil because nothing disturbs him. When water is tranquil, its clearness reflects even the beard and the eyebrows. It remains definitely level, and master carpenters take it as their model. If water is clear when it is tranquil, how much more so is the spirit? When the mind of the sage is tranquil, it becomes the mirror of the universe and the reflection of all things.

quote 2262 | Tchuang Tzu
Chuang Tzu, ch. 13 (Houang Lao school), NHcc, 5:21b-24a, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 8.

V acuity, tranquillity, mellowness, quietness, and taking no action characterize the things of the universe at peace and represent the ultimate of Tao and virtue. Therefore rulers and sages abide in them. Abiding leads to vacuity (embracing all). Vacuity leads to actuality. Actuality leads to the establishment of order among all things. Vacuity leads to tranquillity, tranquillity leads to activity, and activity leads to adjustment. Tranquillity leads to taking no action, and taking no action leads to everyone fulfilling his duty. Because one takes no action, one is at peace himself, and when one is at peace himself, no worry or sorrow can affect him and he enjoys long life.

quote 2261 | Tchuang Tzu
Chuang Tzu, ch. 13 (Houang Lao school), NHcc, 5:21b-24a, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter

D o not be the possessor of fame. Do not be the storehouse of schemes. Do not take over the function of things. Do not be the master of knowledge (to manipulate things). Personally realize the infinite to the highest degree and travel in the realm of which there is no sign. Exercise fully what you have received from Nature without any subjective viewpoint. In one word, be absolutely vacuous (hsu) (1)

quote 2260 | Tchuang Tzu
Chuang Tzu, ch. 7, NHcc, 3:35b-36a, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 8.

The mirror is an important symbol for the mind both in Zen Buddhism and in Neo-Confucianism. The difference is that with Buddhism, external reality is to be transcended, whereas with Chuang Tzu and Neo-Confucianists, external reality is to be responded to naturally and faithfully, like a mirror objectively reflecting all. (see Paul Dernieville, "Le miroir spirituel," Sinologica 1 (1948), especially pp 117-119).

T herefore it is said that what is natural lies within and what is human lies without, and virtue abides in the natural. Know the action of Nature and man, follow Nature as the basis and be at ease with one's own situation, then one can expand or contract as times may require. This is the essential of learning and the ultimate of truth.

quote 2259 | Tchuang Tzu
Chuang Tzu, ch. 17 (school of Tchuang Tzu), NHCC, 6:17b-21b, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 8.

W hat do you mean by Nature and what do you mean by man.
The Spirit of the North Sea replied, "A horse or a cow has four feet. That is Nature. Put a halter around the horse's head and put a string through the cow's nose, that is man. Therefore it is said, 'Do not let man destroy Nature. Do not let cleverness destroy destiny. And do not sacrifice your name for gain. Guard carefully your nature and do not let it go astray. This is called returning to one's true nature."

quote 2258 | Tchuang Tzu
Chuang Tzu, ch. 17 (school of Tchuang Tzu), NHCC, 6:17b-21b, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 8.

A ll things are one.

quote 2257 | Tchuang Tzu
Chuang Tzu, ch. 17 (school of Tchuang Tzu), NHCC, 6:17b-21b, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 8.

A ll things are one. Which is short and which is long? Tao has neither beginning nor end. Things are born and die, and their completion cannot be taken for granted. They are now empty and now full, and their physical form is not fixed in one place. The years cannot be retained. Time cannot be arrested. The succession of decline, growth, fullness, and emptiness go in a cycle, each end becoming a new beginning. This is the way to talk about the workings of the great principle and to discuss the principle of all things. The life of things passes by like a galloping horse. With no activity is it not changing, and at no time is it not moving. What shall we do? What shall we not do? The thing to do is to leave it to self-transformation.

quote 2256 | Tchuang Tzu
Chuang Tzu, ch. 17 (school of Tchuang Tzu), NHCC, 6:17b-21b, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 8.

T o act without taking an [unnatural] action means Nature. To speak without any action means virtue. To love people and benefit all things means humanity (jen). To identify with all without each losing his own identity means greatness. To behave without purposely showing any superiority means broadness. To possess an infinite variety means richness. Therefore to adhere to virtue is called discipline. To realize virtue means strength. To be in accord with Tao means completeness. And not to yield to material things is called perfection. If a superior man understands these ten points, he surely makes up his mind and all the world will come to him like rushing water.

quote 2255 | Tchuang Tzu
Chuang Tzu, ch. 12 (Houang Lao School), NHCC, 5: la-3a, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 8.

T he Record says, "When one is identified with the One, all things will be complete with him. When he reaches the point of having no subjective feelings, spiritual beings will submit to him.” (1)

quote 2254 | Tchuang Tzu
Chuang Tzu, ch. 12 (Houang Lao School), NHCC, 5: la-3a, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 8.

(1) This work is now lost.

A ll species have originative or moving power (chi). When they obtain water, they become small organisms like silk. In a place bordering water and land, they become lichens. Thriving on the bank, they become moss. On the fertile soil they become weeds. The roots of these weeds become worms, and their leaves become butterflies. Suddenly the butterfly is transformed into an insect, which is born under the stove (for its heat), and which has the appearance of having its skin shed. Its name is called chu-t'o. After a thousand days, chu-t'o becomes a bird called kan-yu-ku. The spittle of the kan-yu-ku becomes an insect called ssu-mi. The ssu-mi becomes a wine fly, which produces the insect called I-lu. The insect huang-k'uang produces the insect called chiu-yu. Mosquitos come from the rotten insects called huan. The plant yanghsi paired with the bamboo which for a Iong, time has had no shoot, produces the insect called ch'ing-ning. The ch'ing-ning produces the insect called ch'eng, ch'eng produces the horse, and the horse produces men. Man again goes back into the originative process of Nature. All things come from the originative process of Nature and return to the originative process of Nature.

quote 2253 | Tchuang Tzu
Chuang Tzu, ch. 18 (school of Tchuang Tzu), NHCC, 6:36a-b, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 8.

Is this natural evolution? Hu Shih (1891-1962) thinks so (See his Development of the Logical Method in Ancient China, pp. 131-139). Whether it is or not, it cannot be doubted that Chuang Tzu conceived reality as ever changing and as developing from the simple to the complex.

T ung-kuo Tzu asked Chuang Tzu, "What is called Tao-where is it?" "It is everywhere," replied Chuang Tzu.
Tung-kuo Tzu said, "It will not do unless you are more specific." "It is in the ant," said Chuang Tzu.
"Why go so low down?"
"It is in the weeds."
"Why even lower?"
"It is in a potsherd." "Why still lower?"
"It is in the excrement and urine," said Chuang Tzu. Tung-kuo gave no response.

[…]

Do not insist on any particular thing. Nothing escapes from Tao. Such is perfect Tao, and so is great speech. The three, Complete, Entire, and All, differ in name but are the same in actuality. They all designate (chih, mark) the One.

quote 2252 | Tchuang Tzu
Chuang Tzu, ch. 22 (school of Tchuang Tzu), NHCC, 7:49a-50a, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 8.

Compare this with a most celebrated Buddhist dialogue: Question: What is the Buddha? Answer: It is the dried human excrement-removing stick. It is a famous saying by Zen Master Wen-yen (d. 949). See Ogato, Zen for the West, p. 109. The translation "dirt cleaner" by Ogato for the dried human excrement-removing stick is evidently a Zen accommodation to Western decency!

W hen the physical form embodies and preserves the spirit so that all activities follow their own specific principles, that is nature. By cultivating one's nature one win return to virtue. When virtue is perfect, one will be one with the beginning. Being one with the beginning, one becomes vacuous (his. Receptive to all), and being vacuous, one becomes great. One will them be united with the sound and breath of things. When one is united with the sound and breath of things, one is then united with the universe. This unity is intimate and seems to be stupid and foolish. This is called profound and secret virtue, this is complete harmony.

quote 2251 | Tchuang Tzu
Chuang Tzu, ch. 12 (Houang Lao School), NHCC. 5:8b-9b, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 8.

I n the great beginning, there was non-being. It had neither being nor name. The One originates from it; it has oneness but not yet physical form. When things obtain it and come into existence, that is called virtue (which gives them their individual character). That which is formless is divided [into yin and yang], and from the very beginning going on without interruption is called destiny (ming, fate). Through movement and rest it produces all things. When things are produced in accordance with the principle (li) of life, there is physical form.

quote 2250 | Tchuang Tzu
Chuang Tzu, ch. 12 (Houang Lao School), NHCC. 5:8b-9b, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 8.

Y en Hui said, "I have made some progress."
"What do you mean?" asked Confucius.
"I have forgotten humanity and righteousness," replied Yen Hui.
"Very good but that is not enough," said Confucius.
On another day Yen Hui saw Confucius again and said, "I have made some progress.
"What do you mean?" asked Confucius.
"I have forgotten ceremonies and music," replied Yen Hui.
"Very good, but that is not enough," said Confucius.
Another day Yen Hui saw Confucius again and said, "I have made some progress."
"What do you mean?" asked Confucius.
Yen Hui said, "I forget everything while sitting down."
Confucius face turned pale. He said, "What do you mean by sitting down and forgetting everything?"
"I cast aside my limbs," replied Yen Hui, "discard my intelligence, detach from both body and mind, and become one with Great Universal (Tao).(1)" This is called sitting down and forgetting everything.

quote 2249 | Tchuang Tzu
Chuang Tzu, chapter VI, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 8.

This is not a cult of unconsciousness. Lu Ch'ang-keng has correctly said, "To forget means to have one's mind in all things but not to have any mind about oneself, and to have one's feelings in accord with all things but not to have any feelings of oneself." Lu is here quoting Ch'eng Hao (Ch'eng Ming-tao, 1032-1085), who said that "there is nothing better than to become broad and extremely impartial and to respond spontaneously to all things as they come. ` In fact, Chuang Tzu's doctrine of "sitting down and forgetting everything" strongly stimulated Neo-Confucian thought.

A h! My master, my master! He tears all things to pieces but did not specially make up his mind to be just. His blessing reaches the ten thousand generations but he has no partial love for anyone. He is more ancient than the highest antiquity but is not old. He covers heaven and supports the earth, and fashions the shapes of all things and yet he is not purposely skillful. This is the way he roams around.

quote 2248 | Tchuang Tzu
Chuang Tzu, chapter VI, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 8.

W e put ourselves at the manipulation [of Nature] and ignore all transformations.
With this we enter into the realm of vacuous nature which is one.

quote 2247 | Tchuang Tzu
Chuang Tzu, chapter VI, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 8.

P eople say to each other, I am I. How do they know that their ‘I” is the real 'I'? Suppose you say you dream you are a bird and fly way up in the sky or you dream you are a fish and dive deep into the ocean. We cannot know whether the man now speaking is awake or is dreaming.

quote 2246 | Tchuang Tzu
Chuang Tzu, chapter VI, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 8.

M engsun does not know how life comes about and does not know how death comes about. He does not prefer the one or the other. He lets himself be transformed into whatever it may be, and waits for further transformations which are not yet known. Moreover, how can one in the midst of transformation know that he will not be transformed? And how can one not being transformed know that he has already been transformed? Perhaps you and I are dreaming and have not wakened. Moreover, to him there has been a change of physical form but no decline in the spirit. There has been a change of lodging but no real death.

quote 2245 | Tchuang Tzu
Chuang Tzu, chapter VI, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 8.

A fter a short while of silence, Tzu Sang-hu died. Before he was buried, Confucius had heard about it and sent (his pupil) Tzu-kung to take part in the funeral. One of the friends was composing a song and the other was playing a lute and they sang in harmony, saying, "Alas' Sang-hu. Alas! Sang-hu. You have returned to the true state but we still remain here as men!"

Tzu-kung hurried in and said, "I venture to ask whether it is in accord with the rules of propriety to sing in the presence of a corpse."

The two men looked at each other, laughed, and said, "How does he know the idea of rules of propriety?" Tzu-kung returned and told Confucius, asking him, "What sort of men are those? There is nothing proper in their conduct, and they looked upon their bodies as external to themselves. They approached the corpse and sang without changing the color of countenance. I don't know what to call them. What sort of men are they?"

"They travel in the transcendental world," replied Confucius, "and I travel in the mundane world. There is nothing common between the two worlds, and I sent you there to mourn! How stupid! They are companions of the Creator, and roam in the universe of one and original creative force (ch'I). They consider life as a burden like a tumor, and death as the cutting off of an abscess. Such being their views, how do they care about life and death or their beginning and end? To them life is but a temporary existence of various elements in a common body which they borrow. They are unaware of their livers and gall (emotions) and oblivious of their ears and eyes (sensation). They come and go, and begin and end and none will know when all these will stop. Without any attachment, they stroll beyond the dusty world and wander in the original state of having no [unnatural] action (wu-wei). How can they take the trouble to observe the rules of propriety of popular society in order to impress the multitude?"

quote 2244 | Tchuang Tzu
Chuang Tzu, chapter VI, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 8.

Chuang Tzu distinguished traveling in the transcendental world, or fang-wai (literally, "outside the sphere" of human affairs),and traveling in the mundane world, or fang-nei (literally, "inside the sphere"). Later the former came to mean Buddhism and the latter Confucianism. The first distinction was made here. To consider life as a temporary existence of various elements is highly Buddhistic, for in Buddhism an entity is but a temporary grouping of five elements. But Taoism is free from the quietism of Buddhism and emphasizes non-action. As Kuo Hsiang emphatically stated, however, taking no action does not mean doing nothing but simply doing nothing unnatural.

T zu Sang-hu, Meng Tzu-fan, and Tzu Ch'in-chang were friend. They said to each other, "Who can live together without any special effort to live together and help each other without any special effort to help each other? Who can ascend to heaven, roam through the clouds, revolve in the realm of the infinite, live without being aware of it, and pay no attention to death?" The three looked at each other and smiled, completely understood each other, and thus became friends.

quote 2243 | Tchuang Tzu
Chuang Tzu, chapter VI, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 8.

S uppose a master foundryman is casting his metal and the metal leads up and says, I must be made into the best sword (called mo-yeh). The master foundryman would certainly consider the metal as evil. And if simply because I possess a body by chance, I were to say, 'Nothing but a man! Nothing but a man!' the Creator will certainly regard me as evil. If I regard the universe as a great furnace and creation as a master foundryman, why should anywhere I go not be all right ? When the body is formed, we sleep. With it visibly there, we wake (1).

quote 2242 | Tchuang Tzu
Chuang Tzu, chapter VI, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 8.

(1) This sentence is very obscure. No commentator has offered a satisfactory explanation. All agree that it means that life and death are one. The translation here, while quite literal, is already a subjective interpretation.

S oon afterward Tzu-yu fell ill and Tzu-ssu went to see him. "Great is the Creator!" said the sick man. "See how he (or it) has made me crumbled up like this!" (1)

His back was hunched and his backbone was protruding. His internal organs were on the top of his body. His cheeks were level with his navel. His shoulders were higher than his head. The hair on top of his head pointed up toward the sky. The yin and yang (passive and active cosmic forces) in him were out of order, but his mind was at ease as though nothing had happened. He limped and walked quickly to the well and looked at his reflection, and said, "Alas! The Creator has made crumbled up like this!"

"Do you dislike it?" asked Tzu-ssu.

"No," said Tzu-yu, "why should I dislike it? Suppose my left arm is transformed into a cock. With it I should herald the dawn. Suppose my right arm is transformed into a sling. With it I should look for a dove to roast. Suppose my buttocks were transformed into wheels and my spirit into a horse. I should mount them. What need do I have for a chariot? When we come, it is because it was the occasion to be born. When we go, it is to follow the natural course of things. Those who are contented and at ease when the occasion comes and live in accord with the course of Nature cannot be affected by sorrow or joy. This is what the ancients called release (2) from bondage. Those who cannot release themselves are so because they are bound by material things. That material things cannot overcome Nature, however, has been a fact from time immemorial. Why, then, should I dislike it?"

quote 2241 | Tchuang Tzu
Chuang Tzu, chapter VI, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 8.

(1) Comment. The term "Creator" (Tso-wu che) seems to suggest a personal God. But as Kuo Hsiang points out, this means Nature which also creates. (2) Comment. Release here means spiritual freedom and is to be sharply differentiated from Buddhist Nirvana.

L ife and death, and existence and non-existence are one.

quote 2240 | Tchuang Tzu
Chuang Tzu, chapter VI, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 8.

W here did you learn this?" asked Nan-po Tzu-k'uei.
"I learned it from the son of Writing the Assistant (for writing is no more than an aid)," Nu-yu said. "The son of Writing the Assistant learned it from the grandson of Repeated Recitation (which precede writing), the grandson of Repeated Recitation learned it from Clear Understanding, Clear Understanding learned it from Whispering, Whispering learned it from Earnest Practice, Earnest Practice learned it from Joyful Singing, Joyful Singing learned it from Noumenon (hsuan ming) (1) Noumenon learned it from Penetration of Vacuity, and Penetration of Vacuity learned it from Doubtful Beginning."

quote 2239 | Tchuang Tzu
Chuang Tzu, chapter VI, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 8.

N an-po Tzu-k'uei (1) asked Nu-yu (2) "Sir, you are old but have the look of a child. How is this?"

"I have learned Tao," replied Nu Yu.

"Can Tao be learned?" Nan-po Tzu-k'uei said.

"Ah! How can it?" replied Nu Yu. "You are not the type of man. Pu-liang I (3) had the ability of the sage but did not know the teachings. I knew A the teachings but did not have his ability. I wanted to teach him so he could become a sage. But that was not such a simple case. It seemed easy to teach the doctrines of a sage to a man with his ability. But I still had to wait to teach him. It was three days before he was able to transcend this world. After he transcended this world, I waited for seven days more and then he was able to transcend all material things. After he transcended all material things, I waited for nine days more and then he was able to transcend all life. Having transcended all life, he became as clear and bright as the morning. Having become as clear and bright as the morning, he was able to see the One. Having met the One, he was then able to abolish the distinction of past and present. Having abolished the past and present, he was then able to enter the realm of neither life nor death. Then, to him, the destruction of life did not mean death and the production of life did not mean life. In dealing with things, he would not lean forward or backward to accommodate them. To him everything was in the process of destruction, everything was in the process of perfection. This is called tranquility in disturbance. Tranquility in disturbance means that it is especially the midst of disturbance that [tranquility] becomes perfect."

quote 2238 | Tchuang Tzu
Chuang Tzu, chapter VI, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 8.

Like many of Chuang Tzu's phrases, "not to lean forward or backward" has become a favorite dictum among later Chinese thinkers, especially Neo-Confucianists. It does not mean moderation or indifference but absolute spontaneity and impartiality in dealing with things and complete naturalness in response things.

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Wisdom and teachings ofDaoism

Wisdom and teachings of
Daoism