World Spiritual Heritage

Tchuang Tzu

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T he wise man knows that it is better to sit on the banks of a remote mountain stream than to be emperor of the whole world.

quote 7278 | Tchuang Tzu

R ewards and punishment is the lowest form of education.

quote 7277 | Tchuang Tzu

A path is made by walking on it.

quote 7276 | Tchuang Tzu

O nce upon a time, I dreamt I was a butterfly, fluttering hither and thither, to all intents and purposes a butterfly. I was conscious only of my happiness as a butterfly, unaware that I was myself. Soon I awaked, and there I was, veritably myself again. Now I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly, dreaming I am a man.

quote 7275 | Tchuang Tzu

F low with whatever may happen, and let your mind be free: Stay centred by accepting whatever you are doing. This is the ultimate.

quote 7274 | Tchuang Tzu

T he fish trap exists because of the fish. Once you’ve gotten the fish you can forget the trap. The rabbit snare exists because of the rabbit. Once you’ve gotten the rabbit, you can forget the snare. Words exist because of meaning. Once you’ve gotten the meaning, you can forget the words. Where can I find a man who has forgotten words so I can talk with him?

quote 7273 | Tchuang Tzu

H e perceives the oneness of everything, does not know about duality in it.

quote 4039 | Tchuang Tzu
Zhuangzi, chap.12 (Huang Lao school), trad. A.C. Graham, p.186

T he quintessence of the utmost Way is Dark, dark, secret, secret: the apex of the utmost Way is mystery, mystery, silence, silence. Look at nothing, listen to nothing.

quote 4038 | Tchuang Tzu
Zhuangzi, chap.11 (Huang Lao school), trad. A.C. Graham, 1981, p.178

I n the primeval mass there is no shape, spreading and scattering, leaving no trail behind, in the darkness of its depths there is no sound. It moves without direction, resides in Mystery.

quote 4037 | Tchuang Tzu
Zhuangzi, chap.14 (Huang Lao school), trad. A.C. Graham, 1981, p.165

I n ultimate sameness you have no self; and without self from where would you get to have anything.

quote 4033 | Tchuang Tzu
Zhuangzi, chap.11 (Huang Lao school), trad. A.C Graham, p.150

T he great man have no self.

quote 4032 | Tchuang Tzu
Zhuangzi, chap.17 (shool of Tchuang Tzu), trad. A.C Graham, p.150

A s for goods and possession, the great man does not compete for them.

quote 4029 | Tchuang Tzu
Zhuangzi, chap.17 (shool of Tchuang Tzu), trad. A.C. Graham, 1981, p.150

Y ou can’t talk to hole-in-the-corner scholars about the Way, because they are constricted by their doctrines.

quote 4027 | Tchuang Tzu
Zhuangzi, chap.17 (shool of Tchuang Tzu), trad. A.C. Graham, 1981, p.145

P ractice fasting and austerities to clear your channels of the heart, cleanse the quintessential-and-daemonic in you, smash to pieces your knowledge

quote 4026 | Tchuang Tzu
Zhuangzi, chap.22 (shool of Tchuang Tzu), trad. A.C. Graham, 1981, p.132

I would wish my lord to strip his body and rid it from his hide, wash his heart and rid it of desires.

quote 4025 | Tchuang Tzu
Zhuangzi, chap.20 (shool of Tchuang Tzu), trad. A.C. Graham, 1981, p.173

B eing inexhaustible to self-inspection (…) this is the integrity of the Great man.

quote 4023 | Tchuang Tzu
Zhuangzi, chap.24 (shool of Tchuang Tzu), trad. A.C. Graham, p.150

B y cultivating one’s nature (?), one will return to virtue (?). When virtue is perfect, one will be one with the beginning (?), one become vacuous (?), one become great.

quote 4022 | Tchuang Tzu
Zhuangzi, chap.22 (shool of Tchuang Tzu), trad. W.T. Chang, 1969, p.202

T hose who indulge in many desires have very little of the secret of Nature.

quote 3540 | Tchuang Tzu
Chuang Tzu, chapter VI, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 8.

C huang Tzu and Hui Tzu were taking a leisurely walk along the dam of the Hao River. Chuang Tzu said, "The white fish are swimming at ease. This is the happiness of the fish."
"You are not fish," said Hui Tzu. "How do you know its happiness?"
"You are not I," said Chuang Tzu. "How do you know that I do not know the happiness of the fish?"
Hui Tzu said, "Of course I do not know, since I am not you. But you are not the fish, and it is perfectly clear that you do not know the happiness of the fish."
"Let us get at the bottom of the matter," said Chuang Tzu. "When you asked how I knew the happiness of the fish, you already knew that I knew the happiness of the fish but asked how. I knew it along the river."

quote 2264 | Tchuang Tzu
Chuang Tzu, ch. 17 (shool of Tchuang Tzu), NHCc, 6:28a-29a, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 8.

C huang Tzu's wife died and Hui Tzu went to offer his condolence. He found Chuang Tzu squatting on the ground and singing, beating on an earthen bowl. He said, "Someone has lived with you, raised children for you and now she has aged and died. Is it not enough that you should not shed any tear? But now you sing and beat the bowl. Is this not too much?"
. "No," replied Chuang Tzu. "When she died, how could I help being affected? But as I think the matter over, I realize that originally she had no life; and not only no life, she had no form; not only no form, she had no material force (ch'I). In the limbo of existence and non-existence, there was transformation and the material force was evolved. The material force was transformed to be form, form was transformed to become life, and now birth has transformed to become death. This is like the rotation of the four seasons, spring, summer, fall, and winter. Now she lies asleep in the great house (the universe). For me to go about weeping and wailing would be to show my ignorance of destiny. Therefore I desist."

quote 2263 | Tchuang Tzu
Chuang Tzu, ch. 18 (shool of Tchuang Tzu), NHCC, 6:31b-32a, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 8.

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.

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