This is another representative article of the Zhuangzi. "Theory of Things" includes two meanings: Theory of Things. Zhuangzi believes that all things in the world, including human character and feelings, seem to be very different, but in the final analysis, they are all the same, which is "all things". Zhuangzi also believes that people's various views and opinions seem to be very different, but since everything in the world is the same, the speech should also be the same in the final analysis, and there is no so-called right and wrong and difference, which is the "Qi theory". The combination of "Qi Things" and "Qi Theory" is the main theme of this article.

The whole text is roughly divided into seven parts, the first part begins with "The Angry One Who Is Evil", starting from Ziqi entering the realm of selflessness, vividly describing the different sounds of nature, and pointing out that they all come from themselves. The second part, "I am alone and helpless", further describes the various social phenomena and different mentalities of people, and points out that these real things are all from nothingness. The third part, "This is the meaning of the clear", shows that the dispute between right and wrong has no value. Everything has its opposing side and its unified side; Everything is changing, and it is transforming into its opposite. In this sense, since all things are one, there is no need to distinguish between right and wrong, and intelligence becomes a worthless thing. The fourth part, "This is the Preservation of Light", further points out that there has never been a distinction between the avenues, nor has there been a conclusive conclusion in speech, and that the right and wrong that people hold are not the nature of things, but subjective prejudices against external objects, and that things and self are one, so there is no difference between right and wrong, and they are contained in one. The fifth part, "The end of the situation", starts from forgetting things in order to achieve all things, showing that there is no absolutely objective measure for understanding things, so there is no need to determine the distinction between right and wrong in people's speech. The sixth part, "Therefore the Infinite Universe", uses the mouths of the allegorical characters to explain the way of Qi and Qi theory, that is, to forget death and life, to forget right and wrong, and to place oneself in the infinite realm, so as to swim outside the dust, which further illustrates the inseparability and indisputability of things. The remainder is the seventh part, which shows through two fables the purpose of "having nothing to rely on" and the union of things and selfs, and the integration of things and selfs.

"Qi Things" and "Qi Theory" are another important aspect of Zhuangzi's philosophical thought, and together with "Leisurely Travel", they constitute the main body of Zhuangzi's philosophical thought system. Zhuangzi saw that there are such and such differences between objective things, and saw the opposition of things. But from the point of view that all things are one, he also thinks that all these things are unified, unified, and constantly transformed into their opposites, so that they are all indistinguishable. Zhuangzi also believed that all kinds of schools of thought and polemics were worthless. Right and wrong, right and wrong, from the point of view that things are one, do not exist. This is not only a discussion of cosmology, but also involves many epistemological issues, so it has an important position in the study of ancient Chinese philosophy. The texts are full of dialectical perspectives, but they often fall into a metaphysical quagmire that needs to be carefully appreciated and analyzed.

Nan Guo Ziqi sat leaning on a few cases, leaning up his head to the sky and exhaling slowly, the appearance of being out of his mind really seemed to be out of his body. His student Yan Chengziyou stood in front of him and said, "What's the matter?" While it is true that the body can make it like a dry tree, can the spirit and the mind also make it like dead ashes? The situation where you sit today is very different from the scene where you used to sit by a few in the past. Ziqi replied, "Yan, isn't that a good question for you?" Today I forgot about myself, you know? You have heard the sound of the earth but you have not heard of the sound, even if you have heard the sound of the earth, you have not heard of the sound of the sky! Ziyou asked, "I take the liberty of asking them what they really mean." Ziqi said, "The breath that comes out of the earth is called wind." If the wind does not occur, it will be enough, and once it occurs, countless orifices throughout the earth will roar. Have you not heard the whirring wind alone? There are countless holes on the steep and rugged mountains and trees, some like noses, some like mouths, some like ears, some like square holes inserted into horizontal logs on cylinders, some like fences around them, some like the sockets of the rice mills, some like deep pools, and some like shallow pools. The sound they make is like the sound of rushing water, like the sound of swift arrows, like a loud chirping, like a thin breath, like a loud shout, like a howl, like a deep echo in the valley, like a bird chirping, really like a whining in front of the guide, and in the back is whirring and easy-going. There is a small harmony in the breeze, a big repercussion in the long wind, and the swift storm suddenly stops, and all kinds of tricks are silent. Have you not seen the wind swaying and swaying everywhere? Zi You said: "The sound of the wind is the sound of the wind from the holes of ten thousand holes, and the sound of the earth is the sound of the various bamboo pipes that come from the comparison. I would venture to ask you again what nature is. Ziqi said: "Although the sounds of nature are very different, but what makes them happen and stop is from themselves, who else is the initiator?" ”

People with superior intelligence are broad and open-minded, and only a little clever people are willing to scrutinize and calculate; Speech that is in line with the avenue is as arrogant as a fierce flame, and speech that is confined to wisdom is trivial and endless. They sleep in a state of mind and wake up cheerful; Corresponding to the handover with the outside world, intrigue all day long. Some are lazy and slow, some are unfathomable, and some are cautious. The small ones are scared and uneasy, and the big ones are frightened and lost. They speak as if sharp arrows come from a crossbow, fast and screeching, that is to say, right and wrong arise from this; They keep their hearts in their hearts as if they had held fast to their covenant vows, that is, to sit with their hearts and wait for the opportunity to win. They decay like the grass and trees of autumn and winter, which shows that they are becoming more and more destructive; They are so immersed in the things they are engaged in that they cannot return to their original state; Their minds are closed as if they are bound by ropes, which means that they are old and decrepit and cannot bring them back to life. They rejoice, they are angry, they are sad, they are joyful, they are worried, they sigh, they are repetitive, they are afraid, they are restless and frivolous, they are extravagant and indulgent, they are arrogant, they are posturing. It is as if music comes from a hollow pipe, and like a fungus evaporating from the earth. These modalities are replaced and replaced in front of each other day and night, but I don't know how they germinated. Forget it, forget it! Once you understand the reason why all this happens, don't you understand the reasons for the occurrence and formation of these kinds of modalities?

Without my counterpart there is no me, and without me there is no way to present my counterpart. Such an understanding is close to the essence of things, but we do not know what drives all this. There seems to be a "real slaughter", but I can't find any clues to it. It can be practiced and verified, but its form cannot be seen, the real existence does not reflect its specific form.

The numerous joints, the eyes, ears, mouth, nose and other nine orifices, and the heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys are all present in my body, which part of them am closest to? Do you like them all equally? Or do you have a preference for one part or the other? In this way, each part will only become a servant like a concubine? Aren't concubine-like servants enough to dominate each other? Or do you take turns to be kings and ministers? Could it be that there really is any "true monarch" in the meantime? Whether or not it is sought will not add or damage to its true existence. Once a person has inherited the qi of heaven and earth and formed a form, he cannot forget himself and wait for the final death. Isn't it sad that they are either opposed to the outside world or conform to each other, and their actions are like fast horses, and there is no force that can stop them! Can it not be sad that they have endured all their lives of servitude but have not seen their own success, and that they have been stranded and tired all their lives but do not know where they have belonged? People say that such people don't die, so what's the benefit! Isn't it the greatest sorrow that the human form gradually fails, and the human spirit and feelings also fail together? Is life in the world like this ignorance? Am I the only one who is so ignorant, and there are people in the world who are not ignorant?

If you follow your preconceived preconceptions and use them as teachers, who will not have a teacher? Why do people who have to understand the change of things and find credentials from their own spiritual world have teachers? Foolish people will have teachers just like them. Before we have formed a fixed opinion in our minds, we have the concept of right and wrong, which is like going to Yue Guo today and arriving there yesterday. This is to treat the absence as if there is something. No is yes, even if Shengming's Dayu is still impossible to understand the mystery, what can I do?

Speaking and debating is not like blowing the wind. The eloquent arguers are divided, and what they say is never conclusive. Did you really say something? Or didn't you say something? They all think that their speech is different from the chirping of chicks, is there a real difference, or is there no difference?

How did the Great Dao become hidden and have truth and falsehood? How do words hide and have right and wrong? How did the Great Dao come into existence and cease to exist? How can speech exist and not be recognized? The avenue is hidden by small successes, and the rhetoric is obscured by flashy rhetoric. Therefore, there is a debate between Confucianism and Mohistism, affirming what the other side denies and denying what the other side affirms. If you want to affirm what the other person denies rather than difficult for the other person to affirm, then it is better to observe things as they are and seek clarity.

None of these things does not exist in opposition to itself, and none of all things does not exist in opposition to itself. If you look at the opposite side of things, you can't see this side, and you can know and understand it when you look at it from the opposite side of things. Therefore, that side of a thing comes from this side of things, and that side of things arises from that side of things. The two opposing sides of things are co-existing and interdependent. Nevertheless, just born is followed by death, and just after death comes back to life; Just affirmation is followed by negation, and just denial is followed by affirmation; Relying on the right side also follows the wrong side, and relying on the wrong side also follows the right side. Therefore, the sage does not follow the path of distinguishing between right and wrong, but observes and compares things as they are, that is, according to the state of things themselves. This side of a thing is also the side of a thing, and that side of a thing is also this side of a thing. There is also right and wrong on that side of things, and there are also right and wrong on this side of things. Do things really have two sides to each other? Is it true that there is no distinction between the two sides of the other? There is no opposition to each other, and this is the hub of the avenue. To grasp the pivot of the avenue is to grasp the key point of things, so as to adapt to the endless changes of things. "Yes" is infinite, and "no" is infinite. Therefore, it is better to observe and understand things as they are.

It is better to use the elements that make up things to explain that the elements are not the things themselves, than to use the elements that are not things to explain that the elements of things are not the things themselves; It is better to use a white horse to understand that a horse is not a horse, than to use a non-horse to understand that a horse is not a horse. No matter how many elements exist in nature as a whole, they are the same as elements, and all kinds of things, no matter how many concrete objects exist, are the same as concrete objects.

Can you recognize it? There must be something that can be affirmed before it can be recognized; Can't you recognize it? There must be something that cannot be affirmed before it can be recognized. Roads are made by walking, and things are made by people's names. What is the right thing to do? Correct is right in itself. What is considered incorrect? What is incorrect is that it is inherently incorrect. How can it be recognized? Recognition lies in the fact that it is recognizable. What is the reason why it is not recognized? What is not recognized is that it is not recognized in itself. There is a right side to things, there is a side to things that can be recognized, there is nothing that does not have the right side, and there is nothing that does not have a side that can be recognized. Therefore, we can cite the small grass stalks and tall pillars, the ugly leper and the beautiful Shih Tzu, the magnanimity, the strange change, the deceit, the weirdness, and so on to illustrate this point, and from the point of view of the "Tao", they are all the same and unified. The decomposition of the old is the formation of the new, and the formation of the new is the destruction of the old. There is no distinction between formation and destruction of all things, but they are still the same and unified. Only the knowledgeable person knows the truth that things are common and unified, so instead of stubbornly giving one explanation of things in one way or another, one should place one's own point of view in the ordinary way of things. The so-called mediocre reason is useless and useful; Knowing that things are useless is useful, and this is considered accessible; A well-informed person is a person who truly understands the common sense of things; A proper understanding of common sense is close to the avenue. If you conform to the original state of things that are connected and unified, so that you cannot understand the truth of them, this is called "Tao". It takes a lot of effort to understand that things are one, but not that things themselves have the same characteristics and characteristics, which is called "Chaosan". What is "Chaosan"? The monkey keeper gave the monkey acorns and said, "Three liters in the morning and four liters in the evening". The monkeys were furious when they heard this. The monkey keeper changed his tune and said, "Then let's take four liters in the morning and three liters in the evening." The monkeys were glad to hear this. There is no loss in name and reality, but joy and anger have changed for their own use, and it is because of this reason. Therefore, the ancient sages confused right and wrong, and lived in a natural and balanced realm with great contentment, which is called the fact that things and self have their own place and develop on their own.

In ancient times, their wisdom reached the highest level. How can we reach the highest level? At that time, there were people who thought that there was no concrete thing in the whole universe from the beginning, and that such an understanding was the most remarkable, the most perfect, and nothing more. Second, it is believed that things existed at the beginning of the universe, but there has never been a distinction or boundary between all things. Secondly, although there is a difference between everything and everything, there is never a difference between right and wrong. The revelation of right and wrong leads to losses and defects in the understanding of all things in the universe, and losses and defects in the understanding, and the formation of the concept of partiality. Is there really a formation and a deficit? Is there really no formation and deficit? Things have been formed and deficient, so Zhaowen can play the piano and music. Without formation and deficit, Zhaowen would no longer be able to play the piano and music. Zhaowen is good at playing the piano, Shi Kuang is good at music, and Hui Shi is willing to talk about it by leaning on the plane tree, and the intelligence of these three gentlemen can be said to be the peak! They all have a great reputation, so their deeds are recorded and handed down. They are all interested in their own knowledge and skills, so they are very different from others; Because I love my knowledge and skills, I always want to be able to express myself. And they revealed to the world those things that should not be revealed, so that in the end they ended in the obscurity that the color and quality of the stone were independent of the stone; And Zhaowen's son also inherited his father's career and did nothing in his life. Can it be called a success like this? Even if I didn't achieve anything, I could say that I was successful. Isn't that a success? Neither the outside world nor myself succeeded. Therefore, all kinds of flattering and eloquent rhetoric are despised and rejected by the sages. Therefore, all kinds of uselessness are pinned on the useful, and this is the way to observe things as they are and to seek true understanding.

Now for a moment, I wonder if these words are the same or different from what other people are talking about. Since the same speech and different speech are both talking about each other, in this sense, regardless of their content, they are the same kind of speech. That said, let me try to address the issue. Everything in the universe has its beginning, and it has a beginning that it has not begun, and there is a beginning that has not begun. At the beginning of the universe, there was such and such a "being", but there was also a "nothing", there was a "nothing" that had never existed, and there was also a "nothing" that had never existed. Suddenly, "being" and "nothingness" are born, but we don't know which is the real "being" and who is the real "nothing" between "being" and "nothing". Now that I have said these things and opinions, I don't know if what I have heard is what I have said or whether I have never said it. There is nothing in the world that is bigger than the end of the autumn, and Tarzan is the smallest; No one in the world lives longer than a child who dies young, and the legendary longest-lived Peng Zu was short-lived. Heaven and earth coexist with me, and all things are one with me. Now that we have become one, what other arguments and opinions can we have? Since it has been called one, can there be no discussion and opinion? The unity of objective existence plus my arguments and opinions becomes "two", and "two" becomes "three" if one is added to it, and so on, even the most shrewd calculation cannot find the final number, not to mention that everyone is an ordinary man! Therefore, from scratch to "three", not to mention from "have" to "have"? There is no need to deduce it like this, let's go with the way things are.

The so-called truth has never had a boundary, and there has never been a definite definition of speech, and it is only because each person believes that only his own views and opinions are correct, that there are such and such boundaries and distinctions. Let me talk about the boundaries and differences: there are left and right, sequences and equals, decomposition and refutation, competition and contention, these are the so-called eight categories. Outside the four universes of heaven and earth, the saints always exist and do not care; Although the saints studied the affairs of the universe carefully, they did not comment on them at will. As for the records of the previous kings in ancient history who were good at governing society, the sages did not argue with them, although they had some comments. It can be seen that there is a distinction because there is a distinction that cannot be distinguished, and if there is an argument, it cannot be refuted because of existence. Some people will say, why is that? The saints contain everything in their chests and keep it for themselves, while ordinary people argue endlessly and boast about it, so it is said that all arguments are always because there is a side that they cannot see.

The supreme truth does not need to be praised, the greatest arguments need not be spoken, the most loving people do not need to show mercy to others, the most honest and upright people do not need to show humility, and the bravest people never harm others. If the truth is completely exposed, it is not the truth, there is always something that cannot be expressed, the heart of benevolence is often revealed, but it cannot achieve benevolence, the extreme of honesty to the point of innocence is not very real, and the courage to hurt people everywhere cannot be truly brave. These five situations are like trying to be round but almost square. Therefore, knowing how to stop at the realm that you do not know is the ultimate wisdom. Who can truly understand the arguments that need not be refuted without words, and the truth that is not justified? If anyone could know, this is what is known as a naturally occurring treasury. No matter how much you pour in, it doesn't fill up, no matter how much you take out, it doesn't dry up, and you don't know where it comes from, and that's called the hidden light.

In the past, Yao once asked Shun: "I want to conquer the three small countries of Zong, Guan, and Xu Ao, and whenever the directors of the previous dynasty are always restless, what is the reason?" Shun replied, "The kings of those three small countries are like living in basil wormwood. You're always daunted by your mind, why? In the past ten suns have risen together, and all things are shining under the sun, how much more thy noble virtue far exceeds the light of the sun! ”

Yu Que asked Wang Ni: "Do you know that all kinds of things always have something in common with each other?" Wang Ni said, "How do I know! He asked, "Do you know what you don't know?" Wang Ni replied, "How do I know?" Yu Que then asked, "Then all kinds of things can't be known?" Wang Ni replied, "How do I know!" Still, I'll try to answer your question. How do you know what I say you don't know? And how do you know that what I say I don't know is not knowing? Let me ask you first: people sleeping in damp places will get sick from their waist and even cause hemiplegia, and will loaches do the same? People live in tall trees and are terrified and terrified, but are apes the same? Which of the three, humans, loaches, and apes, knows the standard of residence best? People feed on the meat of livestock, elk eat grass mustard, centipedes eat small snakes, owls and crows love to eat mice, who knows the real deliciousness of the four types of animals: humans, elk, centipedes, owls and crows? The apes use the snipe as a mate, the moose like to mate with the deer, and the loaches mate with the fish. Mao Yan and Liji were praised beauties, but the fish saw them dive deep into the water, the birds saw them fly high into the sky, and the elk saw them withdraw their hooves and fled quickly. Who of the four people, fish, birds, and elk knows the true beauty of the world? From my point of view, the threads of benevolence and righteousness, the ways of right and wrong, are all mixed and confused, how can I know the difference between them! ”

Yu Que said: "You don't know the benefits and harms, don't the most virtuous people also know the benefits and harms?" Wang Ni said: "The supreme person who has entered the realm of forgetting things and me is really wonderful! Lin Ze's burning could not make him feel hot, the Yellow River and the Han River could not make him feel cold, and the swift thunder splitting mountains and rocks, and the wind turning over the rivers and seas could not shock him. If this is the case, he can control the clouds, ride the sun and the moon, and travel beyond the four seas, and death and life will not change for him, not to mention the trivial clues of benefits and harms! ”

Qu Quezi asked Changwuzi, "I heard this talk from Confucius: A sage does not engage in trivial affairs, does not pursue selfish interests, does not avoid disasters, does not like to be greedy, and does not follow the rules; Saying something and then it seems to have said something, saying something and then acting as if nothing has been said, so that it wanders outside the world. Confucius thought that these were rash and inappropriate remarks, but I thought they were the practice and embodiment of the subtle way. What do you think, sir? ”

Chang Wuzi said: "The Yellow Emperor will also be puzzled by these words, and how can Kong Qiu know!" And you think too early, just like when you see an egg and you want to get the rooster immediately, and when you see a marble, you want to get the roasted turtledove meat immediately. I'll give you a random talk, and you'll listen to it. Why don't you rely on the sun and the moon and cherish the universe? It is one with all things, ignoring all kinds of chaos and strife, and equating the lowly with the noble. People are always busy arguing about right and wrong, but the saints seem to be very ignorant and unaware, mixing many variations, ups and downs of the past and present, but they themselves are integrated and not bothered by the intricacies and differences. All things are like this, and because of this they are stored in a state of simplicity and purity.

"How do I know that covetousness is not confusion in the world? How do I know that the aversion to death is not a young exile and the boss does not know how to return? Ligi was the daughter of the defender of the Aidi Territory, who was captured by the Jin Kingdom during the conquest of Lirong, and she cried so much that her tears soaked through her clothes; When she entered the palace in the Jin Kingdom, slept in the same bed with the Marquis of Jin and spoiled her as a lady, and ate delicious food, she regretted that she shouldn't have cried so sadly. How do I know that those who die will not regret their survival? People who drink and have fun in their sleep are likely to wake up at dawn with bitter tears. Those who weep bitterly in their sleep may wake up at dawn and hunt happily. While he was dreaming, he didn't know he was dreaming. In his sleep, he will also ask about the good luck and evil of the dream, and when he wakes up, he will know that he is dreaming. The man realizes that he himself is also a big dream when he is most awake, while the ignorant thinks he is awake, as if he knows everything and knows everything. This view is really shallow and ugly! Confucius and you are both dreaming, I said you are dreaming, in fact, I am also dreaming. The name of the above statement can be called peculiar and weird. In the future, if you meet a great sage and realize the truth of the above words, I am afraid that this will also happen by chance!

"If I argue with you, and you win over me, and I don't win against you, are you really right, and am I really wrong? I defeated you, you did not defeat me, I am really right, are you really wrong? Is there one of us who is right and who is not? Are we both right, or are we both incorrect? Neither I nor you know, and the world is already suffering from ignorance and obscurity, who can we make the right decision? Let someone with the same opinion as you decide? If you have the same opinion, how can you make a fair judgment! Let people with the same views as me decide? Since I have the same opinion, how can I make a fair judgment! Let the point of view be different from mine and yours to judge? Since the views are different from mine and yours, how can you make a fair judgment! Let someone who has the same opinion as me and you decide? Since we both share the same views as you and others, how can we make a fair judgment! So, you and I have no way of knowing this, and who else are waiting for? Different rhetoric in a debate is as opposed to each other as different voices in a changing debate, and neither can be judged fairly by any other than there is no opposition to each other. To reconcile it with the natural division, to adapt to it with endless changes, or to use this method to come to this life.

"What do you mean by harmonizing nature's divisions? What is right is like wrong, and what is right is like being incorrect. If what is right is true or false, then what is right is different from what is not, there is no need to argue; If what is true is true, then what is right is different from what is not correct, there is no need to argue about it. Forget about death, life, right and wrong, and reach the infinite realm, so the saint always places himself in the infinite realm. ”

Beyond the shadow, the shadow asked, "You walked before, but now you stopped; You used to sit, but now you stand up again. How come you don't have your own independent ethics? The shadow replied, "Do I have something to rely on to do this?" Is there something on which I depend for this? Is the thing on which I trust like the scales of a serpent and the wings of a cicada? How do I know why this is the case? How do I know why this is not the case? ”

In the past, Zhuang Zhou dreamed that he had become a butterfly, and a butterfly fluttering happily and contentedly, how happy and comfortable he felt! I didn't know that I was originally Zhuang Zhou. Suddenly woke up, frightened, and realized that it was me Zhuang Zhou. I don't know if Zhuang Zhou became a butterfly in his dream, or did a butterfly dream that he became Zhuang Zhou? There must be a difference between Zhuang Zhou and a butterfly. This can be called the intersection and change of the object and the self.

Zi You said: "'Earth Sound' is the sound made by many orifices; 'Human Sound' is the music played by musical instruments such as Zhu Xiao; what is 'Tian Lai'?" Ziqi said: "The so-called 'natural sound' is that the wind blows thousands of orifices to produce a variety of different sounds, and the reason why the sounds are so different is due to the different natural forms of these orifices. "The great wise man is broad, and the little wise man is fine; The big talkers are domineering, and the small talkers are nagging. When they fall asleep, they are mentally staggered, and when they wake up, they are restless, entangled with the outside world, and they are intrigued all day long. Some are slow to speak, some set traps for others when they speak, and some are alert and strict in their words. Small fears are despondent, and big fears are devastating.

Translations:

They speak like shooting arrows, watching the rights and wrongs of others to attack, and when they are silent, it is like swearing, in fact, they are silently waiting for the opportunity to win; Decay is like the withering of creatures in autumn and winter, which means that they are dying out day by day; When they are immersed in what they do, it is no longer possible to bring them back to life. Their minds are locked as if they are in bondage, indicating that they are old and exhausted. The soul that is on the road to death can no longer be brought back to life.

Translations:

Sometimes they rejoice, sometimes they are angry, sometimes they are sad, sometimes they are happy, sometimes they are worried, sometimes they sigh, sometimes they repeat, sometimes they are afraid, sometimes they are impetuous, sometimes they are indulgent, sometimes they are crazy, sometimes they are frivolous, they are like music coming out of nothing, and like fungi evaporating from the earth's air (unpredictable), these states of affairs invade their hearts day and night, and they do not know how they came out. That's it! Once you understand the reason why these modalities occur, you can understand how they came about!

Translations:

Without him (people, things), there is no concern for me; Without me, he would not be able to present. I am similar to him, but I don't know what is directing it, as if there is a "real master" in charge, but we don't have the opportunity to see its clues, but we can get verification from its function, although we can't see its form, but it is real and formless. I have a hundred bones, nine orifices, and six internal organs. Which of them is closest to me? Do you like them all the same? Or do you prefer one over the other? If they are treated equally, then are they all treated as slaves? Since they are all slaves and concubines, can no one dominate each other? Or do they take turns to be kings and ministers? Or is there a "true king"? Whether or not the true state of the "true monarch" is obtained, there can be no increase or subtraction from it.

original

Once it is formed, do not forget to wait for it. With the object of the blade (mó), its line is as galloping, and Mo can stop, not also sad! Serving for life without seeing its success, nié is tired and does not know where it is going, but it is not sad! People say that they are immortal, Xi Yi! Its form, its heart, is it not a great sorrow? Is human life solid? I am alone, and there are people who are not good?

Translations:

Once a person is formed by the qi of heaven and earth, he does not participate in the changes of the world and waits for his body to be exhausted; Contact with foreign objects will conflict and friction, and the pursuit and competition cannot be stopped. How sad this is! Can you not feel sorry for such a person after a lifetime of toiling and not seeing any achievements, tired and miserable and not knowing what he is for? Although everyone admits that such a person is still alive, what is the point! Their bodies are gradually failing, and their souls are bound to the corpse and cannot be freed, can this not be said to be the greatest sorrow in life? Should life be so ignorant? Or am I alone in a daze and others are not?

Original:

The husband follows his heart and learns, who is alone and has no teacher? Xi Bi knows that there are people who take their own hearts? The fool and the fool. There is right and wrong before the heart, it is suitable for today and the past, and it is to have nothing as it is. There is nothing to do, although there is a god, and I can't know, I am alone and helpless!

Translations:

If one's own "one's own mindfulness" (preconceived notions) is the standard, then who doesn't have one? Why do you have to be wise people who understand the transmutation of natural change? Fools too. If you say that you already have right and wrong before you "become a heart", then it is like saying that "I went to Yue Guo today and arrived yesterday". This argument is to treat the absence as if there is something. Treat nothing as a being, even the gods of Dayu can't understand it, what can I do!

Original:

The husband's words are not blowing, the one who speaks has words, and the one who says is undecided, and what he says is evil? Isn't it evil? It thinks that it is different from the sound of kòu (the sound of a bird that has just broken its eggs), and there is also a debate, but it is not? Is there truth or falsehood? Is there a right or wrong in the words? Is the Tao evil going on but not existing? Is it impossible to say evil? The Tao is hidden in Xiaocheng, and the words are hidden in glory. Therefore, there is the right and wrong of Confucianism, and it is what it is not rather than what it is. If desire is what it does not and not what it is, then it is clear.

Translations:

Speech is not the wind blowing, and those who speak hold their own opinions, precisely because there is no common standard for what they are talking about. Is this said or not? They all think that their words are different from the bird's call, is it different or the same? How is the truth of the Tao indisputable because of its concealment? How can speech be separated from criticism by concealment? If the Tao does not exist here, where does it exist? If this statement is not credible, how can anyone be credible? The Tao is overshadowed by small achievements, and the speech is clouded by flashy rhetoric. Therefore, there is a Confucian Mohist debate about right and wrong, they affirm each other's criticism, and they criticize each other's affirmation. If we want to be what we are rather than what we are, it is better to face things as they are with an empty mind.

This is an article about the way to maintain health. "Health Master" means the essentials of health preservation. Zhuangzi believes that the way of health preservation is to conform to nature, forget emotions, and not be stuck by external objects.

The whole text is divided into three parts, the first part to "can be full of years", is the general outline of the whole article, pointing out that the most important thing in health preservation is to achieve "the fate of the master", that is, adhering to the way of things in the void, conforming to the changes and development of nature. The second part is to "maintain health", using the kitchen worker to decompose the cow body as a metaphor for people's health, explaining that life and life must be "because of its course" and "according to the principles of heaven", and it is necessary to take the void "sometime" in order to be "at ease", so as to avoid the entanglement of right and wrong and contradictions. The remainder is the third part, which further explains the attitude of obeying the mandate of heaven, conforming to nature, and "dealing with things at peace".

The core of Zhuangzi's thought is that one is free to rely on nothing, and the other is to oppose man-made going with the flow.

Our life is finite, while knowledge is infinite. How tiring it is to pursue infinite knowledge with a limited life! It is too dangerous to rack your brains in pursuit of knowledge even if you know this. For the sake of good, not for the sake of seeking fame, for the sake of evil, not for the evil that will be punished, according to the natural principle as the standard of health, you can protect life, you can preserve nature, you can nourish the body, you can enjoy the whole life.

There is a butcher who slaughters cattle for Wen Huijun, what his hands touch, what his shoulders lean, what his feet step on, what his knees touch, and what he wields, swinging a knife, rustling, all of which are in line with the syllables! It's like dancing the mulberry forest, and it's in line with the beat of the first verse. Wen Huijun said: "Ah! It's amazing that your skills have reached such a high level? The butcher put down his knife and replied, "I love to pursue the Tao, which is far more than the pursuit of technology." When I started slaughtering cattle, there was not a single thing I saw that was not a cow. Three years later, I didn't see the whole cow as one. Now, I only 'touch' with my mind, not with my eyes, and the role of my senses has stopped, but my mind is working. Follow the inherent texture of the cow's body, split the gap between the flesh and bones, lead the knife into the large slit between the bone joints, and use the knife along the natural structure of the cow, even the meridians and veins are not a little hindered to the knife, not to mention the big bones!

The better butcher changes his knife once a year, because he cuts cattle with a knife; The average butcher changes his knife once a month, because he uses it to cut; Now my knife has been used for nineteen years without being replaced, and I have slaughtered thousands of cattle with it, but the blade is still as if it had just been sharpened on a whetstone. Because there is a gap in the joints of the cow, and the blade has no thickness, cutting into the joints with a gap with a blade without thickness is of course a great ease, so that the knife can still be used for 19 years as if it had just been taken off the whetstone.

Still, every time I encountered a knot in my bones, I knew that it would not be easy to start, so I was cautious, my eyes were focused, my movements slowed down, and the knife was gently waved, and the ox broke down with a bang. Its body was scattered like dirt and piled up on the ground. Then I stood with my knife in my hand, and looked around, full of ambition. Wen Huijun said: "Okay! I listened to the butcher's words and realized the truth of health preservation. ”

Gong Wenxuan was taken aback when he saw the right master and said, "Who is this?" How can there only be one foot? Was it born with only one foot, or was it artificially lost? The right teacher said, "Born, not artificial. God gave me such a form that I only have one foot, and the appearance of a person is completely endowed by God. So knowing is innate, not artificial. ”

The pheasant on the edge of the swamp walks ten steps to peck at a mouthful of food, and a hundred steps to get a mouthful of water, but it does not ask for the animal to be kept in a cage at all. Although you don't have to struggle to find food in a cage, even if your energy is very strong, it is very unpleasant.

Lao Dan died, and his friend Qin lost his mourning, and left after a few tears. Lao Dan's disciple asked, "Aren't you a friend of our teacher?" Qin Yu said, "Yes." The disciples then asked, "Is it okay to send condolences to your friends like this?" Qin lost and said, "Okay." Originally, I thought that you had been detached from the outside world for many years following the teacher, but now it seems that this is not the case. Just now when I went into the mourning room to mourn, there was an old man crying for him, like a parent crying for his own child; There are young people crying about him, like a child crying for his own parents. The reason why they are gathered here is that there must be someone who doesn't want to say something but can't help but say something, who doesn't want to cry but can't help crying. They have forgotten the truth that people are endowed with nature and are ordained by heaven, and in ancient times people called this practice a mistake that deviated from nature. He came into the world by chance, and your teacher was born at the right time; He died by chance, and your teacher died obediently. Settle for nature and normalcy, obey nature and change, and neither sorrow nor joy can enter the heart, which was called natural liberation in ancient times, as if to relieve the suffering of upside down. ”

The candle that takes the light will eventually burn out, but the flame will be passed down and will never be extinguished

The center of "The World" is to discuss the way of dealing with the world, which not only expresses Zhuangzi's attitude towards life and oneself, but also reveals Zhuangzi's philosophical views on life.

The full text can be divided into two parts, the first part to "can not be afraid of evil", and the following part is the second part. The first part pretends to be three stories: Confucius's conversation with Yan Hui when he planned to go out to defend the country, Ye Gongzi's advice from Confucius when he was going to Qi State, and Yan Qi's advice from Yu Boyu when he was invited to be Prince Wei's master, so as to illustrate the difficulty of dealing with the world and not being careless. How can we cope with the difficult times of the world? "Zhuangzi" first proposed to "heart fasting", that is, "to treat things in vain". The second is to "know that it is helpless and settle down", and the third is to "be a woman's body", and "the form is not good", and "the heart is not harmonious". It boils down to "selflessness". The second part focuses on expressing the usefulness of "useless", using the metaphor of trees that do not become mature but enjoy their old age and fragmentation and incomplete body but avoid many disasters, and the last sentence "Everyone knows the useful use, but does not know the useless use", is the conclusion of the entire second part. The two parts are complementary, and the difficulty of the world has introduced the idea of "useless" use, and the use of "useless" is the embodiment of "treating things in vain". The use of "uselessness" determines Zhuangzi's attitude towards "nothingness", but it is also full of dialectics, useful and useless are objective, but also relative, and there will be transformation in specific circumstances.

Yan Hui meets his teacher Chung Ni and asks for permission to let him go away. Confucius said, "Where to go? Yan Hui replied: "I plan to go to defend the country." Confucius said, "What are you going to do to defend the country?" Yan Hui said: "I heard that the monarch of the country is young and arbitrary; Handle political affairs rashly, but do not see their own faults; The reckless servitude caused the people to die in large numbers, and the dead were uncountable throughout the country, just like the grass mustard in Daze, and the people lost a place to return. I once heard my teacher say, 'A well-governed country can leave it.'" A country that is not well governed, but it is like a doctor who has many sick people at his door.'" I hope that based on these teachings, I will think about how to govern the country, and maybe the country will gradually recover! ”

Confucius said, "Hey! I'm afraid you'll be killed if you go to defend the country! The implementation of the avenue is not suitable for mixing, if it is chaotic, there will be a lot of things, and if there are many things, there will be disturbances, and if there are many troubles, it will be difficult to protect itself, not to mention saving the country. In ancient times, people with noble moral cultivation always made themselves mature before helping others. Now that he has not made any achievements in his own moral cultivation, where is there any time to go to the tyrant to promote the Great Dao!

Yan Hui said: "I am dignified on the outside and humble on the inside, and I am always the same with hard work, is this okay?" Confucius said, "Alas, how can this be! Wei Jungang was violent and temperamental, and people did not dare to disobey him in the slightest, and he also used this to suppress people's true feelings and different opinions, so as to indulge his desires. It can really be said that it will not be effective to use morality to influence every day, let alone use great virtue to persuade it? How can you think that way of thinking that he will stick to his own opinions and will not change, and that he will agree on the surface but will not reflect on his words and deeds in his heart? ”

Yan Hui said: "In this way, then I will be honest and honest in my heart and bow down on the outside, and I will have my own opinions in my heart and compare myself with the ancient sages everywhere. To be honest and honest in the heart is to be the same as nature. is the same as nature, and it can be seen that the king and himself are both children raised by God. Why should you publicize your remarks in the hope that people will approve of them, or do you want people to disapprove of them? If you do this, you will be called a childlike child, which is called being one of the same kind as nature. A person who looks down on the face is the same as the world. Bow down with a hat in your hand, this is the etiquette of being a courtier, everyone else does this, do I dare not do it? Do what ordinary people do, and people won't blame it, which is called being the same kind as the world. Those who have prejudices and are more than the ancient sages are the same as the ancients. Although their remarks are very instructive, it is the truth to criticize the world. This has been done since ancient times, and it didn't start with me. In this way, even if you are upright, you will not be harmed, which is called being the same as the ancients. Is that all it takes? Confucius said, "Alas, how can it be? There are too many things that need to be corrected, and even if there is imitation, there will be inappropriateness, although it is not easy to understand, and there is no culpability. Even so, it's just that, how can you influence him! You seem to be too attached to your own inner prejudices. ”

Yan Hui said: "I have no better way, so I took the liberty of asking the teacher for advice. Confucius said, "Fast, purify your heart, and I will tell you!" Wouldn't it be easy to do it with a positive mind? If it were easy to do so, the heavens would also think it was inappropriate. Yan Hui said: "I have been poor at home, and I have not drunk alcohol or eaten meat for several months. Confucius said, "This is the so-called fast before the sacrifice, not the 'heart fasting.'" Yan Hui said, "I ask what 'Xinzhai' is." Confucius said, "You must get rid of distracting thoughts, concentrate on your mind, comprehend with your heart instead of hearing with your ears, and comprehend with your heart without comprehending with your mind but with the artistic conception of silence and nothingness!" The function of the ear is only to hear, and the function of the heart is only to be in communion with the outside world. The state of mind of condensation and emptiness is weak and supple and can cope with all things in the universe, and only the great road can converge in the state of mind of condensation and emptiness. The state of mind of emptiness and emptiness is called 'Shinsai'. ”

Yan Hui said: "I have never received the teachings of 'Xinzhai', so there is indeed a real Yanhui; Can this be called the realm of nothingness and emptiness? Confucius said, "You have a very thorough understanding of 'Xinzhai'. Let me tell you again, if you can enter the environment of chasing fame and fortune and wander without being moved by fame and fortune, Wei Jun can adopt you to clarify your views, and if you can't adopt it, you will stop talking, do not look for the way to the official career, and do not remind the world of the object of demand, and if your mind is condensed without distractions, and you can place yourself in the realm of helplessness, then it is almost in line with the requirements of 'Xinzhai'. It is easy for a person not to walk, but it is difficult to walk without leaving marks on the ground. It is easy to disguise when driven by the world, but it is difficult to deceive when driven by nature. I've heard that you can fly with wings, but I've never heard of flying without wings; I have heard that it is necessary to understand things with wisdom, and I have never heard that it is possible to understand things without wisdom. Looking at the empty Huanyu, the empty state of mind suddenly existed alone, and nothing existed, and all auspicious things disappeared in the realm of contemplation. At this point, it can't be condensed, which is called sitting and thinking. If the senses of the ears and eyes are allowed to reach inward and the mind is excluded, then demons and spirits will come to join us, let alone people! This is the change of all things, it is the essence that Yu and Shun grasp, and it is also the principle that Fuxi and Jilu have always followed, not to mention ordinary people! ”

Ye Gongzi Gao was about to send an envoy to the State of Qi, and he asked Confucius: "The King of Chu sent my Zhuliang to the State of Qi, and it is a great responsibility. When Qi received foreign envoys, he was always respectful on the surface and lazy on his heart. It is not easy for ordinary people to convince, let alone princes! I was scared. You have often said to me, 'There are few things that can be successfully brought to fruition without verbal interaction.' If the matter is not successful, then it will be punished by the king; If the thing is done successfully, then it will definitely cause a mixture of joy and sorrow. Success or failure will leave no disaster, only a person with high morals can do it. 'I eat coarse and unrefined food every day, so the people who cook it don't have to cool it down. I received the king's edict this morning and had to drink ice water in the evening, probably because I was anxious and worried! Before I had come into contact with the true feelings of the matter, I already had the sickness caused by the mixture of joy and sorrow; If it really can't be done, then it will definitely be punished by the king. Whether it succeeds or fails, I can't afford to be a courtier, so sir, what can you teach me! ”

Confucius said: "There are two great laws in the world that are sufficient to be precepts: one is the mandate of heaven and the other is morality. It is natural to be a loving parent of a child, and it cannot be explained from the heart; It is man-made morality for courtiers to serve the king, and no matter where heaven and earth go, there will be no rule without the king, which is an inescapable reality. This is called Dafa that is sufficient for precepts. Therefore, those who serve their parents, no matter what kind of circumstances, should make their parents comfortable, which is the highest expression of filial piety; Those who serve the monarch must reassure the monarch no matter what they do, which is the ultimate of loyalty. People who pay attention to self-cultivation are not easily affected by sorrow and joy, and know that the world is difficult, but they are helpless but can be content with the situation and conform to nature, which is the highest state of moral cultivation. As a courtier, there will be things of last resort, and when things happen, you must be able to grasp the truth and forget yourself, where can you still take care of life and hate death! You can do it!

"But I will tell you again what I have heard: that in dealings with neighbouring countries, one must use good faith to bring one another closer to each other, and in dealings with distant countries, one must use words to express mutual loyalty. The language of communication between nations must always be passed on to each other. Conveying the words of joy and anger between the kings of the two countries is the most difficult thing in the world. The words of joy of the kings of the two countries must have been added to many excessive praises, and the angry words of the kings of the two countries must have been added to many excessive hatreds. Any excessive speech is akin to fiction, and the truth of the fictional words is questionable, and the king's suspicion of the messenger of the message will suffer. That's why the ancient adage goes: 'Convey plain words, not excessive words, and then you will almost save yourself'. Moreover, those who compete with each other with ingenuity are calm and cheerful at the beginning, but later they often plot secretly, and when they reach the extreme, they play great intrigues and tricks. People who drink according to etiquette start out with good manners, but later they often become chaotic and impolite, and when they reach the extreme, they are absurd and lascivious. This is probably the case in any case: trust each other at the beginning, and cheat each other in the end; It starts out as simple and small, but towards the end it becomes huge.

"Words are like the waves of water blown by the wind, and there will be gains and losses in conveying words. The wind blows the waves, and it is easy to turbulence, and it is easy to be in danger when there are gains and losses. So there is no other reason for the onset of anger, it is because the rhetoric is vain and one-sided. When the beast was dying, it could scream at any sound, and its breath was short and unstable, so it burst out with evil thoughts of hurting people and killing people. If he is too harsh, he will have bad thoughts to deal with, and he himself does not know what is going on. If he does something and he doesn't know what it is, who knows what will happen to him! That's why the ancient adage says: 'Don't change the orders that have been given at will, don't force others to do things that are beyond your control, and overtalking must be superfluous and additive.' It is dangerous to change one's destiny or to make it difficult to be strong, it takes a long time to achieve a good thing, and it is too late to repent of a bad thing. Can you behave without prudence? As for the mind to travel freely in accordance with nature, everything depends on the helplessness to nourish the mind, and this is the best way. What is the need to reciprocate! It is better to convey the mission given by the monarch as it is, what is the difficulty of doing so! ”

Yan Qi will be invited to be the master of the prince of Wei Guo, and he asks Wei Guoxian's doctor Lu Boyu for advice: "Now there is such a person, his virtue is born murderous. If you don't conform to the law and norms, you will inevitably endanger your own country; If it is in accordance with the law and norms, it will endanger itself. He is wise enough to understand the faults of others, but not why they are at fault. What would I do in a situation like this? ”

Lu Boyu said: "Good question! Be vigilant, be cautious, and first of all correct yourself! On the surface, it is better to be obedient to show closeness, but in the heart, it is better to follow his temperament and secretly guide him. Even so, there are pitfalls to both attitudes. Don't be too close to him, and don't show his mind too much. If the cousin is too close to the relationship, it will lead to ruin, collapse and failure. If the inner natural channeling is too revealing, it will be considered for the sake of fame, and it will also invite disaster. If he is like an innocent child, you are like an ignorant child like him; If he is not a line of division from you, then you are not a line of separation from him. If he is free of restraint with you, then you are as unrestrained as he is. Slowly dredge his mind into the right track, and you can further reach the point where there is no fault.

Don't you know the praying mantis? Raise its arms to block the rolling wheels, not understanding that his own strength is completely incompetent, and thinking that he is very powerful. Be vigilant, be cautious! It is dangerous to offend him by constantly boasting about his talents! Don't you know the man who raised the tiger? He never dared to feed the tiger with a living animal, because he was afraid that the culling of a living animal would provoke the tiger's ferocious wrath; He also never dared to feed the tiger with the whole animal, because he feared that tearing the animal would also induce the tiger's murderous anger. Knowing the moment when the tiger is hungry, he knows the tiger's violent and ferocious nature. The reason why tigers are different from humans is that the people who raise tigers conform to the tiger's temperament, and those who are tortured and killed because they have offended the tiger's temperament.

Horse lovers use fine bamboo baskets to fill horse manure and use precious clam shells to catch horse urine. It just so happened that a gadfly bit the horse, and the horse lover slapped it out of love, but the horse was frightened and bit off the mouth, broke the bridle, and broke the chest. If you want to love a horse but lose what you love, can you not be careful? ”

The craftsman went to the country of Qi and came to the place of Quyuan, where he saw an oak tree that was regarded as a shrine by the world. The canopy of this oak tree is large enough to shelter thousands of cows, and the trunk is measured with a rope, which is ten feet thick, and the treetops are high on the top of the mountain, and the branches are eighty feet above the ground, and more than ten ships can be built with it. The crowd of spectators poured in like a market, and the craftsman did not even look at it, and kept moving forward. His apprentice stood by the tree and looked at it, ran to catch up with the craftsman's stone, and said, "I have never seen such a magnificent tree since I took up my sword and axe and followed my husband." But the gentleman refused to look at it, and kept going, why? The craftsman replied, "Forget it, don't talk about it anymore!" It is a tree of no use, and if it is made of a ship, it will surely perish, if it is made of a coffin, if it is made of a vessel, if it is made of a house, if it is made of a house, if it is made of a house, it will be corrupted by insects. This is a tree that cannot be taken from the material. It's of no use, that's why it has such a long life. ”

When the craftsman returned home, he dreamed that Sheshu said to him, "What will you compare with me?" Are you going to compare the usable wood to me? Hawthorn, pear, orange, and pomelo are all fruit trees, and when the fruit is ripe, it will be knocked to the ground, and after the fruit is dropped, the branches will be destroyed, the large branches will be broken, and the small branches will be dragged down. This is because they can bear delicious fruits that make their lives miserable, so they often die halfway because they cannot enjoy their old age, and they attract the blows of secular people. This is true of all sorts of things. And I have been seeking a useless solution for a long, long time, and I was almost hacked to death, so that my life was saved, and uselessness has made my greatest usefulness. If I am really useful, will I still be able to prolong my life? Besides, you and I are both 'things', how can you look at things like this? You are just a useless person who is almost dead, how can you really understand useless trees! ”

When the craftsman woke up, he told his disciples about the dream. The disciple said, "The purpose is to seek uselessness, so what kind of social tree should be made for the world to admire?" The craftsman said, "Shut up, don't say anything!" It is nothing more than sustenance, but it invites insults and harm from people who do not know themselves. If it wasn't a community tree, wouldn't it have been cut down? Besides, the method it uses to protect itself is different, and it is not too far to understand it with common sense! ”

Nan Boziqi was playing in the area of Shangqiu, and saw a strange big tree, and thousands of four-horse carts were resting in the shade of the big tree. Ziqi said, "What kind of tree is this? This tree must have a special material! "Look up at the branches of the great tree, and the twisted branches are not to be used as beams; Looking down at the trunk of the tree, the heart of the tree until the epidermis is swirled with a crack is not used to make a coffin; Lick the leaves with your tongue, and your mouth and tongue will ulcerate and hurt; Smelling the smell with your nose makes people feel like they have drunk too much wine and can't wake up for three days and three nights.

Confucius went to the state of Chu, and the hermit of the state of Chu came to the door of Confucius with the intention of coming to the door of Confucius, saying, "O phoenix bird, O phoenix bird!" How did you come to this decaying country with great virtues? The world of the future cannot be looked forward to, and the past time cannot be recovered. When the world is governed, the saints have accomplished their careers; The monarch is dark and the world is chaotic, and the saint has to follow the trend to survive. In this day and age, fear can only be spared from torture and humiliation. Happiness is lighter than a feather, and you don't know how to get it; Woe is heavier than the earth, and I don't know how to avoid it. Forget it, forget it! Don't proclaim your virtue before men! Dangerous, dangerous! Artificially draw a path for people to follow! Do not hinder my walking, O thorns everywhere! Don't hurt my feet, O winding road! ”

The trees on the mountain are cut down because of the material available, and the grease and candles are fed because they can be burned for lighting. The bark of the laurel tree is fragrant and edible, so it is cut down, and the lacquer is cut by knives and axes because it can be used. People know what is useful, but they don't know what is more useful than what is useless.

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