The Book of Chuang Tzu (Penguin)

and stopped for the night at an inn. The innkeeper had two concubines, one beautiful, the other ugly. The ugly one was given all consideration, while the beautiful one was made to serve. Yang Tzu asked why this was, and a young boy from the inn said, ‘The beautiful one knows her beauty, so we don’t think of her as beautiful. The ugly one realizes her ugliness and therefore we don’t think of her as ugly.’

Yang Tzu said, ‘My followers, remember this! If you act rightly but unselfconsciously, you will be universally loved!’

CHAPTER 21

Tien Tzu Fang

Tien Tzu Fang was in attendance on the Marquis Wen of Wei,⁸² and he frequently referred to Chi Kung. Marquis Wen said, ‘This Chi Kung, is he your master?’

‘No,’ said Tzu Fang, ‘but he comes from the same region as I do. In discussing the Tao with him I find he is often spot on, which is why I refer to him.’

‘Is it the case, then, that you have no master?’ said Marquis Wen.

Tzu Fang said, ‘I have.’

‘Who then is your master?’

‘Master Shun from the Eastern Wall,’ said Tzu Fang.

‘Then why have you never praised this great master?’

‘He is indeed a man of Truth,’ said Tzu Fang, ‘having the appearance of a man but the expanse of Heaven. He is empty and his being is Truth; he is pure and holds all things. He greets those without the Tao with a proper manner, and they are enlightened, their conceits are dissolved. How could I present his thoughts?’

Tzu Fang left, and Marquis Wen sat profoundly shaken for the whole day and didn’t say a word. He then summoned his ministers and said to them, ‘How distant from us is the nobleman of complete Virtue! I used to believe that the words of the sages and the actions of benevolence and righteousness were the most perfect we could achieve. I have now heard of the teacher of Tzu Fang and my body is all at sixes and sevens, I don’t want to move, my mouth is shut and I don’t want to talk. That which I was studying has turned out to be a thing of straw. The whole state of Wei really is a weight on me!’

Wen Po Hsueh Tzu was travelling to Wei, when he stopped in the state of Lu. A citizen of Lu asked to see him, but Wen Po Hsueh Tzu said, ‘Certainly not. I have heard that these noblemen of the Middle Kingdom are clear about the principles of ritual but foolish in their understanding of people’s hearts. I do not wish to see him.’

He duly arrived in Wei but as he returned home he passed once more through Lu, and the citizen appeared again, asking to see him. Wen Po Hsueh Tzu said, ‘He asked to see me before, now he’s trying again. Obviously, he cares enough to say something to me.’

He went out to see the citizen and came back moaning softly. The next day he saw him again and again returned with a low moan. His servant asked, ‘Why is it that, when you see this visitor, you come back moaning?’

He replied, ‘I have said before, “These people of the Middle Kingdom are clear about the principles of ritual, but foolish in their understanding of people’s hearts.” Each time I see this visitor his coming forward and withdrawing is so precise it might have been calculated on a compass or set-square. His appearance is first like a dragon, then a tiger. He argues with me as if he was my son, and tries to give me advice like my father, which is why I am sighing.’

Confucius went to see him but did not say a word. Tzu Lu said, ‘Sir, you have wished to visit Wen Po Hsueh Tzu for a while, yet when you saw him you didn’t say a word. Why?’

‘As soon as I saw him, I could see the Tao,’ said Confucius. ‘There was no need to say anything.’

Yen Yuan said to Confucius, ‘Master, when you stroll, I stroll. When you stride, I stride. When you gallop, I gallop. But when you break into a headlong rush that leaves nothing but dust behind, I just stand and stare after you in astonishment.’

‘Hui, what are you talking about?’ said the Master.

‘Master, when you stroll, I stroll; when you speak, I speak. When you stride, I stride; when you contrast, I also contrast. When you gallop, I gallop; when you speak of the Tao, I also speak of the Tao. But when I say you break into a headlong rush and leave the dust behind you and I just stand and stare, I mean you do not even need to speak to be believed, everyone salutes your universality and your lack of prejudice; even though you have no official status, people are inspired to follow you. I simply do not understand how this is.’

‘Ah ha!’ said Confucius. ‘So we must enquire into this! There is no greater sadness than the death of the heart – beside which the death of the body is secondary. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west, and all forms of life are guided by this. All beings that have eyes and feet await the sun and then do what is necessary. When it rises, they come out; when it sets, they disappear. This is certain for all forms of life. They have to await their time of death; they have to await their time of birth.

‘Having been given this prescribed shape, I hold to it unchangingly and in this way I wait for the end. I exist, acted upon by others both day and night without end, and I have no idea when I shall end. Obviously I am here in this particular shape and I understand my destiny, but not what has happened beforehand. This is how I am, day after day.

‘I am sharing my ideas with you, and here we are