INTRODUCTION
This is the third post in the Zhuangzi series, I’ll cover the below chapters:
The Evidence of Virtue Complete - 德充符
The Great Teacher - 大宗师
The Philosopher King - 应帝王
I will also include a “Ultra-Dense Summary” at the very bottom. You’re welcome!
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RESOURCES
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德充符: THE EVIDENCE OF VIRTUE COMPLETE
申徒嘉，兀者也，而与郑子产同师于伯昏无人。子产谓申 徒嘉曰：“我先出则子止，子先出则我止 。”其明日，又与合堂同席而坐。子产谓申徒嘉曰：“我先出则子止，子先出则我止。今我将出，子可以止乎？其未邪？且子见执政而不违，子齐执政乎 ？”
Shen Tujia, a one-footed ex-convict, was a fellow student of Zichan (prime minister of Zheng) under Uncle Dim Nobody. Zichan was ashamed to walk alongside Shen and said:
“If I should leave here first, will you please remain? If you should leave here first, I will remain . . . Moreover, when you see a minister, you do not try to get out of his way. Do you consider yourself equal to him?”
申徒嘉曰 ：“先生之门固有执政焉如此哉 ？子而说子之执政而后人者也。闻之曰 ：‘鉴明则尘垢不止，止则不明也。久与贤人处则无过 。今子之所取大者，先生也，而犹出言若是，不亦过乎！” 子产曰 ：“子既若是矣，犹与尧争善。计子之德，不足以自反邪？”
Shen Tujia replied, “[Is] there really such a thing as a holder of power? You delight in your office and push others behind you. I’ve heard that a bright mirror gathers no dust; if dust gathers, it wasn't bright to begin with. Long interaction with a worthy man (the master) should free you from error . . . yet you still talk like this. Is that not a mistake?"
Zichan said, ". . . You still think you can wrangle over [goodness]? In light of the condition of your own de, shouldn’t you critique yourself instead?"
申徒嘉曰 ：“自状其过以不当亡者众；不状其过以不当存者寡。知不可奈何而安之若命，唯有德者能之。游于羿之彀中。中央者，中地也；然而不中者，命也。
Shen Tujia said, "There are many who dress up their mistakes to make themselves think they should not lose a foot, but very few who do not dress up their mistakes, knowing they have no particular entitlement to retain that foot. Only a man of true de can understand what is unavoidable and find peace in it as his own fate. If you play around near Archer Yi's target, [it is only normal to get hit]. If you manage to escape being hit, that's just fate.”
人以其全足笑吾不全足者众矣，我怫然而怒，而适先生之所，则废然而反。 不知先生之洗我以善邪？吾之自寐邪？吾与夫子游十九年，而未尝知吾兀者也。今子与我游于形骸之内，而子索我于形骸之 外，不亦过乎！”子产蹴然改容更貌曰 ：“子无乃称！”
“Many two-footed people laugh at me for having one foot, which always used to infuriate me. But since I came to our master, I have ceased to be troubled about it. It may be that our master has purified me with good. I have studied under him for nineteen years and never once have I been aware that I was one-footed. You and I are making excursion in the inner world, yet you always direct your attention my external body—is this not wrong?”
Zichan's face changed suddenly, "Please say no more about it!" he said.
…
鲁有兀者叔山无趾，踵见仲尼。仲尼曰 ：“子不谨，前既犯患若是矣。虽今来，何及矣 ！”无趾曰 ：“吾唯不知务而轻用吾身，吾是以亡足。今吾来也，犹有尊足者存，吾是以务全之也。夫天无不覆，地无不载，吾以夫子为天地，安知夫子之犹若是也！
There was an ex-convict in Lu, whose feet had been mutilated as a punishment, named Toeless of Unk Mountain. Walking on his heels, he went to see Confucius, who said, “You were not careful and so brought such a misfortune upon yourself. Now it is too late for you to come to see me.”
“Through my ignorance of the proper way and recklessness with my body,” replied the Toeless, “I came to lose my foot. Now I come to you possessing what is more valuable than my foot, which I am trying to keep whole. Heaven covers all things. Earth supports all things. I used to think that you, sir, were just like heaven and earth—I never imagined you would instead say something like this!"
”孔子曰 ：“丘则陋矣 ！夫子胡不入乎？请讲以所闻 。”无趾出。孔子曰 ：“弟子勉之！夫无趾，兀者也，犹务学以复补前行之恶，而况全德之人乎！”
“It was rude of me,” said Confucius. “Why do you not come in, so I can tell you what I have learned?”
When the Toeless went away, Confucius said: “You disciples should be encouraged by this! This toeless one has been mutilated, yet he still strives to make up the evil of his former conduct, how much more should those do so whose de is entire!”
[Confucius is a mouthpiece for Daoist ideas in most parts so far, but Laozi mocks his strictness here. Note that Laozi may be mocking him all along as he is using the head of a rival school to speak his views.]
无趾语老聃曰 ：“孔丘之于至人，其未邪？彼何宾宾以学子为？彼且以蕲以諔诡幻怪之名闻，不知至人之以是为己桎梏邪？”老聃曰 ：“胡不直使彼以死生为一条，以可不可为一贯者，解其桎梏，其可乎？”无趾曰 ：“天刑之，安可解！”
The Toeless went to see Laozi, and said: “I think Confucius is not yet a perfect man. Why does he so often imitate you? He is seeking the reputation of being extraordinary, without knowing that the perfect man considers this as chains?”
Laozi said, "Why don't you simply let him see life and death as a single string, acceptable and unacceptable as a single thread, releasing him from his chains?”
Toeless said, "This is the punishment of Heaven—how can he be released?"
…
鲁哀公问于仲尼曰 ：“卫有恶人焉，曰哀骀它。丈夫与之处者，思而不能去也；妇人见之，请于父母曰 ：‘与为人妻， 宁为夫子妾’者，数十而未止也。未尝有闻其唱者也，常和人 而已矣。无君人之位以济乎人之死，无聚禄以望人之腹，又以恶骇天下，和而不唱，知不出乎四域，且而雌雄合乎前，是必 有异乎人者也。寡人召而观之，果以恶骇天下。与寡人处，不至以月数，而寡人有意乎其为人也；不至乎期年，而寡人信之。 国无宰，而寡人传国焉。闷然而后应，氾而若辞。寡人丑乎， 卒授之国。无几何也，去寡人而行。寡人恤焉若有亡也，若无与乐是国也。是何人者也！”
Duke Ai of Lu consulted with Confucius, saying, "There's this ugly man in Wei named Sad Horsehead Humpback. When men are with him they can [think of nothing else] . . . and women plead with their parents [to be his concubine] . . . He has no position of power . . . nor stash of wealth . . . and on top of that is ugly enough to startle all the world.”
“I figured he must have something special, so I called him to my court to take a look at him. He was indeed ugly . . . [and] it took a few weeks before I could see him as human. But after a few months, I [offered him the post of prime minister] . . . [and only feared he would not accept].”
仲尼曰 ：“丘也尝使于楚矣，适见豚子食于其死母者。少焉眴若，皆弃之而走。不见己焉尔，不得其类焉尔。所爱其母者，非爱其形也，爱使其形者也。战而死者，其人之葬也不以 翣资；刖者之屡，无为爱之。皆无其本矣。为天子之诸御：不 爪翦，不穿耳；取妻者止于外，不得复使。形全犹足以为尔， 而况全德之人乎！今哀骀它未言而信，无功而亲，使人授己国， 唯恐其不受也，是必才全而德不形者也 。”
Confucius said, " . . . When a man dies in battle he does not care for [military decorations], and a footless man has no love for shoes—in both cases the fundamental things has already been lost . . . The wives of the king do not cut their nails, or pierce their ears . . . A perfect body can achieve some result; how much more does he achieve who has perfect de? Now this Sad Horsehead says nothing and yet is trusted, achieves nothing and yet is loved . . . He must be a man whose character is perfect, and whose de unmanifested.”
哀公曰 ：“何谓才全？” 仲尼曰 ：“死生、存亡、穷达、 贫富、贤与不肖、毁誉、饥渴、寒暑，是事之变、命之行也。 日夜相代乎前，而知不能规乎其始者也。故不足以滑和，不可入于灵府。使之和豫，通而不失于兑。使日夜无隙，而与物为春，是接而生时于心者也 。是之谓才全 。”
“What is meant by perfect character?” asked Duke Ai.
Confucius said, "Death and life, surviving and perishing, failure and success, poverty and wealth, superiority and inferiority, disgrace and honor, hunger and thirst, cold and heat—these are the transformations of events, the proceedings of fate. They succeed one another like day and night; knowledge knows not where they begin. One should not allow such things to disturb one’s harmony. One should not allow such things to enter one’s mind. One’s mind must be harmonious, content, and complete. One must always be cheerful, and kind with things. The mind is following the changes of events. This is called the perfect character.”
“何谓德不形？” 曰：“平者，水停之盛也。其可以为法也，内保之而外不荡也。 德者，成和之修也。德不形者，物不能离也 。” 哀公异日以告闵子曰：“始也吾以南面而君天下，执民之纪而忧其死，吾自以为至通矣。今吾闻至人之言，恐吾无其实， 轻用吾身而亡吾国。吾与孔丘非君臣也，德友而已矣！” 闉跂支离无脣说卫灵公，灵公说之，而视全人：其脰肩肩。 甕盎大瘿说齐桓公，桓公说之，而视全人：其脰肩肩。
“What is meant by unmanifested de?”
“Perfect balance is the de of still water”, said Confucius. “This is the model for us. The inner peace is preserved and no disturbance is received from without. De is the perfect attainment of harmony. The perfect man has de, but looks as if he had not. Such a man is indispensable to all things.”
故德有所长而形有所忘。人不忘其所忘而忘其所不忘，此谓诚忘。 故圣人有所游，而知为孽，约为胶，德为接，工为商。圣人不谋，恶用知？不斵，恶用胶？无丧，恶用德？不货，恶用商？四者，天鬻也。天鬻者,天食也。既受食于天，又恶用人！ 有人之形，无人之情。有人之形，故群于人；无人之情， 故是非不得于身。眇乎小哉，所以属于人也；謷乎大哉，独成其天。
“. . . when one’s de is excellent, any [physical deficiency] may be forgotten. When men do not forget what they ought to, but forget what they ought not, we have a case of real oblivion. The sage . . . considers knowledge a curse, obligation as glue, morality as continuation, and skill as salesmanship. The sage makes no plans, so what use is understanding? He is whole, so what use is glue? He has no deficiency, so what use is morality? He is not a commodity, so what use is salesmanship? To be nourished by nature is to be fed by nature. Since he is fed by nature, what is the use of art? He has human form, but no human affection. Since he has human form, he is a man among men. Since he has no human affection, he is above the ordinary distinction of right and wrong. Insignificant and small is that by which he belongs to humanity. Grand and great is he in his unique identification with nature.
惠子谓庄子曰 ：“人故无情乎？”庄子曰 ：“然 。”惠子 曰 ：“人而无情，何以谓之人？”庄子曰 ：“道与之貌，天与 之形，恶得不谓之人？”惠子曰 ：“既谓之人，恶得无情？”
Huizi asked Zhuangzi, saying: “Are there men who have no affections?”
“Yes,” said Zhuangzi.
“If a man has no affection, how can he be called a man at all?”
“Dao gives him the appearance and nature gives him the form. How can he not be called a man?”
“Since he is called a man, how can he be without affections?”
[Fung translates “wu qing zhe” as the “man without affections” and I agree with this. The overlap with Spinoza is intentional and striking.]
庄子曰 ：“是非吾所谓情也。吾所谓无情者，言人之不以好恶 内伤其身，常因自然而不益生也 。”惠子曰 ：“不益生，何以有其身？”庄子曰 ：“道与之貌，天与之形，无以好恶内伤其 身。今子外乎子之神，劳乎子之精，倚树而吟，据槁梧而瞑。 天选子之形，子以坚白鸣 。”
“That is not what I mean by affection,” said Zhuangzi. “When I say a man is without affection, I mean one who does not inflict internal injury upon himself with desires and aversions, who is always in accordance with nature, and does nothing to increase artificially what is already in his life.”
“If he does nothing to increase what is already in his life”, said Huizi, “how can he maintain it?”
“Dao gives him the appearance and nature gives him the form. He does not inflict any internal injury upon himself. But you devote yourself to the external, and wear out your vitality. You prop yourself against a tree and mutter, or lean over a table and sleep. Nature chose for you your bodily form, and you babble with the discussion of ‘the hard and the white.’”
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大宗师: THE GREAT TEACHER
知天之所为，知人之所为者，至矣！知天之所为者，天而生也；知人之所为者，以其知之所知以养其知之所不知，终其天年而不中道夭者，是知之盛也。虽然，有患：夫知有所待而后当，其所待者特未定也。庸讵知吾所谓天之非人乎？所谓人之非天乎？且有真人而后有真知。
To understand what is done by nature and what is to be done by man is to reach the utmost. He who knows first will live in accordance with nature. He who knows the second will nourish what is unknown to his knowledge with what is known. You could then live out all your Heaven-given years without being cut down halfway. This is knowledge at its best.
Yet there is still some trouble. Here one has to be dependent upon something, which is knowledge, and knowledge is far from certainty. How does one know that what one calls nature is not man and what one calls man is not nature? Only the true man has this true knowledge.
[I am going with Fung here to substitute “tian,” Heaven, with nature. I will may switch back and forth or just use the Chinese in other cases.]
何谓真人？古之真人，不逆寡，不雄成，不谟士。若然者，过而弗悔，当而不自得也。若然者，登高不栗，入水不濡，入火不热，是知之能登假于道者也若此。古之真人，其寝不梦，其觉无忧，其食不甘，其息深深。真人之息以踵，众人之息以喉。屈服者，其嗌言若哇。
What is a true man? The true man of old did not revolt against his inadequacies. He did not seek for heroic accomplishment. He laid no plans. Therefore, he had neither regret in failure nor self-complacency in success. Thus he could scale heights without fear, enter water without being wet and fire without feeling hot. Such is he whose knowledge has ascended to dao . . .
其耆欲深者，其天机浅。古之真人，不知说生，不知恶死。其出不欣，其入不距。翛然而往，翛然而来而已矣。不忘其所始，不求其所终。受而喜之，忘而复之。是之谓不以心捐道，不以人助天，是之谓真人。
If a man’s desires are deep, his spring of nature is shallow. The true man of old knew neither love for life nor hate for death. Living, he felt no elation; dying, he offered no resistance. Unconsciously he went; unconsciously he came; that was all. He did not try consciously to forget what his beginning had been or to seek what his end would be. He received with delight anything that came to him, and left without consciousness anything that he had forgotten. He did not prefer the conscious mind to dao or try to help nature with man. Such is a true man.
若然者，其心志，其容寂，其颡鼽。凄然似秋，暖然似春，喜怒通四时，与物有宜而莫知其极。故圣人之用兵也，亡国而不失人心。利泽施乎万世，不为爱人。
Being such, his mind was free from all thoughts. His demeanor was still and silent. His forehead beamed with simplicity. He was cold as autumn and warm as spring. His joy and anger occurred as naturally as the four seasons. He was in harmony with all things without knowledge of any fixed standard. Therefore, the sage, in his conduct of war, might destroy a country without losing the affection of the people. He may benefit ten-thousand generations without him loving mankind.
故乐通物，非圣人也；有亲，非仁也；天时，非贤也；利害不通，非君子也；行名失己，非士也；亡身不真，非役人也。若狐不偕、务光、伯夷、叔齐、箕子、胥余、纪他、申徒狄，是役人之役，适人之适，而不自适其适者也。
Therefore, he who purposely seeks to know all things is not a sage. He who purposely acts with kindness is not truly benevolent. He who purposely observes the changes of time lacks true wisdom. He who cannot unify good and bad lacks true de. He who acts for fame and loses his own nature is not a man of learning. He who [would die for a master, ideal, or anything] but his own genuineness cannot be independent of others . . .
[Ziporyn translates the first two lines as “Hence he who takes active delight in helping beings reach success is not a true sage. He who favors his intimates lacks true human-kindness.” I’m not sure if I agree based on the translation, but I personally prefer the message of Fung’s translation for my own course.]
古之真人，其状义而不朋，若不足而不承；与乎其觚而不坚也，张乎其虚而不华也；邴邴乎其似喜也，崔崔乎其不得已也，滀乎进我色也，与乎止我德也，广乎其似世也，謷乎其未可制也，连乎其似好闭也，悗乎忘其言也。
The true man of old seemed to do whatever was called for, but was not loyal to any one faction. He was solitary but never rigid. His emptiness was manifest, yet there was no display. He smiled and seemed to be pleased. He responded spontaneously, as if there were no choice. His attractiveness appeared in his expression. His blankness fixed man’s attachment to his de. His broadness had the appearance of pride. His loftiness seemed to be uncontrollable. His mystery seemed to be unknowable. Being always unconscious, he forgot what to say.
以刑为体，以礼为翼，以知为时，以德为循。以刑为体者，绰乎其杀也；以礼为翼者，所以行于世也；以知为时者，不得已于事也；以德为循者，言其与有足者至于丘也，而人真以为勤行者也。故其好之也一，其弗好之也一。其一也一，其不一也一。其一与天为徒，其不一与人为徒，天与人不相胜也，是之谓真人。
. . . Thus he acts spontaneously, yet people think it was with special effort. In this way what he liked was reduced to one. What he did not like was also reduced to one. That which is one is one. That which is not one is also one. He who knows the one is the follower of nature. He who knows not is the follower of man. Neither nature nor man should overthrow the other. This is the true man.
死生，命也；其有夜旦之常，天也。人之有所不得与，皆物之情也。彼特以天为父，而身犹爱之，而况其卓乎！人特以有君为愈乎己，而身犹死之，而况其真乎！泉涸，鱼相与处于陆，相呴以湿，相濡以沫，不如相忘于江湖。与其誉尧而非桀也，不如两忘而化其道。
Life and death are fated, and that they come with the regularity of day and night is of tian—that which humans can do nothing about, simply the way things are. There are those who regard Heaven as their father and still love it—how much more should they love that which is beyond it! There are those who regard their ruler as superior and would sacrifice their lives for him—how much more should they do so for that which is more real than the ruler! When the springs dry up, the fish have to cluster together on the shore, blowing on each other to keep damp and spitting on each other to stay wet. But that is no match for forgetting all about one another in the rivers and lakes . . .
[That which is beyond tian and rulers is dao. Also, the fish are moralists.]
夫大块载我以形，劳我以生，佚我以老，息我以死。故善吾生者，乃所以善吾死也。夫藏舟于壑，藏山于泽，谓之固矣！然而夜半有力者负之而走，昧者不知也。藏小大有宜，犹有所循。若夫藏天下于天下而不得所循，是恒物之大情也。
The universe carries us in birth, toils us through life, gives us repose with old age, and rests us in death. That which makes our life a good makes our death a good also. A boat may be stored in a creek; a net may be stored in a lake; these may be said to be safe enough. But at midnight a strong man may come and carry them away on his back. The ignorant do not see that no matter how well you store things, smaller ones in larger ones, there will always be a chance for them to be lost. But if you store the universe in the universe, there will be no room left for it to be lost. This is the great truth of things.
特犯人之形而犹喜之。若人之形者，万化而未始有极也，其为乐可胜计邪？故圣人将游于物之所不得循而皆存。善妖善老，善始善终，人犹效之，而况万物之所系而一化之所待乎！
To have attained to the human form is a source of joy. But, in the infinite evolution, there are thousands of other forms that are equally good. What an incomparable bliss it is to undergo these countless transitions! Therefore the sage makes excursions into that which cannot be lost, and together with it he remains.
夫道有情有信，无为无形；可传而不可受，可得而不可见；自本自根，未有天地，自古以固存；神鬼神帝，生天生地；在太极之先而不为高，在六极之下而不为深，先天地生而不为久，长于上古而不为老。豨韦氏得之，以挈天地；伏戏氏得之，以袭气母；维斗得之，终古不忒；日月得之，终古不息；勘坏得之，以袭昆仑；冯夷得之，以游大川；肩吾得之，以处大山；黄帝得之，以登云天；颛顼得之，以处玄宫；禺强得之，立乎北极；西王母得之，坐乎少广，莫知其始，莫知其终；彭祖得之，上及有虞，下及及五伯；傅说得之，以相武丁，奄有天下，乘东维、骑箕尾而比于列星。
Dao has reality and evidence, without action (wu wei) and without form (wu xing). It may be transmitted, but cannot be received. It may be attained, but cannot be seen. It exists by and through itself. It exists prior to heaven and earth, and indeed for all eternity. It causes the gods to be divine and the world to be produced . . .
[Then a bunch more lovely contradictions that show dao is ineffable and everywhere. Then Zhuangzi lists a bunch of sages and where they went.]
…
南伯子葵问乎女偊曰 ：“子之年长矣 ，而色若孺子 ，何也？”曰 ：“吾闻道矣。”南伯子葵曰：“道可得学邪？”曰：“恶！恶可 ！子非其人也 。夫卜梁倚有圣人之才而无圣人之道，我有圣人之道而无圣人之才。吾欲以教之，庶几其果为圣人乎？不然，以圣人之道告圣人之才，亦易矣。吾犹守而告之，参日而后能外天下；已外天下矣，吾又守之，七日而后能外物；已外物矣，吾又守之，九日而后能外生；已外生矣，而后能朝彻；朝彻而后能见独；
Sir Sunflower said to Lady Solostride, "You are old and yet your face and expression is that of a child. How?"
Lady Solostride replied, "I have been instructed in the dao."
Sir Sunflower said, "Can I be taught this dao?"
Lady Solostride said, "No, no! How could you? “You are not the man to do so. There was Pu Liang Yi, who had the innate capacity of a sage, but not the dao. I have the dao, but no student with capacity . . . after three days, he began to be able to disregard all worldly matters . . . after seven days, he began to be able to disregard all external things . . . after nine days, he began to be able to disregard his own existence. Having disregarded his own existence, he was enlightened. Having become enlightened, he then was able to see One.”
[Fung and I translate “du,” meaning the only, as the One. Enlightened Pu could “jian,” see or meet, this only.]
见独而后能无古今；无古今而后能入于不死不生。杀生者不死，生生者不生。其为物无不将也，无不迎也，无不毁也，无不成也。其名为撄宁。撄宁也者，撄而后成者也 。”
Having the vision of the One, he transcended the distinction of past and present. Having [done so], he entered the realm where life and death are no more. The destroyer of life is not death and the birther of life is not life. He would follow anything; he would receive anything. To him, everything was in destruction, everything was in construction. This is called tranquillity in disturbance. Active tranquility and tranquil activity means perfection for it.
[I think him following everything and receiving everything means he reached xu, the emptiness that receives all things, which we saw in the fourth chapter]
南伯子葵曰 ：“子独恶乎闻之？”曰 ：“闻诸副墨之子，副墨之子闻诸洛诵之孙，洛诵之孙闻之瞻明，瞻明闻之聂许，聂许闻之需役，需役闻之于讴，于讴闻之玄冥，玄冥闻之参寥，参寥闻之疑始 。”
“Where did you learn this?” asked Sir Sunflower.
“I learned it from writing”, replied Lady Solostride, “writing from learning, learning from understanding, understanding from maintaining, maintaining from application, application from enjoyment, enjoyment from mystery, mystery from namelessness, namelessness from infinity.”
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子祀、子舆、子犁、子来四人相与语曰 ：“孰能以无为首，以生为脊，以死为尻；孰知死生存亡之一体者，吾与之友矣！“四人相视而笑，莫逆于心，遂相与为友。俄而子舆有病，子祀往问之。曰 ：“伟哉，夫造物者将以予为此拘拘也 。”曲偻发背，上有五管，颐隐于齐，肩高于顶，句赘指天，阴阳之气有沴，其心闲而无事，胼藓而鉴于井，曰 ：“嗟乎！夫造物者又将以予为此拘拘也 。”
Sir Worship, Sir Transport, Sir Plowshare, and Sir Comealong were talking. One of them said, "Who can see nothingness as his own head, life as his own spine, and death as his own backside? Who knows the single body formed by life and death, existence and nonexistence? I will be his friend!" The four men laughed, silently agreed with each other and thus became friends
Suddenly, Sir Transport took ill . . . his chin was tucked into his navel . . . his thigh bones took the place of his ribs, and his yin and yang in chaos. But his mind was relaxed and unbothered. He hobbled over to the well to get a look at his reflection.
"Wow!" he said, "The Creator of things has really gone and tangled me up!"
子祀曰 ：“女恶之乎？”曰 ：“亡，予何恶！浸假而化予之左臂以为鸡，予因以求时夜；浸假而化予之右臂以为弹，予因以求鴞炙；浸假而化予之尻以为轮，以神为马，予因以乘之，岂更驾哉！且夫得者，时也；失者，顺也。安时而处顺，哀乐不能入也，此古之所谓县解也，而不能自解者，物有结之。且夫物不胜天久矣，吾又何恶焉！”
“Do you dislike it?” asked Sir Worship.
“No”, said Sir Transport, “why should I dislike it? If he made my left arm into rooster, I’ll announce the dawn. If my right arm became a crossbow, I should hunt a bird and roast it. Perhaps he will transform my backside into a pair of wheels and my spirit into a horse—will I need any other vehicle?”
“When we come, it’s because we have the occasion to be born. When we go, we simply follow the natural course. [Those who follow the course of nature] cannot be affected by sorrow and joy—[they are released from bondage] . . . But it has long been the case that mere things cannot overcome tian. Why should I dislike my condition?”
[This illustrates “hiding the universe in the universe” and the independence of the sage that was mentioned in the first chapter.]
俄而子来有病，喘喘然将死。其妻子环而泣之。子犁往问之，曰 ：“叱！避！无怛化！”倚其户与之语曰：“伟哉造化！又将奚以汝为 ？将奚以汝适 ？以汝为鼠肝乎 ？以汝为虫臂乎？”
Suddenly Sir Comealong fell ill. He laid gasping and wheezing, on the verge of death, surrounded by his weeping wife and children. Sir Plowshare, coming to visit him, said to them, "Ah! Away with you! Do not disturb his evolution!”
Leaning across the doorframe, he said to the invalid, "Great is creation! What will it make you become, where will it send you? Will it make you into a mouse's liver? Or perhaps an insect's arm?"
[To be accurate, “creation” should be “creation-transformation” or “natural evolution”.]
子来曰 ：“父母于子，东西南北，唯命之从。阴阳于人，不翅于父母。彼近吾死而我不听，我则悍矣，彼何罪焉？夫大块以载我以形，劳我以生，佚我以老，息我以死。故善吾生者，乃所以善吾死也。今大冶铸金，金踊跃曰 ：‘我且必为镆铘！‘大冶必以为不祥之金。今一犯人之形而曰 ：‘人耳！人耳！‘夫造化者必以为不祥之人。今一以天地为大炉，以造化为大冶，恶乎往而不可哉！”成然寐，蘧然觉。
Sir Comealong replied, “. . . The universe burdens me with a physical form, labors me with life, eases me with old age, and rests me with death. What makes my life good also makes my death good. Now suppose a great smith was casting metal. If the metal jumped up and said, 'I insist on being nothing but an Excalibur!' the smith would surely consider it to be an inauspicious chunk of metal. Now if I, having happened to stumble into a human form, should insist, 'Only a human! Only a human!' creation would certainly consider me an inauspicious chunk of person. If we take the universe as a great melting pot, and creation as a great smith, what place is it not right for us to go? Calmly we die; quietly we live.”
…
子舆与子桑友 。而霖雨十日，子舆曰 ：“子桑殆病矣！” 裹饭而往食之。至子桑之门，则若歌若哭，鼓琴曰 ：“父邪！母邪！天乎！人乎！”有不任其声而趋举其诗焉。子舆入，曰：“子之歌诗 ，何故若是 ？”
Sir Transport and Sir Berry were friends. After ten days of freezing rain, Sir Transport said to himself, "Berry must be in distress." He packed up some rice to ease his friend's hunger.
When he got to Berry's gate, he heard a sound somewhere between singing and weeping, accompanied by the strum of a lute:
“O father! O mother! O nature! O man!”
It seemed that the voice could hardly sustain itself, and the line was hurriedly pronounced. Sir Transport entered and asked: “Why are you singing like this?”
曰 ：“吾思夫使我至此极者而弗得也。父母岂欲吾贫哉？天无私覆，地无私载，天地岂私贫我哉？求其为之者而不得也！然而至此极者，命也夫！”
“I am trying to think,” said Sir Berry, “about what brought me to such a extreme state, and I can find no answer. My father and mother would never wish me to be poor. Heaven covers all things equally; earth supports all things equally. How could they make me in particular poor? I am asking to know who it is, but without success. This must be fate, eh?”
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应帝王: THE PHILOSOPHER KING
郑有神巫曰季咸，知人之死生、存亡、祸福、寿夭，期以岁月旬日若神。郑人见之，皆弃而走。列子见之而心醉，归，以告壶子，曰 ：“始吾以夫子之道为至矣，则又有至焉者矣。“
In the state of Cheng, there wizard named Allseasons. He knew all about men’s birth and death, gain and loss . . . predicting the year, the month and the day, with supernatural accuracy. The people of Cheng used to flee at his approach. Liezi went to see him and was fascinated. On his return he said to Huzi: “Master, I used to consider your doctrine as perfect. Now I know something more perfect still.”
壶子曰 ：“吾与汝既其文，未既其实。而固得道与？众雌而无雄，而又奚卵焉！而以道与世亢，必信，夫故使人得而相汝。尝试与来，以予示之 。”
Huzi said, "I have only finished showing you its literature, not its essence. Have you really mastered this dao? A multitude of hens with no rooster can produce no chicks. You use the dao to browbeat the world, insisting that they believe in it, and that is why this man can get a grasp of you and read your fortune on your face. Bring him here, and I will show myself to him."
明日，列子与之见壶子。出而谓列子曰 ：“嘻！子之先生死矣！弗活矣！不以旬数矣！吾见怪焉,见湿灰焉。”列子入，泣涕沾襟以告壶子。壶子曰 ：“乡吾示之以地文，萌乎不震不正，是殆见吾杜德机也。尝又与来 。”
Next day Liezi went with Allseasons to see Huzi, and when they went out, the wizard said, “Alas! your master is a dead man. He will not live for ten days more! I saw something strange about him. He looked like wet ashes.”
Liezi went in; he wept till the front of his jacket was wet with his tears. Then he told Huzi what the wizard had said. Hu Tzu said: “I showed myself to him in the form of earth. I was naturally immovable like a mountain, though I made no artificial attempt to be immovable. He probably saw me with my natural functions closed up. Try to bring him again.
[Huzi is showing one aspect of the perfect man: activity.]
明日，又与之见壶子。出而谓列子曰 ：“幸矣！子之先生遇我也，有瘳矣！全然有生矣！吾见其杜权矣！”列子入，以告壶子 。壶子曰 ：“乡吾示之以天壤，名实不入，而机发于踵。是殆见吾善者机也。尝又与来 。”
The next day, when they went out, the wizard said, “It is fortunate for your master that he met me. He is better. He is perfectly alive. I see that the closing up of his natural functions is only temporary.”
Liezi went in and told Huzi. Huzi said, “I showed myself to him in the form of heaven. Fame and real gain do not enter my mind. My natural functions spring forth from the depth of my being. He probably saw me with my natural functions in full activity. Try to bring him again.”
[Second aspect of the perfect man: activity.]
明日，又与之见壶子。出而谓列子曰 ：“子之先生不齐，吾无得而相焉。试齐，且复相之 。”列子入，以告壶子。壶子曰 ：“吾乡示之以以太冲莫胜，是殆见吾衡气机也。鲵桓之审为渊，止水之审为渊，流水之审为渊。渊有九名，此处三焉。尝又与来 。”
The next day, when they went out, the wizard said, “Your master is never the same. I cannot understand his physiognomy. Wait until he has become normal, and then I will examine him again.”
Liezi went in and told Huzi. Huzi said, “I showed myself to him in the great harmony in which nothing is superior to anything. He probably saw the balance of my natural functions. Where the water whirls about from the swishing of a dugong, there is a whirlpool; where it does so from the checking of its flow, there a whirlpool; where it does so from onward rushing of its flow, there is a whirlpool. There are nine kinds of whirlpools with different names. I only mentioned three of them. Try to bring him again.”
[Third aspect of the perfect man: tranquility in activity.]
[The water has no conscious mind and always follows the nature of things. Therefore, though there is a between the movement of a dugong and the dance of a dragon, the water itself is always silently what it is, and never loses its tranquillity and silence. So is the perfect man. When he is asked to do something, he is active. When he is not asked, he is passive. Though there is a difference between activity and passivity, he is always mysteriously calm. The sage is always simple, enjoys himself, and forgets doing.]
明日，又与之见壶子。立未定，自失而走。壶子曰 ：“追之！”列子追之不及 。反，以报壶子曰 ：“已灭矣，已失矣，吾弗及已 。”壶子曰 ：“乡吾示之以未始出吾宗。吾与之虚而委蛇，不知其谁何，因以为弟靡，因以为波流，故逃也 。”然后列子自以为未始学而归。
The next day Liezi again came with the wizard to see Huzi. But before he had settled himself in his position, the wizard lost control of himself and ran away. Huzi said, “Pursue him.” Liezi did so, but could not catch him. He returned and told Huzi: “He disappeared, he is lost. I could not catch him.”
“I showed myself to him,” said Huzi, “changing without losing the essential. I flexibly follow him with emptiness. I do not know who is who, and what is what. I change and flow in accordance with things. Thus he ran away.”
[Fourth aspect of the perfect man: activity in tranquility.]
三年不出，为其妻爨，食豕如食人，于事无与亲。雕琢复朴，块然独以其形立。纷而封哉，一以是终。无为名尸，无为谋府，无为事任，无为知主。体尽无穷，而游无朕。尽其所受乎天而无见得，亦虚而已！至人之用心若镜，不将不逆，应而不藏，故能胜物而不伤。南海之帝为儵北海之帝为忽，中央之帝为浑沌。儵与忽时相与遇于浑沌之地,浑沌待之甚善。儵与忽谋报浑沌之德,曰：
Upon this Liezi was convinced that he had not yet acquired any real learning. He returned to his house; for three years he did not go out. He cooked for his wife. He fed the pigs as if he were feeding men. He had no special predilection for any particular kind of work. He discarded the artificial and reverted to the natural. He stood in the world like a clod of earth. Amidst confusion and disturbance, he remained within the One to the last
[Liezi is a famous Daoist thinker. Zhuangzi mocks him but eventually gives him a chance.]
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ULTRA DENSE SUMMARY
Injury is not mutilation. Neither is past misconduct. De remains intact.
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The perfect man is solitary but never rigid. He smiles and is cheerful. His emptiness is clear without display. His loftiness seems uncontrollable. His mystery seems unknowable. He reacts unconsciously, as if he had no other choice. He has de, but looks as if he had not.
He has human form, but no human affection. He does not harm himself with desires and aversions, aligns himself with nature, and does nothing to increase artificially what is already in his life.
He is tranquil, active, tranquil in activity, and active in tranquility.
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All the sage likes is reduced to one. What is one is one. What is not one is also one.
No matter how well you store things, smaller ones in larger ones, they can always be lost. But if you store the one in the one, it cannot be lost.
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The human form is a source of joy. But, in the infinite evolution, there are many joyful forms. What an incomparable bliss it is experience them! Thus the sage makes excursions into that which cannot be lost, and together with it he remains.
If a great smith was casting metal, and it jumped up and said, “I must be Excalibur!” the smith would find it an inauspicious chunk of metal. If I, having stumbled into a human form, should insist, “Only a human! Only a human!”, creation would consider me an inauspicious chunk of person.