ZhuangziTaoismScholarly ReconstructionClassical ChineseShareZhuangzi 27Giles - EnglishMoreVersion - 1 availableGilesLanguageEnglishEspañol‹Zhuangzi 1Zhuangzi 2Zhuangzi 3Zhuangzi 4Zhuangzi 5Zhuangzi 6Zhuangzi 7Zhuangzi 8Zhuangzi 9Zhuangzi 10Zhuangzi 11Zhuangzi 12Zhuangzi 13Zhuangzi 14Zhuangzi 15Zhuangzi 16Zhuangzi 17Zhuangzi 18Zhuangzi 19Zhuangzi 20Zhuangzi 21Zhuangzi 22Zhuangzi 23Zhuangzi 24Zhuangzi 25Zhuangzi 26Zhuangzi 27Zhuangzi 28Zhuangzi 29Zhuangzi 30Zhuangzi 31Zhuangzi 32Zhuangzi 33Zhuangzi 34Zhuangzi 35Zhuangzi 36Zhuangzi 37Zhuangzi 38Zhuangzi 39Zhuangzi 40›Knowledge Travels North.Zhuangzi 27ListenPlay this chapter in spoken English.Save chapterListen to chapter1Argument:--Inaction and TAO--The universe our model--Spontaneity our watchword--Omnipresence and indivisibility of TAO--External activity, internal passivity--Man's knowledge finite--Illustrations. 2[This chapter is supplementary to chapter vi.] 3When Knowledge travelled north, across the Black Water, and over the Dark-Steep Mountain, he met Do-nothing Say-nothing and asked of him as follows:-- 4"Kindly tell me by what thoughts, by what cogitations, may TAO be known? By resting in what, by according in what, may TAO be approached? By following what, by pursuing what, may TAO be attained?" 5To these three questions, Do-nothing Say-nothing returned no answer. Not that he would not answer, but that he could not. So when Knowledge got no reply, he turned round and went off to the south of the White Water and up the Ku-chüeh Mountain, where he saw All-in-extremes, and to him he put the same questions. 6"Ha!" cried All-in-extremes, "I know. I will tell you...." 7But just as he was about to speak he forgot what he wanted to say. So when Knowledge got no reply, he went back to the palace and asked the Yellow Emperor. The latter said, "By no thoughts, by no cogitations, TAO may be known. By resting in nothing, by according in nothing, TAO may be approached. By following nothing, by pursuing nothing, TAO may be attained." 8Then Knowledge said to the Yellow Emperor, "Now you and I know this, but those two know it not. Who is right?" 9"Of those two," replied the Yellow Emperor, "Do-nothing Say-nothing is genuinely right, and All-in-extremes is near. You and I are wholly wrong. Those who understand it do not speak about it, those who speak about it do not understand it. 10These words occur in the Tao-Tê-Ching, ch. vi. See also ante, p. 170. 11Therefore the Sage teaches a doctrine which does not find expression in words. 12See ante, ch. v. Also The Remains of Lao Tzŭ, p. 7. 13TAO cannot be made to come. Virtue cannot be reached. 14Virtue (TÊ), here the exemplification of TAO. 15Charity can be evoked. Duty to one's neighbour can be wrongly directed. Ceremonies are mere shams. 16"Therefore it has been said, 'If TAO perishes, then TÊ will perish. If TÊ perishes, then charity will perish. If charity perishes, then duty to one's neighbour will perish. If duty to one's neighbour perishes, then ceremonies will perish. Ceremonies are but a showy ornament of TAO, while oft-times the source of trouble.' 17The above is from the Tao-Tê-Ching, ch. xxxviii. It is interesting to note how the Yellow Emperor annihilates time by quoting a work not written until many centuries after his date. 18"Therefore it has been said, 'Those who practise TAO suffer daily loss. If that loss proceeds until inaction ensues, then by that very inaction there is nothing which cannot be done.' 19Also in the Tao-Tê-Ching, ch. xlviii. 20"Now, we are already beings. And if we desire to revert to our original condition, how difficult that is! 'Tis a change to which only the greatest among us are equal. 21"Life follows upon death. Death is the beginning of life. Who knows when the end is reached? The life of man results from convergence of the vital fluid. Its convergence is life; its dispersion, death. If then life and death are but consecutive states, what need have I to complain? 22"Therefore all things are ONE. What we love is animation. What we hate is corruption. But corruption in its turn becomes animation, and animation once more becomes corruption. 23"Therefore it has been said, The world is permeated by a single vital fluid, and Sages accordingly venerate ONE." 24"Tota formatio procedens ex nomine uno." Liber Jezirah, p. Bi. (Parisiis: G. Postello, 1552.) 25Then Knowledge said to the Yellow Emperor, "I asked Do-nothing Say-nothing, but he did not answer me. Not that he, would not; he could not. So I asked All-in-extremes. He was just going to tell me, but he did not tell me. Not that he would not; but just as he was going to do so, he forgot what he wanted to say. Now I ask you, and you tell me. How then are you wholly wrong?" 26"Of those two," replied the Yellow Emperor, "the former was genuinely right, inasmuch as he did not know. The latter was near, inasmuch as he forgot. You and I are wholly wrong, inasmuch as we know." 27TAO is attained, not by knowledge, but by absence of knowledge. 28When All-in-extremes heard of this, he considered that the Yellow Emperor had spoken well. 29"Spoken knowingly" gives the only chance of bringing out what is here a forced play upon words. 30The universe is very beautiful, yet it says nothing. The four seasons abide by a fixed law, yet they are not heard. All creation is based upon absolute principles, yet nothing speaks. 31And the true Sage, taking his stand upon the beauty of the universe, pierces the principles of created things. Hence the saying that the perfect man does nothing, the true Sage performs nothing, beyond gazing at the universe. 32In the hope of attaining, by contemplation, a like spontaneity. 33For man's intellect, however keen, face to face with the countless evolutions of things, their death and birth, their squareness and roundness,--can never reach the root. There creation is, and there it has ever been. 34But the secret of life is withheld. 35The six cardinal points, reaching into infinity, are ever included in TAO. An autumn spikelet, in all its minuteness, must carry TAO within itself. There is nothing on earth which does not rise and fall, but it never perishes altogether. 36The Yin and the Yang, and the four seasons, keep to their proper order. Apparently destroyed, yet really existing; the material gone, the immaterial left;--such is the law of creation, which passeth all understanding. This is called the root, whence a glimpse may be obtained of God. 37From this point, upon which the finger of man can never be laid, his mind may perhaps faintly discern the transcendent workings of that Power by which all creation is swayed;--"uncover those secret recesses where Nature is sitting at the fires in the depths of her laboratory." Swedenborg. 38Yeh Ch'üeh enquired of P'i I about TAO. 39For the former see ch. ii. Of the latter there is no record. 40The latter said, "Keep your body under proper control, your gaze concentrated upon ONE,--and the peace of God will descend upon you. Keep back your knowledge, and concentrate your thoughts upon ONE,--and the holy spirit shall abide within you. Virtue shall beautify you, TAO shall establish you, aimless as a new-born calf which recks not how it came into the world." 41While P'i I was still speaking, Yeh Ch'üeh had gone off to sleep; at which the former rejoiced greatly, and departed singing, 42"Body like dry bone, Mind like dead ashes; This is true knowledge, Not to strive after knowing the whence. In darkness, in obscurity, The mindless cannot plan;-- What manner of man is that?" 43His mortal trammels had fallen off by his absorption into TAO. 44saying, "Can one get TAO so as to have it for one's own?" 45"Your very body," replied Ch'êng, "is not your own. How should TAO be?" 46"If my body," said Shun, "is not my own, pray whose is it?" 47"It is the delegated image of God," replied Ch'êng. "Your life is not your own. It is the delegated harmony of God. 48The affinity of the Yin and Yang causes them, when in due proportions, to combine and produce life. 49Your individuality is not your own. It is the delegated adaptability of God. 50Providing the endless variety of shapes with an endless variety of complexion. 51Your posterity is not your own. It is the delegated exuviæ of God. 52As God sends us into the world, so He wishes us to "increase and multiply." 53You move, but know not how. You are at rest, but know not why. You taste, but know not the cause. These are the operation of God's laws. How then should you get TAO so as to have it for your own?" 54Cf. "Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost," etc. I. Corinthians vi. 19. 55Confucius said to Lao Tzŭ, "To-day you are at leisure. Pray tell me about perfect TAO." 56"Purge your heart by fasting and discipline," answered Lao Tzŭ. "Wash your soul as white as snow. Discard your knowledge. TAO is abstruse and difficult of discussion. I will try, however, to speak to you of its outline. 57"Light is born of darkness. Classification is born of formlessness. The soul is born of TAO. The body is born of the vital essence. 58Existence springs from non-existence. 59"Thus all things produce after their kind. Creatures with nine channels of communication are born from the womb. Creatures with eight are born from the egg. 60Of their coming there is no trace. In their departure there is no goal. No entrance gate, no dwelling house, they pass this way and that, as though at the meeting of cross-roads. 61"Those who enter herein become strong of limb, subtle of thought, and clear of sight and hearing. They suffer no mental fatigue, nor meet with physical resistance. 62"Heaven cannot but be high. Earth cannot but be broad. The sun and moon cannot but revolve. All creation cannot but flourish. To do so is their ‹Previous chapterZhuangzi 26Next chapterZhuangzi 28›Similar passagesBy tradition and source labelFind similarCompare selectedCompare with similarAsk Deep ThoughtSelect passages to search for parallels.Tap any verse to select it, then compare selected passages or ask Deep Thought. Public domain in the United States via Project Gutenberg