---
title: "Zhuangzi 莊子 – Vol. 14 | Daozang"
url: "https://daozang.app/en/text/KR5c0126/juan/14/"
canonical: "https://daozang.app/en/text/KR5c0126/juan/14/"
lang: "en"
source: "Kanripo 漢籍リポジトリ（京都大学）"
license: "CC BY-SA 4.0"
---

# 《莊子》Vol. 14

Dongshen 洞神部 · Vol. 14 / 33 · 12,143 characters

## Vol. 14 / 33

天運第十四「天其運乎？地其處乎？日月其爭於所乎？孰主張是？孰維綱是？孰居无事推而行是？意者其有機緘而不得已邪？意者其運轉而不能自止邪？雲者為雨乎？雨者為雲乎？孰隆施是？孰居无事淫樂而勸是？風起北方，一西一東，有上彷徨，孰噓吸是？孰居无事而披拂是？敢問何故？」

**Interpretation**

The opening passage of the “Heaven’s Revolutions” chapter of the *Zhuangzi* explores the mysteries of nature’s workings through a series of poetic questions:

Does Heaven turn of its own accord? Does Earth remain still? Do the sun and moon contend for their places? Who governs these phenomena? Who keeps these patterns in order? And who, idle and at ease, sets everything in motion?

Here Zhuangzi raises a central Daoist idea: nature follows the inner pattern of the Dao (the Way), rather than being deliberately controlled by some ruler.

Perhaps some inner mechanism compels things to happen as they do? Or do they turn of themselves, unable to stop? Do clouds exist in order to bring rain, or does rain exist in order to form clouds? Who raises the clouds and sends down the rain?

These questions suggest that natural phenomena shape one another through cycles of cause and effect.

Who, idle and at ease, delights in bringing about these changes? The wind blows from the north, now west, now east, circling and swirling through the air. Who breathes in and out to make it blow? And who, doing nothing, waves a fan to stir up the wind? What, then, is the cause of these phenomena?

Zhuangzi uses personification here, but in doing so he rejects the idea that a personal deity rules over nature. He emphasizes instead that the myriad things transform of themselves, through natural Wuwei (non-action). This passage foreshadows the later discussion of the free and easy state of the perfected person, who acts without contrivance.

巫咸祒曰：「來！吾語女。天有六極五常，帝王順之則治，逆之則凶。九洛之事，治成德備，監照下土，天下載之，此謂上皇。」商大宰蕩問仁於莊子。莊子曰：「虎狼，仁也。」曰：

**Interpretation**

Wu Xian Shao, a spirit medium from ancient legend, said:

“Come here! I’ll tell you. Between Heaven and Earth are the Six Directions—up, down, and the four cardinal points—and the Five Constants, the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water). When rulers follow these natural patterns, they can govern their states well; when they go against them, disaster follows.

“When affairs across the Nine Regions are governed well and virtue is complete, the ruler becomes like a clear mirror reflecting the human world. People everywhere will support such a ruler. This is the most enlightened state of the ‘Supreme Sovereign.’”

Dang, the Grand Steward of Song, asked Zhuangzi what benevolence meant. Zhuangzi replied, “Even tigers and wolves have benevolent feelings.” He meant that benevolence is part of our natural character and need not be pursued deliberately.

「何謂也？」莊子曰：「父子相親，何為不仁？」曰：「請問至仁。」莊子曰：「至仁无親。」大宰曰：「蕩聞之，无親則不愛，不愛則不孝。謂至仁不孝，可乎？」

**Interpretation**

This dialogue from the *Zhuangzi* discusses “Perfect Benevolence,” the highest form of benevolence.

Someone asked Zhuangzi, “Why doesn’t the mutual affection between parent and child count as true benevolence?”

Zhuangzi replied, “Because Perfect Benevolence makes no distinction between those who are close and those who are distant.”

A grand steward then challenged him: “I’ve heard that without such distinctions there can be no love, and without love there can be no filial devotion. Does it make sense to say that Perfect Benevolence has no regard for filial devotion?”

In this passage, Zhuangzi presents a distinctive Daoist view of Perfect Benevolence: true benevolence transcends worldly distinctions of closeness and distance and reaches a state of equality like that expressed in the saying, “Heaven and Earth are not benevolent.” This stands in sharp contrast to the Confucian emphasis on graded affection.

莊子曰：「不然。夫至仁尚矣，孝固不足以言之。此非過孝之言也，不及孝之言也。夫南行者至於郢，北面而不見冥山，是何也？則去之遠也。故曰：以敬孝易，以愛孝難；以愛孝易，而忘親難；忘親易，使親忘我難；使親忘我易，兼忘天下難；兼忘天下易，使天下兼忘我難。夫德遺堯舜而不為也，利澤施於萬世，天下莫知也，

**Interpretation**

Zhuangzi said:

“That is not so. The highest form of benevolence is exalted; the idea of filial devotion alone cannot describe it. This is not because the standard of filial devotion is too high. On the contrary, it is too low.

It is like someone who travels south to Ying, the capital of Chu, then turns to look north and cannot see Mount Ming. Why is that? Because the distance is too great.

So it is easy to fulfill one’s filial duties with a respectful attitude, but hard to do so with love that comes from the heart. It is easy to fulfill them with love, but hard to forget one’s parents entirely. It is easy to forget one’s parents, but hard to have one’s parents forget oneself. It is easy for one’s parents to forget oneself, but hard to forget the whole world at the same time. It is easy to forget the whole world, but hard to have everyone in the world forget oneself.

True De (Virtue/Power) goes beyond even the sagehood of Yao and Shun. Its benefits reach through the ages, yet the people of the world remain entirely unaware of it.”

豈直太息而言仁孝乎哉！夫孝悌仁義，忠信貞廉，此皆自勉以役其德者也，不足多也。故曰：『至貴，國爵并焉；至富，國財并焉；至願，名譽并焉。』是以道不渝。」北門成問於黃帝曰：「帝張咸池之樂於洞庭之野，吾始聞之而懼，復聞之而怠，卒聞之而惑；蕩蕩默默，乃不自得。」

**Interpretation**

Zhuangzi here critiques the moral norms revered by conventional society. He argues that virtues like filial piety (xiao, respecting parents) and fraternal duty (ti, loving siblings), benevolence (ren), righteousness (yi), loyalty (zhong), trustworthiness (xin), chastity (zhen), and integrity (lian) are all things people force themselves to pursue—artificial constructs that bind our innate nature and aren't worthy of excessive veneration.

He then presents a profound insight: The most precious thing in existence cannot be matched by the highest noble rank; the truest state of abundance renders all the wealth of a nation superfluous; the most sublime aspiration makes fame and reputation seem insignificant. This is the realm of the Dao (the Way), which remains eternally unchanging.

The passage continues with a parable: Bei Men Cheng asks the Yellow Emperor for guidance. When the Emperor performs the musical piece "Xianchi" by Dongting Lake, Bei Men Cheng describes feeling fear upon first hearing it, then weariness upon listening again, and finally confusion after the performance ends. He becomes so entranced that he forgets both the external world and his own identity.

This text exemplifies Zhuangzi's critique of worldly values—he views artificial moral codes as constraints on our natural spontaneity. The genuine Dao transcends all conventional standards, much like the "Xianchi" music that transports listeners beyond ordinary perception. The Yellow Emperor's musical revelation serves precisely to guide Bei Men Cheng toward this higher state of awareness beyond mundane understanding.

帝曰：「女殆其然哉！吾奏之以人，徵之以天，行之以禮義，建之以太清。夫至樂者，先應之以人事，順之以天理，（行之以五德，應之以自然，然後調理四時，太和萬物。四時迭起，萬物循生；一盛一衰，文武倫經；一清一濁，陰陽調和，流光其聲；蟄蟲始作，吾驚之以雷霆；其卒无尾，其始无首；一死一生，一僨一起；所常无窮，而一不可待。

**Interpretation**

The original passage from the *Zhuangzi* describes how “supreme music”—music of the highest order—accords with the patterns by which Heaven and Earth and all things operate. Here is a plain-language interpretation:

The Yellow Emperor said, “You probably understand now. I perform using the tones of the human world, verify them against the Dao of Heaven, put them into practice through ritual and right conduct, and take Great Clarity (Taiqing), the source of the cosmos, as their foundation. True supreme music must first accord with the ordinary principles of human life and follow the patterns of nature. It must resonate with the nature of all things. Only then can it harmonize the changing seasons and allow all things to flourish together.

“The seasons turn in succession, and all things grow in cycles. Where there is flourishing, there is decline, just as civil rule and military force take turns in their work. Where there is clarity, there is also murkiness: Yin and Yang Qi (vital energy) harmonize with one another, and sound travels like a streak of light. When hibernating creatures begin to stir, I awaken them with the sound of thunder.

“This music has no definite beginning or end, just as life moves in cycles: death gives way to life, and decline gives way to renewal. The patterns it embodies are eternal, yet their changes are mysterious and impossible to predict.”

As a further note, the *Zhuangzi* uses the Yellow Emperor’s voice to compare the workings of music with those of the Dao, emphasizing the cycles of the Dao of Heaven and the balance of Yin-Yang. “The alternation of civil and military rule” suggests that social governance, like music, needs a measured alternation of tension and ease. The “Five Virtues” refers to the important Daoist concept of the virtues associated with the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water).

女故懼也。「吾又奏之以陰陽之和，燭之以日月之明；其聲能短能長，能柔能剛；變化齊一，不主故常；在谷滿谷，在阬滿阬；塗郤守神，以物為量。其聲揮綽，其名高明。是故鬼神守其幽，日月星辰行其紀。吾止之於有窮，流之於无止。予欲慮之而不能知也，望之而不能見也，逐之而不能及也；

**Interpretation**

I also perform it through the harmony of Yin and Yang (Yin-Yang), illuminating it with the radiance of the sun and moon. Its notes can be brief or sustained, gentle or forceful. Change holds unity within it, and it never clings to fixed conventions. It fills a valley, and the valley is full; it fills a hollow, and the hollow is filled. It seals the openings and preserves the spirit, while changing to match the capacity of whatever it encounters.

The sound is vast and far-reaching; its renown is lofty and bright. Thus the spirits dwell peacefully in darkness, while the sun, moon, and stars follow their appointed courses. I let this music come to rest within what is bounded, yet also let it flow into the boundless. Try to think about it, and it cannot be understood; try to look at it, and it cannot be seen; try to pursue it, and it can never be caught.

This passage comes from the “Heaven’s Cycle” chapter of the Zhuangzi. It uses music to explain how the Dao (the Way) operates. Yin-Yang refers to the two fundamental forces that constitute all things. “Preserving the spirit” is an important Daoist cultivation concept: it means maintaining inward focus and calm. Through this poetic description, Zhuangzi presents the Dao as formless and without shape, yet present everywhere.

儻然立於四虛之道，倚於槁梧而吟。目知窮乎所欲見，力屈乎所欲逐，吾既不及已夫！形充空虛，乃至委蛇。女委蛇，故怠。「吾又奏之以无怠之聲，調之以自然之命，故若混逐叢生，林樂而无形；布揮而不曳，幽昏而无聲。動於无方，居於窈冥；或謂之死，或謂之生；或謂之實，或謂之榮；行流散徙，不主常聲。

**Interpretation**

This passage comes from the “Heaven’s Circuit” chapter of the *Zhuangzi*. It describes a spiritual state that stands beyond the things of the world and the natural course of the Dao (the Way):

The first part describes someone standing casually in the middle of a road open in every direction, leaning against a withered parasol tree and singing. Their eyes have taken in everything they wished to see, and their strength is spent pursuing what they wanted, yet in the end they still cannot reach their goal. Their body is full, but their inner self is empty, so they can only drift with the current. This state of drifting with the current leaves a person slack and listless.

The second part turns to the realm of the Dao: “I” — here, the Dao — begin playing a ceaseless piece of music, bringing things into harmony through the patterns of nature. This music is like the mingled growth of all things, like an orchestra of the forest with no fixed form. Its sounds carry far without lingering; it is deep and dim, yet not silent.

The third part continues to describe the qualities of the Dao: its movement has no fixed direction, and it exists in depths of mystery. Some call it death, others new life; some call it fruit, others blossom. It flows and changes, never holding to any fixed melody.

Here Zhuangzi uses music as a metaphor for the movement of the Dao, emphasizing its natural Wuwei (non-action) and its ever-changing character. Ideas such as *weiyi* (drifting with the current), “the sound that never grows weary” (unceasing music), and “the mandate of nature” (the patterns of nature) are central expressions of Zhuangzi’s thought about following nature and going beyond what is imposed by human intention.

世疑之，稽於聖人。聖也者，達於情而遂於命也。天機不張而五官皆備，此之謂天樂，无言而心說。故有焱氏為之頌曰：『聽之不聞其聲，視之不見其形，充滿天地，苞裹六極。』女欲聽之而无接焉，而故惑也。樂也者，始於懼，懼故祟；吾又次之以怠，怠故遁；卒之於惑，惑故愚；愚故道，道可載而與之俱也。」

**Interpretation**

When people are confused about the Great Dao, they turn to sages for confirmation. A sage understands the nature of all things and follows the mandate of Heaven. There is no need for a sage to deliberately display the workings of nature (the secrets of Heaven). The senses—eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and body—are already complete and unimpaired. This is called “Heavenly Joy”: a joy that gladdens the heart without words.

That is why the ancient ruler Yanshi, a legendary sovereign of remote antiquity, praised it this way: “Listen, and there is no sound to hear; look, and there is no form to see. It fills all the space between Heaven and Earth and encloses the six directions, above and below.” You may try to hear it, but you cannot reach it, and so you become perplexed.

At first, this “joy”—the state of becoming one with the Dao—may inspire fear, and fear gives rise to reverence. Then it may bring weariness, and weariness makes one want to withdraw. In the end, it may leave one bewildered; through bewilderment, one returns to simplicity. This simplicity allows one to commune with the Dao, and the Great Dao can then bear all things and become one with them.

孔子西遊於衛。顏淵問師金曰：「以夫子之行為奚如？」師金曰：「惜乎，而夫子其窮哉！」顏淵曰：「何也？」師金曰：「夫芻狗之未陳也，盛以篋衍，巾以文繡，尸祝齊戒以將迎之。

**Interpretation**

This passage comes from the Zhuangzi. It recounts a conversation between Confucius and one of his disciples.

Confucius traveled west to the state of Wei. His student Yan Yuan (Yan Hui) asked Shijin, a musician from the state of Lu, “What do you think will come of our teacher’s journey this time?”

Shijin sighed. “Alas, I’m afraid your teacher is going to run into trouble!”

Yan Yuan pressed him: “Why do you say that?”

Shijin explained: “It is like a straw dog used in sacrifice. Before it is placed on the altar, people carry it in an ornate bamboo box and cover it with embroidered cloth. The officiating priests even fast and bathe before going to receive it.”

及其已陳也，行者踐其首脊，蘇者取而爨之而已；將復取而盛以篋衍，巾以文繡，遊居寢臥其下，彼不得夢，必且數眯焉。今而夫子，亦取先王已陳芻狗，取弟子遊居寢臥其下。故伐樹於宋，削迹於衛，窮於商周，是非其夢邪？圍於陳蔡之間，七日不火食，死生相與鄰，是非其眯邪？

**Interpretation**

This passage comes from the *Zhuangzi* and tells the parable of the “straw dogs”—dogs woven from straw for ancient rites and discarded when the ceremony was over.

As soon as these straw offerings had served their purpose, passersby would trample on their heads and backs, and woodcutters would gather them up for firewood. But suppose someone picked up the discarded straw dogs, placed them in finely made boxes, covered them with embroidered cloth, and kept them close all day—living, eating, and sleeping with them. Such a person would not have pleasant dreams; instead, they would suffer one nightmare after another.

Some scholars today are like that. They retrieve ritual practices abandoned long ago by the sage kings—practices likened to used straw dogs—and have their disciples study and follow them day after day. That is why they face the humiliation of having trees felled in the state of Song, where Confucius was pursued by Sima Huan-tui; why they are driven out of the state of Wei; and why they fall into hardship in the lands of the Shang and Zhou. Are these not their nightmares? Later, when they were trapped between Chen and Cai, unable to eat a hot meal for seven days and nearly starving to death, did their nightmares not come true?

With this image, Zhuangzi mocks scholars who cling rigidly to outdated rites. Treating a straw dog left over from a sacrifice as a treasure is absurd; in the end, they bring trouble upon themselves.

夫水行莫如用舟，而陸行莫如用車。以舟之可行於水也而求推之於陸，則沒世不行尋常。古今非水陸與？周魯非舟車與？今蘄行周於魯，是猶推舟於陸也，勞而无功，身必有殃。彼未知夫无方之傳，應物而不窮者也。「且子獨不見夫桔槔者乎？引之則俯，舍之則仰。彼，人之所引，非引人也，故俯仰而不得罪於人。

**Interpretation**

For traveling on water, no tool is better than a boat; for traveling on land, none is more suitable than a cart. If you insist on pushing a boat onto land just because it can move through water, you could travel only a short distance in a whole lifetime. Isn’t the difference between ancient and modern times like the difference between water and land routes? And isn’t the difference between the Zhou dynasty and the state of Lu—between an ideal and reality—like the difference between a boat and a cart?

To insist on putting the Zhou system into practice in Lu is like pushing a boat across dry land: it wastes effort and invites disaster. Such a person does not understand the principle of transmission without fixed rules. Only by adapting to the nature and changes of things can one respond to circumstances without end.

Have you never seen a counterweighted well sweep, used to draw water? Pull the rope and it lowers; release the rope and it rises. It is moved by people rather than moving them, so whether it is high or low, it offends no one. This illustrates the importance of following the natural patterns of things.

故夫三皇五帝之禮義法度，不矜於同而矜於治。故譬三皇五帝之禮義法度，其猶柤棃橘柚邪！其味相反，而皆可於口。故禮義法度者，應時而變者也。今取猨狙而衣以周公之服，彼必齕齧挽裂，盡去而後慊。觀古今之異，猶猨狙之異乎周公也。故西施病心而矉其里，其里之醜人見而美之，歸亦捧心而矉其里。其里之富人見之，堅閉門而不出，貧人見之，挈妻子而去之走。

**Interpretation**

This passage from the Zhuangzi explains why systems of ritual and law should adapt to changing times.

The rituals and laws established by the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, the legendary sage rulers of antiquity, mattered not because they were all the same, but because they each governed the state effectively. It is like hawthorns, pears, oranges, and pomelos: they taste different, yet each is delicious.

Rituals and laws should be adjusted as the times change. Imagine dressing a monkey in the ceremonial robes of the Duke of Zhou, founder of the Western Zhou ritual system. It would bite and tug at them, and would not be comfortable until it had stripped them off. The difference between past and present is as great as the difference between a monkey and the Duke of Zhou.

The passage then uses the story of Dongshi imitating Xishi to show the absurdity of blind imitation. When Xishi, a renowned beauty of antiquity, furrowed her brow because of pain in her chest, she looked captivating. A homely woman from the village saw her and copied her, pressing a hand to her chest and furrowing her brow. The wealthy who saw her hurriedly shut their gates; the poor fled with their wives and children.

This passage reflects Zhuangzi’s political thought that one should respond to changing times. It opposes rigid adherence to ancient institutions and calls for flexibility guided by actual circumstances.

彼知美矉而不知矉之所以美。惜乎，而夫子其窮哉！」孔子行年五十有一而不聞道，乃南之沛見老聃。老聃曰：「子來乎？吾聞子，北方之賢者也，子亦得道乎？」孔子曰：「未得也。」

**Interpretation**

This passage from Chapter Fourteen of the *Zhuangzi* tells two stories.

The first is about someone who sees only that a furrowed brow is beautiful. “Furrowed brow” (*pin*) refers to the celebrated pose of the ancient beauty Xishi, who furrowed her brow when she was in pain. The observer fails to understand what truly makes the expression beautiful. The passage then laments, “How regrettable! Sir, your teachings cannot be put into practice!” The allusion to the furrowed brow suggests seeing only outward appearances without understanding their deeper cause.

The second story says that when Confucius was fifty-one, he had not yet understood the true Dao. He therefore traveled south to Pei to visit Laozi (Lao Dan). When Laozi saw him, he said, “You have come! I have heard that you are a worthy man from the north. Have you attained the Dao?” Confucius answered honestly, “Not yet.” This episode shows the difference between Daoist and Confucian attitudes toward the pursuit of the Dao.

Here, “Dao” means the fundamental order of the universe and the highest truth; “attaining the Dao” means understanding this ultimate truth.

老子曰：「子惡乎求之哉？」曰：「吾求之於度數，五年而未得也。」老子曰：「子又惡乎求之哉？」曰：「吾求之於陰陽，十有二年而未得。」

**Interpretation**

Laozi asked, “Where have you been seeking the Dao?”

The other person replied, “I sought the Dao by studying the rules and institutions of ritual propriety. After five years, I still had not understood it.”

Laozi asked again, “And where did you seek it after that?”

The person said, “I then turned to the principles of Yin-Yang transformation. After twelve years, I still had not understood it.”

老子曰：「然。使道而可獻，則人莫不獻之於其君；使道而可進，則人莫不進之於其親；使道而可以告人，則人莫不告其兄弟；使道而可以與人，則人莫不與其子孫。然而不可者，无他也，中无主而不止，外无匹而不行。由中出者，不受於外，聖人不出；由外入者，无主於中，聖人不隱。名，公器也，不可多取。仁義，先王之蘧廬也，止可以一宿，而不可久處，

**Interpretation**

Laozi said, “Indeed. If the Dao (the Way, the fundamental pattern of the cosmos) could be offered to someone like a gift, everyone would offer it to their ruler. If it could be presented like tribute, everyone would present it to their parents. If it could be conveyed to others in words, everyone would tell it to their brothers. If it could be passed down like property, everyone would hand it on to their descendants.”

The reason none of this can be done is simple: without an inner foundation for realizing the Dao, it will not take root; without suitable conditions in the outside world, it cannot be put into practice. When the Dao is realized inwardly but not accepted outwardly, even a sage will not force it on others. When a teaching comes from outside but is not truly understood within, a sage will neither conceal nor withhold it.

Fame belongs to everyone and cannot be grasped for oneself. Benevolence, righteousness, and moral virtue are like a waystation where ancient rulers stayed on their journeys. One may stay for a night, but not for long.

This passage uses metaphor to show that the Dao cannot be conveyed through words or attained by force. Speaking through Laozi, Zhuangzi suggests that true realization requires inner and outer conditions to accord, and that worldly fame and moral conventions are only temporary aids to which one should not become attached.

覯而多責。「古之至人，假道於仁，託宿於義，以遊逍遙之虛，食於苟簡之田，立於不貸之圃。逍遙，无為也；苟簡，易養也；不貸，无出也。古者謂是采真之遊。以富為是者，不能讓祿；以顯為是者，不能讓名；親權者，不能與人柄。操之則慄，舍之則悲，而一无所鑒，以闚其所不休者，是天之戮民也。怨恩取與諫教生殺，八者，正之器也，

**Interpretation**

This passage from the *Zhuangzi* describes how the ancient Perfected Ones—people of the highest moral and spiritual cultivation—lived, and the pitiable condition of those fixated on wealth, fame, and power.

The ancient Perfected Ones lived this way: outwardly, they followed the principles of benevolence and righteousness, while inwardly they sought a state of freedom and ease. They ate grain grown through simple cultivation and lived in the countryside without needing to borrow. “Freedom and ease” meant following nature without deliberate effort; “simple living” meant having needs that were few and easily satisfied; and “needing no loans” meant having no need to seek anything from outside. The ancients called this way of life “wandering in the gathering of the real”—gathering one’s true nature and returning to simplicity.

Those who crave wealth and rank cannot bear to give up their stipends. Those who seek prominence cannot let go of empty fame. Those who are enamored of power are unwilling to share authority with others. They cling to these things in constant fear, grieve bitterly when they lose them, and never see the nature of their attachments; instead, they keep pursuing more. Such people are pitiable, as though punished by Heaven.

Resentment, favors, taking, giving, admonition, instruction, killing, and sparing life: these eight actions are all tools for setting the world right.

唯循大變无所湮者為能用之。故曰：正者，正也。其心以為不然者，天門弗開矣。」孔子見老聃而語仁義。老聃曰：「夫播穅眯目，則天地四方易位矣；蚊虻噆膚，則通昔不寐矣。夫仁義憯然乃憤吾心，亂莫大焉。吾子使天下无失其朴，吾子亦放風而動，揔德而立矣，又奚傑傑然揭仁義若負建鼓而求亡子者邪？夫鵠不日浴而白，烏不日黔而黑。

**Interpretation**

Only those who follow the fundamental changes of the natural Dao (the Way) without being misled by external things can truly put the Dao into practice.

Thus, the “right” way means keeping one’s original nature intact. If the heart does not accept this principle, the gateway to Heaven’s Way—the path to awakening to the Dao—will not open.

When Confucius went to see Laozi, also known as Lao Dan, they spoke about benevolence and righteousness. Laozi said:

“It is like chaff blown into your eyes: it blurs your sight until you can no longer tell the four directions of Heaven and Earth. A mosquito bite can leave you unable to sleep all night. The teachings of benevolence and righteousness that you promote sting my heart in just this way. Nothing could be more disruptive.

“You should let the people of the world preserve their natural simplicity. You yourself should act as freely and naturally as the wind, and live by holding fast to true De (Virtue). Why rush to proclaim benevolence and righteousness? That would be as futile as carrying a great drum while searching for a lost child. The swan stays white without bathing every day; the crow stays black without being dyed every day.”

Through these images, the dialogue presents the Daoist view that one should follow one’s natural nature. It criticizes the deliberate promotion of benevolence and righteousness, arguing that it disrupts people’s innate simplicity. Laozi’s everyday examples suggest that forcibly imposing these values interferes with the natural order and brings disorder instead.

黑白之朴，不足以為辯；名譽之觀，不足以為廣。泉涸，魚相與處於陸，相吻以濕，相濡以沫，不若相忘於江湖！」孔子見老聃歸，三日不談。弟子問曰：「夫子見老聃，亦將何規哉？」孔子曰：「吾乃今於是乎見龍！龍，合而成體，散而成章，乘乎雲氣而養乎陰陽。予口張而不能嗋，舌舉而不能訒，予又何規老聃哉！」

**Interpretation**

**First Modern Interpretation**

A simple contrast between black and white hardly counts as a real debate; outward honors and reputation hardly amount to any lofty realm. It is like fish stranded on dry land after a spring has dried up, moistening one another with their spittle. This may seem moving, but it is less free than swimming in rivers and lakes, where they can simply forget one another and be at ease.

**Second Modern Interpretation**

After visiting Laozi (Lao Dan), Confucius returned and did not speak for three whole days. His disciples could not help asking, “Master, when you met Laozi, what teachings did you receive?”

**Third Modern Interpretation**

Confucius exclaimed, “Only today have I seen a true dragon! This numinous creature gathers itself into a complete form, then disperses into splendid patterns. It roams on clouds, nourished by the two energies of Yin and Yang. I was so astonished that my mouth fell open and my tongue tied itself in knots. How could I presume to pass judgment on Laozi?”

Here Confucius uses the “dragon” as a metaphor for Laozi, portraying his thought as elusive and transformative, and his realm as lofty. The allusion to fish “moistening one another” later became an idiom for helping one another in hardship. In the Zhuangzi, however, the emphasis is on the ease of natural freedom, which surpasses a relationship held together by effort.

子貢曰：「然則人固有尸居而龍見，雷聲而淵默，發動如天地者乎？賜亦可得而觀乎？」遂以孔子聲見老聃，老聃方將倨堂而應，微曰：「予年運而往矣，子將何以戒我乎？」子貢曰：「夫三王五帝之治天下不同，其係聲名一也。而先生獨以為非聖人，如何哉？」

**Interpretation**

This dialogue takes place between Zigong, a disciple of Confucius, and Laozi (Lao Dan).

Zigong asked, “So do people like this really exist in the world? They seem to sit motionless, like a corpse, yet appear like a spirit dragon; they seem as silent as an abyss, yet can sound like thunder. Their movement and stillness are as natural as the workings of Heaven and Earth. May I meet such a person?”

Zigong then went to visit Laozi in Confucius’s name. Laozi was sitting casually in the hall. In a soft voice, he said, “I am old now. Is there something you would like to tell me?”

Zigong continued, “The Three Kings and Five Emperors governed the world in different ways, yet all earned a reputation for being sages. Why, then, do you, Master, consider them not to have been true sages?”

Here, “sitting like a corpse, appearing like a dragon” describes the profound state of a Daoist adept: still as a corpse at rest, yet dragonlike in action. “The Three Kings and Five Emperors” refers to legendary sage rulers of antiquity; the specific figures meant vary across different accounts.

老聃曰：「小子少進！子何以謂不同？」對曰：「堯授舜，舜授禹，禹用力而湯用兵，文王順紂而不敢逆，武王逆紂而不肯順，故曰不同。」老聃曰：「小子少進！余語女三王五帝之治天下。黃帝之治天下，使民心一，民有其親死不哭而民不非也。

**Interpretation**

Laozi, also known as Lao Dan, said, “Young man, come here! Why do you say they were different?”

The other replied, “Yao passed the imperial throne to Shun, and Shun passed it on to Yu. Yu earned his authority through the hard work of controlling the floods, while Tang of Shang used force to overthrow the Xia dynasty. King Wen of Zhou obeyed King Zhou of Shang and did not dare defy him, but King Wu of Zhou raised an army and refused to submit. That is why I say their actions were different.”

Laozi continued, “Young man, come a little closer and listen. I will tell you how the Three Kings and Five Emperors governed the world. When the Yellow Emperor governed, he brought the people’s hearts back to unity and simplicity. In those days, when a family member died, people did not weep, and they did not think there was anything wrong with that.”

*Note: The “Three Kings” usually refers to Yu of Xia, Tang of Shang, and King Wen or King Wu of Zhou. The “Five Emperors” refers to the ancient sage rulers, including the Yellow Emperor, Zhuanxu, Emperor Ku, Yao, and Shun. By contrasting the ways these sage rulers governed, Laozi introduces the ideal of a return to simplicity associated with the Yellow Emperor’s time.*

堯之治天下，使民心親，民有為其親殺其殺，而民不非也。舜之治天下，使民心競，民孕婦十月生子，子生五月而能言，不至乎孩而始誰，則人始有夭矣。禹之治天下，使民心變，人有心而兵有順，殺盜非殺，人自為種而天下耳，是以天下大駭，儒墨皆起。其作始有倫，而今乎婦女，何言哉！余語女，三皇五帝之治天下，名曰治之，而亂莫甚焉。

**Interpretation**

When Yao governed the world, he made the people care only about family bonds. In those days, people who killed in order to show filial devotion to their parents—an extreme form of filial conduct—were not thought to have done anything wrong.

When Shun governed the world, he set the people to competing with one another. In those days, a child was born after ten months in the womb and could speak at five months, showing remarkable precocity. Before the age when a child could smile, it could already distinguish familiar people from strangers. And so premature death began to appear among humankind.

When Yu governed the world, he made the people’s minds grow complicated. People developed selfish desires, and the use of force came to be justified: killing a thief was not counted as killing a person, a sign of private punishment run amok. People formed factions around their own groups, and everyone in the world became wary and uneasy. Schools such as the Confucians and Mohists sprang up. At first, their teachings had some order; now they have become as trivial as women’s gossip. What more is there to say?

Let me tell you: when the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors—the legendary sages of antiquity—governed the world, they claimed to bring order, but in fact they caused a disorder greater than any other.

三皇之知，上悖日月之明，下睽山川之精，中墮四時之施。其知憯於𧓽蠆之尾，鮮規之獸，莫得安其性命之情者，而猶自以為聖人，不可恥乎，其无恥也？」子貢蹴蹴然立不安。孔子謂老聃曰：「丘治《詩》、《書》、《禮》、《樂》、《易》、《春秋》六經，自以為久矣，孰知其故矣；

**Interpretation**

This passage from the *Zhuangzi* says:

The supposed wisdom of the Three Sovereigns—three legendary sage-kings of high antiquity—went against the natural course of the sun and moon above, damaged the life-giving spirit of the mountains and rivers below, and disrupted the changing order of the seasons in between. Their wisdom was more poisonous than the venom on a creature’s tail. Even the smallest beasts could no longer live in peace according to their own nature. And still they considered themselves sages. Were they not ashamed? They were utterly without shame!

Hearing these words, Zigong, a student of Confucius, was so shaken that he could neither sit nor stand at ease.

Later, Confucius said to Laozi (Lao Dan): “I have studied the six classics—the *Book of Songs*, the *Book of Documents*, the *Book of Rites*, the *Book of Music*, the *Book of Changes*, and the *Spring and Autumn Annals*—for a long time. I thought I understood their principles…”

This passage shows Zhuangzi’s critical view of the ancient sage-kings revered by Confucians and of the classical texts. He suggests that human-made systems of ritual and law disrupt the natural Dao. Through the reactions of Confucius and his student, the passage implies that even Confucian sages feel unsettled when faced with the deeper wisdom of Daoism.

以奸者七十二君，論先王之道而明周召之迹，一君无所鉤用。甚矣夫！人之難說也，道之難明邪！」老子曰：「幸矣，子之不遇治世之君也！夫《六經》，先王之陳迹也，豈其所以迹哉！今子之所言，猶迹也。夫迹，履之所出，而迹豈履哉！夫白鶂之相視，眸子不運而風化；蟲，雄鳴於上風，雌應於下風而化；

**Interpretation**

This dialogue from the *Zhuangzi* tells of Confucius seeking advice from Laozi on the art of governing:

Confucius said, “I have visited seventy-two rulers in succession, explaining to them the ways of governing practiced by the sage kings of antiquity and setting out the governing policies of the Duke of Zhou, a founding figure of the Zhou dynasty, and the Duke of Shao, a virtuous minister of that dynasty. Yet not one ruler was willing to adopt them. Alas! People are so hard to persuade, and the Great Dao is so hard to make understood!”

Laozi replied, “You should be glad you never encountered one of those so-called ‘enlightened rulers who bring order to the age.’ The Six Classics—the *Book of Songs*, *Book of Documents*, *Book of Rites*, *Book of Music*, *Book of Changes*, and *Spring and Autumn Annals*—are no more than worn-out footprints left by the sage kings of old. How could they be the source from which those footprints came? What you are talking about now is like studying footprints. A footprint is made by a shoe, but can the footprint be the same thing as the shoe?”

Laozi continued with examples from nature: “Look at the egrets. When they gaze at one another, their eyes do not move, yet they mate and reproduce naturally. Insects do the same: the male chirps upwind, the female answers downwind, and they mate naturally. If the true Dao follows nature, why would it need so much human preaching?”

Through these metaphors, the dialogue suggests that clinging to the specific methods of ancient sage kings is like studying footprints and forgetting the shoe. The true Dao means following nature and governing through Wuwei (non-action).

類自為雌雄，故風化。性不可易，命不可變，時不可止，道不可壅。苟得於道，无自而不可；失焉者，无自而可。」孔子不出三月，復見曰：「丘得之矣。烏鵲孺，魚傅沫，細要者化，有弟而兄啼。久矣夫丘不與化為人！不與化為人，安能化人！」老子曰：「可。丘得之矣

**Interpretation**

This passage from the *Zhuangzi* explains how all things change naturally and how we should follow the Dao, the Way.

Some creatures are both male and female—for example, certain worms can reproduce on their own—and so they multiply naturally. One’s nature cannot be forcibly changed, fate cannot be turned by human effort, time does not stop, and the Great Dao, the natural order, cannot be obstructed. When we follow the Dao, nothing is out of reach; when we go against it, no effort will go smoothly.

After three months in seclusion, Confucius understood this. He exclaimed, “I see! Crows and magpies reproduce through mating, fish reproduce by spitting, and the slender-waisted bee, a kind of parasitic wasp, brings forth larvae. When a younger brother arrives in a household, the older brother cries—this reflects the natural pattern of change and succession. For too long, I have been estranged from the transformations of nature! How can someone who cannot follow nature’s changes influence others?”

Hearing this, Laozi praised him: “Good! Kong Qiu, you have finally understood!”

Through everyday examples such as animal reproduction and the relationship between brothers, this passage shows that all things follow the patterns of natural change. In the story of Confucius seeking the Dao, Zhuangzi suggests that people should let go of contrivance and follow the natural Way. Only then can they live in harmony with the myriad things of Heaven and Earth.

！」

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原文底本：Kanripo 漢籍リポジトリ（京都大学），CC BY-SA 4.0。  
Source text: Kanripo Chinese Classics Repository (Kyoto University), CC BY-SA 4.0.  
HTML version: https://daozang.app/en/text/KR5c0126/juan/14/