---
title: "Zhuangzi 莊子 – Vol. 5 | Daozang"
url: "https://daozang.app/en/text/KR5c0126/juan/5/"
canonical: "https://daozang.app/en/text/KR5c0126/juan/5/"
lang: "en"
source: "Kanripo 漢籍リポジトリ（京都大学）"
license: "CC BY-SA 4.0"
---

# 《莊子》Vol. 5

Dongshen 洞神部 · Vol. 5 / 33 · 7,283 characters

## Vol. 5 / 33

德充符第五魯有兀者王駘，從之遊者與仲尼相若。常季問於仲尼曰：「王駘，兀者也，從之遊者與夫子中分魯。立不教，坐不議，虛而往，實而歸。固有不言之教，无形而心成者邪？是何人也？」仲尼曰：「夫子，聖人也，丘也直後而未往耳。丘將以為師，而況不若丘者乎！奚假魯國！丘將引天下而與從之。」常季曰：「彼兀者也，而王先生，其與庸亦遠矣。

**Interpretation**

In Chapter Five of the “Sign of Fullness of Virtue” from the *Zhuangzi*:

A man in the state of Lu named Wang Tai had lost one foot in punishment; “one-legged man” here refers to someone whose foot had been cut off as a penalty. About as many people studied with him as studied with Confucius. A man named Chang Ji asked Confucius, “Wang Tai is disabled, yet the number of people who take him as their teacher is almost equal to yours. He doesn’t teach when he stands, and he doesn’t discuss anything when he sits. His students come to see him with empty minds, yet leave full. Can there really be teaching without words, a way to transform people without outward signs? What kind of person is he?”

Confucius replied, “That gentleman is a sage! I simply haven’t yet had the chance to seek his guidance. I would take him as my teacher—how much more so should those less capable than I? It is not only the people of Lu: I intend to lead the whole world in following him.”

After hearing this, Chang Ji said, “Though he is disabled, he has surpassed ordinary people and become a spiritual leader. It seems his state is indeed far removed from that of everyday people.”

This chapter presents the story of Wang Tai, a wise man with a disability, to explore the Daoist idea of teaching without words. Zhuangzi suggests that someone whose De (Virtue) is truly full needs neither outward appearance nor speech: the power of their inner spirit can naturally transform others. This contrasts with the Confucian emphasis on teaching through words and example. “Sign of Fullness of Virtue” refers to the outward evidence of De flourishing within.

若然者，其用心也獨若之何？」仲尼曰：「死生亦大矣，而不得與之變；雖天地覆墜，亦將不與之遺。審乎无假而不與物遷，命物之化，而守其宗也。」常季曰：「何謂也？」仲尼曰：「自其異者視之，肝膽楚越也；自其同者視之，萬物皆一也。夫若然者，且不知耳目之所宜，而遊心乎德之和；物視其所一而不見其所喪，視喪其足猶遺土也。」常季曰：

**Interpretation**

This dialogue presents Zhuangzi’s idea of “making all things equal” through the voice of Confucius (Zhongni). Here is a modern explanation:

Confucius said, “Life and death are great matters, aren’t they? Yet they do not alter the state of mind of someone who has attained the Dao. Even if heaven collapsed and the earth sank, he would not perish with them. He has seen through the eternal, unchanging truth—the unborrowed—and so is not affected by external things. He can follow the changes of the myriad things while holding fast to the root, the Dao.”

Chang Ji asked, “What does that mean?”

Confucius explained, “Seen from the standpoint of difference, the liver and gallbladder are as far apart as the states of Chu and Yue. Seen from the standpoint of sameness, all things are one. A person like this does not even know what the ears and eyes ought to hear and see—he has gone beyond the limits of the senses. His mind wanders in the harmony of the Dao. Seeing the unified nature of the myriad things, he is unconcerned with loss: losing a leg seems to him as ordinary as losing a clod of earth.”

Here, “the unborrowed” means the eternal, unchanging truth. “The harmony of De” refers to the harmonious state of the Dao, an ideal in Zhuangzi’s thought in which all things coexist naturally.

「彼為己，以其知得其心，以其心得其常心，物何為最之哉？」仲尼曰：「人莫鑑於流水而鑑於止水，唯止能止眾止。受命於地，唯松柏獨也在冬夏青青；受命於天，唯舜獨也正，幸能正生，以正眾生。夫保始之徵，不懼之實。勇士一人，雄入於九軍。將求名而能自要者，而猶若是，而況官天地，府萬物，直寓六骸，象耳目，一知之所知，而心未嘗死者乎！彼且擇日而登假，人則從是也。彼且何肯以物為事乎！」

**Interpretation**

Through wisdom, a person comes to know their original mind and, from there, to grasp the constant, unchanging Dao. How could external things disturb them?

Confucius said: People do not use flowing water as a mirror; they look into still water to see themselves clearly. Only when the mind is settled can restless thoughts come to a stop.

Trees draw life from the earth, yet only pines and cypresses stay green through the winter cold. Human beings receive their nature and life from Heaven, yet only a sage like Shun truly holds fast to the right way. Those who can set their own lives in order can guide all living beings.

Those who preserve their original, unspoiled nature have no fear in their hearts. They are like warriors who charge alone into the midst of vast armies. If people seeking fame can do this, how much more can those who have attained the Dao? They are one with Heaven and Earth, embrace all things, regard the body as a temporary dwelling, remain unmoved by the senses, preserve undivided wisdom, and keep their spirits from ever running dry.

Such a sage may ascend to immortality at any moment—“ascending to the far beyond” means attaining the Dao and rising to the heavens—and people will naturally follow them. How could worldly trifles hold them back?

申徒嘉，兀者也，而與鄭子產同師於伯昏无人。子產謂申徒嘉曰：「我先出則子止，子先出則我止。」其明日，又與合堂同席而坐。子產謂申徒嘉曰：「我先出則子止，子先出則我止。今我將出，子可以止乎，其未邪？且子見執政而不違，子齊執政乎？」申徒嘉曰：「先生之門，固有執政焉如此哉？子而說子之執政而後人者也？聞之曰：『鑑明則塵垢不止，止則不明也。

**Interpretation**

This passage from the *Zhuangzi* tells the story of Shentu Jia and Zichan, the prime minister of Zheng.

Shentu Jia had lost one of his feet, and he studied under Bohun Wuren, a Daoist recluse, alongside Zichan. Zichan said to him, “If I leave first, wait a while before you go; if you leave first, I’ll wait a while.” The next day, they sat on the same mat during their lesson. Zichan repeated the rule: “I’m planning to leave first today. Shouldn’t you wait a while? You see an official in charge”—meaning Zichan himself—“and don’t step aside. Do you think your standing is as high as an official’s?”

Shentu Jia replied, “Among our teacher’s students, who puts on airs of office like that? Do you think being a prime minister gives you the right to become conceited and look down on others? I’ve heard it said: ‘A clear mirror gathers no dust; once dust gathers, it is no longer clear.’” Here, the mirror stands for the human heart, suggesting that power has clouded Zichan’s original nature.

Their exchange illustrates the Daoist idea of “equalizing things”: in the eyes of someone who has realized the Dao, a person with a disability and a high official are fundamentally equal. Zichan values worldly rank, while Shentu Jia looks beyond his bodily impairment and seeks equality of spirit.

久與賢人處則无過。』今子之所取大者，先生也，而猶出言若是，不亦過乎！」子產曰：「子既若是矣，猶與堯爭善，計子之德，足以自反邪？」申徒嘉曰：「自狀其過以不當亡者眾，不狀其過以不當存者寡。知不可柰何而安之若命，唯有德者能之。遊於羿之彀中。中央者，中地也；然而不中者，命也。人以其全足笑吾不全足者眾矣，我怫然而怒；而適先生之所，則廢然而反。

**Interpretation**

This dialogue from “The Sign of Virtue Complete” in the *Zhuangzi* is a debate between Zichan and Shentu Jia, two wise men with physical disabilities.

Zichan, a statesman of the state of Zheng, says, “Compared with a sage like Yao, how do you measure up? Weigh your own virtue—shouldn’t you reflect on yourself?”

Shentu Jia, a reclusive man whose foot had been cut off, replies, “Most people in the world make excuses for their own faults and think they should not be punished. Few truly admit their mistakes and change their ways. To understand that fate cannot be changed and accept it calmly—only a person of genuine virtue can do that.”

He uses archery as an analogy: standing at the center of Yi the Archer’s target range, the most dangerous place, and not being hit is simply luck. Then he shares a deep realization: he used to feel angry when people mocked his missing foot. But after coming to study with Bohun Wuren, a master of the Dao, his anger naturally faded.

As background, “within Yi’s target range” is a metaphor for danger, and “the Master” refers to Bohun Wuren, a realized figure in the *Zhuangzi*. The dialogue expresses the Daoist wisdom of accepting one’s lot as fate, and emphasizes cultivating oneself beyond the body’s outward form.

不知先生之洗我以善邪？吾與夫子遊十九年矣，而未嘗知吾兀者也。今子與我遊於形骸之內，而子索我於形骸之外，不亦過乎！」子產蹴然改容更貌曰：「子无乃稱！」魯有兀者叔山无趾，踵見仲尼。仲尼曰：「子不謹，前既犯患若是矣。雖今來，何及矣！」无趾曰：「吾唯不知務而輕用吾身，吾是以亡足。今吾來也，猶有尊足者存，吾是以務全之也。夫天无不覆，地无不載，

**Interpretation**

“Are you saying that you have cleansed my heart and mind with the good Dao (the Way)? I have studied with you for nineteen years, and you have never minded that I am a man with a severed foot. Now that our hearts and minds are in communion, you reproach me over my outward appearance. Isn’t that going too far?” When Zichan, the chief minister of Zheng, heard this, his face changed and he felt ashamed. “Please, say no more!” he said.

This passage explores the Daoist idea that one’s inner life transcends the body. It gives priority to spiritual cultivation over physical completeness.

In the state of Lu there was a man named Shushan Wuzhi whose toes had been cut off as punishment. He went to visit Confucius, walking on his heels. Confucius said, “You were careless in the past and brought this misfortune upon yourself. Now you have come to see me—what can still be done?”

Wuzhi replied, “It was because I did not understand how the world works and used my body recklessly that I lost my toes. I have come to see you because something more precious than my feet still remains—my moral cultivation—and I want to do all I can to preserve it. You should know that Heaven covers everything and Earth supports everything.”

The term “the footless” refers to people whose feet were cut off as punishment. “That which is more precious than the feet” refers to inner cultivation, which matters more than the body. The image of Heaven and Earth embracing all things reflects the Daoist idea of seeing things as equal.

吾以夫子為天地，安知夫子之猶若是也！」孔子曰：「丘則陋矣。夫子胡不入乎，請講以所聞！」无趾出。孔子曰：「弟子勉之！夫无趾，兀者也，猶務學以復補前行之惡，而況全德之人乎！」无趾語老聃曰：「孔丘之於至人，其未邪？彼何賓賓以學子為？彼且蘄以諔詭幻怪之名聞，不知至人之以是為己桎梏邪？」老聃曰：「胡不直使彼以死生為一條，以可不可為一貫者，

**Interpretation**

This dialogue comes from the *Zhuangzi*. It tells of Confucius’s encounter with a man named Toeless, whose feet had been amputated as punishment, and of Toeless’s later conversation with Laozi (Lao Dan):

When Toeless met Confucius, he said, “I took you, Master, to be as great as Heaven and Earth. I never imagined you would judge people by their appearance!”

Confucius replied with embarrassment, “My understanding is shallow. Why don’t you come in and sit down, Master, and share your views?” But Toeless turned and walked away.

Confucius said to his disciples, “You should all strive to learn. Toeless, though he has lost his feet, still works hard to make up for past mistakes. How much more should those of you who are physically whole do so?”

Later, Toeless said to Laozi, “Confucius has probably not yet reached the state of the perfected person. Why is he always so eager to learn from others? He pursues unusual and remarkable fame, unaware that the truly perfected person sees such things as shackles.”

Laozi replied, “Why not simply help him understand that life and death are one, and that what can be accepted and what cannot are fundamentally connected?”

This dialogue reflects the *Zhuangzi*’s criticism of the Confucian attachment to ritual and reputation. It advocates breaking down dualities such as right and wrong, and life and death, to reach the state of making all things equal.

解其桎梏，其可乎？」无趾曰：「天刑之，安可解！」魯哀公問於仲尼曰：「衛有惡人焉，曰哀駘它。丈夫與之處者，思而不能去也。婦人見之，請於父母曰『與為人妻寧為夫子妾』者，十數而未止也。未嘗有聞其唱者也，常和人而已矣。无君人之位以濟乎人之死，无聚祿以望人之腹。又以惡駭天下，和而不唱，知不出乎四域，且而雌雄合乎前。是必有異乎人者也。寡人召而觀之，

**Interpretation**

These passages from the *Zhuangzi* tell two stories about how De can transcend outward appearance.

In the first, a man named Shushan Wuzhi, whose toes had been cut off as punishment, goes to see Confucius. Confucius says, “You failed to act carefully and so were punished. Isn’t it too late to come seeking instruction now?” Wuzhi replies, “I was foolish before. I’ve come now because I want to preserve what is more precious: my spiritual life.” Confucius tells his disciples to take Wuzhi as a warning. Wuzhi responds that Confucius uses ritual teaching to bind people’s hearts—and that this is what true “Heavenly punishment” means.

The second story is about Aitai Tuo of the state of Wei, a man of strikingly ugly appearance. Men love his company and do not want to leave him; women would rather become his concubines than marry anyone else. More than a dozen women have made this request. He never puts himself forward or insists on his own views, but simply goes along with others. Duke Ai of Lu hears about him and summons him. The duke finds that Aitai Tuo has no power, yet can relieve people’s suffering; receives no stipend, yet can make people feel secure and well fed; and has a frightening appearance, yet draws people close. His wisdom goes no further than the everyday, yet men and women alike are drawn to follow him. He must, the duke concludes, possess a virtue beyond the ordinary.

These stories express Zhuangzi’s idea that when De has strength, outward form is forgotten. They emphasize that inner virtue matters more than physical appearance. Those who cultivate the Dao seek a spiritual realm that transcends appearances.

果以惡駭天下。與寡人處，不至以月數，而寡人有意乎其為人也；不至乎期年，而寡人信之。國无宰，寡人傳國焉。悶然而後應，氾若而辭。寡人醜乎，卒授之國。无幾何也，去寡人而行，寡人卹焉，若有亡也，若无與樂是國也。是何人者也？」仲尼曰：「丘也嘗使於楚矣，適見㹠子食於其死母者，少焉眴若皆棄之而走。不見已焉爾，不得類焉爾。所愛其母者，非愛其形也，愛使其形者也。

**Interpretation**

This story from the *Zhuangzi* tells of an ugly-looking man who came to the state of Wei. At first, the ruler found his appearance frightening. But before a month had passed, he had come to admire the man’s character. Within a year, he trusted him completely. Later, when the state had no chief minister, the ruler wanted to entrust the government to him.

At first the man said nothing. Then he declined almost casually. The ruler felt ashamed, but in the end still handed the state over to him. Before long, however, the man left the ruler and journeyed far away. The ruler felt bereft, as though he had lost something, and believed that no one else could share with him the joy of governing the state.

Confucius commented: “I once traveled to the state of Chu on a mission and saw a group of piglets suckling at their dead mother. Before long, they fled in alarm. They had realized that their mother no longer looked at them and was no longer as she had been in life. The piglets loved their mother not for her physical form, but for the spirit that had given that form life.”

This passage uses the story of the ruler and the ugly man to illustrate the Daoist idea of valuing spirit over physical form. The piglets love their mother’s vitality, not her body, just as the ruler admires the man’s inner De rather than his appearance. Through this story, Zhuangzi argues that the spiritual value beyond the physical body is greater than outward form.

戰而死者，其人之葬也不以翣資；刖者之屨，无為愛之；皆无其本矣。為天子之諸御，不爪翦，不穿耳；取妻者止於外，不得復使。形全猶足以為爾，而況全德之人乎！今哀駘它未言而信，无功而親，使人授己國，唯恐其不受也，是必才全而德不形者也。」哀公曰：「何謂才全？」仲尼曰：「死生存亡，窮達貧富，賢與不肖毀譽，飢渴寒暑，是事之變，命之行也；

**Interpretation**

This passage from the Zhuangzi uses several vivid examples to explain the profound ideas of “complete form” and “complete De.”

When someone who has died in battle is buried, the feathered ornaments for the coffin are not buried with them. Someone whose feet have been cut off no longer cares about the shoes they once wore. In both cases, something fundamental has been lost. Likewise, the palace women who serve the Son of Heaven may not trim their nails or pierce their ears, and a married man may no longer serve as a palace eunuch. These examples show how important it is to keep the body whole. How much more important, then, is it for a person to have complete De?

The passage then turns to Ai Taituo, a fictional sage, to illustrate the point. He wins people’s trust without speaking and earns their affection without performing any notable deeds. Even a ruler would entrust an entire state to him. This is the state of “complete capacity, with De left unseen”: one’s capacities are whole, yet they do not show themselves outwardly.

When Duke Ai of Lu asks what “complete capacity” means, Confucius replies that life and death, survival and ruin, hardship and success, poverty and wealth, worthiness and unworthiness, praise and blame, hunger and thirst, and the changes of cold and heat are all natural transformations of things. They follow the workings of fate.

日夜相代乎前，而知不能規乎其始者也。故不足以滑和，不可入於靈府。使之和豫，通而不失於兌；使日夜无郤而與物為春，是接而生時乎心者也。是之謂才全。」「何謂德不形？」曰：「平者，水停之盛也。其可以為法也，內保之而外不蕩也。德者，成和之脩也。德不形者，物不能離也。」哀公異日以告閔子曰：「始也吾以南面而君天下，執民之紀而憂其死，

**Interpretation**

Day and night continually alternate before us, yet human wisdom cannot penetrate the origin of the cosmos. So do not let these things disturb the heart’s peace, or let distracting thoughts enter the heart (the *lingfu*, or “spirit’s dwelling”). Let the mind remain joyful and open, like a flowing river that does not become blocked at a bend (*dui*, a turning point). Let time pass without interruption, always sharing in the springlike harmony of all things. This is the fitting way for the mind to meet the world. It is called “wholeness of capacity” (*cai quan*).

Later, Duke Ai of Lu said to Minzi, “At first, as ruler of the realm, I held authority over the laws for governing the people, yet I was always anxious about their life and death. What does it mean for De not to take visible form?” Minzi replied, “Stillness is like water when it is perfectly calm; it can serve as a model. When the heart is settled, things outside do not stir. De is the cultivation through which harmony is reached. When a person does not deliberately display De, all things naturally remain close to them.”

吾自以為至通矣。今吾聞至人之言，恐吾无其實，輕用吾身而亡吾國。吾與孔丘，非君臣也，德友而已矣。」闉跂支離无脤說衛靈公，靈公說之；而視全人，其脰肩肩。甕盎大癭說齊桓公，桓公說之；而視全人，其脰肩肩。故德有所長而形有所忘，人不忘其所忘而忘其所不忘，此謂誠忘。故聖人有所遊，而知為孽，約為膠，德為接，工為商。聖人不謀，惡用知？

**Interpretation**

I once thought I understood things thoroughly. But after hearing the words of someone who has truly attained the Dao, I worry that I may have no real ability or learning at all. I have simply been spending my life recklessly, and this may ultimately bring about the country’s ruin. Confucius (Kong Qiu) and I were not ruler and subject; we were friends who came together through De.

A hunchbacked, lame man with no lips went to persuade Duke Ling of Wei, who greatly admired him. Looking at people with sound limbs, the duke instead thought their necks were too slender. Then a man with a huge swelling on his neck went to persuade Duke Huan of Qi, who liked him very much. Looking at people without such a swelling, the duke thought their necks were too slender, too. This shows that when someone’s De stands out, people overlook flaws in their appearance. If people keep in mind what they ought to forget—the flaws of appearance—and forget what they ought to remember—inner De—that is true forgetfulness.

So the way a sage who has attained the Dao moves through the world is to regard cleverness as a source of trouble, restraint as a form of confinement, De as a means of social connection, and craftsmanship as a matter of buying and selling.

A true sage has no need to make plans. What use, then, would cleverness be?

Here, “the Perfected” means someone whose moral cultivation has reached the highest level; a “friend in De” is someone who forms friendships through De; and “sage” in Daoist thought refers to one who has awakened to the Dao. Through these parables, Zhuangzi shows that true value lies in inner De rather than outward appearance, and that excessive pursuit of cleverness can lead one away from the Dao.

不斲，惡用膠？无喪，惡用德？不貨，惡用商？四者，天鬻也。天鬻也者，天食也。既受食於天，又惡用人！有人之形，无人之情。有人之形，故群於人，无人之情，故是非不得於身。眇乎小哉，所以屬於人也！謷乎大哉，獨成其天！惠子謂莊子曰：「人故无情乎？」

**Interpretation**

If wood were not cut and shaped by human hands, where would glue be needed to join the pieces? If nothing had been lost—that is, if things kept their natural nature—where would anyone need to make a display of virtue? If people did not pursue goods—that is, covet material gain—where would there be any need for trade? These four conditions—not cutting and shaping, not losing one’s nature, not coveting goods, and not trading—are all ways in which Nature, the natural Way of Heaven, nourishes us.

What is called “Heaven’s nourishment” is Nature’s act of raising and sustaining us. Since we have already received Nature’s care, why add human contrivance? Though we have human bodies, we need not have the feelings of worldly people. Our human form allows us to live among others; without worldly attachments, disputes over right and wrong cannot take hold of us. How small are the things made by human effort! How great is the natural Way, complete in itself!

Hui Shi, a leading thinker of the School of Names during the Warring States period, asked Zhuangzi, “Are people naturally without feelings?”

This passage contrasts human contrivance with the natural Way, emphasizing the importance of preserving one’s original nature and following Nature. Zhuangzi holds that deliberately pursuing virtue, material gain, and other worldly values runs counter to Heaven’s nourishing way. He urges people to rise above worldly judgments of right and wrong and return to their natural, original state.

莊子曰：「然。」惠子曰：「人而无情，何以謂之人？」莊子曰：「道與之貌，天與之形，惡得不謂之人？」惠子曰：「既謂之人，惡得无情？」

**Interpretation**

Zhuangzi said, “That is indeed so.”

Huizi, a leading figure of the School of Names, challenged him: “If a person has no feelings, how can they be called a person?”

Zhuangzi replied, “The Great Dao (the Way), the source of the universe, gives people their appearance, and Nature gives them their form. How could they not be called people?”

Huizi pressed him further: “If they are called people, how could they possibly have no feelings?”

This exchange presents a debate between Zhuangzi and Huizi about the nature of being human. Huizi starts from common sense, taking feelings to be a basic human trait. Zhuangzi defines human nature from the more fundamental perspective of the Dao, suggesting that what makes a person human lies not in their feelings, but in their attunement to the Dao.

莊子曰：「是非吾所謂情也。吾所謂无情者，言人之不以好惡內傷其身，常因自然而不益生也。」惠子曰：「不益生，何以有其身？」莊子曰：「道與之貌，天與之形，无以好惡內傷其身。今子外乎子之神，勞乎子之精，倚樹而吟，據槁梧而瞑。天選子之形，子以堅白鳴

**Interpretation**

Zhuangzi said, “You misunderstand. That is not what I mean by ‘no feelings.’ By ‘no feelings,’ I mean that people do not harm their own bodies and minds because of personal likes and dislikes. They follow their natural nature and do not deliberately strive to preserve their health.”

Huizi asked, “If people do not deliberately preserve their health, how can they keep their bodies healthy?”

Zhuangzi replied, “The Dao (the Way), the source of the universe, gives people their form, and nature shapes their bodies. Do not let feelings of like and dislike harm your inner life. Yet you now let your spirit wander outward and wear away your Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy). You lean against a tree trunk, chanting, and doze beside a withered parasol tree. Nature gave you your body, yet you are absorbed in pointless disputes such as the ‘hardness and whiteness’ debate”—a dispute among the School of Names about the properties of objects.

This dialogue shows what Zhuangzi truly meant by “no feelings”: not having no emotions, but going beyond personal likes and dislikes and following nature. Huizi represents the ordinary view of preserving health, while Zhuangzi advocates the more fundamental principle of following the Dao and nature. The final phrase, “crying out about hardness and whiteness,” mocks the School of Names for straying from the essence of life.

！」

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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/5/