---
title: "Zhuangzi 莊子 – Vol. 6 | Daozang"
url: "https://daozang.app/en/text/KR5c0126/juan/6/"
canonical: "https://daozang.app/en/text/KR5c0126/juan/6/"
lang: "en"
source: "Kanripo 漢籍リポジトリ（京都大学）"
license: "CC BY-SA 4.0"
---

# 《莊子》Vol. 6

Dongshen 洞神部 · Vol. 6 / 33 · 11,918 characters

## Vol. 6 / 33

大宗師第六知天之所為，知人之所為者，至矣。知天之所為者，天而生也；知人之所為者，以其知之所知以養其知之所不知，終其天年而不中道夭者，是知之盛也。雖然，有患。夫知有所待而後當，其所待者特未定也。庸詎知吾所謂天之非人乎？所謂人之非天乎？且有真人而後有真知。何謂真人？古之真人，不逆寡，不雄成，不謨士。若然者，過而弗悔，

**Interpretation**

This passage from the *Zhuangzi*, “The Great Ancestral Teacher,” describes the highest level of understanding.

First, it says that to grasp the workings of nature (tian) and understand the limits of human action is to reach the pinnacle of knowledge. Those who understand nature’s patterns live in accordance with their inherent nature. Those who understand human affairs use what they know to nurture what remains unknown. In this way, they can live out their natural lifespan without dying prematurely. This is the highest form of wisdom.

But there is a problem: human understanding depends on particular conditions, and those conditions are themselves uncertain. How can you be sure that what I call “nature” is not something shaped by human action? And how can you be sure that what I call “the human” is not part of nature?

Zhuangzi then introduces the idea of the “True Person” (zhenren): only by reaching this state can one attain genuine wisdom. What were the True Persons of antiquity like? They did not bully the weak, boast of their achievements, or scheme against others. Even when they made mistakes, they felt no regret.

當而不自得也。若然者，登高不慄，入水不濡，入火不熱。是知之能登假於道也若此。古之真人，其寢不夢，其覺无憂，其食不甘，其息深深。真人之息以踵，眾人之息以喉。屈服者，其嗌言若哇。其耆欲深者，其天機淺。古之真人，不知說生，不知惡死；其出不訢，其入不距；翛然而往，翛然而來而已矣。不志其所始，不求其所終；

**Interpretation**

This passage from the *Zhuangzi* describes the extraordinary state and way of living of the ancient “True Person,” someone who has reached the highest level of Daoist cultivation.

The first section says that such a person remains at ease in every setting. They are unafraid when climbing to great heights, stay dry when entering water, and feel no heat when leaping into fire. This is because their wisdom has reached a state of unity with the Dao—the source and pattern of the cosmos.

The second section describes the True Person’s daily life. They sleep without dreaming, wake without worry, eat without seeking fine flavors, and breathe deeply and steadily. Ordinary people breathe only as far as the throat, while the True Person’s breath reaches the heels—a way of describing exceptionally deep, long breathing. Those bound by desire speak as though each word were being brought up with difficulty; the deeper their desires, the shallower their inborn spiritual nature.

The third section describes the True Person’s attitude toward life and death. They neither cling to life nor loathe death. They do not rejoice at entering the world or resist leaving it, but come and go freely and naturally. They do not ask where life began or insist on how it must end. This reflects the Daoist view of accepting the moment and following what comes, in which life and death are as natural as the alternation of day and night.

受而喜之，忘而復之，是之謂不以心捐道，不以人助天。是之謂真人。若然者，其心忘，其容寂，其顙頯；淒然似秋，煖然似春，喜怒通四時，與物有宜而莫知其極。故聖人之用兵也，亡國而不失人心；利澤施乎萬世，不為愛人。故樂通物，非聖人也；有親，非仁也；天時，非賢也；

**Interpretation**

These passages from the *Zhuangzi* describe the Daoist ideal of the “Perfected Person.”

The first passage says: When one accepts things, one is glad; after forgetting, one finds them again. This refers to following the natural changes of things. It is called not using the mind to force the Dao, and not using human intervention to disrupt nature. A person who can do this is a “Perfected Person,” the highest ideal of Daoist cultivation.

The second passage describes the Perfected Person’s state: inwardly clear and empty, free of self, with a calm and peaceful expression and a broad, full forehead. They are cool and solemn like autumn, yet warm and gentle like spring. Their joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness arise as naturally as the changing seasons. They live in harmony with all things, yet no one can fathom the limits of their capacity.

The third passage draws a contrast: When a sage wages war, even if they destroy an enemy state, they do not lose the people’s support. Their beneficence reaches across generations, yet they do not deliberately set out to love others—this means acting naturally through Wuwei (non-action). So, deliberately seeking to unite with all things is not the way of a sage; showing favoritism is not true benevolence; and clinging to favorable times and places is not wisdom.

These passages express the *Zhuangzi*’s central ideas of governing through Wuwei (non-action) and the unity of Heaven and humanity. The Perfected Person embodies the aim of cultivating oneself through natural non-action and becoming one with the Dao. Here, “Perfected Person” means the highest model for a Daoist cultivator, distinct from the immortal beings of later Daoism.

利害不通，非君子也；徇名失己，非士也；亡身不真，非役人也。若狐不偕、務光、伯夷、叔齊、箕子、胥餘、紀他、申徒狄，是役人之役，適人之適，而不自適其適者也。古之真人，其狀義而不朋，若不足而不承；與乎其觚而不堅也，張乎其虛而不華也；邴邴乎其似喜乎！崔乎其不得已乎！滀乎進我色也，與乎止我德也；

**Interpretation**

This passage from the *Zhuangzi* describes how the ancient Realized Person conducted themselves and criticizes several mistaken ways of living.

The first section says that someone who cannot tell benefit from harm cannot be considered a true gentleman. Someone who loses their own nature in pursuit of reputation cannot be considered a true person of integrity. And a person who has lost their original nature cannot truly govern their own life.

The second section names several famous recluses from history: Hu Buxie, Wu Guang, Boyi, Shuqi, Jizi, Xuyu, Jita, and Shentu Di. Though they may seem lofty and detached, they were still living for other people, seeking what others regarded as satisfying rather than living in accordance with their own nature.

The third section describes the bearing of the ancient “Realized Person,” the Daoist ideal of someone who has attained the Dao. They were upright without forming factions. They seemed to lack something, yet never made a show of it. They stood apart without being stubborn, and their minds were empty and still, free of ostentation. Their expressions were joyful, as if their delight came from within; their movements were unhurried, as if they followed the natural course of things. Their gentle faces reflected inner cultivation, and their composed bearing showed the depth of their Virtue (De).

Through this contrast, the passage presents the Daoist ideal of the Realized Person: preserving one’s true nature, following what is natural, and living free from domination by external things.

厲乎其似世乎！謷乎其未可制也；連乎其似好閉也，悗乎忘其言也。以刑為體，以禮為翼，以知為時，以德為循。以刑為體者，綽乎其殺也；以禮為翼者，所以行於世也；以知為時者，不得已於事也；以德為循者，言其與有足者至於丘也；而人真以為勤行者也。故其好之也一，其弗好之也一。其一也一，其不一也一。其一與天為徒，其不一與人為徒。

**Interpretation**

The Daoist adept appears grave and dignified, much like an ordinary person, yet stands apart from the world and is bound by nothing. He may seem taciturn, but in truth he has simply forgotten about words without intending to. He takes punishment as his guiding principle, ritual propriety as a supporting measure, wisdom as a way to respond to changing circumstances, and De (Virtue) as the standard for his conduct.

He takes punishment as his guiding principle so that discipline can be applied with due measure, neither too harshly nor too leniently. He relies on ritual propriety so that he can act in the world. He uses wisdom to respond to changing circumstances because he has to deal with worldly affairs. He follows De as naturally as someone with sound legs climbs a hill. Yet ordinary people think this is the result of deliberate effort.

So whether he likes or dislikes something, his attitude remains the same; whether he agrees or disagrees, he remains in the same state. When he is at one with the Dao of Heaven, he is a companion of nature; when he does not deliberately seek sameness, he lives among people.

This passage expresses Zhuangzi’s idea of “equalizing things”: the adept can follow worldly conventions, such as punishment and ritual propriety, while also standing beyond them through wisdom and De. He remains in natural harmony between “oneness” and “difference.” “A companion of Heaven” means following nature; “a companion of people” means going along with customary ways.

天與人不相勝也，是之謂真人。死生，命也，其有夜旦之常，天也。人之有所不得與，皆物之情也。彼特以天為父而身猶愛之，而況其卓乎！人特以有君為愈乎己，而身猶死之，而況其真乎！泉涸，魚相與處於陸，相呴以濕，相濡以沫，不如相忘於江湖。與其譽堯而非桀也，不如兩忘而化其道。夫大塊載我以形，勞我以生，佚我以老，息我以死。故善吾生者，

**Interpretation**

Heaven and humanity fulfill one another rather than stand in opposition. A person who reaches this state is a “True Person” (zhenren), one who has realized the Dao (the Way). Life and death alternate like day and night; both follow the laws of nature. People cannot interfere with these natural laws, for they are the nature of all things. People revere Heaven as they would a father—how much more, then, should they revere the supreme Dao? The world considers a ruler more worthy than oneself, and some are even willing to die for him—how much more, then, should they value the true Dao?

When a spring runs dry, fish are stranded on the land. They breathe on one another with damp air and moisten one another with spit. Rather than struggle to survive like this, they would be better off swimming freely in rivers and lakes, forgetting one another. Rather than praise Emperor Yao, the sage ruler, and condemn King Jie, the tyrant, it would be better to forget the distinction between good and evil and become one with the Dao.

Nature gives us our bodies and makes us work to sustain ourselves. It brings us old age so we may rest, and death so we may find repose. Those who truly cherish life must also cherish death—that is, follow the natural order. The earth bears our bodies; life makes us labor, old age brings us ease, and death grants us rest.

乃所以善吾死也。夫藏舟於壑，藏山於澤，謂之固矣。然而夜半有力者負之而走，昧者不知也。藏小大有宜，猶有所遯。若夫藏天下於天下而不得所遯，是恆物之大情也。特犯人之形而猶喜之。若人之形者，萬化而未始有極也，其為樂可勝計邪！故聖人將遊於物之所不得遯而皆存。善夭善老，善始善終，人猶效之，又況萬物之所係，而一化之所待乎！

**Interpretation**

This passage comes from the Zhuangzi and explores Daoist ideas about life, death, and change.

Hide a boat in a ravine and a mountain in a great lake, and people may think they are safe. Yet in the middle of the night, a strong person might carry them off without anyone asleep noticing. Whether you hide something large or something small, it may seem secure, but nothing escapes change.

But if you place “all beneath Heaven” within “all beneath Heaven”—that is, if you follow the natural course of the Dao—then there is nothing to lose. This is the truth that never changes. People happen to receive human form and take delight in it, but human form is only one link in the transformations of the myriad things. These transformations go on without end. How could the joys within them ever be counted? The sage, therefore, wanders among what does not pass away and endures forever.

One who can meet an early death or a long life with equanimity, and regard the beginning and ending of life calmly, is already worthy of emulation. How much more so is the fundamental Dao, which sustains the workings of the myriad things and governs all transformations!

This passage expresses Zhuangzi’s idea of “equalizing things”: life and death, like great and small, are relative. Only by following the natural course of the Dao can one attain true freedom. “Hiding all beneath Heaven within all beneath Heaven” is a metaphor for fully merging with the patterns of nature.

夫道，有情有信，无為无形；可傳而不可受，可得而不可見；自本自根，未有天地，自古以固存；神鬼神帝，生天生地；在太極之先而不為高，在六極之下而不為深，先天地生而不為久，長於上古而不為老。狶韋氏得之，以挈天地；伏戲得之，以襲氣母；維斗得之，終古不忒；日月得之，終古不息；堪坏得之，以襲崑崙；馮夷得之，以遊大川；肩吾得之，

**Interpretation**

The Dao is real and trustworthy. Though invisible and intangible, it operates of itself. One can realize it, but it cannot be directly taught; one can attain it, but not see it with the eyes. The Dao has its own source and has existed eternally since before Heaven and Earth took shape. It can reveal the powers of spirits and gods, and it can bring forth all things in Heaven and Earth.

The Dao existed before Taiji (the Supreme Ultimate), yet it is not lofty. It extends beyond the Six Directions (Heaven, Earth, and the four quarters), yet it is not deep. It came before Heaven and Earth, yet it is not old; it has endured longer than the ancient past, yet it does not grow aged.

The sages of antiquity who attained the Dao all understood its truth. When Xiweishi grasped the Dao, he could set the workings of Heaven and Earth in order. When Fuxi, an ancient ruler, understood the Dao, he could harmonize the source of primordial Qi. The Northern Dipper follows the Dao’s patterns and therefore never strays from its course. The sun and moon move in accord with the Dao and therefore never cease. When Kanhuai, a mountain spirit, gained the Dao’s power, he could guard Mount Kunlun. When Fengyi, a river spirit, understood the Dao’s mysteries, he could roam freely through the great rivers. When Jianwu, a mountain spirit, attained the truth of the Dao… (the text continues).

以處大山；黃帝得之，以登雲天；顓頊得之，以處玄宮；禺強得之，立乎北極；西王母得之，坐乎少廣，莫知其始，莫知其終；彭祖得之，上及有虞，下及五伯；傅說得之，以相武丁，奄有天下，乘東維，騎箕尾，而比於列星。南伯子葵問乎女偊曰：「子之年長矣，而色若孺子，何也？」曰：「吾聞道矣。」南伯子葵曰：「道可得學邪？」

**Interpretation**

After attaining the Dao (the Way), the ancient sages entered wondrous realms.

Once the Yellow Emperor, forefather of the Chinese people, had understood the Great Dao, he could ride the clouds up to heaven. Zhuanxu, one of the Five Emperors, mastered the Dao and dwelt in a mysterious heavenly palace. Yuqiang, the sea god, attained the Dao and stood at the northernmost place. The Queen Mother of the West, foremost among the female immortals, attained the Dao and sat in the immortal realm of Shaoguang. No one knew her beginning or her end.

After Peng Zu, the long-lived immortal, attained the Dao, his life stretched from the age of the ancient sage-king Shun to the era of the Five Hegemons in the Spring and Autumn period. Fu Yue, a worthy minister of the Shang dynasty, understood the Dao and assisted King Wuding in governing the realm. After death, his spirit became a constellation: he rode the stars Ji and Wei in the east and stood among the stars.

The passage then presents a conversation between Nanbo Zikui and Nüyu. Nanbo Zikui saw that Nüyu was very old, yet her face was like a child’s, and asked her why. Nüyu replied, “Because I have understood the Great Dao.” Nanbo Zikui then asked, “Can the Dao be learned?”

Here, “Dao” means the highest truth in Daoist thought. Those who attain it are said to transcend life and death and master the patterns of nature. In ancient belief, they could gain extraordinary powers, including longevity and supernatural abilities.

曰：「惡！惡可！子非其人也。夫卜梁倚有聖人之才而无聖人之道，我有聖人之道而无聖人之才，吾欲以教之，庶幾其果為聖人乎！不然，以聖人之道告聖人之才，亦易矣。吾猶守而告之，參日而後能外天下；已外天下矣，吾又守之，七日而後能外物；已外物矣，吾又守之，九日而後能外生；已外生矣，而後能朝徹；朝徹，而後能見獨；見獨，而後能无古今；

**Interpretation**

“Impossible! How could that be? You’ve come to the wrong person.” (The point is that Nüyu thinks Nan Bo Zikui is not suited to learn the Dao directly.)

The passage then introduces Bu Liangyi. He has the natural ability to become a sage, but lacks the way of cultivating sagehood. Nüyu herself knows that way, but does not have the same natural ability. She wants to try teaching Bu Liangyi and see whether he can truly become a sage.

Nüyu explains that teaching the way of sagehood to someone with a sage’s natural ability is not difficult. She uses a gradual method of instruction, “holding to it and then telling him”:

First, she spends three days helping Bu Liangyi reach “going beyond the world”—leaving worldly affairs behind. Once he reaches that state, she spends another seven days helping him reach “going beyond things”—leaving material desires behind. After that, she spends nine more days helping him reach “going beyond life”—letting go of attachment to life and death.

Once he has gone beyond life and death, he can attain “dawn-like clarity,” when the mind shines with the lucidity of the morning sun. With this clarity, he can “see the Unique”—directly experience the Dao, which is singular and without equal. Having experienced the Great Dao, he can become “free of past and present,” transcending the limits of time and attaining eternity.

无古今，而後能入於不死不生。殺生者不死，生生者不生。其為物，无不將也，无不迎也；无不毀也，无不成也。其名為攖寧。攖寧也者，攖而後成者也。」南伯子葵曰：「子獨惡乎聞之？」曰：「聞諸副墨之子，副墨之子聞諸洛誦之孫，洛誦之孫聞之瞻明，瞻明聞之聶許，聶許聞之需役，需役聞之於謳，於謳聞之玄冥，玄冥聞之參寥，參寥聞之疑始。」

**Interpretation**

This passage from the *Zhuangzi* presents two important Daoist ideas.

The first concerns a state beyond life and death. When a person can transcend the concept of time—when there is neither past nor present—they can reach an eternal state beyond both birth and death. The true sovereign, the Dao, can end life yet does not perish; it can bring life into being yet does not need to be created. In its dealings with the myriad things, there is nothing it does not send away and nothing it does not welcome; nothing it does not destroy and nothing it does not bring to completion. This state is called *yingning* (stillness amid disturbance): a calm reached by passing through turmoil.

The second part is a dialogue between Nanbo Zikui and another person. Nanbo Zikui asks, “Where did you hear these teachings?” The other person gives a peculiar line of transmission: he heard them from the “Son of Deputy Ink” (written records); the Son of Deputy Ink heard them from the “Grandson of Oral Recitation” (spoken transmission); the Grandson of Oral Recitation heard them from “Clear Sight” (seeing); Clear Sight heard them from “Listening Closely” (hearing); Listening Closely heard them from “Need and Service” (practice); Need and Service heard them from “Song and Chant” (singing); Song and Chant heard them from “Dark Mystery” (the unfathomably deep); Dark Mystery heard them from “Vast Emptiness” (the lofty void); and Vast Emptiness heard them from “Doubtful Beginning” (the origin of the cosmos).

Through this allegory, the passage suggests that the deepest truths do not come directly from books or from word of mouth. To attain true understanding, one must trace them back to the most primordial source, the Doubtful Beginning, and arrive at insight through successive stages of realization.

子祀、子輿、子犁、子來四人相與語曰：「孰能以无為首，以生為脊，以死為尻，孰知死生存亡之一體者，吾與之友矣。」四人相視而笑，莫逆於心，遂相與為友。俄而子輿有病，子祀往問之。曰：「偉哉夫造物者，將以予為此拘拘也！曲僂發背，上有五管，頤隱於齊，肩高於頂，句贅指天。」陰陽之氣有沴，其心間而无事，跰𨇤而鑑于井，曰：「嗟乎！

**Interpretation**

This passage from the *Zhuangzi* tells the story of four Daoist cultivators.

Zisi, Ziyu, Zili, and Zilai were discussing together. “Who can take nothingness—the essence of the Dao—as their head, life as their spine, and death as their tailbone, and truly understand that life, death, and survival are all one? We would make that person our friend.” The four looked at one another and smiled. Their thoughts were in accord, and they became friends.

Later, Ziyu fell ill, and Zisi went to visit him. Ziyu exclaimed, “How great the Creator is, to have transformed me into this twisted shape!” He described his severe hunchback: the points over his five organs protruded upward, his chin drew in toward his navel, his shoulders rose above his head, and his topknot stuck up toward the sky. Though the imbalance of Yin-Yang (yinyang) Qi (vital energy) had deformed his body, his mind remained calm and undisturbed.

Ziyu hobbled over to a well to look at his reflection and said, “Oh!” This description illustrates the Daoist idea of accepting one’s time and following what comes: even with a deformed body, one can remain inwardly at peace.

夫造物者又將以予為此拘拘也！」子祀曰：「女惡之乎？」曰：「亡，予何惡！浸假而化予之左臂以為雞，予因以求時夜；浸假而化予之右臂以為彈，予因以求鴞炙；浸假而化予之尻以為輪，以神為馬，予因而乘之，豈更駕哉！且夫得者，時也；失者，順也；安時而處順，哀樂不能入也。此古之所謂縣解也，而不能自解者，物有結之。且夫物不勝天久矣，吾又何惡焉！」

**Interpretation**

“The Creator”—that is, nature or the Dao (the Way)—has made me in this twisted, constrained form!

Zisi, a fictional character in the Zhuangzi, asked, “Do you resent being like this?”

He replied, “No. What is there for me to resent? If the Creator turned my left arm into a rooster, I would use it to announce the dawn. If it turned my right arm into a crossbow, I would use it to shoot turtledoves and roast them for a meal. If it turned my buttocks into wheels and my spirit into a horse, I would ride along that way. What need would I have for another carriage?

“To gain something is a matter of timing; to lose it is to follow nature. Be at peace with the moment and go along with change, and joy and anger, sorrow and delight will no longer disturb your heart. This is what the ancients called ‘release from suspension’—a state of freedom from constraint. Those who cannot free themselves are bound by external things. Besides, nothing in the world can escape the course of nature. Why, then, should I resent it?”

Through exaggerated imagery, this passage expresses Zhuangzi’s philosophy of accepting one’s circumstances and going along with change: by accepting whatever form nature gives us and remaining at ease wherever we find ourselves, we can attain spiritual freedom. “Release from suspension” evokes relief from the suffering of being hung upside down, and refers to a state of mind freed from the burdens of external things.

俄而子來有病，喘喘然將死，其妻子環而泣之，犁往問之，曰：「叱！避！无怛化！」倚其戶與之語曰：「偉哉造化！又將奚以汝為，將奚以汝適？以汝為鼠肝乎？以汝為蟲臂乎？」子來曰：「父母於子，東西南北，唯命之從。陰陽於人，不翅於父母；彼近吾死而我不聽，我則悍矣，彼何罪焉！夫大塊載我以形，勞我以生，佚我以老，息我以死。故善吾生者，

**Interpretation**

In this story from “The Great Ancestral Teacher” chapter of the *Zhuangzi*, Zilai is gravely ill and near death, while his wife and children gather around him weeping. His friend Li comes to visit and rebukes them: “Step back! Don’t disturb his transformation between life and death.” Then, leaning against the doorway, he says to Zilai:

“How great is the Creator—the workings of nature! What will it turn you into? Where will it send you? Will it make you into a rat’s liver, or an insect’s feeler?”

Zilai replies:

“Children must obey their parents’ commands, wherever they may be sent—to the east, west, north, or south. The transformations of Yin-Yang—the workings of nature—are closer to us than our parents. Now that they are making me die, to refuse would be to go against the natural order. What fault is theirs?”

Then Zilai offers these reflections:

“Nature has given me this body: in life, it makes me toil; in old age, it gives me ease; in death, it lets me rest. So what has treated my life well will surely treat my death well too.”

乃所以善吾死也。今大冶鑄金，金踊躍曰『我且必為鏌鋣』，大冶必以為不祥之金。今一犯人之形，而曰『人耳人耳』，夫造化者必以為不祥之人。今一以天地為大鑪，以造化為大冶，惡乎往而不可哉！」成然寐，蘧然覺。子桑戶、孟子反、子琴張三人相與友，曰：「孰能相與於无相與，相為於无相為？孰能登天遊霧，撓挑无極；相忘以生，无所終窮？」三人相視而笑，莫逆於心，遂相與友。

**Interpretation**

This passage from the *Zhuangzi* tells two parables that illustrate the Daoist idea of following the natural course of things.

The first story asks us to imagine a swordsmith forging a sword. If the metal suddenly sprang up and cried, “I must become a famous sword like Gan Jiang or Mo Ye,” the swordsmith would surely take it as an ill omen. By the same logic, if someone had only just been born in human form and spent all day shouting, “I am a human being! I am a human being!” the Creator would see that person as inauspicious. In truth, Heaven and Earth are like a great furnace, and the Creator is like a swordsmith. Why cling to the demand that we become something in particular? We should simply follow the natural course. Zhuangzi ends by describing this state of transcendence as “falling peacefully asleep and waking in sudden clarity.”

The second story recounts a conversation among three recluses: Zisang Hu, Meng Zifan, and Qin Zhang. They ask who can seem to associate with others without being attached to association, and seem to act without acting with intent; who can roam through Heaven and Earth in boundless freedom; and who can forget life and death and transcend the cycle of rebirth? The three look at one another, laugh, and understand each other without words; they then become close friends. The story presents the highest state of Daoist Wuwei (non-action) and the forgetting of the distinction between self and things.

(Note: Gan Jiang and Mo Ye are legendary ancient swords. “No deliberate association” refers to a natural way of relating without striving to do so; “no deliberate action” refers to acting without contrivance.)

莫然有間，而子桑戶死，未葬。孔子聞之，使子貢往待事焉。或編曲，或鼓琴，相和而歌曰：「嗟來桑戶乎！嗟來桑戶乎！而已反其真，而我猶為人猗！」子貢趨而進曰：「敢問臨尸而歌，禮乎？」二人相視而笑曰：「是惡知禮意！」子貢反，以告孔子，曰：「彼何人者邪？脩行无有，而外其形骸，臨尸而歌，顏色不變，无以命之。彼何人者邪？」

**Interpretation**

This story from *Zhuangzi*, “The Great and Venerable Teacher,” tells of a reclusive Daoist named Zisang Hu who suddenly died, before he could be buried. When Confucius heard the news, he sent his disciple Zigong to help arrange the funeral. On arriving, Zigong saw Zisang Hu’s two friends, Meng Zifan and Qin Zhang. One was weaving a straw mat while the other played the zither. Together they sang, “Ah, Zisang Hu! You have returned to your original nature, while we are still here among the living!”

Zigong hurried forward and challenged them: “May I ask whether it is proper to sing in front of a corpse?” The two looked at each other and laughed. “How could he understand the true meaning of ritual?” they said.

When Zigong returned, he told Confucius: “What sort of people are they? They cultivate none of the virtues recognized by the world, and they disregard the body. They sing in front of a corpse without changing expression. I don’t know how to describe them. What sort of people are they?”

The story expresses the Daoist view that life and death are equal: death is simply a return to the natural Way, so there is no need to be bound by conventional funeral rites. This stands in sharp contrast to the Confucian emphasis on mourning ritual.

孔子曰：「彼，遊方之外者也；而丘，遊方之內者也。外內不相及，而丘使女往弔之，丘則陋矣。彼方且與造物者為人，而遊乎天地之一氣。彼以生為附贅縣疣，以死為決𤴯潰癰，夫若然者，又惡知死生先後之所在！假於異物，託於同體；忘其肝膽，遺其耳目；反覆終始，不知端倪；芒然彷徨乎塵垢之外，逍遙乎无為之業。彼又惡能憒憒然為世俗之禮，以觀眾人之耳目哉！」

**Interpretation**

Confucius said, “That man stands beyond the bounds of the world, while I, Confucius, live within them. The realms within and beyond do not meet. Yet I sent you to mourn him—how shallow of me.”

“That man keeps company with the Creator, the Dao, and wanders amid the original Qi of Heaven and Earth. He regards life as an unnecessary growth, like a fleshy lump or hanging wart, and death as an abscess bursting and draining. How could someone like him care about the distinction between coming to life and passing away?”

“He sees his body as a borrowed shell. Though he inhabits a body like anyone else, he has forgotten the liver and gallbladder within and left behind the eyes and ears without. Life and death turn back and begin again in an endless cycle, with no beginning or end to be found.”

“So he drifts beyond the dust and grime of the world, at ease in the realm of Wuwei (non-action). How could someone like him muddle through the rites of ordinary life just to put on a show for worldly people?”

Here Zhuangzi presents the realized person as one who sees life and death as equal and sets aside the distinction between self and external things. True freedom, in this view, lies in going beyond worldly conventions and becoming one with the Dao. “Wandering beyond the bounds” and “wandering within the bounds” later became classic expressions for life apart from the world and life within it.

子貢曰：「然則夫子何方之依？」曰：「丘，天之戮民也。雖然，吾與汝共之。」子貢曰：「敢問其方。」孔子曰：「魚相造乎水，人相造乎道。相造乎水者，穿池而養給；相造乎道者，无事而生定。故曰，魚相忘乎江湖，人相忘乎道術。」子貢曰：「敢問畸人。」曰：「畸人者，畸於人而侔於天。故曰：天之小人，人之君子；人之君子，天之小人也。」

**Interpretation**

Zigong asked Confucius, “Then, Master, what principles do you follow?”

Confucius replied, “I, Kong Qiu, am one whom Heaven has punished. Even so, I am willing to share this teaching with you.”

Zigong pressed him: “Please tell me what the method is.”

Confucius explained with a metaphor: “Fish live freely in water; people find the truth in the Great Dao. Fish living in water need only a pond to thrive. Those who follow the Great Dao can settle their minds and spirits through Wuwei (non-action). So fish in rivers and lakes can forget one another and live freely; people who cultivate the Dao can forget the world and rise above its concerns.”

Zigong asked again, “Then what is a ‘different person’ (jiren)?”

Confucius replied, “A different person is unlike ordinary people, yet in harmony with the way of Heaven. Thus, someone Heaven regards as petty may be a gentleman in the eyes of the world; and someone the world regards as a gentleman may, in Heaven’s eyes, be petty.”

This dialogue conveys the Zhuangzian idea of seeing all things as equal. Through Confucius, it expresses the Daoist principle of following nature. A “different person” is someone who does not fit worldly standards but is in accord with the way of Heaven—a figure suggesting that those who truly cultivate the Dao are often misunderstood by society.

顏回問仲尼曰：「孟孫才，其母死，哭泣无涕，中心不慼，居喪不哀。无是三者，以善喪蓋魯國。固有无其實而得其名者乎？回壹怪之。」仲尼曰：「夫孟孫氏盡之矣，進於知矣。唯簡之而不得，夫已有所簡矣。孟孫氏不知所以生，不知所以死；不知就先，不知就後；若化為物，以待其所不知之化已乎！且方將化，惡知不化哉？方將不化，惡知已化哉？

**Interpretation**

Yan Hui, a disciple of Confucius, asked him, “When Mengsun Cai of Lu lost his mother, he wept without shedding tears and felt no sorrow in his heart. During the mourning period, he showed no grief. None of these three things accords with the rules of mourning, yet he is renowned throughout Lu for observing them well. Can someone really gain a reputation without doing what that reputation implies? I find it strange.”

Confucius replied, “Mengsun Cai has truly grasped the essence of mourning. His understanding has gone beyond that of ordinary people. Mourning rites ought to be simplified, though it is difficult to simplify them completely; he has already simplified them to some extent. Mengsun Cai neither strives for life nor tries to escape death. He is attached neither to what comes before nor to what comes after. He sees himself as something in the midst of transformation and calmly faces changes whose course cannot be known. When change is taking place, how can we know it will not cease? And when things seem unchanged, how can we know that change has already occurred?”

This dialogue expresses Zhuangzi’s idea of regarding life and death as equal. Through Mengsun Cai’s mourning, it suggests that the truly wise rise above life and death and follow the natural course of change. His actions may seem to violate convention, but they reflect a deep understanding of the nature of life.

吾特與汝，其夢未始覺者邪！且彼有駭形而无損心，有旦宅而无情死。孟孫氏特覺，人哭亦哭，是自其所以乃。且也相與吾之耳矣，庸詎知吾所謂吾之乎？且汝夢為鳥而厲乎天，夢為魚而沒於淵。不識今之言者，其覺者乎，其夢者乎？造適不及笑，獻笑不及排，安排而去化，乃入於寥天一。」

**Interpretation**

You and I are both still caught in an unawakened dream. Things that seem to undergo changes in form (*haixing*, “startling transformations”) have not, in truth, harmed the heart-mind; what seems like a change of dwelling (*danzhai*) is not genuine death. Mengsun Shi, a person who had attained the Dao, seemed to have awakened, yet when he saw others weeping, he wept along with them. This was simply a way of going along with worldly custom.

We both say “I,” but how do we know that this “I” is real? In a dream, you may become a bird and soar through the sky, or become a fish and dive into the depths. As we speak now, how can we know whether we are awake or still dreaming?

When one truly reaches a state of ease, there is no time even for a smile to appear. Laughter that comes from within needs no deliberate arrangement. By following the natural changes, one can become one with the boundless Dao of Heaven (*liao tian yi*).

This passage expresses Zhuangzi’s thought of “equalizing all things,” exploring the boundary between reality and illusion. It calls for seeing beyond appearances to understand what lies at their heart. “Liao tian yi” refers to the highest state of becoming one with the Dao.

意而子見許由。許由曰：「堯何以資汝？」意而子曰：「堯謂我：『汝必躬服仁義而明言是非。』」許由曰：「而奚來為軹？夫堯既已黥汝以仁義，而劓汝以是非矣，汝將何以遊夫遙蕩恣睢轉徙之塗乎？」意而子曰：「雖然，吾願遊於其藩。」許由曰：「不然。夫盲者无以與乎眉目顏色之好，瞽者无以與乎青黃黼黻之觀。」意而子曰：「夫无莊之失其美，據梁之失其力，黃帝之亡其知，

**Interpretation**

Yi’erzi went to visit Xu You, a renowned hermit of ancient legend.

Xu You asked him, “What did Emperor Yao teach you?”

Yi’erzi replied, “Yao taught me: ‘You must put benevolence, righteousness, and virtue into practice yourself, and clearly distinguish right from wrong.’”

Xu You retorted, “Then why have you come to see me? Yao has branded your face with benevolence and righteousness—as though moral rules could bind you—and cut off your nose with his judgments of right and wrong—as though such distinctions could injure your natural nature. How, then, can you wander freely along the path of an unbound life?”

Yi’erzi said, “Even so, I hope I can at least travel along the edge of that realm.”

Xu You continued, “That will not do. It is like a blind person being unable to appreciate the beauty of the eyes and brows, or someone who cannot see being unable to admire the splendor of yellow and green robes.” He meant that people constrained by worldly ideas cannot grasp the truth of the Dao. Then he gave examples: “It is like Wu Zhuang, the ancient beauty, losing her beauty; Jiliang, the strongman, losing his strength; and the Yellow Emperor losing his wisdom.” These figures illustrate that attaining the Dao requires letting go of worldly attachments.

Through this parable, the Zhuangzi tradition challenges worldly norms such as the Confucian ideals of benevolence, righteousness, and judgments of right and wrong. It presents Xu You as a Daoist hermit who believes that moral rules can constrain our natural nature and obstruct a life of freedom.

皆在鑪捶之間耳。庸詎知夫造物者之不息我黥而補我劓，使我乘成以隨先生邪？」許由曰：「噫！未可知也。我為汝言其大略。吾師乎！吾師乎！𩐋萬物而不為義，澤及萬世而不為仁，長於上古而不為老，覆載天地刻彫眾形而不為巧，此所遊已。」顏回曰：「回益矣。」仲尼曰：「何謂也？」曰：「回忘禮樂矣。」曰：「可矣，猶未也。」

**Interpretation**

（An Interpretation of Selected Passages from the *Zhuangzi*）

“It is all happening amid the smelting and hammering.” This means that all things in the world are like metal, repeatedly forged and shaped by the Creator—the Daoist term for the primal force that brings forth all things.

“How do you know the Creator will not mend what is broken in me”—“tattooing” refers to the ancient punishment of branding the face, and “nose cutting” to the punishment of removing the nose; here, both are metaphors for the flaws of human life—“so that I may follow you as a whole person?” Xu You replied, “Ah, that is hard to say. Let me give you a rough account.”

This passage praises the greatness of the Dao. “My teacher!”—meaning the Great Dao—“brings all things into harmony without claiming credit for righteousness; gives its blessings to generation after generation without claiming benevolence; is older than antiquity yet shows no sign of age; bears Heaven and Earth and shapes the myriad things without displaying its skill. This is the realm of the Great Dao.”

Yan Hui, a disciple of Confucius, said, “I have made progress.” Confucius asked, “What do you mean?” Yan Hui replied, “I have forgotten ritual and music.” Confucius said, “Good, but you have not gone far enough.” The passage describes the gradual letting go of worldly conventions in the cultivation of the Dao. “Forgetting ritual and music” is an early stage of practice.

The “Creator” here is not a personal god, but the natural power of creation and transformation. “Forgetting ritual and music” belongs to the practice of “sitting in forgetfulness” in the *Zhuangzi*, in which one gradually lets go of worldly perceptions. The dialogues often take the form of parables: figures such as Xu You and Yan Hui serve to express philosophical ideas.

它日，復見，曰：「回益矣。」曰：「何謂也？」曰：「回忘仁義矣。」曰：「可矣，猶未也。」它日，復見，曰：「回益矣。」曰：「何謂也？」曰：「回坐忘矣。」仲尼蹴然曰：「何謂坐忘？」顏回曰：「墮枝體，黜聰明，離形去知，同於大通，此謂坐忘。」仲尼曰：「同則无好也，化則无常也。而果其賢乎！丘也請從而後也。」

**Interpretation**

This dialogue recounts Yan Hui’s report to Confucius on his progress in spiritual cultivation.

At their first meeting, Yan Hui said, “I have made progress: I have forgotten benevolence and righteousness”—meaning that he had moved beyond the constraints of conventional moral rules. Confucius replied, “That is good, but it is not enough.”

Some time later, Yan Hui said again, “I have made progress.” Confucius asked, “What do you mean?” Yan Hui answered, “I have attained *sitting in forgetfulness* (*zuowang*), a state of deep meditation.” Confucius asked in surprise, “What is sitting in forgetfulness?”

Yan Hui explained, “I have let go of my limbs”—meaning that he had freed himself from the constraints of bodily sensation—“and set aside cleverness,” meaning that he had gone beyond thought and cognition. “I have left behind form and cast off knowledge, transcending the limits of matter and reason. I have become one with the Great Dao. This is sitting in forgetfulness.”

Confucius praised him: “When you are one with the Dao, you have no preferences; when you respond to things as they change, you are no longer rigid. You have indeed reached the state of a worthy person! I, Kong Qiu, must learn from you and follow in your footsteps.”

Note: This dialogue presents “sitting in forgetfulness,” an important state of spiritual cultivation in Zhuangzi’s thought. It emphasizes transcending the limits of form and knowledge to attain a detached state of unity with the Dao. Confucius is portrayed here as embracing Daoist thought, a parabolic device commonly used by the Zhuangzi school.

子輿與子桑友，而霖雨十日。子輿曰：「子桑殆病矣！」裹飯而往食之。至子桑之門，則若歌若哭，鼓琴曰：「父邪！母邪！天乎！人乎！」有不任其聲而趨舉其詩焉。子輿入，曰：「子之歌詩，何故若是？」曰：「吾思夫使我至此極者而弗得也。父母豈欲吾貧哉？天无私覆，地无私載，天地豈私貧我哉？求其為之者而不得也。然而至此極者，命也夫

**Interpretation**

This story presents a conversation between two friends, Ziyu and Zisang, as portrayed by Zhuangzi, a leading Daoist thinker.

It had rained continuously for ten days. Worried that his friend Zisang might be hungry and ill, Ziyu packed up some food and went to bring it to him. At Zisang’s door, he heard a voice from inside, at once like singing and weeping, accompanied by the sound of a zither. The voice cried out, “Was it my father’s fault? My mother’s? Heaven’s will? Human action?” Hoarse and almost unable to speak, it hurriedly repeated these words.

Ziyu went in and asked, “Why are you singing these words?”

Zisang replied, “I’m trying to understand what has brought me to such poverty, but I can’t work it out. Could my parents really have wished me to be poor? Heaven does not favor some people alone, and Earth does not bear only some people. Could Heaven and Earth have singled me out to suffer poverty? I’ve tried to find the reason for my circumstances, but I can’t. If that is so, then perhaps the reason I’ve come to this state is simply fate.”

This exchange expresses the Daoist idea of accepting one’s time and following circumstances. It treats the turns of life as akin to natural events: there is no need to fixate on their specific causes; instead, one can accept what comes with equanimity. In Daoist thought, “fate” is not a superstitious notion, but refers to objective patterns beyond an individual’s will.

！」

---

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/6/