《南華真經義海纂微》Vol. 70

Collected Subtle Commentaries on the Meaning of the True Scripture of Southern Florescence, Volume 72, Part Seven

Compiled by the Wulin Daoist Chu Boxiu

“Miscellaneous Chapters: Gengsang Chu,” Third

Those whose inner minds are vast and settled reveal an innate brightness. People can see someone who reveals this brightness, yet may not understand him.

Some cultivate themselves and thereby come to preserve their ordinary state for a long time. Those who preserve it for a long time are shunned by the crowd, but Heaven assists them.

Those shunned by the crowd are called “people of Heaven”; those assisted by Heaven are called “sons of Heaven.”

Those who study should study what lies beyond their abilities; those who act should do what lies beyond their abilities; those who debate should discuss what they cannot resolve by debate. To know when to stop at what one cannot know is to reach the utmost. If someone insists on doing otherwise, the balance of the Way of Heaven will bring about his downfall.

Guo Xiang’s Commentary: When the inner state is vast and settled, what shines forth is innate brightness, not a brilliance fashioned by human effort. People see this person, and the myriad things appear as the myriad things, each presenting itself as it is; yet they do not see how he can remain so settled. Those who cultivate themselves naturally find a refuge in which they can remain settled for a long time. When serving in office, they are “sons of Heaven”; when dwelling at home, they are “people of Heaven.” Both arise from natural composure, not from deliberate pursuit. Thus, when they do what they are able to do, they do not act by contrivance; when they study what they are able to study, they do not force themselves; and when they speak about what they are able to speak about, they do not contend. What cannot be known must not be pursued by force. To know when to stop there is to reach the utmost. If one insists on forcing things, one will in the end fail, because this goes against the natural order of things.

Lü’s Commentary: The body is a person’s dwelling. When the mind is neither obstructed nor unsettled, the light of Heaven shines forth. This light of Heaven is a state of clear understanding that does not rely on deliberate cognition. People see this person, yet do not know his inner nature: outwardly he is human, but inwardly he accords with the Way of Heaven. Only through self-cultivation can one preserve one’s ordinary state for a long time. To cultivate the Way, one must reach accord with Heaven in order to endure. The crowd shuns him because he differs from them; Heaven assists him because he alone brings his nature to completion. “People of Heaven” are not subjects governed by other people; “sons of Heaven” are those born as heirs to the Way of Heaven. The things of the world can all be known through knowledge, but the Dao cannot be fully grasped through knowledge. So one must study what ordinary people cannot study, as the scripture says, “study what is not studied”; act in ways ordinary people cannot, which is to follow the “Way that is not the Way”; and debate what ordinary people cannot debate, which is “debate without words.” If instead one clings to contrived action, one will fail.

Yidu’s Commentary (excerpt from the original): “Yu” means the dwelling place of Qi. Yin and Yang join to form “Tai” (open and harmonious); the inner dwelling is settled …

In this way, a peaceful energy will naturally arise within, and an inner radiance will shine outward. Others see only someone who conforms to the human way; what they cannot see is the Way of Heaven. The people of the world do not see this. The Perfected Person, one who has reached a profound state, is in accord with the Way of Heaven and shows only the side of himself that is like everyone else. He can cultivate in keeping with this state and persevere without interruption. To persevere is to endure; this is what it means to fulfill one’s nature and, in the end, to reach the utmost of the human way.

Even if the human world casts him aside, Heaven will help him. Those whom the world casts aside do not truly belong to the human world: they are people of Heaven, who live in accord with the Way of Heaven. And those whom Heaven helps are not merely gentlemen in the worldly sense, but sons of Heaven, who receive Heaven’s protection. A scholar living in obscurity in a humble alley, unknown to others and leaving his comings and goings to Heaven’s will, is a person of Heaven. Someone holding high office at court, receiving Heaven’s protection and reverently following the Way of Heaven, is a son of Heaven.

Today’s scholars force themselves to study what lies beyond their abilities, thereby harming their nature; they force themselves to do what they cannot, thereby harming their De; and they force themselves to debate questions they cannot resolve, thereby violating reason. All of this exceeds the limits of their respective natures. As a result, they achieve nothing and instead ruin the natural allotment bestowed upon them.

Bixu’s commentary: “The numinous chamber is at great peace” means that when the mind is calm, the light of wisdom shines forth from within, and the Celestial Court—the inner realm of Heaven—becomes bright without. People call an ox an ox and a horse a horse; all things have their own names, yet the light of Heaven is never thrown into confusion by them. To cultivate oneself to a state of great peace is to blend with the light and mingle with the dust: to temper one’s brilliance and live in harmony with the things around one, opposing nothing. One never sets out to be different from others, but instead lives in harmony with all things. What the world despises and casts aside, Heaven protects; what the world honors, Heaven also protects. This is the De of one who endures.

Worldly learning means studying what one cannot do; true learning means learning what lies within one’s ability. The hardest tasks under Heaven must begin with what is easy: this is the point. Worldly conduct means doing what one cannot do; true conduct means doing what one is able to do. The sages say that what is easy to do is something no one under Heaven can manage to do: this is the point. Worldly debate means arguing over what one cannot discern; true debate means clarifying what one can discern. Those skilled in following the Dao do not argue; those fond of arguing are not skilled in following the Dao: this is the point. Knowing to stop where one’s knowledge ends makes achievement possible. It is like a boatman who is intent only on traveling across the water, yet tries to dive beneath the surface and speed along the bottom: he will be in danger. How could violating one’s natural nature fail to ruin oneself?

Yanzhai’s oral commentary: Here Zhuangzi is discussing the highest principles in broad terms. “The numinous chamber” is like a state of peace and calm within the chest. Then the light of Heaven can appear: this is when inner sincerity gives rise to clarity. Once the light of Heaven has shone forth, others see only his outward appearance as a human being, while he himself is already in accord with Heaven. When the cultivation of the true nature and realization of the Dao reach this point, one can persevere without interruption. This is the state of sincerity carried through to enduring completion.

If you follow the Way of Heaven, Heaven will help you, and people will rally to you. “People of Heaven” does not mean ordinary commoners, but those whom Heaven cherishes and whom the Son of Heaven protects as a parent protects a child. The abilities people acquire through learning, action, and debate can all be traced to their sources. The ability that cannot be gained through learning, action, or debate is the ability to follow what is natural. When someone understands that their knowledge has limits and stops at those limits, they have reached the utmost. Anyone who goes against this Way will be destroyed by the Creator.

The body is where the spirit dwells. When the spirit is settled, the body becomes relaxed and at ease. It is like a calm host bringing peace to a household, or a ruler practicing Wuwei (non-action) bringing peace to a state. When the mind is at ease, the body remains settled whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down. This stability does not depend on deliberate force or tight control, as though the mind were a horse held by a tether. “Heavenly light” means that inner spiritual clarity arises naturally and shines outward, unobstructed like a clear mirror. Such a person appears no different from ordinary people, yet in truth walks alongside Heaven.

If one can cultivate oneself to this state, one accords with constant De (Virtue/Power). When De is constant, its effects keep pace with the workings of the Way of Heaven. Though outwardly seeming foolish and clumsy, and scorned and cast aside by the world, such a person is cherished and helped by Heaven, because their heart accords with heavenly De. A “person of Heaven” is one whose De surpasses that of ordinary people, and who shines without dazzling others. A “Son of Heaven” is one who understands the Way of Heaven, establishes standards, and extends De to the people. In other words, occupying a high position is the De of a Son of Heaven or emperor; living in a lower position is the Way of a Mysterious Sage, or an Uncrowned King—someone of sage-like De who does not hold imperial power. These are things a noble person should learn and put into practice.

People often seek only abilities that others can learn, and so lose the abilities they were born with. Only those who truly understand the Dao learn what others cannot learn; this is “learning what cannot be learned.” They carry out what others cannot do, leaving no trace of human contrivance; this is “acting without leaving a trace.” They discern what others cannot discern, and make use of a discernment that relies on no words; this is “wordless debate.” To truly reach this state is to understand what others do not, the highest wisdom. If one abandons these things and seeks to advance along the Way by other means, one will ruin the natural shaping and balance of things—the “Heavenly Balance,” meaning the balance of nature’s workings—and will be unable to cultivate one’s own De. How, then, could one expect heavenly light to shine forth or Heaven to come to one’s aid? The wording here may be uncertain. The commentary says “thus one accords with the Heavenly Balance”; an old edition has the character “jun” (均), written instead as “jun” (钧), with the two characters used interchangeably.

Gather external things to nourish the body, quiet restless thoughts to nourish the mind, and guard what is within with reverence; from there, reach an understanding of the things around you. Even if countless misfortunes still befall you, they are all ordained by Heaven’s mandate and do not arise from human action. Such misfortunes cannot disturb the fulfillment of life, nor can they enter the innermost depths of the “spirit terrace”—a term for the heart-mind. The spirit terrace is a place where one holds to something without knowing what one is holding to, and without being able to grasp it deliberately. One does not display one’s sincerity, yet things arise spontaneously from within; each time they arise… (The original text ends here.)

If something you should not have to bear falls to you, yet you refuse to let it go and make mistakes because of it each time, does that count as failing to act well? When someone does wrong in a place where everyone can see, people punish them; when they do wrong in a hidden, shadowy place, spirits and gods punish them. Only when you understand the principles of the human world and those of spirits and gods can you act alone without fear.

Those who act within the bounds of their own duties do not seek fame. Those who act beyond those bounds are always thinking about how to obtain a reward. People who do not seek fame through their actions can show their brilliance in ordinary life; those who are bent on calculating rewards are like merchants. When people see someone rising onto their toes, they assume he is lofty. But if he is always trying to outdo external things, he will be held in their grip. If a person cannot even accommodate himself, how can he accommodate others? A person who cannot accommodate others will have no close companions; without close companions, he will treat everyone as an enemy. Nothing is more painful than a wounded mind. Even Moye, the ancient famous sword, is not the greatest peril. The greatest peril is a loss of balance between Yin and Yang. People cannot escape the transformations of Yin and Yang between Heaven and Earth. Either Yin and Yang injure the body and mind, or the mind itself drives Yin and Yang into imbalance.

Guo Xiang’s commentary says: Follow the conditions inherent in things and let them develop according to the forms they already possess. The mind will then arise naturally, without contriving through plans and conjecture, and things will make sense of themselves. Do not slight the mind and revere only external things: the principles of Heaven have their own times of difficulty and ease. Bringing misfortune upon oneself through deliberate action is a human failing. When you calmly accept what fate arranges, the course of things will not disturb your spirit. With the spirit clear and at ease, distress cannot intrude.

“Keeping hold” means not being swayed by external things. But truly remaining unmoved by external things does not mean deliberately holding on to a state. If you know that you are holding on to a certain state and deliberately try to maintain it, you have already lost your naturalness. If action does not arise from your own heart, how can you respond appropriately to events? Failing to rest content within your proper role invites mistakes. Whether before others or alone in the dark, only if your conscience is clear can you act alone without fear.

Those who remain within the bounds of their duties do not act for the sake of fame. They do not begrudge what they spend of themselves, but act to bring things beyond themselves to fulfillment. People who do not seek fame through their actions possess this brilliance naturally; they simply let it express itself. Those bent on calculating rewards will borrow from others what they lack themselves, then sell it on to people. When others see someone rising onto his toes, they assume he is enjoying himself. “Exhaustion” means striving to win until the very end; “beyond” means going outside the bounds of one’s duties. A person who rises onto his toes to compete for height cannot even settle himself, so how could he be close to anyone else? He therefore treats everyone as an outsider. When his mind is stirred, it is like scorching fire and congealed ice; the harm within him is worse even than that of blades and swords. Once the mind drives Qi, the Qi of Yin and Yang congeals and falls out of balance in the five viscera. Yin and Yang are present throughout the five viscera, so no one can escape their influence.

Lü Huiqing’s commentary says: The myriad things and I are one, and each thing has what it needs. When form is about to appear, everything follows along with it. When external things arrive, the mind arises in response; this does not come from deliberate planning or contrivance. Reverence also arises from this, and by following it one can be open to external things. This does not mean deliberately maintaining an outward appearance of reverence, but rather using reverence to set the mind aright… (The original text ends here unfinished.)

If the heart can remain in this state, then even when all kinds of misfortune arrive, they are simply the workings of Heaven’s mandate. Since they were not brought about by human actions, they cannot disturb or corrupt the heart’s integrity. When the heart is unmoved, it naturally has something to hold to. Yet the one who holds to it does not know where it is, because this is holding to it without deliberate effort. Understanding this allows sincerity to arise naturally from within, and one’s actions to fall precisely within proper bounds. Otherwise, acting recklessly will invite calamity. How could one then respond appropriately?

When affairs from the outside world enter the heart without an inner master to govern them, the heart remains burdened by them and cannot let them go. To be unable to let go means departing too quickly, and so losing them again and again. The learning of the world tries to restore people to their original state by this means, but inevitably leads them into confusion.

A “tally” is a token of proof. When the heart truly possesses a certain virtue and acts on its basis, this is called “the inner tally”: sincerity is within, and one practices it even when alone. When the heart does not possess this virtue but acts as if it did, this is called “the outer tally”: inward sincerity is absent, so outward appearances and the heart do not agree. What has no name or form is the Dao, and is therefore naturally trustworthy. It expects nothing in return from others and expends nothing. Those who act by the outer tally, however, must first have an expectation before they will trust, and must first expend something before they will give. Only those who ordinarily practice Wuwei (non-action) possess inner clarity. Even without displaying its effects, that clarity returns to its original brightness. A merchant, by contrast, merely takes goods to market to trade.

People see what they lack and look up to others on tiptoe, yet still appear self-important. If they could see that in the beginning all things were without distinction, they could connect with all things and no longer cling to the self. When there is no fixed opinion of oneself, nothing can enter the heart and meet an obstacle. This is called “knowing constancy and thus embracing all things.” Otherwise, one can only struggle to manage external things and cannot even contain oneself. Just as your body may be rejected by Qi (vital energy), or part of you may be rejected by the earth, how could you embrace another? If you cannot embrace another, there can be no affection; and without affection, you can know that the bond between that person and the rest of the people has been severed.

If the will is like a weapon, it wounds the hearts of others; “Moye,” an ancient sword, can wound only the body. People can flee from the disorder caused by bandits, but no one can escape the calamities brought by the transformations of Yin-Yang within Heaven and Earth. Only the Perfected One makes the will pliant and does not insist on forcing things. Thus there are no weapons in the heart. Dwelling beyond Yin-Yang and free of partiality, the Perfected One cannot be robbed by the myriad things.

Commentary by Yidu: All things are complete within me, and the principles of nature and life are already in my heart. I store them in a place of deep stillness, without trying to anticipate external things; when they arrive, I need only respond in accord with them. Once reverence and righteousness are established, virtue will not stand alone. If the heart is already as it should be, yet all kinds of misfortune still arrive, then they are the workings of Heaven’s mandate, not the result of human action. The Perfected One’s cultivation has reached the point of following Heaven’s mandate. Even when faced with something loathsome, he is not disturbed in the original heart he has brought to completion. The numinous terrace—the heart—has something it holds to, originally in the hope that it might endure…

If you do not know how to preserve your nature, yet devote yourself to holding on to something, in the end you will not be able to hold on to it. A person of benevolence can cultivate their own De and extend it to others; whatever they do will then be appropriate. If the heart is not sincere and one acts recklessly, then, once one’s actions have entered the heart, refusing to let them go will turn what one thought one had gained into a loss. Thus, to do wrong in the open is to deceive people; to do wrong in secret is to deceive spirits and gods. If one’s heart is burdened by guilt, how can one dare to act recklessly alone?

To remain within the “inner tally” (one’s proper bounds) is not to overstep one’s limits or rely on external things. Thus, one acts without seeking fame. To go beyond the “outer tally” (beyond one’s proper bounds) is to seek other people’s praise. The pursuit of external things has no end, so one’s energies are ceaselessly depleted. When one acts without seeking fame, one’s De becomes full, and its radiance shines outward from within. What is called “exhaustion through expectation” means pursuing fame and hoping others will accept you, while fearing they will not. When people see someone rising onto tiptoe to outdo others, they know that person is in danger; yet he remains arrogant and makes no change.

When you understand change, external things can enter your heart. Those who live among external things need not bind themselves to them. If you cannot even be at ease with yourself, how can you make room for others? The Perfected Person (one whose De has reached a high level) shows no partiality between those who are close and those who are distant. Without partiality, one can fulfill both the human way and the Way of Heaven. What, then, could remain unfulfilled?

People know the cruelty of weapons, but do not know that the harm caused by thoughts is more severe. The injuries caused by weapons can still be avoided, but the harm caused by thoughts is everywhere. Excessive joy makes the body cold and stiff, like ice; excessive anger makes it burn and smolder, like fire. These are all effects driven by thoughts. Only those who are free of self-consciousness and attachment are not disturbed by Yin-Yang or harmed by the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water).

Bixu’s commentary: The innate natures of the wise and the foolish are not easily changed. When responding to things, one should proceed gradually in the manners of advancing and withdrawing. This is like wanting to restrain oneself and act with caution, yet feeling inwardly unsettled and so giving rise to all manner of thoughts. When one’s nature responds to external things, reverence and solemnity within keep one from being mistreated outwardly. To encounter misfortune despite taking no action is a matter of Heaven’s mandate; to incur blame through entanglement is a matter of human affairs. To remain free of worry and fear amid hardship is because the spirit is unconfined and one’s nature has suffered no loss.

When one has something to hold to, one’s true nature can be preserved. If one does not know what one ought to hold to, the heart has no guiding principle. What is called “that which cannot be held to” means blindly following one’s own preconceptions and treating them as a standard. If one is not sincere with oneself, all one does becomes empty and false; one’s Daoist practice cannot deepen, and instead brings greater loss. The “inner tally” means acting without seeking fame, thereby making oneself upright. The “outer tally” means expending one’s energy in pursuit of fame, as if boasting about and selling oneself to others. When people see someone rising onto tiptoe to outdo others, they know that person is in danger, yet he believes himself secure and firmly established. What is meant by “being at the end of things” is that one who remains within their proper bounds grows ever more open in their dealings with others, while one who goes beyond those bounds merely scrambles to find a place to stay. What is meant by “without kinship” is showing no partiality between those who are close and those who are distant, and not dividing people into the near and the far.

The principles of all things are present within me. So I should follow life in its original, natural state and withdraw into a realm beyond deliberate thought. The mind responds to things as circumstances arise, and thoughts emerge naturally. This is what Buddhism calls “giving rise to the mind without abiding anywhere.” When reverence is held within, one can naturally engage with the things around one. Even at this level, if something goes against one’s wishes, that too is Heaven’s will. Why let it disturb the innate, unshaped De within the heart?

“Maintaining” means that the mind has something on which to focus. Yet even when it has such a focus, one may not know what, exactly, one is focused on. If one treats “maintaining” as deliberate attachment, one has not yet reached the state of moving freely through change. The word “maintain” appears three times in succession here, and its meaning is very subtle.

People who cannot be honest with themselves act recklessly. Their actions then violate reason. Once they are caught up in them, even knowing they are wrong, they find it hard to stop; they know they are at fault, yet continue to do wrong. Each time they try to correct themselves, they create another mistake. Here, “deed” does not mean karmic retribution, as it does in Buddhism. It means “already carried out,” as in the modern phrase “the deed is done.” Such conduct is bound to bring blame from people and punishment from spirits, with no escape. Knowing that both the human world and the unseen world command reverence, one should be careful in one’s words and conduct when alone. Then, even when acting alone, one can keep within proper bounds and not overstep one’s station, leaving others no grounds for reproach. To overstep one’s station and seek things outside oneself is to set one’s sights on profit and pursue only personal gain.

Only in an ordinary, unadorned person, inwardly full, does radiance emerge of its own accord. To abandon oneself and seek things outside, with one’s sights set on profit, is the mindset of a merchant bent on gain. Others may see such a person elevated and imposing, seemingly worthy of respect, without knowing how deeply he is mired in the desire for profit, stopping only when his desires are exhausted. Those who chase external things, gamble on gain, and even rush toward disaster without regret cannot even find peace within themselves. How could they care for family and friends? As family and friends grow distant, human relationships are severed. Any attachment of the mind can harm oneself; the pain it brings can sometimes cut deeper than a weapon. The harm caused by the Qi of Yin and Yang is like that caused by thieves and bandits. When the mind is at peace, it will not be harmed by them.

If people know that the myriad changes all arise from within themselves, and that within themselves lies the most expansive principle among all things, they can follow life’s natural patterns. “Conceal” means to experience something deeply; “giving rise to the mind” means that a thought arises in response to external things. Enter deeply into a realm beyond deliberation, and when things come, respond naturally: meet them with a mind free of intention. When reverence is held within, one can naturally engage with external things; when one’s cultivation is mature, all things change along with it. Even if some unprovoked misfortune still comes at this point, one need only accept it calmly, without letting it disturb the innate, unshaped De within the heart.

(The final sentence of this passage is incomplete.)

Fulfill the nature of all things. Here, the “numinous terrace” (the heart) is compared to a mirror that is empty, bright, spacious, lofty, and clear. When things from outside enter the heart, if they are not reflected clearly and then released, but instead are allowed to linger there, the heart becomes constrained and loses its numinous clarity.

“Maintaining” refers to how the heart’s ruler holds to the mind. Knowing that the heart cannot be held in place by force, one maintains it by not deliberately trying to do so. Without sincerity within, there can be no reverence; and if thoughts arising from within are improper, they cannot reach out to things. These are all errors in guarding the heart.

“Deeds” are the various deliberate actions of the world. If one does not turn toward good, one must turn toward evil. Those who do good are often few, while those who do evil are often many; thus it is hard to escape punishment from humans and spirits. Causes and consequences are entangled with one another, without end. Seen from the standpoint of the Dao, both good and evil deeds are like illusions. If even good is like this, how much more so is evil?

Yet those who do evil often feel inwardly at fault and cannot rest even in their dreams. When life and death are at stake, how could they not be afraid? It is not that spirits are hostile to them; what truly unsettles them is their own heart. If one does good with the aim of gaining blessings, the moment this deluded thought arises, one has already lost one’s true nature and become vulnerable to the temptations of external things. Thus, if either good or evil deeds remain in the heart, this is contrary to the principle of letting go and moving on. The more deliberately one acts, the more one loses one’s nature. How, then, can one understand the way to maintain the numinous terrace?

Only those who understand the principles of the hidden and the manifest can walk alone between Heaven and Earth and have a clear conscience whether they look up or bow down. Those who devote themselves to inner cultivation prize what is genuine. They establish De without seeking fame, as though their cultivation had come about without effort. Those who devote themselves to outward display prize the superficial. They focus single-mindedly on achieving results, boasting of their abilities and showing themselves off. Only those who can put illumination to use and return to clarity can endure.

A merchant eager to sell cannot “keep his treasures hidden, as though he had nothing” (possessing genuine knowledge and ability without flaunting them, as if one had nothing). This describes those whose nature is unsettled: they value the external and neglect the inner. Others see them standing on tiptoe, unsteady, while they imagine themselves tall and exceptional.

“To reach the utmost with things” means to exhaust the nature of all things; “enter” carries the sense of returning. If one is at odds with external things and sets oneself against them, one cannot even find a place to rest—how, then, could one make room for others? If I am truly a great worthy, what could I not accommodate? If I am unworthy, others will reject me too. Being unable to accommodate others leads to isolation and helplessness; everyone beyond one’s own body is someone else. When aims differ, people clash like opposing spears, their conflict no less than Yin and Yang encroaching upon one another. The source of conflict, on close examination, is the heart at work.

How important the heart truly is! Good and evil arise from it, and so do fortune and misfortune. If one cannot grasp the essentials of guarding the heart, one will be shaken by material desires and fall into insincerity and improper conduct. Whether censured by others or punished by spirits, one will find it hard to escape, even if Heaven and Earth…

Its scope is so vast that if one takes only a fragment or a section, it is left with nowhere to rest. Therefore, the noble person is careful in both speech and action.

The term “幽间” is read as “闲” in the old commentary. In light of the preceding idea of “making things clear,” it should mean “darkness”; perhaps some strokes were omitted in copying.

Collected Subtle Commentaries on the True Classic of Southern Florescence, volume seventy-two