《南華真經註疏》Vol. 32

Mixed Chapters · Explaining the Sword (Chapter 30)

Long ago, King Wen of Zhao delighted in swordsmanship. He kept more than three thousand swordsmen in his service. Day and night they crossed blades before the palace, and every year more than a hundred of them were killed or wounded. The king never tired of it. After three years had passed, the state of Zhao grew weak, and the other feudal lords began to plot against it.

Sub-commentary: King Hui of Zhao, personal name He, was the son of King Wuling of Zhao. He favored swordsmen and maintained three thousand retainers; his passion for the sword knew no limit. Zhao declined on that account, and when the feudal lords saw his misrule, they joined in planning to attack Zhao.

Crown Prince Kui was troubled by this. He offered a reward to those around him, saying: “Whoever can persuade the king to change his mind and stop keeping these swordsmen—I will give him a thousand in gold.” Those about him said: “Zhuangzi should be able to do it.”

Sub-commentary: Kui was the crown prince’s name. He loathed his father’s love of combat, so he posted a thousand in gold for someone who could admonish the king. Zhuangzi was a great sage and ought to be able to dissuade the king.

The prince then sent a man bearing the gold to present it to Zhuangzi. Zhuangzi refused to accept it and went with the envoy to call on the prince. He asked: “What does the prince wish to instruct Zhou about? Why send Zhou a thousand in gold?”

The prince said: “I have heard that the master is wise and enlightened, so I respectfully offer this gold for the cost of your retinue and horses. Since you will not take it, what more can I say?”

Sub-commentary: Zhuangzi asked what the prince wanted him to do and why he sent the gold. The prince replied that he had heard Zhuangzi was worthy, so he sent the gold to cover the expenses of his escort and travel.

Zhuangzi said: “I hear the prince wants me to come so that the king of Zhao may give up his fondness for swords. If I remonstrate from above and go against the great king’s wishes, yet from below fail to satisfy the prince’s heart, I will suffer punishment and die. How then could I still care about that money? If above I can convince the great king and below fulfill the prince’s wish, then in Zhao what could I not obtain?”

The prince said: “That is so. The only men my father enjoys seeing are swordsmen.” Zhuangzi said: “Very well—I am skilled at swordsmanship.”

The prince said: “But the swordsmen my father meets all have tangled hair and bristling sideburns, wear drooping caps with thick, outward-hanging ties, and dress in coats with short hems. They stare with bulging eyes and speak in a rush so that words are hard to catch; that is what my father likes. If the master now goes before the great king in the garb of a scholar, the affair is sure to go wrong.”

Sub-commentary: The swordsmen’s hair was tangled like dry grass and their temple hair stood out. They wore iron caps with ties hanging down, their faces exposed outside the brim.

The long-tasseled hat cords are a style of binding and winding the hair on top of the head; garments with shorter back panels are suited to martial affairs. Glaring with angry eyes is the look of a warrior; surging indignation in the chest makes the voice sound hurried. These are all the appearance and dress of swordsmen.

Zhuangzi said, “Please let me prepare the attire of a swordsman.” After three days of preparation, he went to see the crown prince. The prince took him to see King Wei. King Wei drew his sharp sword and waited for him. Zhuangzi entered the hall gate without hurrying forward, and when he met the king he did not perform the customary bow.

Commentary: Someone inwardly at ease and fearless does not rush about in haste.

King Wei asked, “What do you intend to use to instruct me? Why did you have the crown prince speak for you first?”

Commentary: King Wei asked Zhuangzi what method he would use to admonish him, and why he had the crown prince introduce him first.

Zhuangzi said, “I have heard that Your Majesty loves swordsmanship, so I have brought my sword to see you.” The king asked, “Whom can your swordsmanship overcome?” Zhuangzi replied, “With my sword, I can kill a man within ten paces, and travel a thousand li with no one able to stop me.” The king was very pleased and said, “Then there is no rival under heaven!”

Commentary: Zhuangzi said his sword could kill one man every ten paces and would not cease even on a journey of a thousand li; with a blade so swift, how could there be any opponent?

Zhuangzi said, “One who truly uses the sword must first show the opponent an opening, inviting him to seize the chance to attack; then strike second, letting the other arrive first while oneself follows after. I hope to try this.”

Commentary: Here “using the sword” also stands for the way of dealing with the world: forget the self, meet things with openness, move with the situation, and respond according to the other’s reactions. Zhuangzi uses this to explain his own method of response.

The king said, “Sir, rest first and stay in the guest lodge while arrangements are made. I will set up a field for sword contest and invite you again.”

Commentary: Zhuangzi’s words carried deep meaning and moved King Wei, so the king had him lodge in the guest house and would summon him once the sword contest was arranged.

The king selected swordsmen to compete; in seven days more than sixty were killed or wounded. Finally five or six were chosen to wait below the hall holding their swords. Then the king summoned Zhuangzi and said, “Today let the swordsmen try their blades.”

Commentary: “敦剑” refers to contesting swordsmanship and vying for victory.

Zhuangzi said, “I have long looked forward to this day.”

Commentary: Zhuangzi had already been eager for the contest and asked to begin as soon as possible.

The king asked, “Sir, the sword you use—what length is it?” Zhuangzi answered, “Any sword I can use will do.”

Commentary: “御” means to use. The king thought Zhuangzi was truly skilled at swordsmanship, and therefore asked what kind of sword he employed.

Zhuangzi added, “However, I have three kinds of sword; let the great king choose as he wishes. I will first explain the three swords, then proceed to the contest.” The king said, “I would like to hear.” Zhuangzi said, “There are the sword of the Son of Heaven, the sword of feudal lords, and the sword of common men.”

King Wei asked, “What is the Son of Heaven’s sword like?”

Zhuangzi replied, “The Son of Heaven’s sword uses stone from the passes and valleys of Yan as its tip, Mount Dai in Qi as its edge, the states of Jin and Wei as its spine, Zhou and Song as its guard, and Han and Wei as its hilt. Barbarian peoples on all four sides serve as its scabbard, and the four seasons as its sheath; the Bohai Sea is its belt, Mount Chang its tie; the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) are used to order the realm, and punishment and moral transformation to judge affairs of state. It accords with the opening and closing of Yin and Yang, sustains growth and nurture through spring and summer, and follows the course of autumn and winter.

“When this sword is drawn straight, nothing blocks it ahead; raised upward, there is no limit above; pressed downward, no boundary below; wielded in motion, it reaches through all four directions. Upward it can sever drifting clouds; downward it can cut the very warp of the earth. Once this sword is deployed, it can correct the feudal lords and bring the world to submission.”

The commentary explains: “The tip is the point of the sword; the edge is the blade. Beyond the Stone City pass in Yan there are mountains in the north, so they are likened to the sword’s tip; Mount Dai in Qi lies to the east, so it is likened to the blade. The guard is the ring of the sword. Jin and Wei border Zhao’s territory, so they are likened to the spine; Zhou and Song lie toward the south, so they are likened to the guard. The hilt is the grip; Han and Wei lie west of Zhao, so they are likened to the hilt. The Son of Heaven extends kindness to the barbarian peoples on all sides and leads them to follow the Dao (the Way); he accords with the generative transformation of the four seasons. The Bohai is at Cangzhou, Mount Chang is the Northern Peak; heaven and earth’s creation and transformation use mountains and seas to guard the four quarters. The Five Phases are metal, wood, water, fire, and earth; punishment is penal law, and virtue is moral transformation. The Son of Heaven uses the Five Phases to set the world right and governs all beings through punishment and moral transformation. Yin and Yang opening and closing, spring and summer nurturing life, autumn and winter enforcing austerity—all are the natural course. Taking the Dao as the sword, it embraces everything and penetrates above, below, and the four directions; nothing can obstruct it; drifting clouds and the earth’s warp are naturally within its reach. It takes heaven and earth’s creation and transformation as its function, so nothing under heaven fails to submit.”

After hearing this, King Wei was dazed and disoriented, as if he had lost his bearings.

The commentary explains: “When people of shallow talent hear a vast teaching, they often cannot take it in, and so they become as dazed as someone lost at sea. It is like King Hui of Wei after hearing the music of Shao.”

King Wei asked again, “What is a feudal lord’s sword like?”

Zhuangzi replied, “A feudal lord’s sword uses wise and courageous knights as its tip, incorruptible knights as its edge, worthy and good knights as its spine, loyal and sagely knights as its guard, and heroic champions as its hilt. When this sword is drawn straight, nothing blocks it ahead; raised upward, there is no limit above; pressed downward, no boundary below; wielded in motion, it reaches through all four directions. Upward it takes the round heavens as its model…”

With this sword, one can follow the movement of the sun, moon, and stars, emulate the squareness of the earth, and adapt to the changes of the four seasons, thereby bringing peace to the people and stability to the four directions. The term "four directions" refers to the four quarters of the world. To be able to emulate Heaven and Earth and understand the principles of all things—this is what makes the sword of a feudal lord extraordinary. If a feudal lord can govern his state with this sword, he will be invincible.

When this sword is wielded, it is like the shaking of thunder. Within the four borders, no one fails to submit and obey the lord's commands. This is the sword of a feudal lord.

The commentary explains: The Book of Changes (Yijing) uses the Zhen (Thunder) trigram to symbolize feudal lords, which is why thunder is used to describe the power of the feudal lord's sword.

The King of Wei asked: "What is the sword of the common people like?" Zhuangzi replied: "The sword of the common people is worn by those with disheveled hair, low-hanging hats, and loosely tied hat ribbons, wearing clothes with short back hems. They glare with their eyes and speak with angry voices, fighting each other face to face. Their blades cut upward to sever necks and thrust downward to pierce livers and lungs. This sword of the common people is no different from fighting cocks. Once they lose their lives, it is of no use to the great affairs of the state. Now, Your Majesty occupies the position of the Son of Heaven, yet you delight in the sword of the common people. I privately believe this damages Your Majesty's dignity."

The commentary praises Zhuangzi's eloquence, noting that he was able to persuade the King of Zhao to abandon his former habits; the main point of this speech lies here.

The King of Wei then led Zhuangzi up to the hall. The steward (in charge of food) brought out the meal, and the King of Wei walked three times around the food table.

The commentary explains that "huan" (环) means to walk around. The King of Wei realized his mistake and felt ashamed, so he invited Zhuangzi to the hall to express his apology. He walked three times around the food but remained restless and his heart was still unsettled—how could he eat?

Zhuangzi said: "Your Majesty, please sit down and calm your heart. The matter of the sword has been concluded." From then on, the King of Wei did not leave his palace for three months. The swordsmen, having received no rewards, harbored resentment and eventually died in their own dwellings.

The commentary explains that the swordsmen no longer received rewards and thus felt resentment, eventually dying of melancholy.

Zhuangzi Commentary, Scroll 32