Zhuang Zhou was a native of Meng in the state of Song. In his youth, he studied the teachings of Laozi. He later served as the Lacquer Garden Official of Meng County, but eventually abandoned worldly affairs to indulge his own nature, refusing to take office. No king, duke, or nobleman could employ him as a useful minister.
King Wei of Chu once sent a high official bearing a hundred yi of gold to recruit Zhuang Zhou. At the time, Zhuang Zhou was fishing by the Pu River. Holding his fishing rod, he did not look back, but said, “I have heard that there is a sacred tortoise in Chu that has been dead for two thousand years. The king has wrapped it in silk and stored it in a bamboo box, treasuring it in the ancestral temple. Would this tortoise rather be dead, leaving its bones behind to be honored? Or would it rather be alive, dragging its tail through the mud?” The official replied, “It would rather be alive, dragging its tail through the mud.” Zhuang Zhou said, “Go back! I, too, shall drag my tail through the mud.”
Later, someone else came bearing a thousand yi of gold to invite Zhuang Zhou to serve as the prime minister. Zhuang Zhou said, “Have you not seen the sacrificial ox at the suburban altar? It is draped in embroidered silks and fed the finest grass and beans. Yet, when it is finally led into the grand temple to be slaughtered, even if it wishes to be a lonely, unattended piglet, could it still do so?” Thus, he refused to take office for the rest of his life.
Note
Zhuang Zhou, a core Daoist thinker, rejects lavish official offers twice. Using tortoise and sacrificial ox metaphors, he chooses humble, free rural life over dangerous noble power, maintaining lifelong seclusion to preserve his spiritual autonomy.
Zhuang Zhou / Zhuangzi (庄周 / 庄子):
A foundational Daoist philosopher and the author of the Zhuangzi. He is renowned for his radical individualism, profound skepticism of political power, and advocacy for spiritual freedom. In this passage, he serves as the ultimate archetype of the “Noble Recluse,” choosing absolute personal liberty over supreme political authority.
The Sacred Tortoise Dragging Its Tail in the Mud:
This is one of the most famous metaphors in Chinese literature. The sacred tortoise represents worldly prestige, political power, and posthumous honor. The mud represents a humble, unglamorous, but authentic and free existence. Zhuangzi uses it to argue that true life and spiritual freedom are infinitely more valuable than the gilded cage of political office.
The Sacrificial Ox:
Another brilliant metaphor highlighting the fatal trap of political ambition. The ox is pampered and honored, but its ultimate fate is slaughter. The “lonely piglet” represents the unremarkable, unadorned life of a commoner, which, while lacking prestige, guarantees survival and freedom. This reflects the Daoist awareness of the inherent dangers of serving in corrupt governments.
Refusing high official position:
Zhuangzi’s repeated rejection of high office (both from King Wei of Chu and other unnamed patrons) became a legendary cultural touchstone. It established the Daoist tradition of political disengagement, asserting that the highest form of governance is non-interference, and the highest form of personal fulfillment is spiritual autonomy.
庄周者，宋之蒙人也。少学老子。为蒙县漆园史，遂遗世自放，不仕。王公大人皆不得而器之。楚威王使大夫以百金聘周，周方钓於濮水之上，持竿不顾，曰：“吾闻楚有神龟，死二千岁矣，巾笥而藏之於庙堂之上。此龟宁无为留骨而贵乎？宁生曳尾涂中乎？”大夫曰：“宁掉尾涂中耳。”庄子曰：“往矣，吾方掉尾於涂中。”或又以千金之币迎周为相，周曰：“子不见郊祭之牺牛乎，衣以文绣，食以刍菽，及其牵入太庙，欲为孤豚，其可得乎？”遂终身不仕。
Leave a Reply