The Way of Heaven moves and accumulates nothing; therefore all things are completed. The Way of emperors moves and accumulates nothing; therefore the world turns to them. The Way of sages moves and accumulates nothing; therefore all within the seas submits. One who understands Heaven, penetrates sagehood, and is versed in the virtues of emperors and kings through the six directions and four openings – such a one acts from himself, and in the darkness nothing is not still. The stillness of the sage is not because he says stillness is good and therefore is still; it is because no thing is sufficient to disturb his mind, and therefore he is still. When water is still, it clearly reflects whiskers and eyebrows, and its levelness is the standard; the great craftsman takes it as a model. If water, being still, is still clear, how much more the spirit! The sage’s mind is still – it is the mirror of Heaven and Earth, the mirror of all things. Empty, still, tranquil, bland, silent, non-active: this is the level of Heaven and Earth and the perfection of the Way and virtue. Therefore emperors, kings, and sages rest in it. Resting, they are empty; empty, they are full; full, they are ordered. Empty, they are still; still, they move; moving, they attain. Still, they are non-active; being non-active, those who serve take responsibility. Non-active, they are at ease; being at ease, sorrow and trouble cannot lodge in them, and years and life are long. Empty, still, tranquil, bland, silent, non-active: this is the root of all things. Understanding this, one may face south as Yao did as ruler; understanding this, one may face north as Shun did as minister. With this, one may occupy the high place: the virtue of emperors and kings. With this, one may occupy the low place: the Way of the dark sage and uncrowned king. With this, one may retire and wander freely on rivers and seas: the scholars of mountains and forests submit. With this, one may advance and bring peace to the world: merit is great, fame is manifest, and the world is unified. Still, one is a sage; moving, one is a king. Non-active, one is honored; plain and simple, no one in the world can contend with one’s beauty.
One who clearly understands the virtue of Heaven and Earth is called the Great Root, the Great Ancestor. He is in harmony with Heaven. That by which he balances and tunes the world is harmony with men. Harmony with men is called human joy; harmony with Heaven is called heavenly joy. Zhuangzi said: “My teacher! My teacher! He minces all things without being cruel; his bounty reaches ten thousand generations without being benevolent; he is older than antiquity without being long-lived; he covers and bears Heaven and Earth, carves and shapes all forms, without being skillful. This is called heavenly joy. Therefore it is said: ‘One who knows heavenly joy lives as Heaven acts, and dies as things transform. Still, he shares virtue with yin; moving, he shares waves with yang.’ Therefore one who knows heavenly joy has no resentment against Heaven, no blame from men, no entanglement with things, no reproach from ghosts. Therefore it is said: ‘In movement he is Heaven; in stillness he is Earth. With one mind settled, he rules the world; his ghosts do not haunt, his soul is not weary. With one mind settled, all things submit.’ This means extending emptiness and stillness to Heaven and Earth, penetrating all things – this is called heavenly joy. Heavenly joy is the heart of the sage, by which he nourishes the world.”
The virtue of emperors and kings takes Heaven and Earth as its ancestor, the Way and virtue as its master, and non-action as its constant. Being non-active, one uses the world and has more than enough; being active, one is used by the world and has not enough. Therefore the ancients valued non-action. When the ruler is non-active and the minister is also non-active, then minister and ruler share the same virtue; if minister and ruler share the same virtue, the minister is not a minister. When the minister is active and the ruler is also active, then ruler and minister share the same way; if ruler and minister share the same way, the ruler is not a ruler. The ruler must be non-active and use the world; the minister must be active and be used by the world. This is the unchanging Way. Therefore the ancient kings of the world: their knowledge might embrace Heaven and Earth, yet they did not scheme for themselves; their eloquence might carve all things, yet they did not speak for themselves; their ability might exhaust the seas, yet they did not act for themselves. Heaven does not produce, yet all things transform; Earth does not grow, yet all things are nurtured; emperors and kings are non-active, yet the world is accomplished. Therefore nothing is more divine than Heaven, nothing richer than Earth, nothing greater than emperors and kings. Therefore the virtue of emperors and kings matches Heaven and Earth. This is the Way of riding Heaven and Earth, galloping with all things, and employing the multitudes.
The root lies with the ruler; the branch lies with the minister. The essential lies with the ruler; the detailed lies with the minister. The operation of armies and weapons is the branch of virtue. Rewards and punishments, benefit and harm, the five punishments – these are the branch of teaching. Rituals, laws, measures, forms and names compared in detail – these are the branch of governance. The sounds of bells and drums, the display of feathers and banners – these are the branch of music. Weeping, mourning garments, graded funeral dress – these are the branch of grief. These five branches require the operation of spirit and the movement of the mind before they follow. The study of branches existed among the ancients, but it is not what should come first. The ruler comes first and the minister follows; the father comes first and the son follows; the elder brother comes first and the younger follows; the elder comes first and the younger follows; the male comes first and the female follows; the husband comes first and the wife follows. This order of noble and base, first and last, is the movement of Heaven and Earth; therefore the sage takes it as an image. Heaven is honored and Earth is lowly: this is the position of spirit and brightness. Spring and summer come first, autumn and winter follow: this is the order of the four seasons. All things transform and arise, sprouting and dividing into forms; the decline and fall of flourishing and decay, the flow of change – this is so. Heaven and Earth are perfectly divine, yet they have the order of noble and base, first and last – how much more human ways! Ancestral temples honor kinship; courts honor rank; villages honor age; affairs honor worthiness. This is the order of the Great Way. To speak of the Way but deny its order is not the Way; to speak of the Way but deny the Way – how can one take it as the Way?
Therefore the ancients who understood the Great Way first understood Heaven, and next the Way and virtue. Once the Way and virtue were understood, benevolence and righteousness came next. Once benevolence and righteousness were understood, duties and responsibilities came next. Once duties and responsibilities were understood, forms and names came next. Once forms and names were understood, fitting employment came next. Once fitting employment was understood, examination and reflection came next. Once examination and reflection were understood, right and wrong came next. Once right and wrong were understood, rewards and punishments came next. Once rewards and punishments were clear, the foolish and wise were placed appropriately, the noble and base occupied their positions, and the benevolent, worthy, unworthy, and wicked followed their true feelings. One must divide their abilities and follow their names. With this one serves superiors, with this one nourishes inferiors, with this one governs things, with this one cultivates oneself. Knowledge and scheming are not used; one must return to Heaven. This is called Great Peace, the perfection of governance. Therefore the Book says: “There are forms and there are names.” Forms and names existed among the ancients, but they are not what should come first. The ancients who spoke of the Great Way: after five transformations forms and names could be raised; after nine transformations rewards and punishments could be spoken of. To speak suddenly of forms and names is not to know their root; to speak suddenly of rewards and punishments is not to know their beginning. To speak with the Way inverted, to explain with the Way opposed – such a person is one who is governed by others; how can he govern others? To speak suddenly of forms, names, rewards, and punishments – this is to know the tools of governance, not the Way of governance. Such a one can be used for the world, but is not sufficient to use the world. This is called a disputatious scholar, a man of one corner. Rituals, laws, measures, forms and names compared in detail existed among the ancients. This is what inferiors use to serve superiors, not what superiors use to nourish inferiors.
Formerly Shun asked Yao: “How does the Heavenly King use his mind?” Yao said: “I do not slight the helpless; I do not abandon the poor; I grieve for the dead; I am kind to children and compassionate to women. This is how I use my mind.” Shun said: “Fine, but not great.” Yao said: “What then should be done?” Shun said: “Heaven’s virtue comes forth and brings peace. Sun and moon shine, the four seasons proceed, like the constancy of day and night, like clouds moving and rain falling.” Yao said: “How tangled and troubled! You are united with Heaven; I am united with man.” Heaven and Earth were what the ancients held great, and what Huangdi, Yao, and Shun all admired together. Therefore the ancient kings of the world – what did they do? Heaven and Earth, that is all.
Confucius stored books in the Zhou royal house. Zilu said: “I have heard that among the Zhou officials in charge of archives there is one Lao Dan, who has retired and returned home. If you wish to store your books, you might try to go through him.” Confucius went to see Lao Dan, but Lao Dan would not permit it. Thereupon Confucius unrolled the Twelve Classics to explain. Lao Dan interrupted his explanation and said: “Too broad. I wish to hear the essential.” Confucius said: “The essential is benevolence and righteousness.” Lao Dan said: “May I ask: are benevolence and righteousness human nature?” Confucius said: “Yes. A gentleman who is not benevolent does not succeed; one who is not righteous does not live. Benevolence and righteousness are the true nature of man. What else should one do?” Lao Dan said: “May I ask what you mean by benevolence and righteousness?” Confucius said: “To be joyful in one’s heart, to love all without partiality – this is the feeling of benevolence and righteousness.” Lao Dan said: “Oh, your words come close to later error! To love all – is that not far-fetched? To be without partiality is itself partiality. If you, Master, wish to keep the world from losing its shepherd, then Heaven and Earth have their constant ways, the sun and moon have their brightness, the stars have their ranks, birds and beasts have their flocks, trees have their standing. You too should let virtue go and walk, follow the Way and proceed – that is enough. Why then do you so eagerly lift up benevolence and righteousness, as if beating a drum to seek a lost child? Oh, Master, you confuse human nature!”
Shi Chengqi saw Laozi and asked: “I have heard that you, Master, are a sage. I did not hesitate to come from far away, wishing to see you. I traveled a hundred stages, my feet blistered, and dared not rest. Now I look at you: you are not a sage. Rat holes have leftover vegetables, and you abandon your younger sister – this is not benevolent. Raw and cooked food is not fully set before you, yet you accumulate and hoard without limit.” Laozi was silent and did not respond.
The next day Shi Chengqi saw him again and said: “Yesterday I criticized you. Today my mind is corrected. Why is that?” Laozi said: “I consider myself free of cleverness, knowledge, spirit, and sagehood. Yesterday you called me an ox and I called myself an ox; you called me a horse and I called myself a horse. If there is a reality, and men give it a name, if I do not accept it, I receive double misfortune. I submit constantly; I do not submit in order to have submission.” Shi Chengqi walked sideways, avoiding his shadow, and advanced to ask: “What is self-cultivation?” Laozi said: “Your countenance is lofty, your eyes dart, your forehead is broad, your mouth gapes, your appearance is righteous, like a horse tied up and stopped. You move and hold back; you shoot like a trigger; you scrutinize and examine; your cleverness sees excess – all these are untrustworthy. At the border there is a man; his name is Thief.”
The Master said: “The Way, in greatness, has no end; in smallness, omits nothing. Therefore all things are complete. How vast – nothing it does not contain! How deep – it cannot be measured! Forms, virtue, benevolence, righteousness – these are the branches of spirit. Who but the Perfect Man can settle them? The Perfect Man has the world – is that not great? Yet it is not enough to burden him. The world seizes power, but he does not join them. He discerns what has no false basis and does not shift with profit. He reaches the truth of things and can hold to his root. Therefore he puts Heaven and Earth outside, leaves all things behind, and his spirit is never troubled. He penetrates the Way, matches virtue, retreats from benevolence and righteousness, treats ritual and music as guests. The heart of the Perfect Man has that in which it is settled.”
What the world values in the Way is books. Books are no more than words, but words have something valuable. What words value is meaning, and meaning has something it follows. What meaning follows cannot be transmitted in words, yet the world values words and transmits books. Though the world values them, I do not consider them worth valuing, because what they value is not what is truly valuable. What can be seen is form and color; what can be heard is name and sound. Alas! The world thinks form, color, name, and sound are enough to get the true reality of things. If form, color, name, and sound are indeed not enough to get the true reality of things, then those who know do not speak, and those who speak do not know. How can the world understand this?
Duke Huan was reading in the hall. Wheelwright Bian was cutting a wheel below the hall. He put down his mallet and chisel, went up, and asked Duke Huan: “May I ask what words you are reading?” The duke said: “The words of sages.” “Are the sages alive?” “They are dead.” “Then what you are reading is merely the dregs of the ancients!” Duke Huan said: “I am reading; how dare a wheelwright comment? If you can explain, well; if not, you die.” Wheelwright Bian said: “I look at it from my own work. In cutting a wheel, if I go too slowly, it is smooth but not firm; if too fast, it is rough and does not fit. Not too slow, not too fast – I get it in my hand and respond with my heart. My mouth cannot speak it; there is a knack in it. I cannot teach it to my son, and my son cannot receive it from me. Thus at seventy I am still cutting wheels. The ancients and what they could not transmit have died. So what you are reading is merely the dregs of the ancients!”
Note
This Zhuangzi ‑ Tiandao excerpt highlights wu‑wei and inner stillness as governance’s root. It develops Daoist themes of non-action (wuwei), stillness, natural order, and the limits of language and book-learning. It includes Wheelwright Bian’s famous parable arguing books hold only ancient dregs, and debates over artificial benevolence and righteousness.
Yao (尧) and Shun (舜)
Yao and Shun are legendary sage rulers of ancient China. In Confucian tradition they are models of moral government. In the Zhuangzi, they appear as figures who illustrate different levels of understanding. Yao represents humane, deliberate government; Shun here points beyond it to heavenly non-action.
The Yellow Emperor
The Yellow Emperor is a legendary cultural hero and sage ruler, associated with civilization, medicine, and cosmic order. He is mentioned as one who admired Heaven and Earth along with Yao and Shun.
Confucius (Zhongni)
Founder of the Confucian tradition. In the Zhuangzi, he often appears as a character who is sincere but limited, learning from Daoist sages such as Lao Dan.
Zilu
A famous disciple of Confucius, known for courage and loyalty. Here he suggests that Confucius consult Lao Dan about storing books.
Lao Dan / Laozi (老聃 / 老子)
Traditionally regarded as the founder of Daoism and author of the Daodejing. In the Zhuangzi, he is a sage who criticizes Confucian benevolence and righteousness as artificial.
Shi Chengqi (士成绮)
An obscure or possibly fictional figure. He comes to judge Laozi, criticizes him harshly, then realizes his own fault. His encounter illustrates the difference between outward judgment and inner cultivation.
Duke Huan of Qi (齐桓公)
Duke Huang of Qi is a famous ruler of the state of Qi during the Spring and Autumn period, traditionally counted as the first of the Five Hegemons. He appears here in the famous story of Wheelwright Bian.
Wheelwright Bian (轮扁)
A wheelwright, a craftsman who makes wheels. His name “Bian” is personal; “wheelwright” is his trade. His story is one of the most famous Daoist illustrations of the limits of language and the impossibility of transmitting true skill through books alone.
Facing South and Facing North
In ancient Chinese court ritual, the ruler faced south; the minister faced north. To “face south” means to rule; to “face north” means to serve as a minister.
Dark Sage and Uncrowned King (玄圣素王)
A sage who has no official throne but whose virtue and wisdom command respect. “Uncrowned king” means a spiritual or moral sovereign without political office.
The Twelve Classics (十二经)
A set of ancient texts, possibly the Six Classics and their commentaries, or a broader collection. The exact list is debated. Here it stands for Confucius’s learned traditional teachings.
The Five Punishments
Ancient Chinese legal punishments, often listed as tattooing, cutting off the nose, cutting off the feet, castration, and death. They represent the harshest tools of social control.
Ancestral Temples, Courts, Villages
Traditional social institutions. Ancestral temples emphasized kinship; courts emphasized rank; villages emphasized age. The text uses them to illustrate natural social order.
“Beating a Drum to Seek a Lost Child”
A metaphor for doing something noisy and futile. Laozi says Confucius is loudly promoting benevolence and righteousness as if beating a drum to find a lost child.
“Those Who Know Do Not Speak; Those Who Speak Do Not Know” (知者不言，言者不知)
A famous Daoist idea, also found in the Daodejing. It points to the limits of language in expressing ultimate reality.
“Dregs of the Ancients” (古人之糟魄)
From the Wheelwright Bian story. It means that books preserve only the outer husk of past wisdom; the living skill and insight of the ancients cannot be passed down in words.
Heavenly Joy and Human Joy (天乐 / 人乐)
Human joy comes from harmony with other people. Heavenly joy comes from harmony with Heaven, beyond ordinary emotion and social approval.
Non-Action (wuwei)
A central Daoist concept. It does not mean doing nothing; it means not forcing, not interfering, and acting in accord with the natural Way.
外篇·天道第十三
天道运而无所积，故万物成；帝道运而无所积，故天下归；圣道运而无所积，故海内服。明于天，通于圣，六通四辟于帝王之德者，其自为也，昧然无不静者矣。圣人之静也，非曰静也善，故静也；万物无足以铙心者，故静也。水静则明烛须眉，平中准，大匠取法焉。水静犹明，而况精神！圣人之心静乎！天地之鉴也；万物之镜也。夫虚静恬淡寂漠无为者，天地之平而道德之至，故帝王圣人休焉。休则虚，虚则实，实则伦矣。虚则静，静则动，动则得矣。静则无为，无为也则任事者责矣。无为则俞俞，俞俞者忧患不能处，年寿长矣。夫虚静恬淡寂漠无为者，万物之本也。明此以南乡，尧之为君也；明此以北面，舜之为臣也。以此处上，帝王天子之德也；以此处下，玄圣素王之道也。以此退居而闲游江海，山林之士服；以此进为而抚世，则功大名显而天下一也。静而圣，动而王，无为也而尊，朴素而天下莫能与之争美。
夫明白于天地之德者，此之谓大本大宗，与天和者也；所以均调天下，与人和者也。与人和者，谓之人乐；与天和者，谓之天乐。庄子曰：“吾师乎！吾师乎！齑万物而不为戾，泽及万世而不为仁，长于上古而不为寿，覆载天地刻雕众形而不为巧，此之谓天乐。故曰：‘知天乐者，其生也天行，其死也物化。静而与阴同德，动而与阳同波。’故知天乐者，无天怨，无人非，无物累，无鬼责。故曰：‘其动也天，其静也地，一心定而王天下；其鬼不祟，其魂不疲，一心定而万物服。’言以虚静推于天地，通于万物，此之谓天乐。天乐者，圣人之心，以畜天下也。”
夫帝王之德，以天地为宗，以道德为主，以无为为常。无为也，则用天下而有余；有为也，则为天下用而不足。故古之人贵夫无为也。上无为也，下亦无为也，是下与上同德，下与上同德则不臣；下有为也，上亦有为也，是上与下同道，上与下同道则不主。上必无为而用天下，下必有为为天下用，此不易之道也。故古之王天下者，知虽落天地，不自虑也；辩虽雕万物，不自说也；能虽穷海内，不自为也。天不产而万物化，地不长而万物育，帝王无为而天下功。故曰莫神于天，莫富于地，莫大于帝王。故曰帝王之德配天地。此乘天地驰万物，而用人群之道也。
本在于上，末在于下，要在于主，详在于臣。三军五兵之运，德之末也；赏罚利害，五刑之辟，教之末也；礼法度数，形名比详，治之末也；钟鼓之音，羽旄之容，乐之末也；哭泣衰绖，隆杀之服，哀之末也。此五末者，须精神之运，心术之动，然后从之者也。末学者，古人有之，而非所以先也。君先而臣从，父先而子从，兄先而弟从，长先而少从，男先而女从，夫先而妇从。夫尊卑先后，天地之行也，故圣人取象焉。天尊地卑，神明之位也；春夏先，秋冬后，四时之序也。万物化作，萌区有状，盛衰之杀，变化之流也。夫天地至神，而有尊卑先后之序，而况人道乎！宗庙尚亲，朝廷尚尊，乡党尚齿，行事尚贤，大道之序也。语道而非其序者，非其道也；语道而非其道者，安取道！
是故古之明大道者，先明天而道德次之，道德已明而仁义次之，仁义已明而分守次之，分守已明而形名次之，形名已明而因任次之，因任已明而原省次之，原省已明而是非次之，是非已明而赏罚次之。赏罚已明而愚知处宜，贵贱履位，仁贤不肖袭情。必分其能，必由其名。以此事上，以此畜下，以此治物，以此修身；知谋不用，必归其天，此之谓太平，治之至也。故书曰：“有形有名。”形名者，古人有之，而非所以先也。古之语大道者，五变而形名可举，九变而赏罚可言也。骤而语形名，不知其本也；骤而语赏罚，不知其始也。倒道而言，迕道而说者，人之所治也，安能治人！骤而语形名赏罚，此有知治之具，非知治之道；可用于天下，不足以用天下，此之谓辩士，一曲之人也。礼法数度，形名比详，古人有之，此下之所以事上，非上之所以畜下也。
昔者舜问于尧曰：“天王之用心何如？”尧曰：“吾不敖无告，不废穷民，苦死者，嘉孺子而哀妇人。此吾所以用心已。”舜曰：“美则美矣，而未大也。”尧曰：“然则何如？”舜曰：“天德而出宁，日月照而四时行，若昼夜之有经，云行而雨施矣。”尧曰：“胶胶扰扰乎！子，天之合也；我，人之合也。”夫天地者，古之所大也，而黄帝尧舜之所共美也。故古之王天下者，奚为哉？天地而已矣。
孔子西藏书于周室。子路谋曰：“由闻周之征藏史有老聃者，免而归居，夫子欲藏书，则试往因焉。”孔子往见老聃，而老聃不许，于是繙十二经以说。老聃中其说，曰：“大谩，愿闻其要。”孔子曰：“要在仁义。”老聃曰：“请问，仁义，人之性邪？”孔子曰：“然。君子不仁则不成，不义则不生。仁义，真人之性也，又将奚为矣？”老聃曰：“请问，何谓仁义？”孔子曰：“中心物恺，兼爱无私，此仁义之情也。”老聃曰：“意，几乎后言！夫兼爱，不亦迂乎！无私焉，乃私也。夫子若欲使天下无失其牧乎？则天地固有常矣，日月固有明矣，星辰固有列矣，禽兽固有群矣，树木固有立矣。夫子亦放德而行，循道而趋，已至矣；又何偈偈乎揭仁义，若击鼓而求亡子焉？意，夫子乱人之性也！”
士成绮见老子而问曰：“吾闻夫子圣人也，吾固不辞远道而来愿见，百舍重趼而不敢息。今吾观子，非圣人也。鼠壤而余蔬，而弃妹之者，不仁也，生熟不尽于前，而积敛无崖。”老子漠然不应。
士成绮明日复见，曰：“昔者吾有刺于子，今吾心正郤矣，何故也？”老子曰：“夫巧知神圣之人，吾自以为脱焉。昔者子呼我牛也而谓之牛，呼我马也而谓之马。苟有其实，人与之名而弗受，再受其殃。吾服也恒服，吾非以服有服。”士成绮雁行避影，履行遂进而问，“修身若何？”老子曰：“而容崖然，而目冲然，而颡頯然，而口阚然，而状义然，似系马而止也。动而持，发也机，察而审，知巧而睹于泰，凡以为不信。边竟有人焉，其名为窃。”
夫子曰：“夫道，于大不终，于小不遗，故万物备。广广乎其无不容也，渊乎其不可测也。形德仁义，神之末也，非至人孰能定之！夫至人有世，不亦大乎！而不足以为之累。天下奋棅而不与之偕，审乎无假而不与利迁，极物之真，能守其本，故外天地，遗万物，而神未尝有所困也。通乎道，合乎德，退仁义，宾礼乐，至人之心有所定矣。”
世之所贵道者书也，书不过语，语有贵也。语之所贵者意也，意有所随。意之所随者，不可言传也，而世因贵言传书。世虽贵之，我犹不足贵也，为其贵非其贵也。故视而可见者，形与色也；听而可闻者，名与声也。悲夫，世人以形色名声为足以得彼之情！夫形色名声果不足以得彼之情，则知者不言，言者不知，而世岂识之哉？
桓公读书于堂上。轮扁斫轮于堂下，释椎凿而上，问桓公曰：“敢问，公之所读者何言邪？”公曰：“圣人之言也。”曰：“圣人在乎？”公曰：“已死矣。”曰：“然则君之所读者，古人之糟魄已夫！”桓公曰：“寡人读书，轮人安得议乎！有说则可，无说则死。”轮扁曰：“臣也以臣之事观之。斫轮，徐则甘而不固，疾则苦而不入。不徐不疾，得之于手而应于心，口不能言，有数存焉于其间。臣不能以喻臣之子，臣之子亦不能受之于臣，是以行年七十而老斲轮。古之人与其不可传也死矣，然则君之所读者，古人之糟魄已夫！”
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