External things cannot be made certain. Therefore Long Feng was executed, Bi Gan was killed, Jizi went mad, E Lai died, and Jie and Zhou perished. No ruler does not want his ministers to be loyal, yet loyalty does not necessarily bring trust; therefore Wu Yun drifted on the river, Chang Hong died in Shu, and his blood was stored, and after three years turned into green jade. No parent does not want his son to be filial, yet filial piety does not necessarily bring love; therefore Xiao Ji grieved and Zeng Shen sorrowed. When wood rubs against wood, it catches fire; when metal and fire are kept together, the metal melts. When yin and yang move out of order, Heaven and Earth are greatly shaken; then there is thunder and lightning, fire within water, and the great locust tree is burned. There are those who are deeply troubled, trapped on both sides with no escape. The insect cannot complete its transformation; the mind hangs suspended between Heaven and Earth, distressed and stagnant. Profit and harm grind against each other, generating much fire. The multitude burns up its harmony; the moon cannot overcome the fire; and so one collapses and the Way is exhausted.
Zhuang Zhou’s family was poor, so he went to borrow grain from the Marquis of Jianhe. The Marquis said, “Yes. I will soon receive the revenue from my fief and will lend you three hundred pieces of gold. Is that all right?” Zhuang Zhou flushed with anger and said, “Yesterday, as I was coming, someone called out to me from the middle of the road. I looked back at the wagon tracks and saw a minnow in them. I asked it, ‘Minnow, what are you doing here?’ It replied, ‘I am a wave-servant of the East Sea. Could you not bring me a gallon or a pint of water to keep me alive?’ I said, ‘Yes. I am about to travel south to the kings of Wu and Yue and will stir up the waters of the Western River to welcome you. Is that all right?’ The minnow flushed with anger and said, ‘I have lost my usual element and have nowhere to stay. If I could get a gallon or a pint of water, I would live. But you speak like this – you might as well have looked for me in the dried-fish market long ago.’”
The Young Master of Ren made a great hook and a thick black line. He used fifty oxen as bait, crouched on Mount Kuaiji, cast his rod into the East Sea, and fished every day. For a whole year he caught no fish. Then a great fish swallowed the bait. It dragged the huge hook, plunged down, raced and lashed, raising its fins. White waves rose like mountains; the sea surged and shook; its sound matched ghosts and spirits, and its blaze lit a thousand li. The Young Master of Ren got this fish, cut it up and dried it. From the Zhi River east and north of Cangwu, none failed to be satisfied with this fish. Afterwards, the shallow-talented and rumor-mongering sort all were astonished and told one another about it. Now if one lifts a pole and a line, hurries to an irrigation ditch, and guards minnows and loaches, it will be hard to catch a big fish. To trim up small talk to seek a county magistrate’s office is far indeed from great attainment. Therefore I have never heard of the customs of the Ren family; they are far from being able to govern the world.
Confucians rob a grave according to the Poetry and Ritual. The Great Confucian relays: “The east is brightening. How is the work?” The Little Confucian says: “The skirt and jacket are not yet untied. There is a pearl in the mouth.” “The Poetry indeed has it: ‘Green, green is the wheat, growing on the slope. In life one did not give alms; in death why keep a pearl in the mouth?’ Seize his temples, press his chin, use a metal hammer to tap his jaw, gently part his cheeks, and do not injure the pearl in his mouth.”
A disciple of Lao Laizi went out to gather firewood and met Zhongni. He returned and told Lao Laizi: “There is a man there: tall above and pressing down below, stooped at the back with ears set back, looking as if he were scheming for the whole world. I do not know whose son he is.” Lao Laizi said, “That is Qiu. Summon him to come.” Zhongni arrived. Lao Laizi said, “Qiu, put away your self-importance and your knowing looks – then you will be a gentleman.” Zhongni bowed and withdrew, then with a troubled change of expression asked, “Can my practice be advanced?” Lao Laizi said, “You cannot bear the wounds of one generation, yet you arrogantly incur the troubles of ten thousand generations. Are you indeed so poor? Or is your planning simply not up to it? To make a favor of bringing joy, and to arrogantly bear the shame of a lifetime – this is the conduct of a middling man, easy to advance, that is all. You lead one another on by fame and bind one another by hidden feelings. Rather than praise Yao and condemn Jie, better to forget both and close up your praise. To oppose is nothing but injury; to move is nothing but crookedness. The sage hesitates before undertaking affairs, and thus often succeeds. What can be done? What you carry will in the end make you arrogant.”
Duke Yuan of Song, at midnight, dreamed of a man with disheveled hair peering in at the side gate. He said, “I come from the abyss of Zailu. I am the clear river’s envoy to the place of the Count of the River. The fisherman Yu Ju caught me.” The Duke woke and had someone divine it. It was said, “This is a divine turtle.” The Duke said, “Is there a fisherman named Yu Ju?” His attendants said, “There is.” The Duke said, “Order Yu Ju to attend court.” The next day Yu Ju came to court. The Duke said, “What did you catch fishing?” He replied, “My net caught a white turtle, five feet around.” The Duke said, “Present your turtle.” When the turtle arrived, the Duke wanted twice to kill it and twice to let it live. His mind was doubtful; he divined about it. The divination said, “Kill the turtle and use it for divination: auspicious.” So they gutted the turtle. Seventy-two drillings were made and none failed to be accurate. Zhongni said, “The divine turtle could appear in a dream to Duke Yuan, but could not avoid Yu Ju’s net. Its knowledge could make seventy-two divinations without a single miss, but it could not avoid the calamity of having its intestines cut out. In this way, knowledge has its limits, and spirit has what it cannot reach. Though one has the utmost knowledge, ten thousand men will scheme against him. Fish do not fear the net but fear the pelican. Remove small knowledge, and great knowledge becomes clear; remove goodness, and one is good of himself. An infant born without a great teacher can speak because it dwells with those who speak.”
Huizi said to Zhuangzi, “Your words are useless.” Zhuangzi said, “Only when one knows uselessness can one begin to speak of use. The earth is not unwide and great, yet what a man uses is only the space for his feet. But if you put your foot down and dig a trench beside it down to the Yellow Springs, is the earth still of use to him?” Huizi said, “It is useless.” Zhuangzi said, “Then the use of the useless is also clear.”
Zhuangzi said, “If a man can wander, how can he not wander? If a man cannot wander, how can he wander? As for the mind of drifting and fleeing, the conduct of decisive severance – ah, these are not the tasks of utmost knowledge and thick virtue! To fall and not return, to race like fire and not look back – though they may be ruler and minister to one another, that is a matter of time. When times change, they cannot use it to demean one another. Therefore it is said: the Perfect Man does not linger in his course. To honor antiquity and despise the present is the fashion of scholars. Moreover, if the people of Xi Wei’s time looked at the present world, who could fail to be stirred? Only the Perfect Man can wander in the world without becoming eccentric, follow others without losing himself. Their teachings he does not learn; he receives their intent but is not them. When the eye is clear, it is sight; when the ear is clear, it is hearing; when the nose is clear, it is scent; when the mouth is clear, it is taste; when the mind is clear, it is knowledge; when knowledge is clear, it is virtue. In general, the Way should not be blocked. Blocked, it becomes obstructed; obstructed without cease, it becomes disordered; disordered, then many harms arise. Things that have knowledge rely on breath. If it is not abundant, it is not Heaven’s fault. Heaven pierces them, day and night without cease, but men instead block their openings. The womb has many chambers; the mind has a heavenly wandering. If a room has no emptiness, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law will quarrel; if the mind has no heavenly wandering, the six senses will struggle. The goodness of great forests and hills to men is also because the spirit cannot be overcome. Virtue overflows into fame; fame overflows into display; scheming is examined in urgency; knowledge emerges from contention; fences arise from guarding; official affairs are completed by what the multitude finds fitting. When spring rain comes in its season, grass and trees burst forth. Then hoes and weeders begin to be repaired. More than half of the plants that were cut down grow again, and people do not know why it is so. Silence can heal illness; rubbing the eyes can rest the aged; tranquility can stop haste. Nevertheless, these are the tasks of the toiler; the idler has never passed by and asked about them. What the sage uses to astonish the world, the spirit man has never passed by and asked about. What the worthy uses to astonish the age, the sage has never passed by and asked about. What the gentleman uses to astonish the state, the worthy has never passed by and asked about. What the petty man uses to fit the times, the gentleman has never passed by and asked about. At Yanmen there was a man whose parent died. Because he was good at emaciating himself, he was ennobled as an official teacher. Of his party, half died from emaciation. Yao offered the world to Xu You; Xu You fled from it. Tang offered it to Wu Guang; Wu Guang was angry at it. Ji Tuo heard of this, led his disciples, and withdrew to the Kuan River. The feudal lords condoled with him. Three years later, Shen Tu Di threw himself into the river. The fish trap exists because of the fish; once you get the fish, you forget the trap. The snare exists because of the rabbit; once you get the rabbit, you forget the snare. Words exist because of meaning; once you get the meaning, you forget the words. Where can I find a man who has forgotten words so that I can speak with him?”
Note
Zhuangzi is not a history book. Many figures are legendary, semi-legendary, or used as characters in philosophical parables. The notes below explain the most important names, events, and allusions for readers unfamiliar with ancient China.
Long Feng (龙逢 / 关龙逄)
A minister of the tyrant King Jie of the Xia dynasty. He remonstrated with the king and was executed. He became a symbol of the loyal minister who dies for speaking truth.
Bi Gan (比干)
An uncle or relative of King Zhou, the last Shang king. He criticized the king’s corruption and was killed; legend says his heart was cut out. He represents loyalty punished by a bad ruler.
Jizi (箕子)
A relative of King Zhou. To avoid execution, he feigned madness and lived as a slave. He is another example of a good man surviving a corrupt age by hiding his wisdom.
E Lai (恶来)
A minister or general under King Zhou. He was killed when the Shang dynasty fell. His name became associated with a powerful but doomed follower of a tyrant.
Jie (桀) and Zhou (纣)
The last kings of the Xia and Shang dynasties. In Chinese tradition they are archetypal tyrants. Their downfall is used as a warning about bad government.
Wu Yun / Wu Zixu (伍员 / 伍子胥)
A famous minister of the state of Wu. Wu Zixu helped Wu become powerful, but was later forced to commit suicide. His body was thrown into the Yangtze River. He is remembered as a loyal minister who suffered a tragic end.
Chang Hong (苌弘)
A minister of the Zhou royal house. He died in Shu. Legend says his blood was collected and after three years turned into green jade. This gave rise to the phrase “blue blood” (碧血) for a loyal martyr.
Xiao Ji (孝己)
A son of King Wu Ding of the Shang dynasty. He was known for filial piety, but suffered from slander and died in sorrow. He represents the good son who is not loved.
Zeng Shen / Zengzi (曾参)
A famous disciple of Confucius, known for filial piety and poverty. In this chapter he is mentioned as grieving because filial piety does not always bring love.
Zhuang Zhou / Zhuangzi (庄周 / 庄子)
The author-figure of the text. In this chapter he is poor and borrows grain. He tells the famous story of the minnow in the dried rut.
The Marquis of Jianhe (监河侯)
A local official, probably fictional. He promises Zhuangzi a large loan in the future, but Zhuangzi compares this to promising the ocean to a fish dying in a dry rut.
The Young Master of Ren / Ren Gongzi (任公子)
A legendary or fictional fisherman. He makes a giant hook and line, uses fifty oxen as bait, and waits a whole year to catch a giant fish in the East Sea. He represents great ambition and patience.
Lao Laizi (老莱子)
A Daoist hermit of Chu, often confused with Laozi. He is also famous in Confucian tradition as a filial son who dressed in colorful clothes to amuse his elderly parents. Here he criticizes Confucius for self-importance and for trying to save one generation while creating trouble for ten thousand.
Confucius / Zhongni (孔子 / 仲尼)
The founder of Confucianism. In this chapter he appears as a seeker who is criticized by Lao Laizi and who later comments on the divine turtle.
Duke Yuan of Song (宋元君)
A ruler of the state of Song. He dreams of a divine turtle and later has it killed for divination. The story shows that even great knowledge and spiritual power have limits.
Yu Ju (余且)
A fisherman who catches the divine turtle in his net. His name is given as the one who captured the creature that appeared in the Duke’s dream.
Huizi / Hui Shi (惠子 / 惠施)
A logician and friend-rival of Zhuangzi. He tells Zhuangzi his words are useless. Zhuangzi replies with the famous “useless usefulness” argument about the ground under our feet.
Xu You (许由)
A legendary hermit. Yao offered him the throne, but he fled. He represents the refusal of political power.
Wu Guang (务光)
A legendary figure. Tang offered him the throne, but he was angry and refused. He is another example of rejecting rule.
Ji Tuo (纪他)
A hermit who heard of Wu Guang’s refusal. He led his disciples to the Kuan River, and feudal lords came to condole with him. He represents the spread of withdrawal from power.
Shen Tu Di (申徒狄)
A figure who, after hearing these stories, threw himself into the river. He represents the extreme of world-rejection.
Xi Wei (狶韦氏)
A legendary ancient ruler. The text says that if people of his time looked at the present world, who could fail to be stirred?
The Minnow in the Dried Rut (涸辙之鲋)
Zhuangzi borrows grain. The Marquis of Jianhe promises him a large sum later. Zhuangzi tells of a minnow trapped in a dry wagon rut. It asks for a gallon of water. Zhuangzi says he will stir up the Western River to save it. The minnow replies: “Just give me a little water now, or look for me in the dried-fish market.” This is a famous image of urgent need versus empty promises.
Ren Gongzi Catches the Giant Fish (任公子钓大鱼)
Ren Gongzi uses a huge hook, thick line, and fifty oxen as bait. He fishes for a year without success. Then a giant fish takes the bait and creates a huge commotion. He dries the fish and feeds everyone from the Zhi River to Cangwu. The story shows that great achievements require great patience and scale. Small-minded people cannot understand them.
Confucians Rob a Grave (儒以诗礼发冢)
A satirical story. Great and Little Confucians rob a tomb while quoting the Poetry and Ritual. The Great Confucian asks about progress; the Little Confucian finds a pearl in the corpse’s mouth. They quote a poem about generosity and then carefully extract the pearl. This mocks those who use high-sounding classics to justify low behavior.
The Divine Turtle (神龟托梦)
Duke Yuan of Song dreams of a man with disheveled hair who says he is the clear river’s envoy to the Count of the River and has been caught by the fisherman Yu Ju. The Duke divines and learns it is a divine turtle. Yu Ju presents a white turtle five feet around. The Duke cannot decide whether to kill it or let it live. He divines: “Kill the turtle and use it for divination: auspicious.” They gut the turtle. Seventy-two drillings are made and all are accurate. Confucius comments: the turtle could appear in a dream but could not avoid the net. Knowledge has limits; spirit has what it cannot reach.
The Use of the Useless (无用之用)
Huizi says Zhuangzi’s words are useless. Zhuangzi says: only when you know uselessness can you speak of use. The earth is wide, but a person uses only the space for their feet. If you dig a trench beside the foot down to the Yellow Springs, is the earth still useful? Huizi says no. Zhuangzi says: then the use of the useless is clear.
Forgetting the Trap, Forgetting the Words (得鱼忘荃，得意忘言)
The fish trap exists because of the fish. Once you get the fish, you forget the trap. The snare exists because of the rabbit. Once you get the rabbit, you forget the snare. Words exist because of meaning. Once you get the meaning, you forget the words. Zhuangzi asks: where can I find a man who has forgotten words so I can speak with him?
Yanmen and Excessive Mourning (演门善毁)
At Yanmen, a man’s parent died. Because he was good at emaciating himself from grief, he was ennobled as an official teacher. Half of his party died from emaciation. This mocks the way society rewards extreme performances of mourning.
Tortoise-Shell Divination
Ancient Chinese divination often used turtle shells. A hot rod was applied to the shell, and the cracks were read. The divine turtle story mentions “seventy-two drillings” – many divinations, all accurate. The turtle is a symbol of longevity, wisdom, and spiritual power.
Offering the World (让天下)
Legendary sages like Yao and Tang offered rulership to worthy hermits. Xu You and Wu Guang refused. This reflects the ideal of the sage-ruler who does not cling to power and the hermit who refuses it.
Loyal Ministers and Martyrs
The chapter lists loyal ministers who were killed or driven to death: Long Feng, Bi Gan, Wu Yun, Chang Hong. It shows that loyalty does not guarantee trust, and goodness does not guarantee reward.
Filial Piety and Its Limits
Xiao Ji and Zeng Shen are examples of filial sons who suffered. The text says parents want filial children, but filial piety does not always bring love. Later, the Yanmen story shows how mourning can become a performance for status.
Blood Becoming Jade (碧血)
Chang Hong’s blood turning into green jade is a famous image of martyrdom. It expresses the idea that loyalty and innocence can transform into something precious after death.
Yin-Yang Disorder and Natural Catastrophe
The text says when yin and yang move out of order, Heaven and Earth are shaken, thunder and lightning appear, fire is in water, and the great locust tree burns. This reflects ancient Chinese cosmology: harmony between yin and yang is essential for order.
External Things Cannot Be Made Certain (外物不可必)
The opening line: external things cannot be relied on. Good people suffer; bad people prosper; loyalty is not always trusted; filial piety is not always loved. Therefore one should not build one’s life on external certainties.
The Way Should Not Be Blocked (道不欲壅)
If the Way is blocked, it becomes obstructed; obstruction leads to disorder; disorder leads to many harms. This applies to the body, the mind, and society.
Heavenly Wandering of the Mind (心有天游)
The mind needs free space, like a room needs emptiness. If the mind has no heavenly wandering, the six senses struggle. If a room has no emptiness, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law quarrel.
The Six Openings / Six Senses (六凿)
The eye, ear, nose, mouth, mind, and knowledge. When each is clear, it fulfills its function. When they struggle, harm arises.
Small Knowledge vs. Great Knowledge (小知 / 大知)
The divine turtle has small knowledge – it can predict with seventy-two drillings – but cannot avoid the net. “Remove small knowledge, and great knowledge becomes clear.”
The Perfect Man Does Not Linger (至人不留行)
The Perfect Man wanders in the world without becoming eccentric, follows others without losing himself. He does not cling to past or present, praise or blame.
The Sage Hesitates Before Acting (圣人踌躇以兴事)
The sage does not rush into action. By hesitating and waiting for the right moment, he often succeeds.
Forget Words Once You Have the Meaning (得意忘言)
The highest communication is not about words. Words are tools. Once you grasp the meaning, you can let go of the words. Zhuangzi longs for someone who has forgotten words so he can truly speak with him.
杂篇·外物第二十六
外物不可必，故龙逢诛，比干戮，箕子狂，恶来死，桀、纣亡。人主莫不欲其臣之忠，而忠未必信，故伍员流于江，苌弘死于蜀，藏其血，三年而化为碧。人亲莫不欲其子之孝，而孝未必爱，故孝己忧而曾参悲。木与木相摩则然，金与火相守则流，阴阳错行，则天地大絯，于是乎有雷有霆，水中有火，乃焚大槐。有甚忧两陷而无所逃。螴蜳不得成，心若县于天地之间，慰睯沈屯，利害相摩，生火甚多，众人焚和，月固不胜火，于是乎有僓然而道尽。
庄周家贫，故往贷粟于监河侯。监河侯曰：“诺。我将得邑金，将贷子三百金，可乎？”庄周忿然作色曰：“周昨来，有中道而呼者，周顾视车辙，中有鲋鱼焉。周问之曰：‘鲋鱼来，子何为者耶？’对曰：‘我，东海之波臣也。君岂有斗升之水而活我哉！’周曰：‘诺，我且南游吴越之王，激西江之水而迎子，可乎？’鲋鱼忿然作色曰：‘吾失我常与，我无所处。我得斗升之水然活耳。君乃言此，曾不如早索我于枯鱼之肆。’”
任公子为大钩巨缁，五十犗以为饵，蹲乎会稽，投竿东海，旦旦而钓，期年不得鱼。已而大鱼食之，牵巨钩，陷没而下，骛扬而奋鬐，白波若山，海水震荡，声侔鬼神，燀赫千里。任公子得若鱼，离而腊之，自制河以东，苍梧已北，莫不厌若鱼者。已而后世辁才讽说之徒，皆惊而相告也。夫揭竿累，趣灌渎，守鲵鲋，其于得大鱼难矣！饰小说以干县令，其于大达亦远矣。是以未尝闻任氏之风俗，其不可与经于世亦远矣！
儒以《诗》、《礼》发冢，大儒胪传曰：“东方作矣，事之何若？”小儒曰：“未解裙襦，口中有珠。”“《诗》固有之曰：‘青青之麦，生于陵陂。生不布施，死何含珠为？’接其鬓，压其顪，儒以金椎控其颐，徐别其颊，无伤口中珠。”
老莱子之弟子出薪，遇仲尼，反以告，曰：“有人于彼，修上而趋下，末偻而后耳，视若谋四海，不知其谁氏之子。”老莱子曰：“是丘也，召而来。”仲尼至。曰：“丘，去汝躬矜与汝容知，斯为君子矣。”仲尼揖而退，蹙然改容而问曰：“业可得进乎？”老莱子曰：“夫不忍一世之伤，而骜万世之患。抑固窭邪？亡其略弗及邪？惠以欢为，骜终身之丑，中民之行易进焉耳！相引以名，相结以隐。与其誉尧而非桀，不如两忘而闭其所誉。反无非伤也，动无非邪也，圣人踌躇以兴事，以每成功。奈何哉，其载焉终矜尔！”
宋元君夜半而梦人被发窥阿门，曰：“予自宰路之渊，予为清江使河伯之所，渔者余且得予。”元君觉，使人占之，曰：“此神龟也。”君曰：“渔者有余且乎？”左右曰：“有。”君曰：“令余且会朝。”明日，余且朝。君曰：“渔何得？”对曰：“且之网得白龟焉，箕圆五尺。”君曰：“献若之龟。”龟至，君再欲杀之，再欲活之。心疑，卜之。曰：“杀龟以卜吉。”乃刳龟，七十二钻而无遗生筴。仲尼曰：“神龟能见梦于元君，而不能避余且之网；知能七十二钻而无遗囗，不能避刳肠之患。如是则知有所困，神有所不及也。虽有至知，万人谋之。鱼不畏网而畏鹈鹕。去小知而大知明，去善而自善矣。婴儿生，无硕师而能言，与能言者处也。”
惠子谓庄子曰：“子言无用。”庄子曰：“知无用而始可与言用矣。夫地非不广且大也，人之所用容足耳，然则厕足而堑之致黄泉，人尚有用乎？”惠子曰：“无用。”庄子曰：“然则无用之为用也亦明矣。”
庄子曰：“人有能游，且得不游乎！人而不能游，且得游乎！夫流遁之志，决绝之行，噫，其非至知厚德之任与！覆坠而不反，火驰而不顾。虽相与为君臣，时也。易世而无以相贱。故曰：至人不留行焉。夫尊古而卑今，学者之流也。且以狶韦氏之流观今之世，夫孰能不波！唯至人乃能游于世而不僻，顺人而不失己。彼教不学，承意不彼。目彻为明，耳彻为聪，鼻彻为颤，口彻为甘，心彻为知，知彻为德。凡道不欲壅，壅则哽，哽而不止则跈，跈则众害生。物之有知者恃息。其不殷，非天之罪。天之穿之，日夜无降，人则顾塞其窦。胞有重阆，心有天游。室无空虚，则妇姑勃谿；心无天游，则六凿相攘。大林丘山之善于人也，亦神者不胜。德溢乎名，名溢乎暴，谋稽乎誸，知出乎争，柴生乎守，官事果乎众宜。春雨日时，草木怒生，铫鎒于是乎始修，草木之到植者过半而不知其然。静默可以补病，眦媙可以休老，宁可以止遽。虽然，若是劳者之务也，非佚者之所未尝过而问焉；圣人之所以骇天下，神人未尝过而问焉；贤人所以骇世，圣人未尝过而问焉；君子所以骇国，贤人未尝过而问焉；小人所以合时，君子未尝过而问焉。演门有亲死者，以善毁爵为官师，其党人毁而死者半。尧与许由天下，许由逃之；汤与务光，务光怒之；纪他闻之，帅弟子而踆于窾水，诸侯吊之。三年，申徒狄因以踣河。荃者所以在鱼，得鱼而忘荃；蹄者所以在兔，得兔而忘蹄；言者所以在意，得意而忘言。吾安得夫忘言之人而与之言哉！”
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