Confucius asked Zisang Hu: “I was twice driven out of Lu, had a tree cut down on me in Song, had my traces erased in Wei, was reduced to poverty in Shang and Zhou, and was surrounded between Chen and Cai. Having met with these several calamities, my relatives and old friends have grown more distant, and my disciples and companions have scattered more and more. Why is this?”
Zisang Hu said: “Have you alone not heard of the flight of the people of Jia? Lin Hui abandoned a jade disk worth a thousand pieces of gold and carried a newborn child on his back as he fled. Someone said: ‘Was it for wealth? But a newborn child is worth little. Was it because it was a burden? But a newborn child is a greater burden. Why abandon a jade disk worth a thousand pieces of gold and carry a newborn child on your back as you flee?’
Lin Hui said: ‘That was joined by profit; this is bound by Heaven.’
Those who are joined by profit abandon one another when pressed by poverty, trouble, disaster, and harm. Those who are bound by Heaven take one another in when pressed by poverty, trouble, disaster, and harm. Now, taking one another in and abandoning one another are far apart indeed.
Moreover, the friendship of gentlemen is bland as water; the friendship of petty men is sweet as sweet wine. The gentleman is bland yet close; the petty man is sweet yet breaks off. Those who join without cause will separate without cause.”
Confucius said: “I respectfully receive your instruction.” He walked slowly, wandered and lingered, and returned. He renounced learning and discarded his books. His disciples no longer bowed before him, yet their love for him increased all the more.
Another day, Zisang Hu said again: “When Shun was about to die, he earnestly admonished Yu, saying: ‘Be on your guard! For the body, nothing is better than accord; for the feelings, nothing is better than following nature. Accord means not departing; following nature means not toiling. Not departing and not toiling, one does not seek ornamentation to support the body. Not seeking ornamentation to support the body, one does not depend on things.’”
Interpretation
This passage is one of the Zhuangzi’s clearest teachings on the difference between relationships based on profit and relationships based on nature.
Lin Hui’s choice is the center of the parable. A jade disk worth a thousand pieces of gold is precious, but a newborn child is a natural bond. Lin Hui abandons wealth and carries the child because the child is “bound by Heaven” (天属) – a tie of nature, blood, and spontaneous affection. The jade is “joined by profit” (利合) – a tie of advantage.
The lesson:
- Profit-based relationships collapse in adversity. When trouble comes, those who are together only for gain abandon each other.
- Nature-based relationships endure in adversity. When trouble comes, those bound by natural affection take each other in.
- The gentleman’s friendship is bland as water. It is not exciting, not sweet, not based on flattery or gain. But because it is natural, it lasts. The petty man’s friendship is sweet as wine, but when the sweetness is gone, the friendship ends.
- What joins without cause will separate without cause. If there is no deep natural basis, the relationship has no root.
- Confucius learns to let go. After hearing this, Confucius “renounces learning and discards books.” This does not mean he becomes ignorant. It means he stops relying on external learning, ritual performance, and artificial bonds. His disciples no longer bow before him, yet they love him more – because the relationship is now based on natural affection, not formal duty.
- Shun’s final advice to Yu completes the teaching: For the body, follow accord; for the feelings, follow nature. Accord means not departing from one’s root. Following nature means not exhausting oneself. When one does not depart and does not toil, one does not need ornaments to support the body, and therefore does not depend on external things.
In short: Live by natural bonds, not by profit. Be bland like water, not sweet like wine. Follow nature, and you will not be exhausted or abandoned.
Note
Zhuangzi
A foundational Daoist philosopher of the Warring States period (c. 369–286 BCE). This passage comes from the Zhuangzi, Outer Chapters, “Shan Mu” (“The Tree on the Mountain”). It criticizes artificial relationships and praises naturalness.
Confucius
The founder of Confucianism (551–479 BCE). In the Zhuangzi, he often appears as a seeker who learns from Daoist sages. Here he is the questioner. His list of calamities refers to famous episodes in his travels: being driven from Lu, the tree cut down in Song, traces erased in Wei, poverty in Shang and Zhou, and the Chen-Cai distress.
Chen-Cai Distress
A famous episode when Confucius and his disciples were surrounded between Chen and Cai and ran out of food. It became a symbol of the hardships of a wandering teacher.
Zisang Hu (子桑雽)
A Daoist sage or teacher, possibly fictional. He instructs Confucius in the Zhuangzi. His name appears in other chapters as a figure of Daoist wisdom.
Lin Hui (林回)
A man of Jia, probably fictional. He abandons a priceless jade and carries a baby while fleeing. He becomes the archetype of one who values natural bonds over wealth.
The People of Jia
“Jia” may be a place name. The “flight of the people of Jia” refers to a historical or legendary migration. Lin Hui is one of these fugitives.
Jade Disk Worth a Thousand Pieces of Gold
A jade is often used in ritual and as a symbol of great value. For example, the King of Qin once made an offer of fifteen cities in exchange for the jade – He Shi Bi. “A thousand pieces of gold” means priceless wealth. It represents profit, wealth, and external goods.
Newborn Child
A baby. In Chinese philosophy, the newborn symbolizes naturalness, innocence, and the uncarved state. To carry a child instead of jade is to choose nature over profit.
“Joined by Profit” vs. “Bound by Heaven” (以利合 / 以天属)
A key contrast. Profit-based relationships are conditional and dissolve in hardship. Heaven-bound relationships are natural and hold in hardship.
“The Friendship of Gentlemen Is Bland as Water; the Friendship of Petty Men Is Sweet as Sweet Wine”
One of the most famous Chinese idioms, from this passage. It means true friendship is not flashy or sweet; it is simple, pure, and lasting. False friendship is sweet at first but ends quickly.
Shun and Yu
Shun and Yu were legendary sage kings. Shun was about to die and gave final advice to Yu, who would succeed him. Shun’s words – “For the body, nothing is better than accord; for the feelings, nothing is better than following nature” – are a Daoist teaching placed in the mouth of a sage king.
“Form Best Follows Accord; Emotion Best Follows Nature” (形莫若缘，情莫若率)
A summary of Daoist practice: do not force the body or the feelings. Follow the natural grain. Then one does not depart from the root and does not exhaust oneself.
“Renounce Learning and Discard Books” (绝学捐书)
A Daoist gesture. It echoes Laozi’s “Cut off learning and there will be no sorrow.” It does not mean anti-intellectualism; it means dropping reliance on external rules and artificial knowledge.
Knowledge acquired through books and formal study is different from the true Dao. Laozi said in the Dao De Jing:
“For learning, one gains day by day; for the Dao, one loses day by day.”
Book learning adds facts and distinctions to our mind. To grasp the Dao, however, we need to strip away man-made knowledge, prejudices and clever arguments. We must let go of external scholarly teachings and written texts, instead of accumulating more intellectual knowledge.
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